We think of video game sequels as something that can outdo the original in most ways, be more of the same, or even hit fans with the heavy hammer of disappointment. That, however, ignores the rare but very real case of sequels that don't necessarily suck but that will baffle fans with their nigh-inexplicable new design choices. We shouldn't forget this class of sequel, it does at least a great job of providing fun to anyone learning about just how absolutely bizarre these games can get.

[caption id="attachment_398483" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Silent Hill: Book Of Memories

Remember how the Silent Hill series managed to make players feel scared and uneasy even when no enemy was on screen? Well, nobody had time for that when they were reinventing the square for the PlayStation Vita with Silent Hill: Book Of Memories.

This one isn't a psychological horror game and barely even a survival horror game. It's a weird attempt at making an isometric action title in the vein of the awesome Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light but in the world of Silent Hill.

Heck, you don’t even have one of the simplest staples of psychological horror that the series had done so well up until this point—like the feeling of loneliness and isolation—as this one is a co-op adventure featuring up to four players. Wild stuff.

[caption id="attachment_398490" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Nintendo[/caption]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Remember when the original The Legend Of Zelda changed gaming by taking a cue from the top-down perspective of RPGs and re-purposing it for action adventures?  You don't? Well, neither do I because I was too young to play it back then, but that's what the legend of The Legend of Zelda says.

Zelda 2 is definitely not a bad game (if you're looking for a bad Zelda side-scroller, google Zelda CD-I games), but it’s still pretty weird that Nintendo did away with the revolutionary design they’d come up with in the first one to make a more conservative 2D side-scroller. Nintendo already had Mario dominating that field, and there was no shortage of similar side-scrollers from other companies. Luckily, it didn't take Nintendo long to both go back to their revolutionary formula and then try new stuff that further propelled the series into legendary status.

[caption id="attachment_398485" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Konami[/caption]

Bomberman Act: Zero

This one was absolutely terrible and also marked an awful tonal shift for a beloved cutesy series that definitely didn't need one. I probably wouldn't have put it on the list because this isn't about straight-up bad sequels, but I like how its poster looks just like Oppenheimer's, so that's some extra bonus points for weirdness.

If you're looking for a wacky fun Bomberman game, then you're much better off playing Saturn Bomberman.

[caption id="attachment_398478" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Valve[/caption]

Half-Life 2: Survivor

Remember how the original Half-Life and its sequel each changed the FPS landscape of its time, due to smart gameplay mechanics that forced players to use their brains? Welp, Half-Life 2: Survivor is a bizarre, mostly on-rails arcade version of Half-Life 2 that only came out in Japan.

Do you see that massively busy interface? That's not one of those spoofs of HUD glut that you see all over the Internet—that's the real deal. The reason why anyone would come up with such an antithesis to what made Half-Life 2 great is a mystery, but I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't spend a few dollars at the arcade to try this mess.

[caption id="attachment_398461" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Naughty Dog[/caption]

Jak 2

Ever wondered why the original Jak & Daxter had players happily hopping from platform to platform and then Jak 2 was all about gunning down enemies and driving flying vehicles? Sure, Naughty Dog had also previously equipped Crash with a Bazooka for the third game in the Crash Bandicoot series, but Crash's Bazooka only fired Wumpa fruit, not lethal rounds. What the hell happened there?

Well, it turns out that the sequel to Naughty Dog’s once happy-go-lucky platformer became a shooter because Naughty Dog saw the entire gaming landscape change with the arrival of gritty titles such as Killzone, God Of War, and, most importantly, Grand Theft Auto 3. The team made all the changes to the original that they could to accommodate gameplay elements that played similarly to Rockstar's mega-hit, and the series was never the same again.

In Naughty Dog's defense, however, I have to admit that Jak 2 was pretty damn good.

[caption id="attachment_398509" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Nintendo[/caption]

Star Fox Adventures

This is the game that sent the Star Fox series into dormancy and made the titular Fox more recognizable as a top-tier Super Smash Bros. character than as the main character of his own series. Its mistake? It decided to get Fox out of his ship and give him some ground-based missions.

This isn't a new kind of 3D game. This is Zelda with the exception that Zelda games are usually great, and this one is just okay. Star Fox Adventures marks one of the very rare moments in gaming when they would've been much better off just doing an on-rails shooter than a sprawling 3D adventure.

[caption id="attachment_398471" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Capcom[/caption]

Dino Crisis 3

Dino Crisis has always been an odd Resident Evil clone, but the rule is that you can only send your series to space after around the 8th entry. Picking space as the setting for your mundane terrestrial series in the third entry is too much—especially when it's a game about pre-historic stuff, the historical opposite of space stuff, I guess. Even Exoprimal feels more grounded than this Chimera.

Also, the first two games in the series came out for the original PlayStation, whereas Dino Crisis 3 landed on Xbox as an exclusive, which might have gotten Xbox fans to believe it has always been in space, thus making it all the more hilariously weird.

[caption id="attachment_398467" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image By Bethesda[/caption]

DOOM RPG

Remember when Doom fans didn't like Doom 3 because it was slower, darker, and spookier? Well, there's an even weirder, blacker sheep in this series: Doom RPG.

For some bonkers reason, Id looked at the "meh" reaction DOOM 3 got and decided to further reduce the amount of action and make a game that was more Final Fantasy than Doom. To Id's credit, however, Doom RPG is pretty decent and was even pretty revolutionary in the mobile gaming scene, as it provided a fully-fledged campaign two years before the iPhone made mobile gaming go big. Did any of the things that you just read entice you to wait for an HD remaster? Well, good luck with that, since Id lost Doom RPG's source code.

[caption id="attachment_398464" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Maxis[/caption]

Darkspore

Remember Spore? At some point, it was totally going to be the best game ever made! Sadly, the most fun anyone ever ended up getting out of it came from the game’s extremely advanced creature creator—mostly because they got to create beings that looked awfully phallic.

The people at Maxis looked at the game's lukewarm reception and came to the natural conclusion anyone in the ‘00s would’ve arrived at: it just wasn’t gritty enough. To solve this, they came up with Darkspore, a game that ditched everything from the original except for the creature creator, and then made a gritty action game about a badass creature that went on to battle other gritty, less phallic creatures.

Darkspore wasn’t even bad, but I can’t help but laugh at the very obvious high-speed course correction that was at play here.

The post Here are some of the most bizarre games from otherwise popular franchises appeared first on Destructoid.

Travel, simplified

Through the last two weeks, players have been sharing wild contraptions in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We've seen giant mechs, armored carriers, flaming robo-willies, and everything in-between. But as much as we like the elaborate constructions, we also love the practical builds that get us where we need to go. Like, for example. a three-piece hoverbike that's been quite popular in Tears of the Kingdom.

Finding the first person to build and spread something like this around can be difficult, as Tears of the Kingdom TikTok has multiple videos about builds like the hoverbike. I've seen this particular build crop up in a few places, across different social forums and media. But a particularly good explainer comes from 2uncle2dane (a.k.a. Uncle Dane) on YouTube. While also known for Team Fortress 2 Engineer videos, Uncle Dane turns their engineering prowess towards Tears of the Kingdom with this straightforward, efficient hoverbike build.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apZCDNpeTnM

The concept is simple: a control unit with two fans attached. It's light, so two fans can easily fill the propulsion needs of the build. And the fans are attached at an angle, fixing a common problem with most fan-go-up builds some might have attempted.

Also, importantly, it's cheap. Once you've attained a certain power in Tears of the Kingdom and are able to construct presets, its Zonaite cost is pretty slim.

The most tricky part, as Uncle Dane outlines, is putting it together. When I was building my own, for the purposes of this write-up, I had some trouble getting it exactly centered. It took a bit for me to try and get my bike even-keel. Flat surfaces certainly help.

[caption id="attachment_381803" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Once you've got it made though, the hover bike is incredible useful. It can make jaunts between sky islands, or short-range trips across Hyrule, a breeze.

I'm something of a Zonai engineer myself

Now, here's the fun twist. Alongside all the talk of the hoverbike, I discovered there was a small counter-culture, which Dane addresses in the video too. While many, including Dane, ascribe to the hoverbike as the superior build using two fans and one control unit, there are those who follow a different school: the goblin glider.

Named for its similarity to the Green Goblin's glider, this puts the angled fans on either side of the build. And while it appears to be a little less able to handle turns or land in a graceful manner, it does make you feel like the Green Goblin. There's value in that, I think.

Whether you opt for bike or glider, it seems like the control-unit-and-fans build is certainly popular and efficient. Sure, build all your giant, bizarre contraptions. But for when you need to get from point A to point B, these machines do feel like the best way to do so.

The post This popular Tears of the Kingdom hoverbike is really handy to have appeared first on Destructoid.

A week's worth of legends, myths, and spinning charge attacks

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out. I'm sure many are reading this article on a Monday morning with tired eyes from a launch weekend full of exploration and adventures in Hyrule.

As part of this big launch, we kicked off another themed Zelda Week here at Destructoid. Throughout the week, our staff and contributors pitched in with stories, opinions, lists, analyses, and more, all about the Zelda franchise. It was a solid week full of articles that they should be proud of, and as the person that curated the whole thing, I'm very thankful for their contributions.

One of my biggest takeaways, as the week came together, was how expansive Zelda has become. It's not just Link going on adventures. We had looks at what a fighting game, or Linkle-centered spin-off, might look like. Chris Moyse explored the legacy of fun, strange ads for the Zelda series, as they evolved over time and alongside pop culture. We looked at what place the titular princess has in the series, and how one big date may have marked a permanent shift in the series' storytelling.

It was, by all accounts, an excellent week. So if you're recuperating from a long weekend of playing Tears of the Kingdom and still craving some Zelda to read, here's everything we put together from the last week of coverage.

Every Zelda Week article, 2023 edition

• CJ kicks the week off with a look at the best quotes from The Legend of Zelda. Even though Link isn't (normally) talkative, there's quite a few good ones.
• I, Eric, take one last trip through Breath of the Wild's Hyrule and its side quests, ahead of Tears of the Kingdom. After playing a good chunk of Tears, I feel pretty vindicated in my gut instincts on which side quests would carry some importance in the new game.
• Chris Penwell ponders what a Zelda fighting game might look like, carrying some of that Soulcalibur II legacy forward in the process.
• We re-shared CJ's 30-year quest to beat Zelda II.

• Our staff shared their favorite Zelda dungeons from throughout the years, from Snowpeak Ruins to the Great Deku Tree.
• Holmes explores the cozy town vibes of older Zelda games, while also calling for a Link's Awakening 2. Let him cook, I say.
• Cody asks if it's time for Zelda to be playable in a mainline Zelda game, which yes, that would be rad.
• CJ praises the one-shot villains of Zelda; the also-rans, the non-Ganons of the world. They deserve some spotlight too!
• Chris Moyse takes us through the history of Zelda TV ads. It goes places.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Eo9dh3xgQ

• Chris Carter reviews The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and y'all, this game seems pretty good.
• Before Tears arrived, some of our staff recounted their favorite memories from playing Breath of the Wild.
• Another Zelda Week bump from the past, this time from community member Noir on the topic of fear itself.
• I looked at all the times Link has visited other game worlds in cameos, from fighting in arenas and racing on tracks to... taking a nap.

