S3 EP14 | David is joined by Celeste Roberts to read some listener feedback as well as respond to an AMA that they held on Patreon! HOSTS: David Geisler, Celeste Roberts Season 3 | Episode 14

S2 E17 | David and Kate continue the conversation with the AZP audience and do an entire episode filled with listener feedback. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon CAST: David Geisler and Kate May Season 2 | Episode 17

by Andy Barney All images are gameplay screenshots from the YouTube channel ZorZelda. 2021 is here, and, man, is it a big year for The Legend of Zelda franchise! Not only is it the 35th anniversary of the franchise, but it is also the 15th anniversary of Twilight Princess and the 10th anniversary of Skyward Sword. Since these are perhaps my two favorite games, I could endlessly speculate and wish for HD remasters/ports to come to the Nintendo Switch. However, that’s not what I’m here to do. Instead, I would like to celebrate Skyward Sword—perhaps one of the most underappreciated games in the main series—by praising its thematic elements, most notably its centric theme of “awakening.” No, this is not intended to relate to the game Link’s Awakening, but I do believe if the title had not already been used for a previous game, it would make a suitable alternative title for Skyward Sword. First things first: I think it’s important to introduce this idea of awakening in the game. One of the very first cutscenes in Skyward Sword depicts one of Link’s recurring nightmares of what we learn to be The Imprisoned. In this dream, the monstrous (and slightly dopey-looking) beast towers above him, and Link hears a voice emitting from a ball of light above the creature: “Rise, Link… The time has come for you to awaken… You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you… The time has come for you to awaken...” This has both a literal and metaphorical meaning, as Link quite literally awakens to the face of Zelda’s Loftwing sticking its head through his window, but this quote also foreshadows his character growth. The pre-quest phase of the game introduces us, the players, to not just Link’s character and personality but also to all of the people he interacts with during his daily life. Groose reveals that Link is the “heroic” type, as we generally assume. Link is very lackadaisical, always sleeping in, and--quite literally--has his head in the clouds. Despite these poor qualities, Link has two traits that help to enable him to become the hero we love and know. First is his talent in swordsmanship and marksmanship (though we don’t know if he had ever practiced slingshot or bow before his quest). We know he had some skill with a sword beforehand, thanks to the instructor from the Sparring Hall. The second and more important quality is his selfless and often reckless effort to save the people he cares for (cough Zelda cough). When the black tornado formed by Ghirahim abducts Zelda and knocks Link out, he once again has a similar dream; however, this time there is the clear call to destiny. The dream begins with Link falling, and the first thing he sees is that ball of light--but this time he can see a figure within that light. This being calls to Link: “I am waiting for you. The time has come for you to awaken. You are vital to a mission of great importance.” Immediately after he hears Zelda’s voice call his name, and then he realizes the two of them are falling. He reaches for Zelda, but he can’t make contact. Then Zelda falls straight into the open jaws of The Imprisoned. Fortunately, this was all just a dream, but it was foreshadowing his reality all too well. Those who have played through the game know that Link then hears the sound of the figure from the dream outside his dorm and follows it all the way to the Goddess Statue, where she reveals herself to be Fi, a being created to aid Link on his journey requested by Hylia. What’s interesting is that Link was obviously curious to find out who this spirit from his dream was, but Link doesn’t actually seem to have interest in anything Fi is telling him… until she mentions Zelda. Hylia even tells Link that she chose him for her sacred mission because she “needed someone with an unbreakable spirit,” one of the required traits to wield the full Triforce, and “[she] knew that if it meant saving Zelda, [he] would throw [him]self headfirst into any danger, without even a moment's doubt.” Despite Link’s lazinesses and other un-hero-like qualities, this one virtue alone was enough to “awaken” his potential. In the earlier stages of the story, Impa harshly lectures Link on the fact that he had failed to protect Zelda. This clearly upsets Link but makes him determined to improve himself to save his best friend. Later on, Link learns more of his divine quest assigned to him by Hylia and learns he must undergo three trials to enhance his spirit, which we learn to be the Silent Realm trials. Although the actual gameplay in these trials is essentially just the Tears of Light quests from Twilight Princess on steroids, these trials actually represent Link gaining spiritual enlightenment. The second goal of each trial is to imbue his sword with the divine essences of the Force--otherwise known as the Sacred Flames--to enhance both his sword and his spirit. After each Sacred Flame, Link obtains a piece of the Triforce, which begins to glow on his right hand. As we quickly realize, this does not mean Link possesses each piece of the Triforce; rather, he has “awakened” his potential and developed the virtues of the Triforce. This concept of awakening also is shown in the other main characters, Zelda and Groose. In Skyward Sword, Zelda is portrayed as a charismatic, giddy, and occasionally reckless girl, and the interactions among Link, Zelda, and Groose strongly resemble school relationships. Zelda goes from this girl who mainly wants to spend as much time as she can with Link and fly alongside him through the clouds into a dutiful character who must put her feelings aside to ensure the future of the world. Sure, awakening to retrieve her memories of her past life as the Goddess Hylia may have forced her character development, but, nevertheless, I believe it’s still an uplifting growth for Zelda as a character. She tells Link in her emotional cutscene: “While it's true that I am Hylia reborn, I'm still my father's daughter and your friend… I'm still your Zelda.” This alone shows that Zelda is still herself, but, like Link, has “awakened” to fulfill her eternal destiny. Even Groose has a similar transformation. At the beginning of the game, he is essentially Link’s bully and seeks Zelda’s affection. He even has a punching bag with Link’s face on it in his dorm room. This doesn’t make him a bad guy; it’s just high-school immaturity and jealousy, which are prevalent in his character and actions in the early phases of the game. After being exposed to the world below and being forced to come to terms with the fact that Link is the chosen hero and must be the one to save Zelda, Groose initially becomes depressed, but as he has some time to himself, he accepts his reality and makes the best of it, becoming a very likable and helpful character. He even becomes a sort of hero himself by constructing an epic bomb catapult, which is almost necessary to hold back the Imprisoned, and catches Zelda after Demise flings away her limp body after his resurrection. Link’s “awakening” of his spirit in Skyward Sword saved the world for his era, which was needed, but his spiritual development was vital for the sake of Hyrule for millennia to come. His legacy made him become known as THE legendary hero referenced in many of the games. In Twilight Princess, Faron the Light Spirit tells the Hero of Twilight, “[T]he powers of the chosen one rest within [him]… and they are awakening…” and then tells him to “look at [his] awakened form…” Link is then shown wearing the clothes of the legendary hero, referencing Skyward Sword Link (note: Many believe the “legendary hero” the Light Spirit refers to is the Hero of Time, but this is incorrect. The tunic the Hero of Twilight wears has an identical design to the Hero of the Sky’s and even has the same fit chainmail). Although Skyward Sword is one of the least-played 3D Zelda games, Link’s trials and sacrifices were necessary for any of the other heroes to have existed, making this incarnation of Link even more influential to Hyrule’s history than the Hero of Time’s. After all, his determination to awaken his potential to save his best friend led to his being the first lifeform to ever wield and use the full Triforce, an accomplishment most other incarnations of Link never made. For more of my content, check out my YouTube channel, Zeldom. If you would like to connect with me, you can also find me on Instagram.

