Inspiration Spotlight #5: The Legend of Zelda

Now here's a game series that I know a lot of people have played. The original Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the first video games I can remember playing and the series as a whole has left a lasting impression on me. The Zelda series takes place in it's own unique fantasy setting and it's always a fun adventure with every game.

When it comes to fantasy settings, I get a bit tired of dwarfs (short, tough people) and elves (tall, environmentalist people). What I love about the Zelda series is it's full of it's own special species like the Deku Scrubs (seen below). Sure they're humanoid, and they're not the first species to be tied into nature, but I think they're a lot more creative than the concept of say an elf.

Oh yeah and the monsters and just as awesome!

The Zelda universe has been expanding for over 25 years now and it's gotten pretty complex, and it's still growing. There are a lot of die-hard fans who have cooked up some pretty crazy theories, a lot of them concentrating on how each game fits into the universes time-line. This guy, Dan Merill, wrote out this really awesome article on Majora's Mask, talking about important themes and the overall story. It's a really great read that's got me wanting to replay Majora's Mask...and there may be some fan-art in the future ;)

 

If you're interested in checking out the article I mentioned you can find it here.

(all above images created and owned by Nintendo)