Credit: Nintendo
Throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise, our hero, Link, has made use of all kinds of tools in his various quests. As you’d expect from a fantasy knight like him, he’s got the usual gear like a bow and arrows, various shields, mighty hammers, and portable explosives. However, Link is nothing if not clever in his use of tools, allowing him to make use of some more… esoteric objects.
Some of the gear Link has used over the years ranges from practical objects with rather offputting designs to full-on anachronistic technology. It all has its uses, of course, but when you pick one of these items up, you cannot help but do a double-take.
The Mirror Shield (Majora’s Mask)
Credit: Nintendo
In several entries in the Zelda series, Link has obtained the Mirror Shield, a sturdy shield with a polished outer surface that can reflect both light and magical attacks. It’s a great tool to have, especially in the dangerous lands of Termina in Majora’s Mask, but does the Mirror Shield in that game need to be so… creepy?
Unlike the ornately-designed Mirror Shields of other games, the Mirror Shield in Majora’s Mask is emblazoned with the distinctive image of a screaming, toothy face. Whenever you have the Mirror Shield equipped, it’s sitting on Link’s back, staring right at you. There’s enough screaming in this game as it is, we don’t need a shield that screams at us.
All-Night Mask (Majora’s Mask)
Credit: Nintendo
If you visit the Stock Pot Inn in Clock Town, you can have Anju’s grandmother tell you stories about the history of Termina. The problem is that her stories tend to be very long-winded, and Link can’t help but fall asleep in the middle of them. How do you solve this simple problem? Easy! Torture devices!
The All-Night Mask, purchased from the Clock Town curiosity shop, is a steel trap mounted to Link’s face that prevents him from falling asleep. The game tells you straight-up that it’s a torture device, something you probably shouldn’t be using on yourself, but if you can use it to endure Granny’s stories, you get a few Heart Pieces. That’s… kind of a good trade-off?
Kafei’s Mask (Majora’s Mask)
Credit: Nintendo
In Clock Town, a local man named Kafei has gone missing a few days before his marriage to Anju. When Link speaks to his mother, Madame Aroma, she mistakes him for an investigator she hired to track him down. It’s an important job that Link is happy to take, though his means of gathering info is a bit strange.
Link is provided with a handmade mask that looks like Kafei’s face. When worn around town, the residents will provide you with information on Kafei’s whereabouts. The creepy dude mask seems like an unnecessary step in this process that could easily be served with a notepad and a missing poster, but then again, Link never talks, so maybe this is the best way he has to broach the subject.
BowWow (Link’s Awakening)
Credit: Nintendo
Chain-Chomps are a recurring enemy from the Mario franchise. They’re large, toothy steel balls that bark like dogs, fiercely protecting their designated territories. Attempting to use something like that as an item sounds like a great way to lose a few fingers, but Link is brave enough to try.
In Link’s Awakening, Link can take temporary ownership of BowWow, a Chain-Chomp owned by Madame MeowMeow. If you take BowWow out for a “walk,” he can point out the locations of helpful buried items, as well as take a bite out of any monsters that look at you funny. Let that be a lesson: all dogs are good boys, even the terrifying metal ones.
Bombling (Twilight Princess)
Credit: Nintendo
Before obtaining his own Bomb Bag in Twilight Princess, Link needs to rely on natural bomb sources to solve dungeon puzzles. In previous games, this would be accomplished through Bomb Flowers, but in this game, his first explosives are Bomblings, rotund insects that explode when provoked.
Later in the game, though, Link can store Bomblings in his Bomb Bag, deploying them to run in a straight line and explode like Ocarina of Time’s Bombchus. Convenient, though the fact that you’re carrying around living explosives with you is a bit unsettling. Apparently, according to snobby shop owner Chudley, the nobles of Castle Town like to keep Bomblings as exotic pets.
Ooccoo (Twilight Princess)
Credit: Nintendo
In most Zelda games, if you need to bail out of a dungeon for whatever reason, you have to manually walk yourself back to where you were upon returning. In Twilight Princess, this process was made a bit more bearable, if not bizarre, thanks to the introduction of Ooccoo.
Ooccoo is found randomly in every dungeon in the game and is used from your inventory like an item. Ooccoo will warp you out of the dungeon and leave you with her son, Ooccoo Jr., in her place. Use Ooccoo Jr., and you’re back to where you were in the dungeon. It’s really helpful, I just wish it didn’t involve interaction with a strange chicken person and her floating disembodied head of a son.
Spinner (Twilight Princess)
Credit: Nintendo
The Arbiter’s Grounds in Twilight Princess is packed with ancient clockwork technology, which means a lot of gears and tracks. Now, out of all the ways you may think to travel through such a setting, would you ever think of a giant gear-shaped spinning top?
The Spinner is the dungeon’s signature item, allowing Link to ride along gear tracks on the walls, as well as bounce around bowl-shaped areas. The battle against the dungeon’s boss, Stallord, is less like an epic battle and more like a large-scale game of Beyblade. Let it rip.
Hint Glasses (A Link Between Worlds)
Credit: Nintendo
Link has employed various magical viewing devices over the years, from the enchanted Mirror of A Link to the Past to the Lens of Truth in Ocarina of Time. These items gave Link sight beyond sight, allowing him to see through illusions and even traverse worlds. The Hint Glasses in A Link Between Worlds provide a similar benefit, though with a slightly less… fanciful design.
The Hint Glasses are a pair of classic Groucho Glasses, complete with swirly lenses, a fake nose, and an oversized plastic mustache. When worn, the glasses reveal the presence of Hint Ghosts, which Link can pay with Play Coins to get hints on his current situation. I guess if you want help with a puzzle, you have to resign yourself to looking like a doof for a few minutes.
Master Cycle Zero (Breath of the Wild)
Credit: Nintendo
The Divine Beasts of Breath of the Wild were constructed by the Sheikkah in ancient times to battle against Calamity Ganon. Four were made for each of the Champions of Hyrule, though unbeknownst to researchers, a fifth was made for the use of the Hero: the Master Cycle Zero. Horses are so five minutes ago; now it’s time for motorcycles!
The Master Cycle Zero can be conjured at a moment’s notice with a special Rune and ridden at a much faster speed than most horses. It does need fuel, but you can cram any random junk you find on the ground into the tank. A magical motorcycle is definitely a bit on the anachronistic side for this franchise, but you can’t deny that the thing looks absolutely awesome.
