The Legend of Zelda Was Always Meant To Be Passed Down

In the lead-up to the Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 remake, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to nail down what makes the Legend of Zelda series so special. You could chalk a lot of its success up to pure design, as Nintendo has hammered out how to create a grand adventure game, whether it's working with pixels or an enormous 3D world. But any technical explanation for Zelda’s enduring success feels too cold and mechanical for a series that radiates warmth and joy; it simply doesn’t communicate how it feelsto get lost in a Zelda game.