Mudoran Lore – Are Akkala & Lanayru the Location of Zelda II’s Hyrule?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about Zelda lore, but I’ve been replaying Breath of the Wild, and I was reminded of a theory that I came up with last year. The Akkala region is one of the most remote provinces of Hyrule. It is naturally isolated from the rest of Hyrule by the Eldin Mountains to the west, the mountainous Zorana region to the south, and the ocean to the north and east.

In Breath of the Wild, it is just as desolate as the rest of Hyrule. It is notable for being the location of the Akkala Citadel, a massive fort that served as the base of operations in the region for Hyrule’s Royal Family. It was also where the Hylians made their last stand against Ganon’s forces before being wiped out. It’s one of my favorite locations in the game, but also one we’ve never seen before Breath of the Wild. Or is it?

2017 in Video Game Music

Music is a big part of my life. I love listening to it, playing it and talking about it. Because of that, it’s not surprising that it’s one of the most important aspects of a game to me. Last year was filled with some fantastic game music, so let’s quickly go through some of my favorite musical moments and memories. This is not a ranked list–instead, it’s going chronologically through the games I played throughout the year.

DLC Impressions – Breath of the Wild: The Champions’ Ballad

Throughout December, I was busy with a certain other massive game, so I had to put the second DLC pack for Breath of the Wild on hold. The first pack, The Master Trials, was a romp that included a mixed grab-bag of new features, including the fun Trial of the Sword. However, its limited scope made me wary of recommending it for the full $20 it costs for the DLC pass. Does The Champions’ Ballad change that?

This will include spoilers for the DLC pack and the rest of Breath of the Wild.

Top 10 Games of 2017

It’s that time of the year again! 2017 has been a fantastic year for games. Not only did Nintendo see one of their best years ever with the launch of the Nintendo Switch, the PS4 also had a really good year. I didn’t play enough games to make a proper list of my favorite games last year, but this year is different. I basically did nothing but play games!

This is a list of my top 10 games for the year. Without further ado, let’s get started!

DLC Impressions – Breath of the Wild: The Master Trials

Ever since I completed Breath of the Wild, I’ve been dying for another reason to dig into this amazing game again. While Nintendo’s DLC strategy has been questionable, forcing you to buy a $20 “season pass” without giving you the option to purchase the DLC as a standalone package, I have still been looking forward to this DLC. This is not a “full” review, since I don’t think this DLC warrants it, just some random thoughts on it.

Two Months Later, I’m Finally Ready to Say It: Breath of the Wild Is the Best Zelda Game Ever Made

I’m a lifelong Zelda fan–one of my earliest video game memories was pouring hours upon hours exploring the sprawling world of Link’s Awakening on my large, monochrome Game Boy system. Since then, I have extensively played every game, and I have set opinions about what the “best” Zelda games are. I was struggling to place Breath of the Wild on my list after my first playthrough. I knew it was high up there–it’s a great game. But now, in the middle of my second playthrough, it’s clear as day to me now. Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game Nintendo has ever produced.

Actually, the Breath of the Wild Soundtrack Is One of the Best Zelda Soundtracks

I have read a lot of… mixed opinions on Breath of the Wild‘s soundtrack from Zelda fans. This is mainly due to the minimalist themes that play while you explore the world, a style far removed from the thrilling, marching themes of the past. It’s still a little early to say if it’s my favorite soundtrack from a Zelda, but Breath of the Wild doubtlessly has one of the greatest soundtracks ever composed in a series with consistently fantastic music.

Surprisingly, Nintendo brought on the talent of Manaka Kataoka, the composer responsible for one of Nintendo’s best ever soundtracks, that of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It’s easy to see the link between the quiet, beautiful soundtrack of New Leaf and the new Zelda. In any case, she’s a fresh face, and it’s nice to see Nintendo tap into new musical genius that not only matches the old songs from The Wind Waker or OcariThisna of Time, but at times even surpasses it.

Here are 15 tracks from Breath of the Wild that I love, in no particular order.