The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure franchise inspired by the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that creator Shigeru Miyamoto had explored as a boy. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer."

The Legend of Zelda


The original NES Zelda was one of the first games to offer arcade-style, reaction-based gameplay within the scope of a larger, role-playing adventure. Constructing a virtual world in the 1980s largely came down to a choice in perspective; top-down, side-scrolling or, less commonly, 3D from a first or third-person perspective. Zelda opted to build from the foundation of top-down maze games; stitching together over 100 unique challenge rooms into a cohesive, sprawling world.

The official instruction manual does an excellent job of explaining the game's core mechanics, so I'll be including excerpts below to avoid reinventing the wheel. All images were taken from j0lt78's Imgur gallery and the artwork depicted is, obviously, property of Nintendo. I'll be referencing the English translation of the manual here for personal convenience, but for posterity it's worth clarifying that many minor details were lost in translation.



OVERWORLD + UNDERWORLD:
 * The overworld and underworld are interwoven through the placement of cryptic exploration puzzles and their corresponding hints. and loot carrying over
 * Collectables: Rupees, Hearts, Bombs, Timer, Fairies - the same properties in the underworld and the overworld, turn this into a table
 * 10th enemy has the bomb
 * There is something on basically every screen
 * Collecting Triforce shards is actually satisfying; no text, you're healed and warped to the dungeon entrance.


 * Sword beam is released at the end of the stab, and you can change your direction while stabbing, one sword beam on screen per time = rewarded for aggressive play
 * Reacting to enemy spawns or, later, movements with a stab is the most effective way of dealing with them.
 * The fact that you're able to completely ignore the sword and all but finish the game without it is an elegant touch.
 * Ideally you shouldn't get hit (hence, sword beam); but you get a few chances. The number of chances increases permanently and temporarily as a reward for progression
 * Your punishment for making too many mistakes is "back to square one", and the reward for not making any mistakes is a more leisurely play-session
 * The shield rewards the player's patience - rarely seen in modern games. Octoroks teach Shield mechanics through sheer exposure and limited options????

OVERWORLD:
 * open world, enemy table, heart containers, old man caves, moblin caves, great fairies, shops, lost woods, gambling minigame, death mountain boulders (spice up gameplay), take and road you want (fast travel)


 * Optional secrets (found through bombing walls, burning bushes, nudging armos statues): Secret Rupees, Door Repairs, Shops, Money-Making Game, Old Man Hints
 * Shop prices are initially daunting but balance out as you get stronger and learn the locations of Secret Rupees
 * The Graveyard could be a third of the size that it is

UNDERWORLD:
 * Dungeons: map/compass, keys/locked doors, defeat all enemies (enemy table), block pushing, dark rooms, bombable entrances, boss guarding health and progression, rupee room, holes????, bomb upgrade, grumble grumble bait moblin

ITEMS:
 * Items: side-scrolling item screen, Sword (stab, sword beam), Shield, Bombs, Raft, Ladder, Boomerang, blue/red Candle, blue/red ring, Flute, arrows, magic rod, magic key, bait, blue/red potion
 * show this as a vertical table

FIRST QUEST:
 * Levels 1, 2 and 3 are introductory (easy, medium and hard routes), 4, 5 and 6 provide a more open-world feel, while 7, 8 and 9 are an escalating finale (as evidenced by their hidden entrances).
 * Levels 5, 6 and 8 can be found early to offer a taste of what's to come.
 * The first 6 Levels open with roughly 3 free keys each before presenting locked doors
 * While this allows for a lot of versatility, the thorough player will have more keys than they know what to do with


 * EXPLORATION PREREQUISITES:
 * The Raft, acquired in Level 3, grants access to Level 4
 * The North-West corner of the map can be accessed in two ways:
 * 1. The Stepladder in Dungeon 4 to cross the river
 * 2. Navigating the Lost Woods (initially, presumably, with the Old Woman's instructions)
 * NOTE: Level 6 (the Magic Wand), the Power Bracelet (access to Warp Zones), and the Graveyard (Magical Sword - 12 hearts required) are in this area.
 * The Bow, acquired in Level 1, is required to beat Gohma in Level 6
 * The Whistle, acquired in Level 5, grants access to Level 7, and the Bait is then required to pass the friendly Goriya
 * Level 9 can be accessed immediately, but only properly entered after finishing the 8 other Levels.
 * Obviously, the Red Ring is pointless so late into the game


