The Incredible History of Handheld Zelda Games | Link's Most Imaginative Adventures Yet

[@enlongjones2394]

I love ghost Zelda in Spirit Tracks. I love that part where she keeps insisting Link go out and save the day himself, saying it’s a family tradition, while getting closer to his face and more manic with every sentence.

[@jameslawrenson1208]

That's my favorite part.

[@charlielouise2428]

I wish they'd give zelda half the amount of personality that she has in Spirit Tracks, she's so boring now

[@JessieTrinket]

Easily the best Princess Zelda has ever been.

[@manamaster6]

That Zelda is so likable.

[@SA-lb2xr]

She's my favorite zelda too!😉😉😉💖💖💗💗🤩🤩 But i also like her a Link between worlds, hyrule warriors, skyward sword and breath of the wild incarnations🤩🤩🤩💖💖💗💗💗

[@DesignDoc]

Man it's been a hot minute since we had a nice 2d Zelda game that wasn't a remake.

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

9 soon to be 10 years to be specific

[@sagecentral1809]

@@yggdrasilsaltareven that was a reimagining of a link to the past. A link between worlds is still incredible though, nothing against the game.

[@miserablepileofsecrets]

​@@sagecentral1809 Sequel, not reimagining. But its truly great alongsides Minish Cap

[@Geobot3000]

2d Mario Fans: 😐

[@ntdoswitchcentral7387]

@@Geobot3000 I’m still waiting for New super Mario bros 3

[@MechanicMikan]

Link's Awakening will be forever the one game that gave me a lesson, "stealing is bad, and the shopkeeper will beat your ass". Yep, that's it.

[@DirectorOfChaos9292]

More like sith lightning

[@usermcskull4713]

had the same experience with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

[@FanaticChain]

@@Ihatevideogames334 ok

[@endymallorn]

Really? I learned that from Nethack.

[@speiderman8]

Same with Spelunky and Leisure Suit Larry 1

[@WusigiDr1]

I will always love the scene in phantom hourglass, where a linebeck finds out there’s treasure and goes from not wanting to help or wanting to do anything to that Super epic camera swirl of him and then says, “come on kid we need to save princess“ or some thing like that ha ha

[@andrewwall4155]

I’m so tired of people disrespecting Phantom Hourglass ⏳! It’s my biggest beef with the Zelda fandom.

[@Bobo_1057]

Talking about The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls has made me realise how much I would love a remake of it in the style of the Link's Awakening remake.

[@WohaoG]

I'm genuinely curious of what it would look like now

[@bland9876]

I want to see your cool pages and Oracle seasons remade since those games use the same graphics as Links Awakening there's no reason not to use the graphics from the links Awakening remake.

[@WohaoG]

@@bland9876 were you using voice to text for oracle of ages? "Your cool pages"?

[@JamesTDG]

Hey, I'll accept it so long as the OG game is bundled in with the remake.

[@AlphaladZXA]

Sure wish nintendo would just put these kinds of obscure games on NSO so everyone can experience it

[@solidskullz5736]

Hands down my favorite handheld zelda is a link between worlds. Turning yourself into a painting made the puzzles really fun and exploring Lorule was pretty cool too. I’ve beaten it like 5 times and I’d say it’s one of my favorite Zelda games period

[@ad51603]

Yeah that and Link's Awakening are the best 2D Zelda games imo

[@WaterMeLoan64]

Link Between Worlds was Great! 🎨

[@sk8erghost]

Same it was the first one I beat on my own

[@miserablepileofsecrets]

Link Between Worlds is so replayable how its short and more open. Definitely worth playing it

[@wangchung2157]

Yea I bought that game thinking it was a remake of LTTP and was pleasantly surprised how much I love the game the painting mechanic was a breath of fresh air.

[@NipplesTheEnchilada2323]

The map progression in the Oracle games are actually different when you choose your animal partner, as some locations are impossible to get to with each animal's abilities. This leads to some differences depending on which animal you choose, which is nice for when you replay the games.

[@arthurjeannin3357]

Oracle of Seasons has a map section that's COMPLETELY different depending on which one you choose, which is crazy cool!

[@arthurjeannin3357]

@thelossensei Oh that's right, the area with the bridge! Completely forgot about that one haha. These games are so damn great

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

The thing that bugs me about the animals is that you don't really get to consciously *choose* your companion (like in Pokemon), as much as one is just bestowed upon you based on decisions you didn't even know you were making. I remember somehow ending up with the bear in OoS and being super disappointed because I really wanted the Kangaroo, but the only way to get that would've been to start all over again, so I simply stopped playing lol (I was like 11 years old or sth).

