Our Definitions of "dungeon"?

[SavageWizzrobe]

I thought of an interesting question: how do we define "dungeons"?

For me, I define dungeons using a sort of checklist:

-Does it have an inventory item you obtain? (ex. Bow, Bombs, Slingshot, Boomerang, etc.)
-Is there a miniboss that you defeat to get that inventory item?
-Does it have a Map and Compass?
-Does it have Small Keys and/or a Big Key?
-Is there a boss at the end?
-Do you obtain a Heart Container from that boss?
-Do you also obtain a quest item after defeating the boss? (ex. Pendants, Pearls, etc.)

Generally, if the "dungeon" obeys 5-7 of these criteria, I consider it a dungeon.
Recent Zelda games, such as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, have really tested my criteria for dungeons. Take the Forsaken Fortress from WW and Hyrule Castle from TP. Following my checklist I would consider Forsaken Fortress as a dungeon, but not Hyrule Castle.

What about the rest of you? How would you define a "dungeon"?

 

[onidarklink2]

Basically if there's a map&compass, a boss, contains some kind of item, and various different rooms. I don't think there NEEDS to be keys or a miniboss.

 

[MW7]

I thought of an interesting question: how do we define "dungeons"?

For me, I define dungeons using a sort of checklist:

-Does it have an inventory item you obtain? (ex. Bow, Bombs, Slingshot, Boomerang, etc.)
-Is there a miniboss that you defeat to get that inventory item?
-Does it have a Map and Compass?
-Does it have Small Keys and/or a Big Key?
-Is there a boss at the end?
-Do you obtain a Heart Container from that boss?
-Do you also obtain a quest item after defeating the boss? (ex. Pendants, Pearls, etc.)

Generally, if the "dungeon" obeys 5-7 of these criteria, I consider it a dungeon.
Recent Zelda games, such as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, have really tested my criteria for dungeons. Take the Forsaken Fortress from WW and Hyrule Castle from TP. Following my checklist I would consider Forsaken Fortress as a dungeon, but not Hyrule Castle.

What about the rest of you? How would you define a "dungeon"?

Those are some good criteria; however, you are right that the criteria are often missing from some places that really should be considered dungeons. At least 5 criteria is a good rule too, but IMO your weakest criterion is the mini-boss guarding the inventory item. I'm pretty sure that the earlier games in the series almost never had a real mini-boss, but still it makes sense since they are present in most modern dungeons.

I'm kind of overthinking this, but really the definition of dungeon varies from game to game. For instance in the first game a dungeon can simply be defined as any underworld location in which the map identifies as level and then a number. In Majora's Mask a dungeon is anyplace you can earn a boss's remains. I guess my point is that it's hard to make absolute criteria for dungeons encompassing the whole series.

Also the final dungeon should be examined differently because you never get a heart container, you sometimes get an inventory item, etc. I'd say that Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess would be dungeon, but the Moon in Majora's Mask would not be a dungeon. I can't really articulate criteria for why I think this, but I'm just saying that the final areas of Zelda games should be considered as special cases.

 

[SpiritGerudo]

I believe Z-Talk defined a dungeon as an area where you obtain a new item and fight a final boss, but knowing that, most of out final dungeons in the game (Like Ganondorf's Tower) do not give you a new item, so I would define it more as an area where you obtain a dungeon map, compass and fight a final boss.