 * FREEDOM OF EXPLORATION:
 * Dungeons accessible from the get-go: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 5, Level 6, Level 8
 * the Whistle (Level 5) and by extension Level 7 (and the Red Candle? ehh..) can be accessed immediately
 * the Magic Key and Magic Book can be found immediately (Level 8), though the latter can't be used until after the Wand is obtained in Level 6
 * The Letter can be found immediately; granting access to Potion Shops
 * The first Bomb capacity upgrade can be accessed immediately in Level 5 (at the cost of 100 rupees)
 * The White Sword requires only 5 Hearts (which doesn't require completing a dungeon), and is guarded by a single Lynel
 * The Magical Shield, Bait, Arrows, Blue Candle, Blue Ring and 4 Keys can be bought in various Shops immediately

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
-IN PROGRESS-

A Link to the Past

 * Fundamentals: 8-way movement, z-axis, picking up/throwing bushes/pots/rocks, chests, light world/dark world, cracked walls, sign posts, no 2D sections, cracked floor/falling floor
 * Overworld: npcs, houses, minigames, fortune teller, shops, witch's hut, fairy fountains, water warp tiles, mad batter, cuccoos, falling boulders
 * Dungeons: thin walls, big key/boss door, hint stones, blue/orange switches, swamp palace (water level dynamic), block pushing, lever pulling, lighting torches, moving floor, ice floor, outdoor sections, roundabouts, checkpoint warp
 * Items: Sword (slash, spin attack, upgrades), Pegasus Boots, magic powder, Lantern, mirror, hammer, ocarina (fast travel), bottles, power glove/titan's mitts, flippers, bug net, shovel, medallions, cane of byrna/magic cape, cane of somaria, fire rod/ice rod, hookshot
 * Collectables: Magic, Arrows, Rupees, Hearts, Bombs, Fairies
 * Master Sword grove still holds up today; aesthetically and thematically
 * Cryptic elements
 * Dark World/Light World mechanic takes full advantage of this
 * locations of dark world portals
 * Hookshot across dark world gap
 * Flute to get to dungeon 7
 * hammer order for dungeon 8
 * Eating Shields
 * Pond of Happiness
 * Energy Ball Tennis

Link's Awakening

 * Overworld: marin relationship, trading quest, ghost quest, fishing minigame, stealing, warp portals, photos, library, submerged secrets (heart piece, mermaid), dogs
 * Dungeons: controllable blocks, eagle's tower (z-axis dynamic)
 * Items: Rock's Feather, diagonal pegasus boots, bomb arrows, optional overpowered boomerang, ocarina (fast travel), magic rod
 * Collectables: Guardian Acorns, Piece of Power, Seashells

Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask

 * "Here's a secret for saving me! A wall that you can destroy with the Goron's "special crop" will sound different than a regular wall if you hit it with your sword."
 * The Message of Majora's Mask

Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
ORACLE OF SEASONS:
 * Overworld: tree stumps, soft soil, Ring shop, Bipin/Blossom sidequest, secret shop, maple, old man caves, trading quest, following-npcs-in-secret, subrosia, subrosian dance, sokra the wandering prophet, great moblin, gold monsters, quicksand metal detector, ghost ship, signpost subrosian
 * Dungeons: hero's cave (swordless dungeon), mine carts, rupee room, trampolines, walls-closing-in, fire & ice (concept, carrying ice/freezing volcanoes)
 * Items: Flutes, rod of seasons, shovel (digs snow), slingshot, magnet gloves, gale seeds (fast travel), magic boomerang, roc's cape
 * Collectables: Gasha Nuts, Seeds, Rings
 * Seasons: spring flowers, summer vines, snow paths, wilted trees, fallen leaves, mushrooms

ORACLE OF AGES:

-IN PROGRESS-

The Wind Waker

 * The Zen of Sailing
 * Expressive character models
 * Stealth
 * Ganon has relatable motivations
 * Spoils; precursor to BotW's item-system

