The Lore Research Lab: Recent Episodes
ARK
Hi there! The name's A.R.K, or AR, a history/literature enthusiast and avid researcher - welcome to The Lore Research Lab! You will find here some fun discussions, rants, theories, challenges, reviews, and much more as I deep-dive into the Nintendo video game world. The current research efforts being made by the Lab include investigations on the Mario franchise, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, and possibly others - join me in the ultimate quest to discover what these worlds have to offer!
Princess Peach returns to center stage as a central playable character in Princess Peach: Showtime! What is there to know about this game and is it worth getting? Tune in to find out!
Timestamps:
02:24 - Basic Premise
05:11 - Gameplay
10:51 - Conclusion
BGM Credit: Song: Fredji - Happy Life
License: Creative Commons (CC BY 3.0)
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab's founder makes a return to discuss a game announced for 2025, Pokémon Legends: ZA! Check out the episode to hear about theories and ideas for this upcoming game.
Links:
- Pokémon Presents 2024
The Lore Research Lab's founder returns (sort of) to discuss the Indigo Disk DLC trailer ahead of its release on December 14th!
Links:
- Indigo Disk Trailer
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the ninth installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s founder returns to tackle “Ghost Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Ghost Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:32 - Type Overview + Background
07:38 - Technical Information
17:21 - Appearances + Moves
17:53 - Pure Ghost Types
31:48 - Primary Ghost Types
45:452 - Secondary Ghost Types
1:01:43 - Ghost Type Moves
1:10:34 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Ghost (Type)
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Type
-
Move
-
Ability
-
Hachiko
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: I recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from my copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet now has DLC included, the first half of two parts focusing on The Teal Mask. Here, players embark on a field trip where hidden encounters await them, a mystery cloaked behind the pleasant town aura in the Land of Kitakami. In what ways does this mysterious new land connect to Japanese culture? How does it utilize cultural elements to contribute to the gameplaying experience? Tune in to this episode to learn about what the Teal Mask story entails and where we find these cultural references.
Timestamps:
00:31 - Bottled Background
02:32 - Context for the episode
05:37 - Story Beats: The Loyal Three and the Ogre
28:07 - Cultural References: Yōkai, Setting, Festivals & Masks, The Peach Boy Story
28:35 - General Cultural Elements (Setting, Masks, Statues, The Loyal Three)
36:24 - Specific Cultural Elements (Yōkai, The Peach Boy)
43:15 - Characterization and Themes
53:28 - Perrin's Survey Quest
57:11 - Initiating the Quest
1:00:23 - The Survey Quest
1:02:44 - Connecting Hisui to Kitakami
1:10:16 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
Japanese Culture
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Jizō Statues
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Traditional Masks in Japan
-
Japanese Mask References
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Kitakami City; Oni no Yakata
Oni no Yakata (Description)
- Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival
Pokémon References
-
Kitakami (Pokémon)
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The Loyal Three: Munkidori, Okidogi, Fezandpiti
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The Ogre, Ogerpon
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Characters: Perrin, Carmine, Kieran
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Antoni, Klaus. “Momotaro (The Peach Boy) and the Spirit of Japan: Concerning the Function of a Fairy Tale in Japanese Nationalism of the Early Showa Age.” Asian Folklore Studies 50, no. 1 (1991): 155-188.
Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. University of California Press, 2015.
Kahara, Naoko. “From Folktale Hero to Local Symbol: The Transformation of Momotaro (the Peach Boy) in the Creation of Local Culture.” Waseda Journal of Asian Studies 25 (2004): 35-61.
Sekien, Toriyama. Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. Edited by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt. Dover Publications. 2017.
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with narratives, histories, and cultural elements present in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Mario vs. Donkey, introduced on the Gameboy Advance in 2004, presents itself as a fun platformer inspired by the roots of Nintendo's earliest characters and concepts. Check out this episode to learn about this game ahead of its Nintendo Switch Remake!
Timestamps:
02:58 - Bottled Background
05:52 - Basic Premise
07:08 - Settings + Gameplay Mechanics
08:22 - The Worlds
14:47 - How you play as Mario
16:01 - Menu Interface
17:55 - Level Mechanics (Present Minigame, Mini Mario Level, DK Level)
34:25 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)
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Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004 video game)
-
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Full Walkthrough
-
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Cutscenes
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab's founder discusses what "pseudo-legendary" Pokémon are, a tier of Pokémon that sit above many and below the fabled bunch. Tune in to learn what each individual Pokémon has to offer!
