Ian McBride writes:

I have a mini complaint, why is it you always FIGHT the bosses? I mean, they probably don’t want to get killed(I’m a mario series fan) and I mean, If I could have my own game, I’d at least try to make them my friend. I like fraaz and I say this,rant and complain all you want, but, I think talking to the bosses would calm them to be nice. I’d like that installment. but, I mean, come on, asking is better then asuming they’re evil.

Breeze responds:

This sounds a lot a conversation I had with some people once about torturing people to obtain evidence… I‘m generally a passificist, but the game might come off as anti-climatic if we sat down to a candlelight dinner to reach a conclusion. Although! Maybe the secret Love-Affair between Link and Zant might finally be revealed. THEN WE‘D BE GETTING SOMEWHERE!

James adds:

I am going to have to agree with Breeze on this one. The game is an action adventure game where swordplay is the key. The main villain usually is the one who is influencing the bosses in the game, so you aren’t going to get anywhere with just a debate. The moment you start monologuing with the enemy, you leave yourself vulnerable. Didn’t you ever see The Incredibles? Syndrome wasn’t just saying it for his health, you know.

“You sly dog, you caught me monologuing!” – Syndrome.

Xeno adds:

Link is a man of action, not words.

If you were in some dark room where’s the nothing but bones and spiderwebs and you suddenly saw a gigantic spider drop down from the ceiling, screeching at you for you to realize you’ve disturbed its slumber, would you try to talk things out with it? Would you really try to talk things out with a giant, pissed-off spider? Think about it.

LynKora writes:

Greetings Nice People of the Zelda Universe.
Thank you for all the wonderful information you have on this site. You have transformed a casual observer into a learned player.

My question is this: What would you think of a person besides Link being the main character in a Legend of Zelda title? And what type of game would you like it to be?

James responds:

The Legend of Zelda concerns a boy/man named Link who has to save Hyrule or another land from evil because he is chosen to do so. I can’t really see a way where you could have a different main character and call it a Zelda game. It wouldn’t be right!

Xeno adds:

Hello.

For me, Link should forever be the main character for the Zelda series. Sure, Nintendo have already made Zelda games without Link as the main character, like Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon — but look how good those games turned out to be. That isn’t to say that Nintendo could never pull it off. I mean, they’ve made plenty of successful Mario games that didn’t include Mario as the main character. However, it would be like having a Metroid game without Samus. Link is the staple for any legitimate Zelda game. Not having him as the main hero just wouldn’t really feel like a Zelda game. At least, in my opinion.

Bolero of Fire writes:

1) What is keeping people from placing Zelda games after OoT/MM and before TP on the timeline?

2) At the end of OoT, Link is shown with the ToC as a kid, however in MM, he dosn’t have it, not even in the clip scene when Zelda is re-teaching Link the Song of Time. What do you belive happened to the ToC?

James responds:

1) Nothing is keeping them from doing it, they just have to be able to place is properly and make it work. I still refer back to the rumor that the new game will include the Hero of Time, which would place the game in between the two games you reference.

2) You know, I was going to research the best answer to this, but I read Xeno’s answer first (which I usually do after I am done) and his works the best.

Xeno adds:

1) Twilight Princess is said to take place only “a hundred and something years later” after Ocarina of time (a direct quote from Aonuma himself). That being said, that doesn’t really give us enough space to put another Zelda game within that time period. Not only that, but Twilight Princess seems to reference Ocarina of Time only. Because it doesn’t really reference any other Zelda game, we can safely assume that there are no games between Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess.

2) In Wind Waker, the King states that the Triforce was separated from the Hero of Time. From this, we can assume that before his quest began in Majora’s Mask, at some point, the Triforce of Courage had left him.

“When the Hero of Time was called to embark on another journey and left the land of Hyrule, he was separated from the elements that made him a hero. It is said that at that time, the Triforce of Courage was split into eight shards and hidden throughout the land.” – King of Hyrule (Wind Waker)

N. Greenway writes:

1) There have been a lot of theories and “leaks” that Midna and/or Wolf Link will be in Super Smash Bros. 4. What are your views on this possible decision?

2) A lot of people connect Ocarina of Time to Twilight Princess, saying that the story lines are almost the exact same, just retold in a different way. Do you think that Zelda Wii will resemble Majora’s Mask at all?

James responds:

1) I don’t remember seeing a rumor of that, but I would absolutely love that in the new SSB game. They could even make Link’s down-B move a transform move similar to Zelda/Shiek. Because how many of you really use the bombs all that much anyway?

2) It is funny because those same people probably say that Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past are the exact same game, just retold in a different way.

That being said, I don’t think the new game will resemble anything. It will be it’s own entity and be wonderful.

Xeno adds:

1) It’s possible. Personally, I don’t mind either way. The bigger cast of players, the better.

2) It’s hard to tell at this point, as we don’t really have much info to go by. Majora’s Mask had a pretty unique storyline, so I can’t imagine Zelda Wii borrowing heavily from it, as it would be rather blatant.

Mr FaIRy writes:

This is to add on to the two player question from last time

When they make the new zelda what would you like to see personaly id want some 2 player gameplay like an extra link to help you or some sort of thing like four swords just not all that craziness getting your character mixed up and without the confusing actions of the tingle tuner

Xeno responds:

Sorry, can’t say that would be something I’d like to see. Like I mentioned in the previous mailbag, the Zelda series is meant to be a single-player experience.

James adds:

I couldn’t agree more.

Sir Adamus writes:

In Spirit Tracks, we see that most of New Hyrule is connected via railway. In games supposedly after this in the so-called ‘adult timeline’, such as the Minish Cap, the tracks are nowhere to be seen. What do you think happened and why?

PS: Mindless speculation can be hazardous.

James responds:

I thought the Minish Cap was before Ocarina of Time? Or am I one of the few who still believe that?

Anyway, if I were to believe what you are telling me, then it quite possible that they eroded or just became decommissioned. You could follow the timeline of the United States. In the 1800’s, railroad tracks and trains were EVERYWHERE. That is how they moved around the country and was the main form of transportation. Now, go around your town, city, or even state and find all the railroad tracks that still exist and are NEVER used. You will find plenty.

It’s quite possible that trains are no longer necessary or they keep up the business of trains. You never know.

Xeno adds:

There are many elements from previous Zelda games that seem to be “missing” or that doesn’t seem to match up in Zelda games that supposedly take place later in the timeline. However, to combat this, Nintendo has an ace in the hole — it’s called “retcon”. No mindless speculation needed, it’s all there in black-and-white.

Govi writes:

Long time visitor to this site, huge zelda fan(except Twilight Princess). I just wanted to show you the sign I created using the Hylian text from the Wind Waker game. It was a lot of fun to do, and simple. I just used $6 wood, duct tape and some spray paint. It reads “Govi’s house”.

Link to the Image.

James responds:

I don’t have much to say other than very nice job. I am jealous and going to find it to steal it. That is all.

Breeze adds:

That‘s a pretty nice sign you got there. However, this isn‘t really a question.. But it is an honorable mention. Can I have one? I want one to say

“Breeze and Lex Plant here.“

Dekulink567 writes:

what link do you like the most

Link to the past link

ocarina/majoras mask Link

WindWaker/PhantomHourglass/Spirit tracks Link

James responds:

OoT/MM Link. Come on! He’s the freakin’ Hero of Time! If you came to know me a little better, you would find out that I am a huge time travel fan. If it involves the idea of Time Travel, I am ALL ABOARD! That, and the games are really well done, fun to play, and have a wonderful replay value. Well, they don’t have a replay value, but they are fun to play over and over again.

Breeze adds:

I‘m a little bummed that AoL Link isn‘t there. He‘s my favourite. Me and that guy go way back. Waaaaaaaaaay back.. >__> Of those, I‘d have to say the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass/ Spirit Tracks Link. He‘s just so stinking cute. I mean, have you played Spirit Tracks? He‘s freaking adorable! His cuteness is only paralleled by Zelda‘s.

Xeno adds:

Probably Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask Link. OOT/MM Link was called upon to abandon his home, his friends, and his identity as a young (Kokiri) boy to save a future he’ll never be apart of. The weight of the entire world was practically thrown into his arms at an incredibly young age. On top of all that, he then travels to a dimension where the moon will crash in three days!

MidnaFan321 writes:

How do you pronounce Vaati?

James responds:

Vay-Tee.

Breeze adds:

Orly James? I pronounce it “VAH-tee.”

James adds:

Yarly Breeze! Toe-May-Toe, Toe-Mah-Toe. Poe-tay-toe, poe-tah-toe.

Jacob M. writes:

in twilight princess we see that Link is a rancher and since twilight prince comes after ocarina of time (in my opinion) do you think that its possible that after Links adventures in Termina , he went back to hyrule and got married , had kids with Malon (who is a rancher) and founded the village where the twilight princess Link starts of the game ?

James responds:

I think I actually am one of those few who believe that Link did mack it with Malon to create that Rancher version of Link. It really is the only way to explain it, really!

Breeze adds:

Hi Jacob M. Thanks for the question!

Well, I don‘t think that Link was the marriage-type. He had the ladies ALL over him. What I think happened what he was with Zelda, but only because he was creeped out by Ruto and wanted her to feel jealous. As a result, his love-life was lacking, so he began to go behind Zelda‘s back, and hooked up with Malon. And when she got pregnant the WHOLE town knew who the father was. If they didn‘t know then, they realized it was Link when the kid came out wielding the Master Sword. Zelda probably slapped Link across the face, and made him sleep in the car- erm, on Epona.

You know, I think I just unraveled the plot of about 1400 daytime soaps..

Franklin writes:

Hi do you guys know when the new zelda game is coming out for wii like the one that has TWW and TP and etc. put together

James responds:

I don’t know which game you are talking about, but there is another Zelda Wii game due out by the end of this year, hopefully. It hasn’t been formally announced yet, but it is inevitable really.

Not Actually Midna writes:

I know this is just a video game and has, as chuggaaconroy puts it, ‘nintendo logic,’ but it’s been driving me insane since the first Zelda game i’ve played. Where does Link keep all his weapons and items? The sword and sheild can be obviously seen, but the rest just come out of nowhere when you use them, and he doesn’t have a rucksack to carry things in either.

James responds:

I always love answering this question, just because of the fact that I get to introduce Hammerspace to everyone who doesn’t know it already! You are playing a game that has magic in it after all.

Did anyone know that Hammerspace is named as such because of the older cartoons? You know, those cartoons where one character is able to pull a hammer out of nowhere to bonk another character over the head with? Of course, I could be wrong, but I am sure I remember reading that somewhere.

Breeze adds:

I‘ve always wondered the same thing. Especially in Twilight Princess, when he was walking around with a ball and chain (who wasn‘t Zelda), the spinner, and the steel boots. I mean, if he has steel boots with him at all times, why does he only sink when he puts them on?! I bet he has a utility belt that‘s similar to the telephone booth in Dr. Who.

This very informative Zelda Video answers the question better than I ever could though. Check it out.

Xeno adds:

His hat, obviously.

But seriously, almost every game has some sort of inventory that is seemingly invisible to the naked eye. In other words — game logic (never question it).

ZeldaNoob writes:

How would a totally out-door dungeon fit in the Zelda series. Like instead of having a forest temple inside a tree ,make the dungeon a huge forest. And instead of locked doors have locked gates. That way people remember the game not inside building and temples, but more outdoors. (they could add waterfalls and beautiful scenery within the forest to make it more natural)

Xeno responds:

Simply put: underground labyrinths are part of the Zelda series’ forte.

James adds:

I have to disagree with Xeno on this. While underground dungeon’s are the Zelda series’ forte, I thought there were fans who want a little bit of a change to the series? An outdoor “dungeon” might bring a much needed breathe of fresh air into the series. Granted, it isn’t going to revolutionize the series, but it could help.

Ian writes:

I love Zelda games and I want to know if you think what i do That nintendo should make an attachment to the Wii so you can play DS and Gameboy games also an attachment that is just a touch pad that hooks up to the wiimote side or somethin so i can play those games without buying a DS

James responds:

I really think that would be more of a hassle than just going out and buying an actual DS. Besides, you could probably go to a secondhand game store and find a first generation DS for cheap, since we are now on the fourth version of the system already.

Xeno adds:

I’m… not sure I follow. It’d be much simpler to just buy a DS, wouldn’t it? Plus, having all those attachments made for the Wii would sort of the defeat the purpose of the DS itself.

jticeman writes:

dear zu do you think that the mini games from all of the zelda games should be put togever to make 1 alsome zelda game

Xeno responds:

No.

But if they did, I imagine they’d call it “Zelda Party” (an obvious homage to Mario Party).

James adds:

Zelda Party, eh? I could dig it.

Kiante writes:

In your opinion, what would be the single best change Nintendo could make in Zelda (the games not the character)?

James responds:

You know, I skipped this question initally, and I think I am going to have to skip it entirely and let the rest of these wonderful people share their

opinions. I just cannot think of anything!

Xeno adds:

Choices. In almost every Zelda game, Link is faced with limited to no options. A hero’s obliged to save the world when the time comes, yes. Howsoever, that doesn’t mean Link shouldn’t have to face a few choices along his journey. And I’m not talking about just optional side quests for another bottle. I mean real choices that have an affect on Link and others around him. Majora’s Mask was the closest thing that came to giving Link the gift of choice. The regular masks weren’t required to complete the game, however, they were essential for understanding the stories of the lives of the people of Termina and by giving them a sense of closure (despite the fact that time was reserved every time you played the Song of time). However, in Majora’s Mask, Link was merely an outsider meddling in the lives of the people of Termina, so the choices he made on others didn’t really affect him. Perhaps in a new game, include choices that have long-term effects.

