Tier Force Heroes Tackles The Highs and Lows of Zelda Introductions
Posted on January 21 2022 by Sean Gadus
The crew at Zelda Dungeon are back with some new content to celebrate the first month of 2022! In this episode of Tier Force Heroes, Gooey Fame, Corey Richmond, and Skull Kid Nico discuss and debate the introductions or beginnings of the mainline Zelda games. This topic has proven to be a divisive one among the Zelda community, and it is a topic that is sure to inspire conversation in perpetuity.
As the crew mentions in the opening of the video, deciding on the exact criteria of when an intro begins or ends will be quite subjective. The crew opens with a discussion of the original Zelda game from 1986, which set the foundation for the series. Despite being thirty-five years old, the open nature of the first Zelda intro has proven to still be relevant today. The elements of the blueprint first established in 1986 can be seen in Breath of the Wild‘s Great Plateau. Overall, many of the introductions to the 3D Zelda games seem to have a push and pull between setting up key story elements and throwing the player into the action quickly.
One key idea that Corey brings up is the concept of an “intro playground”, which are areas like Outset Island in The Wind Waker or Kokiri Forest in Ocarina of Time. These areas provide a controlled space to learn the basics systems of the game, do some light exploration, and build a foundation for the story. A smartly designed intro playground can set the stage for a great adventure, while a poorly designed intro playground might kill the pace of a game.
If you enjoyed this episode of Tier Force Heroes, you can also check out the other episodes of Tier Force Heroes, which cover a variety of fun topics.
Do you agree with the crew’s tier rankings of the introductions of each game from across the Zelda series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
