A journey across a dangerous, rugged land (or sea) filled with foes and trials to overcome is what the Zelda series is all about. It’s true of all the games in the franchise, but only a few of the games take us on an intensely internal journey as well. One of the very best in…
Bellum is one of the freakiest final bosses in all of the Zelda series. We don’t know much about it, but its design alone raises a lot of questions. It has five tentacles with an eye pattern at the end of each, but its only real eye somehow rests within its mouth. That seems bizarre…
Fairly early on in the series, Princess Zelda stopped being a simple damsel in distress. As early as A Link to the Past, Zelda began taking a more active role even when she was held captive. She often discussed the next steps of the quest with Link and the player telepathically, leading them towards their…
Faron Woods is a pretty lively place in Skyward Sword, thanks to its silly little Kikwi inhabitants. The area’s music is also quite cheerful until you enter The Silent Realm, a dark reflection of the forest that acts as a trial for the Hero of the Sky. The Silent Realm is quite a dangerous dimension,…
“The Ballad of the Wind Fish” is one of my favorite songs in the Zelda series. From the beginning, it’s so emotional because it carries Marin’s yearning for more to the sleeping ears of the Wind Fish. As players, it becomes even more meaningful as we complete the game. The waking of the dozing whale…
Castle Town has had surprisingly few appearances throughout the Zelda series, considering that it’s the largest and most populated settlement in Hyrule whenever it does exist (excluding Breath of the Wild, of course). It’s also peculiar to me how there has been a brand-new soundtrack for the town every single time, despite other recurring places…
Very few songs in all of gaming convey the feeling of adventure to me quite as much as “The Great Sea” from The Wind Waker. Hearing even a few notes of it conjures images of cannon fire, Big Octos, and a seemingly endless ocean stretching past a digital horizon. It’s an amazing melody already, but…
The Astral Observatory is a peculiar place, even by Majora’s Mask‘s standards. Aside from its twisty telescope, the surrounding fence doesn’t even have a gate so the only way in is through Clock Town’s sewers. It’s a mystery how Professor Shikashi, the old man who resides within the observatory, hasn’t lost his mind being trapped…
From the beginning, The Legend of Zelda has often been associated with medieval times. Though not a traditional, armorclad knight, Link fought insidious, armored Darknuts and his own fireball-spitting dragons in the form of Gleeoks and Aquamentus. As six-year-old Matt sat criss-cross applesauce in the living room at a distance from the television that his…
The Triforce is an integral part of Zelda lore. Its presence is felt everywhere, even being adopted by the Royal Family as part of their official crest. To the denizens of Hyrule, it is a sacred relic left behind by the Golden Goddesses. To Ganon, it is a tool for furthering his wicked plans to…
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced me, and likely millions of other players, to the beautiful sounds of the ocarina. With each press of the yellow C buttons on my N64 controller, I marveled at the notes produced; I would hum the simple melodies of “Epona’s Theme” and “Zelda’s Lullaby” as I went about…
Growing up in the 1980s, I was exposed to a lot of Nintendo games, and Zelda was one of the franchises that I fell in love with right away. Part of the charm of starting up a new game of The Legend of Zelda was listening to the introductory theme music. Sometimes the first sounds and/or…
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Link’s Awakening. The narrative hook of a character struggling to distinguish between a dream and reality has always been interesting to me. (As you might have guessed, Christopher Nolan’s Inception is also a personal favorite.) I also spent a lot of time in graduate…
The inspiration that Pokémon Legends: Arceus took from Breath of the Wild is evident from the first moment you step foot into the Hisui region. It’s a calm, peaceful environment, with pastel tones and vast open plains. Even some of the musical choices reflect those of Breath of the Wild, primarily featuring the piano and…
Majora’s Mask is a game that constantly twists your expectations. From the moment Link falls down the proverbial rabbit hole and makes his way to Termina, the player’s view is constantly tested. The leisurely pace of Ocarina of Time is replaced by the stress-inducing countdown of the approaching moon, characters who seem so familiar go…
