Many of The Legend of Zelda games have a ghost town as a featured location. Hyrule Castle Town in the adult timeline of Ocarina of Time is probably a classic example, along with the Hidden Village in Twilight Princess. One of the central images of Breath of the Wild is the decaying buildings of an invaded Hyrule.
This theme can be seen in the earliest Zelda games too. In The Adventure of Link, we have Old Kasuto. At first glance, it seems to be a town like any other in the game. But proceed and you’ll find it full of monsters and with only one Old Man left.
The simple pixel buildings are tumbledown and sun-bleached. The ground is barren dirt, and the deep blue sky clouded. The high contrast colors give it an edge and feeling of desolation. All windows and doors have been destroyed and are strong monsters here, adding to the unwelcome atmosphere. There is no safe place here.
Compare this to the relocated New Kasuto village, now hidden to protect it from further invasion.
This hidden village is verdant green, with vines covering the buildings. The little windows, fences, and fountain give it a quaint atmosphere. Of course, no building here has fallen down or been destroyed, and it is teeming with life. The color palette is warm and welcoming.
Two almost identical pixelated layouts, but such different effects produced here. The bone-white Old Kasuto, bleached by the sun and time, versus the vibrant New Kasuto. I’m always amazed by simple changes producing great effects and wonder just how the designers come up with these.