Timestamps:
00:28 - Housekeeping
02:47 - What are Pseudo Legendary Pokémon?
05:36 - Format of the Episode
07:48 - Discussing Pseudo Legendary Pokémon
08:42 - Casual Discussion
30:43 - Technical Discussion
43:27 - Conclusion
Links:
- Pseudo Legendary Pokémon
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Check out this episode to learn about the updates for the Pokémon animated series, spin-off games, and primarily the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Hidden Treasures of Area Zero DLC.
Timestamps:
01:05 - Updates on general content
06:08 - Get Mew and Mewtwo!
8:58 - Reviewing and breaking down the Scarlet and Violet DLC Trailer
Links:
- Pokémon Presents | 8.8.2023 Video
- Pokémon Serebii Page with Scarlet and Violet DLC Updates
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my the "Pokémon Presents | 8.8.2023" Video and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This episode discusses the many details encompassing the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, released in 2022 on the Nintendo Switch. An extremely descriptive discussion with elements of ranting, the Lab's founder looks at the game's important predecessors, the story of the game along with gameplay mechanics, concluding with notes on music, characterization, and themes present in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Note: Please follow the timestamps closely to make sure everything makes sense!
Timestamps:
00:28 - Background Information
04:18 - Bottled Background
12:03 - Disclaimers + Format for the episode
15:42 - The Story of Hisui
15:45 - Chapter 1: Beginning in a New World
16:03 - #1: The Arc Phone
17:22 - #2: Basic Premise
19:55 - #3: Arc Phone Functions & Pokédex
26:22 - #4: The Problems of Hisui & Team Mobility
30:00 - #5: Gameplay Mechanics - Travelling, Engaging with Pokemon and Player Mechanics
50:46 - #6: Battling Lords and Ladies
54:17 - Chapter 2: Helping the Lords and Ladies of Hisui
1:01:26 - #7: The Plates
1:02:27 - Chapter 3: An Exiled Hero
1:05:22 - #8: The Irida-Adaman Choice
1:08:46 - #9: Results of the Irida-Adaman Choice
1:10:34 - Chapter 4: An Encounter transcending Time and Space
1:12:31 - Chapter 5: The Almighty Sinnoh's Tale
1:16:26 - #10: Meeting Arceus
1:22:13 - The Music
1:29:54 - Characterization and Themes
2:03:21 - Conclusion
Links:
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Arceus (PLA Encounter)
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Noble Pokémon
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Ride Pokémon
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Diamond Clan
Adaman
- Pearl Clan
Irida
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Pokémon Legends: Arceus Bulbapedia Page
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Cogita
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Volo
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus Cutscenes & Original Soundtrack
Legendary Encounter at the Space-Time Rift
Noble Pokémon Battles
Original Soundtrack Playlist
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a strong successor to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in many capacities; The Lore Research Lab's founder discusses and examines selected tracks from the game's original soundtrack to see how this game functions as a sequel and provides a thrilling gameplaying experience through the power of sound.
Timestamps:
00:28 - Housekeeping
03:33 - Composers + Creative Background
10:48 - Reviewing selected tracks from Tears of the Kingdom
Links/Resources:
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Original Soundtrack Playlist
(Track 92 onwards = Spoiler music)
- Composers
Hajime Wakai
Manaka Kataoka
Maasa Miyoshi
Tsukasa Usui
Masato Ohashi
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - The Complete Official Guide Collector’s Edition, edited by James Price. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2023.
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, music and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This extra looks at the titular character, her role in the story of this new Zelda installment informed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, followed by a discussion and deep dive into her characterization in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Timestamps:
00:15 - Preamble
00:30 - Spoiler Warning
01:50 - Zelda in Breath of the Wild (Optional Listen)
18:20 - Tears of the Kingdom Context
23:28 - Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom
Resources:
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for the cuts and anytime the mic gets pitchy. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Tune in to hear about initial theories and thoughts about the presence of evil in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, how this relates to previous titles within a scheme of lore, and spoilers on themes and entities related to this topic.
