Category: Original Content

Since the era of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Sony and Microsoft having implemented achievement systems on their consoles which provide an incentive for players to achieve unique or impressive feats, and to track progression in games. The most common achievements — or “Trophies”, as they are called at Sony — are unlocked by defeating bosses, racking up high scores in mini games, or by finishing the game at varying difficulties. Others require the player to perform actions that…

The first set of DLC for Breath of the Wild, dubbed The Master Trials, was made available just three months after the game’s release on the 30th June 2017. Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi stated that The Master Trials was created for “core gamers and people who wanted an extra gameplay-based challenge.” To that end, the DLC introduced several new features that increased the challenge of the base game, including Master Mode and the Trial of the Sword, and new features that…

Link, our favorite hero of Hyrule, has had many different incarnations throughout the Zelda series. However, apart from the commonalities of wearing green, wielding a magical sword, and having a trusty steed and companion, there’s another similarity nearly every Link has: little to no family members. There are a few exceptions of course, like in The Wind Waker, where Link’s sister Aryll’s kidnapping is the triggering event that sets him out on his journey. His beloved grandma who suffers from…

Speedrunning is a part of the Zelda community that I do not have a lot of experience with. The first time I paid any attention to speedrunning was in Spring 2019 when I attended my first Zelda Dungeon Marathon. Even getting into the mindset for speedrunning (let alone doing very well in my runs) is very challenging because it requires me to play Zelda games at a pace that is different from how I usually play Zelda games. I enjoy…

Ganondorf is an iconic villain, integral to the Legend of Zelda series. However, while Zelda and — to a lesser extent — Link’s personalities shift from game to game, Ganondorf remains just about the same in every entry. Nintendo compensates for the stagnant nature of their leading villain by adding in sidekicks or replacements for him from time to time. As an unfortunate side effect of not being cursed to participate in an endless ouroboros cycle between good and evil,…

Since Tears of the Kingdom’s initial unveiling at E3 2019, one of the main points of discussion within the Zelda fan community has been Nintendo’s decision to revisit Breath of the Wild’s iteration of Hyrule. Even today – nearly a year after the game’s launch – this continues to be a particularly hot topic. Given the six-year-long wait, was this decision ultimately worth it? Was Tears otherwise distinct enough to warrant exploring much of the same territory again? Depending on…

The narratives of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have a lot of similarities. In both games, Link awakens after a tremendous defeat to a world that has changed in his absence. Additionally, both games utilize memory or flashback cutscenes in order to fill in the backstories for Link, Zelda, and other key characters. Breath of the Wild requires the player to match different locations across the world with a picture from the Sheikah Slate. These memories…

Recently, our Zelda Dungeon Writing Staff released a feature that collected the various writers’ SPICIEST Zelda hot takes, and just like we did on the podcast a few months ago, we’re now reacting to each take and assigning it a SPICE meter. On the table: is the downfall timeline the only logical conclusion for the timeline to go following the events of Ocarina of Time? And speaking of that game, is nostalgia the only thing keeping it atop our Best…

The Zelda Cast Top Tens returns, with a special April Fools theme! This month, Al is back on the show to talk about the funniest moments from the series, from Link getting shoot out of a cannon to the residents of Animal Village throwing out viscous burns to the ongoing shenanigans of Groose and Linebeck. We also talk about the best boss themes in the series, from obvious picks like Ganondorf and Monk Maz Koshia to some lowkey gems from…

In the world of video games there is quite a lot to enjoy. Personally I enjoy a variety of games, but there are a few series that will always be at the very top of my list; The Legend of Zelda being in that top spot, but do you ever need a break from Zelda games? Given how many hobbies I have and how often I rotate through them to enjoy all of them, yes, I need a break from…