"The Legend of Zelda – From A Certain Point of View" The AZP team loves to find and listen to cover music of Zelda songs. Below is an ever changing playlist of great Zelda music which we've found on Apple Music. Included in this playlist are tracks by Mikel, who allowed us to use his cover of "Legend of Zelda" main theme as our podcast's opening music. We also particularly enjoy, listener of the show, Aaron Grubb's nuanced piano & cello rendition of "Song of Storms". Another great track to note is Theophany's version of "Clocktown" which pulls you in to a small town scene and crescendos into a cacophony of Zelda energy. Lastly, James Landino's "Hyrule Dungeon (Courage)" is a track that's simply begging to be included on everyone's workout playlist. We hope you enjoy! Ok-Bye!!! Go straight to the playlist on Apple Music by clicking here, or preview the list below:

iLLFlamingo provided the show with it's first piece of Fan Art! We're so grateful! A comment from youtube: iLLFlamingo Hello Dan (or whoever is reading this), I was listening to an episode and thought that there was no record of any fan-art, I thought I might as well be the first! Dan is on the left and David is on the right (its the only 2 faces i've actually seen, sorry Kate :D). It's just a caricature but I hope yall like it! We love it iLLFlamingo!

By Carlos Gomez The Legend of Zelda: Arrows of Light, the greatest Zelda game that you never heard of. Why, you may ask? Well, because I just made it up… Like, right now… Wait, before you quickly dismiss this as click-bait, hear me out… Or read this out… Whichever makes more sense. Ocarina of Time was originally released in North America (for its first iteration) on 23 November 1998. We have seen the game re-released ad nauseam, but Nintendo has never captured half of the story. What happened to Zelda during the game? We see various cut-scenes where she is a child at the beginning, then flash forward, and she becomes (spoiler alert) the indomitable Sheik. So what does this mean? In a time where the public is thirsty for stories with strong female leads, who is stronger than Zelda, a young princess who would dare to challenge the power of evil sans the Hero of Time for 7 years? What did she do to become Sheik? What trials did she go through when Hyrule was destroyed? This seems like a great opportunity for Nintendo to do a re-release that is more than a powered-up graphical edition. It would not be difficult to create a game using the same physics engine as OoT; just model it off of the 3DS version and update some graphics. A princess ready for battle. Photo Source: Destructoid What, Nintendo? You don't know how the story would go? Well, allow me to assist. The game would start off with Zelda inside the castle, unable to leave because of the guards. This would give players a chance to explore the throne room and various chambers of the castle that we couldn’t as Link. The guards would keep Zelda on lock and inside the castle, perhaps a cut scene where we have Zelda witness Ganondorf plotting. We could have Zelda tell her father, who dismisses her and sends her out to play. A door with three locks would work to seal the Ocarina of Time--perhaps it's been sealed since an ancient war. The keys are lost. Impa tells Zelda about the ocarina and shows a small hole that leads into an ancient crypt where the keys to the door would be. Zelda would have to retrieve these keys, and for this task, Impa would give her the Lens of Truth and Hover Boots. Not having a sword could prove to be difficult, but perhaps we could use a different weapon, maybe a small bow or boomerang that Impa gives to her as protection as well as a torch to burn mummies and such. This could essentially function as the three intro dungeons, with a few underground travelers to assist along the way. Young Princess Zelda has a plan. Photo Source: The Register UK Returning from this adventure, Zelda must retrieve the ocarina--maybe on a time limit as Ganondorf's forces invade and take over. The castle ablaze and guards being pushed back, she must navigate her way to a stable where Impa awaits. This would connect cut-scenes to where she throws the ocarina to Link. Again, to see this from her perspective and flesh out her piece in the story would, I think, truly touch the hearts of Oot fans. From there the story could really splinter in limitless directions. We could do a video sequence of Zelda training until she is an adult. Maybe show her on the run, hiding from Ganodorf's minions. Through this we can change the pacing of the game, making it unique with time-constricted plot points. Perhaps Impa goes off to investigate something about the Shadow Temple, taking the Hover Boots and Lens of Truth, never to return. We could see a cut-scene in which she accidentally drops the Lens of Truth down the well, or maybe it is stolen away. We could do something similar with all of the future Sages: after a meeting, they all go off on separate quests, sporting the items Link would later find in the temples across Hyrule. Zelda would be left all alone when Kakariko Village is overrun with Ganondorf’s forces. We could have a moment where Zelda dresses as Sheik for the first time in an hour of need to protect Kakariko Village. Sheik is a princess in disguise and a force to be reckoned with. Photo Source: Polygon This could be the start of a mirrored quest to Link’s, a quest to make Light Arrows essential in defeating Ganondorf. A little retconning could resurrect some shrines and temples not seen in the game from other installments, as well as maybe some alternate paths and reworking of known Oot temples. The right balance could keep things fresh and new while playing the nostalgia strings of my heart container. It would be interesting if Zelda had to interact with the Happy Mask Salesman as he fled the destruction of Hyrule Castle, perhaps allowing her to use the same masks or a few different ones. There could even be a situation with the Skull Kid interacting with the Happy Mask Salesman towards the end of the game. Maybe a portion of the game could show an unreachable area of the map explored by Zelda flying on Kaepora Gaebora. This would give Zelda an opportunity to explore areas and perhaps flesh out more story points. Instead of a female character on the outside of a story, she would have a central role. As Sheik, she would be the warrior princess (sorry, Xena). This would be a gift to those of us who have purchased every re-release of Oot and still thirst for more. Two heroes deserve two stories. Photo Source: The Artifice What I don’t want to happen is a complete gameplay change. If you have ever played Super Princess Peach for the DS, it was nothing like the Mario games. So different that it lost, in my opinion, what makes a Mario platformer great. I’m likely alone in this as it has a 94% fan rating and a 4.5/5 from GameStop. However, I stand by my vision that this type of Zelda game needs to enhance what we love and not revise it. Don't get me wrong--there should be new game mechanics. You have to keep it fresh. However, my Zelda-driven game is set in the same universe, and I think, in general, the same rules of play should apply. With that being said, what would you like to see? Would you like to see an Oot-style game with Zelda as Sheik or perhaps something all new where Zelda has to save Link for a change? Either way, I think we are due a Zelda game where Zelda gets to save the day. Call it Legend of Link for all I care. If you want to ping Nintendo to get the ball rolling on this, copy and paste the following blurb into your Twitter or social media account: Hey Listen! @NintendoAmerica @Nintendo #IWannaPlayAsZelda Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I would love to know what you think! Does everyone’s favorite princess deserve her own game? Or do you like to adhere to the tradition of Link only? If you want to share your thoughts, you can reach me @The_Lost_Hylian on Twitter, thelosthylian on Instagram, or check out my Facebook Page TheLostHylian.

