The Water Temple in Ocarina of Time has certainly earned its reputation of being one of the most annoying dungeons in the series. For many fans, such as myself, this dungeon was easily the hardest one in the game. It wasn’t because the enemies were difficult or that every room was necessarily treacherous; the real…
When it comes to video games, parents usually fall into one of two categories. Some are totally fine with their kids spending an afternoon with a controller in hand, and others worry that too much gaming is bad for the mind and a waste of time. For some players, though, parents not only tolerated their…
The fourth empty bottle in Ocarina of Time was an item that was out of my grasp for ages. My skills just never seemed to be up to par to obtain it. The challenge didn’t sound that hard. Shoot down ten Big Poes scattered around Hyrule Field, that’s all. These Poes would spawn in fixed…
Ah, the Legend of Zelda on NES, the quest that first introduced players to Hyrule, to the hero, Link, and no real directions on where to go. The adventure sounded simple enough: Retrieve the missing pieces of the Triforce, thwart Ganon, and rescue Princess Zelda. As for actually achieving this goal, well, that involved figuring…
I can still see myself sitting on the carpeted floor of our living room, the Super Nintendo beneath a small rolling cart that held our family TV. My brother was the one holding the controller, and my eyes were locked on the screen as he delivered the final blow to Ganon. In a burst of…
Often writers in this column discuss moments of triumph, joy, or fond memories with the games of the Legend of Zelda franchise, or other ways in which the games have shaped us. While much of what our wonderful writers produce is tinged with nostalgia, excitement, and wonder; I feel as though the beginning of autumn…
The Sheikah tribe are a secretive type, clinging to the shadows and never more than a lunge away from the Goddess Hylia’s chosen few. Servants to the goddess and her mortal incarnations, the Sheikah are seldom seen by other Hylians and prefer a life of devout obscurity. In a number of titles, we are introduced…
The Legend of Zelda franchise is a collection of stories about trials, adventure, and heroics; no game in the series quite deviates from this. Some of the most recent titles definitely lean heavier into the concept of trials for our Hero than other instalments. I’m referring to, of course, the shrine trials in both Breath…
It’s time to show your strength, Brother! Test your mettle and temper your wit in the proving ground where little Brothers become Goron men! Welcome to Gor Coron’s proving ground – a sauna rung with steel, a hike so tough it has callouses, and a sizzling sumo ring: the Goron Mines! The Three Goron Blood…
The Legend of Zelda franchise has a storied past with many things. One of the less favorable legacies is, unfortunately, water dungeons. The era of the N64 and Game Cube struggled with the complexity that comes with three-dimensional dungeons and swimming, and the Zelda games were no exception. In fact, both Twilight Princess and Ocarina…
Living in a country many people would consider very far up north, the winter months are not only cold but also dark. With roughly six to seven hours of daylight, at least in the region where I live, spring feels very far away. If I’m unlucky enough to have a cloudy day (or week, to…
Think of a song that always finds its way back into your head, or a book that you have to re-read every year like clockwork, just that one worm in the apple… then realize that mine is Breath of the Wild. Zelda was the game franchise that made me fall in love with RPGs, The…
When one thinks of the Legend of Zelda franchise, we all first think of Zelda, clad in green, fighting daring monsters – no, wait, that’s Link. Across all the installments of the franchise, Princess Zelda has played a variety of roles. From the damsel in distress of titles like A Link Between Worlds, to the…
It’s June of 2011, and I’m sitting in front of a computer with a blank white page and a cursor flashing. Nintendo’s webform sits there waiting for me to input some words into the Wii>General Questions/Feedback section and yet my fingers are hesitating on the keyboard. I’ve had a lot of time to think about…
As the youngest sibling of three, with my brothers being twins, I didn’t seek out what games to play but was happy with the treasures my brothers had found instead. Since my brothers are older than me, they usually knew what games were good, which ones to buy, and I simply played whatever they had…
