Top 5 Legend of Zelda Enemy Designs

I think I have made it pretty clear by now just how big a fan I am of the Legend of Zelda series. There are only a handful of other video game series that I feel are as consistently good as Zelda, and one of the things that I love most about it is the fact that each game perpetuates a sense of "everything old is new again". Sure, there are familiar plot points and characters, but they are portrayed in a new light with each additional game. One of my favorite examples of this approach comes in the form of the many enemies that populate Hyrule and its neighboring nations. For this list I am not necessarily identifying my favorite enemies in particular, but rather my favorite versions of said enemies. Keep in mind that this list is limited to standard enemies, and that bosses and mini-bosses are not eligible.

#5 - Poes (Ocarina of Time): Poes are generally few and far between in Ocarina of Time, save for the Big Poes that litter Hyrule Field after Link becomes an adult. The place you first encounter them is the Kakariko Village graveyard. They aren't too difficult to dispatch, as long as you are patient and wait for them to show themselves to you. There have been a number of radically different versions of Poes since, but the idea of a cloaked phantom carrying a lantern is just so classic and perfect. They disappear just to mess with you, and fighting them is as much about them toying with you as it is about you quelling their torment.

#4 - ReDeads (Wind Waker): When I first played Ocarina of Time, I was eight years old, and the ReDeads scared the crap out of me. Every incarnation of the ReDeads since has put me on edge, simply because I know that as soon as they begin wailing, I need to mash the controller as fast as possible to avoid them humping and choking the life out of me. For 1998, the Ocarina of Time ReDeads are way creepy. But the Wind Waker ReDeads are so much cooler looking with their tribal African earrings and disproportionate bodies. They appear to be wooden and are a pale navy color, which adds an air of mystery about them. Are these ReDeads actually undead or are they some sort of possessed dolls?

#3 - Shadow Beasts (Twilight Princess): As I have mentioned before, I wasn't as much a fan of Twilight Princess as I was of most other Zelda games. But it does present a number of pretty realistic enemy designs. The Stalfos look like actual skeletons, the Poes look like scythe-wielding dolls, and the ReDeads look like mummies. All of these are interesting enough to look at, but the real winner for me has to be the Shadow Beasts. In truth, their story is quite sad, considering Zant transformed his own people to serve him as monsters. But they are so alien and weird with those tendrils that hang down like hair and the stone helmets - they are one of the most bold and artistically inspired new enemies to grace the series in a long while. I know they aren't that difficult to defeat, but I still have a soft spot for them.

#2 - Darknut (Wind Waker): There are actually quite a few enemy designs that I love in Wind Waker, and it was a bit difficult to narrow the list. But easily my favorite from that game are the Darknuts. The Darknuts have always been presented as classically trained knights, though their physical forms are often shrouded in mystery - like the Twilight Princess versions, for example, whose armor falls off only to reveal chainmail covering every inch of their body, and masks over their faces. But in Wind Waker you get to see them as wolf men, which I assume is due in part to the fact that Wolfos were left out of the game, and thus Nintendo used them as inspiration for this vastly different approach to the knight look. It's very fitting actually, as the Darknuts prove the most honorable fighters in the game. They never spam randomly or sneak up behind you. They are always waiting for you to make the first move, and will continue to fight intelligently even when their sword or chestplate is lost. And their armor looks super cool to boot - my personal favorite being the crimson armor set with the cape, as worn by the Darknuts you face immediately before fighting Puppet Ganon.

#1 - Stalfos (Skyward Sword): Without a doubt, my favorite enemy across all the Zelda games has to be the Stalfos. A skeleton soldier - it's such a simple yet perfect inclusion to the series medieval fantasy motif. Where the Skyward Sword Stalfos differ so greatly from Stalfos in other games is in both their physical design and combat style. Most other games portray Stalfos as being roughly the same height as Link, but the ones in Skyward Sword tower over him and carry massive swords. And since they both attack and block with those swords, Link has to be careful and accurate with his own Master Sword when striking back. They are only so many times over the course of Skyward Sword that Link encounters Stalfos, but each is intense and thoroughly enjoyable.

