Tag: editorials

One-Off: noun. Something occurring, done, or made only once. For being relatively common, one-offs are rarely given any spotlight in the Zelda franchise. This is unfair; the importance of singular moments with different mechanics or a different tone from the rest of the game cannot be understated. From the Romani Ranch side quest in Majora’s Mask to The Sand Sea in Skyward Sword, I’m going to take a look at some of my favorite unique moments from the history of…

Tragic characters are not something we see much of in the Zelda series, especially not among the series’ villains. Ganondorf, Vaati, and all the one-off baddies are people we were happy to do away with, but then, A Link Between Worlds came along, and did something new. Not only did the real villain not reveal herself until the end, but she proved to be a truly relatable and tragic figure that we were sad to have to fight. Join me…

Welcome to the sixth installment of Piece of Heart, where we look at The Legend of Zelda series through the eyes of a literary professor and examine how its literary elements enhance the gaming experience. This week’s lesson is titled “Hanseldee and Greteldum” so we’ll scour the Zelda series in search of parallels to fairy tales (oddly enough I found none alluding to Hansel and Gretel, nor Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, so I changed the title rather than be…

Welcome to the fifth installment of Piece of Heart, where we look at The Legend of Zelda series through the eyes of a literary professor and examine how its literary elements enhance the gaming experience. This weeks lesson is titled “Marked for Greatness” and we’ll be analyzing how distinctive markings, scars, deformities, and other oddities stand as indicators of a character’s importance. One of the most obvious indicators would be the appearance of the triforce on a character’s hand, but…

As most Zelda fans know, Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures are not typical Zelda games. Neither contain an overworld, both are multiplayer, and wouldn’t you know Link splits into four. The emphasis on multiplayer mechanics in these games shifted focus away from compelling story lines which made them feel less welcome in the series. But, technology has come a long way since 2004 and we’ve yet to see another multiplayer Zelda. With the recent outcry for Vaati to return…

Welcome to the fourth installment of Piece of Heart, where we look at The Legend of Zelda series through the eyes of a literary professor and examine how its literary elements enhance the gaming experience. This week’s lesson is titled “It’s Greek to Me” so we’ll be analyzing how the influence of Greek myths add depth and resonance to Zelda’s legend. It’s shocking the amount of Greek influence in the Zelda series; from temples, to goddesses, to greedy men turned…

Welcome to the third installment of Piece of Heart, where we look at The Legend of Zelda series through the eyes of a literary professor and examine how its literary elements enhance the gaming experience. This weeks lesson is titled “Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires”, and believe it or not many of the enemies in Zelda are actually life-sucking creatures of the night. Though they may not show up in mirrors, literary vampires are very easy monsters to…

“Don’t be such a Cucco!” You’d probably be offended to be accused of acting like a Cucco, wouldn’t you? But perhaps you shouldn’t be. Cucco are incredibly strong creatures that are loyal and protect their own from harm; these are endearing qualities, so why the negative connotation on the name? Well, aside from the Cucco being the Zelda form of a chicken, and the phrase “Don’t be such a chicken!” being an insult in reality, Cucco can be seen as…

Welcome to the second installment of Piece of Heart, where we look at “The Legend of Zelda” series through the eyes of a literary professor and examine how its literary elements enhance the gaming experience. This week’s lesson is titled “More than it’s Going to Hurt You: Concerning Violence” and in a game series where the main protagonist is a swordsman, you can bet there are plenty of violent instances available for analysis. Ever been told to stop playing video…

Hey there, guys! Long time no see, eh?  I haven’t made an editorial in quite a while, and I’ve felt pretty bad about that.  So sorry!  But I’m here now, so let’s get to it! Majora’s Mask 3D is releasing Spring 2015, that’s only a few months away.  So what better way to commend to the glorious remake, than to write an editorial about it? When you think of Majora’s Mask, what do you think of? The adventure?  The characters?…