The Minish Cap

 * Overworld: minish portals, swordsmith dojos, growing buds with bottled water, filling holes, warp spots, shoe-maker quest, library quest, bell heart piece, swamp water, activating statues from inside, sand walls, cows, gold monsters, beanstalk, newsletter, monster dream "game", man from a faraway land, magic boomerang/tingle sidequest, sneaking past the castle guards, hotel, school, climbable walls, biggoron, goron cave,
 * Dungeons: rolling barrel, cobwebs (used twice), mushrooms, two checkpoint warps, minecarts, melting ice with light, early boss room (frozen octorok), jumping clouds, one-way jumping panels, fans,
 * Items: ezlo (shrinking, riding gusts of wind, companion), gust jar (lilypad travel), cane of pacci (inverting holes), four sword, picolyte,
 * Collectables: kinstones, seashells

Twilight Princess

 * Epic, serious and Western

Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks

 * Temple of the Ocean King
 * Touch-screen

Skyward Sword
-IN PROGRESS-

Breath of the Wild

 * Runes - Cryonis, Stasis, Magnesis
 * Mipha's Grace/Revali's Gale/Daruk's Protection/Urbosa's Fury
 * Weapon Stats - Attack Up, Durability Up, Long Range, Quick Shot, etc...
 * cutscenes suck
 * loading screens suck
 * the game is in desperate need of traditional Zelda items
 * both the runes and champion powers are clever in concept but feel tacky
 * cryonis is generically useful and a clever mechanic, but doesn't feel "fundamental"
 * infinite bombs? I don't even care that it's tacky
 * statis and magnesis are cool, but feel a tad too situational
 * the camera is flawless
 * befriending a dog has seemed too obtuse so far
 * enemy AI doesn't let you get free damage
 * they punish spin attack if its poorly spaced
 * they maneuver to avoid arrows
 * they have a response if you just run in guns-a-blazin
 * enemy histun armor is a crutch though
 * the high damage output from enemies and prolonged hitstun Link suffers when he gets knocked down is more conducive to a punishing environment than a challenging one
 * not so bad late-game when you can essentially choose how difficult you want a fight to be (stockpiling food, choice of armor, etc...) - but putting that in the player's hand is a luxury, it shouldn't be fundamental
 * the flurry rush is cool but too autonomous
 * bullet time when shooting arrows in the air should probably use more stamina
 * basic weapon attacks should be more dynamic, got very tired of the same patterns - variations like the windcleaver were a massive breath of fresh air
 * inclusion of classic enemies is cool, but a much larger variety would make the world feel larger and more immersive - got very sick of goblins and lizards very quickly
 * enemies hunting prey is nice, but they need deeper personalities
 * stone talus is a great mix of climbing and fighting; the difficult to reach weakpoints are better in theory than practice though because they take away the climbing aspect
 * each mini-boss is exciting on first encounter, but doubly serves as a great way to farm minerals, food and weapons through combat
 * NPCs are too bland. Majora's Mask gave each NPC a life and purpose
 * the game works cohesively whether you make a bee line for Ganon, play through the story in sequence or fluff around
 * weapons should be more durable, and there should be a larger blacksmithing element
 * dragons are cool, but interacting with them is tacky especially the fight with Naydra
 * death mountain is like a giant shrine; clever
 * the leviathans are excellent world building
 * the forgotten temple, the labyrinths, the Yiga clan hideout and the colosseum are great examples of open-world dungeons
 * every tower is unique, but they should be more unique
 * tarrey town is a fulfilling side quest, in the vein of the kafei and anju quest
 * having a house is cute, but it's far too limited
 * eventide island encapsulates everything that's great about the game
 * chu jelly and octo-balloons are too limited a toolkit for manipulating physics, even with magnesis and stasis
 * elixirs are generally redundant
 * luminous stones and the radiant clothes barely let off any light, and there's very few pitch-black areas in the game
 * would be nice to be able to make notes and/or draw on the map like the DS games
 * there should be a reason to revisit Kilton
 * the giant and royal horses are nice, but there should be more unique horses
 * blood moons are brilliant; you can clear out an area but never clear out the whole game
 * memories are pretty unintuitive to find, and when the incentive for finding them is a poorly voice-acted, generic-by-necessity cutscene... meh
 * Shame cause the story is pretty decent
 * changing every item of clothing is tedious, and there is little incentive to mix-and-match clothing items beyond aesthetic
 * enchanting clothes is a way to strike a balance between aesthetic and gameplay
 * it seemed that arrows were too difficult to come by early game
 * Silent Princess is suuuper clever symbolism
 * boomerangs also seem quite bad, not sure if they can even grab items