25 Days of Villains - #1: Ganondorf

“My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came the wind carried the same thing... death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose. It can only be called fate... That here, I would again gather the three with the crests... That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down... The power of the gods… The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted! Already the crest of wisdom is mine. All that remains… Do not fear. I will not kill you. I merely have need of the power that dwells within you. Now! Let us put an end to that which binds us together!”

Every one hundred years, the all-female Gerudo tribe gives birth to a male who is recognized as their king. As Demise promised Link and Zelda upon his defeat at the end of Skyward Sword, there would always be an incarnation of his hatred to walk upon the Earth. That revival comes in the form of Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo, usurper of Hyrule, and (as far as I'm concerned) the single greatest villain in video game history.

In A Link to the Past, Ganon is referred to as having once been a man, before he discovered a greater power that allowed him to transform into the powerful beast. As Ocarina of Time is the first game in the timeline confirmed to follow Skyward Sword, we can only assume that to be the first appearance of Ganondorf. As he makes clear to Link, Ganondorf intends to overthrow the king of Hyrule and command the power of the Triforce as his own. When Link removes the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time, he opens the Sacred Realm, which allows Ganondorf to steal the Triforce of Power. He then uses it to reshape the kingdom as he sees fit.

During the seven years that followed, Link spent his time asleep in the Sacred Realm, while Zelda evaded Ganondorf’s grasp by taking on the guise of Sheik. Link eventually helped all six of the sages awaken, and they in turn helped him to forge a path to Hyrule castle, but not before Zelda revealed her true identity and was captured by Ganondorf. The only one capable of stopping Ganondorf, Link proceeded to his castle and ascended to find Ganondorf waiting for him. With all three pieces of the Triforce in one place, Ganondorf intended to kill Link, his only remaining opponent, and claim the Triforce of Courage.

Reflecting his own dark magic back at him, Link was able to defeat Ganondorf, but the Gerudo King used the Triforce of Power to transform himself into the beast Ganon. While Link lost his advantage temporarily, he was able to retrieve the Master Sword and, with the help of the sages, sealed Ganondorf away.

There are a number of theories regarding how the Legend of Zelda timeline progresses. For the sake of avoiding debate, I will simply be covering Ganondorf’s actions in the other two titles he appeared. In Twilight Princess, Ganondorf was recognized as a threat to the kingdom and the sages attempted to execute him. They soon realized the extent of his power, however, as a blade to the chest did little harm. Ganondorf killed the sage of water, and – seeing the severity of the situation – the other sages sealed him away in the Twilight Realm.

Once there, Ganondorf took advantage of Zant, leading him to believe that he was some kind of a God. He granted Zant some of his powers – enough to travel to Hyrule and shroud portions of it in Twilight, but nothing comparable to the strength of the Gerudo King himself. After Zant’s defeat, Link and Midna stormed Hyrule Castle to find Ganondorf had assumed the throne. Eventually they were able to free Zelda from his control, and Link killed him, driving the Master Sword through his preexisting wound.

In The Wind Waker, the same Ganondorf Link sealed away in Ocarina of Time has found a way out of the Sacred Realm. When he planned a second conquest of Hyrule, there was no hero to stop him, and so the Goddesses flooded the realm, creating the Great Ocean. Hundreds of years later, there are but a few who remain that know even a little about Hyrule, one of them being the King of Red Lions, talking boat and travelling companion of this era's Link. While the two set out to face the challenges of the tower of the Gods and retrieve the pieces of the shattered Triforce of Courage, Ganondorf has already sent his minions forth to kill the last two remaining sages, Laruto and Fado. He's also gathered quite a collection of young girls with pointed ears, hoping that one of them might be the descendant of Princess Zelda.

Around the midway point of his journeys, Link finds the Master Sword beneath Hyrule Castle. But the blade of evil's bane has lost all its power, forcing Link to tackle two more dungeons to return it to its former glory. At the same time, most of Ganondorf's power was sealed beneath the pedestal of the Master Sword. With it removed, Ganondorf is once again able to assume his Ganon form, as well as his superhuman strength. When Link ventures to his tower to face him, Ganondorf already has Tetra/Zelda, and makes quick work of Link, beating him until he is nearly unconscious. The three pieces of the Triforce resonate, and Ganondorf relays his wishes to the Goddess.

