Game

#What’s your favourite dungeon from the Legend of Zelda sequence?

What’s your favourite dungeon from the Legend of Zelda sequence?

Nothing beats a basic dungeon

Dungeons are the time-honored problem of many Zelda titles. Whether or not it’s a large mechanic contraption, a hidden temple, or the literal insides of a large fish, the Zelda sequence has many dungeons we bear in mind, fondly or not.

As a part of our Zelda Week protection, I requested the Destructoid workers to decide on a favourite from among the many many, many dungeons of The Legend of Zelda sequence, and to put in writing just a little bit about why. Whether or not it’s the contraptions, instruments, or boss fights therein, there are many causes to like a dungeon right here. Let’s dive into it.

Zelda Forest Temple Dungeon
Picture by way of Longplayarchives

Eric – The Forest Temple, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nothing actually units the tone for a dungeon fairly like the Forest Temple theme in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That is most likely the primary dungeon you’ll encounter as an grownup, and it begins with that haunting percussion jingle, these eerie tones, that dancing synth that floats alongside the highest. Oh, sorry, I acquired misplaced within the music and forgot in regards to the Wolfos ready to tear your face off on the entrance.
Critically, the tone of the Forest Temple feels not like most different Zelda experiences. From getting within the entrance door to navigating its winding, and typically actually twisting, hallways, to its ghostly Poe Sisters. After which, lastly, a bout with Phantom Ganon that looks like Hyperlink coming to phrases along with his personal nightmares. The Forest Temple was the world that assured me, we had been now not a child, and issues simply acquired much more critical.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Timothy – The Deku Tree, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Prior to now, I’ve expressed some doubtlessly controversial opinions about Ocarina of Time. Whereas I do actually like the sport, I merely wasn’t within the time or place for it to have an effect on me the best way it did on so many others. I don’t say this to ruffle feathers, as I don’t take pleasure in being a contrarian. Slightly, I wish to set up that even I acknowledge that the Deku Tree is an ideal option to begin an journey.

Earlier 2D Zelda video games relied on very dungeon-y trying dungeons. Whereas they’re incredible in their very own methods, the reuse of tilesets made lots of them visually mix collectively. In the meantime, the Deku Tree instantly hits you with distinct picket partitions and vertical degree design that exhibits simply what the sequence can do with its new 3D graphics. It’s such a playful use of area, but it surely by no means felt gimmicky to me both. Seeing that internet on the ground the minute you enter and breaking it when you acquire sufficient altitude was a complete thrill in 1998. Actually, it’s nonetheless enjoyable immediately.
Truthfully, other than the very well-known Navi interruptions, I’d think about the Deku Tree an ideal tutorial dungeon. It always teaches you new mechanics as you get deeper into its depths. But it nonetheless feels such as you’re in a full-fledged Zelda dungeon. There are puzzles to unravel, enemies to defeat, and a enjoyable boss ready on the finish. Higher but, all of that is inside a handful of minutes of beginning the sport. Even the staunchest of Ocarina of Time naysayers can’t deny it is a nice dungeon.

Zoey – Snowpeak Ruins, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

I can’t say I’m actually a fan of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I discovered it to be a colorless and disappointing follow-up to Wind Waker, but it surely wasn’t with out its excessive factors. One, particularly, is Snowpeak Ruins.

Somebody actually acquired artistic with the dungeon format. Whereas it nonetheless incorporates all the identical puzzle-solving that you simply’d anticipate, it’s framed in a approach that makes it stand out. You’re making soup with a yeti. That’s a tremendous sentence. When you plumb the dungeon, you collect components for this abominable snowman to throw right into a pot. Then when it’s completed, the soup seems to be scrumptious.
Time will finally atrophy all of the elements of my mind that remembers the specifics of Twilight Princess, however I can assure you that I’m all the time going to keep in mind that soup.

Picture by way of Longplay Archives

Steven – Tower of the Gods, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

After a lot forwards and backwards I’ve determined my favourite Zelda dungeon must be Tower of the Gods from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This dungeon is epic in scale from the beginning when it rises up out of the ocean after forming the Triforce by inserting the three sacred pearls of their respective statues. From there, getting into the precise dungeon by way of boat was a enjoyable change of tempo in comparison with the ground-based entry of almost each dungeon within the recreation’s historical past.

Inside, the roman temple impressed aesthetic blended with the fixed reminder that this dungeon is a problem for Hyperlink supposed by the gods. Lastly we encounter the boss of the dungeon: Gohdan. The boss combat itself was fairly simplistic in comparison with some others within the recreation, however was nonetheless fairly colossal in scale for this deity-crafted dungeon.
Defeating the boss and thus finishing the dungeon provides us maybe one of many coolest moments of the sport. We climb the bell tower and ring the bell with our grappling hook to unveil a brand new fort. A temple that’s totally grey and fully devoid of shade. As we proceed via the fort we notice that is no odd fort, however Hyrule Citadel. Hyrule Citadel frozen in time. The Grasp Sword awaits us. Man, what an epic second.

skull woods link to the past zelda dungeons

Chris Moyse – Cranium Woods, The Legend of Zelda: A Hyperlink to the Previous

I would be the first to confess that I don’t have fairly the sphere of reference for Zelda dungeons, in actual fact, I’m not typically a fan of the dungeon-design template favored by most of the sequence’ titles (all of which stay glorious, regardless). However one venue that does stick out in my Sertraline-clouded thoughts is the Cranium Woods of SNES basic The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink to the Previous.

