There’s nothing like a map to make a fantasy story seem more tangible. You open a massive tome and there, in the early pages before you’ve even met your characters, or even in the endpapers right within the cover, you’ve already experienced a sprawling continent or entire world of nations, city-states, mysterious regions and magical…
Say what you will about Zelda II, but the “Palace Theme” is awesome. It’s one of the standout tracks in not just Zelda II, but you could argue the series as a whole. It captures the exploration of one of the labyrinthine and intimidating palaces while also being a catchy tune to just listen to…
GLASYS, a musican who makes synth covers of famous video game music, has outdone himself this time. The “Palace Theme” from Zelda II is one of the most recognizable pieces of music from the series (despite coming from one of the most underplayed entries), and GLASYS has morphed it into a pounding, intense symphony. The…
When I was a youngster, one of my favorite things to do was to pick up and read video game magazines. While I liked reading the articles and strategies for games I owned and didn’t own, I spent most of my time staring at zoomed-out, fully-fledged maps. I loved analyzing them and finding all the…
Growing up in front of an old cathode-ray TV, sitting a controller cord away from the warm glow of the monitor, I was rarely alone in my video game playing time. As the oldest of three siblings, and in a house with a limited number of televisions to go around, I often had an audience…
In July, the CEO of Inti Creates, Takuya Aizu, told Nintendo Force magazine that he would like to remake Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I doubt many people took his comment as any kind of confirmation that a remake would be happening, but Aizu clarified when Nintendo Life recently asked him about his previous…
After we learned that each Link and Zelda were not the same characters in each game, many of us probably questioned: “Why do they all have the same name?” Was it some sort of tradition that each descendent be given the names Link and Zelda generation after generation? In Zelda’s case, yes, that is exactly…
Sorry for the wait, folks, but we figured we should wait until E3 was over so we could include at least mentions of the epic announcements. It was probably worth it! If you found us through iTunes, Google Play, or some other podcatcher, then I encourage you to check out our website, zeldauniverse.net; we publish…
Trying to “break” games by testing their limits is a bit of a hobby of mine, especially when it involves venturing outside of a game’s established borders. In most cases, a successful attempt at this can cause glitches that, while amusing, are clearly not intended by developers. Sometimes, however, developers can prove to have excellent…
Error. What can more can be said about this character? He is Error. This blacksmith from Zelda II: The Adventures of Link can be found in the small town of Ruto, standing in his home, just ready to introduce himself. “I am Error,” he says as you enter his home, and either hilarity or confusion ensues.…
There is always a chance that technical issues will arise when streaming content online, especially when you’re doing so over three days like Nintendo at E3. Even when the stream hit a momentary power outage, however, Nintendo used the opportunity to cram in yet another treat for Zelda fans. An error screen was displayed with a screenshot…
Ruto, Rauru, Saria, Darunia, and Nabooru. These are all names that we’ve come to know as some of the sages from Ocarina of Time, and from this point on they are referenced throughout Zelda lore. However, what some people may not know (though there are many who do) is that these names did not hail…
There are, at an absolute minimum, two things the world needs. First, we need more love for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It’s a great game, especially compared to a lot of NES games out there. It’s just a little bit different is all — and you’d best believe I’ll defend it to the end.…
Dungeon themes in Zelda games are usually outshone by the series’ more uplifting melodies. Similarly, the original Zelda games often lurk in the shadows of their more contemporary counterparts. But a recently released classical guitar medley throws a much deserved spotlight on the dungeon themes from the first three Zelda installments. They brilliantly capture the…
As much as I am a huge Zelda fan, I have to confess: I have not finished all of the games in the series. There are some I haven’t even played yet, and while there is no shame in that, I know I might be missing some important details or moments from the franchise. So…