Unfortunately for him, the King of Red Lions (aka the King of Hyrule) intervenes, touching the Triforce first and bringing his own wish to wash away Hyrule to fruition. Outraged, Ganondorf then faces Link and Tetra one final time, intent on taking them down with him as the ocean floods in all around. Link ultimately prevails, with help from Tetra's carefully-aimed light arrows, and drives the Master Sword into Ganondorf's skull.

In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is at his most malicious, sending forth every imaginable enemy to hinder Link's progress and attempting to kill the Deku Tree, Jabu Jabu, the Gorons, and the Zoras. His hatred and anger are displayed quite prominently as well, through his rage after his castle collapses. In Twilight Princess, he takes on the role of puppeteer, hoping it will be too late for the people of Hyrule by the time they realize Zant is not the true threat. And in The Wind Waker, Ganondorf shows maturation since his time in the Sacred Realm. His plan is much more carefully laid out, and he nearly succeeds. When it's all said and done, though, Ganondorf is still as vengeful as ever, throwing everything he has at Link and Zelda. Despite how many times Link defeats him, Ganondorf and Ganon will continue to return, just as Demise said he would, bringing pure hatred wherever he goes. There aren't many video game villains that can be both as iconic and as enduring as Ganondorf. And those are the reasons he ranks as the greatest villain of all time.

Boss Themes:

I have two favorite themes for Ganondorf. The first is from Ocarina of Time, when Link parries magic spheres back at him. The second is the sword duel with Ganondorf at the end of The Wind Waker, and both of these easily fall among the most atmospheric and epic final boss battles I have ever played through in any video game.

Wii review: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Originally scheduled as one of the last releases for the Gamecube, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess received the green light for a Wii version as well. While both games are essentially the same (save for a mirrored layout of the world), Twilight Princess on the Wii brings a new element to the franchise - motion controls. Instead of standing still and cutting grass in search of rupees and hearts, Link can move and swing his sword at the same time - this makes a noticeable difference, and makes gameplay feel more fluid. However, because of the development shift, Twilight Princess' release date was delayed almost two years. The final product doesn't feel dated, per se, but it does feel lackluster in certain areas.

Twilight Princess introduces Link as a ranch hand in Ordon Village. When he is supposed to deliver a gift to Hyrule castle, Link finds that monsters have entered the forest near his home, which leads up to the first temple. The Forest Temple serves as an introduction to the combat and puzzle mechanics of Twilight Princess. Across the board, these respond similar to how they did in Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, though there are some differences that come with the territory of the Wii's motion controls. After that first step forward into the story, Link finds himself in the Twilight Realm, a world where a golden glow cradles landscapes of varying shades of grey. It is here that Link meets Midna, an impish Twilit and his travelling companion for the remainder of the game. Link learns that Zant, another Twilit, has cast the Twilight material all over Hyrule, including the castle, and has usurped Princess Zelda of her throne.


It's difficult to explain much more of the plot without giving away some of the game's best moments. The main story is rather long, and a few key plot developments will alter both the course of said story and the way in which players view certain individuals. All in all, the storytelling is superb – as captivating as any Zelda title before it. The mythos of the sages and the sacred realm are explored more directly than in many of the recent Zelda titles, and Twilight Princess does well to tie itself to some key events in the grand timeline of the entire series. However, Twilight Princess does seem to want to identify heavily with Ocarina of Time. Everything from character designs to the last portion of the main story arc - heck, even the opening title screen - screams out a throwback to the N64 classic.

Twilight Princess is not as reliant on motion controls as other Wii titles. The direction players swing the Wiimote will affect the direction Link swings his sword (horizontal, vertical, forward thrust, and spin attack), but there isn’t any real need to be overly precise with these actions. Players can just as easily remain seated, making swift flicks with their wrists, since movement and item/weapon management is handled through the joystick, D-pad, and buttons.

