Summary
Many years have passed between the release ofA Link to the Pastand the most recentThe Legend of Zeldainstallment,Tears of the Kingdom. However, when comparing the two entries in the long-running franchise, there is an unexpected sign of justhow far theZeldagames have come;A Link to the Paststarted a tradition of addingMario-centric Easter eggs into the games.
As the third entry into the series,A Link to the Pastbrought fortha new chapter for theZeldagames, which included some surprise inspiration from Nintendo heavy-hitterMario. For those who have playedA Link to the Past, a picture of Mario can be found as a fun Easter egg while the Turtle Rock dungeon was clearly inspired by previousSuper Mario Bros.titles. Link had a prominent place in the world of gaming, but Mario was the top dog, andA Link to the Pastbegan a tradition of leaning on the popularity of Mario to sneak hidden content into future games. However,Tears of the Kingdomshows the IP’s break away from this tradition, allowing Link to stand on his own.
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How Zelda Games Have Evolved Since A Link to the Past
AfterA Link to the Pastfeatured a surprise portrait of Mario and took clear inspiration fromSuper Mario Bros.games with the Turtle Rock dungeon, many futureZeldagames would follow suit in featuringMario-inspired secrets.The Legend of Zeldahas grown into one of the largest gaming series in the world, but Mario cameos in various games demonstrated the power Nintendo’s favorite plumber has held for years.
One of these more blatant cameos appear inOcarina of Time, with the characters Talon and Ingo who are justZelda-fied versions of Mario and Luigi. Whether it’s a Mario mask featured inMajora’s Maskor figurines inLink’s Awakening, there are manySuper Marioreferences inZeldagames, butTears of the Kingdomshows that Link has found independence in Nintendo’s world. Link has always been a prominent figure, of course, butTears of the Kingdomhas brought the franchise’s protagonist to a whole new level.
After the incredibly successful release ofBreath of the Wild, anticipation forTears of the Kingdomwas palpable, and it exceeded the expectations of many fans. Not only has the game become many gamers' picks for Game of the Year, but it’s also short on something that many previousZeldagames have included: Mario references. Link can stand on his own as a protagonist, and with the overwhelming success ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, he’s just as important to Nintendo as Mario. It’s obvious thatZeldagames have changed drastically sinceA Link to the Past, but small details like this showcase just how far the franchise has truly come.The Legend of Zeldahas staked its claim as a series that’s just as important and influential asSuper Mario.
BothThe Legend of ZeldaandSuper Mariohave changed gamingin multiple ways, and it seems as though Link is now just as much of a household name as Mario. Although Link has always been a popular character for gaming fans, he was seen by some as coming in second compared to Mario, butZeldagames have grown to the point where the two are now equals. Long gone are the days whenA Link to the PastreferencedSuper Mariofeatures for an entire level.The Legend of Zeldahas become its own rich world since the birth of the franchise, andTears of the Kingdomserves as the perfect demonstration of this growth.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available on Switch.