Nintendo can go above and beyond the concept of choice presented in Majora’s Mask by not only giving Link the sense of choice in other people’s lives, but in Link’s own life as well. For example: Should he save his childhood friend first or should he save the townspeople first? What is the result and outcome of said choice and how does it affect Link? It doesn’t exactly have to be morally challenging choices; but if so, then that would make the story all that much more intricate and emotional.

It’s hard to believe that in any tale of good versus evil, the hero doesn’t have any choices in his journey.

SacredSturgeon adds:

Finally telling us all they know about the timeline, just so that people will finally shut up about it. :3

Though I’d really like it if they’d make the games a bit harder as well. It’s just that much more satisfying to beat a boss if you only have one heart and no healing items left. :3

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

I think that they should either a) expand on Link’s personality or b) remove it. Right now, Link is a bit too developed to be considered an avatar of the player. All decisions are made for us in cutscenes, Link has his own reactions to every event, we can’t have our own voice for him in our heads because to the grunts and the “hyaaah”s and the “come on”s tell us what his voice sounds like, and so forth – it’s obvious that he’s his own character now. The problem is that he’s just not a very good one.

They should either go the direction of Metroid: Other M and give the character some development, or they should go the direction of the Half Life series and let you keep full control of the character at all times. I think that getting rid of the currently wishywashiness over that could definitely help the series improve.

EzloSpirit writes:

I was wondering what you think the greatest Zelda villain is. Personally, I like both Ganondorf and Vaati equally, but what do think? Vaati? Ganondorf? Majora? Someone else?

James responds:

I think I have to say Ganondorf, just because he is the most fleshed out of them all. We have seen in more of the Zelda game than not, and he is a big influence on whether or not most Links decide to save the world. In terms of villians, he has his head on his shoulders a lot more. He knows what he needs to do from the beginning to take over the world and he plays each person he need very well and gets what he needs done. But, he also falls at the end, which makes him the villian in the end.

Xeno adds:

Ganondorf. Mostly because he’s the only villain in the Zelda series to have any sort of character development. The Wind Waker’s Ganondorf would be a perfect example of this. Plus, he’s just one badass dude.

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

I’d have to go with Ganondorf, if only because he’s the only one to get any proper development. In Wind Waker especially Ganondorf was an interesting character, with a motive of saving Hyrule from the flood that would actually allowed us to sympathise with him. I don’t like the way they handle him in games like Twilight Princess though – he’s not meant to be just a jack-in-the-box or Team Rocket, where he justs pops up at the end for the sake of a cameo and then blasts off in time for another episode. A Ganondorf that’s properly developed throughout the game would make a great villain, in my opinion.

Shock&Money writes:

1) What if the Zelda developers decided to hire a Hollywood film score writer to collaborate with Koji Kondo? If this was ever a possibility, who do you think would be a good fit?

2) What if Nintendo pulled a Metroid on Zelda and handed development for a new game over to a different developer? Other than Retro Studios, who do you think could pull off a good Zelda title?

James responds:

1) I think I would have to choose who I think is the best film composer of all time and that’s John Williams. We all know his work, ranging from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and beyond. I think that would bring out the music we would need to make a Zelda film work.

2) Nintendo has pulled a Metroid on Zelda when it comes to a majority of the Game Boy Zelda games. The Oracle games were made with Capcom and they turned out very good. Minish Cap was with a company called Flagship (which was a sister company of Capcom). It can be done and works very well. I think that Nintendo trusts the portable games in the hands of a second developer than they do the console games. But we will see in the future.

Xeno adds:

1) If John Williams (musical score writer of the Star Wars series) ever collaborated with Koji Kondo for a Zelda game, I imagine that game would have the most epic music ever conceived for any video game.

2) They’ve already done it with Capcom: Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and Minish Cap. All three games were exceptional in my book.

SacredSturgeon adds:

1) Don’t see this one happening, ever, but if there is going to be a collaboration, I’d like it to be with Zimmerman.

2) Been done before, together with Capcom and with Phillips. The former are, from what I gather, decent games. The latter, not so much.

Valdek writes:

Is Tingle a guy who thinks he is a fairy, or is tingle a race in the Zelda games? another question i have is what are Keetens( if i spelled that right )
the ones in Majora’s Mask?

James responds:

I think Cody answered this the best he could in his mailbag, so I am just going to leave it at that and include Xeno’s and Sturgey’s answer as well.

Xeno adds:

It’s suggested that Tingle is either Terminan due to his first appearance in Termina (however, like almost all other characters in Termina, it could have just been a Terminan counterpart to that of the Hylian Tingle) or Hylian due to his pointed ears that all Hylians bare.

I believe you mean Keatons, correct? It seems as though Keatons are a race of foxes derived from the Japanese lore of spirit foxes, or kitsunes. Ocarina of Time first introduced Keatons in the form of a popular mask. Keatons are again introduced in Majora’s Mask, but as a race of foxes rather than a simple mask.

Finally, Minish Cap introduces Keatons as enemies that steal your rupees.

SacredSturgeon adds:

You have got to explain to me by what leap of logic you end up with the idea that Tingle could be a race.

As for Keatons, they’re magical foxes with multiple pretty tails. They’re based on the Kitsune, a Japanese mythological creature. Not much else to add.

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

Actually, I’ve always thought that Tingle in MM is the Terminian counterpart of Link! He’s basically a Link wannabe, an adult who’s always wanted to be a superhero (and dresses like one) but never got the chance. He could also represent us, the gamers, since forgetting about reality and pretending to be a fairy man with a green tunic and tights destined to fight evil is basically what we do whenever we sit down to play Zelda.

As for Keatons, they seem to be based on the Kitsune from Japanese mythology, which are foxes with nine tails. The pokemon Ninetails is also based on that myth.

MidnaFan writes:

Nintendo has made lots of money of remakes of games, particularly converting big console games into handheld ones, like Super Mario 64 ds, and there have been countless rumors of an OoT of MM remake for the ds. Is there any thruth to these, or any possible remakes in the future for us poor N-64/Gamecube/Wii-less people?

James responds:

More than likely, we will not see an OoT or MM remake on the DS. I really don’t think it would be a good idea to it anyway, just because we all get antsy waiting for a new game to come out, that if we are bombarded with a remake first, we might get more upset. If it does happen, I would think it would be with the DS2 rather than the first one. That’s right, a console that hasn’t even been announced yet!

Xeno adds:

As of now, there are no plans to remake Ocarina of Time nor Majora’s Mask to the DS. Is it possible? It depends if Nintendo is willing to go through incorporating the stylus properly. However, I wouldn’t get your hopes up, as a remake of either game seems very unlikely at this point in the DS’s lifetime.

SacredSturgeon adds:

Given the complete and utter lack of any kind of hints pertaining to N64 Zelda remakes by Nintendo, I’m going to have to say that I don’t see this happening any time soon.

ZeldaFan734 writes:

What do you think about a 3d Co-Op Zelda game. Do you think it would be a good addition to the series?

James responds:

A 3D co-op game, huh? I think I agree with Cody on this just because I know how much I suck at co-op games. A Zelda game is all about the puzzle and the combat. I think you feel more accomplished completing a puzzle yourself rather than sharing it with another or having someone complete it before you get the chance isn’t that fun either. One other thing that sucks is team-killing, but that’s another time and place, really.

Xeno adds:

In my opinion, Zelda should stay true to its single-player roots. The series just isn’t meant for the multi-player scene.

SacredSturgeon adds:

Honestly, no. I prefer my Zelda as a single-player experience.

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

I don’t know about an actual two-player game, since having to rely on someone else can be frustrating, but I think that would be be good would be a Super Mario Galaxy-style 1.5 player game where the second controller is able to shoot star bits and thus your friend/family member/spouse has something to do and doesn’t feel left out. Maybe something like the Tingle Tuner from Wind Waker, except not using up all of your rupees.

ToadstoolNews writes:

I was wondering that the Legend of the Zelda Oracle of Ages and Season are normally put at the end of the Zelda timeline but do you think it may be possible that they are close to the begining of it. When you think about it the are two new villains (no vatti) then there is the twinrova (which where killed in ocarina of time) trying to bring back (or create) ganon and there are also two new races (Subrosian and Tokay) which we never see again.so what do you think?

James responds:

The arguments you make can also be used to say that they are need the end of the timeline as well. You have Twinrova, who appeared in Ocarina and Majora trying to revive Ganondorf, who was killed earlier in the timeline. You also have the two new races that you never see again, which means that we are at the end of the timeline. You also have to remember with the races, though, is that those two races exist in another land than Hyrule.

Xeno adds:

An important part of placing Oracle of Ages/Seasons within the timeline is to look at the state of the Triforce within said games. In the beginning of each game, we see that Hyrule Castle currently houses the entire Triforce. Taking that into account, we must consider what games are there in which the royal family could possibly have obtained the entire Triforce.

I won’t list any theories, as I merely present the facts. It’s up to you to decide where the games should be placed based upon these facts.

Jacob writes:

do you think there would be a zelda game where theres some evill force makes zelda link and ganon either switch bodys or change spirits such as link either switchs body’s with ganon or turns evil from his spirit then link would kidnap zelda for a reason and ganon would save zelda.

James responds:

I think a story like that would be too campy and not fit the Zelda series well. I think it would be more suited for Mario, actually. I got the idea right here! Mario and Luigi: Inside Bowser’s Story! Oh, wait… That game already exists. Dang.

Xeno adds:

I highly doubt it. Interesting idea, though.

SacredSturgeon adds:

The day this happens is the day I travel to Kyoto and burn down Nintendo’s corporate headquarters (and maybe throw some eggs at KyoAni for the whole Endless Eight fiasco, but I digress). :3

TheGoronClub writes:

if you look back at the very early trailers for twilight princess you see link in a deep misty forest and i have always thought that would’ve been really cool to see in a zelda game would you like to see more areas in future zelda games like that area

James responds:

You a forest dweller, huh? Well, I think Faron Woods was pretty, well, not misty but foggy kinda. I know that Zelda tends to mix the four key elements of the world: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. We always see those in the games, it seems, so that keeping it in the forest wouldn’t exactly work. But, a forest

Xeno adds:

Almost every Zelda game has some sort of forest. It’s up to Nintendo to decide how much effort and detail they add into creating their environments. And we all know detailed environments are never a bad thing.

SacredSturgeon adds:

If you’ve never seen a misty forest in a Zelda game then you haven’t played a lot of Zelda games.

Dan (Aerotrigger) writes:

Out of all fourteen Zelda games, witch one did you find the hardest?

James responds:

Oddly enough, the original two. I know I am might get a backlash for this, but I have a good reasoning behind it. Games nowadays cater to gamers and they tend to be a little bit more easier than games back in the day. I have just picked up Mega Man 10 and played on normal and found myself in the bottom of pits more times than not. Old school games were tougher because of the fact that we didn’t have maps or games weren’t linear and most didn’t tell you where to go.

Xeno adds:

Probably Zelda II: Adventure of Link. Any fan of Zelda would know why that is probably the hardest Zelda game to date.

SacredSturgeon adds:

The original. Damn those Wizrobes. Damn them twice in the arse with a burning chainsaw. Not to mention the Darknuts. The blardy Darknuts. Raaaaaaaaage.

(Yes, I found Zelda 1 harder than Zelda 2. I may well be the only one on the planet)

Luke writes:

Aside from the ones that transform you, what was your favorite and least favorite mask in MM and why?

James responds:

I would say my favorite mask is the Blast Mask or the Great Fairy Mask, as they are the most useful in the situations they are needed. My least favorite would have to be the Mask of Truth, just because it was just as lame in MM as it was in OoT.

Xeno adds:

My favorite mask would probably be the Bunny Hood. Anything that lets you run twice as fast as you normally could is the best in my book. My least favorite mask was probably the Mask of Scenes. It was easily the least useful mask of them all.

SacredSturgeon adds:

My favourite would have to be the Blast Mask. Anything that blows **** up is awesome in my book.
Least favourite would be the All-Night Mask. It looks bad and only serves to get a Heart Piece.

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

I always liked the musical masks, specifically the Bremen mask that lets you march around with 10 animals in tow and the Kamaro’s Mask which lets you perform that awesome dance. As for my least favourite mask, probably the Scent Mask.

Scott Walker writes:

I am still a HUGE fan of the Zelda series but I can’t help but miss the days when it was all a “medieval” setting, now it seems trains, boats and gunpowder weapons have taken over do any of you feel this way. PS im still a loyal fan!!!

James responds:

Well, gunpowder is nothing new, because bombs have been in the series since the first game. All you have to see this as is that the series is progressing the same way most socieities do. They progress in technology in similar fashion we have in our world’s history. See it as a normal progression rather than a change.

Xeno adds:

Different Zelda games are placed in different time periods. Naturally, as time goes on, so do the advancements in the technologies of Hyrule — as with any civilization. Personally, the way I see it, different settings provide more new experiences and offer new things to the table. The more new experiences, the better.