by Shane Kelley We all know the traditional attire that Link usually sports (a green tunic and hat, boots, sword and shield, and sometimes stockings), but there are a few different Links that also don something a little more subtle, a little fashion accent known as jewelry--more specifically, earrings. These little accessories raise a few questions--mainly why does Link have them, and what can we assume about their origin? The first appearance of Link’s earrings shows up in his adult form within Ocarina of Time. They have only since appeared in Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild. We do know that each Link who wears earrings is age 16 and up, with only Breath of the Wild undetermined (though if Link was in a state of rest for over 100 years, he is well beyond that, and assuming he was above 16 even before going into the deep sleep, we can make an educated guess, which places him roughly in that age group). In Japanese culture, blue represents coolness, purity, and intelligence, which already puts emphasis on Link, giving him a certain hero vibe. In medieval times, hoop earrings represented a person who was a servant or slave, which could point to Link as being a hero to all, battling evil over and over in a continuous loop. Neither, of course, may have anything to do with the decision to include earrings; it could just be a mere artistic approach by the creator. Based on this direct quote from Koizumi, it seems it would lean more towards style than story-line: “And I pierced his ears, making him sort of cool. But it wouldn't suit Nintendo if he were too cool, so he wears that long underwear.” However, we will still discuss the possibilities beyond this statement. Another element to look at is the timeline in which these games fall. Skyward Sword, as we know, starts the series off, then as we trickle down towards Ocarina of Time, where the timeline splits, we see Twilight Princess falls under the Hero is Triumphant Child Era. This, of course, places Breath of the Wild somewhere at the end of these timelines; we may then be able to conclude where this last installment could be placed in the timeline. Nintendo did say that it took place at the end of this timeline, but is it all the timelines converging? A single timeline? Two out of three? We don’t quite know, but Link does wear earrings in this adventure. We can assume that these traditions from the middle timeline are present in this game, but with so many other things pointing to other timeline branches, it’s hard to make a solid conclusion. In Skyward Sword, after completing the Silent Realm near Eldin Volcano, you receive the Fireshield Earrings, which is the third gift that remains from the Goddess Hylia. These earrings replace Link’s traditional blue ones and protect him from continuous fire damage and heat. What I find interesting about this is that the Goddess left this gift for a hero who would take on evil; she would have expected or known that this individual must have pierced ears. Does this indicate that the Goddess herself knew that a young Hylian male who is or has come of age would have pierced ears? Whether it be a part of his culture or maybe just to be “cool,” would he essentially be ready to wear this gift and go on to defeat the current era’s evil? Again, this is speculation, but knowing that the Goddess left a gift of earrings to Link, could we then assume stories were passed down from generation to generation telling this tale, which then kept the tradition of Hylian males’ having a rite of passage by piercing their ears in hopes to always be prepared if they ever were to receive gifts from the Goddess? In Ocarina of Time, where we first see Link’s earrings as an adult, we still speculate on how, where, and why they appear. When Link pulls the Master Sword from the pedestal in the Temple of Time, we suddenly see him with earrings in his adult form. How did he get them? Could the goddesses, Hylia, or Rauru have given them to him in the time jump? Where did they come from? Were they pulled from some sacred realm as he traveled seven years into the future? Why were they created? Could they have been forged by Hylia or the goddesses to represent the leap that Link has made from child to adult, taking what he knows from his past and combining it with his now stronger adult body to defeat Ganondorf? How did this all come to pass? I’m not entirely sure what I’m inclined to believe in this theory, but my best guess is that Link didn’t just jump seven years ahead and become prepared to take on evil instantly. I believe he was training and lived those years in a realm that prepared him, and once he was ready, he received the piercings and earrings as a sign that his body and his mind were ready. Ultimately, he was building up his courage and strength for the day he would take on Ganondorf. In Twilight Princess, we see that Link already has earrings at the beginning of the game. When Link is transformed into a wolf, everything that Link is wearing dissipates, and the only things that remain are the Triforce on his paw and his blue earrings. Again, the question arises: is this an aesthetic reason, or do these earrings pose more importance than what we are led to believe? It is also a bit interesting that Link becomes a servant to Midna for the most part, linking this connection to the spiraled or looped earrings and what history symbolizes them to be. In Breath of the Wild, you can equip a few different kinds of earrings, such as the amber earrings to increase your defense or the topaz earrings to give you some lightning resistance. The use of earrings in this game seems to be more practical than traditional, which fits well in this style of game. I’m not sure when or why Link pierced his ears, but again I’m speculating that he had them pierced, as is tradition, in hopes of being prepared if Hylia ever called upon him to take on the evils of the world. Though not canon, we can see in Hyrule Warriors that Link only wears earrings when wearing hero’s clothing, which either was meant to be a style choice or a link to the cycle Link is forever connected to. Furthermore, in the manga series, we see that Impa pierces Link’s ears as he comes of age. We have not seen a male from the Sheikah tribe to compare their traditions, so we cannot be certain if this is considered a mainstay or a one-off event. What are your theories as to why Link has these earrings? Who pierced his ears in each title? These lingering questions are great for us fans who love to speculate and leave a bit of mystery that we all enjoy in a great game. As always, thanks for reading, and please follow me on Twitter @Stillsaneshane.

S2 E15 | David and Kate meet up with Celeste Roberts and Lizzi Neelsen at the Video Game Summit 2019 to talk about all of the Water Dungeons in the Zelda franchise. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon SPECIAL GUEST: Celeste Roberts & Lizzi Neelsen | CAST: David Geisler & Kate May Season 2 | Episode 15

