Summary
The Legend of Zeldais without a doubt one of the most popular and recognizable gaming franchises of all time. The games all generally follow a similar story of an unsuspecting hero going on a quest to defeat a villain and save a princess — a tale as old as time.
But that does not mean that all the games look and feel the same. Nintendo has always tried to innovate and experiment with theZeldafranchise and this has led to dramatic differences between titles. There are many decisions thatNintendomade that have divided fans, particularly regarding the mechanics of each game.
WhenBreath of the Wildcame out, many gamers had strong opinions. Some thought it was one of the best games ever made; others thought it deviated too much from what makes aZeldagame. One of the most divisive mechanics was the ability to climb almost any surface.
Many loved it, as it meant that when Link upgraded his stamina, players were able to find newareas of the map. It felt like a truly detailed open world. However, others felt that it was not in keeping with the usual methods of exploration inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, and the stamina meter mechanic was more frustrating than fun.
9Three Day Cycle (Majora’s Mask)
If Link Could Turn Back Time!
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Maskis one of the most divisive Zelda games ever released, mainly because of the split opinions on the three-day cycle mechanic.
In the game, there was a constant ticking clock of three days in-game time. After three days, the moon was about to hit the earth, so the player had to keep turning back time three days. Many people love this because it is a unique game style and a great spin on theOcarina of Timeworld. However, others find it stressful seeing the ticking clock, and feel that it rushes the player through the story.
8Jumping (Various Games)
Link Can Jump Any Time He Wants?!
In most Zelda games, Link cannot jump. In certain games, such asThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind WakerorOcarina of Time,if the player runs to the edge of a ledge, Link will automatically jump. But if players wanted to jump at any other time, then they would not be allowed.
This mechanic became synonymous with the Zelda games and was used as part of the traversal of the game. However, in certain games, such asThe Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of LinkandLink’s Awakening,Link is able to jump at the press of a button. Many fans thought this made it feel less like aZeldagame, and was approaching aMariostyle of platforming.
WhenThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdomwas released, it was not long before the internet was filled with creative inventions. Players had gone wild with theUltrahand ability, which allows Link to attach objectsin the world together with magic glue.
Tears of the Kingdomwas praised for its amazing physics. Although many people enjoyed buildingwacky and fun vehicles in the game, some people felt that limitations are a good thing in video games, and the game felt too open and non-linear.
6Weapon Durability (Breath of the Wild)
Don’t Become Attached To Anything
Breath of the Wildintroduced a weapon durability mechanic whereweapons could only be used a limited number of timesbefore they exploded in Link’s hands and the player would have to switch to another weapon.
This is one of the many RPG mechanics thatBreath of the Wildintroduced into theZeldafranchise, and some felt it encouraged players to manage their inventory and experiment with different weapons. However, others felt that the weapons broke too quickly and easily and, because there was limited room in the inventory, the player would often be left in the middle of nowhere without an adequate weapon, facing off against a giant enemy.
5Side Scrolling Platforming (Various Games)
Watch Out Mario, Link Is On Your Turf
The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Linkwas a side-scrollingZeldagame that is often seen as the odd one out in the franchise. However, other Zelda games also have included side scrolling aspects of the game, such asLink’s Awakeningand even certain parts ofA Link Between Worldsincluded side scrolling sections.
Many fans feel thatside scrollingis too far from the Zelda game formula, and is too close to other 2D platforming Nintendo games. On the other hand, many people welcome the experimentation and love the nods to other Nintendo games.
When the Nintendo Wii came along, the world wentwild for motion controls. Most Nintendo first-party games made an effort to integrate motion controls into their games, and was met with mixed reactions.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordwas one of those games that heavily relied on motion controls and this divided audiences. On one hand, many people enjoyed the new style of combat and enjoyed the novelty of motion controls. On the other hand, people found that the motion controls spoiled the combat, and they felt awkward to use.
Many dungeons in Zelda games require the player to change the environment dramatically in order to proceed. More recent examples are theDivine BeastsinBreath Of The Wild,which required the player to change the interior of the beasts in order to access certain parts of the dungeon.
The Water Temple inOcarina of Timeis one of the most divisive temples in a Zelda game. The temple requires the player to keep changing the depth of the water to progress. Some describe it as a brilliant piece of game design, but others find it frustrating and tedious.
2RPG Mechanics (Breath of the Wild)
Breath of the Warcraft
Breath of the Wildincluded a lot of RPG mechanics that had rarely been seen in the series sinceThe Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.These mainly included the mechanics ofupgrading Link’s armor and character,
Many people enjoyed the introduction of this mechanic and felt it was a natural progression of the series, inspired by popular games such asSkyrim. However, some felt that it overcomplicated the game, forcing the player to spend way too much time in menus in order to progress through the game.
TheLegend of Zelda: Twilight Princessis a polarizing game for fans. The darker tone of the game divided players, particularly when it came to Wolf Link.
Many fans foundWolf Linkto be cool and unique, and a fun way to shake up the game play. However, others felt that the combat was repetitive, and the traversal was a little too easy. Also, plenty of fans felt that a lot more could have been done with Wolf Link to flesh out those sections of the game.
