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During our recent Podcast, Tom and I talk about all the games consoles we used to own. What we didn’t get to touch upon much were some of our favourite games. Now, you’ve read the title I’m assuming. But sorry, The Legend of Zelda isn’t my favourite game, more like my favourite series… Collection? Franchise? Whatever. I really like the Zelda games. I’ll talk more about my actual favourite game of all time on another day. But for now, lets get into Zelda, here are some of my favourites. How I’m somehow currently playing 5 Zelda games at once and also the crazy way Nintendo have actually created a timeline linking them all together in a super duper mess I’m hereby calling The Legend of the Timey Wimey Man. Strap in, lets get into it.
The First of Many
The first ever Legend of Zelda game I actually got to play was arguably one of the best games of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, on the N64. After watching my friend Mark play it, I hounded my parents for it, and they eventually caved in and must have spoken to Santa for me, because it appeared under the tree that Christmas.
Beautiful 3D graphics, intuitive and groundbreaking Z target lock combat, it was and still is a joy to play. Locking onto a target, back flipping to avoid their first attack, circling them with side jumps and then leaping into the air for a high damage sword slam, always felt so cool.
What could be the seed to the Breath of the Wild weapon damage mechanic, your wooden shield was susceptible to being set on fire and destroyed by any enemy wielding fire. So you had to make sure you planned ahead and swapped in your metal shield, which as child Link, was too big for you and you could only hold it on your back like a cute little tortoise boy.
There was also the awesome part of the story where you travel though time and get to play the whole other two thirds of the game in the future as an adult. Thus sparking the point where the timeline gets shattered and 3 branches of Zelda alternate universes are created. More on that below.
To this day, I still play this game regularly, and I even brought other iterations on both the Wii Shop and 3DS. In my opinion the 3DS is the most superior version. The graphics are updated, but still keep all their charm, and the controls are tweaked enough to make them feel more at home with modern 3D games. Plus the touch screen makes it much nicer to navigate the inventory for item switching. It also utilises the giroscope capabilites of the 3DS which make it quite enjoyable to aim the slingshot and bow.
Its sequal, Majoras Mask, is another must play. A straight sequal to Ocarina of Time (where Link returns to his child body to continue his life). This game has a much darker tone. The world is about to be destroyed by some odd woodland creature wearing a haunted mask he stole from an equally creepy mask selling man, and you have 3 days to save the world! Luckily for you, you can manipulate the timeline and travel back to the start of the 3 day cycle until you are ready to face the big bad at the end.
The new game mechanic added here is the ability to change your form and abilities by wearing different masks. Taking on the soul of the creature that inhabits it. As I said, creepy, and the video transition that plays is nightmare indusing.
These two games lit a spark in me, and it wasn’t long before I was picking up older Zelda titles that I had the ability to play, and have basically played every single game in the seires since.
The Legend of Zelda: The Man Who Can’t Commit
If you have been following any of my recent posts on the site, you’ll probably have an idea of my feelings for Nintendo and the whole digital movement. With that in mind, with my Del Boy 3DS and recent aquisition of a Retroid Pocket 3+, I’ve had the opportunity to play all my favourite Zeldas from the comfort of where ever I might be at that time. As I can’t ever decide what I want to do, I’ve managed to start playing loads of games all at once, even a repeat offender as I wanted to see the difference. Here they are:
Nintendo 3DS:
- Ocarina of Time
- Majoras Mask
Retroid Pocket 3+
- Ocarina of Time: Master Quest
- Twillight Princess
- Wind Waker
So why? Well as I said, I’m indecisive. But also these 4 (or 5, whatever) games make up, what I think, are the best The Legend of Zelda has to offer. The N64 verions of Ocarina and Majoras Mask are fantastic. But the upgrade they both get on the 3DS is just perfect. Ocarina of Time: Master Quest wasn’t available until the Gamecube release, then later on the 3DS, and it sports more complex redesigns of the games dungeons. How could I resist! Twilight Princess is a great sequal, with darker tone then the usual Zelda affair and I really enjoyed the wolf transformations. Then lastly, Wind Waker. I’m not usually a fan of cell shading, but the art design is just timeless. Bonus, the HD remaster for the Wii U is lovely! (The Wii U is an amazing console, if you don’t agree you are wrong).
The Legend of the Timey Wimey Man
Okay so the Legend of the Timey Wimey Man. This is pretty confusing but basically, every single Zelda game is either a prequal or a sequal to another one. All released in different orders, and span across 3, yes 3, seperate timelines/universes. Here we are again, its another multiverse!
Due to the time travelling shinanigans of Ocarina of Time, the world splits and the new timelines are created. Timeline 1 plays out as if Link and Zelda are actually defeated by Ganon in the final battle, oh dear.
Number 2 is after victory in the final battle against Ganon. Link travels back in time to his childhood and is able to warn Princess Zelda. The Sacred Realm is never broken, thus foiling Ganons plans from the start.
And lastly, timeline 3 is, again, victory for the hero at the end of Ocarina, but Link stays as an adult and Ganon is just straight up battered.
Got that? Good. Go watch this video for a way more consise and indepth look at the timeline.
Dum Dum Dum DUUUUUUUUUMMM
And there we go. If you enjoyed this, why not check out more of our gaming posts. Even better, check out all the reviews Tom has been posting.
Got an opinion? Come chat with me and Tom on Twitter.
Tom