What do we think of the sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild? Source: Nintendo's YouTube Channel Carlos: It’s been a few weeks since the BotW 2 reveal, which means that my pulse and blood pressure have finally returned to normal. Like many of you, I have watched the video over and over. I have studied it frame by frame to glean any information that I could to understand what the storyline could be. If we know anything about the Zelda storyline, it’s that the creators love ambiguity. The timeline itself is an example of this. As you very well know, the Zelda timeline is law--at least until it isn’t. In the frenzy to understand where BotW fits, there was huge controversy. Currently it’s stated on Nintendo Japan’s website that BotW resides at end of all of all time lines. Whether that stays true overtime remains to be seen. Basically, the Zelda timeline has been about as stable as Skyward Sword’s motion controls. As we watch the video, we see Link and Zelda happen across the mummified body of what appears to be Ganondorf from Twilight Princess. As suddenly as it ended, the timeline mania that had gone dormant returns. If you recall, Ganondorf was stabbed in the chest right where the ghostly hand is placed on the mummy. The hair, the jewelry, and the wisps of green smoke in Gerudo writing all seems reminiscent of Twilight Princess. Overall, this game feels darker then its predecessor, much in the way Majora’s Mask was to Ocarina of Time. I wonder if the game will take place in Hyrule proper or in the catacombs beneath. An opposite scenario strikes me at the end of the reveal. It’s the moment in which the castle begins to raise from the ground. For me it conjures thoughts of Skyloft. If you remember, only the Isle of the Goddess crashed into the ground while the rest remained in the clouds. The idea of revisiting the clouds if only to see the ruins would be interesting. Lastly I wonder if we will be able to play as Zelda for any length of time or if she will be immediately captured. The idea of having puzzles that must be solved at separate locations between the two would be interesting, as well as perhaps the two having different skill sets. Photo source: IGN I’m sure as we move forward more will be revealed about Zelda, Link, and his magic blue hand. However, this much is clear; the trailer did what is was supposed to do: get everyone talking. In other words, the hype train has started. Are you on board? P.S.: Legit dungeons, please! Follow me on Twitter @The_Lost_Hylian, Instagram @thelosthylian, and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheLostHylian/) Lizzi: Not to argue semantics, but I think this is more of a teaser trailer than a first look trailer... which isn't to say I don't love every second of it! I was initially struck by the resemblance to Twilight Princess and the curious vocal track that sounds as if it's being played backwards. Seeing Link and Zelda together is always a welcome sight, though nothing could prepare me for seeing Zelda riding an elephant. And I know there's a lot of discussion about Zelda being a playable character, though I don't think this trailer gives any strong indications of that being true. However, I do get a vibe that maybe we will get to explore a peaceful Hyrule before Ganon is resurrected. I admit this may be wishful thinking since I've always wanted the ability to explore and talk to people after the final Ganon battle and actually see a changed Hyrule. Is it 2020 yet? See Kate May and I discuss our thoughts on this game at the Video Game Summit on July 13, 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGspKfGnEo4 Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @MissiLizzi. Photo source: Inverse Shane: I cannot describe my own reaction in which I saw the sequel trailer to Breath of the Wild. I was at work while on break. It pains me to think if a person had walked by and unknowingly witnessed me in a moment of an altered state not caused by any vice other than a cinematic display to my favorite video game franchise. How I felt and how I still feel is one of hope and mystery. As soon as the trailer was over, I put out a text to the Another Zelda Podcast team asking if anyone had just watched the ending of the Nintendo Direct. After responses of “not yet,” I couldn’t wait to read their reactions. I knew this would bring smiles to all my friends’ faces. At lunch I watched the trailer multiple times, soaking up the visuals, studying the clues, and hypothesizing where this new adventure may lead. Questions spiraled through my mind like the Gerudo text spiraling down to the phantom arm gripping the skeletal remains of which can only be described as Ganondorf. What could be next in the Zelda series? I do like what I saw and where the game seems to go so I made a list of what I want and what I could do without this time around in the land of Hyrule. Wants or returns: The Master Cycle. It was one of those cool but also quite useless bonuses that would have been better to have unlocked halfway through the game to get around quicker. This time around, let’s make use of it somehow during the adventure. More open-world secret quests and hidden lore. I like the variation of secrets scattered throughout Hyrule. Finding Korok seeds was interesting and not particularly useful after a certain threshold, but the game should have plenty of Easter egg secrets and lore that can be discovered by roaming around. Bring dungeons with exclusive items back. What I really enjoyed about previous titles was the dungeons that you explore and the items you obtain to progress within and eventually use to eliminate the dungeon boss. Bring back an instrument. I would love to have a mechanic within the game that utilizes the various notes of an instrument. Could be as simple as luring in bad guys for the kill or animals for food. Do without: Shrines (or at least not as many). I can see the appeal and use of the shrines to obtain orbs and use them the way you want, but at the same time, it seems unlikely we would see the same number of