“Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry…the four who are there…bring them here!” Tael’s cryptic message, once little more than an enigmatic riddle plaguing the minds of our puzzled heroes, now echoes with stark clarity as Link sends out the clarion call to the four regions of Termina. Magenta clouds swirl anxiously in the pale azure sky,…
Last November was a rough month for me. I was drowning in assignments and group projects, I stayed up late and woke up early, and the daylight was increasingly getting shorter. I couldn’t wait for my spring semester to start, when I wouldn’t need to study extra on the side anymore and I would swap…
During the last few years, many of us have struggled to maintain our mental health. Some turn to therapy, friends and family, exercise, and resting to help them recuperate physically and emotionally. My favorite recent instance of self care that I saw by a friend was when they parodied a famous line from Star Wars:…
Those who know me know that I can play the same song on repeat for a very long time when I’m in the mood for it. Sometimes it’s “Bubblegum K.K.” from the Animal Crossing series. Other times, it’s the theme for Beedle’s Shop Ship. Today, I’d like to highlight a track from Skyward Sword which…
Zora’s Domain has always had a beautiful tune associated with the underwater paradise the Zoras inhabit. But it’s rather interesting to think on this Valentine’s day that in the four games in which it appears, there is also a tragic love story that underscores these lush tones. In Ocarina of Time, the origin of the…
Pixelated graphics remain a common art style in the video game industry and continue to elicit strong feelings of nostalgia. Upon seeing a two-dimensional rendering of a favorite character, gamers can instantly be whisked away to fond childhood memories, such as midnight gaming sessions on a CRT television or long car rides playing Game Boy…
Ever since Super Mario Bros. back on the NES, players have “warped” around game worlds in order to ease their journey. Whether avoiding Lakitu and his pesky spinies or just avoiding a grueling hour-long walk across Hyrule, warping or fast travel has become a common tool to lower players’ stress and make their travels across…
The music of Snowhead Temple, the second dungeon of Majora’s Mask, has always stuck with me. However, while it enters my head often, it isn’t really a piece I find myself humming along to. In fact, that would be rather difficult to do. What is it about this song that makes it so unique? If…
The holidays are a magical time of the year. From the bright and cheery displays to the whimsical music and decadent cuisine, the season is an annual promise of hope. The buildup to these merry occasions is always thrilling; however, the joyous celebrations quickly become fainting memories as the calendar year turns over its new…
One word that could easily be used to describe Breath of the Wild would be epic. The world you explore dwarfs any other version of Hyrule in size as does the possibilities afforded the player. Link’s arsenal is also incredibly expansive, and his wardrobe is so diverse that he’d need a shrine-sized closet just to…
Back in late October, just a week shy of Halloween, the West Coast of the United States was alerted to the presence of an ominous meteorological phenomenon gradually approaching from the north. The term “bomb cyclone” splashed all across the news as the swirling storm loomed large on the horizon, and to complicate matters further,…
At this point in time, I believe that most of us are quite familiar with the opening sequence of Breath of the Wild. When our mute hero drowsily emerges from the Shrine of Resurrection into the piercing light of day, clad in humble peasant garb with a memory bank robbed of all its most precious…
Leitmotifs remain a powerful method for connecting players to video game characters and locations. Upon hearing the first few chords of these familiar themes, fans are immediately swept to other worlds by ardent waves of nostalgia. No other media outlet combines music and narrative with feelings of personal agency quite like a video game world.…
Despite being a primarily fantasy-based franchise, the Zelda series has dabbled with technology quite a bit, especially in recent entries. From opposite ends of the timeline, Breath of the Wild’s Guardians and Sheikah tech and Skyward Sword‘s Timeshift Stones speak to a world where science and fantasy mix. Perhaps that’s why there are so many…
If someone were to ask me which decade has had the strongest influence on my taste in pop culture, I wouldn’t hesitate for a single moment before launching into an enthusiastic rhapsody about the 1980s. I find the otherworldly neon aesthetic incredibly appealing, I proudly wear a magnetic Communicator Badge on my shirt to show…