Timestamps:
00:52 - Spoiler Warning
01:20 - Discussion Preamble
03:07 - The Presence of Evil
Resources:
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Theories presented in this episode are not finalized. I apologize for the cuts and anytime the mic gets pitchy. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Check out this episode to hear The Lore Research Lab's founder discuss, rant, and ramble about a core mechanic introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, interspersed with topics related to story and thematic elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Timestamps:
00:08 - Intro to Episode
01:05 - Spoiler Warning Disclaimer
02:18 - Spoiler Topic
02:40 - Skyward Sword + Breath of the Wild Discussion
03:08 - Skyward Sword Topics
05:45 - Breath of the Wild Topics
23:10 - Tears of the Kingdom Discussion (Spoilers)
Resources:
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab's founder returns to discuss the new trailer footage for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with some exciting revelations!
Links:
-
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3
-
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Gameplay Demonstration
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Official Trailer #3" and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Pokémon franchise has always been about collecting information about Pokémon in the form of a data-collecting device known as a Pokédex. Notably, certain individuals who are considered experts in studying Pokémon are featured in the games as a part of gameplay and to provide exposition. But how do we explore these characters in more detail and what informs them? This episode focuses on the group of well-known experts who are Professors and appear more prominently in the games they feature in.
Timestamps:
00:32 - Preliminary Information + Structure of the Episode
02:39 - The First Professors (Oak, Elm, Birch)
13:32 - The Evolution Professors (Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore)
22:34 - The Specialized Professors (Kukui, Magnolia & Sonia)
31:34 - The Time Travel Professors (Laventon, Sada & Turo)
52:12 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
- (Core) Pokémon Professors
(NOTE: Click on each Professor's hyperlinks to learn more.)
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Pokémon franchise has always been about collecting information about Pokémon in the form of a data-collecting device known as a Pokédex. Notably, certain individuals who are considered experts in studying Pokémon are featured in the games as a part of gameplay and to provide exposition. But how do we explore these characters in more detail and what informs them? This episode looks at defining an expert, some bottled history on the franchise, and looking at individualized experts.
Timestamps:
00:28 - Preliminary Information
01:57 - Who is Satoshi Tajiri?
03:44 - What is a Pokémon Expert?
09:39 - Structure of Episode
11:49 - Expert Individuals who study Pokémon
Links/Resources:
- Satoshi Tajiri
Dr. Bug Reference
- (Individuals) Pokémon Researchers & Professors
(NOTE: Check the page to see the hyperlinks for each character.)
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom now has a gameplay demonstration, demonstrated by game producer Eiji Aonuma! Listen to this episode to hear the founder's excitement at this new sequel and the new features present in this upcoming game.
Links/Resources:
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom Gameplay Demonstration
The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Mr. Aonuma Gameplay Demonstration' video and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This episode features a review of Metroid Dread, released in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch and 19 years after its Metroid predecessor. What is there to know about this game and is it a game worth getting? Check out this episode to learn more!
Timestamps:
2:13 - Basic Premise
3:54 - Gameplay
4:47 - Combat
6:40 - Stealth
15:44 - Enemies
17:49 - Environments
22:02 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Metroid Dread
-
Metroid Dread (Nintendo Store Site)
-
List of Creatures
The Lore Research Lab Episodes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Mario games are well known for their fun and simple platforms, making the games feel accessible and easy to play through. While most Mario games are simple at its core, none are truly as straightforward as a game solely based on solving puzzles. Furthermore, a game that does not have Mario at the center and instead a side character makes for an interesting spin-off - enter Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a Mario spin-off game related to the character Captain Toad's appearance in Super Mario 3D World. What does a puzzle-solving game entail, and how does spin-off offer a unique version of Mario gameplaying in the form of Captain Toad? Check this episode to learn what this game is all about and why it's great!
Timestamps:
00:32 - Bottled Background
00:38 - Who is Captain Toad?
05:05 - Captain Toad in Super Mario 3D World
13:02 - Basic Premise
14:47 - Gameplay
16:59 - How do you play as Captain Toad?
24:58 - The Puzzles and typical Components
39:42 - The Objectives
47:03 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Captain Toad (Character)
-
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Information
-
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker All Cutscenes
-
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Full Playthrough
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images and audio have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Check out this episode to learn about some announcements from Nintendo on upcoming releases, remasters, and games in-between, finishing with an in-depth analysis of the new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Trailer.