Speaking of items, there are a few new inclusions like as the Ball and Chain, and Dominion Rod that see prominent use in their respective dungeons, but only provide help in a few instances thereafter. The Spinner does prove useful in traversing terrain in Hyrule field, providing access to otherwise unreachable treasure chests. The rest are weapons that have been carried over from previous games, though some are given a new twist. The Hero’s Bow, Slingshot, and Lantern all work exactly as you would expect them to. The Iron Boots allow Link to sink to the bottom of a body of water, but also help him traverse the Goron Mines more quickly, as they are attracted to magnetic surfaces. The gale boomerang creates gusts of wind, allowing Link to solve puzzles similar to those in Wind Waker’s Forbidden Woods, acting as both the boomerang and Deku Leaf. Early in the game, the clawshot seems relatively unassuming, as the Twilight Princess equivalent to the hookshot. But once player acquire the double clawshot, they will find it an invaluable asset – one I doubt Nintendo will go without in future Zelda titles.


Link will spend a fair amount of time as a wolf early in the game. This transformation is something new to the series - more drastic a change than the transformation masks of Majora's Mask. In wolf form, Link can sense trails and hidden items, while moving at a much more rapid rate than when on his two human feet. Combat capabilities shift to Midna's orange arm as well as wolf Link's own charge and tackle abilities. Wolf Link can also learn a number of howl tunes throughout the course of the game, though players need not memorize these, as they see nowhere near as frequent of use as the songs in the N64 titles. Once players are allowed to ride Epona wherever their heart desires, use of Wolf Link will be almost completely nixed, as the horse proves a much faster method of travel. That, and swinging the Master Sword and firing the Hero's Bow from horseback are much more exciting.

The dungeons are beautifully detailed, much like the rest of Hyrule. For the most part, they follow a traditional pattern – Lakebed temple represents water, Goron Mines represents fire. There are a few new dungeons that break the mold in both their elements and layout, with The City in the Sky being more puzzle heavy, and the Palace of Twilight requiring Link to be more quick and agile than usual. Each presents different enemies, many of which need to be dispatched with the dungeon's respective major weapon. Across the board, though, these dungeons are too easy. Lakebed Temple has an uncanny linearity to its layout and puzzles, while the Palace of Twilight is over before it really solidifies its nontraditional identity. Anyone who has played any Zelda title before Twilight Princess will quickly pick up on the game’s rhythm. The bosses suffer the same downfall – they aren’t terribly inspired and lack much of a challenge, though there are few late in the game that act as saving graces.

The minigames are some of the best in a long while. From grappling your way around a cage and catching light orbs, to shooting jars for points as you canoe down Zora's river, to snowboarding against a yeti, players are sure to find plenty of amusement outside of the confines of the main quest. There's also the Cave of Ordeals that can be unlocked after players cross the Gerudo Desert. For those familiar with Wind Waker, it's a very similar challenge to the Savage Labyrinth - Link meets increasingly difficult enemies as he travels down through each of the cave's fifty levels.


The artistic direction of Twilight Princess is that of a very realistic and highly-detailed Hyrule coupled with somewhat exaggerated character designs. No single character bears a face as elongated as that of Salvatore from Wind Waker, but Jaggle and Doctor Borville have heads that are a bit oddly-proportioned. The enemy designs are exaggerated more so, with blue-skinned Bokoblins having a potbelly and braided white hair, and Poes appearing as miniature crystalline specters wielding scythes. Water and lighting elements are absolutely gorgeous, and the latter is worked in a myriad of ways by the game's end. The soundtrack is beautiful, even though it is not fully orchestrated. The theme of Hyrule Field at night utilizes a lot of environmental noises, Faron Woods is reliant on a few string and woodwind sounds, and Queen Rutela's theme is a haunting reimagining of the Serenade of Water.

Wind Waker carried over the musical elements established in Ocarina of Time, and is just one example of how certain elements ate retained from one Zelda game to the next. But no other Zelda has tried so hard to identify with another in the way that Twilight Princess does. It tries to echo the atmosphere of Ocarina of Time, both through its art direction and its gameplay. Thankfully, the Twilight Realm and its influence on the larger portion of the plot steer away from this, but it is an element that never completely leaves. For those who were too young to have experienced Ocarina of Time the first time around, Twilight Princess will likely have a strong resonance with them. Those who are veterans of defending Hyrule will find Twilight Princess lacking in the way of killer new features - there is little here to revolutionize either the series or the genre. I'm a huge fan of this series, and truly feel that gamers will be hard-pressed to find a better adventure game on any of this generation's consoles. As for finding a better Legend of Zelda, that's not as great of a challenge.