SacredSturgeon adds:

Zelda has always had elements that were out-of-place for a Mediaeval European setting; see boomerangs, bombs and the Hookshot, gramophone players, funky lighting, mecha cuccos and basically everything else about the Bombchu Bowling Alley (and, for the matter, Bombchus themselves), giant water-driven machinery serving no identifiable purpse, a giant mecha bull, cameras, and a lot more.

Honestly, there’s two DS games that heavily feature steam power. Other than that, I don ‘t really see how it’s gotten less “Mediaeval” than it already was.

Cody adds: (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

Actually, random out-of-place technology has been a part of the Zelda series for a long time. In the Adventure of Link there were even random unexplained elevators! Items like the hookshot from, well, almost every Zelda game, are also highly advanced, and some things are so advanced that we’re not sure if they’re superadvanced technology or magic – for example, the floating castle in Twilight Princess. As long as Link keeps his sword and shield, though, I’m fine with stuff like that.

N. Greenway writes:

Hello! My name is N. Greenway, and I am new to the site (just jointed last month).
I watched the last mailbag, and someone asked if they thing that there will be a reoccurance of the Majora’s Mask timeline in a future game. I was wondering, seeing as how Twilight Princess is my favorite game, if you think that the Twilit civilization will return. They were able to come to Hyrule even when the Twilight Mirror was incomplete. So, seeing as how the mirror is now destroyed, I don’t think that they would still have a problem. What do you think?

James responds:

As long as Midna rules over her people properly and doesn’t cause any issues, they shouldn’t have to come back over into our world. Midna didn’t seem like the type who wanted to push the Twilight Realm over to Hyrule and take over like Zant. She was content on keeping her world the way it is and not interfere with us. So, I don’t think we’ll see it again, unless someone takes over again like Zant.

Xeno adds:

If Nintendo wanted, they could easily bring the Twilit race back.

SacredSturgeon adds:

I can see it happening if fan demand is strong enough. If not, Nintendo will probably forget about the Twili.

Calhoun327 writes:

do you believe that the sad tree in the cave from beginning of Majora’s mask is really the son of the deku scrub butler. in the credits you see the butler crying in front of the tree and i thought that maybe skull kid cursed the son and turned him into a tree. on the other hand it could just be a memorial of sorts devoted to the son. what do you think?

SpaceTimeBomb writes:

what did mean the strange tree at the begining of mayorask mask?

James responds:

I do believe that he is the Butler’s son just because of the clues you are given in the game. You are told that the Butler has lost his son and he can’t find him. Then you see at the end of the game the Butler is hovering over this stump. So I believe it is.

Xeno adds:

It’s heavily implied that the tree you mentioned is in fact the Deku Butler’s son. It’s no mere coincidence that it happens to look like a Deku. Tatl further supports this by stating how when Link transformed into the Deku Scrub, he looked similar to the tree itself.

“Come over to this tree and check it out! It’s strange, but the way you look right now sort of looks like this tree… It looks all dark and gloomy… almost like it could start crying any second now… How sad…” – Tatl

SacredSturgeon adds:

I always assumed the tree was, in fact, the Deku Butler’s son. Not sure if there’s actually any hard evidence, though.

Kidacechaos writes:

I do not Know If this Question has been asked before but… Out of all the 3-D Zelda games, Which of the bosses do you find the hardest and which is your Favroite?
ps:im new to this kind of thing

James responds:

I can hands down tell you that my favorite boss is Argorok, just because of the way the battle takes place. Floating around above the ground with the Double Clawshots and attempting to lock onto him and attack him is unique and awesome. I can’t really say which one is the hardest. Barinade is pretty annoying with what you have to dodge and attack, especially early in the game with as many hearts that you don’t have to waste. Goht can be annoying as well, trying to hit him perfectly with your Goron attack (or cheat and him with arrows as he goes by the entrance, but that takes patience). But I can’t really put my finger on the hardest though.

Nathan writes:

Dear,Zelda Universe do you think Zelda Wii is Twilight Princess 2? It makes sense for 2 reasons 1. The same dark kind of art style in the poster
2. Nintendo’s steak of 2 like Super Mario Galaxy 2

James responds:

I do not think Zelda Wii is TP2. While it has been a pattern in recent titles to have the second console game to be the sequel to the first game, but I don’t have the feeling that we are getting a sequel to TP. There are rumors that it is a sequel to MM, which has been a big desire for a lot of Zelda fans since it was released. But we will see, I guess.

TVT writes:

Does the mailbag answerer think replacing the overworld with a travel minigame in PH and ST hurts or helps the quality of the DS games as a whole?

James responds:

I don’t think it hurt the quality of either game, even though they could be annoying and deter from the overall gameplay. The dungeons and puzzles counteracted the fact that we didn’t have a huge overworld to play around in. The only thing that deters the quality in PH was the TEMPLE OF THE OCEAN KING!

Midna Fan writes:

I had a question on a newer Hyrulian species, the Anouki. Since the species only appears after the alleged extinction of the Zoras, and there are no more Ritos to be seen anywhere in the world of Phantom Hourglass or New Hyrule, is it possible that this breed is a supposed descendant of the two, or are they a spin-off of an earlier Hyrulain species I just haven’t heard of?

James responds:

I don’t think they are descendant of the two, just because of the fact that the Anouki love the cold and neither the Rito nor the Zora did. I don’t see any resemblence in the Anouki and the Rito or Zora either, they are just a new type of race that we encounter in the games. You also have to remember that the world in ST in a new Hyrule that we haven’t seen before in the series and they could be inhabitants of that land before the Hyrulians made an appearance there.

Scott Walker writes:

What if nintendo tried a new setting? like instead of one character trying to take over hyrule, there was a territorial dispute or some kind of war between hyrule and a different country, kind of like the wars between the kingdoms of England and France

James responds:

I think they did that. The game was Twilight Princess and it came out in 2006. You know, Hyrule vs. the Twilight Realm? They have done it in the past where there is two worlds where you have to travel between.

Kiante writes:

1) How do YOU think my username is pronounced?

2) This has probably been asked before, but what is your favorite tool from the Zelda series?

James responds:

1) Kee-on-tay

2) My favorite tool from the series is the Double Clawshot, no doubt.

SpaceTimeBomb writes:

Could you , kind of, resume al the theoryes of gossip about the new zelda?

James responds:

We can’t really post any theories or gossip about the new Zelda when there aren’t any new gossip or rumors to report. Sorry.

ZeldaTheoristb211 writes:

Do you think Four Swords Adventures was meant to be a prequel to A link to the past or just a side story because a lot of dungeons in Four Swords Adventures have the same exact dungeons in A Link to the Past?

James responds:

Four Sword Adventure is a really weird thing to theorize on, in my opinion. You have to remember that the FSA is a sequel to FS, which is in the same trilogy of The Minish Cap. If this is the case, then FSA should have the same map as TMC, but it doesn’t, it shares the map of ALttP. So whether they link into each other is hard to say in opinion. But I hate talking timeline theories, so that’s why I say that really.

Verifyy writes:

Which out of all the Zelda games do you think had the best story line?

James responds:

I hate to say it, but I really think that Twilight Princess had the best story of the games. There is so much going on and it is very easy to get into the story of corruption of the land, the main character, and the main villian (Zant and not Ganondorf). It is a very detailed story and really work very well.

jticeman writes:

why is hyrule so different in twilight princess to the hyrule in oot because someone said was a flood but the flood is in the 1st time line and tp is set in the 2nd time line

James responds:

I know this is a stretch, but take the maps of OoT Hyrule and TP Hyrule and put them side by side. Put Hyrule Castle in the center and look at the locations of each town, temple, and landmark. Put Lake Hylia to the south of the castle and then pinpoint Kakariko Village, the Forest Temple, Gerudo Valley/Arbiter’s Grounds, Death Mountain, etc. The only real addition to the map is the Snowpeak Ruins, which is north of the castle, which we didn’t visit in OoT. The only real difference is that Zora’s Domain has moved to the north of the Castle in the TP map, but that could be due to migration of the Zoras or the river realigning somehow.

Seanthesupercoolguy writes:

Do you think they will make another 3D Toon Link game? What do you think it will be about?

James responds:

I think they are sticking Toon Link of the portables for now, just because of how much dislike we have toward the character and his appearance. I don’t know what we would see from him either.

Zack writes:

On your website why dont you put the King of hyrule from legend of zelda the wind waker in you races section in Hyrulians?

James responds:

The King of Hyrule isn’t a race, he is a part of the Hylian race. Now, if we were to include every member of each race, those lists would be long and pointless. We just included some of the more famous members of the race.

Forte writes:

James, I love you. Do you love me too? y/n? <3

James responds:

I love everybody. That’s why I answer your questions every week. Now isn’t that nice of me?

Valdek writes:

Is Tingle a guy who thinks he is a fairy, or is tingle a race in the Zelda games? another question i have is what are Keetens( if i spelled that right )
the ones in Majora’s Mask?

Cody responds:

Actually, I’ve always thought that Tingle in MM is the Terminian counterpart of Link! He’s basically a Link wannabe, an adult who’s always wanted to be a superhero (and dresses like one) but never got the chance. He could also represent us, the gamers, since forgetting about reality and pretending to be a fairy man with a green tunic and tights destined to fight evil is basically what we do whenever we sit down to play Zelda.

As for Keatons, they seem to be based on the Kitsune from Japanese mythology, which are foxes with nine tails. The pokemon Ninetails is also based on that myth.

Kiante writes:

In your opinion, what would be the single best change Nintendo could make in Zelda (the games not the character)?

Cody responds:

I think that they should either a) expand on Link’s personality or b) remove it. Right now, Link is a bit too developed to be considered an avatar of the player. All decisions are made for us in cutscenes, Link has his own reactions to every event, we can’t have our own voice for him in our heads because to the grunts and the “hyaaah”s and the “come on”s tell us what his voice sounds like, and so forth – it’s obvious that he’s his own character now. The problem is that he’s just not a very good one.

They should either go the direction of Metroid: Other M and give the character some development, or they should go the direction of the Half Life series and let you keep full control of the character at all times. I think that getting rid of the currently wishywashiness over that could definitely help the series improve.

ZeldaFan734 writes:

What do you think about a 3d Co-Op Zelda game. Do you think it would be a good addition to the series?

Cody responds:

I don’t know about an actual two-player game, since having to rely on someone else can be frustrating, but I think that would be be good would be a Super Mario Galaxy-style 1.5 player game where the second controller is able to shoot star bits and thus your friend/family member/spouse has something to do and doesn’t feel left out. Maybe something like the Tingle Tuner from Wind Waker, except not using up all of your rupees.

EzloSpirit writes:

I was wondering what you think the greatest Zelda villain is. Personally, I like both Ganondorf and Vaati equally, but what do you think? Vaati? Ganondorf? Majora? Someone else?

Cody responds:

I’d have to go with Ganondorf, if only because he’s the only one to get any proper development. In Wind Waker especially Ganondorf was an interesting character, with a motive of saving Hyrule from the flood that would actually allowed us to sympathise with him. I don’t like the way they handle him in games like Twilight Princess though – he’s not meant to be just a jack-in-the-box or Team Rocket, where he justs pops up at the end for the sake of a cameo and then blasts off in time for another episode. A Ganondorf that’s properly developed throughout the game would make a great villain, in my opinion.

Luke writes:

Aside from the ones that transform you, what was your favorite and least favorite mask in MM and why?

Cody responds:

I always liked the musical masks, specifically the Bremen mask that lets you march around with 10 animals in tow and the Kamaro’s Mask which lets you perform that awesome dance. As for my least favourite mask, probably the Scent Mask.

Scott Walker writes:

I am still a HUGE fan of the Zelda series but I can’t help but miss the days when it was all a “medieval” setting, now it seems trains, boats and gunpowder weapons have taken over do any of you feel this way. PS im still a loyal fan!!!

Cody responds:

Actually, random out-of-place technology has been a part of the Zelda series for a long time. In the Adventure of Link there were even random unexplained elevators! Items like the hookshot from, well, almost every Zelda game, are also highly advanced, and some things are so advanced that we’re not sure if they’re superadvanced technology or magic – for example, the floating castle in Twilight Princess. As long as Link keeps his sword and shield, though, I’m fine with stuff like that.

midnight writes:

What do all you guys do for a living. I mean Im glad you always update and have a awsome podcast and mailbag, forums, ect. but were do you find the time to do all the sitely stuff you do. thanks

James responds:

Sometimes I wonder how I find the time to get online to check ZU (nowadays, anyway). I have to work around spending time with my fiance, entertaining myself with the television, and (soon) taking care of a child. It is a miracle and I can only imagine how others do it.

Most of us are high school and college students. I graduated a two-year college with an associate’s degree and plan to finish in the next three years.

Other than that, I work at a local Babies R Us and plan on working with the U.S. Census this year as well.

Xeno adds:

Currently, I fix computers around my school campus. Not without pay, of course. Basically if there’s a computer, network, or even printer problem, they send me in to fix it. It also happens to be good practice for when I get my MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) certification.

SacredSturgeon adds:

I am a parasite on society in general, and my parents in specific. :3

ChainofTermina writes:

it occurred to me that I just so happen to have a 72 page long Zelda fanfic that I wrote, and I have not submitted it anywhere. perhaps I should. How would I go about doing this on this most obvious of choice of a site?that was worded kinda weird. what I mean to say is how do I submit a fan fiction that I wrote? and also, people can comment on it, right? do they ever…..say mean things? I don’t want them to say mean things.