[@JamesTDG]

Indeed. I definitely hope that if it gets a remaster, that we aren't forced to choose

[@KairiOliver]

@@Howitchewstofeel5gum You kind of can. Not sure about Moosh and Ricky, but I always made sure I got Dimitri. It depends on the flute you get before a certain point. Some you need to buy or win and it changes the animal.

[@knightriderx2535]

Not a lot of people know but there's another reason Kirby and Wart are in Link's Awakening. In addition to being a reference, Koholint Island is a dream... Kirby is from Dreamland... and Wart is from Subcon, which is a land of dream. It took me years to realize it's a double reference.

[@marche800]

Personally as someone who really gets a kick out of timed gameplay mechanics i've always liked the temple of the ocean king. Everytime you come back you bring in something new and have knowledge of what you've already done, so you can find ways to cut down on the time you spent originally creating a more efficient path with every revisit. It reminds me a lot of why i enjoy Majora's Mask so much.

[@chaosprime1629]

temple of the ocean king is the only dungeon outside of two in majora's mask where you can reuse small keys. the dungeon itself does have a weak start, but it gets much better after each revisit. yes there are some clunky moments, but i argue this is one of the most innovative dungeons in the series and deserves a lot more respect. i also like how you have two locked doors and if you keep your small key from the revisit you can skip one of them to unlock a shortcut and during end game, there is the challenge of trying to get to the end with minimal time loss. while i do like the puzzles and individual floor design more in the tower of spirits overall, i do agree with the criticism that it was overcorrected especially how it is really 6 separate dungeons. also interconnectivity is somewhat lacking in the tower of spirits while temple of the ocean king does a better job because of being a continuous dungeon (although i think it could have handled more). that being said it does have a proper end game portion which ocean king lacks. overall though while tower of spirits has better puzzles and a proper end game dungeon, i argue temple of the ocean king is overall the better dungeon. i also think the timer in ocean king does add to the challenge. removing it, and it feels a lot less challenging where you can no longer be as strategic.

[@supersonictrickster4239]

I don't hate it, but the Phantoms horrified me for some reason.

[@surprisedlobsta8543]

19:23 Funny thing about that Eventide connection, the current director for the Zelda series, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, started on the Zelda series with the Oracle games

[@Mike14264]

The Minish Cap was one of the first Zelda games I've played, and honestly, even it's it's not that open in nature, it's arguably still my favorite. Maybe that's a sign I gotta play more Zelda games, but I fell in love with the style and characters. Even the RNG figurines were a charming way to view the characters' sprites! I mean, I 100% this game twice, of course I love it a ton (shout-outs to the hidden rupee stash by Link's house, big help there)

[@SoIstice]

Even if TMC is more linear, I reaaally love the sheer amount of optional items/upgrades you can get in the game, one of which being entirely missable. Most Zelda games have a few, but the ones in the Minish Cap are really substantial, especially given that remote bombs originate in it.

[@Mike14264]

@@SoIstice oh yeah, I love the amount of goodies and side quests you can find in the game as well. It was just satisfying stumbling onto and hunting for these secrets. Even when I found them all, it almost felt like there were more stones left unturned.

[@Droboto23456]

Spirit Tracks was my favorite game of all time for ages so the handheld Zelda games are very important to me, great video

[@Dudewhereismy98]

i liked the temple of the ocean king since it was more designed to be a "speedrun" temple, as there are multiple shortcuts in it. it's a lot of fun to see how fast you can get through each floor. i'll always like the DS games, it'd be neat if they remade them with more traditional controls, but the boomerang would be way slower to use if it wasn't using the touchscreen, and drawing paths for bombchus was really cool.

[@Javifaa]

The best part of the Temple of the Ocean King was replaying it with your new items and seeing how you could use them in the earlier parts. A shame the backlash from the dungeon was big enough to make the Tower of the Spirits completely segmented, instead of just not being timed.

[@Korobooshii]

I can't see how they could be remade in a good way, honestly. The touch controls are amazing, and a really big part of the experience in these games. Maybe THE biggest part, honestly. They would lose so much of they were remade with the boring (and honestly, pretty much always worse) traditional controls!

[@JessieTrinket]

​@@Korobooshii Touch controls being better than traditional controls is one of the hottest takes I've seen in a while, but I respect it! I think they could figure out a way to do it. I mean, they managed to redo Skyward Sword without Motion controls.

[@JessieTrinket]

I think TotOK is the reason I love Rogue-lites and Metroidvanias. It was such a cool concept to see in a Zelda game.

[@chaosprime1629]

i appreciated this dungeon a lot more on replay. i think it is better than tower of spirits because it is a single dungeon despite not being so big on puzzles. if the DS games did get remade, then the mic gimmick needs to be optional.

[@lowpolysunrise]

Very strategic releasing this video when Tears of the Kingdom just released. Wonderful work, as per usual.

