“Oh My Goodness!” Check Out This Honest Review of the CD-i Zelda Games

The Legend of Zelda games published on the Phillips Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-i) in the 90s are infamous for their non-canon story scenarios, wild animation and voice acting choices, and poor reception. But odds are, even if you’ve never played a CD-i Zelda (which is likely given how expensive the CD-i was on release and how difficult it is to get a hold of the hardware and games now), you’ve appreciated some CD-i Zelda content in meme-form. I didn’t know too much about the CD-i Zelda games before this year beyond the random exclamation “Squadala!” and the very memeable faces CD-i Link makes throughout the series, but this changed when I got the chance to sit in on a playthrough of Link: The Faces of Evil during this year’s Zelda Dungeon Marathon. Viewing one of these games up close and learning just how wacky the gameplay experience really is became one of my most fond memories from the trip!

If you’re still waiting to get a fuller picture of the CD-i Zelda experience but don’t have the time or money to dive in yourself, thankfully you’re in luck! Video game reviewer Majuular has put together “An Honest Review of  the CD-i Zelda Games.” Majuular’s video provides an in-depth look at each CD-i Zelda game, including what influenced their creation and reception and what he personally thinks of the gameplay, characters, and the lasting CD-i Zelda legacy. Majuular does a wonderful job of communicating what makes these games so special and yet so anathema to the Zelda experience many fans are used to, while also contributing his own humor and perspective. I really enjoyed this video, because it doesn’t just pile on mountains of all the expected criticisms; Majuular also takes the time to explain what value the CD-i games do have, so that at the end, you feel satisfied that you’ve learned more about them.

If you’re interested in more Majuular, you can find a variety of retrospectives, reviews, and break-downs on his YouTube channel, and you can also follow him on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Patreon.

What did you think of “An Honest Review of the CD-i Zelda Games”? What would you have added to Majuular’s breakdown? Let us know down below in the comments!

Source: Majuular

Kora Burton

Location: Athens, Georgia, USA

Favorite Zeldas: Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time

Date Joined: 2022

“Tell me… Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?”