Nintendo, a brand often celebrated for its whimsical characters and vibrant landscapes, isn’t usually the first name that comes to mind when thinking of spine-tingling experiences. Yet, beneath the surface of cheerful gameplay and heartwarming tales, there lies a surprising depth of unsettling and eerie moments.

These instances remind us that even in the most enchanting worlds, shadows can lurk, ready to pounce when least expected. Both experienced players and new fans have been surprised by these unexpected dark moments, showing that Nintendo’s expertise in game design also includes creating creepy atmospheres. Whether it’s a menacing boss, a chilling location, or a jarring narrative twist, Nintendo knows how to deliver a genuine fright. Here are eight times Nintendo games caught us off-guard with a scare.

Few franchises are as beloved and long-lived as Nintendo’s the Legend of Zelda. Since its inception in 1986, this iconic series has not only shaped the course of action-adventure games but has also enthralled generations of gamers with its captivating lore, intricate puzzles, and memorable characters.

While many fans religiously collect every iteration of the game, there exists a subset of titles within this franchise that are as elusive as the Triforce itself. These are the games that, over time, have gained not just rare status but also carry with them a hefty price tag.

Nintendo has kept the Zelda franchise going for decades—almost 40 years, in fact. In that span of time, we’ve been graced with dozens of games, though some admittedly feel like bunts rather than homeruns. With Tears of the Kingdom being a massive success, let’s take a look at the Legend of Zelda series and rank the games from worst to best.

Note: Due to the expansive nature of the Legend of Zelda series, spin-offs have been omitted from the ranking. This includes: BS The Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets, Wand of Gamelon, Faces of Evil, Zelda’s Adventure, Link’s Crossbow Training, Hyrule Warriors, and Hyrule Warriors Legends.

Nintendo has just added two new Game Boy Color games to its library of classic NSO games. This latest update brings the Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and the Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages to Nintendo Switch Online.

Developed by Capcom in 2001, the two are separate games with unique plots, with Oracle of Seasons concentrating on action and Oracle of Ages concentrating on puzzles. After one game is completed, players can play an extended version of the other game with the use of a password. This means that each game is essentially a sequel to the other with the ability to start either one first.

Like its predecessor, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of secrets hidden in the skies, the surface, and the very Depths below. Run in any direction and you’ll always bump into something interesting to see, but let’s step away from the big picture and observe a few aspects of the game. If you focus on the small, you’ll find tiny details that get easily overlooked in Tears of the Kingdom.

10. Lightroots Lead to Zonai Shrines

Tears of the Kingdom had just as much to do with the sky as it does the deep, dark depths beneath the surface. Aptly named ‘the Depths,’ the underground caverns are equally as vast as the lands above, but it’s dangerous down there. It’s a good idea to make regular trips into the Depths for Poes, items, and Zonaite.

One of the most impressive aspects of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the exhaustive list of creative ways to solve your problems in both combat and puzzles. Some enemies are easy to deal with while others are downright annoying, like the Horriblins. Luckily, one fan came up with a simple, yet effective way to end their reign of terror with just a handful of berries.

Reddit user Naydog101 demonstrates their mastery over the cold, but delicious Ice Fruit by using it as a weapon instead of a delicious treat. They made short work of the Horriblin in mere seconds.

Just as we saw that there were no limits to what Zelda fans could do in Breath of the Wild, we are already finding the same thing to be true in Tears of the Kingdom. One fan in particular has discovered how to make actual music in the game. He has used it to recreate a familiar tune from Chrono Trigger.

Bran is a chiptune musician who creates 8-bit arrangements of songs from modern games. Evidently, his love for arranging music found its way into Tears of the Kingdom, too. He figured out that by using moving lasers and different sized stakes, players can create a range of pitches. Those pitches end up turning into actual melodies.

With the release of Tears of the Kingdom, I finally decided that it was time to give the Zelda franchise a go. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised with the level of care put into this title and impressed with how suitable it was to both longtime franchise fans and newcomers alike.

After spending many hours enjoying everything Tears of the Kingdom offers, I’ve found plenty of little details and mechanics to admire. This has led me to consider how similar features may work in other Nintendo titles.

There’s no doubt about it, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is another monumental success for Nintendo, and the Zelda franchise. Inevitably, comparisons will be drawn between it and its predecessor, even though they belong to the same series. And it might be easy to claim that Tears of the Kingdom is the better game because it’s the sequel and offers more, but there are still factors to consider between it and Breath of the Wild. That’s why it’s time for a showdown between Tears of the Kingdom vs Breath of the Wild: which is the better Legend of Zelda game?

Gameplay

It’s no surprise that TotK introduced a bunch of new gameplay mechanics like the Ultrahand, Fusing, and Zonai devices, and all of these elements contributed to the most creative Zelda game ever. These alone create an almost entirely brand-new game and experience.

Breath of the Wild had a fantastic set of DLC and it seems safe to assume Nintendo will follow suit with Tears of the Kingdom. The most useful additions from the BotW DLC included additional items that made travel and searching for things more efficient. For example, there’s a Korok mask that helps you find Koroks faster, and an ancient horse bridle that lets you teleport your horse to you. But since it’s a sequel, TotK will be expected to take things even further, so here are the 5 Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom DLC/ expansion ideas we need to see as new additions to the game.

A Living, Active Hyrule While Reshaping the Land

In Breath of the Wild, you were able to build and decorate your very own house, and this feature returned in TotK. Plus, you had to help with the rebuilding of Hudson’ Construction work locations, Lookout Landing, and Lurelin Village’s restoration.