Timestamps:
00:04 - Brief Disclaimer + Summarized thoughts on Nintendo Direct video
06:12 - Reacting to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (New Footage)
08:33 - Last Disclaimer!
09:23 - Analyzing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (New Footage)
Links:
- Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Official Trailer #2
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this trailer; images have been taken from the "Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023" video and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the eighth installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s founder returns to tackle “Flying Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Flying Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:31 - Type Overview + Background
05:58 - Technical Information
17:27 - Appearances + Moves
18:09 - Pure Flying Types
22:23 - Primary Flying Types
28:07 - Secondary Flying Types
44:52 - Flying Type Moves
50:48 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Flying (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: We recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from my copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
With the number of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon in existence, the fanbase has for years theorized about how Legendary Pokémon function within a broader scheme of lore, creation, and determining how the timelines and storylines of core series games are connected. Including themes of folklore, religion, and history, this episode focuses on constructing a timeline detailing the origins of Legendary Pokémon, their impact on the world, and the many dynamics and connections between Legendary and Mythical Pokémon within a mythological scheme.
Timestamps:
01:03 - Defining Relations between Legendary Pokémon
02:13 - Precedents on Legendary Pokémon Timelines
05:10 - Key Themes for the Timeline
10:37 - Recapping Creator Pokémon
25:03 - Chapter 1: Origins
35:30 - Chapter 2: Formation
48:10 - Chapter 3: Cultivation
1:06:30 - Chapter 4: Intervention
1:16:32 - Conclusion + What happens next?
Links/Resources:
- Legendary Pokémon
Arceus
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina
The Lake Guardians
-
Mythical Pokémon
-
Kami
(Creator's Note: All theories expressed in this episode are subject to change. Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Legends: Arceus and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Listen in to hear a quick note on upcoming episodes here at The Lore Research Lab, and for more details on what to expect for Season 4!
Since 1996, the Pokémon franchise has welcomed new and older players alike with various additions to their battle mechanics since the series' origin, including a variety of integrations that smoothened gameplay and made battling a more accessible concept. This episode looks at a specific category of Pokémon battling known as "Battle Gimmicks," indicating their lack of permanence and individuality as an added mechanic in the games such gimmicks were introduced in. Tune in to hear, in-depth, about the four prominent battle gimmicks introduced thus far (c. 2022)!
Timestamps:
00:38 - What are Battle Gimmicks?
11:32 - The Evolution of Added Battle Mechanics (Optional Listen)
13:18 - "Special"
16:23 - Double Battle Format, Natures, and Held Items
24:56 - "STAB" and Abilities
30:59 - The Physical/Special Split
32:32 - Triple & Rotation Battles
35:41 - A Big Bang: Mega Evolution
41:04 - Pokémon Examples
1:01:16 - Dance Off: Z-Moves
1:06:58 - Go Big or Go Home: Dynamaxing
1:09:54 - What are Max Raid Battles?
1:29:25 - Crystalline Power: Terastalizing
1:36:24 - What are Tera Raid Battles?
1:58:50 - Conclusion
1:58:58 - Ranking the Battle Gimmicks (Optional Listen)
2:14:13 - What's next?
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Battle Gimmicks: "Walk Down Memory Lane"
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Pokémon Natures
-
Pokémon Abilities
-
Pokémon Held Items
-
Battle Gimmicks
Mega Evolution
Z-Moves
Dynamax Phenomenon
Terastal Phenomenon
- Pokémon Examples
Charizard
Mawile
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The long wait for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet is finally over! Being a new installment in the Pokémon franchise, there are many reactions to the games as they have been freshly released. This episode reviews spoiler-free details on these games and whether they are good as both games and as new Pokémon iterations.
Timestamps:
00:34 - Notes for Season 4 (Optional Listen)
03:50 - Reviewing Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
04:41 - What works (The Good Stuff)
34:27 - What doesn't work (Room for Improvement)
40:57 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Seek Your Treasure! | Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet Trailer
-
Jump into a Paldean Journey
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Competitive Play Trailer
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Scarlet and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon X & Y were released in 2013 and were the first to have elements of 3D modelling in their gameplay, a big step graphically for the Pokémon franchise. Whatever reception this game received will not be discussed in this episode, as The Lore Research Lab's founder embarks on a journey to poorly explain the storyline of these games in this installment of The Parody Series.
