Religious References in The Legend of Zelda

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Maybe it is because I am a follower of Christianity that these things are more obvious to me, but there are many references to Christian as well as Muslim and other Abrahamic religion symbolism in the Zelda series. I'm sure I'm far from the first person to pay attention to this, but I thought I would make an article to discuss such things.

First off, I'll talk about the original Legend of Zelda for NES. Link's shield has a cross on it. Quite possibly, this means nothing, and is more to be associated with the knights of the round more than anything. After all, many other media types such as anime also have things such as thin in them, but are not meant to be religious.

Then, also in the original, there is the Magic Book...well...here is the image.

Look like another book to you?

Next up is non other than the legendary triforce.

The triforce plays a huge role in the series, and is arguably, a religious symbol to the people of Hyrule. The three triangles of the triforce could be compared to the Holy Trinity. The Father(God), The Son(Jesus Christ), and The Holy Ghost(The Spirit thereof) could go hand in hand with the Triforce of power, the Triforce of Courage and the triforce of wisdom. Further more, newer Zelda games depict the Triforce with the form of a phoenix underneath it. How is this religious symbolism you ask? Think about it for a moment. in Christian religion, one is saved by Christ, and therefore "reborn" as a forgiven being. The phoenix dies, and is reborn from it's own ashes.

Next up is a symbol of Islam. The moon and star. It appears twice in Ocarina of Time, but was removed in reissued editions of the game at the request of many Islamic followers. Here is the image on the mirror shield. it also appeared on some movable blocks.

 At the request of many, Nintendo recalled all unsold copies of the game, and replaced the image with this.

While we're on the topic of OOT, the music in the Fire Temple in the version 1.0 cartridges such as mine contains Islamic chanting. Although it was actually just computer generated chanting not actually saying anything, many thought it sounded like "Allahu Akbar" which means "Allah is the Greatest!". this was also removes later.
*Please correct me if I am wrong about what the alleged words mean.

Also in OOT, Link gets eaten by a giant fish. Sound like a certain popular Bible story?

Furthermore, In Windwaker and all it's direct sequel on the DS, Phantom Hourglass, the entire world has been flooded, and in some timelines(please don't argue the timeline here. does it actually matter that much?), The Minish Cap is placed AFTER WW and said to take place in "New Hyrule"
***that is a fan theory, and not my own***

I will end my lengthy post with a link to a VERY interesting article. I'm sure you are familiar with the Tower of Babel. In the bible, men tried to build a tower to get to Heaven, and so God dispersed the people and made them all speak different languages so they could not communicate well enough to complete the project. This wasn't because it was actually possible to build a tower to Heaven, but rather to show them "You do NOT defy me!". anyway, I'm going a bit of course. Here is a link to an article called "The Message of Majora's Mask" by a Zelda fan under the alias "Hylian Dan". I think you'll find it an interesting read.


http://www.zeldainformer.com/2010/10/the-message-of-majoras-mask.html

If you leave a reply or want to discuss this, PLEASE keep in mind the banner above my article.

Left 4 dead 2

What's more fun that loading a zombie with a buckshot? Loading a zombie with a buckshot while your friends cover you assault rifles, and bludgeon what you miss with a cricket bat!

When valve made Left 4 Dead, their intention was to make a true co op experience. You need your team mates to survive. When you pick up a med kit, you do so knowing you may very well have to use it on one of your partners rather than yourself. The game became very popular both on Xbox and PC, and fans wanted more. Apparently, they didn't want it so soon, though, because many boycotted this sequel.

Left 4 Dead 2 stars an entirely new cast of characters, and includes many updates such as melee weapons and new enemy types. Still, it is the same Left 4 Dead as before. If you loved the first one, you'll love this as well. The new enemy types include the spitter, who will vomit acid in your path and the charger, who will rush you and then proceed to beat you into the ground until you are rescued. Melee weapons range from a frying pan to a chainsaw, and are really satisfying to use.

Left 4 Dead has a governing AI called "The Director". this AI randomly spawns enemies in different areas and in different amounts. It "directs" the action. If things are quiet for too long, chances are, The director has placed a Witch in your path, or is about to bombard you with a wave or zombies. In one campaign called "Hard Rain", the AI can even control the weather, causing a raging thunderstorm at any given moment, blurring your vision an forcing you to seek shelter as the landscape floods. The Director also rewards team work. by sharing pills and healing your team mates, you may be rewarded with more health packs later. Playing selfishly will lead to less items and med kits later, and may lead to hard times.

