Every Legend of Zelda fan remembers their first Zelda title. It was the game that first got them involved in the series, and for many, will always hold a special place in their hearts. They know the opening cutscene of the game better than any other, and the starting location will always feel, at least a little bit, like Link’s true home.
For me, luckily enough, my first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and therefore in my mind, Link will always belong in his treehouse being woken up by an impatient Navi. As much as he might not actually be a Kokiri, the forest will forever be his home. It might not have been a central location, but it was certainly one which, as a new player, I returned to often. I would stop by just to explore with any new items acquired along the way, to see if there was something new that could be done with, say, bombs.
When Link aged seven years and returned to a world changed entirely by Ganondorf and his forces, I was desperate to find somewhere less dark. With Hyrule Castle Town overrun by one of the game’s scariest foes and now lacking the hilariously ill-guarded room of pots, I ran as quickly as I could back to what had been the game’s safest location in the Child Era.
Walking back in, it was immediately clear that something was amiss. Then I saw them: Deku Babas, Skulltulas, even Octoroks. Enemies, right in the Kokiri Forest.
As a kid brand new to playing a fully explorable, combat-based video game, I almost lost my mind right there. Luckily, Link was prepared. Using the newly earned Master Sword for the first time to defend the forest to clear it of the infestation brought joy to my little raging heart. It has been many years since then, but I still remember the feeling of running around, making sure that every last one of the villains was gone, before finally climbing into my treehouse to see how it had changed.
If only I had already earned the cow, this might have been the funniest turn of events in my young video gaming life. As it was, I looked around, left the tree, and immediately noticed that since the screen had reloaded, so had the enemies.
After that, well, there was nothing to do but take them all down again — to let the Hero of Time defend his childhood home no matter what.
