My teenage friends and I were anything but cool, but we were pretty proud of that. We were all gamers to some degree, though some were more Animal Crossing-inclined casual gamers than others. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all; play what you love and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But when…
Across the entire Zelda series, the use of ferocious reptilian enemies has been a common trend. From the terrifying dragon bosses to the routinely dangerous Lizalfos, these scaly beasts have challenged and threatened Link at every turn. But these reptiles come in more than a few varieties, with one of those being the dinosaur variety.…
After it was reported by Kotaku AU that Phantom Hourglass had been registered in Australia for a fresh patent last year, we at Zelda Universe decided to look into it a little further. While we previously covered a specific type of trademark that Nintendo had filed in relation to Zelda, mostly pertaining to franchising and…
Breath of the Wild‘s Link has an important skill that sets him apart from his previous incarnations: cooking. Every other Link in the Zelda series is subjected to a diet consisting mostly of potions and milk, with the occasional bottle of soup if he happens to have a loving grandma. This begs the question of…
The enemies found and fought in The Legend of Zelda games are incredibly diverse. They encompass a variety of themes, designs, and purposes, all of which make every game fulfilling and memorable. One important aspect of Link’s foes is that they supply an undeniably important list of cliches associated with video game enemies. One of…
Upon boarding a Traveler’s Ship in the south-eastern quadrant of the World of the Ocean King, Link encounters seven identically dressed sailors appearing to be gazing out to sea, six doing so through handheld telescopes. In one corner of the ship, a sailor stands empty-handed, staring at the wall. Link can’t help but feel bad…
Given the narrative history of using monstrous spiders in fantasy tales, it was only natural that an enemy would be created for The Legend of Zelda series that followed this pattern. The Skulltula, an arachnid beast that is meant to intimidate players, has held a prominent place in the Zelda bestiary for more than twenty…
A consistent enemy in the Zelda series, the Like Like has a long-standing tradition of creating problems for Link by attempting to swallow him to steal his belongings. This trait has made them unique when compared to other monsters of Hyrule, though in a way that has generated groans from players instead of praise. As…
After enduring the harsh heat of Goron Island in his quest to save Tetra and the world of the Ocean King, Link finds himself in the ironic situation of having to now endure the brutal cold of the secluded and mysterious Isle of Frost. The island promises to make every effort to avoid relinquishing its…
As Link and Linebeck step (and Ciela flutters) onto the Ghost Ship, with the decayed and moldy planks of its fog-covered deck creaking under their feet, the trio begins to assume that they are standing in the epicenter of evil. The goals they had sought, a rescued friend and a cargo hold full of riches,…
A couple of hours into Phantom Hourglass, the concept of who Linebeck was as a person no longer came as a shock. He was greedy, selfish, cowardly, conniving, and cowardly. “Cowardly” warrants the repetition. All of this in mind, when the time came for me to rescue him from the fury of a vengeful warrior,…
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…
I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the gameplay of Phantom Hourglass, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t things about the game that I thought were just fantastic. The story, the bosses, and the characters make this game memorable to me, and of the characters, one in particular stands out among the rest.…
Although King Mutoh and the Four Knights of the Cobble Kingdom are shrouded in mystery, the names of these characters are eerily familiar to another colorful cast from prior Zelda games. On page 285 of The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia we read, “The names of the ghosts who haunt the Cobble Kingdom come from carpenters…
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…