• I also shared some early Tears of the Kingdom videos, as users began subjecting Koroks to their terrible experiments. I'm delighted to report that the Korok test subject trend has only escalated since then.
• Zoey examines how Nintendo's handled the role of Princess Zelda in the past, and whether the series would be better in veering away from her traditional status.
• Tim takes a deep dive into Zelda history to draw a line between Link's big date in Link's Awakening and a greater change in how Nintendo wrote the Zelda series.
• CJ considers what a Legend of Linkle game could look like, and which third-party studios may be well-suited to the cause.
• We asked the community to share some of the weirdest creations they've made thus far in Tears of the Kingdom.

Still more Zelda on the way

That's a wrap for this year's Zelda Week, but it's far from the end of our Zelda coverage. There is little doubt we'll keep following Tears of the Kingdom, seeing what players do with it and developing more takes on it as time goes on.

We may even look at doing some more theme weeks this year, as there's certainly no shortage of big launches in our future. But to our writers who contributed, and to everyone who clicked through and read, thank you for making Zelda Week 2023 a great one. See y'all in Hyrule.

The post That’s a wrap for Zelda Week 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Wile E. Coyote heads to Hyrule

We're now three days into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which has certainly seen a lot of players dive into the latest Hyrule adventure. A big part of this new entry is construction: being able to build and break things in equal measure thanks to the Ultrahand power.

Unsurprisingly, everyone has built some weird, weird stuff with it. Cars and planes seem almost banal compared to what I've seen. Take, for example, Giant With a Rocket Appendage. You can guess which appendage has the flames.

https://twitter.com/ZAKUYA_BOTW/status/1657265674400706560

The experiments are not limited to Link alone, either. The new backpack-addled Koroks have become crash test dummies for the courageous hero's harebrained inventions.

https://twitter.com/sarahpodz/status/1657107025791156225

Even in shrines, I find myself not settling for functional, but aiming for the absurd. There's a slapstick comedy vibe to all the physics-driven possibilities in this space, and it's supremely enjoyable to smash these systems up against each other.

As Tears of the Kingdom goes on, and I continue to unlock more and more Zonai tools, the possibilities feel endless. At first, a simple car was a surprise. But after building flame-spewing trucks and laser-blasting roombas, it feels like there's a world of design and invention waiting out there in Hyrule.

So, to the Destructoid community, I ask: what's the weirdest thing you've made so far? Share your inventions, successful or not, in the comments below and help spur on the general imagination. I'm hoping to find some sparks of inspiration for my next Korok delivery system.

The post What’s the weirdest thing you’ve made in Tears of the Kingdom so far? appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm Link, and this is the Korok Launch

It's launch day for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Countless players are booting the game up for the first time, and quickly gaining Link's newfound ability to build contraptions and vehicles. And it seems like everyone's subjecting the same poor Korok to their wacky Zelda experiments.

Mild spoilers for the intro and starting area of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follow.

After the early introduction sequence, Link wakes up on a tutorial island. Much like the Great Plateau from Breath of the Wild, he and the player are tasked with acquiring the new powers introduced in Tears of the Kingdom, while given a whole bunch of opportunities to experiment with them in the process.

This includes the Ultrahand ability, which allows Link to manipulate various objects and devices. By sticking them together, you can learn to make a whole bunch of creations: mine cart trains, high-flying bird machines, and ziplining rail platforms are all around the first area.

At one spot in particular, you can find a Korok. These little guys are forest spirits, and dole out special seeds that can be turned in for carrying capacity upgrades. Often these challenges include hitting targets, gliding through rings, or solving environmental puzzles. In Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo adds a new one: a Korok with an overstuffed backpack, unable to move, needs Link's help to get over to his friend.

It's a cute puzzle that encourages the use of the Ultrahand. In fact, the first one you find is a simple enough set-up: there's a Korok on one floating sky island, his pal on the other, and a rail spanning the chasm between them. A host of Ultrahand-able resources sits nearby, waiting to be put together into an efficient Korok transportation system. Simple, right?

Prepare for takeoff

Well, the combination of shiny new tools and the swirling joy of free experimentation has turned this straightforward puzzle into a Korok testing ground.

My Korok Space Program Needs more testing
by u/RadBrad4333 in tearsofthekingdom

Throughout the day, I've seen new players come to this early part of the new Zelda and immediately turn the Korok into their test dummy. At this point, the player has had their Ultrahand for a few minutes. They've done a few tests, built a couple neat concepts. But here is a puzzle: get this Korok across the gap. There is no recipe. And that lack of recipe inspires a torrent of creativity that is as fun to watch as it is terrible for the Korok's health.

https://twitter.com/HopCaterpie/status/1656965269003321344

https://twitter.com/TheAndyCortez/status/1657040534681288705

While there might be a tint of revenge in these tests, I think they're a testament to Tears' new abilities. It's like an egg drop contest, or the early days of Kerbal Space Program. It's thinking, "I wonder if I could do that?" and then discovering yes, you can, and then seeing the results of your plan.

It's only day one, and I'm already loving all the wild stuff people are coming up with. Hopefully this energy keeps up as players uncover more and more in this old-but-new Hyrule.

The post Tears of the Kingdom players are subjecting one poor Korok to their zany contraptions appeared first on Destructoid.

There's always something new to find in Hyrule

It has been, at this point, six years since the 2017 release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Switch launch title, and Nintendo's swan song on the Wii U, made an indelible mark on the industry with its approach to the open-world space.

Tomorrow, on May 12, its sequel The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released. In fact, our review of it should already be live right here, right now. It's a revamped version of the Hyrule we saw in Breath of the Wild, only now with floating sky islands and a hot new villain in town.

This doesn't erase Breath of the Wild from the history books, though. I, myself, haven't played Tears of the Kingdom at the time of this writing, so who knows if I end up loving it more. But Breath of the Wild was a pretty big sea change for the industry, and I don't think it will be forgotten. In fact, for one last day before we all skydive into a new Hyrule, I wanted to host a little celebration of Breath of the Wild here on Destructoid.

So I've asked the Destructoid staff to come up with their favorite moments, big or small, from their time playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Please share yours in the comments down below too, and let's give it one big hurrah.

[caption id="attachment_378722" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Eric - Seeing a dragon

There are plenty of breathtaking moments in Breath of the Wild that made me appreciate the scale of what Nintendo had created. Even just leaping from the Great Plateau and gliding down into Hyrule proper for the first time was amazing. But the dragons were the moment I felt like I was seeing something truly amazing.

The first one I saw seemed miles away, drifting in the wind. I thought to myself, "huh, that's a neat background effect." Then, while playing later on, I was making my way up a snowy mountain and discovered, through the fog, a massive ice dragon right in front of me. It was genuinely startling. Naydra, as I would learn, was corrupted, and needed help to be let loose, to roam the skies of Hyrule like the other dragons. And the more I played, the more I realized these dragons, as much as everything else in Breath of the Wild, are part of the world. Everything is interactable, and all of it is one living, virtual ecosystem of interacting rules and ideas.

Even when I was getting a screenshot of Naydra now, years later, for this piece, I had to appreciate the feeling of gliding alongside and seeing all the ice blasts ripple outwards. These aren't some sort of secret boss, and they aren't scenery. They're a part of Hyrule, a world that Link and I adventure through, but which live and breathe apart from Link too.

[caption id="attachment_378720" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Zoey - Discovering Hyrule Castle Town

Much of Breath of the Wild's world consists of open wilderness and long-forgotten ruins. It often feels that the entire world has simply moved on and is well on its way of just healing over the scars where Hyrule once sat. However, when you finally build up the courage to move closer to the castle that dominates the landscape, you find something that hits a little closer to home.

Hyrule Castle Town is the absolute gutted remains of the biggest settlement on the map. Anything left standing is burnt beyond recognition. Yet despite this, you can still see the little details that harken back to Ocarina of Time, especially the ruined version of Castle Town that is depicted in the second act of that game.

It's a dangerous place to tarry, as guardians still crawl over the ruins. However, it's one of the few places that Breath of the Wild tries to drive home the destruction that was caused back when everything went wrong.

[caption id="attachment_378723" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Holmes - Partying with Prince Sidon

Games either work harder to be playgrounds or obstacle courses. Roblox and Fortnite are playgrounds. Final Fantasy IX and Advance Wars are a series of obstacle courses, with a little talking and opportunities to exercise free will sprinkled on top. Of course, a lot of games try to mix and match, and the original Zelda was one of the first to put one inside the other. Specifically, it's like a series of one-screen obstacle courses on a playground. Sometimes you have to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, or use specific items to get through a course. Those are the more close-ended parts. Other courses are open to you from the start, to wander in and out as you see fit. This tension between opposites, loose and strict, open and closed, untethered and entrapped, made Zelda a genre-defining hit from the start, and most of its sequels have followed suit.

Breath of the Wild made the playground much, much bigger than it had ever been before, and the obstacle courses did not, for the most part, scale up in kind. You can play Breath of the Wild for hours without ever hitting an obstacle that you can't just climb over, walk around, or otherwise circumvent. It still has really fun, focused challenges like the shrines, and the bit where you have to invade the home base of the banana-obsessed Yiga Clan. But for the most part, the thing that made Breath of the Wild stand out is how much you didn't have to do in it. Those who felt that prior Zeldas had become overly handholding and tutorialized were thrilled with how this one just threw you outside and said "you figure it out."

As an old man who constantly has to "figure it out" in life, this was a massive turn off. If you get lucky enough to save some money in the bank and get somewhere in your chosen pursuits, life becomes less about whether you have the freedom to do what you want, and more about the series of choices you have to make in order to do things as well as you can. It's up to you to remember to pay the bills, make sure the kid gets to school on time, to explore the best deals on groceries, consider refinancing your mortgage when interest rates change, convince your sick-but-in-denial elderly parents to go to the doctors, the list goes on. Once you're old enough to be the one who's supposed to take care of themselves and guide others, instead of being guided yourself, it can be exhausting to play a video game where you have to navigate a giant, open map on your own.

That's why my favorite part of Breath of the Wild is when it suddenly turns into a linear, high-stress obstacle course where you never have to question where you're supposed to go, and instead have to focus on some Resident Evil 4-style survival-action combat. After Prince Sidon, the shark man, goads you into following him to his Zora domain, it starts to rain. As any Breath of the Wild player knows, wet ground means no climbing, so there's no way to get off the path before you. It's slippery, and crawling with monsters, so slashing, shooting, and sneaking up on foes is pretty much a must. Strategic use of a limited-time electro-elixir is also close to mandatory.

If you want the freedom to go wherever you want and do whatever you want all the time, I'm sure this part was a chore for you. But for me, a guy saddled with loads of real-life choices (and responsibilities), this gallery of finely curated, exquisitely designed challenges feels like just the right mix of handcuffs and fisticuffs; a little oasis of mandatory trouble in an otherwise unstructured adventure.

[caption id="attachment_378377" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Timothy - The in-between moments

Many games are fun to play, but fewer are fun to watch. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that Breath of the Wild falls firmly into the latter category. Even after spending 100+ hours in Hyrule, watching the ways people explore or break the physics engine never gets boring. There’s a reason why online content never ceased for this six-year-old game with no live service elements.

Yet for me, it’s not the wild and wacky exploits that makes exploration fun. It’s the ordinary, unremarkable stories that stick with you because they’re so uniquely yours. For example, when I revisited Breath of the Wild this last holiday season, I was on my way to the excellent Eventide Island shrine. Yet during my boat ride, I happened to notice a chest floating around in the water. Driven by pure completionist instincts, I turned my vessel around so I could grab my treasure. What ensued was a comedy of errors where I just couldn’t navigate to the chest for the life of me. It was the same mild inconvenience you might feel when you’re trying to find your keys in the morning despite just having them in your hand.