shrines. Length of time used on weapons. For me, this can go either way. Having a weapon for a short period can be frustrating yet also tactical for the user, while having one for too long wouldn’t provide a challenge or encourage trying other types of weapons. It's mostly trial and error on finding that sweet spot, but if Nintendo allowed the user to upgrade weapons with materials to make them more durable and last longer, it would provide another mechanic for the players to customize. Weather constraints. Though I found this to be quite a dynamic and beautiful feature in this game, the amount of time it would rain when I needed to scale a cliff was mostly annoying. I could do with less of this. Blood moon. Though I see the purpose of this mechanic, I feel that my progress for an area should not bring back all the enemies. I personally did not enjoy doing something over again within the game. Having a variation or totally different way to do this type of mechanic in the game would be much appreciated. Thanks for listening! Follow me on Twitter @StillsaneShane. Photo source: IGN Celeste: My thoughts as I watched the trailer: Green swirling lights forming what appear to be letters. What language is this? A cyclone of an unfamiliar alphabet rising as a cacophony of backmasking begins. What song is this? Is that Zelda riding on some sort of animal? Did she cut her hair? She’s with Link… does this mean we may have the chance to play as the princess? Oh, my, please don’t let anything hurt their pet… Red and black mist… a corpse resembling an ancient Demise from Skyward Sword… It’s alive! What is happening to Hyrule Castle? Does Link have magic powers? Is he falling under some sort of curse? The land appears peaceful and calm amidst the impending chaos within (or beneath) the central castle. How long after Breath of the Wild is this occurring? I need this game now! I don’t know whether Nintendo’s using the word “sequel” is a tease and this next installment in the series is actually a prequel to the events leading up to the disaster Link and the Champions faced, but based on Link’s memories and the overall story of BotW, I am inclined to believe this game does contain subsequent adventures. One of my greatest desires upon completing BotW was to have a chance to see Hyrule return to its former glory: bustling towns, a beautifully restored castle, swells of crowds carrying on in their daily lives, and Zelda having a chance to witness the fruits of her labor after a century of despair and uncertainty. Even with expansion packs and seemingly endless side quests, BotW left me craving more from a video game than I usually do. Typically I will feel a sense of accomplishment and bittersweet finality after defeating whatever plague a virtual land faces, but this Zelda game’s engaging and complex story left me wishing to see the beloved princess redeem herself and aid in the kingdom’s recovery. Perhaps this is a side effect of playing a video game as an adult who has witnessed disasters and unsavory aspects of the real world: I want to celebrate accomplishments and a phoenix’s tale, a soaring victory from the ashes of hardship and loss. I eagerly (and impatiently) await this next quest. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @faeriecrypt. David: It wasn’t until my second viewing of the BotW 2 trailer that I noticed the familiar gems and jewelry on the corpse that came to life by way of what seemed to be an infusion of malice. I was initially distracted by Zelda’s new haircut and Link’s new glowing hand. However, once I realized that the mummified body of Ganondorf would likely be the main antagonist for this story, I could barely contain my excitement. Kate and I have been talking about how Ganondorf could exist in an open-world game like BotW since the fourth episode of our first season wherein she and I discussed how nice it would be to have a couple additional “classic” elements operating inside the engine. We knew that the sequel would use the same engine as BotW, but I’m personally pleased to see that it will also use the same overworld. We know more “land” is being built for the sequel through Monolith Productions’ fairly public hiring of artists and engineers. The production company lent a large helping hand to Nintendo during the development of BotW when it was decided that Hyrule would exist inside a streaming, open-world engine. So, I’m excited about new areas to explore, but I also look forward to returning home, albeit a modified home, in the vein of Banjo-Tooie’s modified hub world. I personally hope that we travel back in time to a pre-ruins Hyrule. I’d love to see the game start canonically after BotW’s DLC and then travel back to a time when all of the buildings and towns are intact and full of life. The thought occurs to me that if it took four to five years for the “wild” to be built, it might only take a couple of years for civilized areas to be modeled to replace all of the ruins that litter BotW’s Hyrule. I also understand why Nintendo had to go with the Shrine mechanic in BotW. I’ve joked that the 120 shrines are kind of like 7 dungeons, broken apart room by room and scattershot all over the map. I feel that this choice was made to encourage, if not force, players to explore an open world. Coming off the back of slightly more straightforward games like Twilight Princess and even Skyward Sword, the players needed to be trained that exploring was worth it. Now that we have all grown accustomed to venturing into unknown valleys and around the back sides of mountains, I feel that a couple of traditional dungeons would be welcomed. And that’s my take. I’m happy to be going back to Hyrule. I’m happy that I’ll be playing the same Link, it seems. Some of my favorite Zelda games, like Twilight Princess, Majora’s Mask, and Oracle of Ages, are the ones that reused an engine established by the game that preceded. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RaptorPaint. What do you think of the trailer? What would you like to see in the sequel? Let us know! Photo source: Polygon