Simplistic although it could appear in these post-Wind Waker, Breath of the Wild instances, Cranium Woods felt new, intriguing, and delightfully creepy when in comparison with the sunshine and shade of 16-bit Hyrule. As well as, the fragmented overground, underground nature of Cranium Woods’ format felt totally different, even groundbreaking, whereas including a definite twist to lots of LttP‘s different dungeon venues. This darkish and Gothic map preys upon the childhood fears of the forests we’d be warned by no means to go to as youngsters, earlier than revealing to us that the rationale for stated warning was most likely a large moth firing laser beams from its eyes.
A easy selection, however a properly nostalgic one, which might pave the best way for the various labyrinths to come back.

Holmes – Sky Preserve, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The issue with Zelda dungeons is after you’ve performed via them a couple of instances, they now not offer you that disoriented-but-curious feeling. Venturing into the unknown, attempting to get your bearings, getting ready for the worst whereas hoping for the perfect; a very good Zelda is aware of tips on how to trip that line between thrilling and scary on a constant foundation. However after you realize the format of a Zelda dungeon, and have the perfect course via it dedicated to reminiscence, it’s not so dangerous anymore. The thriller is changed with predictability, the honeymoon makes approach for routine. Which will sound boring, but it surely’s not all unhealthy. Replays of Zelda video games generally is a cozy, nostalgic deal with. However ideally, enjoying an previous recreation feels each climactic and cozy on the identical time.

That’s why the Sky Preserve dungeon of Skyward Sword is my favourite. It performs like a best hits of the sport, requiring you to push your understanding of tips on how to finest make the most of the majority of the objects you’ve collected so far. However better of all, it forces you to bodily rearrange the format of the dungeon, making the floorplan of the place a instrument in and of itself. Strategically altering the placement of sure rooms is the one option to get to the tip, so even as soon as you realize every a part of the place by coronary heart, it always asks you to take a look at it from a special perspective. I’ve performed via the dungeon not less than 4 instances now, and it felt like the primary time, each time. It’s frequently the perfect of each worlds, previous and new, recent and acquainted.

The Forsaken Fortress
Picture by way of Nintendo

CJ – The Forsaken Fortress, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

I’m getting a curious sense of deja vu as I write my entry for this workers put up. Didn’t we do a favourite Zelda dungeon article simply days earlier than Breath of the Wild was launched?
Sure, we did, however contemplating the large change in workers since then, I’m completely cool tackling this topic once more. And whereas my general selection stays the identical since final time—Snowpeak Ruins, as coated above by Zoey—it is a good alternative for me to focus on what I feel is the second-greatest dungeon in Zelda historical past: The Forsaken Fortress.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is fairly well-known for its torrent of lower content material that was excised in favor of a speedier improvement cycle. Whereas I nonetheless think about the tip product to be a close to masterpiece, I’d be mendacity if I stated I wouldn’t pay good cash for all that lower content material to search out its approach again right into a Director’s Lower of the sport. Whereas that’s unlikely to ever occur, I can relaxation simple figuring out my second favourite Zelda dungeon, The Forsaken Fortress, stays a powerful mixture of design and artwork route. Nintendo actually stepped up its visible recreation with The Wind Waker, leaning arduous on that cel animation fashion to offer personalities to Hyperlink, Tetra, Aryll, and the bevy of foes he faces. The Forsaken Fortress looks like a tech demo for all that good animation, whether or not it’s Hyperlink’s eyes peaking to the aspect as he shimmies round corners or the look on the face of the Moblins once they spot him within the corridors.
And the lighting. Nayru almighty, that lighting.

Past its lovely shell, The Forsaken Fortress is only a splendidly put-together dungeon that may be a blast to play via each time you go to it (so long as you don’t thoughts just a little stealth motion). It’s all the time enjoyable to combat Phantom Ganon, and the boss battle in opposition to the Helmaroc King is riveting. Plus, identical to Snowpeak Ruins, The Forsaken Fortress looks like an actual place that was transformed right into a dungeon fairly than simply being a dungeon for the sake of being a dungeon. So yeah, I find it irresistible.

Picture by way of Nintendo

Chris Carter  – Historical Cistern, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Over six years in the past I expressed my love for the Historical Cistern in Skyward Sword, and that sentiment hasn’t modified. Actually, its cachet has solely gone up because the launch of Skyward Sword on Swap: which alleviates loads of my management points with the unique. How’s that for a fortuitous port?!
I had a blast going again via almost all the recreation’s dungeons with a Swap management scheme (together with Sky Preserve, good shout Holmes!), however the newly-minted crispness of the Historical Cistern nonetheless took my breath away. The intense lights, the distinctive underground space, and the haunting but participating Koloktos boss combat: all add as much as a singular mixture of sights and sounds that not many different dungeons pull off. It additionally hosts an amazing array of talents required to trek via the dungeon, together with the oh-so-satisfying whip.

You could possibly argue it’s the perfect “water temple” of the sequence. I do know it’s a low bar for some, however this raises it!

Supply

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button