The voice actors are very convincing, and though some argue the cast is less memorable that the first, I argue the opposite. As before, music and sounds are what warn you of what's ahead. When you hear the witch's crying along with her signature theme, you will instinctively turn your flash light off. When a crescendo event theme begins to play, you will instantly get pumped and huddle with your team mates in preparation for the horde. Other than these even themes, music is pretty much nonexistent.

The graphics are not a huge upgrade from the first L4D, though some environments are much brighter. They are by no means bad or lackluster, they just aren't as good as most games these days. This is a sacrifice that had to be made, however. When you see hundreds of zombies swarming you with little to no lag or slowdown, you will understand.

The game runs on Valve's Source engine, and most of the weapon models are straight from Counter Strike. If you have played any valve game recently, such as Portal or Half Life 2, then you should know what to basically expect in terms of how the game feels.

As stated, this is meant to be a co op experience. you can easily play alone with a computer controlling your partners, but the bots are programmed to do 3 things: follow, heal and kill. I highly recommend playing with other human players.

This game is about $20 new for Xbox 360 owners, or if you're a PC gamer you have truly lucked out as this wonderful game is only $5 on steam.

This is what a zombie game should feel like. You aren't Leon S. Kennedy. You aren't a government agent. you are an average Joe Schmo, and chances are, you're probably going to die. Plus, if you really feel like a challenge, you can turn on realism mode. In this mode, which can be played on any difficulty, head shots are crucial and team work is an absolute must.

The game is still being supported with DLC, and even the first L4D as well. If you own an Xbox 360, or you have Steam, you simply must own L4D or L4D2.

Looking for a name

So, Supergamecube64 Reviews and More isn't a very catchy title. I'm trying to come up with ideas for a name, so if you have any suggestions, please send them to me via a post here or an email. My email address can be found on the right of the page. Thanks in advance for any support.

2 Free XBL arcade games by Doritos

Doritos makes some tasty, addicting tortilla chips. Oh yeah, and from time to time they make xbox live arcade games. And they're free!

They have released 2 new free games. One, called harms way is a combat racing game. One player drives while the other uses turrets around the course to take out other racers.

The other game is called Dorito's Crash Course. It's basically American Gladiators/Ninja Warrior style courses using your xbl avatar as the character. When ti comes down to it, this is a platformer. It's no super Mario Bros. 3, but what do you want for free?

So, let's recap. Two new games. One racer, one platformer. they're FREE. You should go download them because they're FREE. even if you think you won't like them you should still try them because they're FREE. Keep buying Doritos so they make us more games for FREE!

Excite Bike: World Rally

To many of us, Excitebike is an NES classic. This classic has been given a face lift and released and WiiWare and released for 1000 wii points. If you are unsure rather or not you wish to purchase this title, I can only say that if you don't know or care for the original, you will probably not think much of World Rally. However, if you are nostalgic at all for the original, then it is definitely worth the $10.

The controls are laid out exactly like the original. Up and down changes lanes, 1 is gas instead of A, and 2 is boost instead of B. Pressing left causes a wheelie (this may also be assigned to a tilt motion), and left and right change your angle when airborne.

The graphics are nothing spectacular, but it is 3D, and very colorful. It is the perfect example of howto give an NES game a makeover, in my opinion.

 

Then

Now

Your goal in the single player mode is not to come in first, but just as in the original, get the time indicated. In the multiplayer, however your goal is indeed to beat the other racers. Speaking of multiplayer, the majority of bike colors must be unlocked by competing over Nintendo Wifi. The problem with this is the fact that many players will throw a hiss fit 10 seconds from the finish line and disconnect, a la Mario Kart.

One of the coolest things about the NES Excitebike was the ability to create your own tracks. This feature has returned, and this time you can share your creations over Nintendo Wifi!

The music mostly consists of redone versions of the original Excitebike tunes. The track music is new, however, since the original had none. Sound effects such as engine revving, and the overheat warning are ripped directly from Excitetruck.

Excitebike: World Rally is essentially download nostalgia. I suggest those of you who care not for retro gaming simply ignore this one. However, if you played the original as a child, or wish to introduce retro gaming to a child/brother/etc that thinks the NES is a dinosaur, give it a shot.