Tears of the Kingdom’s Genius Use of Nostalgia
With the release of one of the most hyped video games of the last few years, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023) proved just how valuable it can be to put your trust in a video game. With perfect scores across the board, this sequel to 2017’s game of the year exemplified just how much better a video game can get when given enough love and time. There is not a dull moment in this experience.
From the beginning of the game, players can really tell just how familiar this game feels. The scenes of delving deep underground, eventually leading to skies up above; it all feels strangely similar to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011) respectively. Perhaps the most nostalgic part of the introduction is the initial dive into the Great Sky Islands, home of this rendition’s Temple of Time. The build of the music, the etherial open world expansive around Link, the appearance of the title; it’s new, but feels habitual… in a good way.
That feeling of genuine wonder rises again, similar to the first time players opened The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) seven years ago. Somehow, Nintendo doubled down on their opening, and it paid off.
That reference is only the first of many memories long-time fans of the Zelda franchise will relive. There’s so much love for Zelda history, none of which forced its way in; It’s in the DNA of the game at its core. This crucial feeling is one of the reasons why Tears of the Kingdom feels so nice, so calm, so… nostalgic.
(Spoilers ahead. Very minor story spoilers, but some spoilers of significant puzzles and world interactions.)
The Song of Memories
One of the best parts about Breath of the Wild was its use of music; or rather its lack of it. The chimes didn’t overwhelm the player, and didn’t need to. Though you could pick apart some consistencies of the Zelda series, the majority of it was fresh. There were obviously a few battle tracks, boss fights, and town themes embedded in the game (including the anxiety-inducing Guardian theme), but for the most part, Hyrule was accompanied by the subtle strings.
Tears of the Kingdom is almost the exact same way. It still captures that expansive, mysterious feeling of curiosity, but in a much more dense world. Being set in the same Hyrule (yet years later), it makes sense to carry over a few musical tracks, including the cold mountainous theme, the horse riding tracks, and the great fairy fountains.
The great fairies have been consistent throughout the entire series, so it’s no question why they have a much more regal version of the same track. Reusing certain melodies at different tempos is a great way to throw some audio-salt into the wound of childhood memories. It could be something as simple as Link humming fan favorites while cooking, but that feeling of familiarity can really feel comfortable. Although it may not seem as if every track holds the same meaning as in games before Tears of the Kingdom, the ingenious placement of the music really did teach an old dog some new tricks.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) is by far the most renowned Zelda game of all time. Without a shadow of a doubt, it has one of the most recognizable soundtracks in gaming history. Specifically, the theme that plays while inside of a house is a classic Nintendo song that has pierced generations.
Why bring that up? Because it’s used again in Tears of the Kingdom. While not inside of every house, it is inside of the most important one: Link’s. After completing the “Mattison’s Independence” side quest in Tarrey Town, the player is presented with the option of building a dream home (located just outside of Tarrey Town). Using blocky rooms as housing infrastructure, Link is able to build himself a new home (after Zelda so rudely stole his old one).
The theme that plays during this process seems very familiar…
Reusing something so close to many fan’s hearts is smart, but also thematically a smart move. Being Link’s own home, it’s got to have a feeling of relief, almost as if you come back from a hard days work looking to relax. By giving the player somewhere to settle down for a while and think about their adventures, using a track that lit the first flame in many hardcore follower’s hearts is a great idea. Slowing it down makes it feel more inviting, and the nostalgia surrounding it ought to make it feel more like this blocky house is a home. It’s as if you’re returning to a time of comfort, as Ocarina of Time is for many Zelda fans.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are deep, brooding, and generally terrifying tracks. To make the player uncomfortable, the Zelda team remade a track long associated with the dark, that feeling of fear, and some truly deep chords. Bringing back a fan favorite number really accentuates the horror that is to come.
Ganondorf’s theme really embodied the idea of an antagonist in Twilight Princess. It added to the fear factor, showing the extent of the Tri-Force of power. This is one reason why this form of this Gerudo man has become a staple in the series, in so far as becoming the go-to design for crossovers such as Super Smash Bros. Ulimate (2018).
It’s only right that having a voice as intimidating as Matt Mercer’s that Nintendo utilize the dark themes of this track once more. The true power of Ganondorf rises again in Tears of the Kingdom, which drives Zelda’s journey in the past version of Hyrule. From an unsettling feeling of keeping your enemies close to an attempt to backstab Hyrule, it only makes sense that a certain classic leitmotif carries over into the latest entry.
Truly a bone chilling experience when faced with this high-level threat.
At this point in the series, it’s almost wrong not to use Zelda’s Lullaby at some point. While I won’t describe the situation it is used in to avoid ruining the story, its tune stays consistent while taking an entire 180 degree turn on the emotion it portrays. For reference, the rendition in Skyward Sword captured the melody in an effective way to tell its comforting story.
