The infamous Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon received an unlikely reference from Nintendo on Twitter, surprising those less familiar with the Zelda series and delighting those enamored with the memes surrounding the game. The CD-i games are an often overlooked part of Zelda history that usually don’t get official acknowledgment in any form, with the games considered to be non-canon.
1993’s Zelda: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon are two of the games released for the CD-i that star Nintendo characters, despite not being outright Nintendo games. The titles were developed by Animation Magic and published by Philips Interactive Media, and while based on the Zelda series, aren’t considered to be part of the lore. The games were met with negative reception, largely for their quality and questionable dialogue, and nowadays they’re mainly known for how they’re used in meme videos known as “YouTube poops.” The cutscenes and dialogue are the most well-known aspects of the CD-i games, recognized for how much they get memed, and they’ve established a firm place in the early history of YouTube that still lasts to this day. The Zelda CD-i shopkeeper NPC Morshu is remembered particularly fondly for how he asks for rupees from Link.
Despite the CD-i games rarely getting officially acknowledgment from Nintendo, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon was referenced in a Twitter poll from the Nintendo of America account. In a series of poll questions for the next Nintendo Power podcast, fans were asked: “Can you wait to bomb some Dodongos?“ What seems like a simple question about one of the game’s enemy types is actually a reference to a quote said by Link in Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. As expected, fans thrilled with the reference responded to the tweet with memes and reactions, including images from users JimmyDPooper and TerranceHarken. At the time of writing, “No” is currently leading in the poll at 58%.
The Legend of Zelda series isn’t only one of Nintendo’s longest-running, but also one of the company’s most beloved. With games spanning from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Nintendo Switch, there are countless fans who’ve missed the earlier days of the franchise, with releases including the CD-i games being obscure for many. Some fans are now experiencing Link’s earlier adventures for the first time thanks to the recent release of the Zelda Game & Watch, which includes classic Zelda games from the NES with The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, as well as the original Game Boy’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
Unfortunately for those hoping the news is related to a CD-i Zelda game announcement, that’s likely not the case. While it’s possible that Nintendo could be planning to revive its earlier games in some form, seen with the Zelda Game & Watch, the CD-i games are typically left in Nintendo’s past due to their reception, and as non-first-party titles, they’re likely to remain there. The company is currently hard at work on the upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild, currently known as Breath of the Wild 2 in lieu of any official title confirmation. The game is targeting a 2022 release, meaning fans don’t have long left to find out more about the game. While players probably don’t have a CD-i Zelda revival to look forward to, there’s always the chance that BOTW 2 could contain Easter eggs and references to previous Zelda games.
Source: Nintendo of America/Twitter
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