[@ZethisVA]

And immediately after KingK made basically the same video but longer... which is a bit weird, but I don't want to accuse him of anything. Could be a coincidence because of Tears of Kingdom.

[@CDsNoots]

​@@ZethisVAisn't KingK's vid just a compilation of old vids?

[@yagirlgiulles]

​@@CDsNoots it is

[@mariajimenafigueroa233]

​@@Ihatevideogames334 Then why are you watching this video?

[@-howtomake999]

tears of the kingdom after all is also kind of a handheld game

[@magickoopa24]

Vaati in Minish Cap is, essentially, a Kirby villain: in that he gets taken over by a hat that then applies a bunch of eye imagery on him. Found it very funny to make that comparison on my replay this year

[@dsproductions19]

39:55 Everyone forgets that Link's Awakening is the canonical sequel to ALttP, not LBW. That's why LA has so many references to the SNES game in it, like Nightmare boss fights taking the forms of strong enemies Link has fought before. LBW is the 3rd game, like Spirit Tracks was the 3rd game in the Wind Waker storyline. I'd also argue that LA was already an evolution of the gameplay from ALttP, from the smoother movement and mechanics like the shield actually being useful, but that's besides the point.

[@waltascher]

Ok, but - as pointed out in the video - one of them is called “Triforce of the Gods 2” and it’s not Link’s Awakening.

[@outthefryinpan]

I forgot how fast pace link between worlds was. I like how you put that into words. I love when games give you the freedom to just go.

[@SEMIA123]

I've said this before but I'm a little irked that getting a combined handheld and home console resulted in the longest Zelda drought in series history rather than the combined output of both the home and handheld games coming out for one system. I thought this thing was gonna have at least one original handheld style game before totk but here we are.

[@David-dz1cb]

Minish Cap is by far my favorite 2D Zelda. Phenomenal art, music, and story.

[@PhazonOmega]

Using the Face Temple theme as you began to explain the Wind Fish instruments... that was perfect. Not only is it an underrated theme in general, but that's exactly WHEN you learn all the stuff you were talking about in the video at that point!

[@datalphalion]

A Link Between Worlds is an essential part of any self-respecting 3DS owner’s collection. My personal favorite Zelda game of all time.

[@sp00kycup30]

​@@Ihatevideogames334 I shake my booty

[@usermcskull4713]

​@@sp00kycup30WHAT ARE YOU REPLY TOO 3JWOWLDLW2L2PWWLWPW

[@sp00kycup30]

@UserMCSkull some guy saying he hates like every Zelda game (without rizz)

[@usermcskull4713]

@@sp00kycup30 ???

[@jackflynn412]

A Link Between Worlds is the Best 2D Zelda by far and the best 3DS game. I hope we get another game with wall merging mechanics again it led to so many fun puzzles.

[@RabidGerbilInAFish]

The oracle game remain my favorite Zelda games out there, and I think it makes sense to combine them, because there's so much extra content to be found by combining them

[@bland9876]

Like if they made a remake of those games they should just make one remake that somehow has both games built into one cartridge?

[@monsieurpapillon810]

I feel like Minish Cap is often under-rated due to its "quick" playthrough. I fully, easily my most preferred handeld zelda (knowing that I love all of them). So refreshing to see someone talking good about it.

[@prime7213]

Very excited to watch this. You don’t know judgment until you tell people you’re a huge Zelda fan but you’ve only played the handheld games.

[@haydenread730]

i will say personally the touch screen for PH and SS was more precise for that kinda game and made certain actions way more fun and accurate. e.g bow and arrow.

[@BloodRedFox2008]

Now that I think about it, if Nintendo ever wanted to bring legacy games to mobile then the DS duology of Zelda games would be perfect. They were basically made with “portrait mode” in mind, and would work probably flawlessly on any modern iPhone or Android.

[@Korobooshii]

The controls for those games were unbeatable! Gyro-aiming, like in OoT3D, is also really good - but it doesn't come close to the control you had of every single action in the DS games.

[@Korobooshii]

It's a shame fingers are so much thicker than a stylus, otherwise I would agree. The precision with the stylus is impeccable, but using your finger to control Link is really clumsy, and I am sure that would be the case on a phone as well. If there are Styluses for phones, though (might be, I dunno), I agree this would be perfect! It could also work on the Switch's touchscreen, as long as there is some Stylus-compatability. And releasing them on Nintendo Hardware sounds more likely than on phone, as long as the hardware has good touch.

[@DETahaX]

I don't know why anyone hasn't figured this out yet, but you can just say "oooooooooo" into the microphone instead of physically blowing air into it. It's both less physically taxing and you can say it for a much longer time, and registers easier as an input and more consistantly.