My rating: 9.0 (out of 10)

"This is but one of the legends of which the people speak..." - Twenty-five years of The Legend of Zelda

In the same vein as my Metroid retrospective, I thought it appropriate to chronicle my journey with another game series that also turns twenty-five years old this year. I realize I'm rather late to the party, as a lot of people have already expressed their own congratulations to Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda, but as it is one of my all-time favorite video game series, I felt it was almost a crime not to pay my respects to a series that not only got me hooked on a franchise, but a number of genres as well. Similar to my experience with Metroid, I did not first experience The Legend of Zelda via its original NES incarnation. Also, there are some games in the franchise I have yet to play, and as such Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link's Awakening, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks will not be covered in this retrospective. I do have every intention of tackling the aforementioned games in the future, though.


I was first introduced to The Legend of Zelda through two friends of mine, both of whom owned Nintendo 64 consoles before I did. At this point, Ocarina of Time was brand-spanking-new, and despite constantly begging my parents to get me an N64 for my birthday, I had no means to play such games at my own house. I was eight years old when I first played Ocarina of Time, and while I didn't exactly understand what happened where in the story (from only having caught chunks of the narrative here and there as my friends progressed through the game), the graphical style and the array of items were aspects I found very appealing. When my parents eventually bought me an N64 of my very own, I played a lot of Diddy Kong Racing and Super Mario 64, but video games were expensive, and my compulsive nine-year old self was more interested in purchasing a pack of Pokémon cards or Star Wars action figures than saving up for another cartridge. Thus, most of my new games came in the form of birthday and Christmas presents.

There was, however, a Blockbuster not far from my house that had a pretty sizeable video game section. Amidst titles like Snowboard Kids, Mario Party 2, Star Fox 64, and Chameleon Twist I rented Ocarina of Time as often as possible - which wasn't as often as I would have liked, since Blockbuster was almost always out of rental copies. It seems I wasn't the only one who wanted to play this game as much as possible. In hindsight, I probably rented that game enough times that I could have purchased it twice. Still, I eventually managed to beat it.

One of the friends mentioned earlier was really into Zelda at the time, and bought Majora's Mask not long after it came out. In the same fashion as with Ocarina of Time, we spent hours at his house exploring Termina and collecting masks. I was hesitant to buy myself a copy of this new Zelda as well, but for different reasons. Frankly, there were a lot of characters and enemies that creeped me out - not as much as my first encounter with the Re-Deads, mind you, as I'd had a whole two years to grow out of some of my little kid fears. But the game as a whole struck me as eerily dark in comparison to Ocarina of Time. The other reason was the difficulty factor. To this day, I still hold Majora's Mask to be the single most challenging title in the entire series, and my friend (who was a far more seasoned gamer than I at the time) expressed how much difficulty he was having with it.


The first Zelda titles I actually owned were the Oracle games for the Gameboy Color. They were also the first games I ever purchased a guide for, since I knew full well that the interconnectivity between the two would open a myriad of bonus sidequests. To this day, I consider the Oracle games some of the best handheld games of all time. But if I had to pick one over the other, I'd have to say that Ages was superior to Seasons, if only marginally. True, Seasons arguably had better boss fights, and I'm not going to deny how clever the Rod of Seasons mechanics were in affecting the surrounding environment. But Ages was certainly the more challenging of the two, with regards to both the temple layouts and the boss fights. Either way, having played so much of Ocarina of Time, I was drawn in by the return of familiar faces, but stayed for the brilliant story and gameplay.

I know I wasn't the only one who had a less-than-ecstatic reaction when I saw the first trailer for the Wind Waker. In fact, I was so displeased with the graphical choice that I avoided it like the plague, despite the positive reactions directed at me by many my friends who had played the game. I'm not entirely sure what brought about my change of heart, but I eventually set aside my qualms about the artistic direction and gave it a try. It wasn't long before I was completely blown away by the Gamecube title. True, it was aimed at a younger audience (probably as a balance for the dark and moody Majora's Mask), but the game was presented on such an epic scale that I couldn't resist exploring each and every spot on the sea chart. I spent hours exploring before I even dove into the bulk of the story. But when I did, I was hooked. While there were some elements that intentionally tied the story back to the hero from Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker wasn't afraid to be different. Perhaps not as revolutionary as either the N64 or Gameboy Color titles, it was still one of the most polished and enjoyable games for that entire generation of consoles, with hours of playability and some of the coolest boss fights in quite some time.

