10 Zelda Gameplay Features And Where They Originated
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Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re going over 10 “Zelda” gameplay features and where they originated. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the staple gameplay mechanics and features of “The Legend of Zelda” franchise and how they got their start within the series. If there’s a “Zelda” gameplay origin you were originally hoping to see on our list, feature your favorites in the comments!
Fusing items together may seem like a brand-new concept in “Tears of the Kingdom,” but it’s older than you might expect. The idea of fusing your weapons together was actually first introduced in the spin-off game, “Hyrule Warriors.” While visiting the smithy, you can pay to have weapons fused together. However, whereas in “Tears of the Kingdom” it’s quite literal, in “Hyrule Warriors” the skills and passive abilities of one weapon are merely transferred to another weapon. Even so, the genesis for this revolutionary idea was around nearly a decade before the most recent “Zelda” title.
Players have loved being able to soar through the skies on a glider in the recent open world titles in the “Zelda” series. But Link’s first foray into gliding came many years before in “The Wind Waker.” In this cel-shaded title, Link gets the Deku Leaf. Along with its familiar fan-like properties, the Deku Leaf can also be used like a paraglider by using it in mid-air. Provided the wind is blowing in the right direction, you can use it to sail through the air…as long as your magic meter lasts.
Although the stamina gauge is an integral part of “Breath of the Wild” and its sequel, it made its first appearance in “Skyward Sword.” Just like in these later games, stamina is drained by performing strenuous activities, like sprinting, carrying heavy objects, or performing a spin-attack. However, there’s one key difference - your stamina can’t be expanded. This leads to your stamina running out if you don’t manage it properly, which can happen incredibly frequently. Although this annoyance can be mitigated by stamina fruits, which can instantly replenish your stamina, we’re still glad that future games improved on the mechanic.
Link has had many friends in his adventures in Hyrule. However, it was in “Ocarina of Time” that some of them started going on those adventures with Link. In the game, you’re paired with Navi the fairy, who can dispense advice on your foes and environment, as well as give you clues on where to go and what to do next. Granted, many people found her annoying, but you don’t always get everything right on the first try. Plus, your horse Epona is another sort of companion, and she, or other horses named Epona, have proven popular enough to reappear in several games since!
Link’s equipment having a set number of uses before it breaks is another mechanic that feels more recent than it really is. Although “Skyward Sword” features durability more akin to its modern equivalent, [xref] the feature actually made its debut in “Ocarina of Time.” As an adult, you can purchase the Giant’s Knife. This impressive looking weapon is similar to another Goron-made weapon in the game, the Biggoron’s Sword. However, while it may look the same, the Giant’s Knife will break after 8 hits or if you hit it against a wall. Even compared to other weapon durabilities, that’s abysmal! No wonder it’s regarded as one of the biggest scams in “Zelda” history!
The open world “Zelda” games may be what most people think of when it comes to using your foes' own weapons against them in this series, but the practice started much earlier. In “The Wind Waker,” Link is able to knock the weapons used by enemies out of their hands. He can then pick them up and use them himself. However, there are some major drawbacks to using enemy weapons in this game. For one, you can’t take them outside of the rooms or areas where they’re dropped. For another thing, all of them have a very slow swing speed, meaning that, unless you just toss the weapons at baddies, you’re generally better off using your own sword or equipment instead.
While you can technically use warps in the first “Legend of Zelda,” [xref?] it’s in “A Link to the Past” where you first get more control over where you want to go. If you find the Flute, or ocarina, and play it in front of the bird statue in Kakariko Village, a bird will be freed. Playing the instrument again at any time in the Light World will let you travel freely between any one 8 locations in the overworld. While the map of “A Link to the Past” is much smaller compared to later entries in the series, backtracking can still be a pain, so this early form of fast travel is still quite handy.
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” felt like a breath of fresh air for the “Zelda” series, but really, it was just returning the franchise to its roots - it even used an NES style engine during development. The original NES “Zelda” game was one of the first video games to feature non-linear, open-ended gameplay. The story is minimal, and while the dungeons are numbered, you don’t need to do them in a particular order. Its vast and sometimes confusing layout may have been too ahead of its time, if anything, since several crucial items can be easily missed. This is likely why later games became more linear.
In most 3D titles these days, it’s a given that you’ll be able to lock on to someone from far away. However, “Ocarina of Time” practically invented the concept! For the franchise’s first 3D title, the developers realized that just standing in front of someone and attacking or speaking to them wouldn’t always work in multiple dimensions. To that end, they created targeting, or Z-targeting, which lets players lock on to a person, enemy, or occasionally an object. Nearly every 3D “Zelda” game since has had the mechanic, as well as many 3D games outside of it.
Our younger viewers are probably wondering what the big deal is - of course the first “Zelda” title would be the first one with a save feature! All games have save features, right? Well, not before “The Legend of Zelda.” The NES “Zelda” is widely considered the first console video game to have a traditional save function. Before it was implemented in this game, you either had to finish a game in one sitting, leave it on, or use a password, none of which were very convenient. Thanks to this mechanic, gamers have been able to game more and longer for decades.
