This month, Edge Magazine unveiled their December 2023 issue, which was dedicated to a comprehensive examination and ranking of the greatest games released in the last three decades. Seen in the list’s top five were not one, but two Zelda games, outpacing legendary titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Elden Ring. The “greatness” of…
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…
The lands that Link explore are ever-changing and, often times, parts of the world are actively being built as events transpire. While they certainly don’t appear in every Zelda title, the Hyrulian Construction Workers are a semi recurring character in the series, appearing in a handful of entries in several different forms. Most recently, the…
For seven years, the Hyrule from the Era of the Hero of Time had no princess. For seven years, Hyrule lived in darkness while it waited for light and courage to return and fight the darkness away. Ocarina of Time tells us little of what happened to Sheik over those seven years. The manga by…
When looking back on my youth, I often find myself reflecting on how certain events or objects can take me back to certain specific gaming memories, despite the fact that those events or objects may not necessarily be related. I had finally fought my way to Gerudo Valley and begun my infiltration of the Gerudo…
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, a popular cover band, has recently devoted a recording session to a medley of musical selections from Ocarina of Time. The band’s specialty is converting songs of all genres and eras into vintage-style swing and funk tunes. In collaboration with fleet-footed dancer Demi Remick, they released “Ocarina of Tap” on August…
The Zelda series is full of adventure and beauty, but it is also full of bone-chilling horror and creepiness. Games like Twilight Princess and Majora’s Mask have their fair share of nightmare-inducing cutscenes and heartbreaking sidequests. For sheer brain-breaking, frightening enemy design though, I think the crown has to go to Ocarina of Time. From…
It’s 2023 and another ZUthon has come to an end. This year, ZUthon: Zelda for Eternity was raising money for AbleGamers. AbleGamers is an amazing organization whose mission is “Creating opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.” Founded in 2004…
“In the beginning…” The Zelda series feels like it has a multitude of beginnings. The series itself began in the 8-bit era of the NES, but chronologically, Skyward Sword is the first game in the series and tells the tale of the forging of the Master Sword as well as Demise’s dastardly curse. Breath of…
There is a difference, obviously, between playing a video game for the first time and the hundredth. A first play through has the joys and despairs of exploration, unlocking the game’s story, and getting lost. But after you’ve played a game before, starting up a new file instead has anticipation of your favorite parts, dread…
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…
You’ve heard of Gorons, and you’ve probably heard of Biggoron, but have you heard of the elusive Medigoron? Chances are, you’ve run into this Goron of medium proportions, but you probably didn’t know his name. Medigoron is the largest Goron within the confines of Goron City and the owner of Medigoron’s Blade Shop, better known…
I hated Link. Every time I heard or said his name, it was like poison was oozing from my mouth. I could see in my heart of hearts why Ganondorf wanted to kill him. Now, I understand that you might wonder: “Why would you hate Link?” The answer to that question is very simple and…
Life can be tricky sometimes when you don’t like scary things. As a person who does not enjoy being scared in the slightest thank you very much, certain activities are lost on me. Horror movies as a genre are out (I don’t even like the commercials), and October in general can get frustrating. But sometimes…
Since its first appearance in A Link to the Past back in 1991, the song “Zelda’s Lullaby” has become a ubiquitous melodic presence in the Zelda series. It has been represented, either prominently or as a cleverly-hidden Easter egg, in 13 mainline Zelda games since its debut, as well as several spin-off and crossover games.…
