I’ve been dabbling in the early Zeldas once more, probably because of the release of Echoes of Wisdom; I’ve been thinking about the developers using what little tools they had to convey the complex ideas and stories that they were trying to tell. This brings me to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. A flat,…
Before we had Majora’s Mask and the ability to change form, I was obsessed with mask quests in Ocarina of Time. Was it the dress-up aspect that drew me in, the strange masks themselves, or the shop and its bizarre proprietor? The Happy Mask shop is the first location where The Legend of Zelda gets…
Many of The Legend of Zelda games have a ghost town as a featured location. Hyrule Castle Town in the adult timeline of Ocarina of Time is probably a classic example, along with the Hidden Village in Twilight Princess. One of the central images of Breath of the Wild is the decaying buildings of an…
The Legend of Zelda regularly follows traditional fantasy tropes with its castles, cathedrals, and enchanted woods. One trope that it often skipped is the great library. There are only two examples I can think of throughout all the games of libraries: the Hyrule Castle Library from Breath of the Wild that appears in Tears of…
Twilight Princess is certainly one of the weirder Legend of Zelda games. The characters are bizarre, the tone moody, and the gimmicks unconventional. The overall design choices are both bolder and more specific than the games that came before. One such choice is the design of the Boat Rental Cabin. In a few ways, it…
It’s so Nintendo to put something weird in their games. One could argue that Zelda is a weird series anyway, strange and convoluted, with funky monsters and gimmicks. The Wind Waker has plenty of quirks to offer. The sailing mechanic, the cutesy art style, the Tingle Tuner, take your pick. It’s a funny little game.…
I’ve been listening to some nostalgic gaming podcasts on my commute to work recently, so I’ve got the N64 on my mind. Weighing up whether Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask was a more formative playing experience has proved moot: I played them simultaneously and both have different merits. But Ocarina of Time is such…
Sometimes a core location is small and unassuming. The plot leads Link to a locale and reveals a great truth or new ability. In some Zelda games, this moment will occur in Hyrule Castle, the Great Deku Tree, or somewhere equally immense. But The Wind Waker follows a different path. After all, when does it…
“The homely feeling of this well, coupled with it’s convenience to a Shrine of Light, made this my go-to location for a long time during my playthrough.”
Does it feel like aeons have passed since Age of Calamity was released? Between remasters, rereleases, and Tears of the Kingdom, I’m sure it’s slipped from your mind a little. It’s not a traditional Zelda game, and it certainly has its faults, but I loved it. I always want more of before in Hyrule. I…
I know many of us have Tears of the Kingdom on the brain, and I’m still working on 100%ing my first playthrough, but I’ve been thinking about game openings this week. So, naturally, I thought about my old favorite Majora’s Mask, and how the game’s opening location sets the game up perfectly. Picture the scene:…
Majora’s Mask is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s so earnest, yet so, so weird. I find myself returning to it more than some of the other Zelda games, probably because it’s such an oddball. There are so many strange characters and locations, some of whom get plenty of deep dives and articles, but…
Is there anything as iconic as a Treasure Chest? You can find them in almost every fantasy adventure game out there, not just in the Zelda series. Majora’s Mask features traditional Treasure Chests, the kind that play that triumphant melody when opened. This has always been synonymous with Zelda, even long after that tune was…
Often considered the oddball of the series, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was a leap forward in terms of gameplay and design. The dungeons are long and complicated, the enemies are relentless, and the overworld feels expansive after The Legend of Zelda. What I love about it is the ambition of its design, which…
I don’t want to come across as ungrateful, considering the bountiful plenty of a game that’s only just been released in the form of Tears of the Kingdom, but I’d really like a 15-25 hour game to play next. I know I’m not the only gamer burned out on open world games. They’re just so…