James responds:

Leave it simple, next time! Visit the Fan Fiction section of the forums and post it there. I think Cody may take them, but I am not certain.

ruffblade027 writes:

1) What in your opinon is the best instrument used in the games?

2) What do you think of a zelda mmo if done right.I think this could work if you choose classes Hylian Kokiri Zora Goron Skull Kid Shiekah and Gerudo. as hylian choose your alliegence to either Din red tunic, Farore blue tunic, and Nayru green tunic or Ganondorf to become evil and wear Dark Links tunic. Then player could design facial features, Link, Zelda, Ganondorf and other real Characters would be set and not able to be made exactly. The problem is set Link could not talk to you without breaking the tradition of Link being a mute. Zoras would be Aoutomaticlly alligned with Farfore, Gorons with Din, and Kokiri with Nayru, Sheikah would choose anyone and have same clothes, Then you choose sword as Kokrir, Zora, or Hylian, (Goron’s weapon roll,Sheikah’s asorted weapons in shops in the game)Swords are biggoron sword, master sword, orodon sword, or(kokiri only) kokiri sword. Hylian sheild would be aoutomatic to everyone but kokiri they get deku sheild. Shops would sell other swords and you could change your alleigence at the temple of time and potions could change your race. Then you choose an instrument from one of the zelda games.I’ve got more ideas too.

3) Do you make the videos on Zeldadungeon.net your vioces souynd the same

James responds:

1) The best instrument in my opinion is the Ocarina. The reasons being that it transports you across the world map instantly, it changes the scenary of the world map instantly, and messes around with time. What more can you ask from an magical instrument? Oh, and it can wake a giant Wind Fish as well.

2) I really don’t think an MMORPG in the Zelda series would work. I think that the series works better in the type of game it is currently in. Yes, it could work if done correctly, but I think it would change the series overall.

3) I am not that person, I am myself.

Xeno adds:

1) I’d have to say the ocarina. It has given us so many memorable songs; ranging from upbeat, lively songs like Saria’s Song to slow, melancholy songs like Zelda’s Lullaby. What Zelda fan honestly doesn’t automatically think “ocarina” when they think of Zelda instruments?

SacredSturgeon adds:

1) Deku Pipes. ****ing Deku Pipes.

Aniday adds (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

The best instrument in a Zelda game hands down in the Ocarina of Time. It’s been used in two games wonderfully. From manipulating time to your advantage to warping across the game world, the Ocarina is probably one of, if not, the most Powerful Zelda item ever. No other instrument comes close, in my opinion.

As for future Zelda instruments, who knows? Nintendo might not even use an instrument in the next Zelda game for the Wii. They might do something like they did in Twilight Princess where there were other ways of musically unlocking a part of your quest like the Wolf Howling.

I’d like to see a new instrument come into play for Zelda Wii, I just hope Nintendo is imaginative and puts a new spin on it.

Cole Wagner writes:

In zelda twilight princess there was scene with link and this girl. She has a kinfe and no eyes there was also three shadow Links I played the game twice and still don’t understand what this scene is talking about. Could you explain?

James responds:

From what I interpreted it as, it is the origin story of the Twilight Realm. It was Xeno who said it last week, that it shows how a person can easily be corrupted, which is a theme of the game overall. Here is the entry from last week:

Xeno adds (from Last Time):

As you know, corruption plays as an important theme in Twilight Princess. The vision Lanayru gave Link was to show not only of past events concerning the interlopers who tried to take over dominion over the Scared Realm, but also of how corruption (in this case, associated with power) can consume oneself.

“O hero chosen by the goddesses, beware. Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it.” – Lanayru

Katrina writes:

I know that there was a question asked earlier based around this, but to add off it; in Twilight Princess, when Zelda gave her triforce to save Midna, where did she go when she disappeared? Did her release of power automatically put her in Ganon’s hands? Or was her “vanishing” simply supposed to represent the fact that she gave over her power?

James responds:

I think she handed over her power and is stuck in a limbo somewhere, waiting for the time where she would come back and help Link and Midna.

Unfortunately, Ganondorf finds her first and uses her body as a puppet to attack Link.

Xeno adds:

It’s hard to say exactly what happened. Zelda’s power enabled her to keep her corporeal manifestation within the Twilight Realm. When she gave Midna her power, that power was passed on to Midna, however, with the opposite affect (Midna was able to keep her corporeal form within Hyrule’s realm). One could theorize that because Zelda no longer had that power, she faded into the Twilight.

With particular scenes like these, there is no right or wrong answer, since we don’t really know what happened. So, your guess would be as good as mine.

chuggaaconroy fan writes:

Do you think Zelda should ever go on a non-Nintendo system, for better graphics?

James responds:

Zelda is a Nintendo series and as such will remain on Nintendo systems for that sole reason. If Nintendo ever pulls a Sega and stops making consoles

(which I don’t see happening EVER), then it may be possible. Don’t hold your breathe, though.

Xeno adds:

As long as Nintendo was developing the game.

Over the years, Nintendo has incorporated their own uniqueness and play-style to their games that can only be described as one word — Nintendo-esque. I’d hate to see the Zelda series lose that appeal and charm we’ve all come to know and love.

SacredSturgeon adds:

They tried that before. Didn’t work out very well. :3

ZeldaFan724 writes:

What do you think The legend of zelda would be like without bosses?

James responds:

It would be very anti-climatic. That is like asking what any game would be without bosses. A game is a story with a antagonist and protaganist. The protaganist must defeat the antagonist, and most times, a game has a villian with many lackeys trying to kill you as much as he/she is. That’s just the way it is.

Link Zelda Ganondorf writes:

Which Link is better young, adult or toon link

James responds:

This is tough. However, I think Adult Link, just because it is easier to get away with things when your older than when you are a kid. Plus, you are a lot stronger and can do a lot more when you are older as well, as showcased in some of the games in the series.

Connor writes:

I was wandering, seeing as Phantom Hourglass is set in a different world is it possible that it is the flooded version of Termania in Majora’s Mask (I have never played it before so i dont know any land marks or anything that could help)

James responds:

Given that you return to Tetra’s ship only a few minutes after leaving, it would seem that the game is not set in Termina. There are no landmarks in the game that tell you either way, so I am not entirely sure.

Xeno adds:

It is heavily implied at the ending of Phantom Hourglass that the world Link, Tetra, and Lineback were in was merely a dream world created by the Ocean King (a.k.a., Oshus).

SacredSturgeon adds:

Given that MM takes place in an alternate dimension whereas PH merely takes place outside of Hyrule’s boundaries, so it doesn’t seem likely to me.

Mind you, even disregarding that, while it would be possible, it still wouldn’t be terribly likely due to the complete lack of anything at all pointing to any connection between the two.

thezeldasensei writes:

Hi Im new to Zelda Universe and I got to say that I love your site. Im a life long Zelda fan and I have played and beaten every one. My favorite Zelda game is without a doubt Majora’s Mask. My question is do you think Nintendo would ever make another return to Termina with either Majora’s Mask or another evil force? And if so, do you think it would be a sequel to the original or not?

James responds:

There is a rumor floating around the net that the new Zelda for the Wii will be a sequel to MM, with the same Hero of Time from MM. I would love to see another adventure in Termina and a little bit more fleshed out with the history of the land and its races. Granted, the races are the same as Ocarina, but the tribes and such are different in Termina.

Noah the Nintendo Nerd writes:

What do you think of this idea–
A game (probably for DS) where Sheik is the main character…… having to save Link, or maybe not save, but help him- maybe it could take place in between the other main games? I’m not sure, It was on my mind

James responds:

I have always wanted to write a fan fic that takes place in the 7 year period that Link is sleeping, showcasing how Zelda became Shiek and that it was Zelda who hid all the items in the temples for Link to find. I love the Shiek character and I would love to play a game with Shiek as the main character, but I don’t see it happening.

ed writes:

Is the upside down triforce poem really a riddle?

James responds:

I don’t know. I mentioned the last time that it is a secret to everyone and that is what I meant. No one knows except the person who created it, and he isn’t speaking.

Edwin Serpas writes:

Hey what happens to Link’s beginning sword and shield after he gets the master sword or the upgraded version of the shield (always different names)? And why can’t he keep both swords in battle almost like Roxas in the Kingdom Hearts series before he battles Riku and when Roxas battles Sora? I understand how hard it is to carry 2 shields, but what happens to the first shield or first sword?

James responds:

In most of the games, you can still equip them if you need them later in the game. You just have to assume that the it is possible for people in Hyrule to carry a LOT of items in that wonderful Hammerspace we know and love.

If you don’t know what Hammerspace is, it is time to read up and learn.

Acorafication writes:

1. What’s your opinion on the LoZ fanmovie, The Sage of Darkness?

2. What would your opinion be one a LoZ RPG? It wouldn’t necessarily have to do with the whole Link-Ganon-Zelda storyline, but would take place in Hyrule, with the races and Lore of the series. You would be able to create your own character, choose their race, their class, whether they were good or evil, ect.

What would you think of this? Would you like it? What race would you use? And what kind of character would you play? Good or evil, mage, warrior, archer, or rogue?

James responds:

1) Never seen it and unfortunately, I do not have the time to take a look at it right now. When I get the chance, I will take a look and get back to you.

2) My answer is above in a prior question. I would rearrange the questions so that they are together, but I don’t feel like it. Sorry.

Xeno adds:

2) The Zelda series has always sort of been in the Action-Adventure genre (save a couple of games). Personally, I wouldn’t want to see it go into any other genre.

SacredSturgeon adds:

2) That too, is something they tried before. It’s highly underrated.

Well, actually AoL doesn’t really fit the description, so to properly answer the question: while I like the idea of being able to play as other races (which, incidentally, is something they’ve tried before as well. It’s one of the better entries in the series), I myself just don’t see such a game working well.

Having said that, if they can make it work, I’d totally be a Goron. A Goron that likes pounding **** into the ground, specifically.

Aniday adds (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

We all know Nintendo isn’t really in the MMORPG business. They seem to hate to have people communicate directly and play online. So it’s a given that there will probably never be a Zelda MMO made. Ever.

However, if one was made some major changed would have to take place in the world of Zelda and how you play it. The Legend of Zelda is meant to be played by yourself with you as Link and you being the only main hero. With an MMO, every is a hero so obviously no one can be Link. Like any MMO there would be playable classes like Gorons, Zoras, Hylians and all the staple Zelda spices. There would also be a bunch of Zelda related quests and items and so on.

The thing that all MMO’s have and Zelda does not, however, is an ever expanding, huge backstory.

Yes, Zelda has a decent sized lore and people can talk about how all the games tie into it for ages, but look at games like World of Warcraft. WoW has a massive web of story lines and quests and backstory that makes the game incompleateable. Zelda doesn’t have that and it’s likely that Zelda will never have that

Even if Nintendo did make a Zelda MMO it wouldn’t feel like Zelda to me. It would be too far detached from what I love about how I play Zelda where I am the only hero on my lonely quest to defeat evil.

GamerRob1 writes:

According to several theories, the “Heros Shade” (The character on Twilight Princess who teaches you special skills, but first shows up as the gold wolf.) is the Hero of Time which is of course, the Link from OOT, and MM. Some evidence of this is that the hero’s shade says things that would be a dead give away.

For example, He claims that he was the chosen hero in the past, and had to slay the dark lord to save hyrule. He also looks pretty similer to a Stalfos. Which are people who get lost, and die in the lost woods without a fairy. And Link was looking for his fairy after MM. Anyway, Stalfos’s become evil, but of course since the Hero of Time had a good soul, he was not evil. His equipment actually looks pretty similer to MM’s Great Fairy Sword, and the Mirror Shield too. but rusted out of course.

Then the final thing he says to Link on the last skill. He says “Run and do not falter, My child.”. He could have been refurring to him as his student. But some think he was saying it as his child. There are many other give aways, but this message is getting kind of big lol. Some other evidence is that Malon was a rancher, and Link on TP grew up as a rancher. So its just something to think about.

But anyway, i would like your opinion on this, hopefully it makes it to your video. Sorry for the huge message, and thanks.

James responds:

When I first heard saw the “Run and do not falter, My child,” line from the game, I started to wonder if the Shade was the Hero of Time, or a Link from the past. I could definitely see Nintendo playing with us and putting those clues in to make us think that. It would be a fitting place to put the Hero of Time, since the TP is after the Child Timeline, right? This makes the Stalfos theory a little more plausible definitely.

link1123333 writes:

hey love the videos keep em coming
ok so my question is what would you think if they ported any of the n64 zeldas to the ds/dsi in my opinion ocarina on ds would be amazing what would your opinion be thanks

James responds:

As much as I would love to see an upgrade of OoT, my opinion still stands that OoT has been re-released too many times and should be left alone. Zelda team is going to devote most of their attention on newer games for us to enjoy.

Dan writes:

In Twilight Princess which of the 10 dungeon’s did you find the hardest?

James responds:

I would have to say either Lakebed Temple or Snowpeak Ruins. The Lakebed Temple just because it’s yet another Water Temple that requires you to once again manipulate the water of the temple, only this time it is the direction it’s going. Snowpeak because it is a large house that requires you to backtrack to the foyer three times, an annoying mini-boss with the Ball and Chain, and freezing enemies around EVERY CORNER.