Once I finally arrived at my prize, I boldly proclaimed to my audience of one “after all that, this better not be five arrows.” This was technically correct. It was ten arrows.

But you know what? Those are my ten arrows now. The fact that I vividly remember this six months later shows how easily Breath of the Wild creates lasting memories.

[caption id="attachment_378721" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

CJ - Out of the shadows

I've struggled with this prompt all week because, while I adore Breath of the Wild, I don't know if I have a single favorite moment from it. Because there are so many riveting moments in that game, from when you first exit the cave or when you first see a dragon or when you absentmindedly wander over to Eventide Island, completely unprepared for what you're about to face. The game is an outstanding collection of outstanding moments. So instead of trying to figure out my favorite, I want to talk about the one that's seared into my memory.

So I've been playing Breath of the Wild for about 40 hours at this point. I've seen so much of this world, but there are still parts of the map that haven't been filled in yet. And there's one spot in particular that is calling out to me: Thyphlo Ruins. I go there thinking that's how you reach the Master Sword. What I find is a Shrine Quest shrouded in darkness. I'm confused and a bit scared as I pick up the nearby torch and start lighting the torch stands. I don't know if that's what I'm supposed to do. I don't know where I'm supposed to go. I just keep moving forward until I hit a dead end.

I don't usually have a sense of dread playing a Legend of Zelda game, but the Thyphlo Ruins tap into my deepest childhood fear of the dark. I am absolutely on pins and needles going through this place. After a few minutes, I find the pedestal. As I start to get frustrated thinking I'm going to have to run through these ruins again looking for an orb, I turn Link around, and out of the shadows comes a Hinox barreling toward me.

I don't remember screaming at this point, but I probably screamed. I probably thrashed the controller about as well as I'm wont to do when a jump scare lands that well. The Legend of Zelda series has leaned into the dark and macabre before, but nothing in this series has scared me more than that giant frickin' Hinox popping out of the darkness like it's Slenderman.

Again, that's not my favorite moment in the game, but hot damn it's the one that remains the most vivid in my mind today.

The post Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that holds incredible memories appeared first on Destructoid.

Break out your timelines

The newest Legend of Zelda tale is days away, and given the trailers we've seen so far, there are still many mysteries to uncover. A new interview with some of the leads behind The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom helps give us an idea of what's to come, and teases a link to the series' past too.

Nintendo has published two parts of a three-part interview series with the creative team behind The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Alongside series producer Eiji Aonuma, there is Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, technical director Takuhiro Dohta, art director Satoru Takizawa, and sound director Hajime Wakai. This creative group answered a few questions about the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom, including why they stuck with the same map.

When it came to one particular topic, though, Aonuma mentions an interesting way in which Tears of the Kingdom may be delving into the past. Note: While this is a Nintendo-published interview, some might consider this potential story beat a spoiler. So if you want to go in without any hints of what The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might be tackling in its story, turn back now. Potential spoilers follow after the jump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHGShqcAHlQ

A link to its past

According to the creative team behind Tears, "hands" are a key theme in the upcoming game. This is represented through Link's arm, his abilities, and also in how he's able to cooperate with other characters. The team implements this in various ways through The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, from handclaps in the music to hand symbols in the visuals. Then, Aonuma mentions something interesting:

Aonuma: Well, simply put, "hands" expresses the idea of "connecting." This applies to the story too, which connects to Hyrule's past. It also talks about a major struggle called "The Imprisoning War," which until now was considered a myth even in Hyrule.

Those who have played The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, or spent time doing some Zelda theorycrafting, will recognize the Imprisoning War. It's the conflict that leads into A Link to the Past, where Ganon is sealed in the Sacred Realm by the Seven Sages.

Those events have been somewhat modified and changed over the years, through the establishment of the official timeline and the Hyrule Historia. But it does look like Tears of the Kingdom may be dealing with the sealing of Ganon/Ganondorf, and the events that transpired around it. It would also seem to place Tears within the continuity of the timeline where Link fails to defeat Ganon at the end of Ocarina of Time.

We'll know for sure on Friday, May 12, when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hits Switch.

The post New Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom interview teases a link to series’ past appeared first on Destructoid.

Swords will clash

Some major gaming franchises have incredible fighting games attached to them. Pokemon has Pokken, Persona has Persona 4 Arena, and Final Fantasy has the fast-paced Dissidia series. It's about time that The Legend of Zelda gets the same treatment after multiple decades of successful games. Here's why a Legend of Zelda fighting game would work so well.

Link's fighting game appearances

https://youtu.be/sU6nrVEexAg

Before we get stuck into what a Legend of Zelda fighting game would be, let's explore Link's history in the genre. During the GameCube era, the Hero of Time appeared as a playable character in SoulCalibur II. It excites many fans still to this day, due to his expansive move set like his swings of the powerful Master Sword, the throttle of his arrows, and the use of his bombs. His entrance into the fighting space felt so natural, and Bandai Namco pulled a faithful recreation of Link into a 3D fighter. It begins to prove that a Legend of Zelda fighting game could work.

Of course, that's not Link's only fighting game appearance. He is a strong fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series as well. The game's even more faithful to the character in Smash, as he spins his sword in place, throws bombs, and uses his chain whip to get back to safety. Zelda, Sheik, Young Link, Toon Link, and of course, Ganondorf also have strong move sets from Smash that could be adapted into a Legend of Zelda fighting game like SoulCalibur. 

What would a Legend of Zelda fighting game be like?

[caption id="attachment_377782" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

With the help of Bandai Namco (who developed Pokken Tournament and worked on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), Nintendo could create an epic weapons-based fighter based on The Legend of Zelda. 

You can have memorable fighters like Ganondorf going against the likes of Mipha, Zant, or the evil wizard Agahnim. There's so much history that Bandai Namco could source from. You can take characters from all over the series, such as Link like his wolf form from Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword's creepy Ghirahim, and the lesser-known Captain Linebeck. You could go wild with the picks also, like the infamous Tingle as a joke character.

As Hyrule Warriors has proven, it wouldn't be strange to see all of these Zelda characters meet each other, despite the timeline they come from. You could also have a central story focused on defeating a new antagonist in the games that pit friends against each other in combat. If Nintendo isn't cool with that idea, you can also make the enemies shadow versions of the playable characters, similar to Persona 4 Arena. 

There are many locales where battles could take place. Skyward Sword's Skyloft could have you fall off the edge into the sky below if you're not careful. Ocarina of Time's Gerudo Valley would pit fighters on the shaky wooden bridge. Hyrule Field could be a flat stage, similar to Tekken 5's Moonlit Wilderness or Tekken 7's Infinite Azure. Bandai Namco or Nintendo could get very creative with the many locales they've created for the games ever since the NES era. The adaptations on modern hardware would also look beautiful, especially if this is on Nintendo's next console after the Switch.

The engaging movesets

[caption id="attachment_377783" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

The Legend of Zelda has an incredible cast of characters that a studio like Bandai Namco could pull from. Link would be the lead hero that beginner players could gravitate towards. However, other fighters such as Sheik would be much faster to control with quick knife attacks and wall-jumping abilities. You could even have a character like Young Link from Majora's Mask be the Yoshimitsu of the game, switching between masks and being unpredictable with his moves.

The Goron Champion Daruk from Breath of the Wild, for example, could be a heavy type with his huge Boulder Breaker weapon. He'd be slow but if he hits his opponent, there'd be massive damage involved. There's so much potential within the last 35 years or so of The Legend of Zelda history for intriguing move sets.

Don't get me started about the music

Koji Kondo's music over the years has delighted many fans, and a Legend of Zelda fighting game can take advantage of that. Just like Cadence of Hyrule. we could have entertaining remixes based on classic tracks. "Song of Storms" could be turned up to 11 with a dramatic orchestral flair. Ocarina of Time's boss battle music could be elevated with an electronic alteration. It would also be interesting to see calm themes from Lost Woods, for example, be turned into fighting game music. The composer could go in all kinds of directions with the wonderful music by Kondo.

Though it has Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Switch still frequently misses out on newer fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Guilty Gear Strive. But there's a lot of potential within the land of Hyrule for a new competitive fighting game like this.

The post A Legend of Zelda fighting game is long overdue appeared first on Destructoid.

Where to go before a new Hyrule drops

It is the week of a new Zelda game, and you might be getting ready by revisiting its predecessor. I'm not surprised to see that a few people I know have been booting Breath of the Wild back up, just in time for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

In fact, I've been doing the same. I was looking for a refresher, as well as an excuse to finally try the Champion's Ballad DLC. Sure, I'd dipped back in to do a few shrines here and there. But the bulk of my own Breath of the Wild playtime was around launch, back in 2017. Going back to re-explore Hyrule and uncover any last surprises I missed felt like seeing it anew all over again.

So maybe you need some direction on where to go and what to do, or just want a suggestion on something neat to see. Or, perhaps, you're only burning time until Tears of the Kingdom. Either way, there's a decent chunk of content waiting off the beaten path of Link's quest to bonk Calamity Ganon on the head. Here are some Breath of the Wild quests worth seeing before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hits.

[caption id="attachment_377796" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Champion's Ballad

We can start with the easy one, as it's the main reason I came back to Breath of the Wild. I imagine the same holds true for others too. This DLC arrived in December 2017, as part of Breath of the Wild's post-launch roll-out. While I enjoy the Master Trials, what I loved about the Champion's Ballad was how it tied in more story around the four champions and the tragedy that befell them when Calamity Ganon returned.

Through retracing their steps and undertaking the accomplishments they did 100 years ago, you get to relive moments of their lives. And those little snippets are wonderful, eventually culminating in a new dungeon and one heck of a new boss fight. While I wasn't as keen on some of the second rounds with old bosses, the Ballad is worth completing, and will play well into another entry on this list too. Plus, you get a motorcycle for it!

[caption id="attachment_377804" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Tarrey Town

While Link might be able to buy and build his own house, establishing a new village is even more compelling. Tarrey Town is built through a series of side quests for Hudson, a member of the Bolson crew that's helping with your house. Keep following his side quests, and you'll gradually establish a new village.

It can take a bit of time, but is ultimately worth it. The vendors you unlock are quite valuable, and putting a new town on the map is its own reward. Plus, it culminates in a heartwarming love story. If you'd rather stay away from open-world danger and get some cozy town vibes instead, Tarrey Town is a Zelda side quest worth looking into.

[caption id="attachment_377806" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Zelda's Memories

I debated even putting this on the list, because to me, getting all of Zelda's memories using the Sheikah Slate pictures seems like a must-do. However, I've gradually heard more and more folks who didn't do this, or just looked them up online. Wild!

Though you could just go watch them in a video somewhere, I'd argue that actually visiting these places is a big part of what makes these memories work. Some you'll find as part of the main quest. Others you'll need to explore for, letting you see more of the world; it's basically a guided tour of Hyrule, courtesy of Zelda. And I do think there's a powerful feeling of going somewhere and seeing the current state of Hyrule, leaping backwards into the past to see a memory, and then returning to its current state. If you haven't seen them all, go find them!

[caption id="attachment_377797" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Eventide Island

One of the more infamous shrines in Breath of the Wild, Eventide Island feels made for those who have gained some mastery of the game's systems. Even getting there means either understanding its tools well enough to voyage out to the island, or having enough stamina to glide there.

Once on Eventide Island, you get to undertake a trial that will ask whether you've truly learned how this game works. If you're a returning player, it's a fun challenge to get back into the swing of things with. I found myself gaining a new appreciation for all the ways in which I could use tools like Magnesis, Stasis, and my Remote Bombs. It's a bit of an undertaking, but a fun one worth doing before this Friday.

