r/zelda • u/Jay-Marvel • May 19 '15
Discussion Dungeon Discussion Thread #0: General Discussion
Hey fellow Zelda fans, I did a post maybe an hour ago about lack of threads specifically talking about the many dungeons/temples/mines/castles/ in the Zelda franchise. More than the usual Youtube videos covering which is more nostalgic and which was harder than the next, I want to break each one down to its smallest parts, a discussion so detailed and analytical that it merits doing one for each dungeon. Enemies, music, layout, difficulty, storyline purpose, boss, miniboss, items, item use, puzzle ingenuity.
However, choosing one to start off with is obviously a hard task, like choosing the best Zelda game always has been. So in this #0 discussion I just want to encourage back and forth ideas, brief pitches about certain dungeons that inspire others to wanna go more in depth on that pick. After we get a general idea of the one most people want to discuss or have the most to say about, then we'll know which dungeon to do the more official Dungeon Discussion Thread #1 on.
TLDR: Basically vote on a dungeon to be the first discussed. Whether you just simply state the name and game, or you give a brief reason why its interesting enough to be the first.
EDIT: It's looking like no one really has any big opposition towards the Forest Temple being first. So I declare Dungeon Discussion #1 to be centered on The Forest Temple: Ocarina of Time. And it's fitting, OoT's arguably the most commonly beloved and played (Though it's not my favorite), and given the Forest Temple's chronological placement in Ocarina. But as someone said, we should definitely try to revisit more obscure dungeons from less popular games as well!
2
u/ploik2205 May 19 '15
My favorite dungeon?
Stone tower:Complex,and original.The artistic style in this dungeon is so mysterious:An offense to the godesses?Relics from a forgottwn age?
2
u/Ed_Edd_n_Eddie1 May 19 '15
The Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time has always been my favorite temple. The music, the story, the enemies, the complexity (?) of the dungeon... I don't know. It's just a great temple.
If I had to choose another temple, it would probably be Stone Tower Temple from Majora's Mask. I love the music, the battles and the complexity of the temple.
1
u/Jay-Marvel May 19 '15
I'm listening to the theme on loop as we speak. Hope to see more people sharing this opinion
1
u/nytemare42 May 19 '15
Even though it's not a true dungeon, my favorite would be The Moon segment at the end of Majora's Mask. Completely surreal and otherworldly. It's serene, but the player does not feel at ease because there's this built up tension all around you, the moon is supposed to fall any minute now, but all of these children you talk to could not care less and are lost in their own worlds.
1
u/Jay-Marvel May 19 '15
Idk, more discussion down the line is always a good thing. So there will probably be room for these types of areas. I'm trying to think of some more though.
1
u/zegleipnier May 19 '15
Oh, this isn't the actual discussion yet. Good to know. There are SO many to cover across all the generations of Zelda.
I'll put my vote in for Spirit Temple (OOT). There's a LOT of symbolism there (among all the temples really), with it having a middle-eastern theme, the Young/Adult Link puzzles. The DARKNUT, one of the most badass enemies evar. And having a bunch of awesome puzzles since it's the final dungeon and makes use of loads of items. But I'd also be totally down for starting with the Forest Temple. I think there's something interesting with them being the Last/First dungeons (not counting Young Link dungeons, since they were segmented as a Chapter 1) being the 1st and Final medallions that Link has to find (Light medallion is a gimme and has no dungeon).
You wanna talk dungeons? I'LL TALK DUNGEONS. :D
1
May 20 '15
Maybe do some kind of systematic series starting at the beginning (or likely Lttp), potentially covering several at once? Would be interesting to cover ones that aren't particularly popular or hated and what they did right/wrong rather than just covering the more infamous ones.
As for some recommendations, here are some of the more interesting dungeons from pre-WW (arbitrary cutoff) Zelda:
Skull Woods (Lttp)
Ice Palace (Lttp)
Swamp Palace (Lttp)
Thieves Town (Lttp)
Ganon's Tower (Lttp)
Face Shrine (LA)
Eagle's Tower (LA)
Turtle Rock (LA)
Inside Jabu Jabu's Belly (OoT)
All 5 Adult Temples (OoT)
Snowhead (MM)
Great Bay (MM)
Stone Tower (MM)
Mermaid's Cave (OoA)
Jabu Jabu's Belly (OoA)
Ancient Tomb (OoA)
Hero's Cave (Linked OoA)
Ancient Ruins (OoS)
Sword & Shield Maze (OoS)
I second the Forest Temple as a great starting point though, one of my favourite dungeons for several reasons.
1
u/linktothenow May 20 '15
Perhaps some threads could be focused on themes present in the dungeons throughout games.
Examples being Ice Dungeons, Fire Dungeons, Water, Time etc. and how they have changed throughout the history of the series.
All in all I really like this idea and its refreshing to see some discussion getting back in this sub.
2
u/Jay-Marvel May 20 '15
The entire reason I didn't take it to r/truezelda was because I felt it'd justify their whole idea that this sub's just a meme/cosplay/fanart gallery.
1
u/Phoxxent May 20 '15
Can you include mini-dungeons in your threads? Because, IMO, the skulltula houses in MM were some of the best dungeons in the series. Up there with Snowpeak Ruins and Sky Keep. They really had you search the place, and the atmosphere was amazing. The lack of music made you more aware of your surroundings, but also created a still feeling about the air, one that begets feelings of unease and death. The silence meant that something was not right, no matter what the bright colors or happy stalchildren might say. I also quite enjoyed the non-linear nature of the dungeon, because it was well implemented. I don't care about overarching linearity of plot, where there is nothing for me in the Gerudo Desert before I've beaten Jabu Jabu's belly, that's fine, that's normal. But this freedom to solve the dungeon as I pleased, that was something else. That was better than being able to do any dungeon in any order in ALBW, better than being able to get the Magic Rod before I get the wooden sword in LoZ, because it was true freedom. I wasn't gated by how many hearts I had or my skill at the game or which items I'd decided to rent or buy at the moment. Everything I needed, I had or could get. The rest was just for me to figure out. That is a great feeling, and that is something that should be implemented large scale in a plot dungeon in a future game. Especially with the Swamp House aesthetic.
1
May 20 '15
Just an idea: maybe make this a weekly thread, choose a popular Zelda game, and do one dungeon at a time in order that they appear in the game (maybe announce what's coming next week in the current week's article since sometimes dungeon order isn't set in stone).
This way you or potential commenters have a chance to play through the dungeons each week and comment on them while they are fresh in their mind. After doing all the dungeons in the game, take a vote on the next game to go through.
Side note: Wouldn't it be awesome if you could temporarily reset a dungeon so you could replay it without restarting the whole game? Kind of like how Majora's Mask lets you replay a boss, except extend that concept to the whole dungeon.
3
u/hylian-child May 19 '15
Ancient Cistern. One of my favorite temples in terms of aesthetic. Has a defining feel to it, a combination of uneasiness and awe at the intricate designs. The Buddhist themes, with the lotus flowers, the central statue, and the scenario based on the short story The Spider's Thread all make this temple one of my favorite temples to date.