Tag: Articles

I’ve made no secret of my love for Majora’s Mask. I’ve stated numerous times across all my videos and articles that it’s my favorite Zelda game, and although I haven’t written about it recently, that hasn’t changed. Of all the things I love about Majora’s Mask, it’s actually a single region that stands out the most for me. That region is Ikana Canyon, the last full area that is visited in the game. Part of my affinity for this region…

The Dungeons. As I mentioned in my last article, Overworlds: The Land Between, these tend to be the areas of the Zelda series that fans discuss the most, and in particular, when measuring the length of the game it’s usually measured by how many dungeons it has, whether that’s truly the best gauge or not. This article is about the dungeons in the Zelda series, about what they are, how they should play, and what they should be like. The…

The Zelda series has always been known for open-ended gameplay, allowing for players to freely choose where they wish to go. The series is based on exploration and the player’s curiosity; when you explored, you were rewarded. The game structure promoted exploration; after every dungeon there would be places to explore that the player had not been to before and new places that could be reached that were previously inaccessible. The very first Legend of Zelda in 1987 did not…

Overworld. This is a common video game term used when discussing adventure titles and RPGs, and as such it is frequently used in Zelda discussions. Wiktionary defines “overworld” as: Noun: In certain video games, the space connecting disparate towns/dungeons/levels. It can encompass the entire world, but doesn’t necessarily have to. So by definition, any area that cannot be classed as one of the “safe areas” (towns) or the dangerous caves, tunnels and fortresses through which you battle (dungeons, levels) is…

There’s a saying that “You can’t please everyone.” Yet this is often the challenge game designers face in the process of creating a game: to release a game that appeals to a wide variety of players, from young to old, from new gamers to veterans. When it came time to begin designing Ocarina of Time, it’s not hard to imagine that there were many challenges in transitioning the game play from 2D to 3D. One advantage, however, is easy to…

Majora’s Mask is a game often applauded for its atmosphere. People constantly talk about both that and how dark the game was. These two things tend to be prime topics when discussing MM’s uniqueness – those, and the emotion they spawn either intentionally or unintentionally. This article is about the atmosphere and darkness, but mostly about the emotion of the game. The atmosphere of Majora’s Mask is definitely distinct in places. The sense of dread. The feel of the mysterious…

The Zora have been in many Zelda games and they often have an important role in Link’s quest to save Hyrule. Still, the Zora are quite weird creatures for general biology standards. When I was looking for more information about the Zora race we see in Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess, I came across a definition of the Zora on the official Zelda website (zelda.com): When the Goddesses created Hyrule, they blessed Zora’s Fountain and eventually the…