A new year brings a sense of excitement and discovery as we look forward to new adventures. Sometimes, though, we should reflect on our past experiences and journeys to appreciate our progress. As many people eagerly await news on upcoming video games, a few of us wanted to wax nostalgic and share our first exposure to The Legend of Zelda series. Celeste Who else remembers Slick Sam’s/Movie Gallery video rental shops? My childhood self never thought the day would come when these video rental services would be obsolete! Nearly every Friday after school, my parents would take my sisters and me to our local store, and we could pick two Super Nintendo games to share for the weekend. We often picked Super Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and some random, lesser-known titles. During one visit in about 1997 or 1998, my dad held up a new-to-me game, saying, “This looks like something you would like.” I took the empty box from him, studying the brass background covered with a sword, shield, and the words The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The back of the box featured a pink-haired, elf-like character holding a sword and apparently having a grand adventure. I decided to give the game a try. When we returned home, I inserted the cartridge into our SNES and slid the Power button up to turn on the game. After the copyright dates appeared on the screen, three golden triangles trickled to the middle of the display, a twinkling, music box-style melody accompanying them. Once they formed a whole triangle--save the empty middle space--a trumpet sounded, and the game’s title manifested with a regal fanfare. A sword fell from the top of the screen, piercing the “Z” in Zelda. What seemed to be a castle or a fortress was engulfed in a moat, and mountains and their reflections stood in the distance. I could not wait to start this game. A dark, stormy night. A faceless voice telling me she is a princess and is in danger. An older man going out into the rain and instructing me to stay home. I had nothing but a lantern in my inventory, and the princess asked me to infiltrate a castle through a hidden passage. I was fascinated and determined to do whatever I needed to for the kingdom’s damsel in distress. Exploring the castle with Princess Zelda following me made me feel as though I were in a virtual storybook. I had read tales of knights and royals, but I had never had the opportunity to actively participate in the action. I found myself in a building resembling a church, and then I journeyed to a village where the townsfolk, upon seeing me, alerted soldiers, all thanks to various “Wanted” signs placed throughout the kingdom. This game wasn’t a side-scroller; it was a digital page-turner. I would not complete this installment of the Zelda series until I owned the Game Boy Advance port about five years later, but my love for Link and the legends continued with Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and The Wind Waker in between, each game increasing my love for the lore. Follow Celeste on Twitter and Instagram @faeriecrypt. Shane My first encounter with The Legend of Zelda series was in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s when I went over to my aunt and uncle’s house. They had recently bought an NES for my cousins, and they had, of course, the classics we know today, such as Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and even Gauntlet, which had the add-on controller bar for 4-player mode. All great games, right? Well, I saw something that grabbed my attention, something shiny that beckoned me to try a taste. While some things may be edible, that doesn’t mean they taste good to everyone. I reached for it and unsheathed it from its plastic prison to reveal a picture of a sword and a title known as The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Now, being around the age of 4 or 5 at the time, anything shiny had influential powers over me. Who am I kidding--30 years later, shiny things still have the same effect, but I digress. I put the game into the console, turned it on, and was welcomed by a lovely tune, one that is played to sway you as if it were the Pied Piper putting you under a spell and luring you into the depths of this adventure. That hypnotic tune didn’t keep me in the trance too long once I started to play. I started roaming around in the game, not knowing what to do, how to read, or how to fight. I felt helpless. I walked through towns not knowing the rules of this game. When I ventured out into the field and saw a cave, I entered it. I remember being attacked by bat-like creatures, trying to jump and avoid them and not fully understanding how to attack. I got lost in that cave that day, and since then, I haven’t gone back to this game. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link will forever be ingrained in my memory as my first and worst Zelda experience. I do want to eventually try this game again and take it off my unbeaten bucket list, just like Majora's Mask. For now, I’m content with letting this one stay on the list. Follow Shane on Twitter @StillsaneShane. Carlos I was 8 years old and living in Southern California when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was first purchased for my home. I remember having a small library of games: Super Mario Bros., Dragon Warrior, Ultima Exodus, and Gauntlet 2, among others. One game seemed to catch my eye immediately; this game, unlike the drab grey of the others, was in the form of a shiny gold cartridge. I knew this meant it was special and that no other game I owned would be like it. My feelings were justified the moment the title screen appeared: the inverted piece of Triforce surrounded in what appeared to be vines and a lone sword held horizontally below, offering a hint of the battles to come. This whole design seemed to float over a waterfall, and I found myself instantly wondering what lay just beyond. The words The Legend of Zelda captured my attention. My young mind was awash with the budding curiosity that only a child could have. The word “legend” in the title alluded to a story of the grandest scale. I just had to be a part of it. I recall vividly the pinprick of chills that danced across my skin as the title screen darkened and the music tempo became desperate. Words that appeared on the blackened background slowly ascended up the screen with purpose. These words described Princess Zelda’s plight and made my mission clear; I had to save her. Despite my early optimism at that young age, I didn’t really have an idea of how to beat the game. Instead I enjoyed the aspect of traveling across the magical world of Hyrule, a place