That is all.

Xeno adds:

I found City in the Sky particularly challenging. It was the only dungeon I actually got stuck on a few times.

SacredSturgeon adds:

Twilight Princess? Dungeons? Hard? I’m afraid I do not understand this question.

(In all seriousness, I have to agree with the Xeno here. City in the Sky did give me some trouble. Lousy Clawshot puzzles… )

Leon J. Fletcher writes:

Thanks for answering my question a couple weeks back. This week, I have a few more to ask:

1) If you could come up with a new plot and Name to a Zelda game, what would it be?

2) What Zelda game do you think has the best music compositions?

3) What would you think of a Zelda game where you would play as someone completely different than Link?

4) What do you think has been the best instrument in any Zelda game and what new instruments do you think could be involved?

5) What’s your top 5 Zelda bosses and Zelda boss music?

6) What would you think a multiplayer co-op Zelda would be like?

7) and finally, What is your favorite enemy (octorok, mobline, keese etc.)?

James responds:

1) The Legend of James: Mailbag of Time

2) I think I have to agree with Aniday and say Majora’s Mask. Clock Town has such a joyous tune that makes you feel like there is a celebration going on, which there is. However, once the Moon gets closer, the music starts to speed up and make you feel panic.

Most of the tunes in the areas are also that of sadness, because the world is being fooled around with due to the effects of Majora’s Mask.

3) First off, I think it should be in a limited role, where Link is unable to move and someone needs to take over for a short period of time. I think it could definitely add to the series if done right.

4) I answered this earlier and I still stick with the Ocarina.

5) Cragma(ST) because you have to run around the track of the room and take out multiple targets with your Bow. Argorok(TP) because I still feel it is one of the unique boss battles ever; the fact that you have to use the double clawshots to stay in the air, avoid fire, and then latch onto the dragon’s back to attack is very cool. Morpheel(TP) because it is an underwater battle that needs a lot of patience; you have to attack on the ground and swimming around the water. Phantom Ganon(OoT) because you have to make sure you have to attack the right Phantom out of the painting and then attack him when he is out of the painting. Gohdan, just because it is one of the few bosses in the series that is trying to help you win, but still trying to kill you in the process.

Boss Music in no order: OoT, MM, TP, tWW, and LA.

6) I think it would be called Four Sword Adventures, and it would be good.

7) My favorite enemy? Hmm… I can’t really think of one, but if I had to choose, Armos, the statues that aren’t. Especially in The Minish Cap, when you have to turn some of them on and off to open new paths.

Aniday adds (from the Mid-Week Mailbag)

2) Majora’s Mask. That game not only has an excellent score, but it used it’s music wonderfully. Take the Three Days for example. On each day the music in Clock Town reflects how much time you have left. Even in the final moments the music becomes somber as if the world has accepted it’s fate and waits that last hour before doom. It’s moments like these that pull you in and make you a part of the game. I have always become panicked in these moments where I am afraid that I may not finish what I had to do in that hour before I could not wait any longer to go back to the First day. Music is a big part of these feelings, and Majora’s Mask mastered that.

AuraKshatriya writes:

1) This is a fairly random question, but I suppose I`ll give it a shot.

Ocarina of Time`s Link was “said” to be a descendant of the Knights of Hyrule, or something to that effect, if I remember correctly.

In The Wind Waker, the concept of Pirates, another type of sword-wielding group was explored, but they never really expanded on Knighthood. The Boss of Twilight Princess, Twilit Dragon Argorok gave me the same sort of feeling, knights were typically dragon-slayers, so it would make sense in a Zelda game. Do you think it`s possible that Knighthood, as a concept, may be explored in the Zelda series in the future at some point, or that it may play a role to some degree?

2) Though I`m sure you`ve seen various speculative articles, ect., on it, what is your opinion on the true identity of the character from The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess known s the Hero`s Shade? I`ve seen guesses that he`s actually Link from Ocarina of Time, ect., based on things he says, how he moves, and various other points. Do you think this could be true, or do you have another take on it?

James responds:

1) I think it was the ALttP Link that is supposedly a descendant of the Knights, but I do remember seeing one of them being so.

I think Link is already a knight of sorts in the series, it is just never really stated in the games. He protects a Princess and is a master of swordplay and archery. That usually makes someone a good knight in my opinion.

2) I agree with everyone that the Hero’s Shade is either the Hero of Time who became a Stalfos, or a descendant of the Hero of Time.

Maranda writes:

Since the new Zelda Wii should be coming out in mid 2010, I began to think… Should Link ever get the chance to speak in a Zelda game? If you agree, should it be with voice acting (grant it every other character gets voice acting as well) or using text only and why? Thank you for taking the time to look at my message and I hope to get your opinion.

James responds:

Actually, Zelda Wii will more than likely come out at the end of 2010.

I agree with a lot of people who see Link as a link to the player, as it always has been since the series has begun. Therefore, if you add a voice to Link, you are taking away that link the player has to the character. The character is now someone you are just controlling and not becoming that character.

rags18 writes:

Do you think Nintendo takes the fans input when making new zelda games?

James responds:

They may go around to fan sites and see the concerns we have for the series, but I think the majority of them just have a set way to create the game before going in. Therefore, if you place a concern for a game currently in development, you won’t see it resolved until the next game. That’s just how it works really.

Deku-Baby writes:

Japan really seem to like tingle, there are 3 games just for him, but why over at America people don’t like Tingle the way the Japanese do? Is there a certain reason for this?

James responds:

I think Aniday put it better than I ever could: Japan’s culture enjoys a lot more weirder things than we do in America. Yes, we like weird things as well, but Japan seems to outdo us in that sense. Tingle is one of those that seems to do better in Japan than over here. It is just the way it is.

Aniday adds (from the Mid-Week Mailbag):

Because of differing cultures. If you notice in Japan they have a lot of weird and wacky games that don’t make any sense. Take Katamari, for example. They seem to love to make those kinds of games because I assume it sells there. It doesn’t really make sense to me, but that’s my guess.

oconnell5522 writes:

Ganondorf was killed in both twilight princess and Windwaker.Do you think his ghost,or otherwise some other spirit could show up in future games?

James responds:

Well, Ganondorf has actually been revived a number of time as well in games that are later in the timeline, where he would be killed in past games. One such game is the Oracle games, where the whole purpose of the games was to revive Ganon by killing both Bosses of the game. Whether a ghost would be seen in the future? I don’t think so.

Nintendo Uboy writes:

I know a lot about the games but I don’t know a lot about this site, my question is what’s up with the poll?? when I was here a couple months ago I saw the SAME POLL

James responds:

I will tell Cody that we need to update it. I thought he was going to keep on it, but apparently not.

Ruffblade027 writes:

What in your opinion is the best instrument used in the games?

Aniday responds:

The best instrument in a Zelda game hands down in the Ocarina of Time. It’s been used in two games wonderfully. From manipulating time to your advantage to warping across the game world, the Ocarina is probably one of, if not, the most Powerful Zelda item ever. No other instrument comes close, in my opinion.

As for future Zelda instruments, who knows? Nintendo might not even use an instrument in the next Zelda game for the Wii. They might do something like they did in Twilight Princess where there were other ways of musically unlocking a part of your quest like the Wolf Howling.

I’d like to see a new instrument come into play for Zelda Wii, I just hope Nintendo is imaginative and puts a new spin on it.

Acorafication writes:

What would your opinion be one a LoZ RPG? It wouldn’t necessarily have to do with the whole Link-Ganon-Zelda storyline, but would take place in Hyrule, with the races and Lore of the series. You would be able to create your own character, choose their race, their class, whether they were good or evil, ect. What would you think of this? Would you like it? What race would you use? And what kind of character would you play? Good or evil, mage, warrior, archer, or rogue?

Aniday responds:

We all know Nintendo isn’t really in the MMORPG business. They seem to hate to have people communicate directly and play online. So it’s a given that there will probably never be a Zelda MMO made. Ever.

However, if one was made some major changed would have to take place in the world of Zelda and how you play it. The Legend of Zelda is meant to be played by yourself with you as Link and you being the only main hero. With an MMO, every is a hero so obviously no one can be Link. Like any MMO there would be playable classes like Gorons, Zoras, Hylians and all the staple Zelda spices. There would also be a bunch of Zelda related quests and items and so on.

The thing that all MMO’s have and Zelda does not, however, is an ever expanding, huge backstory.

Yes, Zelda has a decent sized lore and people can talk about how all the games tie into it for ages, but look at games like World of Warcraft. WoW has a massive web of story lines and quests and backstory that makes the game incompleateable. Zelda doesn’t have that and it’s likely that Zelda will never have that

Even if Nintendo did make a Zelda MMO it wouldn’t feel like Zelda to me. It would be too far detached from what I love about how I play Zelda where I am the only hero on my lonely quest to defeat evil.

Deku-Baby writes:

Japan really seems to like tingle, there are 3 games just for him, but why over at America people don’t like Tingle the way the Japanese do? Is there a certain reason for this?

Aniday responds:

Because of differing cultures. If you notice in Japan they have a lot of weird and wacky games that don’t make any sense. Take Katamari, for example. They seem to love to make those kinds of games because I assume it sells there. It doesn’t really make sense to me, but that’s my guess.

Leon J. Fletcher writes:

What Zelda game do you think has the best music compositions?

Aniday responds:

Majora’s Mask. That game not only has an excellent score, but it used it’s music wonderfully. Take the Three Days for example. On each day the music in Clock Town reflects how much time you have left. Even in the final moments the music becomes somber as if the world has accepted it’s fate and waits that last hour before doom. It’s moments like these that pull you in and make you a part of the game. I have always become panicked in these moments where I am afraid that I may not finish what I had to do in that hour before I could not wait any longer to go back to the First day. Music is a big part of these feelings, and Majora’s Mask mastered that.

Elisko writes:

Hey there! This is a random question. Which of Link’s partners (ex: Midna, Navi, etc.) did you like the best and why?

James responds:

I think I would have to choose Midna. I tend to like characters with sarcastic and smarky personalities, and Midna is one of them. Plus, with characters like Navi and Tatl, you don’t really see their stories fleshed out as much as Midna’s. Midna is a very unique story and character that you just can’t help but love her, even when you want to hurt her badly.

Xeno adds:

I’d have to say Midna. Character-wise, hands-down Midna wins — Midna has shown more emotion than any other Zelda character to date in my book. Not to mention not only was she useful in giving you hints to defeat enemies, but she was also part of the action herself (combat, transformation, transportation).

Then there’s the fact that she was also a vital role in the plot of Twilight Princess.

Dylan writes:

Do you think that a zelda game collection, all the games, with textures as an option, and MAYBE voice audio, (navi and link dont count (link from WW)) and maybe some more master quests? why or why not?

James responds:

I sent this person an email saying that I couldn’t understand the question, but then I figured it out. They are asking if a game collection with those features would be a good idea, and why or why not.

Textures, as in playing the game in updated graphics? If that were the case, some of the games might benefit from that and others not so much. The original game may not translate well to 3D, but once again that is my personal old school bias speaking again. OoT and MM, of course, would benefit the best from updated graphics. WW plays the best in the graphics it is in now, especially with the cartoony style and emotions the game evokes.

Voice audio is definitely something that shouldn’t be added to older games. Voice audio in Zelda games would seem to be tacked onto a game that doesn’t need it to succeed.

Master Quests in some of the games may work. Like I said last week, MM doesn’t need one in my opinion, it’s already hard enough as it is. ALttP might seem like a good idea to put a master quest on, as with WW, TP, ST, PH, and many others. So, yes, master quests may be a good idea.

Calvin writes:

what would the probability of ocarina of time coming to the ds/dsi i mean its possible they ported over a few other nintendo 64 games(sm64 and soo on) if they did port it what would your opinion be?

James responds:

I think Nintendo has shot this down numerous times. A lot of people want OoT to be ported and have some updated graphics and ported somewhere. I have said numerous times in the past that releasing yet another rendition of this game is overkill. The original, the master quest, the virtual console, and the collector’s edition. They have placed this game in SO many places, that it’s not even funny.Zelda team is working on making good games now and relevant to today. They don’t really want to revisit the past and update a game that doesn’t really need to be updated, in my opinion as well.

writes:

Hey ZeldaUniverse. I’m a long time Minish Cap freak, it was my first ever Zelda game, (I know, that’s sad,) and it’s the one that really got me into Zelda.

You don’t think they’ll make a 3-D remake of it for DS, do you?

James responds:

I think the game in its current form is the best version of the game. There is nothing wrong with it’s graphics. I think that giving older games updated graphics is not a priority of the Zelda team at this time. Finishing up the new game and then going to work on the next game is the priority. If there is ever a chance to update some games, it may happen, but don’t count on it.

EzloSpirit writes:

I was thinking back to TP while reading the latest mailbag, and I remembered a really confusing scene in it. I believe you see the scene after collecting all the Tears of Light before the Lakebed Temple. It’s the one where you see Dark Link, and then Ilia gets possessed or something, and then Link goes evil, I think…. You can tell I kind of didn’t understand that scene. That’s why I’m coming to you for help! If you can, could you please explain that scene? Thanks for the help, as always!

James responds:

As I cannot tell you myself the meaning of that scene, I am bring in some help again.