[caption id="attachment_377802" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Recital at Warbler's Nest

While small in the scheme of things, this particular quest captures an often overlooked side of Breath of the Wild. The Recital at Warbler's Nest is a Shrine Quest, which you can start at the Rito Village in northwest Hyrule.

It's pretty straightforward. Some young Rito are trying to hold a recital, but you'll need to convince them to meet and actually practice. Breath of the Wild has plenty of these little quests in its towns, which can point you towards different areas and activities to undertake. This particular quest draws on cooking and environmental interactions in enjoyable ways, and overall put a smile on my face. Many remember the open world and Divine Beasts, but Breath of the Wild has plenty of small town stories to explore, too.

[caption id="attachment_377805" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Thyphlo Ruins

I had completely forgotten about this particular section until I was doing some venturing and found myself back here, in the deep, deep darkness. Thyphlo Ruins is an area you can hear about by talking to locals at the nearby stable, but it's worth just going in and checking out.

It is, ultimately, a shrine area. But it's a cool use of light and interactions that might not naturally occur to folks. Eric's Pro Tip: Remote Bombs glow! Venturing through this area is pretty neat, and worth taking the trip north of Korok Forest to see.

[caption id="attachment_377798" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Forgotten Temple

Speaking of forgotten areas, you might notice The Forgotten Temple on your map as you fill it out. Which is a bit strange, to be honest. If the temple is forgotten, it probably shouldn't be on a map.

Either way, this area is a fun one to explore with a neat surprise I won't spoil. Aside from that, this also touches on Nintendo's ability to craft big, fascinating secrets within the world. Finding what lies at the end of this temple gave me a little moment of pause, and reminded me that discovering things in Breath of the Wild is still fun after all these years.

[caption id="attachment_377799" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Eighth Heroine

If you like environmental clues and puzzle solving, then The Eighth Heroine is the Zelda side quest for you. You're pointed in its direction by someone running laps around Gerudo Town, as they inform you about an old legend involving the massive statues out in the desert.

And they are quite massive. You'll have to scale them to find clues about how to solve the puzzle and summon the missing heroine. Discovering all the different visual clues is enjoyable in its own right, along with the physics-driven puzzle-solving that makes Breath of the Wild so enjoyable to go back to.

[caption id="attachment_377800" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Kass' Quests

I'm in the process of finishing this one right now, but it might be one of my favorite quest lines. Kass is the travelling bard who chronicles stories of Hyrule, even playing a starring role in the Champion's Ballad DLC.

But he also has a number of other quests to complete around Hyrule, all with special requirements and conditions. It's a cool way to revisit Hyrule, as a returning player, and even links back to old Zelda tunes in an interesting way. This feels like one of the better ways to see Hyrule again before Tears of the Kingdom drops.

[caption id="attachment_377801" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Leviathan Remains

Finally, if you still need more excuses to visit the fringes of Hyrule, try hunting down the Leviathan remains. You start the venture by talking to the three researchers at the stable in northwest Hyrule, the same place you learn about the Thyphlo Ruins.

These three are looking for the remains of ancient beasts, and have some hints about where to find them, too. I actually found one before I found these brothers, just through exploring corners of the map I hadn't yet. And there's something about finding those giant, ancient bones that's really something else.

Those are my picks for side quests to undertake if you're looking for some before Tears of the Kingdom drops. Considering how big Breath of the Wild is, there are probably at least a few I left off, so let me know down below if there's a personal favorite of yours I skipped over.

Meanwhile, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives on Friday, May 12. Keep up with all our Zelda Week coverage this week, too.

The post Before Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives, here are some Breath of the Wild side quests worth seeing appeared first on Destructoid.

See some gameplay right before the game's out

With just a week left, the wait for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn't long now. And leading up to that launch, Nintendo is hosting a special livestream for one last hands-off Tears of the Kingdom look before you can go hands-on.

Next week, on May 11, Nintendo of America is hosting a launch event livestream for Tears of the Kingdom. This will feature four Nintendo Treehouse: Live segments, with gameplay from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There will also be "more livestream content" as part of the countdown to the midnight release.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1654531865762463772

You can tune in live through Nintendo's site here. No exact confirmation on what will be shown, outside of more footage of Tears of the Kingdom gameplay.

What mysteries still remain

That might seem a bit impatient, but hey, we still have many things to learn about in Tears of the Kingdom. Why Ganondorf looks so dehydrated and then gets re-hydrated, for example. Or what's up with all those islands in the sky. Plus, I would like to get some ideas for wacky contraptions to slap together with Link's new magical hand powers.

Hopefully, for the folks at home, the midnight release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will also include the digital version unlocking sometime around then too. Either way, it does look like we're ramping up into one of the year's big releases, with some big expectations behind it. We'll see just how this sequel comes together soon, as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom goes live on Nintendo Switch on May 12.

The post Nintendo is hosting a launch livestream for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom appeared first on Destructoid.

Keep an eye out for spoilers

We're under two weeks out from the release date of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But it seems like you'll already want to start locking in those muted words and phrases. It looks like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has leaked.

Images and clips of the upcoming Switch game began to circulate at some point over the last 24 hours, on various gaming forums. This includes footage of areas both seen and unseen in prior footage.

We won't be sharing any of the information here, either on what or where it is. Suffice it to say, I've looked, and can at least verify that it looks quite real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHGShqcAHlQ

While we won't share spoilers here, it's still a good idea to start keeping an eye out on various forums if you want to stay completely unspoiled. My personal recommendation is to make use of any keyword-blocking features on social media, if available, and also be wary of browsing any "new" or "recently updated" tabs. And also, be nice to your local forum moderator, as they're about to have a very long 11 days between now and the release date.

A new Zelda is on the horizon

It is, again, wild to think that we're just about 11 days out from the release of the sequel to Breath of the Wild. First announced back at E3 2019, and later officially named, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild. We've seen teasers and learned about Link's inventive new hand powers, and seen plenty of teasers for what's in store for Hyrule.

Now, we're just a little over a week out from the full launch of Tears of the Kingdom. May your feeds be spoiler-free as we rocket toward May 12.

The post PSA: Looks like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has leaked online appeared first on Destructoid.

Here's what caught our eyes in the final pre-launch look

We have a new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the last one we'll see ahead of the game's launch next month. While it gave us some answers, we still have a boatload of new and old questions.

For a three, almost four-minute video, it's absolutely stuffed with things to talk about. Ganondorf has officially returned, there may be other forces at play, and theories about what's to come are being forged as we speak. So, we've gone beat-by-beat to piece apart some interesting tidbits we can glean from the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHGShqcAHlQ

This is all, obviously, speculation. But what we saw today, at the very least, gives a clearer idea of what Nintendo's got in store for May. And also, you know, raise as many mysteries as there are floating islands in Hyrule's skies. Let's dive into it.

[caption id="attachment_373866" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Zonai can protect... but also attack

Right away in the trailer, we pan over sky islands that seem central to Tears of the Kingdom's exploration, and get a glimpse of some Zonai constructs. These glowing green automatons seem to have various tasks, as we see one chopping a tree. But in a prior part of this pan upwards, we see a warrior bot getting surprised and fighting what looks like a blue Chuchu. Maybe they aren't just here to preserve nature? Or at the very least, the monsters and robots may not be a united force against Link.

[caption id="attachment_373851" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Those curious markings

As Link soars over Hyrule, we see more of the curious landmarks and animal shapes on the surface. They're almost like crop circles, but seemingly made of glowing stuff that Link should probably not touch without gloves. No indication of what they indicate, but they do look neat.

[caption id="attachment_373845" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Towns and shrines

We see some towns, with a surprising number of inhabitants milling about, as well as small tents set up around the ruins of Hyrule. But this shot in particular caught my eye, as it gives us a look at what might be a Shrine? It feels like we haven't seen much about Shrines or what their role will play, but these buildings do give off a similar vibe, albeit with a green-energy twist. Whatever that might be, it certainly seems like a point of interest for Link's adventure.

[caption id="attachment_373858" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Sky boat

That's it, that's the blurb. Big boat. Sky boat. Flying sky boat. I have no context for what this is, or why it's happening, and I do not care. Link will become the sky pirate he's always meant to be.

[caption id="attachment_373878" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

A possible wingsuit?

As Link plunges through a laser maze that would give Tom Cruise pause, we see him slow up a bit. Not with the glider, but with what looks like a wingsuit. Does this mean we could see a wingsuit in game, or is this a special situation? It certainly seems like a pre-built area meant for one specific situation, but I dig the potential of a wingsuit in this significantly more airborne game.

[caption id="attachment_373860" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Villager joins the battle!

As Link rides into the middle of an ongoing rumble, we can see some villagers taking up arms, ready to fight a big lanky Moblin. Kudos to them, though they're probably in for a rude awakening once that big boy starts swinging. I also dig the frameworks of fortification you can see going up behind them.

[caption id="attachment_373863" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Mysterious dino person

This is one of the greater mysteries: who is this person? They seem, at least in this one scene we get, to be an intimidating presence. Are they friend or foe? I'm definitely curious to learn more about them.

[caption id="attachment_373852" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Here we go again

Okay, this might be the most interesting tidbit to me. Here we see Link, viewing a version of Hyrule castle that has not fallen into disrepair and ruin. Coupled with the glowing particle effects, this sure seems like a flashback or some other time-warping weirdness.

[caption id="attachment_373865" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Zelda's new look

Here's Princess Zelda, after we see her falling into an abyss at the start of the trailer, now with a new look. Shorter hair, big earrings, a magatama necklace (we'll talk about that in a moment), and also some kind of tear-shaped tattoo. Did Zelda kill a guy? We'll have a to find out in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Also, there's someone else here, who seems to have an arm that's reminiscent of Link's newly corrupted limb.

[caption id="attachment_373856" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

That's no moon

We already landed on the Divine Beast Vah Medoh, but now Link will have to land on some sort of floating orb. I presume the interior is filled with wacky contraptions and death traps. I cannot wait to plunge headfirst through that opening and get walloped by whatever's inside.

[caption id="attachment_373861" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Rock me mama like a wagon wheel

Hey, you. You're finally awake. And here's everyone, riding along in Link's merry wagon, pulled by a horse. This is one of the cooler little pieces, as we can really see all the different pieces of this contraption and how they latch together. I've been curious about the upper limits of Link's ability to Ultrahand items together, but here I can see a good few connections, as well as a link to have a horse power the whole thing. Speaking of possibilities...

[caption id="attachment_373855" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Giant robot fighting

Honestly, Nintendo could've sold me on this game with just this image. This is the coolest, silliest, wildest thing in the whole Tears of the Kingdom trailer. Link bolted wheels and an arm onto a giant rock to make his very own Gundam, and the Bokoblins have done the same, erecting a platform for war on top of a Talus. Could Link just pick them all off with arrows? Yeah, probably. But this is so much cooler.

[caption id="attachment_373867" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Look out for the lasers

We also see Link firing an arrow and activating some kind of contraption that sends lasers spinning out. A neat touch that, again, there are multiple forces at play here. And those poor, poor Bokoblins had very little idea what kind of pain they were bringing on themselves when they made this little laser box the centerpiece of their new home.

[caption id="attachment_373854" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

The mysterious magatama

As noted before, these crystals pop up in a few places. With Zelda, on the strange person's hand, and maybe even in the forehead of Ganondorf. This jewelry seems to be styled after magatama, and even have some etchings. Fans are theorizing as to what they might mean, but they do seem to play a role in whatever's happening in Tears of the Kingdom's story.

