“Time passes, people move … Like a river’s flow, it never ends.” Sheik’s wise statement about time is aptly fitting for the constant changes and technological developments of the gaming industry. Game mechanics are an essential toolkit in a successful Legend of Zelda game, as they offer the franchise the ability to adapt to a…
The Zelda series is filled with iconic, memorable female characters, from the various iterations of its titular princess to childhood friends, impish sidekicks, women warriors, and so many others. And what’s more, these characters often have wonderful musical themes that perfectly encapsulate who they are and how they fit into the story. For this International…
The Legend of Zelda timeline has always been part of a debate among fans. In 2011, Nintendo tried to put all of that arguing to bed by releasing their official timeline in Hyrule Historia, a compendium of artwork, beta materials, and trivia regarding the Zelda series. If anything, however, that muddied up the timeline discussion…
The Legend of Zelda was a much smaller franchise when Zelda Universe launched in February of 2001. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages — only the seventh and eighth canon games in the series — had just gotten their Japanese releases. The Wind Waker was still months away from making its debut at Spaceworld…
Black History Month has always possessed a dual nature. It is a time of celebration for how far we, as a society, have progressed in the march towards racial equality, and a time to honor the amazing individuals throughout history who led that march. But it is also a time of reckoning for how society…
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…
“Failing upwards” describes how some people benefit, usually in their career, despite a series of failures. It explains how some people tend to move up the ladder even though they may not be the most qualified (if qualified at all). In the Legend of Zelda universe, the character that may best fit this description is…
The Wind Waker is full of memorable moments. Its scenes of action, suspense, drama, and even brief horror have made it an engaging and beloved title for many fans. But as great as those scenes are to establish a grand fantasy epic, it is the game’s humorous moments that make it feel complete. The humor…
An aggressive and tenacious breed of monster, the Deku Baba is a plant-like beast that Link commonly encounters throughout multiple versions of Hyrule and its connected lands. This monster could be seen as the Legend of Zelda‘s answer to Super Mario’s Piranha Plant enemies. Both take inspiration from the real-life Venus flytraps, and their functions…
To be honest, I never realized the “Outset Island Theme” could become more upbeat than it already is. But veteran remixer dj-Jo recognizes that within every catchy song is the potential for some emphatic synth sounds and bigger beats. They’re to classic tracks what chocolate drizzle is to a dessert you would starve yourself all…
The year was 2003. I had finally accepted that I liked Zelda, even though I had never completed any of the games. My interest in Zelda came in three steps. I’ve written about the first two steps in a previous article. Ocarina of Time put in a lot of work to stake its claim to…
Link had spent his whole life learning from Orca and Sturgeon, so he was used to dealing with grumpy old men. It’s a skill, to be honest — one honed over years of dealing with unrequested advice and pretending to show enthusiasm during seemingly endless tangents about how things were better back in their day.…
One day, I felt like listening to the shop theme: not the one from Ocarina of Time that I grew up with, but the more laid-back version from The Wind Waker. I put it on and kept it going in the background as I was working on a little bit of this and a little…
They say that the best way to exercise mindfulness is to close your eyes and listen to the ocean waves rolling in and out. To feel the sun’s rays beating on your back until it burns through to the soul whilst inhaling the soft sea breeze and exhaling forgotten troubles. At this moment, as the…
There is one inhabitant on Outset Island that I think few of us who have played The Wind Waker can forget. If anyone has forgotten him, they simply must’ve suppressed the memory of him so they never have to be reminded of that long drop of snot again. He’s young, he’s dressed in yellow, and…