Timestamps:
00:30 - Housekeeping + Concluding Season 3
05:14 - "Explaining" Pokémon X & Y's storyline
05:55 - Chapter 1: Beginning the Parisian Adventure
14:46 - Chapter 2: The Long Journey Ahead
28:49 - Chapter 3: Strange Things are Afoot (Kind Of)
34:38 - Chapter 4: Saving the World???
46:19 - Chapter 5: It'll be over soon
Links/Resources:
- Pokémon X&Y
The Kalos Region
The Kalos Pokédex
Stratton, Steve. Pokémon X & Pokémon Y: The Official Kalos Region Guidebook. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2013.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the Pokémon X & Pokémon Y Guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon games tend to be formulaic in nature, one notable format of gameplay appearing in numerous titles; an institution known as The Pokémon League, an in-game institution that challenges the player to face a certain number of trainers in order to claim the title of champion – in other words, the title of the strongest trainer in the region. But who are the individuals that constitute this body of elite trainers, all specializing in different types and possessing different advantages/weaknesses? How has the Pokémon League evolved over time, and what does this mean for upcoming games in the series? This third and final part concludes with descriptions on the last two generations prior to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (c. November 2022) and general thoughts on the future of the Pokémon League.
Timestamps:
00:04 - A Time to Experiment [Generation VII-VIII: 2016-2019]
01:01 - Alola's Pokémon League (Sun & Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon)
23:45 - Galar's Pokémon League (Sword & Shield)
44:50 - Concluding Thoughts
44:53 - Discussion on Battle Themes
1:00:42 - Thoughts for Upcoming Games
Links:
- Pokémon League
Gym Leaders
The Elite Four
The Champion
Trial Captains
Island Kahunas
Examples: The Hoenn League (Adheres to Formula), The Galar League (Departs from Formula)
-
Gym Leader Themes
-
Elite Four Themes
-
Champion Themes
(I apologize for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this series; images have been taken from the “Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex" Guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon games tend to be formulaic in nature, one notable format of gameplay appearing in numerous titles; an institution known as The Pokémon League, an in-game institution that challenges the player to face a certain number of trainers in order to claim the title of champion – in other words, the title of the strongest trainer in the region. But who are the individuals that constitute this body of elite trainers, all specializing in different types and possessing different advantages/weaknesses? How has the Pokémon League evolved over time, and what does this mean for upcoming games in the series? This second part describes the middle three Generations and how the League is imagined in these additions to the franchise.
Timestamps:
00:04 - A New Era [Generation IV-VI: 2006-2013]
00:54 - Sinnoh's Pokémon League (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum)
15:53 - Unova's Pokémon League (Black & White, Black 2 & White 2)
32:17 - Kalos' Pokémon League (X & Y)
Links:
- Pokémon League
Gym Leaders
The Elite Four
The Champion
Examples: The Hoenn League (Adheres to Formula), The Galar League (Departs from Formula)
-
Gym Leader Themes
-
Elite Four Themes
-
Champion Themes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this series; images have been taken from the “Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex" Guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon games tend to be formulaic in nature, one notable format of gameplay appearing in numerous titles; an institution known as The Pokémon League, an in-game institution that challenges the player to face a certain number of trainers in order to claim the title of champion – in other words, the title of the strongest trainer in the region. But who are the individuals that constitute this body of elite trainers, all specializing in different types and possessing different advantages/weaknesses? How has the Pokémon League evolved over time, and what does this mean for upcoming games in the series? This first explains what the Pokémon League is and the League as seen in the first three Generations.
Timestamps:
03:51 - What is the Pokémon League?
09:36 - The Golden Age [Gen I-III: 1996-2004]
11:21 - Kanto's Pokémon League (Red/Blue/Green/Yellow)
25:50 - Johto's Pokémon League (Gold/Silver/Crystal)
41:19 - Hoenn's Pokémon League (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald)
Links:
- Pokémon League
Gym Leaders
The Elite Four
The Champion
Examples: The Hoenn League (Adheres to Formula), The Galar League (Departs from Formula)
-
Gym Leader Themes
-
Elite Four Themes
-
Champion Themes
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this series; images have been taken from the “Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex" Guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This brief episode looks at some more updates regarding Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as the release date nears! Refer to the videos listed in the description for any further background on these upcoming games.