[@heyindiegamer7831]

44:40 I have this artwork as a Walmart poster as my reward from beating LoZ: A Link Between Worlds. This games holds a special place in my heart for, as simple as the game was, giving me confidence to be a better gamer without relying on a walk-through as much. I figured out all the puzzles all on my own.

[@realkingofantarctica]

A Link Between Worlds is so good. It really _feels_ like it plays at 60FPS. Everything is so snappy and addictive, perfect for a handheld title.

[@theelike4302]

I can't believe both you and KingK put out hour long videos about the handheld Zelda collections so close together.

[@tomisinjapan]

Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are two of my favourite zelda games, I thought the touch screen controls worked well once I got used to it. Working my way through minish cap finally and loving it so far. Thanks for giving some love to the zelda handheld games.

[@smexydeer1820]

Spirit tracks might not be the best Zelda, but it's the best to me. It's very underrated and imo, Byrne walked so that villains like ghirahim could run. Pretty sure he's the only zelda villain to NEVER summon random monsters at you, and whenever he's on screen, he's not ganking up on you, you are ganking up on him and usually lets you live either cause he's too lazy to finish you off or because of plot intervention He's a menace and I like that edgy glove guy

[@awakenedcrowl]

36:28 There are many people tho, including me, that actually love those "return multiple times" dungeons. To me, it always gave a great sense of "progression", especially in Spirit Tracks, where after every dungeon, you would climb the main spiral staircase higher and higher, with the music dynamically getting more tense with every floor.

[@mariajimenafigueroa233]

​@@Ihatevideogames334 Shut up, hater bot

[@awakenedcrowl]

@@Ihatevideogames334 Okay? Want a cookie? Or a cuppa tea?

[@Someguy6851]

Probably a bot, just ban them

[@Falco.exe93]

I wouldn't say I loved the temple of the ocean king temple, for example, I just never understood why people hated it so much. Like, it's fine, the other dungeons are still there and the temple is fun enough.

[@jessecarlsheppard536]

Repeating the ocean temple usually wasn’t bad though. I understand not wanting the pressure of the time limit, but each time you went back, you had a new item, and they made the earlier floors shift the better routes available as you got those items. I was able to get to Bellum with no time loss at all between knowing the right route and picking up the time jars. I’m not gonna say you HAVE TO like it. But Ant didn’t bring up the changes to routing, and I think they need mentioning to give it a fair shake.

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

i think the coolest thing about a link between worlds is the design of link on the wall, while its a good design on its own, it also references the scroll of the hero of time from wind waker!!! its so genius!!!

[@sikeoniichan656]

I looked away for two seconds watching one of your older videos and this new video popped up. Thank you for more stuff to watch Antdude.

[@LAST_STAND_FAN]

​@@Ihatevideogames334 Probably bait, but I do think Zelda is pretty overhyped. BOTW is as dope as they say, though.

[@frosted_glaceon5513]

My first Zelda was Phantom Hourglass and it will always hold a special place for me. A Link Between Worlds is also very good! I find the handheld Zelda pretty underrated.

[@rezzan8641]

I'm just happy to see people talk about the Oracle games. They need more love!

[@Korobooshii]

You need better examples that TotK and BotW, dude. At least BotW is barely a Zelda game, and I doubt TotK is much better. Swap one of them to "Ocarina of Time" or "Link to the Past" or something :P

[@bonbon5994]

@@Korobooshiihow does that relate to the comment above?

[@rezzan8641]

@@bonbon5994 That's what I was wondering! Totk is rad as hell so far though.

[@bonbon5994]

@@rezzan8641 would be interested to buy the game, though my plate is currently filled with fire emblem for now so it’ll be a while.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

@@KorobooshiiAgreed, but what the hell are you talking about lol

[@PhineasKSliderVT]

29:05 ...That song. That damn song. I was literally moved to tears the first time I heard "Full Steam Ahead" (Something that also occurred as a first response to the "Bellum-Beck" theme, but I digress.). I'm bold to say that, although my favorite game in the series would have to be "Twilight Princess" (with "Oracle of Ages" being a close second, as my proper introduction to the series and the reason I grew to love this franchise in the first place), "Spirit Tracks" has probably my favorite OST in the series.

[@arkane9b]

As fun as being small in Minish Cap is and being able to explore regular environments that are now supersized, I really think the parts where you're a two-pixel tall Link in the regular world is a huge missed opportunity. Take 26:25 in the video for instance. How much cooler wouldn't it be to cross that plank on top of the house if it were presented as a huge bridge with spiders or ants and other obstacles. Or talking to the dog and it taking up almost the entire screen. I think that is my main problem with Minish Cap: the game doesn't push the small-Link-in-a-huge-world gimmick to its limits.

[@shadowledastray]

That would have been cool. Maybe time constraints or limited cartridge space prevented them from designing more up-close backgrounds? (2 pixel-tall Link might have been the best way to work around those limitations)

[@arkane9b]

@@shadowledastray Could be. I think the dev's visions for both Minish Cap and Wind Waker are constricted by the hardware.

