I love how freaking epic Zelda games can be. You roam the kingdom of Hyrule seeking out your next foe, next dungeon or next objective because that next item, next song or next weapon will bring you that much closer to saving Zelda. You journey alongside characters like Midna, the King of Red Lions, Fi, Tatl, and Navi on your quest to purge the land of evil and force darkness into light. You are the Ancient and Legendary Hero. And you know that Ganon is going down by your hand at the end of the day.
Hell yeah, bitch.
… End of the day? Screw that, I’m going fishing.
What? What’s with the face?
Yeah, I know I’m the hero. You know you are too. But we do all that fighting, dungeon diving, treasure hunting and citizen protecting… when do we get to kick our feet up and relax a little?
Zelda’s still going to be a captive in Ganon’s lair a few hours from now. She waited that long, she can wait a little longer. Besides, I didn’t collect all that bee larva for nothing, you know. Time to call our trusty steed and ride to the lake!
In other words, here are my top 3 things to do when not playing the hero:
#1. Owning the Plains / Sea / Sky / Whatever
Ahhh. Nothing breaks up an adventure like a few long hours of racing around Hyrule Field / the Great Sea / the Sky / wherever else on your valiant steed, taking in the sights and simply enjoying the ride.
Giddy-up, Epona!
When I was a kid, I spent countless hours galloping across Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time. I could have cared less about the main story of the game (come on, give me a break, I was seven when I first played it), all I wanted to do was get my horse. I remember that I found out early on in my first playthrough of the game that I had to beat a good half of the game before I could become Adult Link and summon Epona at will.
Seven year old me was not a happy camper.
So, I worked as hard as I freaking could to get to the point in the game where I could finally summon Epona. I got the Master Sword, I became Adult Link, received my Medallion of Light from Rauru in the Temple of Time, and ran as fast as I could to Lon Lon Ranch only to find Epona (and her owner, Malon) under the tyrannical care of Iago, the farmhand-turned-evil-lunatic.
In order to be able to ride Epona, you have to complete a number of jumping challenges. Once you complete them, Iago locks the door to the ranch and gives you a proverbial middle finger in response to your victory. Therefore, I did the only thing that made sense:
Yes, Epona can freaking FLY.
I jumped the gate.
Best. Feeling. Ever.
Free to do as we pleased, the two of us traveled to the farthest corners of Hyrule together. To this day, one of my favourite things to do in Zelda games is simply ride around on Epona, watching the mountains, Lake Hylia, Lon Lon Ranch and Castle Town fly by as we dash across Hyrule Field.
But Epona is not alone in the role of majestic steed. I sailed Wind Waker‘s entire Great Sea aboard the King of Red Lions not to search for new dungeons but to explore the vast openness of the ocean, to visit every little island on the map and to find all the nooks and crannies where hidden items were left for you to find.
Link. He’s on a boat. Again. Cause it’s SO FUN.
You also have the option of gliding around on your Loftwing in the Sky above the overworld in Skyward Sword, but… well, yeah, that place can be described best as “meh.” The awkward motion controls don’t add to the experience either. In fact, I think they deterred me enough that I still have not gone and explored every island in the Sky to this day. Maybe because most of them are just empty rocks with freaking holes in them. Nonetheless, I was excited for a flying mount to come to Zelda for a long time, so when it did… I was happy. For about ten minutes. And then it got boring. So, not as much fun, but at least the Sky is interesting (cough, not, cough).
At least they look pretty?
#2. Fish On!
Okay, even if you haven’t played Ocarina of Time but know anything about video games, I would be very surprised if you did not know about the fishing mini-game. I remember when I first beat the Water Temple (o-… oh god, the Water Temple…must…not…remember…) and visited the fishing hole for the first time, I thought it was the greatest idea in the world. A game within a game. You could rent a rod from the owner and fish in the pond for as long as you liked.
Do you want a haircut for 20 Rupees? What’s up with that doo, man?
The game has since wangled itself into several other titles, most notably Twilight Princess, where it becomes a sort of gimmicky game mechanic that you actually need to partake in to beat the game. Literally, you cannot get to Snowhead Mountain without completing 3 freaking fishing mini-games.
Yes, it’s fun, Nintendo, but not when you force it down my throat.
Speaking of fun, the best part of fishing, hands down, is that you can fish this loser’s hat right off his head. And then he gets mad. Day, made.
Like hell you’re getting this back.
#3. Thar be thy Treasure, ye olde Hero
Come on. I know you’re thinking it. You can’t keep it from me, I see it in your little sparkling eyes. I see the way you look at those treasure chests. I see the way you scan the map to find the next one. And the next one. And the one after that. Yeah, you’re a treasure hunter, aren’t you?
Well, why shouldn’t you be? You’re the Hero, right?
What kind of hero doesn’t get treasure for his/her deeds?
… Well, sorry to say, the answer is you. You’re supposed to be the courageous, strong and selfless type that’s going to swoop in at the darkest hour and save everyone without even a penny in return because you’re that much of a good guy. You know how it is. Hero stuff.
Nah, I’m fibbing. Go crazy. There’s too much of it out there anyway.
Look at those items, ripe for plundering.
If any of the games were built with treasure hunting in mind, that game was definitely Wind Waker. The setting is perfect. Wide open ocean, getting around by boat, and wind-altering mechanics made you want to explore every inch of water you could. Not to mention the treasure charts, scattered across the islands in chests and hidden beneath the waves, that you could find to make plundering easier on yourself.
I always liked this element of Wind Waker. Sailing on the open seas looking for treasure…
Tetra and her gang of pirates. Kind of made you feel like you were part of ’em.
And that’s my top 3 things to do while screwing around and procrastinating rescuing Princess Zelda. I’m sure she won’t mind. In fact, I’m pretty sure she stays in one room the whole game anyway, so what’s the point of rushing? We have all day… and all night… and all day… and all night… and all day…
Oh SHI—
Alright, alright, I’ll get on with it already!!
Well, until next time… what’s your favourite thing to do between quests? Let’s talk Zelda (before we all get squished)!
Zelda: A Link to the Player 