In a recent video posted to the Nintendo of America YouTube channel, Nintendo once again explained the difference between Game-Key Cards and regular game cards. In short, Game-Key Cards are a hybrid of digital and physical media — game cards that only contain an unlock code for the digital download of a game. So while you get a nice piece of plastic on the shelf, there is no game on that cartridge, and the full weight of the game hits...

After two iconic games on the Nintendo 64, Nintendo pivoted the direction of their Zelda art style with the cel-shaded graphics of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Released in 2003 in North America, the response from fans was initially divisive, but it has aged well and has become a beloved installment in the series. It saw a revision for the struggling Wii U in 2013 with The Wind Waker HD, including a limited edition console with custom gold...

Although Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are masterpieces that have been added to the Zelda lineup, I think most fans can agree that there are some shifts into the open-world format of Hyrule that left a bit to be desired for devoted fans who love the traditional elements. From lackluster dungeons to more convoluted storytelling, to weapon durability, Nintendo seemed to struggle to strike the right balance with epic new heights while still staying connected to...

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask pivots away from the focus of its predecessor. Away from Hyrule, the game tells the tale of the land of Termina and the citizens of Clock Town in a recurring three-day cycle, all while the menacing moon looms overhead. Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000, it received a major revision with Majora’s Mask 3D for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. Zelda fans have been sharply divided ever since its re-release as to...

While open world games have been a part of the video game landscape for decades, video game series like Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, and Elder Scrolls have further popularized the open world gameplay and design structure in the twenty-first century. Open world games are often notable for large game worlds as well as significant amounts of side activities that players can engage in. In the late 2010s and the current generation of video games, it feels like an enormous...

Lauded as one of the greatest of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time debuted in 1998 for the Nintendo 64. It was a masterpiece that solidified many of the conventions of its Zelda predecessors and established lore for many of the Zelda games after it. In 2011, it received a new coat of paint with enhanced graphics as part of the 25th anniversary of the series with Ocarina of Time 3D for the dual-screened 3DS handheld console. Let’s...

Hut-Hiya, everybody! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably dreamed of visiting the land of Hyrule for years, perhaps even decades, ever since The Legend of Zelda first captured your imagination. A pair of devoted fans, Frank Milham and James Dawson, known together as Midnight Kotatsu, have turned that dream into reality. Their documentary “Uncovering Breath of the Wild,” released earlier this year, explores the real-world inspirations behind Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, as the pair...

Greetings, Zelda fans! I hope you’re ready for yet another ZD Caption Contest… and for a bit of an announcement. For the last ten years, I have been hosting this Caption Contest, first for Zelda Informer and then for Zelda Dungeon. I wasn’t the contest’s first host, nor was this current contest lineage even the first iteration of the concept, but I’ve been at the driver’s seat since the 23rd entry way back in June 2015. In that time, I’ve...

When I was first introduced to the Zelda series, I only had a copy of The Legend of Zelda Collector’s Edition on the GameCube. The disc contained four Zelda titles and one of them was Majora’s Mask. I didn’t play the game until first starting my journey in Ocarina of Time, my intro into the series, but I wasn’t prepared for the gritty experience that was Majora’s Mask. I didn’t know there was a time limit until progressing far enough...

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening tells the story of our green-clad hero after he’s washed ashore on the mysterious island of Koholint. Originally released for the Game Boy in 1993, it has seen two major revisions, with Link’s Awakening DX for the Game Boy Color in 1998 and a remake from the ground up for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. So — how do the latter two versions, which are the more popular and easily accessible ones, match up...

This episode does contain spoilers for chapters 3 and 4, and the playable roster of characters, of Age of Imprisonment!!   With a bit more time to chew on Age of Imprisonment, the gang talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the game so far, including: how did we feel the four Sages came across? What were our thoughts on the Mysterious Construct flying levels? Initial reactions to Calamo? Should Koei-Temco make a Star Fox game? Does...

We’ve had confirmation that a film based upon The Legend of Zelda has been in the works for sometime. The film based upon one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises was delayed earlier in the year with a release date of May 27, 2o27, but now, confirmed by Nintendo Today!, the Zelda film is officially in production! Nintendo’s news app, Nintendo Today!, released a short video including a brief message confirming filming and revealed new unreleased stills from the production featuring...

It happened! Another Zelda LEGO set that is likely to feature the final battle from Ocarina of Time (and perhaps even Ganondorf’s iconic Castle) is set to release in 2026! With Ocarina of Time being one of my favorite games of all time, I am ecstatic over this news! However, with the previous release of the Great Deku Tree set that is interchangeable between the Ocarina of Time and the Breath of the Wild versions of the iconic forest lord, this...

Several games from the Legend of Zelda franchise have graced multiple Nintendo consoles and handhelds over the decades. Some received simple and straightforward ports in order to make the game available on a newer piece of hardware with little to no changes. Others, however, saw robust remasters or remakes with substantial modifications to graphics and controls with the hopes of breathing new life into an older game for the next generation of Zelda fans. Sometimes these remasters and remakes built...

Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has released estimated video game sales data for the week commencing November 3rd, 2025. The Japanese sales chart reveals that in its launch week Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has taken the top spot with a total of 73,183 units sold. Estimated sales figures for this ranking are a combined total of packaged software, download cards, and pre-installed versions. However, Famitsu does split the sales data by platform. Therefore, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with combined sales of...

Warning to all fans looking to avoid spoilers for the upcoming live-action Zelda film: videos and photos capturing the film set may have leaked online and may be floating around on social media. A pair of videos reportedly capturing, from a distant vantage point, a New Zealand film set for the Zelda movie has been shared around online the last few days. Though Zelda Dungeon has viewed the videos, we cannot confidently determine their authenticity at this time. However, some of...

I reckon that if you were to ask most Zelda players what weapon Link uses to defeat Ganon, you’d hear just one answer: the Master Sword! The Blade of Evil’s Bane! Perhaps the most iconic weapon in any video game! But many fans (myself included) forget that it wasn’t always this way. In the original Legend of Zelda, it wasn’t a sword that delivered the final blow: it was a Silver Arrow. In Ganon’s next appearance in A Link to...

Welcome back to… Fall Brawl! After a bit of a format change last year, Zelda Dungeon’s Fall Brawl Character Contest is back in all its glory for a seventh year! A huge roster of Zelda characters — old and new, good and evil — will battle it out for absolute supremacy… and you’ll get to help decide the outcome! Who will join the likes of Midna, Mipha, and Dark Link in our the Fall Brawl Hall of Champions? IT’S UP TO...

The Hyrule Warriors franchise has been around for over ten years now. With a few ports of the titular game, Age of Calamity and most recently Age of Imprisonment; Hyrule Warriors has become a stable spin-off series within the Zelda franchise at large. The question for today though is, do you hope that the series continues? Before I dive in further let me say this, I am a massive Hyrule Warriors fan. My husband and I loved the first game...

Hut-Hiya, everyone! Prepare your Giant’s Wallets and count your rupees because Lego and Nintendo just posted a teaser for a new Legend of Zelda set! Heavy breathing intensifies… The teaser features Ocarina of Time’s Link and Navi facing down a shadowy, horned foe. A blurred view of Princess Zelda lingers in the background behind our destined hero. Keen-eared Zelda fans will recognize the ominous chords intensifying the scene… Link is going to be facing a Beast Ganon who is surely ready...