[caption id="attachment_373848" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Yeah, he's back

Ganondorf makes one heck of an entrance. After an initial tease earlier in the trailer, we see Ganondorf in full regalia here, with some shining crystal in his forehead, enacting a blood moon and corrupting Link's arm. The king is back, and he's even got Matt Mercer voicing him.

[caption id="attachment_373847" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

This mysterious elf lady

It's not clear who, exactly, this is. Some aspects indicate a link to Zelda, from blonde hair and general attire matching Zelda's new look in the trailer to the golden magatama around her neck. She also looks pretty different from Zelda too, though. I like one theory I've seen, that this could be Hylia. But either way, that's another mystery appearance we'll have to wait to uncover.

[caption id="attachment_373857" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Raising an army

Further egging on the idea that Link will have some allies to team up with in this game, we see him at the fore of a band of NPCs, gathered from various parts of Hyrule. There's a standard bearer on a horse, too. But really, I'm all about bucket head guy. He's ready for war.

[caption id="attachment_373603" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Also, Sidon

Just as importantly, we see Link and Prince Sidon fighting side-by-side in the next scene, and that is all we need to know. This is the key feature update.

[caption id="attachment_373849" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Gleeok is back

One of the excellent but under-utilized Zelda enemies makes a big debut in this Tears of the Kingdom trailer. This is a seriously pyro-powered, King Ghidorah vibe going on here. I'm not surprised Link is recruiting the assistance of the other Champions, the people of Hyrule, and the greatest warrior, Dude With Bucket On Head.

[caption id="attachment_373604" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Zelda has the Master Sword

At various points in the trailer, we see both Zelda and Link holding the Master Sword, despite them being seemingly separated. We also know that, at some point, the Master Sword gets corrupted and/or destroyed. Does this lend a little more credence to the time travel theories? Oh, for sure. But I'm curious to see how exactly they pan out, and how Nintendo will use this framing as motivation for Link's new adventure.

The post Let’s break down the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom final trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Companions, villagers, and the return of a king

Nintendo aired the final pre-launch trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom today, and it was quite a doozy. From more story context and mechanical teases to the confirmation of a longtime series villain, there's a lot to unpack.

While the general story set-up still feels a little unclear, we do know one thing for sure: Ganondorf is back. The king of the Gerudo appears a few times in today's trailer, and also seems to be speaking over the trailer at a few points. Zelda also looks to be lost, in some way; we catch a glimpse of Link failing to catch and save her, and then again, her calling for Link to come find her.

Even further, we see Hyrule alive in a pretty spectacular way. Not only are there towns popping up in the ruins of the land, but we see villagers fighting enemies, and companions teaming up with Link. Heck yes, Sidon and Link can fight together!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHGShqcAHlQ

The kingdom closes in

This is the third official trailer, and also the last one before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches next month. Compared to previous games, even its predecessor Breath of the Wild, it's felt like we haven't seen a ton about this entry. Then again, that's mostly been working, in my opinion.

The recent gameplay showcase did spotlight Link's new abilities, seemingly linked to his arm. Today's showcase went even further in though, showing all the wild ways in which they can be used. Cars and flying machines are one thing, but in the trailer today we see Link carting around villagers with a horse-drawn carriage and fighting a walking bokoblin fortress.

Add in a bunch of wild machinery and possible Zonai influence, and I feel like I've got even more questions now. All in all, a pretty solid video to pick apart in the last month leading up to Tears of the Kingdom's launch on May 12.

The post Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s final trailer is absolutely packed appeared first on Destructoid.

One small slice has me ready for the whole thing

This week, we got a solid look at Link's next adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It was a roughly 10-minute slice of gameplay, the most we've seen of the game thus far. And for me, I don't think I need to see any more of it until launch.

Zelda's gameplay showcase, hosted by series producer Eiji Aonuma, might seem unassuming compared to other big gameplay spotlights. It had the same tenor as the character reveals for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; rather than make a big production or splice together a sizzle reel, it was just a chopped-and-guided tour through the new Hyrule. For one of year's biggest presumptive hits, it was a chill stream that let the game speak for itself. And it really did talk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6qna-ZCbxA

Showing off Link's new abilities to Fuse weapons and Ultrahand mechanical contraptions together into makeshift cars, boats, and ships was, by itself, mind-blowing. Its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, has seen players use its simple but expressive toolset to concoct incredible evolutions of its gameplay. These new abilities felt like a recognition of that player ingenuity, as if Nintendo was giving us the "yes, and" to make even more weird stuff in Tears of the Kingdom.

Its gameplay alone was incredible, and of course there were hints of lore scattered about. There was plenty Aonuma and co. didn't show, however. We still don't definitively know why islands are rising into the skies of Hyrule. The origin of these mean green machines isn't clear either, though there are plenty of theories. Heck, we don't know why Link's arm received the Princess Mononoke treatment. But after seeing this slice of gameplay, I think I'm content to wait.

Patience

Since Tears of the Kingdom was first revealed, known then as "the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild", it's been shrouded in mystery. The memorable teaser from E3 2019 felt like a massive surprise, filled with eerie tones and flashes of images.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fr1Z07AV00

Since then, fan theorists have run amok analyzing all the details they can. Heck, even the 10-minute gameplay showcase is getting diced up and examined, as every mini-map icon and distant pixel is scrutinized for hints. To be clear, I love all that. The guesses and close examinations, the cork-board theorizing, it's all good fun.

Still, there's some sentiment that Tear of the Kingdom wasn't building up momentum. Just looking at the Tears of the Kingdom subreddit's comments on the gameplay announcement shows how eager they were to hear more about this game. Going into it, I was the same. We'd seen so many teasers, but actual gameplay? Sign me up.

But after seeing so much information, presented so frankly and directly while leaving so much open for speculation? I'm ready for the full game, and don't need to see any more of it.

Rebuilding the kingdom

Part of this is because Tears of the Kingdom is building up on the base of Breath of the Wild. The notion seems to be that while things have obviously shifted, especially on the Z-axis, this is the Hyrule we know from Breath of the Wild. Many of the systems still remain too, from Link getting chilly to his weapons shattering after clubbing enough Bokoblins with them.

The hints we've seen so far promise iterations on that formula, in ways that are exciting to speculate about. But that's the thing: I want to wonder. I'm loving this feeling that, even though we've learned more, only more questions remain. Nintendo's earned a fair bit of goodwill with Breath of the Wild, enough that them saying "we're making a sequel" was enough to sustain the hype through years of development.

Maybe this is also the news-hound in me talking. By nature of my job, I have to be plugged into nearly every major release, following all the news hits. It's been refreshing to see Tears of the Kingdom show less, rather than more. I enjoy that I have so many questions unanswered, and ones that will hopefully stay that way until the full game.

So yes, I'll probably rewatch this trailer over and over again a few more times. But I feel like I've seen all I need to of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It already promised more Breath of the Wild, a strong-enough pitch, and now it brings in ideas of fusing and manufacturing new creations within this world. I'm eager to know what awaits, but with the days and weeks until then getting shorter, I'd rather be surprised than have it all laid out.

Related: Is The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom multiplayer? on Dot Esports

The post 10 minutes of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was all I needed to see appeared first on Destructoid.

It's time for Meat Arrow

Nintendo has shared more gameplay today of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, showcasing Link's new abilities in a new and changing Hyrule. Among all the new features, there were a few that seemed to open up a wealth of creative options for future adventurers of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was already a font for player ingenuity. Alongside all the Stasis hijinks players could get up to, there were also items like the Octo Balloons which could let players create flying contraptions. With Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo seems to be leaning even further into that.

Fuse, in essence, allows Link to pair any two items together. Today's gameplay spotlight started off simple, attaching a rock to a stick to make a club. Easy, right? Well, it escalates from there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6qna-ZCbxA

The demo, hosted by Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma, goes further and further. Soon, there are even more creations. Leaf Arrow. Long Pitchfork. Smoke-bomb Shield. If Link can see it, he can put on his best Shou Tucker impersonation and fuse it. There was meat in that sliding menu of options, and I need to know what sound Meat Arrow makes when it hits an enemy.

Alongside Fuse is Ultrahand, a different but somewhat similar abilities. This allows Link to kinetically move items around but also attach them, creating new structures. Where Fuse seems to center on weapon fusing, Ultrahand is about large-scale combinations, as seen in today's trailer. Cars, balloons, boats, and more all look to be very real with Link's new powers in Tears of the Kingdom.

Mix and match

It already feels like there's a host of possibilities for these skills. By the time Aonuma was making an airboat out of lumber and discarded fans, my mind was already humming with potential. Attach an explosive keg to a javelin and throw it, or put wheels on a metal door and skate it down a hill. It feels like someone, within the first six months of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom being out, will make a fully operational Gundam, or at least Guntank.

Social media clearly noticed the potential too, as fans already started joking about the slapdash weapon potential:

https://twitter.com/HotCyder/status/1640718290803892226?s=20

I'm curious about whether Fused weapons could be attached to Ultrahand creations, making for a comical war machine. I'm even more curious about how persistent these creations will be, and if you could build something permanent. But really, this has been what's roped me fully into Tears of the Kingdom.

Breath of the Wild highlighted player expression and creativity, encouraging them to create interesting solutions to problems. Nintendo looks to be pushing that further with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, developing a Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts-style system for whatever wild creations we could imagine.

Floating death blimp? Catapult? Shield with a pokey stick on it? All seems possible with Tears of the Kingdom, and it's those possibilities that have me very eager to see what's awaiting for Link and pals on May 12.

The post Meat Arrows and the many other possibilities Link’s new abilities could create in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom appeared first on Destructoid.

A big leak springs ahead of the Zelda launch

A heads-up for those looking to stay spoiler-free ahead of the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: it looks like the art book as leaked online.

Over the weekend, over 200 pages of what looks to be The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom art book leaked online and seeped through various channels. We won't be sharing any links or posting any of the leak here, though we've taken a look ourselves to verify its existence.

Without divulging any details, it does look like the art book for the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel. And the nice part is, from a cursory scan, nothing jumped out as an obvious spoiler. Still, it's worth being aware that this info is out there, in case you want to go into Tears of the Kingdom as fresh as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYZuiFDQwQw

Art of the kingdom

It's especially interesting that an art book would leak so far ahead of the release date. We're still a ways out from Tears of the Kingdom's release date of May 12, 2023. This art book is part of what's included in the collector's edition of the game. It is strange that so much info would make it out from the book, three months ahead of time.

Still, fans are likely hungry for more information, as it feels like we don't know a ton about this new Zelda. Points like the main antagonist, or the reason why Hyrule is now home to so many floating islands, are all still theories at this time. I'm sure fans are likely to pick this Zelda art book apart looking for any info on what could be arriving in May.

In the meantime, rev up those muted keywords and hashtags if you're looking to avoid all of it. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives on May 12, 2023.

Related: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be 38 percent bigger than BOTW as file size revealed on Dot Esports

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Come sail away with amiibo

More information about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is trickling in, including what role amiibo will play in the game. The miniatures will still provide a drop of resources for Link upon scan, but they'll also give you the chance to deck out Link's glider in some fancy skins from throughout Zelda history.

As showcased on Nintendo's social channels, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will let you scan amiibos for both materials and weapons, but also for paraglider fabric. This fabric will let you change up the look of Link's glider, a key part of his tool set in the post-Calamity Hyrule.