[@Quaternality]

I genuinely adore the original version of Link's Awakening for how so easily glitched it is. Like, the screen-transition warp alone just opens a door to so much bizarre nonsense, it's great.

[@thestripedmenace]

It's clear that the developers were pushing the boundaries with that could be done on a Game Boy in 1993!

[@rohankulkarni9213]

Minish Cap has got to be on the underrated games list.

[@sidnew2739]

Nope, it's really not that good.

[@supersonictrickster4239]

I 100% agree. Even if you don't like the gameplay (aka criminally inSANE), the music and vibes are immaculate

[@Agueybana1978]

​@@sidnew2739 Can you explain why?

[@sidnew2739]

@@Agueybana1978 Much too easy, very handholding, Kinstones.

[@Agueybana1978]

@@sidnew2739 Okay

[@MrFilmfan88]

Phantom Hourglass was the first handheld Zelda I played, with my parents getting me it for Christmas In 2007. Absolutely adored it, would stay up to god knows when exploring the world and doing jack sparrow voices for captain Linebeck.

[@dsproductions19]

36:15 While Temple of the Ocean King is a bit repetitive, it's actually a really cool concept. Every time you return, you have new items that unlock shortcuts get through previous floors, some of which basically skip entire floors. So each visit usually involves taking a different path or solving puzzles an alternate way. It's a great way to show progression, and mastery over this area that is legitimately quite spooky once you first enter. I actually prefer it over Temple of Spirits, simply because all of that depth is lost with the new setup.

[@19Szabolcs91]

While there were a few shortcuts here and there, most of the steath sections played out the exact same way. If they wanted to make a dungeon where you repeat the same floors with new items to be faster... it really should have been a faster, more viscerally fun experience. Not sure what's possible with these top down controls, but still... Even stealth first, combat second is a better way, which, to be fair they did at the end, but that was too little too late.

[@pineapplesauce4823]

spirit tacks was my first zelda and in my opinion still hold up great till this day. It also has the best version of zelda too, and its great that she stays around for the entire game

[@SpaceJunk07]

I understand the flak for Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, they still remain on my list of fave Zelda games purely cause they were my first ones and nostalgia! 🥰

[@codydfwn]

34:30 I dunno. I kinda liked that it didnt feel cheap and gimmicky and they made you actually say something that it was trained to understand. I was a sucker for the voice recognition in Nintendogs too, so i guess that's just me. It was like iPhone/smart phone features we take for granted now being done in a time when things like that were unheard of. Blew my mind growing up lol

[@jokiu4]

Personally I absolutely loved Minish Cap, it's one of my top favorites. But also one of my favorites happen to be Spirit Tracks! I lost track of how many playthroughs I did of that game while also playing it while at school. I'm not entirely sure why I loved that game so much while most people tend to sleep on that game. I think part of it was the music and genuinely enjoying the overworld train-driving section.

[@supersonictrickster4239]

Okay, the vibes with Minish Cap and Spirit Tracks are IMMACULATE. Like with Spirit Tracks I can't help but smile, and with Minish Cap I feel like CRYING WITH JOY IT'S SO GOOD. I can understand why people don't like the DS games as much, but they're my favorite in the FRANCHISE. I just... kinda love them.

[@skywardsword2804]

As an avid lover of Spirit Tracks, I’ll pass out pitchforks and torches lol

[@Javifaa]

Yeah, the criticism is a bit… unfair on that section.

[@mr.tatortot6469]

The Temple of The Ocean King is such a devisive dungeon; you either like it or hate it. Why should you revisit the same dungeon over and over and replaying the previous floors just to get to the new thing. But then every visit you have a new item to speed up your new attempt as you unlock new shortcuts or even entirely skip some floors. This just itches my brain for efficiency and the game even let's you get 2 seacharts, where you'd only get 1, if you're ballsy enough to do so as you don't have enough time to accommodate the extra floors.

[@warbossgegguz679]

The concessions and adaptations made to port or bring over major Console franchises to handhelds from the Gameboy and DS eras is always fascinating to me.

[@tvb5509]

Ngl I loved the Temple of the Ocean King, but I think that's because I did it the way Nintendo intended. I played in short bursts with longish breaks between. I made full use of the map, writing detailed information on each floors puzzles. Each time I returned, I got faster. Many new items changed how I approached the puzzles and I would update the map notes accordingly. I genuinely felt myself grow as the game progressed. The time limit was dumb though.

[@legendarycryptid2629]

I own a bunch of these games physically and digitally. The PH/ST duology is still fun for me despite the touch controls.

[@LunaP1]

Same.

[@jameslawrenson1208]

Agreed.