filled with deserts, mountains, and forests. I marveled when I would bomb open a cave or burn a tree to reveal a hidden passage. Whether I found a fairy fountain or a heart piece, it felt as if every screen held a secret waiting to be discovered. I could not be happier now to relive that nostalgia through the eyes of my 7-year-old son as he plays Breath of the Wild. For me, the original game was my escape. Today, a player may find the 8-bit designs lacking; however, 8-year-old me easily filled in cracks with my own imagination, creating a vivid world. Of course, this was aided by the included booklet and colored map, features that are sorely lacking in games of today. Even when not playing the game, I would look at these items and fantasize about the world that had captured my mind. The original Legend of Zelda is the single greatest factor in creating my love of fantasy today. I’m sure as you read through the other authors’ contributions you will find more of the same. You will find a band of daydreamers who found their home in Hyrule, each one of us perhaps having a different game that was our first but all tied together by the spirit of this franchise, a spirit that has burned bright for over 34 years. Follow Carlos on Facebook (The Lost Hylian), Twitter @The_Lost_Hylian, and Instagram thelosthylian. You can check out more of his articles at FromNES2Now.com. David My first memory of being exposed to The Legend of Zelda franchise stems back to when it was barely a franchise at all. I was in Duluth, Iowa, where my family was spending a week with my grandparents and we were making a grocery run to a small-town store. I spotted a cereal box that was labeled with a large red Nintendo logo on it, and below was Mario running through the Mushroom Kingdom! I remember thinking, “Wow, this Mario guy has really made it… he’s a cereal!” I begged my parents to buy it. They mentioned that it was nothing but sugar, but because we were on vacation, they’d allow it. I, literally, held the box of cereal in my lap as we drove back to my grandparents’ place. While driving back, I saw that, really, Mario was only on half of the box. The other half was dark and scary and had a man with a sword attacking a monster! “Zelda… I don’t know what that game is all about, but it looks scary,” I recall thinking. I, truly, even avoided eating that half of the cereal box out of fear...until after a couple of mornings passed and I had exhausted all of the fruity Mario Bros. side. Even though it scared me, I poured the purple and orange Zelda side into my cereal bowl... ...it still tasted pretty good. Fast forward to the mid ‘80s. My father worked at the Snap-On Tools corporate headquarters, which happened to be located in my hometown. When my sister and I were really young, he and my mother would often design little field trips for us to take in the form of a visit to his office and engineering lab. He’d have a soldering gun set up ahead of time and, after our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he'd teach us how to connect circuits. I specifically recall one time soldering a star to be used on our Christmas tree the following holiday. One time, my sister and I were having our lunch at Dad’s desk, and he pulled out a Nintendo Power magazine. Apparently, it had been getting passed around the office. “Look at this,” he said. “A whole magazine just about video games!” It seemed like a crazy concept at the time. “What’s even more exciting is… look at this… the magazine mapped out some of the levels to this game called Zelda.” Of course, it was Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. I’ll never forget the photo on the cover of the magazine: a man dressed as Link--with a very ‘80s hairstyle--faced away from the camera to look upon a sleeping princess. My sister and I looked at the layout of the dungeons, and I started to imagine what it would be like to live in that world. I had still never played a Zelda game. In fact, I spent most of my young life thinking that the Zelda games were side scrollers because my main exposure to the series was Zelda II. Finally, in middle school, I was aware that A Link to the Past had come out for Super Nintendo. My family, however, didn’t get a Super Nintendo until the mid-’90s, years into the Super Nintendo’s life cycle, so I missed the hype. I had a friend who would constantly talk about the fetch quest in Link’s Awakening, but I still hadn’t had any direct exposure to that game, either. One day, I rented a game called Chrono Trigger from a local rental shop. A strange place called Blockbuster had just opened on the other side of town, but it was more than a bike’s ride away, so I frequented the local (and slightly smelly) 4 Star Video for all of my rental needs instead. I was old enough to realize that I was starting to get excited about RPGs and games with large storylines...and Chrono Trigger delivered. That year, my parents spoke to my (now two) sisters and me, and told us that they wanted to get us gifts for Easter. They asked what we might like. Gifts for Easter had never happened before (and they never happened again), but something struck them that year, and I’m grateful. I had a Game Boy by now, and I knew that asking for a full home console game, like Chrono Trigger, would be a little too pricey of a request for an Easter gift. I decided to ask for a Game Boy game, and after a quick (but actually slow) search on dial-up Internet, I discovered that Link’s Awakening had dropped in price due to the fact that it had been out for a couple of years. I told my folks that I was curious about this Zelda series, which I had never played, and that I expected that I would enjoy playing the Game Boy version. So that Easter I was introduced to the land of Hyrule (actually, not Hyrule yet but Koholint Island!). I loved the game and played it non-stop. It's funny, looking back, that at the time I didn’t realize that many of the staples of a Zelda game were missing. Nevertheless, Link’s Awakening was my first Zelda game, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I played Link’s Awakening only a year or so before Ocarina of Time was released, and having Ocarina of Time as my second Zelda game… well… the hook was set after that, and I anticipated every Zelda release thereafter. I bought Oracle of Ages on day one of its release and loved going back to a slightly upgraded version of the engine that I first experienced the series on in Link's Awakening. I never would have guessed, more than 20 years ago, that it would all lead to producing and sharing a podcast about this series with so many other fans. Follow David on Twitter and Instagram @RaptorPaint.