Xeno adds:

As you know, corruption plays as an important theme in Twilight Princess. The vision Lanayru gave Link was to show not only of past events concerning the interlopers who tried to take over dominion over the Scared Realm, but also of how corruption (in this case, associated with power) can consume oneself.

“O hero chosen by the goddesses, beware. Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it.” – Lanayru

Cody writes:

Do you only have one shirt? Do we need to launch a ZU fundraiser campaign to get you a new shirt?

James responds:

Yes, please, I always like getting free stuff! Maybe we can create a ZU team shirt so that all the wonderful staff can have one!

The reason you see me in that shirt is because it is the best Zelda shirt I own and it made sense to me to wear it. I will probably wear non-zelda shirts in the future.

Zelda Obsessed writes:

What is the relation between the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass and the other dieties of The Legend of Zelda? Is he greater, lesser, and is he the true ruler of the sea, cuz I thought the godess of Wisdom was the ruler of all “water”… And also from PH, the three faires that you posses, are they not embodiments of the Godesses, or do they just possess their traits?

James responds:

The Ocean King seems to be a very powerful being in terms of his domain. Just as the Wind Fish is the domain of Koholint, the Ocean King is the ruler of the Great Sea in that dream state.

I don’t remember seeing the Goddess of Wisdom being the ruler of the water. I believe that she created the land and the ocean, but that doesn’t automatically make her the ruler of it. The Ocean King may also be a symbol of the the ruler of the ocean, which makes sense as well.

I don’t believe the fairies are the embodiments of the goddesses, just possess their traits as wisdom, courage, and power.

Xeno adds:

The relationship between the Ocean King and the other deities is merely the fact that he is a deity himself. It might be worthy to note the fact that both the Ocean King and Koholint’s Wind Fish (Link’s Awakening) have both created dream worlds and both grant wishes. The exact relationship between to the two deities is moot. Some theorize that the Ocean King and the Wind Fish are one in the same — however, this is mere speculation.

Nayru, the goddesses of wisdom, has nothing to do with ruling the sea. Water is merely the element associated with said goddess.

While each individual fairy is named after the three main traits associated with the goddesses (Courage, Power, and Wisdom respectively), the three fairies from Phantom Hourglass — Ciela, Leaf, and Neri — are not incarnations of the goddesses. Rather, they’re merely (fairy) servants of the Ocean King.

KeatonPrincess writes:

Is there a relationship between the dream world of Link’s awkening, and the “dream world” of Phantom hourglass?

James responds:

I don’t see a relationship between the two, except for their ocean deity and the fact they technically do not exist.

Xeno adds:

The only relationship, it seems, is that both are dream world’s made up of from a deity (Wind Fish and Ocean King respectively). An interesting note is that both the Wind Fish and the Ocean King also have the power to grant a wish.

Justin Basl writes:

Hey James. I love the zelda universe page on youtube.com

I’ve played almost every zelda game, and I have always found that in every zelda game, Nintendo likes to gives subtle hints about what the next zelda game is going to include. (example: OOT uses the masks in the side quests. Then in MM, the masks are solely based around the masks changing feature.)

Remember the Dark Link cut scene in TP? It looked like Nintendo was trying to hint at Link having a greedier side, a darker side, considering you never get to fight Dark Link in the game. The scene, to me, felt really out of place, it still never made sense to me.

Nintendo said they are going to change the format in the new game thats coming out for the Wii.

My question is that, we are used to helping out random characters (side quests) in the all the zelda games to acquire more items. Do you think there could be a chance that the next Wii game might include a feature, in which you choose to do good or bad deeds? (similar in the game “Fable”) A “Darker Link”, if you will.

To me, this would heighten the gamers experience to a new level in which zelda games have never featured before.

Thank you for your time. I’m a Zelda fan for life. =)3

James responds:

Thanks for the love for ZUTV. I think its a nifty idea, even if it is only my lovely face that graces it on a regular basis.

Including a option to choose whether you can be good or bad is a very different idea for a Zelda game. I mean, look at Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Samus is a morally good character, but as the game progresses, the Phazon starts to eat away at her morality. While she never truly goes all the bad, a very good person can be corrupted. Having a plot that involves a dark or light Link may work, definitely.

ruffblade027 writes:

1) I’ve been wondering can you tell me the chronological order that the games happen in. not the order they were made!

2) what is your favorite version of link
link with brown sleeves
link young
adult link
toon link

3) What is your opion on the fan made movie The Hero Of Time. Should NINTENDO have compromisedwith the fans to keep it running?

4) Did you think it was a good idea to send link back in time at the end of ocrarina of time

James responds:

1) The Timeline is not my forte. I mention that all the time. I will point you to our timelinetheory and our theorizing forums for more information.

2) I believe the Link from TP is the best looking Link.

3) Nah, Nintendo was protecting their franchise the way they felt it necessary. Big companies like that do things like that all the time to protect their property. Nintendo did compromise a little with them, allowing them to keep it up for a little bit of time and then it needed to be taken down. So, if you got the video before they did, consider yourself lucky.

4) It needed to be done. Link had lost his childhood due to the events of the game, he deserved to have it back. Zelda didn’t think that the Master Sword would send the person into a sleep before he was able to use it. That was Zelda’s way of giving back Link what she had taken from him.

Drew writes:

Would you ever want to see a direct sequel to Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks?

James responds:

How is Phantom Hourglass not a direct sequel? That doesn’t make any sense. So, my answer would be no, I don’t want another sequel, because we have two sequels to Wind Waker.

NoahtheNintendoNerd writes:

What would you think of a Zelda game where Link and Ganon must join forces, even though they dont want to? I think it would bring a big, BIG diffrence in the story of Zelda, but yet, I think we would all like to see that happen, as it would seem not possible!

James responds:

Well, we have seen Mario and Bowser join forces in the past, so it’s not impossible. I can’t think of a scenario where this would happen, because Link and Ganondorf have VERY differing opinions on everything when it comes to Hyrule. Something even more evil than Ganondorf would have to be taking over Hyrule for them to join forces.

Johathan writes:

Hey ZU do you believe that Minish Cap in the timeline is the end of the Master Sword because to me the Picori Blade looks like the Master Sword then later in the game wehn you make the Four Sword it seems that when the Four Sword Saga starts could you please give me your opion of this

James responds:

While the two look similar, I don’t think they are the same sword. I believe that the Master Sword was created by the sages, while the Picori Blade was crafted by the Minish. Therefore, this theory has some holes in it, so I don’t think it’s possible.

link53 writes:

in zelda spirit tracks when do you get the locomo sword

James responds:

You obtain it after you beat the Sand Temple, get the Bow of Light, and take to Anjean. She gives it to you.

Phoenix Flyer writes:

The first Zelda game i ever played was Wind Waker. I just wanted to know, What was your first Zelda Game you every played?

James responds:

The first game I technically played was the original for the NES, but I was two when I did. The first game I truly sat down, played, and understood was Link’s Awakening. It’s a game I cannot put down due to that fact either.

Xeno adds:

My first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time back in ‘98. Unfortunately, I was introduced to the series relatively late in my life, so I hadn’t played previous Zelda games before. However, as any fan of Zelda knows, Ocarina of Time is a great game to start out on. I’m just happy I was able to enjoy Ocarina of Time when it was initially released. It was easily the Zelda game that had me interested in the Zelda series from the get-go.

Dan writes:

How many of the 14 Zelda games have you completed, James?

James responds:

LoZ – No
AoL – No
ALttP – Yes (2009)
LA – Yes (2001ish)
OoT – Yes (2006)
MM – No
OoA – Yes (2009)
OoS – Yes (2009)
TWW – Yes (2007ish)
FSA – No
TMC – No (I only needed to beat Vaati, but I lost my file)
TP – Yes (2008)
PH – Yes (2008)
ST – No

RobustPhoenix writes:

What are your Top 10 Zelda songs?

James responds:

Not in any particular order:
1) Prelude of Light (OoT)
2) Hyrule Field (TP)
3) Underworld Theme (LoZ)
4) Lost Woods (ALttP)
5) Woodfall Temple (MM)
6) Hyrule Field (OoT)
7) Sacred Grove (TP)
Linebeck’s Theme (PH)
9) Forest Temple (OoT)
10) Water Temple (OoT)

Xeno adds:

In no particular order:

1) Midna’s Lament (Twilight Princess)
2) Song of Healing (Majora’s Mask)
3) Gerudo Valley (Ocarina of Time)
4) Ocarina of Time Theme (Ocarina of Time)
5) Wind Waker Theme (Wind Waker)
6) Don’t Want You No More (Twilight Princess)
7) Saria’s Song (Ocarina of Time)
Dragon Roost Island Theme (Wind Waker)
9) Zelda’s Lullaby (Ocarina of Time)
10) Last Day (Majora’s Mask)

Jacob writes:

In the picture released by Nintendo for the new “Zelda Wii”, how does the little blue girl fit into it?

James responds:

We are not certain what that blue girl means to the game. We have seen many rumors around the net stating that the game is going to center more around the Master Sword, and she is the Master Sword in human form. We have heard that she is the next Navi/Tatl/Midna, and will help you throughout the game. We are not sure. Once Nintendo comes out at E3 (or sooner, we hope!) what she means to the game, we will let you know.

darkbooo963 writes:

What do you think if nintendo released four swords on the DS I say it would be nice not needing 3 other friends and cables.

Stevie F writes:

Do you think a multiplayer aspect would ever be successful in a Legend of Zelda game? I don’t mean like Four Swords where it was cooperative play. I mean like where you could fight each other in a competition. I think that if done properly, this could be a lot of fun.

James responds:

If not Four Swords, then another four player multiplayer game. I think we are all getting sick of the multiplayer seen in both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. I would love to see some sort of multiplayer Zelda game on the DS in the near future, whether it be another installment of the Four Sword series or another series altogether.

And to expand on Stevie F’s question, I thought Four Sword Adventures had that factor. You had the choice of playing a co-op play and then you could play a battle mode and fight each other in a battle arena. But yes, I think a multiplayer Zelda where you could use Link, Zelda, Ganon, and some other characters to play in a battle arena would be wonderful to play, but I don’t how Nintendo is going to create that and please everyone.

Gaming_Angel writes:

What would be your personal opinion about a majora’s mask remake on the wii, but with windwaker cell-shaded graphics?

James responds:

I think Majora’s Mask, if remade, should be under more realistic graphics. I think the tone of the game suits that style better. I think the games that have the cel-shading attached to them suit those game well: more carefree and humorous games with the save the world in there as well. I think that Twilight Princess was a dark type game as well, and those graphics suited that style well.

Dayv writes:

what kind of items are you expecting in the new zelda?

James responds:

I know that we will more than likely see: Bombs, a hookshot of some sort, Bow and Arrow, boomerang, and bottles. After that, I don’t know. What you have to ask yourself is what kind of puzzles do you want to see and what kind of item would be needed to finish them? You can also check out this thread: What kind of Weapons in our Future Zelda forum.

Xeno adds:

I expect all standard Zelda weapons to make a reappearance in some shape or form (bow and arrow, boomerang, hookshot, etc.). The bow and arrow immediately comes to mind — but who says it has to be just the bow and arrow? My guess is that Nintendo will incorporate tweaks, or upgrades, to favorites like the bow and arrow in order to make the 1:1 gameplay more interesting for what would be otherwise traditional Zelda items. Crossbow, anyone (Link’s Crossbow Training)?

As for new weapons: Considering that 1:1 WiiMotion Plus has been confirmed for the upcoming Zelda title, it’s likely we’ll see more first-person prospective weapons. Personally, I have a hunch that we might see a whip-like weapon in the game — it’s perfect for the 1:1 WiiMotion Plus. Truth be told, the sky is the limit, really. If the Zelda team can come up with something like the Spinner (Twilight Princess) and use it as a weapon, who knows what they might come up with next.

Kyle writes:

1) People in several message boards have been arguing about Sheik’s gender. Some people say Sheik is a guy, and some say Sheik is obviously a female since she is Zelda. From what I think I know, Zelda disguised herself as a male character, named Sheik. What’s your opinion in all of this?

2) Do you think they will expand on the sheikah? It seems they are the only group left fairly untouched in the zelda series. I understand that they are a very secretive group, but it seems that more can be said about them. Maybe giving them a more important role in Link’s adventures.

James responds:

1) Sheik is a female, no matter how you want to discuss it. You can dress up as a man all you want, but unless Zelda is very magical that she can hide her insides, then I applaude her. I think Zelda used her magic enough to hide her piece of the Triforce from Ganondorf and herself for seven years, but that’s it. She is a girl, no matter what.

2) I’m pretty sure that Ocarina of Time mentioned that they were a dying race and that Impa was one of the last to survive. I could have read that wrong, but I am pretty sure. Therefore, in order to really see them, we would have to go way back in the timeline, before even Ocarina of Time to see them.

Cody adds:

1) Disguising yourself as a man is entirely possible even for a normal person in real life, so I don’t see why a magic body swap would be necessary.

Plus, if Zelda had the ability to magically put herself in new bodies, it would have been easy enough for her to just become a Moblin or a dragon or something and never be bothered again.

2) It’s untrue that they are the only untouched group. Just about every Zelda game has a token new race that never really gets expanded on. The Subrosians, Minish, Sheikah, Rito, Kokiri, Lokomo etc.

It’s unlikely we’ll hear about them again because they seem to be OoT-specific.

wally00222 writes:

What is your top 5 Zelda games?

