Zelda Gimmicks

One thing that I love about a series of games or movies is how they all differ slightly. Comparing, contrasting, and critiquing different elements of the series is something that I consider to be fun, though I acknowledge that most people would disagree. I recall hearing that when it came time to do a sequel to Back to the Future, Steven Spielberg told Robert Zemeckis that audiences want, “more of the same, but different.” Having the exact same formula or character lineup can make a series seem repetitive and monotonous, and repetitive. As an example, almost all of the episodes of Power Rangers have the same basic plot (monster sent to terrorize city) and its conflict is resolved in the same way (giant combined robot fighting giant monster). Very little is done in the way of a narrative told across episodes, and it gets old after a while. But in Back to the Future, one movie is set in 1955, one is set in 2015, and one is set in 1885, so we get to see similar events played out in three different time periods as well as character growth across movies.



The six games of the NES Mega Man series skirted that line by adding something new on each game (like the sliding ability or being able to use reserve energy tanks) besides just having different levels/bosses. But they were similar enough that it can be hard to distinguish which game is which if someone were to walk into a room and see one being played.



However, Zelda games tend to have bigger differences. In addition to art styles being different, it seems like each game has its own “gimmick” that makes it immediately identifiable and adds a measure of uniqueness so that the Zelda formula doesn’t get stale. It’s sorta like you describe each game as, “It’s like a normal 2D/3D Zelda, but you can ______,” and fill in the blank with what makes it unique.


Some of the gimmicks are directly related to the control scheme or mode of play, some are a means of transportation, while most are a specific “superpower” or ability that Link gets. So I’m going to quickly go through each game and put what I think is the main gimmick, and also what’s not a gimmick (even though it might be at first glance).



The Legend of Zelda - Action-adventure/Open world

In retrospect, it doesn’t seem like this would be a gimmick, and I’m being very liberal with the word “gimmick” in this case, but it’s really more of a genre-defining concept. It was a fresh take combining several genres/concepts together.





Adventure of Link - Sidescrolling action

Though it has been used sparingly in a few games since, the 2-D side scrolling action is what defines Zelda 2, and it was the only game to have a strong emphasis on the combat for quite a while.




A Link to the Past - Light/Dark dual worlds

While ALttP solidified what constitutes a typical 2-D Zelda game, the main gimmick that it used was the Light and Dark world aspect. Not only did it basically double the size of the overworld, but there were small puzzles in the form of barriers that could be circumvented in the other world. In addition, the Dark World having a higher monster difficulty served as a form of overworld difficulty scaling.





Link's Awakening - Portable

Like ALttP, LA introduced some elements that became series staples, such as having different music for each dungeon, more dialogue, and a trading sequence. But overall it didn’t deviate too far from the previous game. The main thing it added was portability, and a creative use of only having 4 buttons (B/A/Start/Select) instead of the 8 that ALttP did.





Ocarina of Time - Child/Adult

OoT was a landmark game in many ways, and how Nintendo made the move from 2 to 3 dimensions with both the Mario and Zelda series set industry standards. But the main mechanic is being able to switch between Young and Adult Link. Each version of our hero had abilities, items, and even some areas that can only be accessed by one or the other.





Majora's Mask - 3-day Cycle and Transformations

MM’s thing was the unique way that a 72-hour period kept repeating. There were many events that only happened at particular times, and NPCs didn’t mindlessly repeat the same information or stay in the same place. Having so many characters with unique personalities programmed into them was really novel at the time. In addition to the 3-day cycle, there were also transformation masks. By turning into a Deku or Goron, Link can accomplish certain things that he couldn’t otherwise do as a Hylian.



Oracle of Seasons - Changing seasons

Through his progression, Link gains the ability to change the seasons of the land to fit his needs. By doing so, it opens up paths that were otherwise impassable. For example, spring raised the water levels and melted snow, while summer dried up waterways allowing exploration of the bottom of a pond.





Oracle of Ages - Past/Present

It seems like this is almost the same as OoT. But in OoT, it was Link who changed while the land/people more or less stayed the same (with a couple of notable exceptions). But here Link is the same, but we get to see what the land was like 400 years beforehand, so Cities were villages back then, and seeds sown in the past will be full grown trees in the present.



Four Swords - Multiplayer, stage based

There were two new gimmicks introduced in this game. The first was that it was necessarily multiplayer; it’s impossible to play solo. Having 2 to 4 Links was set around a “co-opetition” concept, in that you have to try to work together while trying to collect more rupees than your rival. The other one was having a stage based game with no overworld. In reality there were only 4 levels (Forest/Water/Fire/Air). The genius design made it so each level’s layout is different each time you play (now referred to as "Roguelike") so that it doesn’t get old as quickly.