[@BloodRedFox2008]

ST is my favorite of the two since it did fix some of PH’s issues (like making rolling easier and the Spirit Tower isn’t overly repetitive like the Temple of the Ocean Ling is), but yeah I still really liked both a lot. While it’s a bit of a shame we didn’t get “Wind Waker 2” on console because the dumb backlash to Wind Waker’s visual style resulted in Aonuma going “well if dark and gritty is what they want then we’ll give it to ‘em” (I do like Twilight Princess but it’s always bothered me one big reason why it even exists is because of 00s era edgelords who called anything with colorful graphics “gay kiddie crap”), it is nice Aonuma didn’t abandon the Wind Waker storyline.

[@recodegamesstudio]

33:33 the pressing the ds together in phantom hourglass had me stumped for months as a kid.

[@PFBM86]

Sad you didn't shout out the stereoscopic 3D in ALBW. The game is still great without it but the 3D effect really takes it to a whole new level. Straight masterpiece.

[@HavonaDagenheart]

The first Zelda game iv ever played was Spirit tracks so seeing that game again made me happy

[@ShatteringPoint]

The way you spoke of Phantom Hourglass controls sounds like you used your finger for the touch screen... It controls fantastic with a stylus, the screen isn't blocked by the stylus and was definitely designed for the stylus. I just can't imagine even attempting to play this one with finger instead of stylus, that would be a difficult time

[@Javifaa]

It's a nightmare, because the games require a precision your fingers simply can't give you.

[@miwestraveler3986]

Yeah, it really controlled great. In fact, I felt the exact opposite of what he described : button controls wouldn't have been as precise, especially on the original DS with no control stick.

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

It does not control "fantastic" with a stylus lmao

[@Graveyardteen]

I initially really hated temple of the ocean king as a kid but now that I’m actually good at the it’s somewhat enjoyable

[@PhantomShadow224]

I actually liked temple of the ocean king. I saw it as a speed run challenge and you do unlock shortcuts and time saves as you descend through Tartarus/mementos I mean ocean king. I loved how versatile the grappling hook was. Connecting it to two posts and tightrope walking across, catapulting yourself, shooting an eye high up with your bow while tightrope walking, grabbing items and stunning enemies

[@c.w35t87]

One of the few time base mechanics in games I like, just being able to memorize the layout of the temple sections and rush it was satisfying.

[@StatTrackGandalf]

Oracle of seasons was my very first Zelda game and at the time I didn’t realize that’s why I love the combat of Zelda games so much now, still waiting for the oracle remakes.

[@backlogbusters]

Perfect timing! I just finished oracle or seasons for the first time! Very excited to checkout the rest of the handheld games!

[@VanessaVersus]

I can't believe Vaati broke the Picori blade by yelling Dark Souls lore at it

[@BasVoet]

You always provide fun and entertaining content. Thank you!

[@diegoantoniofrias9309]

@@Ihatevideogames334 ok.......

[@theenderkirby]

@@diegoantoniofrias9309 this guy you replied is just a basic spammer is better of reporting when they show up

[@hadesKIU]

I honestly believe that the Oracle games are some of the most underrated games of all time, Zelda or otherwise. -Whenever people talk about the best handheld Zelda, nobody ever talks about them. -Whenever people talk about the most replayable Zelda, nobody talks about them either. -They're CONSTANTLY overshadowed by Link's Awakening, despite having the better gameplay (IMO, although Link's Awakening can make you cry so it gets points there.) What hurts them a lot is that they were released SO LATE into the Game Boy Color's lifespan and were in the shadow of Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and the upcoming GBA. Nobody had any reason to talk about them, which killed their relevance even more (although handheld games in general don't get talked about as much as console games in general.)

[@batmanbud2]

What's even crazier is that they're the least 8 bit Nintendo games. Ever.

[@maxisenberg9093]

Apparently a picori village (and presumably the ability to shrink) was planned but cut from BOTW. Wonder if it made it into TOTK since nintendo said a lot of cut ideas went into the sequel

[@shadowledastray]

I don't think the Picori concept was added, but you can tell the Zelda team had tons of great ideas to cram into TotK. Like WiiU limitations meant BotW Hyrule couldn't have many caves or underground areas to explore, and they addressed that big time in TotK. (They've breathed so much new life into Hyrule, im still trying to process it all. Lol)

[@JamesTDG]

Would have been neat to see the picori and the minish get representation in the BOTW slice of the timeline

[@JagGentlemann]

I wouldn't say that the focus of Oracle of Seasons is combat, but action. The puzzles are less about thinking and more about executing properly a set of actions, reaching a place in a limited time and stuff like that. It's not as half the dungeons rooms make you kill every enemy and that's it.