James responds:

In no particular order: Link’s Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, and Majora’s Mask. LA for being the first game I really say down and played; Ocarina of Time because it is Ocarina of Time; Twilight Princess because it just an epic game and the story and gameplay work very well (even if others don’t agree); ALttP because it’s ALttP; and Majora’s Mask just because it’s a very unique game and it should have a lot more recognition than it does.

And as a treat, here are what some of the other staff said:

Nolan adds:

I play games almost solely for the storylines, so that is what mostly influences my choices.

01. Ocarina of Time – Because it was the game that convinced me I wanted an N64, thus getting me my first console that was actually solely mine and not anyone elses. Also a good storyline
02. Majora’s Mask – Amazing storyline and great concept with all the masks-as-items things.
03. A Link to the Past – Great storytelling for a 2D adventure game of its time.
04. The Wind Waker – A visual style that really worked, as well as some good story moments.
05. Twilight Princess – Starts out great, but lags towards the end. Still quite a good game.

Cody adds:

1) Majora’s Mask
2) Wind Waker
3) Link’s Awakening
4) Ocarina of Time
5) Twilight Princess

Xeno adds:

1) Majora’s Mask
2) Ocarina of Time
3) Wind Waker
4) Link’s Awakening
5) Twilight Princess

Sadida adds:

This is just my personal preference, being a fan from the day the original Zelda was released:

1 – The Adventure of Link (I will, and will continue, forever, to love this game.. no matter what!)
2 – The Legend of Zelda
3 – Link’s Awakening
4 – Ocarina of Time
5 – A Link to the Past

This was an INCREDIBLY tough list to come up with, but this is my top 5. ^^

The Doorway to Destiny writes:

Do you think that Link should ever end one of his epic stories by dying once he saved the world? Even though I am all for Link surviving, what do you think it would be like if he had died at the end? Do you think it would make it any more of a wonderful tale? Any more EPIC? I would like to hear you thoughts on this. Thank you.

James responds:

I know what it would do and that is cause an uproar! It would have to be under a very unique circumstance, but if Nintendo pulled it off just right, I think it could work. All the new games are usually new Link’s anyway, so killing off one in the game would accomplish something that will eventually happen anyway.

Nolan adds:

I wouldn’t mind seeing a game that ended with a heroic sacrifice™ of sorts. If done properly I can definitely think it could be effective. It’d be somewhat unconventional, though it wouldn’t be the first time a Zelda game ended with a main character other than the villain dying in some sort of sacrificial fashion.

Steven Santerre writes:

We’ve seen it before, a Zelda game remake, so we know it isn’t impossible. If any Zelda game would be remade right now, what game do you think it would be and why? Maybe a LoZ or ALttP in 3D, or maybe a Wind Waker or Majora’s Mask “Master Quest”. Which do you think would be coolest?

James responds:

A Majora’s Mask “Master Quest”? What the game wasn’t hard enough for you to begin with?

I think seeing ALttP in 3D would be the Zelda fans dream, but I don’t see it happening. Wind Waker doesn’t really need a remake, but a Master Quest might work out well for that game over MM. LoZ remake in 3D would just blow my mind, as I think it deserves to stay right on the system it was released on, just to keep the nostaglia.

Adam writes:

Thanks for answering my question last week about the war scene, but I dont think i specified exactally what i mean, my bad. When nintendo first sent out a trailer during E3 for twilight princess (before the delays) there was a scene that showed link riding on his horse into a “mass” of enemies. Still maintaining a one on one gameplay mode, would that ever be possible. Like, You are link, and you have twetny soldiers that are with you, and all of you have to take out 100 enemies. It would result in you doing most of the fighting, yes, but they could spice up battles too. like enemy waves. First wave, foot soldiers, next wave, enemies on animals come, and you have to get on a horse and charge at them. This, imo, would be so fun. and would alos be a way for nintendo to give link another weapon instead of a sword. how about spear combat? I hope i made myself more clear in this mailbag haha. Thanks!

James responds:

It is not your fault, I usually get a lot of questions where I misinterpret the meaning. You are also not the first to email me right back and tell me about it either. You more than likely won’t be the last either.

I don’t remember seeing that trailer (I may have and just forgot) but I think that might work. Controlling just Link and having backup would be a wonderful thing. Maybe add in this aspect: you get a better score or item if you have so many of your troops survive a battle. Extra incentives would make that seem like it should be warranted. I think having Link on a horse with a sword suits him just well, and I don’t think giving him a spear would be as exciting, imo.

Leon writes:

What do you think about the layout of Spirit Tracks overall (storyline, train, dungeons, bosses etc.)?

James responds:

I still have yet to beat the game, mainly because I have been trying to 100% NSMBW! But, I have beat four temples and can tell you this from what I’ve seen: The puzzles are brillant, which is something I loved about Phantom Hourglass and they kept it similar in ST. The train felt to me like the boat in PH, another long and tedious time waster that couldn’t have easily been replaced with walking an overworld. I think if they gave us a choice of walking and being able to summon the train, the overworld would have been a lot better. The bosses are so far have been hit or miss. Fraaz, the Snow Temple boss is a clone of the Blaaz from Phantom Hourglass, with a little bit of twist. I actually died in the Ocean Temple trying to beat the Mini-Boss and Boss, but that was the only issue boss wise I have had. I love the Fire Temple’s boss, using the mine carts to ride around the room and ascend while trying to hit spots on his body. The story is alright, but it does seem to mirror that of Phantom Hourglass a little too much. An evil demon trapped by the people of older Hyrule and now is being freed slowly, so you must stop him at all costs! I am hoping that Zelda Wii has a newer, fresher story.

Nick writes:

Dose anyone know off hand if Link will be switchable between left and right handed in the new Zelda Wii or will he be only right handed like the Wii version of TP. (never actually played TP for the wii so if it is ambidextrous my bad ^_^’ I’m going by what i heard )

James responds:

I am not sure. The current rumor is that you will be able to, but that is just a rumor. I believe that back when Twilight Princess and the last delay.

You see, the game you play on Gamecube was the one you were meant to see: Link is left-handed and the map you see on that game is the right one. When the game was delayed to convert to Wii and make Link right-handed, instead of fixing the character, they mirrored the entire game to make Link right handed. Now that they have had more time, they might make it an option for all those lefties who want to see Link lefty.

I even believe that Miyamoto is left-handed (the reason Link is) and he found that playing the game with the Wiimote in your right hand and the nunchuck in the left was a lot more comfortable, which I believe the vast majority of people agreed.

Cutsceneaddict writes:

I love video game humor. In fact, online gaming web comics are among some of my favorite sites. Do you know any good gaming comic sites that include Zelda humor (besides Brawl in the Family, Awkward Zombie, Exploding Deku Nut, and 2P Start)?

James responds:

I think that Zelda humor is very few and far between in most of the mainstream comics on the net. The ones I remember seeing some Zelda humor was VGCats, maybe Ctrl+Alt+Del, maybe (this is a BIG maybe) PvP. Sadida on the forums mentioned the Zelda Comic that ZU had hosted a while back, but it hasn’t been updated since last June. She also mentioned that we host a slew of original Comics that we host right here at ZU. Other than that, we really can’t think of any other places to find Zelda humor.

Aaron writes:

Its a new decade as we all know, and it seems the zelda series has had a good run through the years. What i wanted to ask is what do you think we can expect from upcoming titles. Spirit tracks was great, yet it seemed like it could be continued. Also the new Zelda Wii is coming out this year hopfully, and I can’t help but wonder, will it prove to be as good as great a hit as Ocarina of time or Twilight Princess, or will it be an independant title giving us that same nostalgic feel, but also adding some new aspects and enviorment that just sets the mood for the game itself. I thought it was really cool when Twilight Princess had those special themes for each moment and important characters. What I love about the games are the stories they tell. So please include this in the next mailbag or two.

James responds:

The Link and Hyrule from Spirit Tracks could be expanded a little bit, I think, just because they introduced a new Hyrule and really didn’t allow us to explore.

As for the upcoming titles, I really hope what Nintendo is planning works out for the series. If you don’t know (and if you don’t, you really need to check your Zelda fan status), Nintendo is planning on COMPLETELY reworking the formula of a Zelda game. That is all they have told us and we are left to guess what that really means. Does that mean a new fighting system? Are we moving away from the OoT formula of item control and fighting? Are we not going to see the item we find in each temple key to the boss we have to fight? We don’t know! E3 can’t get here soon enough for us to finally find out what we are going to see in the new game.

Things I would hope for in the new game include the item piece I wrote above as well as this: An open Hyrule Field with small towns along the way for Link to stop in, similar to AoL, but with a little bit more to explore. The thing that I feel could have made TP so much better was the open field was so blank and lifeless. If you find that warping around the land is so much better than actually taking the time to walk from one end of the field to the other, than there is something wrong. Except for that, drawing on what TP did so well might make the next game that much better.

Adam writes:

Hey guys, I was wondering if you guys think that nintendo will ever make a zelda game that includes a war scene or maybe multiple battles. I think that would be awesome, wheather they’ll do it or not I don’t know. Would something like that even be achievable with a Wii motion plus attatchment? Thanks

James writes:

I think that would be awesome to include in a Zelda game, but it does seem like more of a RTS thing than a Zelda thing. When I think war scenes, I think scenes that involve me looking after a lot of characters at the same time (like Starcraft). I think Zelda has had games in the past where you had to go through multiple battles at the same time, but it was only Link running a gauntlet of some sort. Like the Cave of Ordeals in Twilight Princess. Granted, that is not what you’re thinking of, but I just don’t think Zelda is designed to be like that. Of course, they are changing the scheme a little (or at least that is what’s rumored), so we might.

John writes:

In twilight princess, when Midna seems to be dying, what is really happening? What does Zelda do to Midna afterwards? Did she die? because if she did, how does she come back in the fight with Ganondorf?

James writes:

Twilight beings are just that, Twilight. They are meant to live in the Twilight Realm and not in our world of the Light. So, when Zant sends her to the Light world, she is slowly being cursed because she is not immune to our world like we are. Zelda senses that when you bring Midna to her, and she sacrifices her Light to let Midna travel on with out the rest of the game. She feels that Midna is more of a help than Zelda could be, so that’s why she sacrifices herself. She doesn’t kill herself, which allows for her to come back later in the game to fight alongside you. In a sense, she loses her physical form, and becomes a spirit similar to that of Spirit Tracks. The only difference is you don’t see her. Very confusing, I know.

Ibrahim writes:

I would like to know the easiest way to eliminate Jolene in Phantom Hourglass in less then 5 shots

James writes:

There is no real easy way to kill her. The game decides when she wants to lock up with you, and it usually is under five shots. You can’t kill her, she will only retreat every time.

Dylan writes:

Why does Nintendo keep America from receiving nearly all of the Zelda spinoffs. All we have gotten was crossbow training.

HyruleMonk writes

I remember hearing about some Zelda spin off games like “Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland “, “Tetra Trackers”, and I was wondering why they haven’t come state-side yet? For me, they would be day-one purchases! You wouldn’t happen to know how I could get my hands on copies for their respective systems, do you?

Also, wasn’t there an “online” Zelda game in Japan? I wonder if Nintendo would consider releasing that on the VC.

James writes:

They have something against us, I guess. It seems to be a long standing feud between NoJ and NoA, where Japan seems to think we can’t handle a challenge or handle something different. Tingle’s game is not over here, because Americans (as a majority) can’t seem to stand him as a character. Tetra’s Trackers (or Navi’s Trackers in FSA) never made it over here as well, but I can’t seem to find a reason for that. Those are really the only two spinoff games I can think of that haven’t made it over here. Unless you can show me a few more that I have missed, I will be glad to research and find out why they never made it over here.

ChainofTermina writes:

1) so you accept any videogame quetions, even if they don’t have to do with Zelda, huh? okay here’s an idea I had; why don’t they make a game like Super Smash bros, only not fighting but racing. The could call it Super Speed Bros, or something. They have MarioKart, why not one with other games in it? Link could have Epona, Samus has her ship, Kirby has a warp star, etc. Sega kind of has a game like that, only half of those characters nobody knows about. Nintendo has a lot more famous classic characters, and I think a Smash-Bros-like Racing game would be cool. what do you think?

oh, and people complimented me on my WW shirt too. its a shame it doesn’t fit me any more.

2) okay, sorry I have an extremely irrelevant question. but this is driving me crazy and I have to ask SOMEONE. just what the hell exactly IS an ipod touch?people say they count it as a gameing console! I heard about the ipad and thought “huh, Apple has a portable tough screen computer. not really surprising.” but now everyone keeps calling it a large ipod touch. is an ipod touch REALLY just a small computer? the worlds smallest laptop? can it really do ANYTHING a computer can do? can I get to this site on an IPOD? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING? and for that matter, what is an iPhone!? I thought I new what these things were, but eversince the iPad came out, i don’t know anymore….

3) okay, I’m not trying to one up you or anything, its just a coincidence that I’m suddenly thinking of all these questions.

this one is actually site related. what’s with the poem? scroll down the bottom of the temple on the main site, there’s an upside down Triforce with the the Sheikah eye in it click on it and there’s this poem with out any sort of explanation or way to comment or even a “guess what it means” thing. it’s just there. wtf?

James writes:

1) You just had to send me a question, didn’t you? The only problem that I see off the bat is Link has a distinct disadvantage having a horse and everyone having a kart. But the idea is unique. I think you have an idea on your hands that you should definitely promote, even if you were just sending it to me, to send a question. That is definitely a game that I would play.