Though I had warmed up to the Wind Waker's unique art style, I was very interested in the forthcoming Twilight Princess. The art style was a polar opposite to that of the Wind Waker, opting for darker palettes and a more realistic Hyrule. Still, it looked like a very visually appealing title in its own right, with some of the early enemies highlighted in the teaser trailer really grabbing my attention. Unfortunately, it would be almost two whole years between the time I witnessed the first trailer and actually played Twilight Princess. My interest would be piqued here and there as new trailers and screenshots emerged, but I felt it was high time I completed the task I should have years beforehand - I went out and purchased my very own copies of both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, and played each of them through again.


I honestly don't think it hit me years ago just how brilliant of a game Ocarina of Time really is. I know many people hold it as one of (if not the single) greatest video games ever created. And while I don't know if there is such a thing as a flawless game, Ocarina of Time is certainly as close as it gets, which is why it sits at the top of my own list of favorite video games. Majora's Mask, on the other hand, is a largely overlooked title in the series. Even when I was replaying it, I didn't set as high a priority on completing it as I had with Ocarina of Time. Eventually, though, I set aside the time to power through the game. I for one love a good challenge in a video game, but what Majora's Mask dealt me was something very much unexpected. I was aware of the time limit, but the boss fights and the temple puzzles are some of the most challenging in the series, which makes for an interesting marriage with the story. Yes, Majora's Mask is incredibly dark and - in many regards - bizarre. But it's also one of the best adventure games I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Don't get me wrong, I love the staples of the series in the Link-Ganon-Zelda trifecta just as much as any other Zelda fan, but I feel that it is because Majora's Mask isn't limited to the same story that's been told so many times before that leads its storytelling to be so superb.

Finally, Twilight Princess was released and I got my first taste of this new Hyrule. Some had compared it to Majora's Mask, citing its rather dark narrative, while others heralded it as the Ocarina of Time for a new generation. To me, Twilight Princess was neither. It is a Zelda title, and being within that series ascribes the game to a tier few other adventure titles can even dream of coming close to. But as a whole, the game felt too familiar. I did appreciate the new layout and different regions of Hyrule, but the game's direction seemed a bit confused. The graphical style rang back to Ocarina of Time, while the story seemed to bounce back and forth between the darker adult themes (inspired by Majora's Mask) and the more light-hearted nature of characters (ala Wind Waker). Aside from that, the temples were too straightforward for my tastes - save for the Arbiter's Grounds - and the boss fights didn't present much of a challenge across the board. There were some items that saw tweaks to accommodate for the Wii's controls that I very much welcomed, and the fact that Link could swing his sword around while running or on horseback was a nice update, but as a whole it didn't feel as original a game as with each of the previous installments I had played through. I feel a large part of this is due to how much Twilight Princess tried to resonate with Ocarina of Time - even the title segment with Link riding Epona across Hyrule field is an updated take on the title animation from the N64 classic. Because of that, I think it lost much of a seperate, individual identity.

Feeling a bit let down by Twilight Princess, I decided to trek backwards, to the earlier days of Zelda. I dabbled in the original NES Zelda for a bit, but the game I was most curious about was A Link to the Past. I knew more than a few souls who swore by it as being the best in the series before Ocarina of Time rolled around. Having blazed a trail through both of the Oracle games multiple times over, and spending more than a few hours competing with friends in the multiplayer-driven Four Swords Adventures, the top-down view of A Link to the Past felt natural the moment I downloaded it to the Virtual Console. I felt the first two temples were a bit on the easy side, which initially turned me off a bit. But that third temple kicked my butt a few times before I completed it, and was happy to know that the series could still dish out a challenge to me some thirteen years after I had started. I did chuckle, though, when I first battled Agahnim, noting that his attack pattern was almost identical to that of Ganondorf on the N64 - something I had previously assumed was fresh to Ocarina of Time before it was carried on with the likes of Phantom Ganon in Wind Waker. The Dark World evoked memories of the Twilight Realm, though I felt the two were still dissimilar enough - probably due to the capabilities of the respective consoles, but I wasn't complaining.

