Daily Debate: What is the Most Annoying Zelda Minigame?
Posted on July 11 2022 by Mike Midwood
Minigames have been part of the Zelda series since the very beginning. Serving as brief distractions from the apocalyptic stakes of Link’s adventures, there has been no shortage of fun diversions to spend our rupees at. These minigames have generally been very engaging, or at least simple enough that they’re difficult to really mess up. As with all things, however, there are some major exceptions. Occasionally, Zelda minigames are poorly conceived or just not executed very well. Which Zelda minigame do you find most annoying?
There are plenty of frustrating attractions throughout the franchise. The first time I ever found myself gritting my teeth through one of these sideshows was Bombchu Bowling in Ocarina of Time. Despite a valiant effort, the accuracy just wasn’t there yet for this challenge of precision. Skyward Sword‘s motion controls make Dodoh’s High Dive an irritating chore, one that takes a considerable amount of time to repeat if the player fails. More recently, Octoball Derby has had me pulling my hair out in A Link Between Worlds. The absurd lack of control over successful hits can be maddening.
One minigame stands alone, though. The Trendy Game from Link’s Awakening (2019) has led me to the absolute peak of human anger thanks to its new physics system. In the original game, this was definitely a simplistic, underdeveloped formality that most players only attempt once. I appreciate the expansion of prizes and the increased rupee values, but the addition of “realistic” physics reduces the game to pure chance. You can aim the claw as perfectly as you want, on the way back, you’re subject to the whims of gravity. A minigame that has a tangible cost and is essentially up to random luck will always be a blemish on any game for me.
What about you? Which Zelda minigames are annoying to you? Do you play them anyway for completion’s sake? Let us know in the comments below!
Hi, I’m Mike Midwood and I’m a Senior Editor at ZeldaDungeon! Video games and literature are my greatest joys in life. An avid Zelda fan, some of my other favorite games include the Resident Evil and Dark Souls series. I hope you enjoy my content here on ZeldaDungeon!
“The sword has no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.”
