Update: The announcement video for Dopply’s remasters of Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon is currently set to private, and the games are no longer available to download from the link provided below. Readers have reported that the games are still available for download if you join the Merlin’s Palace Discord server here, but we have not yet verified that claim. Original: There are many a story of how we were each impacted by a Zelda…
For a couple of years, the ringtone on my phone was “Vamo Alla Flamenco,” a catchy tune from Final Fantasy IX that plays during an exciting sword fight in front of a cheering crowd. I bring this up because I’ve always enjoyed flamenco tunes for their catchy rhythms and beats. And this cover of “Gerudo Valley” from Ocarina of Time perfectly captures the genre while being a perfect fit in the Zelda universe. This cover of “Gerudo Valley” by LucasGitanoFamily…
“Great Fairy’s Fountain” has always been an iconic Zelda tune. No matter how it’s covered, it always has a way of making one feel relaxed. I find it being a tune that I can easily drift off to sleep to. It’s a tune that seems to put my mind at ease with its peaceful melody. Harpist Emily Hopkins creates this beautiful arrangement of “Great Fairy’s Fountain” with her harp and accompanying cellist, James Acampora. The duet is short, but the…
Breath of the Wild is one of the most beautiful games on the Nintendo Switch. The game has a simple but colorful art style that perfectly fits the hybrid console’s capabilities. The beauty of Breath of the Wild has inspired many artists to put their own take on the characters and locations found within Zelda team’s latest masterpiece. These gorgeous travel posters from StephologyShop capture the beauty found in Breath of the Wild‘s diverse locations. These posters, which are 9″ by…
Ever felt like the Zelda franchise could use more funk? YouTube collective Flipside certainly think so, and they’ve transformed the Legend of Zelda main theme into a sterling four-minute-twenty funk-rock hybrid, complete with keytars, epic trumpet solos, and a jazzy drumbeat to back everything up. This sextet of musicians have combined “Title” and “Overworld” from The Legend of Zelda with elements of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl versions and a dash of the overworld theme from Link’s Awakening. Even the…
I’ve found that there’s generally an overlap between fans of Zelda and fans of the works of Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. Fantastical themes are present in both, and it’s not hard to imagine any of animator and director Hayao Miyazaki’s worlds translating into a brand new Zelda adventure given a few tweaks. Our own Michaela El-Ters shares this sentiment, as she’s discussed at length how my personal favorite Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke, reminds her of our favorite Hyrulean franchise. Artist and…
Whether or not you actually celebrate Christmas on December 25th, it is very likely you have heard the peppy Christmas music that surrounds the holiday. Classics like “Jingle Bells” and “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” tend to fill us with nostalgia and thus a subsequent joy for the season. This upcoming time of exchanging gifts and being thankful for family and friends has an emotional potency that is powerful even in these times. The Zelda series is similarly…
One of my favorite video series on video games is Game Maker’s Toolkit, which explores ideas related to game design, level design, and game production. Each video is a deep dive into a specific game, overarching design ideas that can be seen in multiple games, or guiding design principles. Overall, the series has an assortment of videos focusing on Nintendo design concepts and games, with a significant amount of videos having specific focus on the Zelda series. This recent video…
In an age where most of have been confined to home a lot more than we’re used to, cartoons have been going through a renaissance of sorts as people look for more things to watch. Many people have turned to old classics like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Danny Phantom, and My Life as a Teenage Robot, but this new animation from Woody Tondorf & Laura Kerger (a.k.a. “ArtistGamerGal”) promises a little old and a little new. Hero High envisions an…
The Milk Bar from Majora’s Mask is one of the most interesting locations in the Zelda universe. The highly exclusive bar requires their members to show their proof of membership in the form of the Romani’s Mask. The location, which is only open for a few hours each night, is also the premier musical venue in Clock Town. Overall, Zelda games rarely have locations resemble places that could exist in our modern would, so the chill hangout and live music…