Timestamps:
01:00 - About the New Gym Leader and their Ace
10:15 - Gameplay Demo Review
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gameplay Demo
-
The New Gym Leader and their Signature Pokémon
-
A Ghost Type appeared in Paldea!
Meet Greavard
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Jump into a Paldean Journey Trailer
-
Seek Your Treasure! | Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet Trailer
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Competitive Play Trailer
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the “Meet Greavard, the Ghost Dog Pokémon!” trailer and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
More new footage has been released on the upcoming games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet! Check out this episode to learn more about jumping into a Paldean Journey!
Timestamps:
02:08 - Discussing Trainer #1: Highland Encounters with Terastalizing Pokémon
15:39 - Discussing Trainer #2: Crafting, Trading & Seeking out the Herba Mystica!
28:09 - Discussing Trainer #3: Take on the Gym Leaders, Rising in Ranks
49:20 - Discussing Trainer #4: Character Customizations, Picnicking & Photo Time! + Concluding Thoughts
Links:
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Jump into a Paldean Journey Trailer
-
Seek Your Treasure! | Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet Trailer
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Competitive Play Trailer
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "Jump into a Paldean Journey" trailer and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This episode introduces the concept of “spin-offs” in video games, using the example of the Mario franchise to demonstrate how spin-offs can be unique from the canon they derive from, and how consistency within a franchise can be effective in this form of video gaming.
Timestamps:
00:33 - What are Spin-Offs?
03:36 - "The Formula for Variety"
10:16 - Interpreting Mario Spin-Offs
11:17 - Memorable Spin-Offs
16:43 - Entertaining Spin-Offs
26:23 - Serious Spin-Offs
Links/Resources:
-
What makes Mario music so catchy? (Scruffy)
-
List of Mario Spin-Off games (not definitive)
The Mario and Luigi Series
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Mario Party Superstars and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
New footage on Pokémon Scarlet & Violet has been released! This episode has The Lab's founder, joined by a returning guest discussing the new footage and their thoughts on what this game has in store for players as its release date closes in!
Timestamps:
00:57 - Preamble + Structure of the Episode
02:34 - Starfall Street Analysis
18:56 - Path of Legends Analysis
35:55 - Victory Road Analysis
54:07 - General Discussion + Looking at the Version Exclusives
Links:
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Seek Your Treasure! | Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet Trailer
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Competitive Play Trailer
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "Seek Your Treasure!" trailer and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
With the new Nintendo Direct video (13.9.2022), it has been announced that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel now has a name - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom! This episode unpacks what we know so far about this upcoming game slated to release in mid 2023, what this trailer can tell us about lore in the franchise, and other details that demonstrate what Tears of the Kingdom may do differently from its predecessor.
Timestamps:
00:45 - Housekeeping
02:26 - Reviewing what we know so far
04:05 - Updating my ideas
04:41 - First Look Trailer Review
14:31 - E3 2021 Trailer Review
25:51 - Launch Timing Update Review
42:17 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Trailer
Links/Resources:
-
First Look Trailer (2019)
-
E3 2021 Trailer
-
Launch Timing Update Trailer
-
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Trailer
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" trailer and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This brief episode addresses the recent trailer on Pokémon Scarlet & Violet competitive play!
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Competitive Play Trailer
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the competitive play trailer and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This episode briefly discusses the new trailer released for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, slated to release in November of 2022!
Links:
-
Pokémon Presents on Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (Check Timestamps in Video description)
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
This episode lists all the episodes from The Lab that explain and provide background on a given game and/or franchise. Refer to this episode for this master listing, both described through the audio and provided here in the description!