Using different amiibo that Nintendo's released, of both Link and other Zelda characters, you can don different glider apparel. There's ones for Skyward Sword, the Breath of the Wild amiibo, and even a hauntingly beautiful Majora's Mask glider.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1623458029332054017

And we all float on anyway

Now, we've only seen these four so far. The tweet does say "from The Legend of Zelda series," and there are plenty of Zelda ammibo. Between Link, Ganondorf, Zelda, and even some of the spin-off figures like that giant Guardian one, there are plenty of options.

So yes, I am hoping the adorable little Link's Awakening amiibo has a special glider attached to it. Maybe with a Wind Fish design?

During yesterday's Nintendo Direct, we also got another, longer new look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It's got a fierce blood moon, even more creepy corrupted arm teases, and a slapdash cart that looks straight out of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. One can only hope we see more of that.

Alongside that, we also got confirmation that Tears of the Kingdom will indeed go for $69.99, hitting that $70 price point that many modern AAA games are trending towards. At least the new Zelda is also Switch voucher eligible, so keep that in mind if you've been eyeing both Tears and another Switch game.

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A few ideas for the video game fan on your list.

I have a confession to make. I love buying gifts for people. Birthdays, Secret Santa, weddings, you name it, I look forward to the challenge! And the reason is that I used to be an absolutely terrible gift giver. I once gave a grown man a box of tea bags and a USB bracelet that ended up being too small to fit around his wrist.

I'm still embarrassed by these gifts, but I've learned my lesson. I've been on my gift-giving game ever since. Now I'm here to help you! You're already moving in the right direction by pinpointing a favorite hobby. Here are 10 gift ideas to get you thinking about the gamer in your life.

1. Gaming Chairs

Gaming can be very hard on the back if you have the wrong chair. Sitting in one position for hours hurts, but gaming chairs are made with this in mind. Many of them come with lumbar support and neck pillows to get the proper spinal curve. Also, they can be adjusted to get the best angle on the screen. There are plenty of chairs to choose from, and the price range is just as varied.

Secretlab chairs are high quality and the price reflects it. They have great reviews, a few options that take height and weight into consideration, and there are opportunities for designs beyond just black or gray. You can also find chairs with great reviews for half the price though. For example, this Nokaxus gaming chair has great reviews and would be a big improvement over a typical swivel chair.

2. Backbone

The Backbone is a great gift for the multi-tasking gamer. While it isn't a console itself, it enables your phone to become your on-the-go gaming device. The Backbone uses your phone's power instead of batteries, and it doesn't store any games. Instead, players access their cloud library on Steam, PlayStation, or Game Pass to pick up where they left off.

Because you need strong service for uninterrupted gaming, it may not be the best for the daily commute. But when you need to walk away from your console or computer, it's a great way to get back in the game. You can read Destructoid's Backbone tech review for more information on this nifty device!

3. Beyond the Console

While the person on your list may have all of the games and consoles they need, helping them invest in quality gaming peripherals can be a fantastic gift. Gaming peripherals are things like headsets, keyboards, and mousepads. In this case, you really do get what you pay for. So even if your gamer already has a mouse and keyboard, they may not have the good stuff.

The Logitech MX Master 3S mouse is ergonomically built, fast, precise, and easily connected to multiple devices. It also has a reputation for lasting a long time. Mouse speed and precision are really important while PC gaming, so a good mouse is well appreciated.

Similarly, the keyboard can get worn out quickly with key combos and hours and hours of use. There are a ton of choices for gaming keyboards, but it will all depend on your budget. The Razer Turret wireless keyboard and mouse combo is pretty cool with the retractable, magnetic mouse pad, but you can also try out the Razer Huntsman V2 Optical keyboard. Just read reviews and look specifically for gaming keyboards. They are usually built to be quieter and more resistant to being worn out.

4. Steam Deck

On the higher end of gaming gifts, the Steam Deck is a very generous gift. The handheld console just became readily available to purchase in 2022, but the reviews have been positive. Having a Steam Deck is like having a Nintendo Switch, but bigger and with pretty much your entire Steam library on the go. There are three price tiers based on storage space, with the cheapest being $399 at the time of writing. It's great for gamers with hectic schedules.

5. Games (But the easy way)

If you know what games are on your friend or family member's wishlist, then buying a $60 game makes sense. But instead of taking a gamble, buy the gift of games the easy way: gift cards. Steam frequently has huge sales on games. Instead of buying a specific title that your recipient may already have, the Steam gift card can be saved to take advantage of sales, dumping a bunch of games into the cart for great prices. You can find physical cards at Best Buy, Target, and more, but you can also purchase digital gift cards to send directly through Steam.

A Game Pass subscription is another great way to gift multiple games. Game Pass is a cloud-based subscription service for Xbox console and PC gamers. You can buy a Game Pass gift card from places like Best Buy, Target, and GameStop for a certain number of months. During that time, players will have unlimited access to the game catalog and even opportunities to play new games the day they are released.

6. LEGO

LEGO is not just for kids. It's more popular than ever, and there's really a lot to choose from. Video game characters, like Pikachu, are fun for any age. This Bowser LEGO set is perfect for Super Mario fans. There are even LEGO sets that aren't based on any particular characters, but just the act of gaming. This Nintendo Entertainment System Building Kit is perfect for those lifelong gamers looking to be a little nostalgic. It's hard to go wrong here because, if nothing else, it's just a fun activity.

7. Christmas Sweaters

The "ugly" Christmas sweater has come roaring back, but it really isn't ugly anymore. Holiday sweaters have now become a way to be funny or showcase your nerdy interests at Christmas parties. So treat your favorite gaming nerd to a cool sweater that they can wear every December!

This Halo-themed sweater is the perfect amount of too much. It says "Happy Halo-days," and boy, do I  love a good pun. On the other hand, this Skyrim sweater from Jamestees is so pretty, I would probably wear it all winter.

8. Cookbooks

For gamers with an interest in cooking, entertainment cookbooks are a fun gift idea. The recipes are usually accompanied by stunning pictures of all the food you may or may not end up making. The dishes will usually tie into the game in some way, so some of them can be pretty funny. For example, the Fallout Cookbook will guide you through "radiation-free" deviled eggs and the "Desert Salad" from Fallout: Las Vegas.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the God of War Cookbook. This collection of recipes and game art is as serious and detailed as the game. The recipes are divided by the nine realms with a bonus "in-between realm" for various spice mixtures. Even if you never end up making any of it, it's still lovely to look at.

9. Artwork and Artbooks

In the same theme of choosing aesthetic over utilitarian gifts, artwork and art books are fantastic. Try to find out what games they like the aesthetic for the most and then searching on sites like Etsy or Redbubble. These two sites in particular usually have nice wall art pieces.  For example, these Elden Ring canvas pieces on Etsy would look really nice above the couch.

In a similar vein are art books. These tomes are generally full of beautiful illustrations and behind the scenes info. They make beautiful additions to bookshelves or make a great coffee table book. You can find an art book for most popular games online and at bookstores. The Final Fantasy Ultimate Archive has multiple volumes. And The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion has hundreds of pages of designs, interviews, historical info, and even sketches from Takumi Wada!

10. Around the House

Subtly adding video game references to your everyday life is so satisfying. I love making adulting nerdy. When you start going down the internet rabbit hole, you will start seeing little things that are useful around the house but 100% gamer-approved. Like this Zelda key holder on Etsy carved out of wood! You can attach your keys to the rings and not only have a place to store your keys but also have a cute keychain when you're on the go.

Coffee mugs and bar glasses are another solid way to bring the games to daily life. It's also really easy to find video game-themed mugs and glasses. Etsy will have some of the more unique items, like this hefty Witcher medallion mug. But you can find plenty of cheaper options online or in stores like Target.

Of course, these suggestions here are just that. Suggestions. So use them as a jumping-off point or as a quick grab guide. But whatever you end up giving, it's always the thought that counts. If you pay attention to the people you love and make a personal link between them and the gifts, odds are you will make them happy this holiday season.

Related: The 15 best gifts for Dungeons & Dragons fans on The Mary Sue

The post 10 great gifts for every gamer this holiday season appeared first on Destructoid.

The acrylic panel is 1000 Platinum Points

Zelda: Skyward Sword HD has been out for a bit, and it's had plenty of time to marinate. Do you like the motion controls? Yes, no? Okay, keep them or turn them off! Options are a wonderful thing. Oh, you're done with the game already? Well you can admire this acrylic panel art while it's not installed on your Switch.

As we pointed out recently, Skyward Sword HD has a My Nintendo reward. It's an acrylic art panel, and it'll cost you 1000 Platinum Points. It just came in the mail, and I have to say, I'm happy with it!

The quality is about the same as the prior acrylic art panels (which Zelda has gotten one of so far), and it comes with a little kickstand you can use to display it. Or you can upgrade: your call.

It's thin at 1/8" in terms of its thickness, which can be a boon depending on whether or not space is a premium. The size of the panel itself is 5"x7".

I mean, it's pretty much the perfect art for this game. It gets everything it needs to get across: Fi, Ghirahim, Link, Loftwings...the sky. And an epic pose. The best part? Fi is silent. Yuck yuck yuck.

A close-up of the Skyward Sword HD acrylic panel:

The post The Zelda: Skyward Sword HD My Nintendo reward comes with a ‘lil kickstand appeared first on Destructoid.

This animated action-adventure is coming to a lot of platforms

The fantasy journey of Baldo has set a release date. Developer Naps Team has confirmed today that Baldo: The Guardian Owls will launch on Aug. 27, 2021.

This action-adventure game has popped up on my radar a few times over the years, for fairly obvious reasons. It's both a Zelda-alike game, with a cool isometric view and, according to its Steam page, full of challenging puzzles to solve and dungeons to explore.

It's also got a look that is, well, similar to Studio Ghibli's well-known aesthetic. Ghibli comparisons can get easily tossed around these days, but just watching the trailer for Baldo: The Guardian Owls, the influence is pretty notable. And it seems to be to its benefit too, as today's release announcement trailer looks pretty neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxcZ8J-cDtE

Alongside the dungeon-exploring and puzzle-solving, Baldo will also have some towns and inhabitants to explore, and plenty of foes to defeat. It does look very Zelda-like, but also, a Ghibli-inspired, Zelda-style action-adventure game sounds like a pretty good time.

Baldo: The Guardian Owls will land on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, and PC via Steam on Aug. 27, 2021.

The post Baldo: The Guardian Owls sets off for adventure on August 27 appeared first on Destructoid.

Worth a watch while you wait

Like many Zelda games, Skyward Sword has diehard fans, and folks who wanted more. It's only natural for an ambitious and popular series to have people who stand at both ends of the spectrum, but this video for Skyward Sword HD on Switch has me excited to play it all over again.

In short, this is a whopping four-and-a-half-minute overview video for Skyward Sword HD, in which Nintendo walks us through the setup and some of the core principles of the game. Namely, the premise of riding Loftwing and exploring different locales, and how the Joy-Con controls work (read: very similarly to the Wiimote waggle). At the very end we get a reminder of the game's controversial amiibo functionality. It's sort of a mashup of all of the videos before it, but it's still nice to see in one place: especially if you were holding out on any info for it until now.

Note that the story spoilers are very light, and only cover near the beginning. Mechanically, it shows a few of the items you'll pick up in dungeons, but only briefly. The best part of the video for me? Looking at these enhanced visuals on a grander scale. Everything just looks so much smoother in motion.