[@Graf27green]

Seasons had the most influence of the once planned Zelda 1 Remake. Ages does more his own thing

[@DJ_Rausch]

Link Between Worlds was the first Zelda game I did 100% in both regular and Hero mode. It holds a special place in my heart.

[@Kogami]

One thing I really like about AntDude is that despite these videos being a summary/retrospective format, you still commit to finish most (if not all) the games you covered. Lots of people only form their opinion from just trying them out the first few hours or so (not that its a bad thing bc I know not everyone has the time to play them) but I highly appreciate your commitment to cover a game from its start until its end. It gives your coverage a lot more insight and basis, if thats the correct word to use.

[@JessieTrinket]

Am I the only person who likes the Temple of the Ocean King? I thought it was absolutely fantastic!

[@roiitzkovich4545]

The way the title was written I thought I was into a Caddicarus video, only to be greeted with Antdude's intro.

[@Polarcon]

The Spirit Tracks slander * shakes head disappointedly *

[@SnakeyBoiii871]

Hey there, sorry I was part of the PH and ST angry mob but my flight got delayed. Ant, why you butcher my babies, they were so good! And the storyyyyy. Lineback had his redemption arch in the fight we had to talk about it!!

[@dom604]

34:03 don't you mean the item... Blows? Okay, gotta add this.. I actually LOVE the Temple of the Ocean King. It's stupid fun to use the items you get between runs in the dungeon to get better times and find the little shortcuts all over the place. Basically enjoying it for the reasons you name as negatives lol

[@JamesTDG]

Honestly, I am gonna miss the era of the handheld console, it was fun seeing these cool niche features that were incredibly experimental.

[@PlayMadness]

I hope one of these Zelda videos touches on Cadence of Hyrule! It's a weird little spin off, being a traditional 2d top down Zelda adventure played entirely through the rhythm system of Crypt of the Necrodancer. Absolutely a hidden gem among Zelda games!

[@EZOnTheEyes]

The promise of 'frog game' with the water transformations reminds me of the Ranma 1/2 water curses lol

[@miwestraveler3986]

That's totally where they took the idea from lmao. I'm just calling it.

[@PokeMaster22222]

The Minish Cap...the European version is likely of an earlier build than the American one, as it contains bugs and other issues. For one, a few Kinstone fusions can become impossible to complete, and there's no Bomb Bag in Stockwell's Shop, among other things. So I'd recommend finding the US version and playing that.

[@zakkiblakk]

Wow, thanks for reminding me A Link Between World is over 10 years old. Feels like yesterday I was firing it up on my 3DS and binging it until I beat it. Great vid!!

[@alex64gaming]

2 videos in one month? Hell yeah ant dude

[@starfoxsmash7002]

Tracing a path for the boomerang on the touch screen? That reminds me of a similar giimick in the "Transformers: Animated" DS game. You trace a path on the touch screen, and Optimus will throw his axe along the path you drew. (Bulkhead will do a similar thing with his wrecking balls.)

[@BobTheArchmage]

26:01 - Technically the Chuu Chuu isn't big. It's just a regular Chuu Chuu, but Link is so small it is now a boss encounter.

[@zachtwilightwindwaker596]

The Big Octorok on the other hand actually is big because if you compare the sprite of the Chu Chu and Octorok, the Big Octorok is actually bigger than normal.

[@existingchannel6671]

Tip me and my siblings used on the DS:rub your finger on the microphone. Works wonders if you need it, especially for loud places. If memory serves, it also gave me a great price for the salvage arm without having to destroy my vocal chords.

[@MakeHerSquirtle]

21:48 woah woah woah antdude I’m not sure if you played the starforce games but they’re definitely not bad like you’re implying. The three simultaneous versions is ridiculous I’ll give you that but the story, gameplay and music in these games are all solid. In fact I’d say the starforce series overall is better than the battle networks series

[@akiradkcn]

He is bad at games so no wonder he dislikes lol

[@graythepokemonartist6427]

Personally I love Spirit Tracks because I love trains a lot and Link Between Worlds was awesome as well

[@ErrorMessage]

Gonna make me miss big-time handheld gaming with this one..

[@XshinymewX]

This video was awesome. I think it kind of sucks that Tetra was reduced to a damsel in distress in Phantom Hourglass though.

[@bland9876]

Oracle of ages in Oracle of seasons feel so much like links Awakening that I think they could remake Oracle of ages and Oracle of seasons using the same game engine from Link's Awakening remake on Switch. I would 100% jump for Joy if that happened. I haven't even played breath of the Wild 2 yet but I would definitely buy ages and seasons remakes day one.

