Category: Daily Debate

In the Legend of Zelda series, a handful of towns make appearances in multiple games, with each version having its own unique aesthetic and charm. Hyrule Castle is a commonly occurring location in Zelda, but the adjacent Castle Town doesn’t always appear with it. When it does, it is often a market square for buying goods, a hub connecting multiple key regions, and/or filled with non-playable characters (NPCs) for mini-games, side quests, or informants advancing the game’s narrative. In my…

Something Zelda games almost always get right is their endings. An epic clash with the big bad is typically preceded by a series of challenges that put everything you’ve learned to the test. These include grueling fights with the biggest enemies in the game and puzzles that require the use of nearly every item you’ve collected on your journey. Even open-ended games like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom have the path to the boss littered with…

Nintendo doesn’t release direct 3D Zelda sequels very often. While The Wind Waker technically got Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, those games had 2D style perspective, and only released on Nintendo’s handheld console of the time. Thus, Majora’s Mask and Tears of the Kingdom are the only full scale, big release 3D sequels in the series. Both games have copious merits in their own rights, but as we live in the age of comparison, I must pose the question: Is…

One of most intriguing aspects of the Zelda series is the developers’ resistance to making direct sequels. While there have been a handful of Zelda sequels, most of the games can stand on their own in terms of art style, game world, and narrative. Even the direct sequels in the Zelda series like Zelda II and Majora’s Mask play remarkably different from their predecessors or take place in exciting new worlds. The resistance to sequels is part of what makes Tears…

On April 15th, Hollywood Reporter announced that Keanu Reeves would be starring as Shadow in the upcoming Sonic 3 film. When you add this to his involved role as your companion in the video game Cyberpunk 2077, it’s pretty clear that he has an interest in the videogame culture and community. This has me wondering if Keanu Reeves could be part of the Zelda movie, or an upcoming game? If so, who would he play? This can go two different ways,…

In the Disney+ TV series Boba Fett, an intimate look into the culture and traditions of the Sand People was given through the eyes of the titular bounty hunter. The story writers reshaped the narrative around a race of nomads thought to be uneducated, uncivilized, and savage based on their presentations in the previous Star Wars movies. However, Boba Fett, after being welcomed into their society (though after a bit of a rocky start), comes to see how these wandering…

Whenever the prospect of a live-action Legend of Zelda movie is brought up, one of the first discussions will likely revolve around who could portray its iconic characters. Throughout the past 20 years, I’ve seen countless fan-castings, from on-the-nose suggestions such as Orlando Bloom as Link to some of the more recent proposals. Seriously, who first suggested John Cena as Tingle? That’s the very definition of inspired casting. Understandably, these fan-castings are largely comprised of big-name actors from the era…

Nintendo’s pride and joy with Tears of the Kingdom is evident. The Ultrahand mechanic is the focal point of many of the game’s physics engine conversations and hilarious fiascos. After putting hundreds of hours into the game, I began to think more critically about my experience with Ultrahand and how it relates to Nintendo’s mission of creating the most sandbox-like Zelda game to date. This discussion requires a small disclaimer. I advocate that once a game gets into a player’s…

One of the most thrilling parts of my favorite Zelda games is the iconic moment where Link retrieves what is known as the “Blade of Evil’s Bane,” or sometimes the “Sword that Seals the Darkness,” or its most common name, the Master Sword. Link has a whole bunch of different weapons in his arsenal in every entry in the series. Sometimes those weapons are even other magical swords, but there is something about a Zelda game that includes the Master…

In my household Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth has taken over our main TV since its release in February. My husband guided my way through the original about 15 years ago and while it won’t replace my love for all things The Legend of Zelda, I respect Final Fantasy VII as a game and as a great example of deep storytelling. Compared to Zelda, it has a way more complicated, intricate plot that takes several twists and turns. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and crew…