Daily Debate: Similarly to the Forest Temple, Should Nintendo Focus More on Specific Enemies In Dungeons?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has multiple special dungeons that have long been beloved by many fans of the franchise. One popular dungeon, the Forest Temple, is especially unique. With its haunting atmosphere, twisted corridors, challenging puzzles, and a variety of enemies, it can be considered one of the most interesting and engaging dungeons in the series.

One of the things that makes the Forest Temple so different from other dungeons in the series is the fact that its presentation focuses more on a specific set of enemies – the Poe sisters – than on the dungeon boss. Obviously the Phantom Ganon fight is an important moment, but it’s not hard to argue that the majority of the Forest Temple revolves around the Poe sisters.

Not many of the dungeons in the franchise focus more on minor enemies in this way. There are a few for sure; Arbiter’s Grounds in Twilight Princess also focuses on Poes, and the Sandship in Skyward Sword arguably places more emphasis on its ancient robotic pirate miniboss Scervo. In both cases, the main boss isn’t as important to a lore or thematic standpoint. It could be interesting to see Nintendo make more dungeons with this sort of structure in mind, placing emphasis more on minor enemies than the dungeon boss.

So what do you think? Should Nintendo focus more on specific sets of enemies for building lore and presenting unique encounters in their dungeons? Or should they continue a dungeon boss to meet this end? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!