It’s also funny that the shirt still fits me. Granted, it is a 3XL and that is the perfect size that doesn’t shrink on me, but I would never give that shirt up for anything.

2) The iPod touch is an iPod. Have you ever seen the iPhone? Well, the iPod touch is the none-phone version of it, that is essentially an iPod with a touch screen. They are saying the iPad, which is Apple’s new tablet, is an oversized iPhone or iTouch because it seems to run the same way as both. They also say they are gaming machines because you can play some games on both, even if they are just simple ones. Go to google and type in iTouch or iPhone games and you will see some games that are on them both.

3) Sure you aren’t trying to one up me.

I have actually answered this in the past. This mailbag, the first question actually asks the same thing. I told them then and I still have the same answer now: I don’t know. There was actually a thread posted in the forums for it here, and the same conclusion was drawn there. If we ever find out, I don’t know.

Izzi writes:

do you think that in the sense of storyline the legend of zelda needs to take a more dramatic take on storyline and dramatics? althogh i am not a fan of the final fantasy series(dont really like the gameplay) the way they cultivate there story,s tend to be far more emersive and impresive than in LOZ they have high action cutscenes, and people put into dire situations such as dying or facing real world issues,cause if you havent noticed nintendo dose have a sort of soft spot for all there characters and doesnt actually kill any character.

i guess what iam trying to say is dont you think that there aproach in storyline, and the way they show there cutscenes should be more dramatic and realistic than people in trouble,save everyone,happy ending? its really a matter of opinion but i just wanna know if i am the only one who notices this^^;

James responds:

Nintendo has a way of showcasing themselves as family friendly. That is why you don’t see many M rated games on their consoles. Madworld is a very rare exception and I am kind of amazed that game exists in its Wii form.

That is why when you play a Nintendo game, it is usually very watered down and not very violent. However, I do recall watching a couple of cutscenes in Twilight Princess that were kinda edgy in terms of them being in a Zelda game. That scene where Link is running towards the Triforce with those weird eyes, that was kinda dramatic. Also, I am pretty sure you can’t get anymore dramatic than the ending of that game as well, when you see another character (Zant) take his own life to take away the threat that was Ganondorf. But I digress.

ZeldaNoob writes:

How come many people think that Zelda Wii is going to be rushed and should be delayed to make the game better even though it will be through nearly 4 3/4 of a year of production by the time the game releases?

James responds:

Because I don’t think these people understand how long the game actually has been in development. There are also some people who believe that the game is just being dumped this year because Nintendo is apparently going down the pipes and introducing Zelda, Mario, and Metroid all in the same year. This way, if anyone thinks that Nintendo isn’t releasing anything big, they are wrong. However, this is exactly how Nintendo usually works. They reveal the next big Zelda game at E3 of the same or previous year when it was released. If all the rumors around are true, and the game has been in development almost 5 years and the game is being released this year, then we will definitely hear something at E3.

Vegemyte writes:

Hi I’m a newbie and really need some help with Spirit Tracks, please!! I think I may have made a big mistake on the 13th Floor with the key because I used it to open the door to the west and now I can’t get through the door to get up to the 14th floor, does anyone have a solution? Please don’t tell me I have to start again from the beginning.

James responds:

Well, if you haven’t checked the walkthrough yet, then I can help you out this way. If I am sure of which key you have gotten (the one that was on the ramp on the southwest side of room near the door you opened) then you need the key that is in the chest activated in the southeast side of the room, where the Phantom is currently roaming. You need to stand in the middle of the southern part of the section, use the boomerang to move fire from the lit torch to the unlit torch. A chest should appear and all you have to do is open it. Voila, key to open the door. If you need more help, you can check out this section of our walkthrough for more help.

Luke writes:

Someone’s question from last week reminded me of something I’ve been wondering for a while. How is “Kakariko” pronounced? One of my friends pronounced it completely different than I thought it was. What’s your take on it?

James responds:

The way I pronounce it is just as how I read it. Kah-Kah-Ree-ko. Of course, I will say it in the audio portion, so stay tuned.

Twilight One writes:

Okay, I’m wondering, am I the only one around here that loves the Princess Zelda character? I mean why do we see her only a very few times in a game, she doesn’t get involved as do some other (very minor) characters, much to my (and I hope others) displeasure. The question is: Why can’t we play as her in some moments of the game, we could this way learn more about her feelings as the story unfolds… She’s devoloped in such an intriguing character that her name and her pretty face for 5 minutes in game (read series) that’s named after her is a shame. In Spirit Tracks she’s the sidekick, yay but still she’s just a spectator… She doesn’t get involved ‘physically’, you know. She’s the new Navi and the conscience of Link for the lenght of the game, that’s it, again we only get her back at the end of the game…

I really love Super Smash Bros. just because we can play as her, and I never hear other people who would like her to actually be of some interest to gameplay. Look at her in Super Smash, she CAN fight. To me, she’s much more noble, intelligent and beautiful than Princess Peach. And the latter even has a game featuring her and her only! Why do you think Nintendo just keeps her mostly silent and to the side when they could make her have a better role, the central one! She’s not Peach and is not a poor damsel in distress now. This situation really bothers me, I’m a longtime fan of the series and I really don’t see the point of calling it The Legend of Zelda. The hero Link is the only one that receives honors in it. It should be named The Legend of Link as it is right now!

Is there any chance we could play a game that’s actually her story, the ‘Legend of Zelda’ in which we would play as her?

James responds:

While I am not saying it is out the realm of impossibility, I am not sure it will happen. Of course, Princess Peach had her own game and it did fairly well. I think Nintendo might be a little cautious on whether or not to put Zelda in a game as the main character. I don’t know why, but that’s how I see it. I don’t know how they would be able to put her in a Zelda type game without screwing up the series horribly. I also think they might be basing that off the Tingle game, where they took a minor character and made it a main character. We’ll just have to see.

Jordan writes:

Do you know what the release date of Zelda 2 was?

James responds:

You could have just check our AoL page to get the answer, but I will give it to you. According to us, the game was released in Japan on January 14, 1987 and in America in December of 1988. The game was re-released in 2003 as part of the special The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition and 2004 as a Classic NES game on the GBA. It was also released in 2007 on the Virtual Console. Does that suffice the question?

Twilight One writes:

Hello again, I have another question that I can’t seem to find an answer for and maybe you could help me. Why are there only Kakariko and Castle town who are reused in other games… I mean the towns from the first games like Adventure of Link that bear the names of Ocarina of Time’s sages haven’t got any new appearance, what happened to them?

I know that the world of Hyrule that the games talk about is not the same part in every game, but Ocarina of Time and A Link To The Past, The Legend of Zelda, Adventure of Link and Twilight Princess all are on the same lands, just different eras it seems. So what happened to the town of Saria for example? I can’t believe a big powerful kingdom like Hyrule only has two Hylian (main race) settlements that have gone through the years! Where have the towns and the corresponding population gone! Hyrule can’t sustain a powerful kingdom with two (small) towns! That really is a joke…

Do you have any idea why Nintendo seems to only keep Kakariko Village and Castle Town (which can be another town every time as there are new castles in different eras…) to witness of the past of the kingdom?

I know that Zora’s Domain or Goron City have reappeared (very different versions though) but they are not really towns…

In hoping that the big overworld that mister Aonuma and his team confirmed for Zelda Wii will feature more towns and possibly the old ones or at least explain what happened to them.

Thanks for taking the time to answer me to the best of your knowledge.

James responds:

You also have to remember that the lands in ALttP and OoT were “different” Hyrules, I do believe. Since the two biggest towns in OoT were Kakariko and Castle Town, they remained when Hyrule was resettled in ALttP. I also do believe that LoZ and AoL (which take place in the same Hyrule, just north and south) are at the end of the timeline, which might be the reason why you don’t see the town names in any of the newer games. Plus, they aren’t really names of towns, if they were reused in other games as names rather than towns.

As for the overworld, I really hope there are more towns in the overworld rather having them in remote areas of the map. It takes away from the aspect of the game if you have a whole wide open space with nothing other than a wide open space. We will have to see how it works out when we get the game (hopefully) at the end of the year.

hasan writes:

can i get some zelda toys

James responds:

You can check out our Merchandise section and see if any of the things we have featured are what you want. You can also check eBay or other auction sites as well as Nintendo World in New York (if you are nearby) or check your mall if they have stores that sell merchandise. I just can’t give you stuff, that wouldn’t be fair to everyone.

Dark Hero writes:

In an article on IGN it says that the next Zelda game could be delayed until it is perfect, but my problem here is if they do make it perfect they would be stuck with making the next game because it would have to be better than perfect, what do you think would be the best choice?

James responds:

I think the best choice would be to finally release the game by the end of this year, if all the rumors are true. The rumors are stating that the game has been in production since about 2005, which would make it the longest Zelda production, just narrowly squeaking out Ocarina’s production time. If those rumors are true, then they NEED to release the game this year to save face. If they delay it any longer, we might have another Twilight Princess riot on our hands.

EzloSpirit writes:

“Zelda Wii” will be compatible with the Wii MotionPlus, right?

James responds:

The last time I checked, it will be. I think Miyamoto has said numerous times after the WiiMotion Plus came out, that he wanted the new Zelda game to incorporate it. What that means to the gameplay, I don’t know. If we don’t get a “shake the wiimote to swing your sword whichever way” tack on that we got with TP, I will be happy. They have had more time with this game to attach the Wii controls properly with this game that if they mess it up, they have problems.

midnight93933 writes:

Is it spelled hylean or hyrulean?

James responds:

If you speak the language of Hyrule, you are speaking Hylian. If you are a citizen of the world of Hyrule, you are a Hyrulean.

Rebecca writes:

I’ve recently made the decision to finish all of the games I’ve never finished and sadly that includes OoT (watched my sister beat the game but never did it myself). I love ZU’s walkthroughs and used your Majora’s Mask walkthrough to almost 100% it (sans some heart pieces). However, I go to open your OoT walkthrough and I see a message dated from almost two years ago that says you guys are in the process of creating one. Is it still in the works or is it permanently on hold?

James responds:

To start, I must say that the first time I beat OoT was in 2006, when I was unemployed and had nothing better to do, so don’t worry too much.

I checked, and it was in the works around the time we switched the site over to WordPress. It was being worked on my Zarah and I have not found any news on why it was delayed. The last time I checked the work in progress, she was up to the Shadow Temple and that was July of last year. I will spark interest on the matter in the forums and see what happens.

When I sparked interest, I got this interesting thought: Spirit Tracks has been priority number 1, since it is the most recent game in the series. It will get done eventually and we are sorry for the inconvenience.

potato writes:

1) This isn’t about the legend of Zelda, but I figured I would ask anyway.

Fire Emblem is one of my favorite game series. They made many of them in Japan, but only in Japan. They recently made Shadow Dragon which is a remake of one of the Japanese games. It was great and was wondering, do you think they will do this with the other Japanese games?

2) How does Link hold it in for so long? Do Hylians ever need to use the bathroom. Link never once has to go. Even after the seven years in Ocarina of Time. I don’t know how Link does it, but I thank Nintendo for not putting it in the game. Anyway, how do YOU think he does it?

James responds:

1) Like I said, I don’t care the question, as long its Zelda, Nintendo or Gaming. Sports or stamp collecting questions don’t work in a gaming mailbag.

It is a very good possibility. We saw Fire Emblem characters in the Super Smash series and they did quite alright. And its not unusual for a Japan-only game at first to be released outside that country. Super Mario Bros 2 (Japan) was released as the Lost Levels for Super Mario All-Stars. Final Fantasy 2, 3 and 5 were released in the United States in the last decade after being a Japan only game. I think it depends on the success rate of a series, which Mario and Final Fantasy are very successful franchises.

2) Magic. Second of all, I needed to clean up your question because the way you said it was vulgar. The game plays that you see the adventure, not the bodily functions these people have to endure. It’s a game, that the main excuse.

ZeldaNoob writes:

If Zelda Wii comes out this year, it would have gone through nearly 5 years of production (beginning of 2006 too end of 2010). Why do many people believe that this game was rushed? They say it should be delayed like twilight princess. but twilight princess was delayed only so it could be compatible on the Wii. Isn’t 4 1/2 years enough already?

James responds:

I have been answering this the last couple of weeks. I agree that everyone who is calling for a delay (which I believe is a VERY small selection of people) are silly. They need to reread all the news about the game and the length of time it has been in development. The game will be released at the end of the year and if it isn’t, then the beginning of next year, and if not then we have a problem.

Corbin writes:

Does the chat room count as posts?

James responds:

No, it does not. It is a separate entity from the forum and does not increase post count. Besides, if it did, you would see a lot of people will post counts in the 30, 40, maybe 50,000’s.

Gerudude writes:

Hello, I recently found out there is an emulated version of Majora’s Mask available. (I know you already knew this). But my question is: Which is the best emulator? And does anybody have any positive experience with emulated Zelda games on PC?

James responds:

Zelda Universe does not promote the use of illegal ROMs – however, if you were to use an emulator for your own purposes, and as a backup system, the de-facto Nintendo 64 emulator has always been Project 64. Again, we do not promote downloading illegal ROMs; although Project 64 is perfectly legal, you use the ROMs at your own risk.