If Zelda were real, humanity would have a lot of very pressing problems – despotic demon kings, gross inflation via plant-generated money and general civilian stupidity chief among them. However, at the very least there would be some pretty damn stunning tourist destinations to visit.
The art design in pretty much every Zelda game is exemplary and though it may vary quite widely in style (compare the acid trip of Majora’s Mask to the dark palette of Twilight Princess to the incredible imagination of The Wind Waker), each game has its own share of very pretty locales. This list is an homage to those moments in the Zelda series when I have just wanted to stop for a moment and just take it all in. I will be ignoring all of the (many) impressive locales that are designed to be more foreboding than inviting, because this isn’t that kind of list. Rather, these are places I would actually want to go and visit, were they real. There is potential for some real estate agent rhetoric here, so brace yourself.
Despite some great art design in the 2D games, this list is drawn only from the 3D ones, because let’s face it, they have a bit of a natural advantage in this department.
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VR ZELDA MONTH DISCLAIMER
This list represents my opinion only. I am not asserting any kind of superiority or self-importance by presenting it as I have. My opinion is not fact. If you actually agree with me 100%, that’s scary. Respectful disagreement is welcome. Spoilers may follow.
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5. Southern Swamp – Majora’s Mask
The first item on the list even acknowledges its status as a potential tourist destination, as it actually features a souvenir house and a structured boat tour. Despite its slightly ‘off’ tone, owing mostly to the poisoned water flow and, well, the fact that it appears in Majora’s Mask, Southern Swamp is quite simply one of the most visually interesting locales in the entire Zelda series. It throws together some quite eclectic choices of flora, most of which would never be found flourishing in a real life swamp, and then dips them in LSD. As the first dedicated temple region of the game, the swamp was an obvious showcase of the power of the N64’s Expansion Pak that served to distance the Ocarina of Time sequel from its predecessor, but it achieved this on design alone long before graphical power came into the equation.
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Vagrant Rant 