S3 EP11 | David is joined by the AZP Blog writing team to create a score card of some the Legend of Zelda's most spooky spots! ▶️Direct Download Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: David Geisler, Celeste Roberts, Shane Kelley, Mallory Kuhn, Ryan Kuhn, Andy Barney Season 3 | Episode 11

S3 E08 | David invites Alyssa Ortiz over to talk about all the iterations of Zelda's most famous village. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: David Geisler & Alyssa Ortiz Season 3 | Episode 08

S3 EP09 | Mallory Kuhn and Ryan Kuhn return to discuss the different ways that they played Breath of the Wild. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: Mallory Kuhn & Ryan Kuhn INTRODUCTION: David Geisler Season 3 | Episode 09

S3 EP10 | Alyssa Ortiz returns to the show to build a list of some of the most bothersome baddies! ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: David Geisler & Alyssa Ortiz Season 3 | Episode 10

S2 E22 | David tells Kate the story of the making of Ocarina of Time. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: David Geisler & Kate May Season 2 | Episode 22

S2 E21 | Kate and David talk about some of their favorite things to do in Twilight Princess. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon HOSTS: David Geisler & Kate May Season 2 | Episode 21

S2 E19 | So many games have been influenced by Ocarina of Time. David and Kate talk about their first 'Zelda-like'. They played "Beyond Good & Evil." ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon CAST: David Geisler and Kate May Season 2 | Episode 19 PROMOTION - Support AZP by getting 10% off any order at https://www.posterburner.com/azp

S2 E18 | Kate and David discuss some of their favorite relationships between Link, Zelda, and Ganon! ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon CAST: David Geisler and Kate May Season 2 | Episode 17 PROMOTION - Support AZP by getting 10% off any order at https://www.posterburner.com/azp

S2 E13 | Kate and David get back together for a classic episode of Another Zelda Podcast to talk about some of their favorite non-dungeon dungeons. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon CAST: Kate May & David Geisler Season 2 | Episode 13

S2 E20 | David meets up with Dan McCoy in Chicago to answer questions from a new Zelda fan. ▶️Direct Download iTunes | Google Play | YouTube Get early access with Patreon SPECIAL GUEST: Dan McCoy HOST: David Geisler Season 2 | Episode 20