There are two constants that I felt have always been able to immerse me in Zelda games more successfully than any other gaming series to date - the storytelling and the soundtracks. Metal Gear Solid certainly comes close with the former, but the latter I feel is unmatched. This is due in no small part to the wide variety of musical styles the series presents - not just from game to game, but within each individual title. The guitar strums heard in the Gerudo Desert are a stark contrast to the echoing howls of the Forest Temple, which in turn is vastly different from the tribal drums of the Fire Temple. And that is without taking into account the non-dungeon themes from Ocarina of Time - from the folksy air about Lon Lon Ranch to my personal favorite, the music box tune that is the Song of Storms. Though Majora's Mask does stick with a dark tone for its soundtrack as a whole, the eccentric march heard in the Deku Palace is a sort of polar opposite to the ominous theme of the Stone Tower Temple. Even the oddball tunes, like the Fortune Teller's theme in A Link to the Past and Zant's battle theme from Twilight Princess manage to go above and beyond what most other game soundtracks can. It is because of this, as well as the variation of art styles experimented with over the years, that I see The Legend of Zelda as being not only one of the best video game series in existence, but also one of the most artistically-driven.


Even though I stated that Twilight Princess was not among my favorite Zelda titles, I would still encourage fans of the series to give it a try. It may not be as revolutionary as past entries, but it's still a solid title in its own right, and might very well be the reason any newcomers to the series decide to seek out further Zelda experiences. On top of that, it's one of the best games available in this generation of consoles.

I understand that many people share this sentiment, and it's difficult for me to state the following without it sounding cliché, but as far as I'm concerned, Ocarina of Time is the best in the series. That said, the Oracle titles, Wind Waker, and Majora's Mask are all packed very tightly together behind it, as each is as perfect as can be in their own right. The Legend of Zelda is a series that has stood the test of time and constantly sets the standards for adventure games, and even some RPGs. And in that, I consider it to be the most important video game series I've played. The upcoming release of Skyward Sword has brought me to a level of anticipation and excitement I have not experienced with a video game in years. But it's pretty obvious why - The combination of new adventures with familiar experiences in each new entry presents the most perfect gaming experience I could ever ask for.


Some of my favorite boss fights from the series include:

- Ganondorf and Ganon in Ocarina of Time
- Manhandla in Oracle of Seasons
- Ramrock in Oracle of Ages
- Molgera in Wind Waker
- Ganondorf final boss fight in Wind Waker
- Stallord in Twilight Princess

Some of my favorite songs from the various soundtracks include:

- Title theme from A Link to the Past
- Fortune Teller's theme from A Link to the Past
- Dark World theme from A Link to the Past
- Temple of Time from Ocarina of Time
- Song of Storms from Ocarina of Time
- Deku Palace from Majora's Mask
- Stone Tower Temple from Majora's Mask
- Nayru's Song from Oracle of Ages
- Tarm Ruins and Lost Woods from Oracle of Seasons
- Dragon Roost Island from Wind Waker
- Ganondorf Battle theme from Wind Waker
- Credits theme from Wind Waker
- Midna's Lament from Twilight Princess

Some of my favorite characters include:

- Guru-guru (Ocarina of Time)
- Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)
- Tingle (Majora's Mask)
- Skull Kid (Majora's Mask)
- Pirate Captain (Oracle of Ages)
- Salvatore (Wind Waker)
- Makar (Wind Waker)
- Midna (Twilight Princess)
- Zant (Twilight Princess)

My favorite dungeons include:

- Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)
- Water Temple (Ocarina of Time)
- Stone Tower Temple (Majora's Mask)
- Skull Dungeon (Oracle of Ages)
- The Forbidden Woods (Wind Waker)
- Arbiter's Grounds (Twilight Princess)

Character I use second-most-often in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl:

- Princess Zelda/Sheik