Weapon Fusion
“Hyrule Warriors” (2014)Fusing items together may seem like a brand-new concept in “Tears of the Kingdom,” but it’s older than you might expect. The idea of fusing your weapons together was actually first introduced in the spin-off game, “Hyrule Warriors.” While visiting the smithy, you can pay to have weapons fused together. However, whereas in “Tears of the Kingdom” it’s quite literal, in “Hyrule Warriors” the skills and passive abilities of one weapon are merely transferred to another weapon. Even so, the genesis for this revolutionary idea was around nearly a decade before the most recent “Zelda” title.
Gliding
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2002)Players have loved being able to soar through the skies on a glider in the recent open world titles in the “Zelda” series. But Link’s first foray into gliding came many years before in “The Wind Waker.” In this cel-shaded title, Link gets the Deku Leaf. Along with its familiar fan-like properties, the Deku Leaf can also be used like a paraglider by using it in mid-air. Provided the wind is blowing in the right direction, you can use it to sail through the air…as long as your magic meter lasts.
Stamina Meter
“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)Although the stamina gauge is an integral part of “Breath of the Wild” and its sequel, it made its first appearance in “Skyward Sword.” Just like in these later games, stamina is drained by performing strenuous activities, like sprinting, carrying heavy objects, or performing a spin-attack. However, there’s one key difference - your stamina can’t be expanded. This leads to your stamina running out if you don’t manage it properly, which can happen incredibly frequently. Although this annoyance can be mitigated by stamina fruits, which can instantly replenish your stamina, we’re still glad that future games improved on the mechanic.
Partners/Companions
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)Link has had many friends in his adventures in Hyrule. However, it was in “Ocarina of Time” that some of them started going on those adventures with Link. In the game, you’re paired with Navi the fairy, who can dispense advice on your foes and environment, as well as give you clues on where to go and what to do next. Granted, many people found her annoying, but you don’t always get everything right on the first try. Plus, your horse Epona is another sort of companion, and she, or other horses named Epona, have proven popular enough to reappear in several games since!
Equipment Durability
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)Link’s equipment having a set number of uses before it breaks is another mechanic that feels more recent than it really is. Although “Skyward Sword” features durability more akin to its modern equivalent, [xref] the feature actually made its debut in “Ocarina of Time.” As an adult, you can purchase the Giant’s Knife. This impressive looking weapon is similar to another Goron-made weapon in the game, the Biggoron’s Sword. However, while it may look the same, the Giant’s Knife will break after 8 hits or if you hit it against a wall. Even compared to other weapon durabilities, that’s abysmal! No wonder it’s regarded as one of the biggest scams in “Zelda” history!
Using Enemy Weapons
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2002)The open world “Zelda” games may be what most people think of when it comes to using your foes' own weapons against them in this series, but the practice started much earlier. In “The Wind Waker,” Link is able to knock the weapons used by enemies out of their hands. He can then pick them up and use them himself. However, there are some major drawbacks to using enemy weapons in this game. For one, you can’t take them outside of the rooms or areas where they’re dropped. For another thing, all of them have a very slow swing speed, meaning that, unless you just toss the weapons at baddies, you’re generally better off using your own sword or equipment instead.
Fast Travel
“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1991)While you can technically use warps in the first “Legend of Zelda,” [xref?] it’s in “A Link to the Past” where you first get more control over where you want to go. If you find the Flute, or ocarina, and play it in front of the bird statue in Kakariko Village, a bird will be freed. Playing the instrument again at any time in the Light World will let you travel freely between any one 8 locations in the overworld. While the map of “A Link to the Past” is much smaller compared to later entries in the series, backtracking can still be a pain, so this early form of fast travel is still quite handy.
Open World
“The Legend of Zelda” (1986)“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” felt like a breath of fresh air for the “Zelda” series, but really, it was just returning the franchise to its roots - it even used an NES style engine during development. The original NES “Zelda” game was one of the first video games to feature non-linear, open-ended gameplay. The story is minimal, and while the dungeons are numbered, you don’t need to do them in a particular order. Its vast and sometimes confusing layout may have been too ahead of its time, if anything, since several crucial items can be easily missed. This is likely why later games became more linear.
Targeting
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)In most 3D titles these days, it’s a given that you’ll be able to lock on to someone from far away. However, “Ocarina of Time” practically invented the concept! For the franchise’s first 3D title, the developers realized that just standing in front of someone and attacking or speaking to them wouldn’t always work in multiple dimensions. To that end, they created targeting, or Z-targeting, which lets players lock on to a person, enemy, or occasionally an object. Nearly every 3D “Zelda” game since has had the mechanic, as well as many 3D games outside of it.
Save Data
“The Legend of Zelda” (1986)Our younger viewers are probably wondering what the big deal is - of course the first “Zelda” title would be the first one with a save feature! All games have save features, right? Well, not before “The Legend of Zelda.” The NES “Zelda” is widely considered the first console video game to have a traditional save function. Before it was implemented in this game, you either had to finish a game in one sitting, leave it on, or use a password, none of which were very convenient. Thanks to this mechanic, gamers have been able to game more and longer for decades.
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