I was still in high school when Capcom hatched its plot to create a trilogy of linked Zelda games for the Game Boy Color, but I was already savvy enough (or at least cynical enough) to be deeply concerned at the prospect of Nintendo handing one of my favorite series over to another publisher. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
This trimmed down duo broke down the Zelda formula into its two core elements – Ages focused on the puzzle-solving that I’m so fond of, and Seasons was more about action and combat. I’ll always be curious what Capcom intended to do with the canceled third title. Because they deal with shifts between four seasons and two different time periods, the overworlds of the Oracle games are surprisingly massive and full of secrets for gamers willing to experiment.
Most gamers willingly acknowledge Capcom’s skill at working with the Zelda formula as proven by the Oracle games and Minish Cap, but I think it deserves even greater recognition. On the same day, Capcom released two fully fleshed out Zelda titles of such quality that most fans would have no trouble believing they came from Nintendo itself. It was an incredible, expectation-defying feat by any measurement.
Darker Relics Of Nintendo's Past
We’re obviously smitten with the lengthy list of core Zelda releases, but there exists a long-lost trilogy of games technically tied to the series that Nintendo and its fans have made a silent agreement to pretend didn’t happen. In 1993 and 1994, three Zelda games developed outside of Nintendo were released for the obscure Phillips CD-i. Here’s a quick overview of the three Zelda games you should never play.
Link: Faces of Evil – This side-scrolling travesty featured such bonuses as stiff controls, enemies that can stun-lock you in combat as they drain your health slash by slash, and Link doing the infamously stupid "duck walk" by crouching and walking at the same time. Worst of all, it broke a cardinal Nintendo rule for the series: Link was given an awful, grating voice in animated cutscenes that were worse than the short-lived Zelda cartoon series.
Zelda: Wand of Gamelon – While borrowing the same terrible side-scrolling style of Faces of Evil, Wand of Gamelon has the unfortunate distinction of being the first Zelda game that allows players to step into the role of Princess Zelda. It came with its own set of problems as well, particularly sketchy platforming and an overabundance of dark rooms that require constant use of lantern oil just to view your surroundings.
Zelda’s Adventure – A new developer and a perspective shift weren’t enough to save the final Zelda CD-i game from being just as terrible as the others. The overhead view initially lends it a classic Zelda feeling, but a rough art style, lengthy loading between screens, and a broken map system quickly revealed it for the sham it is. The animated sequences from the other two games are gone, but they’re replaced by live action video cut scenes that are just as painful to watch.
For more Zelda memories from the Game Informer staff, check out our Zelda feed.
This essay originally appeared in Game Informer issue #222.