It's going to be weird to see everyone's reaction to Skyward Sword all over again, but I feel like without being forced into motion controls for simple tasks like shimmying on vines or rolling bombs; people are going to be a little more lenient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAPldVCRo-g

The post Here’s a giant recap of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for newcomers appeared first on Destructoid.

Get out of my face, Fi

It's going to be really interesting revisiting Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, especially if Nintendo makes some subtle changes to gameplay while keeping the core intact (like the best part: the dungeons). The once "impossible to port" Skyward Sword is now headed to Switch next month, and slowly but surely, we're getting our drip-fed info for it. The next batch of Skyward Sword HD details comes directly from the official UK listing for the game, which has since been updated.

As we knew, enhanced performance and improved motion controls are in, as is the opportunity to play entirely with button inputs (don't mind if I do!). But the site also gives us a kernel of what's to come with the following:

"Various quality-of-life enhancements, including refinements to player tutorials and general guidance throughout the adventure."

For those of you who haven't played it, the original Wii game was notorious for overly-tutorialized just about every facet of the game. It was nearly impossible to get through a section involving a new concept without Fi, your companion, stopping you square in your tracks and giving you an unskippable spiel. The direct reference to "refinements to player tutorials" could be a hint that a lot of the excessive use of tutorial force is now out, or is slimmed down/skippable in some way. Even just being able to skip the endless "you pick up an item!" dialogue would be welcome.

The ultimate slap in the face for this system for me: getting a tutorial in the final dungeon. I couldn't believe it! Fi wouldn't shut up until the bitter end.

[Thanks John!]

The post Zelda: Skyward Sword HD quality of life features tease potential ‘refinements’ to Fi’s tutorials appeared first on Destructoid.

Missing Link

If there is one thing that helped Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise remain one of the most enduring and beloved series of all-time, it's consistency. There aren't many series that have put so few feet wrong in well over 30 years, which is a testament to the quality poured into each and every release.

Oh sure, there's been a few missteps along the way, including 1993's Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Sword of Gamelon, as well as the 2017 Switch entry Breath of the Wild (I kid, I kid...calm down), but nine times out of ten, you can always expect Nintendo to knock it outta the park, thanks to the protective nature and reverence with which it treats its home-grown IPs.

But it wasn't always so. In the late '80s and early '90s, Nintendo of America was definitely more lenient with the sharing of its franchises, licensing out golden geese such as Super Mario Bros. with a far more carefree attitude. For the most part, this proved unwise, resulting in sub-standard entertainment that failed to capture the essence of the source material - Super Mario Bros. The Movie, anyone?

Of all of these ventures, none is more notorious than the short-lived Legend of Zelda animated series, which attempted to capitalize on the success of NES releases The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link. Handed to DIC Enterprises ("DEEEK!"), The Legend of Zelda was an attempt to take Hyrule's inhabitants out of the video game realm and into the lucrative, backward-baseball-cap world of '80s kids' TV.

The resulting show would contribute to Nintendo re-evaluating its attitude toward licensing. Forever.

The Legend of Zelda, produced for Viacom Entertainment, originally aired in North America in September 1989, broadcast as part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - itself renown for WWF-star Captain Lou Albano's manic turn imploring viewers to "Do the Mario." While Monday through Thursday would feature a daily episode of the awful Super Mario Bros. cartoon, Fridays would substitute an episode of The Legend of Zelda, ensuring your weekend got off to a shit sandwich of a start.

The Legend of Zelda sees young hero Link living in Hyrule Castle with Princess Zelda and her father, King Harkinian (your favorite Zelda character). Link has been hired by the king to guard the Triforce of Wisdom from evil sorcerer Ganon, who himself already owns the Triforce of Power. I don't know where he got it. Let's say eBay. At no point in the series is the Triforce of Courage seen or referenced whatsoever. This actually makes it a Biforce, which is what I call my temper tantrums.

Each episode sees Ganon attempt to capture both Triforce, an act which will immediately make him the Hyrule's ruler...or so we're told. With each episode only running 14 minutes, not including two title sequences, we shouldn't expect a deep backstory. Typically, Ganon attempts some kind of subterfuge, inevitably failing as ZeldInk save the day. Most of the show's 13 episodes follow a simple formula: Brief Fight > Ganon's Plan > Plan is Attempted > Nearly Works > Doesn't Work > Do The Mario. (Incidentally, said dance involves "swinging your arms from side to side" and "taking a step, and then again"... That's just walking. You're describing walking, Cpt. Lou.)

As a simple "Saturday Morning" type affair, this would be perfectly fine. But The Legend of Zelda is a breakable jar filled with problems. Firstly, the scant run-time doesn't allow for even the slightest depth, resulting in bland and repetitive storytelling. Secondly, when the action arrives, it has a cheap and stilted flow akin to someone failing a laserdisc game. But the main issue - the biggest issue - is simply that most everyone in The Legend of Zelda is a dick. Let's check out our cast.

Here's the man of the hour, Link himself. He doesn't look bad at all, although there's zero sign of the soft androgyny that would become a character design trait. Link's got the suit, he's got the hair, he's got a cute button nose. They just need to give him a plucky, underdog personality and we're good to go. Let's check out his first lines of dialogue:

"Yech! Another beautiful day in the 'magical kingdom of Hyrule'. Boring place!.. Look at me, living in a castle, sleeping in a bed... Aren't I sweet? Yuck!" Link opens his window and spies on Zelda in her nightgown. "(wolf whistle) Looking good, Princess...especially from this angle!"

Yep, unsure how to read our hero from his recent NEScapades, DIC decided he was a whiny, self-centered, lecherous teen. The Legend of Zelda's Link moans, whines and self-congratulates throughout each episode, his only goal being to score with the fair princess - putting the moves on her time and again. "Ha! Saved you again princess. Kiss me!" demands Hyrule's favorite incel in one instance. "Oh boy, it's smooching time!" he exclaims after Zelda simply sits on a bed. He also has this habit of spinning his sword around before he sheathes it. You ain't T.J. Lazer, pal.

The Legend of Zelda's Link is weirdly unlikable 99% of the time. Rather than the steadfast hero we know and love, he's basically the "smug teen" from every other TV show of the day. He's Doyle from Galaxy High School, he's Kevin from Captain N, if he went to a Californian high school and mentally tortured women, he'd be Zack from Saved by the Bell. And you might even be able to forgive this, all of it, if it wasn't for "that" catchphrase, delivered an unbelievable 29 times in just 13 episodes... Lordy.

Princess Zelda fares a little better. The ruler of Hyrule is, for the most part, presented as Link's equal and occasionally his better. In fact, Zelda is portrayed so headstrong and capable in battle that you can't help but wonder why she even hired Link in the first place. Although she takes up her typical damsel role on multiple instances, this iteration of Zelda is charging into battle, kicking Octorok ass, and smothering eagles in dirty laundry years before she ever donned ninja garb and started ordering folk to awaken the Seven Sages.

The Legend of Zelda's...erm...Zelda fits in neatly with an early wave of stronger women characters appearing in animated shows of the era. These queens include Thundercats' Cheetara, G.I. Joe's Lady Jaye and Baroness, and She-Ra: Princess of Power - all of whom aren't nearly as badass as Pizazz from Jem and the Holograms, but nobody is.

Still, even with her slightly more self-sufficient, mildly progressive appearance, Zelda is unnecessarily stand-offish, snooty, even mean. While I appreciate that the show is going for a "They Fancy Each Other, Really" vibe, the animosity between the leads is hilariously weighted, and sometimes just comes across like they legitimately can't stand one another. Moonlighting, this was not.

Every show has an Orko, or a Slimer, or a Snarf, and The Legend of Zelda goes with dollar store Tinkerbell, Spryte. Spryte is a fairy princess who follows our leads around offering witticisms and exposition. Spryte's hair frequently changes between blonde and brunette - possibly because of fairy magic, possibly because the animators weren't paying attention. Still, being the princess of the fairies, Spryte will surely offer the show some much-needed softness.

"Hey, listen," Spryte tells Link in episode one. "Zelda's a snot. You should stick with me." (I might have imagined "Hey, listen"). Seems that even Spryte's just out for number one. The fairy fancies Link -- because he's just so dang lovable -- and dislikes Zelda because she's a match for his affections. I didn't have time to put the show through the Bechdel Test, sorry.

No kid's cartoon in the '80s was complete without a solid villain: a Cobra Commander, a Starscream, or a third character with the exact same voice and personality. In The Legend of Zelda, we have the notorious Ganon, who is given the flat personality of "sorcerer," lacking the sardonic nature and gay appeal that made Skeletor so cool. Ganon conjures up villains from his "Evil Jar" - a sort of purgatory where his defeated minions dwell, ensuring that Link doesn't actually kill anybody during his family-friendly adventures.

Ganon's plans mostly involve trickery, disguising himself or others to sneak into Hyrule Castle. His one goal is to capture to Triforce of Wisdom, which he does SEVEN FUCKING MINUTES INTO EPISODE ONE. I don't know how many rupees Zelda is paying Link, but it's definitely too many. Call Dirk the Daring.

Ganon has far too many teeth, which creeps me out like the scrapped Sonic the Hedgehog movie design. Rather than walk, Ganon chooses to teleport everywhere -- even just three steps across the same room -- but the evil genius never thinks to simply teleport to the Triforce, pick it up, and then just teleport home. Also, in the final episode, his minions -- the Moblins -- get sick of his shit management and take over. I'd like to point out that this never once happened to The Shredder.

Let's be positive and look at what DIC's The Legend of Zelda did right. To be fair, provided none of the characters are talking or existing, the show is pretty authentic. A charming score is composed of spirited renditions of themes from the NES titles, while actions are accompanied by actual in-game sound effects -- a technique also utilized in Super Mario Bros. and Captain N: The Game Master. Very unlike the Super Mario Bros. show, we don't get a cameo from Milli Vanilli, nor 1960s song covers performed by the Koopa Kids. A fun mechanic devised for The Legend of Zelda sees items shrink down as they are pocketed, explaining how Link can carry so much in his meager clothing. This is just like Sport Billy, and you're too young to know who in the blue hell I'm even talking about.

By far, The Legend of Zelda's best element is its use of numerous trademark villains. Despite the show's short run, we get to see a huge selection of baddies from the video games. Octoroks, Moblins, Dodongos, Aches, and Gibdos are all on the call sheet, as well as boss characters such as Aquamentus and a surprisingly charismatic Gleeok. Popular weapons and items such as Link's sword, Zelda's bow, and boomerangs are also present, though both the sword and the bow simply fire "light zaps" to keep the violence down. Anyone expecting a Lucio Fulci-style decapitation in children's afternoon programming will be sadly disappointed. While the characterization leaves something to be desired, it's fun to see the show's adherence to Zelda's rogues' gallery of gods and monsters.

Now, we're just having a bit of gentle fun here, but I can already hear some of you. "This is all very well and good and too long, Moyse, but it is just a kids' show, y'know?" And I get it, it is just a kids' show -- but there were plenty of shows on the market that were just better. Shows that similarly dealt with fantasy action and magical worlds and with a much wider cast of characters that not only looked slicker, but were better written, had cooler central arcs, and better-layered heroes and villains.

Shows such as Transformers, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Dungeons and Dragons, and Jem and the Holograms all existed around the same time and were more smarter, more engaging, less condescending. These shows presented better action, funnier comedy, and stronger moral lessons. So it doesn't really wash to say "It wasn't made for middle-aged Brits on a dump truck of Sertraline" when there were other TV shows occupying the exact same "Kids' TV" slot that blew it out of the water.

