The ocean is a strange, beautiful, and scary place. Around 95% of the ocean floor remains unexplored, but the 5% we have seen has revealed fauna far outside what our own imaginations could conceive. It is no wonder these dwellers in the deep have inspired countless science fiction and fantasy creatures. We can add the…
It must have been a rough night. Why else would Link be passed out facedown on the wooden floor of the watchtower? That doesn’t stop Aryll from startling awake her fatigued brother, though. In her upbeat manner, she reminds Link that it’s his birthday, snapping him out of his lethargy. Maybe Link just got the…
When the final boss in any game morphs into a second form, you know things are about to get serious. That’s exactly what happens when you defeat Majora’s Mask and it transforms into the gangling cyclops Majora’s Incarnation, though not in the way you might expect. Between sprinting bouts that produce a psychedelic blur of…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! To celebrate, I thought I’d focus on a short, fictional character clad in green garb and a matching hat. No, it’s not a leprechaun. It’s not Young Link, either. It’s a character that was never fully realized. Had he been completely developed and utilized, he might have replaced one of the…
I had to stop and read the sentence again. My book had just made an off-hand reference to a roc as some kind of bird flying over the mountain pass. I laid the book down as the gears began to shift in my head. Every time I played a Zelda title where Link acquires an…
Epic quests often involve the champion seeking out a reputable recluse (often of the crotchety variety) to acquire something needed to fulfill their destiny. So, it’s no surprise in Phantom Hourglass when Link must seek out a hermit blacksmith who is the only one adept enough to provide Link with the weapon capable of sending…
Everything about Ocarina of Time is downright iconic, right down to the title screen. Many fans (is “Ocarinuts” a term?) have the title music etched in their memory, as it played as a prelude to each gamer’s return to Hyrule. The ocarina line that plays over soft piano and strings has become one of the…
I typically enjoy well-timed breaks in the fourth wall. They highlight life’s bizarreness and remind us not to take ourselves or the tasks to which we set ourselves too seriously. So, as I sailed the high seas in Phantom Hourglass, I was pleased to discover a fourth wall break in the form of a massive…
While Zelda games have their share of creepy moments, none may stand out more than unexpectedly encountering a pale, emaciated hand reaching straight out of the toilet, seemingly lying in wait for its next unsuspecting victim. Some dark thoughts must have been behind the idea to include variations of this freaky fiend in the series.…
The Legend of Zelda theme music is among the most iconic in video game history. If you’re like me, even the mention of Zelda brings the heroic melody to mind. I assumed that composing such a masterpiece must have taken months of effort, so I was surprised to learn it was partially the product of…
Windfall Island is a bustling town filled with upbeat characters scurrying about their daily business. But as most Zelda villages have at least one disgruntled resident, so too does this island lying in the northern part of the Great Sea. Ascending from the shore to the center of town, Link spots Kamo seated sulkily on…
Last week we celebrated the five-year anniversary of Hyrule Warriors with columns highlighting music, trivia, characters and cosplay from or inspired by the Zelda spin-off. But why stop there? Let’s keep it going for another day! Think of it as Hyrule Warriors Week: Definitive Edition. Today, we keep rocking with a mettlesome medley of Wind…
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou It would be difficult to write for a Zelda fansite if I didn’t enjoy playing Zelda games. But if I had to pick one game that evoked the…
It had been days since I had come across a friendly face. I had encountered many an enemy encampment and disturbed several peaceful woodland creatures in my travels across Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, but since leaving Kakariko Village I had not seen another being with whom I could converse. Suddenly, as I emerged…
My brother has been trying to get me to watch Twin Peaks for years. He often references the television show and shows his love with a Twin Peaks ugly sweater and a Bookhouse Boys ball cap. I ignored his advice for years. Then, as I was thumbing through the Zelda Encyclopedia one afternoon, I noticed…
