Ten of the Best Features in Zelda Games

There are features in games that, if utilized well enough, can add to the overall experience and help make that game a truly wonderful masterpiece. Time and time again, Nintendo tends to add such features the their Legend of Zelda games, which make the series as a whole the beloved franchise we know today. It is little wonder that it has thrived for nearly a quarter of a century. Today, I have decided to take ten features in Zelda games that I feel are among the best ones ever implemented, and which have helped make the series one that is loved by many players. This list is as follows...

A Link to the Past: Two Worlds: The only SNES entry in the series presented many things that would become commonplace in Zelda games, including having Link explore two worlds. Not only did he have to explore the Light World of Hyrule in order to eliminate the evil that had plagued it, but he also needed to enter the Dark World to rescue Zelda and the other descendants of the Seven Sages as well as to defeat Ganon and recover the stolen Triforce. Both worlds were filled with numerous secrets, and doing something in one world would affect part of another world, such as draining a pond in the Light World to flood a dungeon in the Dark World. Exploring multiple worlds, or at least alternative forms of a single world, has been used in several subsequent games, and they owe it all to having it be one of many innovations featured in this game.

Ocarina of Time: Targeting System: Also innovative in many ways was this celebrated series entry, in which the targeting system was used for the first time. Now, Link could attack foes with great accuracy, even from a distance. Items such as the slingshot, bow, and boomerang became very useful as a result of the targeting system, and Link could even get hints from Navi the fairy as to how to deal with even the most cunning foes. With a lot of modern games, a targeting system is essential to guarantee the most accurate hits, and I would not doubt that the one featured in Ocarina of Time was an inspiration to some extent of having games add targeting systems of their own to enhance the experience and make them more fun and less of a chore.

Link's Awakening DX: Colorized Dungeon: When this classic game was ported to the Game Boy Color, the new color palette allowed Nintendo to create a new dungeon with a color theme. Here, players could solve color-based puzzles that ultimately led them to a boss whose health determined its color. Beating the dungeon who reward the player with tunics that would increase their offensive or defensive power. While completely optional, this extra dungeon offered some neat challenges and was a great way to test the capabilities of the Game Boy Color. It also made the game more than just a mere port with nothing but colorized graphics added in...it was like a whole new experience even for fans of the original version.

Majora's Mask: Transformations: Even though the time limit made this game something of a chore to beat rather than something I could enjoy, there were still things to love about it, including the mask transformations. Link could change into a Deku Scrub, a Goron, or a Zora, and gain some useful abilities. Whether it was blowing bubbles as a Scrub, rolling on the ground at breakneck speeds as a Goron, or swimming quickly through the water as a Zora, having multiple forms gave the game plenty of depth and offered a lot of exploration possibilities. The transformations also felt a lot more fun than the wolf transformation in Twilight Princess since you could change forms at will and in many cases you did not have to use them for an extended period of time. A neat innovation for what could have been an even better game than Ocarina of Time if not for that stressful time limit.

Zelda II: Magic Meter: Even the lesser Zelda games have their merits, and for Zelda II, that includes the debut of the Magic Meter. Now, Link could learn and cast spells when he needed to, but he would have to refill the meter in order to keep using magic. Still, many of the spells were pretty neat, as Link could heal himself, jump extra high, shoot fire from his sword, and even change into a fairy capable of flying over large gaps and into locked doors. In later games, the meter would decrease as Link used items that required magic to work. Here, using magic was an important feature, and it would be a part of what made later games so enjoyable.

Oracle of Ages: Time Travel: Though it had been used before, time travel was put to very good use here in several ways. First, with the past changing for the worse, it gave a great sense of urgency to go back in time and set things right before any lasting harm could be done. Second, it allowed Link to discover secrets that he could not reach otherwise. Lastly, when coupled with the password system, even more cool things could be discovered. This is a good example of how time travel should be used in a game, and Nintendo and Capcom should be commended for creating a wonderful game out of it. As for the password system...

Oracle of Seasons/Ages: Passwords: While the two Oracle games could be enjoyed as individual games, passwords found within them could be used to add to the fun and extend the adventure. A password obtained at the end of one game could be used in the other game, adding features and characters not normally seen there and completing the story behind Link's adventures in Holodrum and Labrynna. Additional passwords could be used to unlock even more features, such as new items and mini games. This gave both titles a lot of replay value, and made an already solid pair of games even more enjoyable.

The Wind Waker: Cel-Shaded Graphics: Though met with a lot of controversy upon their debut, the cel-shaded features ended up adding to the game instead of detracting from it. This graphical style allowed for more believable facial expressions, better special effects, and an appearance that could have some mistaken it for a Disney cartoon. The graphics also did not detract too much from some of the game's darker moments, and they helped to make the stunning end to the final battle very much worthwhile. Nintendo has since used the cartoon-like graphics strictly for the hand held games, but their debut appearance here makes the game a work of art, and it makes one wonder why people were upset about them in the first place.

Twilight Princess: Wii Controls: Granted, the Wii controls were a late addition given that the game was originally meant to be a Gamecube exclusive. However, they do not feel tacked-on and, in fact, offer even more possibilities, from having players swing the remotes to help Link swing his sword to targeting enemies and objects with accuracy. As a result, the player feels as if he or she is a part of the action, and thus this feature proved how motion controls are the wave of the future in games. Surely, the Wii controls will be further enhanced when the next Zelda Wii title, meant as a Wii title from the get-go this time, is released, as they are off to a strong start here.

Ocarina of Time Master Quest: Altered Dungeons: This alternative version of the Nintendo 64 classic was largely unchanged save for changing the dungeons in many ways. While the layouts for each dungeon remained the same, there were new enemies and puzzles everywhere, and some of the challenges were quite difficult to beat. Even those who knew the dungeons in the original version by heart found it difficult to overcome some of the new obstacles. As a result, these altered dungeons offered a great challenge to those who had beaten the original version, and surely made Zelda masters out of those who managed to complete every single one of them. Zelda games need more second quests like this, and less ones like in The Wind Waker which did little more than give Link a new outfit to wear.

Of all the features found in any Zelda game, I feel that these are among the strongest of the bunch, as every single one of them adds to the experience in one way or another. From a feature that is vital to the plot to some neat extra features that offer excellent rewards, the Zelda games continue to impress with each new entry. Hopefully, that trend will continue in the fall of 2010 or later, when Zelda Wii comes out and offers potential new features that are likewise truly marvelous. In the meantime, experience these features for yourself and see what makes them so great, and how they are a part of what makes the Legend of Zelda series as a whole so grand.