We’re in the midst of an exciting time in games right now, where the history of gaming is such that there can be exciting looks back as well as leaps forward.
We’re in the midst of a fairly exciting time in video games right now, where the history of gaming is such that there can be exciting looks back as well as leaps forward.
I’m not talking about remakes and remasters here, either – I’m just talking about those silly little winks and nods that just add texture to the culture of a medium. Things like when you hear the Wilhelm Scream or Tarzan Yell in TV or film; a nudge in your ribs with a knowing grin. For a long time, gaming generally felt too young to embrace this sort of thing, but now we have enough history behind us that it’s becoming delightfully more common.
One company that’s been able to do this more often than most, however, is Nintendo. Founded 133 years ago, Nintendo’s history stretches back long before Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to take a punt on digital games, with a history making real-world toys and playing cards. It follows that occasionally Nintendo dips back into that history for a reference or two – and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a delightful new one.
Tears of the Kingdom aims to build on its predecessor, one of the best games of all time, with systems. Breath of the Wild already had great systems that interlocked and interacted in weird and wonderful ways, and so the team behind its sequel appear to have decided to just stack more and more atop that.