[@diegoantoniofrias9309]

Your videos have that touch that always makes me happy when i watch them, keep up with this good stuff man 😊

[@ad51603]

We are badly overdue for a new 2D Zelda. Been almost 10 years since A Link Between Worlds and 8 since Triforce Heroes if you want to count it

[@mariajimenafigueroa233]

2D Mario: I know how it feels like

[@ad51603]

​@Maria Jimena Figueroa at least we have Mario Maker for that. Zelda has nothing

[@Louie_Log]

As someone who JUST got into Zelda, as well as having a love handheld gaming, I thank you dearly for making this vid Mr. Ant!

[@Mimiyan_or_Pikapikafan]

I'm a temple of the Ocean King defender You aren't just replaying it, you have more items, which means you can explore new paths, and after you get the Phantom Sword, you can kill the Phantoms and it feels so good to get that ability. Also the final 3 objections can be completed in any order, and the optimal way is to complete a section of the OTemple (you get it lol) with less gear (like no Bombchus or grappling hook) which is admitly a fun challenge. I personally feel that the Spirit temple in Spirit Tracks fails for me because you have to climb up all the steps everytime you want to do any floor, and it just leaves me bored. It's something that hinders repeat playthroughs and even just checking if you can get something new from a floor a lot. Other than that, it's a good dungeon, definitely trickier than OTemple, but I don't know why you have to go back to it repeatably, it just doesn't make sense mechanicly compared to the OTemple. You wouldn't lose much gameplay wise if the Spirit Temple was scattered about the world.

[@Javifaa]

Yeah, the Tower of the Spirits could have been a contender for the best dungeon in a Zelda game if it had a similar level design compared to the Temple of the Ocean King.

[@miwestraveler3986]

Both were great for me. With such a focus on Zelda's abilities in Spirit Tracks, it would have been hard to have a level design similar to the Ocean King's anyway.

[@Mimiyan_or_Pikapikafan]

@@miwestraveler3986 good point. Maybe if they had the optional extra dungeon stations work with Phantom Zelda. I think my thoughts on it would actually be a bit better if they had some of it spread out. Having everything centralized around the OTemple made sense narratively and gameplay wise in Phantom Hourglass, while only narratively with the Tower of Spirits in Spirit Tracks. If the best of both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were in one game, we might have one of the best games in the franchise. I love Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but I get why some people don't

[@chaosprime1629]

tower of spirits is also one of the main reasons spirit tracks is so linear. an idea i had what would have made the game more interesting is if you have an intended set order but if you access some of the side quests that unlock new rails you can access dungeons earlier. tower of spirits should have been a refined temple of the ocean king which once again recontexulizes on the new items and shortcuts found while taking notes. tower of spirits lacks this outside of optional content which is randomized treasures in the earlier floors.

[@DaveDynamite1]

I can’t get mad at Spirit Track for the Train mechanic acting like a train, I mean you can only travel on the tracks that exist. Now the only thing that could be done if wanted to do in like a remake is to make it the spirit tracks really like a spirit and have it where the original tracks are their but you can disconnect from them and drive the Train over any piece of land and the tracks will appear below you like a spirit. I also happen to like Trains so I will be biased. Lol

[@LREHAnimation]

I really hope we get another 2D style Zelda adventure in the vein of A Link Between Worlds, keeping the cute, but badass design from ALBW. They could call it A Link to a Sketchy News Article, and I’d still be hyped to play some brand new 2D Zelda action in HD.

[@19Szabolcs91]

I was legit disappointed that the Link's Awakening remake didn't use that awesome engine with the 360 degrees movement and 60 fps.

[@TheMaxi125]

Ant:You can only use it by blowing in the microphone for an extended period of time, it sucks. Me: No, no, no, it doesn't suck, it blows

[@TOSkwar22]

I find it really interesting that you mention you played Seasons, then Ages, and prefer Ages over Seasons. As someone who played both, first Ages, then Seasons... I much prefer Seasons. Something about the addition of Subrosia and the details surrounding it? I don't know. But maybe it's just that whichever you play second you'll prefer in the long run?

[@JohnSears]

46:18 Seeing Dragalia Lost in the wild after its end of service always hurts

[@LandonEmma]

Wait what? You hate the touch screen Zelda games? But then you say they aren’t accurate? Then just use the stylus because I love it!

[@miwestraveler3986]

Bro legit uses his fingers and complains about accuracy.

[@LandonEmma]

@@miwestraveler3986 FR

[@gjet35]

To be fair, completing the figurine collection in Minish Cap nets you the final piece of heart as well as a damn sound collection, which was just...man, that was just great to experience the first time around alllllll those years ago at launch.

[@FinalShockdown]

Spirit Tracks will always be peak for me

[@shortbreadhead]

Honestly though, imagine Wind Waker being released now BUT with Phantom Hourglass as a second part included completely remade in the Wind Waker engine... and as much as I'd not care if Spirit Tracks was included, I think if it was in the same engine the whole package could be.. insane.. maybe?