The Legend of Zeldais a hugely influential series that has become one of Nintendo’s more popular and beloved properties. It’s defined a genre and given the world iconic imagery like the Triforce and the Master Sword. It’s also inspired a ton of similar games, with games such asOkamigoing on to become cult classics.
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Because of this iconic nature, it’s not surprising that several games have snuck in some sneaky references toZeldaalong the way. Several of these go beyond simple homages though and lean into parody, with gentle mockery of the conventions and tropes of the series. From simple silly nods to full-blown games, these games had a lot of fun playing around with concepts fromThe Legend of Zelda.
10Final Fantasy
The originalFinal Fantasywas released a year after the originalLegend of Zeldaon the Famicom in Japan, and even in these early days of both franchises, references were still sneaking in. In the town of Elfheim, a town full of NPCs dressed in familiar green tunics, a gravestone can be found stating “Here Lies Link” implying the death of Nintendo’s protagonist, possibly a bit of overconfidence from Square that they thoughtFinal Fantasywould kill off the competition entirely.
This reference was changed during localization, as the North American NES version changes the name toDragon Quest’s Erdrick. However, this change got reversed in all later releases, such as the PSP and mobile versions, so all other versions retain Link as the name.
9The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game, true to the TV series it’s based on, is full of references to other games and media, all played for laughs. As well as a ton ofMarioreferences,The Legend of Zeldaalso finds itself the source of parody at a few points as well.
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The two main points of parody are in the levels Enter the Cheatrix and NeverQuest. In the former, Bart will occasionally ask if they get to meet Zelda. In the latter, a more obvious reference is made, as Homer spends the level wearing an outfit clearly based on Link’s iconic green tunic.
8South Park: The Stick Of Truth
Another game based on a beloved satirical Fox show also contains nods to other video games, asThe Stick of Truthis often a pastiche of RPG tropes.South Parkcreators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have also stated thatThe Legend of Zeldawas an influence on the game, so it’s not surprising that they also have a few nods to that series as well.
Players can obtain a green tunic and a sword called the Elf Blade, both of which are based on Link’s outfit and the Master Sword, respectively. Also, Kenny can be found taking the role of a princess, wearing an outfit that looks suspiciously like the outfit Zelda wears inTwilight Princess.
7The Binding Of Isaac
The Binding of Isaacdraws an incredible amount of influence from the original NESZeldain many ways. A roguelike dungeon crawler, Isaac features dungeon layouts that resemble Nintendo’s classic, and the HUD at the top of the screen shares more than a few similarities.
Where this becomes parody, however, is taking theseZeldaelements and combining them withthe darker themes withinIsaac. From Biblical references to body horror, seeing all these next-to-level designs clearly borrowed from a game with a vastly different tone makes for a strange vibe.
6Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak
TheHamtaroanime and manga franchise gained a series of games on the Game Boy Advance back in the early 2000s. They were fairly simple adventure games targeted at a younger audience, and the second game in the series to release in the West,Ham-Ham Heartbreak, contained a fun little reference to theZeldaseries.
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One quest sees Hamtaro asked to retrieve the Legendary Spoon for a couple of fellow hamsters. This requires the player to find three marbles, then find a plinth to place them in, which will raise the spoon like a sword from the stone. All of this is a parody of the Zelda series, with the three marbles reflecting the three parts of the Triforce and the plinth resembling the Master Sword plinth fromA Link to the Past. There are even a few musical nods during this sequence as well. All of this while playing as adorable hamsters who use words like “putput” and “tuggie” making the whole thing extra silly.
5Paper Mario: The Origami King
WhileLink’s Awakeningfamously featured a number ofMarioreferences, there aren’t many occasions when the reverse has been true. It took until the release ofPaper Mario: The Origami Kingto finally seeZeldareferences in aMariogame, and it took the form of a quest later in the game when players are seeking out the purple streamer.
The chapter largely takes place in an area known as the Great Sea and heavily involves using sea charts to find one’s destinations. This is a clear reference toThe Wind Waker,which had an overworld known as The Great Seaand also heavily used sea charts for navigation. There’s even a trial on one island where fans have to complete trials related to the three parts of the Triforce, although all of this is handled withPaper Mario’s typical sense of humor.
4Enter The Gungeon
Enter the Gungeonisan indie dungeon crawler published by Devolver Digital, and much like other games from that publisher, it’s full of fast-paced action and cartoony violence. It also features enemies shaped like bullets, although some of these do not attack, and keeping enough of them alive leads to the player unlocking a secret character called The Bullet.
By finding a specific item, players can head into The Bullet’s past, which is all a tongue-in-cheek parody ofA Link to the Past. It starts with The Bullet receiving a sword from a dying elder. The Bullet then goes on to fight a wizard and a large evil pig beast called “Evil King Cannon,” referencing the Agahnim and Ganon fights from the same game. The prize for defeating them is also a “Chicken Flute” which is an ocarina that can summon a chicken that calls in friends when it takes enough damage, adding even moreZeldareferences.
3World Of Warcraft
One quest line inWorld of Warcraftis just one long extended parody ofThe Legend of Zelda. The initial quest, named “It’s a Secret to Everybody,” starts with the player discovering a raft and an abandoned pack containing a compass, map, and an unusual key. These belong to Linken, a character who is ultimately trying to discover an item called the Golden Flame, which resembles a golden triangle. The quest line then ends with a quest called “It’s Dangerous To Go Alone.”
This quest line has many references. The quest names directly quote lines from the NES game, the pack items are a reference to the typical items found in a Zelda dungeon, and the Golden Flame is an obvious reference to the Triforce. The NPC, Linken, is of course a reference to Link himself, green tunic and all.
2Ittle Dew
Indie gameIttle Dewclaims that it “boils down the classic adventure formula until there is only fun left” and it’s clear that what that means is the whole game is a parody of 2DZeldagames that absolutely does not take itself seriously.
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Aside from featuring similar visuals, including the protagonist’s green tunic and the game’s puzzle elements heavily resemblingA Link to the Past, the game also revels in smashing puzzles and causing as much destruction as possible in the name of heroism.
13D Dot Game Heroes
The ultimateZeldaparody game,3D Dot Game Heroesis set in a voxel-based world where a legendary hero sets out on an adventure to save the world from a great evil. It’s got a top-down view and a fairly open overworld, clearly referencing the original NESZelda.
It’s also full of goofy jokes that mock the general concept ofZelda, including jokes that make fun of dialogue choices that only really have the answer of yes, and the sword beam mechanic from the firstZeldais now a mechanic where the hero’s sword can become massive, even taking up the whole screen with enough upgrades.
