I had been waiting for this moment. During Nintendo’s Switch Presentation of January 2017, and as Nintendo unveiled an array of new games and amazing features for the Switch, I waited with a burdensome level of patients for an announcement that had been due since June of 2014. As the presentation came to a close, Nintendo began to tease me and everyone else watching with the prize, like a dog owner forcing their pet to balance a treat on its nose before being allowed to eat. But we were good boys and girls, and that long-awaited morsel, the final trailer for Breath of the Wild, became ours to consume with full enjoyment.
As the trailer began, it was the music that first took a firm and unbreakable grip of my attention. The slow, strong notes from the piano, slowly building with momentum as the other instruments joined in, signaled that the tension would rise and that I had to be ready for it. The footage matched the track’s pace, showing me all of Hyrule’s natural splendor. The hills and valleys, the seas and beaches, the desert and its dunes, and many more diverse locations were all draped in the soft warmth of the sun. Link was there in the middle of it all, exploring and surveying the majesty of the kingdom.
The peaceful parade was interrupted though, and by something I partially anticipated but was still surprised to hear: a voice. Granted, the voice was in Japanese, but it still held the same effect, and the subtitles told me everything I needed to know. The voice played over more scenes of the game, but it was clear that this voice, the voice of an older and clearly wise woman, belonged to series veteran Impa. She spoke of history, destiny, and of what had happened a hundred years ago.
Calamity Ganon was what happened. The scene moved to the ruins of a devastated Hyrule Castle and Hyrule Castle Town, large purple pillars standing at each corner of the domain, and a persistent and evil-looking purple haze swirling around the castle. And when a shadowy figure, a gigantic head resembling a roaring boar, materialized in the haze, it was clear what happened to the castle and who had taken command of it.
At this point, my excitement hit a new high as the music reached its dramatic peak. Nintendo had pieced together multiple clips to quickly show us the exciting and daring exploits of the hero Link, and I drew in every frame of every scene as if I was studying a Renaissance masterpiece. Link’s mobility, combat skills, and new weapons (such as the Cryonis Rune) where shown, and all in almost a bragging manner.
The scenes and music returned to a more tepid pace, and the trailer’s next great surprise came when the Great Deku Tree began to speak, marking his return to the Zelda games in over a decade. From there the video continued with another bevy of clips, showing me more than I was honestly ready for.
I saw the Divine Beasts for the first time. The beasts, those colossal machines that carried an imposing presence about them, loomed over the terrains they wandered as if they were forces of nature. I was shocked for a moment, but the shock quickly turned to excitement. I knew that I, as Link, would need to face those beasts. I couldn’t wait.
Then, I saw her: Princess Zelda. But, more importantly, I heard her. I wasn’t yet sure how I felt about full voice acting in a Zelda game, but I must admit that hearing this new voice, the voice of our dear Princess Zelda, was a surreal experience (even if I couldn’t understand the language). She spoke of her plight, of some attempt to fight the encroaching evil. And she did so as scenes showing the devastation of Castle Town carried through. She said that everything she had done had been for nothing, and as she collapsed into Link’s arm, crying and lamenting her and everyone else’s fates, I felt an emotional impact I had not received from any game in a long time. My heart was heavy for the princess. That’s why the next segment, when the action and music changed again, was my favorite part of the trailer.
Following that moment with the despondent Zelda, things shifted to Link in the middle of more action, but we also had a change in the song. Mixed into the trailer’s theme, at this moment, was a rendition of the main Legend of Zelda theme. That epic and heroic theme all Zelda fans know so well. It was a message to everyone: The princess is in trouble. Hyrule is in trouble. It’s time once again to be a hero.
The remainder of the trailer kept to the action. Link set to task, exploring the land and defeating enemy after enemy. I also saw a number of Hyrule’s champions, such as Daruk and Revali (seeing a Rito was a welcomed surprise). I wasn’t sure who they were, but I knew I already liked them. The scenes ended with one final showing of Zelda, the fated ruler of Hyrule. It was a reminder that the goal was to help her, and the point made clear by the voice of a king asking a hero to save his daughter.
The screen went dark, but then it came back to show the title card. A few and very long seconds later, I heard Zelda say to Link, “Open your eyes.” Link was shown again, very close to the camera, as his tired and weak eyes opened in what I assume had been the first time in a long time. The screen went dark again, but only for a second. That second passed, and the release date finally, and I do mean finally, appeared: 2017.03.03. It was the same day as the Switch’s launch, confirming that Breath of the Wild would be a launch title. I had assumed as much — everyone had — but it was an overdue announcement, and Nintendo had been careful and eager to tease us with its unveiling. But, considering how worth the wait every Zelda game has been, I don’t begrudge them for having some fun with me.
That was it. The presentation was over, and all there was left for me to do was go online and rave about the presentation, and the trailer especially, with my fellow fanatics. The wait for the launch date, though not that far away, was going to be a test of will. But it was OK. I could endure it and could wait just a little longer to open my eyes.