Shrines have always been a part of The Legend of Zelda in one way or another, from a hidden area in Majora’s Mask to the numerous amounts of structures in Breath of the Wild. But now, these locations can be finished in an entirely new way with Link’s various abilities, making each player’s experience different from the last.

Then, there’s the TikToker phaleur, who has purposefully gone out of their way to fulfill every shrine the “wrong” way, as they proceed to do the complete opposite of what is instructed. You can see a perfect example of this in a recent video, where they avoid constructing bridges in the Joju-u-u Shrine, despite the challenge being titled: “Building Bridges.”

With the advent of Nintendo’s latest epic Zelda adventure, it feels like the open-world rulebook has been re-written once again. Indeed, continuing in the footsteps of its hugely acclaimed predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom somehow manages to expand upon its forebear’s blueprint in meaningful and engrossing ways.

But what if you’re hankering for more experiences that scratch the ol’ Zelda: TOTK itch? Well, we’ve compiled a selection of top-notch titles that could prove to be your next Hyrule-esque voyage. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the best games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Let’s do it!

No matter how you look at it, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an incredible game that has continued to push the envelope for the action-adventure RPG genre in ways that fans never expect. It’s a testament to Nintendo’s magic; how they are able to blend innovation with classic charm, and although they’re not always 100% successful, it’s the very reason why a world of gaming without Nintendo should never exist. This sequel to Breath of the Wild vastly improves upon its predecessor but remains familiar and true to the series. That being said, there are ways in which even TotK can be improved, so let’s take a look at 5 ways Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could have been better.

Customizable Controls

This should seem like a no-brainer, but after all this time, there are very limited, and we mean very limited options, when it comes to altering your controls. From a developer’s standpoint, it’s understandable that certain powers and functions will be easier to program and prevent glitching when permanently assigned.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Switch

Few games have left a mark as profound as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild did in 2017. Its sprawling open world and innovative gameplay marked a new era for the series and became an influence for countless other games. Creating a follow up to this masterpiece was always going to be a tall order for Nintendo—how do you significantly improve upon a game that redefined the conventions of Zelda in such a way that it became one of the highest rated titles of all time, setting a new standard for the franchise? 

Somehow, Tears of the Kingdom manages to do that. The game takes us on a second journey through this iteration of Hyrule, successfully building upon the strong foundation laid by Breath of the Wild. With new abilities, a captivating storyline, and immersive gameplay, Tears of the Kingdom surpasses its iconic predecessor in many ways, even somewhat rendering the first game obsolete along the way.

Now that the classic Hyrule map has been revamped in Tears of the Kingdom, fans can try out a whole mess of fun activities throughout the various regions. Even those who have completed the main campaign can still discover new items and tricks, thanks to the game’s hidden locations and intriguing Easter Eggs. So, to maximize your Hyrulian experience, here are 12 cool things you can do in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Cherry Blossom Tree Cave Locations Hack

While exploring Hyrule, players may have encountered a few cherry blossom trees with a unique hidden feature that can help them locate treasures. All you have to do is place a fruit near it as an offering to trigger illuminated cave locations filled with valuables and armor pieces.

A couple of days ago I was experiencing the joy of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, getting lost from the main objectives and quests of the game, and exploring the world of Hyrule at random, as per usual. I was passing by Riverside Stable when I noticed the animal pens in the background and took a quick look up close. It was here when I noticed there were a couple of eggs in the Chicken pen, so I jumped the fence and grabbed them for my inventory.

And then, right as I was about to leave, a certain prompt caught my eye. I could pick up a Chicken. I immediately acted on this, hoping that I’d get at best a good laugh, and at worst some mild amusement as I continue to abandon the main storyline to save Hyrule in favor of playing with the animals.

One of the most acclaimed aspects of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been the creativity and innovation allowed by the new Fusing mechanic. It’s made certain aspects of the game much easier – and it’s just done the same for Zelda’s fan favorite shield surfing mechanic.

We’ve already seen how it can make reaching Hyrule’s skies incredibly simple and, on June 1, one Redditor shared their Tears of the Kingdom trick to make shield surfing a frictionless breeze.

Out of all the weapons in Tears of the Kingdom, many players believe the spear is one of the most OP tools in the game, given its unmatched strength. However, several Reddit users have claimed that it’s actually the least potent item according to its damage modifiers.

Reddit user fallen_corpse goes in-depth about this tool, explaining the inaccurate weapon stats. For example, although the spear is listed at 35 damage with 25 HP Bokoblin, its modifiers suggest a 25 percent weaker attack.

Legend of Zelda fans have constructed many elaborate builds for their Tears of the Kingdom journey, from powerful helicopters to indestructible mechs. So, now that the game has been out for a while, building designs have tremendously improved as players familiarize themselves with the Ultrahand ability.

One of the newest creations is the cruise missile weapon that allows you to launch an explosive attack from a considerable distance. Reddit user twolf201 constructed this build successfully using the robust Zonai materials.

It’s no secret that Zelda Tears of the Kingdom was designed to have a built-in cheat system with all the OP abilities at your disposal. But the great part is, this fosters so much room for creativity and a variety of ways to solve puzzles and overcome challenging situations. One of the best abilities to use for this type creativity is the Recall ability that basically lets your rewind time for certain objects that move. With that, we’d like to share with you 5 secrets for using Recall in Tears of the Kingdom.

Combat Shenanigans

There are plenty of unique enemies waiting for Link in TotK, and many of them have ways to interact with objects and the environment. Whenever large objects are being thrown at you, you can activate your recall before they hit you to send them back at unsuspecting enemies. This ability spans across a bunch of different enemies, so just be aware that anytime an enemy throws something at you, or move an object in some kind of manner, activate your Recall ASAP and try to reverse the object they just threw at you or moved somehow.