What If… You Were Sucked Into A Zelda Game?

The Legend of Zelda; an iconic title. The world over, fans have enjoyed the fantasy and wonder of this incredible franchise. Little boys and girls have awoke to the newest Zelda title on Christmas morning. Creative types have spent hundreds of hours designing costumes that bring their favorite Zelda character to life. Gaming marathons, fan-fiction and more stand to honor this wonderful series. Gamers return to play their most loved Zelda titles over and over again. They are engrossed; captured by the game — just like you. But what if you really were captured?

What if you really were sucked into your favorite Zelda game?

Think back to when you were a kid, or a teen, or even an adult playing your favorite Zelda game — for the record, mine is Ocarina of Time, and we are going to use that particular title as an example. Perhaps you’re sitting alone in your bedroom, ready to take on the world of Hyrule. You’ve done it before, right? After all, this is your favorite quest! Just another leap into fantasy-land. You switch your console on; you press start. Then it happens! You blink, shielding your eyes from sudden, bright light. You shiver slightly in an unexpected breeze. What’s going on? As your vision adjusts, you realize that you’re not in your bedroom anymore.

Looking around; you see rolling fields against a backdrop of forests and a huge, looming mountain. But wait! You know that mountain, with it’s fiery ring of clouds swirling violently at its peak. That’s Death Mountain. You give yourself a shake; this can’t be right. You look again, and it’s still there. Tearing your eyes away from the sight, your gaze lands on a magnificent castle in the distance. That’s Hyrule Castle!

It’s all so real!  You look at the bright sun, lighting up the landscape around you. You bend to touch the lush grass at your feet, when you are interrupted-

“Excuse me, what are you doing all the way out here?” a strange voice asks.

You raise your eyebrows in shock; it’s the Running Man! He’s out of breath, having just ran across Hyrule Field.

The Running Man arches his brow at your silence, “Not one for talking, are you?  You don’t look like much of a competitor either.” And with that, he turns on his heel and trots off in the direction of Castle Town.

As the reality of your situation sinks in, excitement courses through your veins. You have been sucked into the video game! There is so much to see and so much to do! Then you realize, there really is so much to do. Hyrule will soon be overrun by monsters that need to be slain! But wait, Link already exists. Who says that you have to shoulder that burden? Now that you think about it, you have the ability to become anybody that you want to be. This is where the fun begins!

So the real world has bled over to fantasy. You’re in a position of power. You know how this story goes, you know every character and plot twist. So why not change things? A tweak here and there could really make things interesting. In fact, the smallest action could change the face of history, forever. So, it’s finally time to choose your character!

You glance towards Lon Lon Ranch; you could meet with Malon and make Epona your loyal steed. But those are small apples. You turn your sights in the direction of Gerudo Valley; why not join their ranks? You could learn to fight, and maybe earn some fearful respect. But what then? A life of hardship. No thanks! And then, it hits you. You’ll go to Hyrule Castle! You will stop Zelda from acting on her prophecy. You’ll stop her from splitting the timelines and set Hyrule on its one true course!

Your adventure begins as you set off across the plains of Hyrule. What will you see on your travels? Who will you speak to on this journey? You wonder how you will manage to sneak into Hyrule Castle; what will you tell the princess? Eventually, after tearing yourself away from the distractions of Castle Town, you find yourself in Princess Zelda’s courtyard. There she stands, spying through a window. As you approach, she turns to to face you, her eyes wide with surprise.

“What?! Who?!” Zelda gasps breathlessly.

You open your mouth to speak, to tell Zelda that her prophecy is false. But then you stop and time seems to stand still. Suddenly, you are hesitant; do you really want to do this? Sure, it’s a huge impact that only you can make, but what will the repercussions be? Well, if you do go through with your plan, you can say good-bye to the history of Hyrule as you know it. Adios Majora’s Mask and sayonara The Wind Waker!  So many beloved characters might be lost to your carelessness; Midna, Linebeck, Urbosa — all as though they never existed.

Maybe you’ll forget you’re plan. You could head out on your own adventure, create a life for yourself. Who are you to just come along and change everything, anyway? You’ve just about made your mind up when Zelda’s voice interrupts your chain of thought —

“Who are you?  How did you get past the guards?”

You take a deep breath and meet Zelda’s eyes; you’re ready to make your choice…

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What are the pro’s and con’s of being sucked into a Zelda game?

If I was sucked into my favorite Zelda game, it’s definitely safe to say that I would be in a position of power. As far as my knowledge of Ocarina of Time lore goes, I’m pretty solid, and I could use this to my own benefit. I could make myself rich because I know exactly where to find rupees. I could be an influence on the Royal Family; a seemingly all-knowing person of incredible value. Heck, I could even attempt to walk in Link’s own shoes and save Hyrule all by myself!

But then again, as amazing as it would be to find yourself smack bang in the middle of a Zelda game, the smallest change would have the biggest impact. If you really did stop Princess Zelda from acting on her prophecy in Ocarina of Time, the history of Hyrule would be in jeopardy. But would that necessarily be a bad thing? What if your choices lead to new Eras and new adventures, even better than those that came before?!

And what if you were sucked into another Zelda game entirely? What sort of influence might you have? You might introduce inventions from the real world, changing the very fabric of the game itself! And maybe that would be what leads to Sheikah technology, along with the creation of the Master Cycle Zero in Breath of the Wild! Then again, you might just be interested in playing mini-games and forging a simple life for yourself. But surely even that would have some sort of ripple effect on the world?

If you really were sucked into a Zelda game, it would be difficult to discuss all the reactions and consequences here and now. On one hand, any change that you make might only affect what happens in that one game which belongs to you. On the other hand, if it’s possible to be physically sucked into a Zelda game, is it not possible that your actions might have an effect on all other Zelda games out there?

So, I continue to wonder…what if you were sucked into a Zelda game?

 

Judy Calder is an Original Content Editor for Zelda Dungeon.  She loves Ocarina of Time and can’t get enough of “What if” scenarios, especially when they involve the Official Zelda Timeline.  Follow her on Twitter!

Featured image by Minionslayer

Article image by Gokamyo Draws