When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to play video games. My mother had an ugly divorce from a temperamental gamer, and associated “anger issues” with “video games.” As a result, I was unable to play the Nintendo games that I craved so much.
However, I found ways around it. Across the street, my neighbors had a well-stocked Nintendo console, where they played Mario games day and night. My stepsister had a computer with some games, like the original Duke Nuk’em (the DOS game, no strippers) and Battlechess. But I vividly remember the games my cousins had.
Whenever I went to my cousin’s house, they had his Nintendo console ready. Whenever they came to my house, they had their Gameboys. One of the games that I found most fascinating was the original. The legend of Zelda. This little elf boy wandered around, fighting evil monsters, sometimes shooting lightning bolts with his sword!
They let me play, but with the limited time I had, I didn’t make much progress. But it stuck in my mind. The action of beating the buttons with the sword was fantastic, back then. Could not be better.
Later I was surprised to find out how popular the game was with adults. Several of my friend’s parents owned the games, many of them the “gold edition.” But I rarely got a chance to play it myself. Instead, I was content with my PC games, which my mother had finally accepted was fine.
I discovered ROMs when I was in high school, and one of the first ROMs I downloaded was the old Zelda games. I was amazed at how different each of them were. Zelda II’s side scrolling action was. . . different. But there were the solid links throughout the series. Link, of course. His sword. The Triforce.
But everything evolved throughout the series. The original Master Sword fired beams at enemies, which didn’t work as well in the side-scrolling versions. A link to the past gave the sword its title and gave it a history. “The sword destined to destroy Gannon”.
In Link’s Awakening, the sword appears, although as those who know the game can tell you, that game was just a dream anyway. Such a cheap outlet.
But then, in Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword had its true awakening (just like the series). This was the first time I really got into video games. The sword was beautiful. His power was amazing.
Windwaker took a step back, but it was still his epic strength. And then Twilight Princess faced the master sword.
But there was a difference here! Specifically, the Master Sword was now designed to be worn on the right hand. That’s right! Until Twilight Princess, the Master Sword was designed for a left-handed Link. Some have complained about the change, but the fact remains that only the most devoted fans noticed that Link was left-handed.
In each of the repetitions, the sword became a bit more complex, but kept its basic appearance. It is a simple sword. Neat. Mortal. But due to slight differences and obvious color options, the sword is instantly recognizable.
There are versions of this epic sheet on the web, but many are inaccurate. It is surprising, since the blade is simple and so obvious in its style. In the various attempts to replicate the sword, some people have done a phenomenal job. One of the most prominent was a Scottish blacksmith who was commissioned to build a master sword, for the equivalent of about $ 3,000. This is arguably the highest quality and most accurate master sword replica to date. However, for those without that kind of budget, there are still some good places where you can buy an authentic replica. If you’re interested in seeing the kinds of things available, one place you can go is my website, and that link is in the author’s signature box, below.
Swords like this are the stuff of Legend, and in a classic game, they are an equally classic item. May the Master Sword, Triforce, and all other icons from that game remain forever in games. The signs show that it will too. Even if Zelda dies, other franchises have recognized this great weapon. Soul Calibur, World of Warcraft, Animal Crossing, Wario Touch, and many others have given the sword a cameo. The sword is something like Mario’s hat. He is as immortal as the character and deserves equal veneration.
