This year marks the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series, and we could think of no better way to honor this fantastic series of games than by compiling a list of our top 35 favorite things about it! All month long, we’ll be counting down from thirty-five to one the people, places, items, and activities from The Legend of Zelda series that make the games special, memorable, and well-worth playing. Per our usual schedule, watch for new posts on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and share your own thoughts on the series in the comment sections. And so, happy 35th to The Legend of Zelda – let’s keep this party going!
24. Ben Drowned Creepypasta
Jacob: I’d heard of creepypastas before and was familiar with stories like the infamous “Pokemon Black”, but Ben Drowned took things to the next level. The idea that there was not only a haunted cartridge out there, but one who’s evil may have escaped into the wider internet was straight-up scary to me! Even knowing it was just a story, watching the videos and reading all the text was still enough to have me checking over my shoulder in the late night hours. There was, perhaps still is, nothing quite like it out there.
Duck: Ben Drowned was my very first experience with creepypastas. I first heard about it through rumors about this supposedly haunted game cartridge, and years later, I finally watched a little bit of the video footage myself. Most notably, I remember eerie distorted music and Link randomly catching on fire. While we all know now that this was all an elaborate, but very convincing, case of someone hacking the game, it’s still one of the most chilling examples of video game urban legends around.
23. Angry Chickens are Angry
Jacob: In Zelda games, all enemies can be defeated. Chickens though, they cannot. Make them angry and they will come for you, and they will not stop until they have their vengeance! 😀
Duck: During the Nintendo 64 era, I apparently had no survival skills because I remember getting beset by murderous chickens multiple times. One time, I decided to see which was faster, Epona or an enraged pack of chickens. The chickens won. Another time, I angered the chickens, after which I accidentally fell into the well in Kakariko Village (at a time when I couldn’t actually go inside) during my mad scramble to escape. I could not climb back out again. The chickens would not allow it.
Cary: The first Zelda game I played was Ocarina of Time, and for quite a long way into it, I paid little attention to its friendly feathered fowl. It just never occurred to me that they were anything more than set dressing. It wasn’t until late in the game that I accidentally tagged one among a group while I was madly swatting away at tall grass. Suddenly, the chickens went mad and started attacking! It was bizarre and rather hilarious. Ever since, I’ve simply had to test chickens’ resolve in other Zelda games – it’s a thing that must be done!
22. Skull Woods in A Link to the Past
Jacob: I simply remember this being a rather unsettling and confusing place. The dungeon could be entered from multiple spots and could even be partially/mostly completed by the time we got to the “main” entrance. It did a great job of making me feel totally disoriented, something that few dungeons in any game have managed for me.
Duck: My earliest memories of the Zelda series revolved around watching my parents play A Link to the Past. One of the many things that stuck strongly in my mind was the dungeon in Skull Woods, specifically the horrifying skull that guards the main entrance. It’s just so bizarre and creepy. Seriously, to what kind of monstrous creature did that skull belong? It’s a question that’s haunted me since childhood!
Up next, #21-19!
VIRTUAL BASTION 