Does it really matter that The Legend of Zelda was a poor quality show? Well, yes and no. No, because DIC's short-lived series was merely one more harmless entity in a thousand mediocre cartoons, but yes, in that it was the failure of sub-licenses such as The Legend of Zelda that led to Nintendo being so completely tight-fisted on the future use of its IPs. If some of these shows and movies had treated the material with more care and reverence, then we would likely have seen better efforts made down the line. We most certainly would have had a new Legend of Zelda anime, movie, or live-action series by now. In a minor way, DIC's The Legend of Zelda did contribute negatively to the franchise's potential.

Regardless of the cartoon's failure, The Legend of Zelda as a multimedia brand has more than endured, a direct result of 35 years of excellent video games, which have entertained players across the globe for generation after generation. Ultimately, Nintendo's franchise has proven itself untouchable time and again, unfettered by its few missteps. Ironically, for all its flaws, DIC's The Legend of Zelda has its own quaint role to play in the franchise's history, as one of the very few times all wasn't quite right in the land of Hyrule.

Will we ever see a truly authentic Legend of Zelda cinematic universe? Who knows? and frankly, who cares? As we've already had the best interpretation possible. Take it away...

The post I won’t excuUUUuse Nintendo for The Legend of Zelda’s animated antics appeared first on Destructoid.

F-U-N - fun, fun, fun!

In today's contest you can win a Switch copy of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a Zelda prize pack from fun.com!

If you're going to sell licensed merchandise, board games, puzzles, and a whole assortment of nerdy trinkets, I think fun.com is a pretty apt name for your company. It's all about fun!

I keep making friends left and right, and my buddies over at fun.com wanted to spread some of their namesake onto you guys: They gave us a copy of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a whole mess of Zelda themed merch to give away! They're really living up to their name on this one.

fun.com has partnered with Destructoid and our sister site, Nintendo Enthusiast, to give you two chances to win a copy of the game and lots of awesome Zelda-themed merch! Here at Dtoid, we're giving away:

• A Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity physical Switch game
• A Triforce bandana to help keep your icky germs to yourself at Piggly Wiggly (soulless man staring into your soul sold separately)
• A Sheikah Slate cushion upon which to rest your head after a long day of breaking every single goddamn weapon you have
• A Sheikah Slate notebook just because it looked cool and I had a budget to hit
• A Zelda beanie and scarf combo because it's getting cold (unless you live in Phoenix, in which case it's still in the high 80s and get me out of here)

And that's just the beginning! Head over to Nintendo Enthusiast for another chance to win a copy of the game, plus the extra Zelda swag shown above!

You know the drill -- enter to win by using the widget below to leave your name and email address. Check in daily to raise your entry count, and click around for bonus chances!

We have one bundle to give away -- our winner will be drawn next Thursday. As this is all physical swag, you must have a United States shipping address in order to win. There are no substitutions for the prizes.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is available now, and you can snag all sorts of Zelda and other nerdy goods over at fun.com.

Dtoid Contest: Win Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a Zelda prize pack, courtesy of fun.com

The post Contest: Win Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and a Zelda prize pack, courtesy of fun.com appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs Recap: Week 37

-Kerrik52 reviews Ape Escape as part of his Traveler in Playtime blogging series.

-ModSquadLeader talks about three great pixel-based indie games.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Borderlands 3 on the PC.

-Shoggoth2588 responds to this month's Band of Bloggers prompt regarding game delays by focusing on a few games that were better because of it.

-LaTerry is running wild with speculation about the new Hyrule Warriors game.

-Dinoracha shares his initial thoughts regarding Paper Mario: The Origami King.

-Ctg867 argues that there is no way that the Xbox Series S is going hold back game development despite being weaker than its higher-end competition.

-TheBlondeBass shares his thoughts on Celeste in this blogging series focusing on games with a lot of heart.

-Taterchimp is asking the community to submit ideas regarding a community based monthly streaming contest.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Xenogears and Country-Rock music.

-Joel Peterson who previously worked in Dtoid is back for a brief hello which I think has a lot of good advice in it.

-ModSquadLeader reviews the movie #Alive as his first movie review.

-Gaming Sheepy joins the Dtoid blogging community with this introduction blog.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Trials of Mana and the music of Hank Williams.

-ChronoLynxx is back with another open TGIF community thread.

Thanks to Lord Spencer for the Cblog Recap and to our community for another great week of original content! And welcome to new blogger Gaming Sheepy! If you want to be part of next week's recap, then be sure to visit our Community Blogs and share your gaming thoughts with us.

The post Cblogs of 9/5 to 9/11/2020: Hyrule Warriors, Xbox Series S, and game delays appeared first on Destructoid.

'You'll have to wait a bit longer'

There was some high-profile The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild news today. It didn't have anything to do with the sequel, though; it had to do with an unexpected prequel.

Out of nowhere, Nintendo announced Age of Calamity which serves both as a Hyrule Warriors spinoff and a Breath of the Wild prequel. However, this attention paid to Zelda doesn't mean anyone should expect to hear anything about Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 anytime soon.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma nipped that in the bud right away. In a detailed Age of Calamity trailer breakdown, Aonuma says "We mentioned in the June 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation that we had started development on the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Many people around the world are still playing Breath of the Wild, so I'd like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Everyone, thank you so much. Regarding the sequel, in order to make the vast world you've enjoyed exploring in the original game even more impressive, the team is working hard on its development. So, you'll have to wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates."

The Breath of the Wild sequel is in "It's ready when it's ready" territory. Nintendo, like every company, has had its share of production struggles because of COVID-19. Given how the original turned out to be a masterpiece, Nintendo clearly isn't going to rush the sequel out the door. We'll just have to wait to hear more. In the meantime, Age of Calamity is here in November. Get your Zelda fix that way.

The post Breath of the Wild 2? More like ‘Don’t hold your Breath of the Wild 2!’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Pre-orders live at Japanese retailers

If there's one (of many) elements that makes Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series so utterly enduring, it's the games' beautiful scores, which embody the spirit of dangerous adventure without ever losing the natural charm of the Zelda universe and its characters.

Link's Awakening is a perfect case in point, and fans of that particular entry's classic score might want to take a look at this brand new soundtrack set, which is coming to Japan next month.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Soundtrack is a smart four-CD set which contains a huge 205 tracks in total, taken from both the 1993 Game Boy release and the 2019 Nintendo Switch remake, with each release receiving two CDs of wonderful, nostalgic music from composers Minako Hamano and Ryo Nagamatsu. The CDs come housed in a sleek collector's box, featuring the Japanese sleeve art for both games.

Although there are currently no plans to release this set in the west, import sites such as Play-Asia are already taking pre-orders for international customers. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Soundtrack costs around $50 USD, (not including shipping or any potential customs charges), and will launch on March 23.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is available now on Nintendo Switch.

The post The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening soundtrack set coming in March appeared first on Destructoid.

You're the winner of Hyrule

Enter today's contest and win a Zelda-themed Switch accessory bundle from PDP!

Are you guys tired of PDP sending you awesome prize bundles based around popular Nintendo properties to deck out your Switch in style? If so, then beat it, because they've got yet another awesome prize pack to give away to a lucky reader!

This week, we're focusing on the oft-troubled kingdom of Hyrule. I don't know why that place is always under attack every damned generation and needs to reincarnate an elf to save them, but they do. Your Switch is like Hyrule -- it needs saving. PDP is here to thwart your woes with this Switch accessory prize pack themed around their licensed Legend of Zelda wares. You're our hero, PDP!

In honor of the eternal, if not a bit repetitive, journey of Link and Zelda throughout the timelines/generations/whatever it is, our friends over at PDP have put together a Zelda-inspired prize pack to deck out your Switch.

The biggest draw? Two brand-new controllers! Read some press about them because do you want free stuff or not?!

Gear up for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch with the Wired Fight Pad Pro! Pick your favorite character and challenge your friends (and enemies!) with this GameCube-inspired Pro Controller. Customize your gaming style by playing with the traditional C-Stick or swap it out for a full-size stick with the innovative detachable design. The 10-foot USB cable gives you plenty of room to play and ensures you stay connected during crucial battle moments.

Wired Fight Pad Pro - Special Edition Link

The Special Edition Link Wired Fight Pad Pro Controller joins the battle! Make the Hero of Hyrule your new main controller for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pick your favorite character and challenge your friends (and enemies!) with this GameCube-inspired Pro Controller. The Special Edition Link Wired Fight Pad Pro Controller joins the battle! Make the Hero of Hyrule your new main controller.

Wired Fight Pad Pro - Special Edition Zelda

The Special Edition Zelda Wired Fight Pad Pro Controller joins the battle! This powerful princess will pack a punch as your new main controller for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pick your favorite character and challenge your friends (and enemies!) with this GameCube-inspired Pro Controller. The Special Edition Zelda Wired Fight Pad Pro Controller joins the battle! This powerful princess will pack a punch as your new main controller.

Here's what's up for grabs:

• Wired Fight Pad Pro - Special Edition Link
• Wired Fight Pad Pro - Special Edition Zelda
• Light-Up Dock Shield
• Switch Slim Travel Case - Zelda Retro Edition
• Pixel Pals 8-bit Link

To enter to win, use the widget below to leave your name and email address. You can enter daily for additional chances to win. For bonus entries, follow Dtoid, Nintendo Enthusiast, and PDP on Twitter, and share our contest post with your friends.

While you're waiting to see who won, come up with a way to help Hyrule safeguard from evil things happening. Clearly, bringing Link back every time things go wrong isn't really a permanent solution. Help the poor place out.

We have one prize bundle to offer to entrants from Dtoid and NE. Winner must have a United States shipping address. Prize will be drawn on Friday, August 9.

Check out PDP's site for these and other great gaming accessories!

Contest: This Zelda-themed Switch prize pack from PDP is your link to the future

The post Contest: This Zelda-themed Switch prize pack from PDP is your link to the future appeared first on Destructoid.

It ain't Zelda Maker, but it's something

During this morning's E3 Nintendo Direct, we got to check out gameplay footage from what must be one of the publisher's most anticipated releases, the remake of Game Boy classic The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

Alongside new footage of a very cute looking Link in action, exploring the famous beaches and forests of the 1993 adventure, we also saw a new dungeon building mode, where our hero can put together his only deadly caverns using "chambers" collected on his quest. These can then be arranged to create your own "Chamber Quest". Fun!

Alongside the release of Link's Awakening, fans can also pick up a new Link amiibo and a special "Dreamer's Edition" of the game, which includes the game, naturally, the new amiibo and a special art book features concept art of the remake's world and characters.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening launches September 20.

The post Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake will include a new dungeon building mode appeared first on Destructoid.

Go go Sheika colors

On Thursday, Nintendo will update Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild with Labo VR support. It really feels like those games should have been updated before Labo VR hit, so they could garner a lot more pre-orders, but regardless, the functionality is coming.

To celebrate, YouTube channel Just Intense Gaming (thanks Jeff!) managed to mod their Labo kit for the occasion with an awesome looking Breath of the Wild/Sheika-themed headset. The channel shows off how they did it, which now only involves an aesthetic vinyl makeover but a functional one: straps and a facemask allow players to use the kit without holding it to their head, eliminating one of the worst parts of the experience.

The idea of re-configuring Labo isn't just an isolated homebrew thing, as Nintendo actively encourages it with their Labo software, complete with a trio of original characters guiding you along the way. I think Nintendo would be proud of this one!

The post Here’s how to turn your Labo VR kit into a Zelda: Breath of the Wild art piece appeared first on Destructoid.