Tears of the Kingdom captures its plot point well, and really helps to drive the emotion of the scene its used in. Instead of calming and homely, Tears of the Kingdom uses Zelda’s Lullaby in order to create serenity, and more importantly, suspense. Using this classic song at such a climactic moment made the game truly feel as if it had reached its apex, almost as if the entire series was leading up to this point. Keep your eyes out if you haven’t beaten it yet. It might take you one “Last Catch” to appreciate it.
Put simply: Tears of the Kingdom is a work of musical genius. The Zelda Team truly steps themselves up with every new entry. And if the classic dungeons have taught us anything, backtracking is only another way to go forward.
Yes, Classical Dungeons.
Being one of the main gripes fans had when discussing Breath of the Wild, classic-esc dungeons finally make a return in the latest Hyrule. At least, as best they can in a new formula. The feeling of separately themed temples with certain consistencies between them, while still being given a new mechanic to discover is what games like The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004) began to solidify into the series as a whole. While Breath of the Wild had the divine beasts, many perceived them as lackluster, with a repetitive atmosphere that got old quickly.
Yet Tears of the Kingdom reestablished this long-beloved cycle with the reintroduction of buried temples, along with new and improved powers from each of the sages. They even included the heart container reward at the end of each dungeon! It may be small, but it definitely helps to round out your hearts after reaching all 152 shrines.
Many may be asking: What does it mean to be a classical dungeon? And honestly, with the amount of mixed items, ideas, puzzles, characters, worlds even, it’s hard to find exactly what fans intended by demanding these.
But it’s not hard when you look at the divine beasts from Breath of the Wild. Although it still garnered perfect ratings across the board, it’s easy to see why Tears of the Kingdom completely leveled the playing field. Many previous Zelda dungeons included key items such as masks, the hook shot, and other iconic items. Each chapter and dungeon provided a new way to play, and another way to create and solve puzzles. When switching to the runes of recent titles, it almost leaves a want for more. The issue rises from the lack of variation.
Although Breath of the Wild created puzzles that utilized Stasis, Magnesis, Cyronisis, and Remote Bombs in a satisfying loop, it began to feel repetitive very fast. All of the divine beasts kept the Shiekah infrastructure intact, but in turn sacrificed creative scenery. Even after the second divine beast, it’s easy to realize how quickly it can feel too similar, almost as if some puzzles were copied and pasted. Their challenges were still creative and a joy to discover, yet felt too similar due to the limitations of runes and consistent theming. You already have all the abilities from the jump. Players already know how to use them by the end of the first divine beast, which created an itch for something else. It’s good to have a constant idea, but it can come with downfalls.
Now when comparing it to other Zelda titles, something like The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000) or The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002), it’s a little more evident what a “classic dungeon” is.
A large puzzle dungeon with a new mechanic or item that challenges players in a way previously unavailable, a new location commonly unseen previously, and an interesting, creative boss that challenges this new mechanic; those factors seem to create a fun, new dungeon with a previously untouched experience. When looking at Forest Haven from The Wind Waker, players get to use a Deku Leaf in order to glide around a new rendition of the Great Deku Tree, hopping from Baba buds in order to face Kalle Demos, a large, more intimidating bud. It gives the player a new sense of freedom throughout the game, encouraging backtracking for those who wish to. The Wind Waker distributed powers while progressing in the story, making each place feel fresh. This gameplay loop emanates throughout the series, and for a long time has remained the staple.
So, when it was time to experiment, much of the fandom didn’t consider the divine beasts to be within this loop. Almost as if the challenge was leaning closer toward a reliance on shrine puzzles rather than grandiose adventures. Breath of the Wild ran with it, but being a non-linear open world, the Zelda Team adapted their previous puzzle-making prowess the best they could, and for game’s lifespan, it’s easy to say it payed off.
Now look at Tears of the Kingdom. The entire “Regional Phenomena” main quest line still allows the player to take on the corners of the world in whatever order they want to, but also gives the developers a lot more freedom, especially when encapsulating the lands of Hyrule. And each sector now has that good ol’ classic dungeon setup in doing so.
Although the Lightning and Fire Temples utilize the bonds of the sages effectively, The Wind Temple is easily the most memorable, and the best example of how to effectively reiterate a new set of old dungeon styles.
The start of the 5-lock mechanism that stays consistent in all dungeons across this game may seem to hinder creativity at first, but the Zelda team’s theming, new opportunities, and general freedom made each dungeon feel creative and fresh. In doing this, it reintroduces the ideas of classic dungeons with a new, open-ended feel to it reminiscent of the open world formula. This nice balance really reminded fans why the “classic dungeon” system worked in the first place, while still maintaining a sense of structure within each temple.