Wind Waker - Ocean/Boat

WW introduced a few new things, including the new art style and having a companion in some dungeons. But its main gimmick was the having most of the overworld be covered in a vast ocean necessitating the use of a sailboat as a means of transportation.



Four Swords Adventures - Single player with multiple Links/Multiplayer with private screen

Since the first Four Swords game had already blazed the path of stage-based multiplayer Zelda, FSA added the ability to play as all four Links (as a single player) by controlling formations. But the main thing that sets this game apart is that when playing multiplayer, each player is required to have his/her own GBA (which acts like a controller) and a link cable. The TV serves as the main screen, but when a Link goes into a house or cave, he disappears from the TV and appears on the GBA. So it’s the hardware requirement and equipment setup that makes it unique.



Minish Cap - Shrinking

The Minish Cap was very much in the same vein as ALttP and other 2-D games in terms of gameplay and style. But instead of a Dark world, there was a hidden small world. Link gains the ability to shrink down to the size of an insect and explore a world unseen by the average Hylian.



Twilight Princess - Lycanthropy

Twilight Princess seemed very much like it was what the creators of OoT had originally envisioned but didn’t have the hardware available. The aspect that sets it apart is that Link gains the ability to transform into a wolf, which has its advantages (like sensing smells) and disadvantages (combat is only possible by biting). The gimmick is similar to the transformation masks in Majora’s Mask, but with only one option (Wolf) instead of 3 (Deku/Goron/Zora), and it's forced upon the player at certain times.


Phantom Hourglass - New style of play/Revisiting central dungeon

With Phantom Hourglass, there were a lot of new little things, but two stood out. The first one was the new style of control. Using the stylus to do almost everything was an innovative step. It reduced the physical buttons used to two - an item button and a menu button. But besides the new control scheme, there was also the concept of the central dungeon. Link would revisit the same dungeon at least 6 or 7 times, but each time getting further/deeper (and doing it more efficiently with item-aided shortcuts) as sort of a “benchmark” test to show his progression or growth. However, it seems that the idea fell flat with a lot of players.


Spirit Tracks - Trains

Spirit Tracks didn’t significantly change a lot from Phantom Hourglass and just made some "quality of life" improvements here and there. But the main thing that sets it apart from other games is Link’s mode of transportation. After several games with horses and boats, Link is a train conductor, using the train not only to get from point A to point B, but to ferry passengers and cargo in between dungeon crawling. A lesser gimmick would be controlling the ghostly Zelda in certain portions of the game.



Skyward Sword - Motion Controls

In terms of game design, Skyward Sword wasn’t a radical departure from Ocarina, Wind Waker, or Twilight Princess. Its defining feature was the motion controls, with 1:1 swordplay. It made for some interesting battles that required Link to swing his sword at precise angles. As a side note, I think the combination of flying on a bird as a means of travel with timeshift stones in the dungeons could have been a brilliant gimmick, but it was only featured in one dungeon.



A Link Between Worlds - Merging

There’s so much about A Link Between Worlds that is similar to A Link to the Past that it needed something really good to set it apart, and that thing was merging. Link gets the ability to become a living painting on almost any vertical surface, allowing for really unique 3D to 2D puzzles. It also had the item rental system to enhance non-linearity.



Tri-Force Heroes - Stacking/Costumes

Since stage-based and multiplayer has been done twice already, another game of this sort needed something to differentiate it from the past entries. Link can choose a costume that gives him augmented abilities at the start of each level (provided he’s unlocked the costume by gathering the requisite materials). On top of that, (no pun intended) the Links can pick each other up and stand on shoulders to reach higher places or hit enemy targets that were otherwise out of reach.



Breath of the Wild - Open World, extreme non-linearity, breakable weapons, bullet-time

It’s funny to say, but its gimmick is actually a return back to the original game in terms of open world and non-linearity. After a tutorial, Link can do any task in any order and go any direction. The world is huge, and filled with small mini-dungeons that do not rely on level progression. In a lot of ways, the series has come full circle. It invented the open world action-adventure game, and along the way many other games have added elements (Skyrim, GTA, Assassin’s Creed, LA Noire, etc.) but Breath of the Wild put the right combination of elements together to make a near-perfect game. The only other real gimmick in this game would be the breakable weapons and shields. Shield repair/breaking has been done in Skyward Sword, but now it’s extended to weapons and bows with no way to repair. While it can be a little annoying to constantly have to replace weapons, it entices raids and exploration, and motivates the player to find creative solutions to defeating enemies using methods other than “hit hard with big sword” tactics. But one thing that's unique to this game is the bullet-time mechanic. It's implied that every champion in the game has their "super-power" of sorts, and this was Link's.