Daily Debate: Are Secret Endings Satisfying?

Secret endings are quite rare in the Zelda series, only popping up in a handful of titles. For the uninitiated, secret endings are a type of in-game reward players can receive after completing particular objectives. For example, in both versions of Link’s Awakening, the secret ending is a reward for completing the game without dying once.

But are they satisfying? Any ending, secret or no, should feel rewarding to the player. A proper send off for all the time you spent spelunking and saving the world. Yet, because secret endings require even more of the player they have the potential of being a total letdown. On the other hand, a secret ending that is reached too easily can be unsatisfying as well. Often, this makes the player scratch their head and wonder if the ‘secret’ was even necessary to begin with.

So, how do you judge a secret ending’s worth? Personally, I don’t feel like Link’s Awakening’s secret isn’t entirely worth the frustration of a deathless playthrough. Also, Breath of the Wild’s secondary ending feels well-executed. Majora’s Mask even does wonders with its ‘bad’ ending.

How about you? Do you love the secret and alternative endings in Zelda? Is this a storytelling mechanic you would like to see used more often? Or do you find them to be a waste of time and rarely satisfying? Is there a game you think should have had a secret ending but didn’t? Let us know!