The sage bond abilities are very well utilized here. Tulin, having the most utility-based ability of all of the sages, ventures with Link across floating ruins, ascending to the skies like a bird. This quest really balances use of the new Ascend ability with use of the dungeon-specific powers in order to make the player feel like a parkour master of Hyrule. It only gets better with launchpad boats. The freedom to focus on the Rito really allowed the whole quest line to flourish, along with Tulin’s ability.
The portion that really separates these temples from the divine beasts is the thematic designs. Staying within the Wind temple, it’s easy to see how much more creativity the Zelda team was allowed to maneuver with. Even from the beginning of the Rito quest line, some young Rito can be seen singing a song about an arc in the sky, and bringing peace to their village. All while their village is definitely not in a peaceful state. Ascending into the giant storm cloud with Tulin reveals this Great Storm Ark, and links back to the idea that the phenomena is traced back to years of Hyrule’s history. These thematic elements really help blend the gameplay together with the story.
Another great contribution, the Water Temple, felt closest to a classic dungeon. Though it uses runes and Zonai machines in order to reach the true temple, it also uses an actual new item. Or should I say new armor piece. In true water-wading fashion, the Zora Armor proves as a great stand-in item with fun implementation. It’s what made the temple feel so creative.
Ascending waterfalls in the first of these two games was fun, but felt as if it was there only for extra traversal. It wasn’t required, nor did the world really benefit from its inclusion. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining, just not rooted into the game. In Tears of the Kingdom, it becomes a crucial gateway between the sky islands and Zora’s Domain. Even more so, it creates an awesome paragliding-parkour segment!
Though the water temple can be seen as one of the weakest of the bunch, it’s still a strong implementation that satisfies the need for a nostalgic sense of dungeon-specific mechanics. Oh man, is it satisfying to see them back.
Obvious Inclusions
If anything, the incorporation of amiibo armor without the need for extra purchases made this game feel just that little bit more special. Like some scattered fragments of time, if you will. From bits and bobs originating in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) to the fan-favorite adult clothing from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), Link has so many ways to feel like one of his ancestors.
The old maps found in sky islands are really the driving force of these pieces. Not only does this serve to interlink the two entirely separate world maps, but it makes the game feel rooted in a long history hinted at in the Geoglyph quest line. Yet it really feels like a game that converges the infamous timeline split, especially when looking at long distant artifacts of the series. Even more so after finding these artifacts.
The immensely iconic Majora’s Mask is found in one of the best ways possible; through a gauntlet of merciless Lynels aiming to bust link into smithereens. That’s why there’s so many entertaining clips and snippets of everyone’s reactions online. It’s not limited to just one arena either. These boss rush colosseums really add a sense of accomplishment to gaining your favorite masks. It’s definitely an upgrade from just sifting around for a specific chest.
The Skyward Sword is similar, but instead of facing enemies, there is an entire side quest line that leads up to it. Although the weapon itself feels more for vanity, talking to the holy statues located at each Tri-Force lake across Hyrule really makes for a great mini-adventure.
The entire Link’s Awakening set also feels special. Of the ones mentioned, it’s definitely the most straightforward, but it still keeps a sense of puzzle-solving that’s hard to find with other small items. Even something as simple as giving a statue a sword can add just a little bit of flare. And come on, who doesn’t want a mask as goofy as this one?
If anything, it’s these small, restyled pieces of Zelda history that really make the whole emphasis on nostalgia feel congruent with the new story the Nintendo is telling. From the Temple of Time to the Fairy Fountains, it’s simple enough to keep the series’ previous consistencies while styling it enough to make an open world from what seems like the ground up.
Truly, Link is the hero of time. Or the Wild, in this case.
Mounting the Master Sword
There’s a reason so many people love The Legend of Zelda. Its puzzles are fun, its style is like no other, and frankly, it’s one of the most recognizable and iconic video game series of all time. Of course it’s smart to reference the rest of the series and where it came from.
Yet it’s just as important to make something new. If nothing else, the Depths and Sky Islands truly add a fresh new take on the Zelda formula, while keeping what everyone loves about the series alive. It’s almost as if the highest heights of Skyward Sword, the lush green expansiveness of Breath of the Wild, and the deep caving of Twilight Princess keep the spark of what was good about each game while injecting it into a new formula. If Switch titles such as Super Mario Odyssey (2017) say anything, it’s that Nintendo’s always been good at that. Making something feel new yet homely is a notorious part of many comfortably nostalgic titles.
From linear adventures, giant eggs, cursed masks, twilight mirrors, and large open worlds, the Zelda team knows what fans want. That’s why so many people are willing to wait instead of rushing a game; many trust that it’ll be better than the last. If nothing else, we can learn something from the genius of this series:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; expand it.
