When it comes to preparing video games for sale outside of the country of origin, one might assume that the most cumbersome obstacle localization teams must overcome to ensure success on the international market is translating the in-game text to other languages. But while this is a vitally important task, it is only one piece…
The various races encountered throughout Hyrule often have distinct personalities and cultures that become significant to the player as they journey across the land, usually by visiting local shops or embarking on side quests. But the Twili, a new race featured in Twilight Princess, stand out in this respect, as they aren’t presented in the…
Who among us hasn’t indulged in a good, cheesy soap opera at least once in our lifetimes? Sure, we may not religiously follow the daily hijinks of those who populate the universes of Days of Our Lives and General Hospital (and if you do, you have far more patience than I ever will), but I…
Though it may be one of the lesser-known members of the Zelda family, Four Swords Adventures is a unique one that has always been a personal favorite of mine. Released after The Wind Waker and before Twilight Princess, this game was the product of an era where Link from The Wind Waker was the most…
The concept art made public within the Hyrule Historia revealed many hidden secrets of The Wind Waker that never came to light, such as cut islands. It’s known that the original development of The Wind Waker was, unfortunately, subject to content cuts due to time constraints, which means that some islands and dungeons were not…
Easily one of the most beloved companion characters in the entire series, Midna is a devilish little imp who stole the hearts of many while exploring the Hyrule of Twilight Princess. Though she introduces herself as a mischievous troll, only agreeing to help Link if he becomes her servant, Midna turns out to be a…
One of the neatest features of Breath of the Wild is the Champion abilities. Upon freeing a Divine Beast, that beast’s champion grants you a power that improves Link’s combat, traversal, or survival abilities. It might surprise you that the concept of Link gaining abilities connected to important characters wasn’t new. Turns out, about 20…
Though the Great Sea of The Wind Waker boasts many unique islands for Link to explore, there were actually even more islands initially planned for the game. The Hyrule Historia reveals some unused island concepts, opening up a world of speculation about what place they might have taken within the world of The Wind Waker.…
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare presented us with this philosophical quandary over 400 years ago in Romeo and Juliet, with the play’s tragic heroine asserting that names are just meaningless monikers that don’t reflect people’s truest selves, and only serve to construct artificial barriers between one another. But I think this is a bit of…
In an effort to capitalize on the success of Ocarina of Time, series legend Shigeru Miyamoto championed the prospect of developing an alternate version of the game with reimagined dungeons. Eiji Aonuma, who was the system director and dungeon designer at the time, wanted to create an original new game. Not wanting to discourage his…
The Zelda developers often use a theme when naming non-playable characters from a shared place of residence or demographic background (see here for an example from Skyward Sword). It comes as little surprise, then, that the Wind Tribe from The Minish Cap derive their names from meteorological phenomena, particularly terminology referring to wind. While the…
The discovery of one’s soulmate is often classified as one of life’s greatest moments. The immediate personal connection is intense and powerful and elicits the feeling of two lost puzzle pieces joining together in perfect harmony. It is natural to be initially consumed by the infatuation; however, many couples soon search for a way to…
Imagine: As you sail the Great Sea in search of unchartered lands, the wind fluffing your sails and hair, you spot a square-shaped landmass arising in the distance. On approach, you see odd indentations on the vertical faces of the island. One side shows four perfectly round, aligned holes. Is it another puzzle to be…
Despite video games being one of the most popular forms of entertainment, the video game industry has an awkward history of commercial promotion. Early forms of marketing were focused on magazine publications to increase awareness, and publishers struggled to convey precise messages to a new generation of tech-savvy consumers. While the early days of print…
I was very excited to discover and explore Rito Village in Breath of the Wild. Since their first appearance in The Wind Waker, the Rito have been among my favorite races in the Zelda games, and I highly anticipated their return to the series. I was not disappointed. Rito Village is a beautifully colorful and…
