Dylan Cuthbert, now-president of Q-Games (developer of the Pixeljunk series), was just 17 years old when he was employed at Nintendo to work on the original Star Fox. He quickly went from hacking Spectrum computers in the UK to being one of the first people outside of Japan to work with Nintendo at their Kyoto headquarters, before…
We all know that Nintendo doesn’t mess around when their products are prone to piracy. Just last year, Nintendo struck major ROM-hosting websites with legal action, requesting statutory damages of up to $100 million. The company’s fight against piracy has been a long one. Back in 1994, measures taken were just as drastic, but it…
“I spy with my giant, unsettling eye.” There are many recurring enemies in Legend of Zelda games, but very few boss monsters match the history of the spider-like enemy, Gohma. This beast has plagued Hyrule and opposed Link in many adventures, and this persistence has made it one of Zelda’s the most memorable monsters. Link first encountered Gohma in…
If you’re a fan of Breath of the Wild, then you must have seen videos of some of the insane custom mods that players have made for the game over the last couple of years. Not only has Princess Zelda herself stepped in to fill Link’s role, but the game has also been rudely invaded by Mario,…
I don’t know about you, but I’m very particular about the costumes I pick in Super Smash Bros. Once I pick one, I stick with it, so I take my time deciding which one I like the best. I consider things like color and visibility on-screen, and something that especially piques my interest in a…
Conducting various melodies with a magical baton is a hallmark of The Wind Waker. I mean, the game shares its name with the baton itself. It’s hard to imagine that the baton wasn’t integral to the game’s design from the beginning, but the creators did originally have something else in mind. Had they kept their…
Music is an integral part of The Legend of Zelda, but it’s also typically a strong point across most of Nintendo’s games. You need only glance at the staggering setlist of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a rich compilation of the greatest music in Nintendo history, to realize just how incredible Nintendo’s ability to compose soundtracks truly is. So, if…
When Four Swords Adventures released in 2004, it was notable for being the first 2D Zelda console game in 13 years. The previous title to make this claim, A Link to the Past, appeared to be a significant source of inspiration for Four Swords Adventures’ graphical style, and the original Four Swords was, of course, an accompaniment to the Game Boy Advance…
When playing Four Swords Adventures with friends, we quickly discovered that there was a lot of fun to be found in messing around. Certainly, co-operation was key to completing each level, but it was impossible to resist picking each other up and throwing each other around, especially into hazards. While the banter it generated was already…
Just like the lambasted Zelda II before it, Four Sword Adventures is without a doubt the other black sheep of the Zelda series. It has a solid idea and the gameplay is very sound, but getting it set up for four-player multiplayer is a bit unintuitive and, more importantly, very costly. In the game, there…
Lizards are pretty cool. And Lizardmen who wield swords and attack in formations are everything my inner nine-year-old could ever hope for. Apparently, Nintendo feels the same way. Now a staple of the Legend of Zelda’s bestiary, the Lizalfos is one of Link’s most determined, aggressive, and dangerous adversaries and have appeared in the majority…
Kakariko Village is a reoccurring town found throughout Zelda lore. Generally a farming town, it’s a quiet and relaxing place to visit, play some games, do some side quests, and overall procrastinate from what really matters. Though the location has had a change in the theme song from time to time, this song has become…
It’s true what they say: taking breaks increases productivity. Getting some space from your current project can refresh your mind and provide an opportunity to view problems from a new angle, often leading to breakthroughs.For the developers of Ocarina of Time, a timely visit to a local theme park provided the inspiration for the groundbreaking…
I really enjoy Phantom Hourglass’s opening cutscene. The game opens with a summary of events from the game’s predecessor, The Wind Waker, illustrated with a charming series of childlike pictures. After a recap of how Link and Tetra defeated an evil king, the somewhat serious tone quickly changes to a comical one upon learning that the narration and…
Many of the enemies in Zelda games seem to be inspired by odd combinations of real-life animals. For example, on the topic of Ocarina of Time’s Gohma, director Shigeru Miyamoto said in a Famimaga 64 interview, “We combined a crab with a bear to make him.” Moldorms are enemies in the series which, like many other recurring creatures,…
