Bomber’s Notebook #001 – Super Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda, whose name lies in the title of the game franchise that centers around Link’s heroics, has always been portrayed as your classic damsel in distress. Nintendo has shown a willingness to deviate from the beaten path when Spirit Tracks made Zelda Link’s anxious, pre-teen companion. She was along for the ride in the form of a maneuverable Phantom and played a much more important role than in previous games. The thing to note here is that she engaged in battle, showing that she is a strong and able female character. Zelda from Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess exhibited fighting/magical capabilities as well, but didn’t rear their pretty faces too often. Spirit Tracks’ Zelda no longer fell into the backdrop, but remained at the vanguard of the experience.

Zelda from Ocarina of Time was, in my opinion, quite awesome despite being captured by Ganondorf in a giant purple crystal. Hmmmm… why didn’t he do that to Link as well? Anyway, if you have played OoT, then you know that Zelda dressed up as a man-woman named Sheik who turns out to be a complete bad-ass. Sheik conveniently appears to teach Link new songs to warp to different areas on the map and then disappears by throwing a Deku Nut on the ground. I thought ninjas were the only ones who could do that, but Sheik probably is one. The more important question is this: why can’t Link disappear right before our eyes with exploding Deku Nuts? Zelda also stepped out of her role of a bit player by opening the barred gates in the castle for Link and aiding him in the final battle with Ganon casting a magical golden beam from her hands. As far as I’m concerned, Ocarina of Time’s Zelda is way cooler than Link.

Nintendo upped the ante with Zelda from Twilight Princess. Although she appears very little in the exposition, she shows off an array of enviable skills near the end of the game. After being possessed by Mr. Ganondorf and turned into Puppet Zelda, she displays the ability to create those damned energy tennis balls, levitate in the air and create death trap Triforce symbols on the ground. Harkening back to the Ocarina of Time days, this Princess Zelda also decides to assist Link on horseback by firing majestic light arrows at the dark king. Granted, she’s a terrible shot, but at least she tried.

I have my gripes with Skyward Sword’s Princess Zelda, though. She was bubbly, adorable and shared a tacit romantic relationship with Link. Although she had me pounding the TV screen and spouting curses when she was about to kiss Link and then pushed him off the Goddess Statue, it was interesting to watch their romance bud and then have them be torn apart so abruptly. When she lands in Hyrule, she finds her way alone for awhile, but is then accompanied by Impa and guided through the rest of her “adventure”. Throughout the rest of the game, Link gazes upon her infrequently. Just as he reaches the end of a dungeon, she is whisked away by Impa right before his eyes. If that doesn’t hurt like a thousand needles to the heart, then nothing does. Although this decidedly lovable Princess Zelda was at the front of our minds for much of Skyward Sword, she was virtually absent from the entire middle section of the game and never showed any signs of being an independent force to be reckoned with.

Some faithful fans to the franchise are probably hungering for a Princess Zelda spin-off. It’s been done before, yes, but I’m pretty sure that most people have bleached their brains after that CD-i atrocity Zelda’s Adventure. If Zelda should have her own quest, it must be done the right way: the Nintendo way. Nintendo’s Super Princess Peach from back in 2005/2006 garnered favorable critic reviews and ensnared the hearts of Mario fans with its light-but-familiar platforming. Mario and Luigi became the ones who need to be rescued, and Peach courageously fights through hordes of enemies using Perry the Parasol. She also harnesses the power of her emotions in the forms of Rage, Gloom, Joy and Calm. Peach conquers Bowser and rescues the mustachio’d captives using her feminine wiles and mood swings. Nice.

However, a fair complaint can be leveled against Super Princess Peach. She may be the protagonist, but her abilities are all extremely feminine and girly. I understand that Peach shouldn’t break character, as she is dressed in pink and fluffy laces. Developer TOSE clearly spent a lot of time to incorporate Peach’s harmless, ladylike attributes into weapons. I think it’s safe to say that Super Princess Peach isn’t the best example out there of girl-power… *cough*Metroid*cough*.

Zelda, on the other hand, is a much more sophisticated character. Not only has she showcased offensive abilities in the games, her moveset from the Super Smash Bros. franchise can be used as a template if she should appear in her own Nintendo-developed spin-off. As was mentioned earlier, it is possible that we may see Ocarina of Time from Zelda’s perspective. I’m not overly fond of this idea, since it would seem that her role in the game consists solely of showing up at just the right time to teach Link ocarina songs, getting princess-napped and fighting in the final battle alongside Link. But hey, there could be an entire story that is hidden from our sight.

Whether or not Nintendo is willing to make an entire game based around Zelda is a subject of debate, and what game should be the setting of her adventure is an even more daunting question. Or should she star in a completely new game that is unrelated to other Zelda games? Let us know in the comments below.

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