Mario:
-
Explaining the Mario Franchise (S2, Eps. 11/14)
-
Discussing Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (S2, Ep. 15)
-
Theorizing on Super Mario Odyssey (S2, Ep. 8)
The Legend of Zelda:
-
Explaining The Legend of Zelda Franchise (S3, Ep. 18)
-
Explaining The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (S3, Ep. 3)
-
Discussing The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (S3, Ep. 23)
-
Explaining The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (S2, Ep. 29)
-
Explaining The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (S2, Ep. 20)
-
Reviewing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (S2, Ep. 27)
Pokémon:
-
Explaining the Pokémon Franchise (S2, Ep. 2)
-
Rants on Starter Pokémon (S2, Ep. 5)
-
Discussing Pokémon Typings (S2, Ep. 7)
-
Discussing Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver (S2, Ep. 21)
-
Review of Pokémon Sword & Shield (S2, Ep. 4)
Other:
-
Explaining the Fire Emblem Franchise (S3, Ep. 6)
-
Experimenting with Nuzlockes (S2, Ep. 3)
-
Reviewing New Pokémon Snap (S2, Ep. 18)
-
Explaining Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (S2, Ep. 23)
-
Reviewing Kirby and the Forgotten Land (S3, Ep. 12)
(Creator's Note: This list will be updated when other reference episodes are released.)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is one among the many Zelda installations, first hitting stores in 2013. In a game where the player, as Link, is expected to traverse between two very different worlds, what does this mean within the broader Legend of Zelda chronology and lore? This episode explores background on this game's development, its storyline, other game mechanics and miscellaneous details, concluding with thoughts that aim to answer this question.
Timestamps:
00:37 - Background & A Link Between Worlds' Storyline
01:54 - Background and Game Development
07:20 - The Story Beats
38:27 - The Two Worlds
38:57 - Hyrule and Lorule
43:26 - Mother Maimai
45:25 - Ravio's Shop
46:31 - The Items
51:44 - The Bosses
59:08 - The Music
1:09:11 - Theories on A Link Between Worlds
1:09:30 - The Timelines in The Legend of Zelda Chronology (Background)
1:14:42 - On the Triforce(s), Link/Ravio & Zelda/Hilda Comparisons, Role of the Sages, Hyrule & Lorule impacting the Triforce
Links/Resources:
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Bosses
Enemies
Items
Ganon’s Resurrection (0:28-2:22)
- Ryo Nagamatsu (Composer)
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This brief episode sees The Lore Research Lab's founder ranking the bosses from Kirby and the Forgotten Land, along with general opinions on the battles and overall enjoyment with the bosses themselves.
Links:
-
The Bosses
-
All Boss Battles (Video)
(Creator's Note: For non-Spotify listeners, there is only an audio option available. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In the Pokémon franchise, there are many regions to adventure to, dependent on the game you own. In this episode, The Lore Research Lab’s founder is joined by an enthusiastic guest to discuss the Hoenn region, introduced in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, revamped in the remakes Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Timestamps:
00:32 - Conceptualizing Hoenn
02:23 - What inspired the Hoenn Region?
03:15 - New Mechanics (Double Battles)
05:25 - Physical and Special Type Designations
09:45 - Before Hoenn (Previous Generations + what Hoenn does differently)
16:42 - Pokémon in Hoenn
37:50 - The Legendary Pokémon
59:57 - Life in Hoenn + Miscellaneous Details
1:00:00 - Notable Characters
1:34:17 - Hoenn's Environments
1:44:20 - Towns, Cities, and Landmarks
Links/Resources:
- Hoenn Region
Hoenn Pokédex
Legendary Pokémon (Generation III)
Latios and Latias
-
Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Soundtrack (YouTube Playlist)
-
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Soundtrack (YouTube Playlist)
-
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire All Cutscenes (Starting from 17:22)
-
Rayquaza Cutscene (Emerald)
-
Rayquaza Cutscene (ORAS)
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of Pokémon Emerald and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this brief episode, the found of The Lab discusses the soon-to-be-released spin-off game Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, succeeding the mainline series game Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
Links:
- Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Trailer
Adrestian Empire Trailer
Kingdom of Faerghus Trailer
Leicester Alliance Trailer
In this fourth installment of The Parody Series here at The Lab, the founder tackles describing characters and the main story of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, in an attempt to comically address the chaotic fun that is this game.
Links:
-
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Official Website)
-
Copy Abilities
Mouthful Mode
-
List of Bosses
-
Enemies
-
Waddle Dee Town
-
Miscellaneous Information
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the seventh installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s original duo return to tackle “Bug Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Bug Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
02:03 - Type Overview + Background
04:53 - Technical Information
11:49 - Appearances + Moves
14:04 - Pure Bug Types
21:49 - Primary Bug Types
40:51 - Secondary Bug Types
45:20 - Bug Type Moves
52:18 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Bug (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: We recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Like lightning in a bottle, this series quickly followed in the successful footsteps of the Mario games, later establishing itself as one of the biggest names associated with the Nintendo brand: The Legend of Zelda. In this series characterized by adventure and action, the journeys Link embarks have the ability to immerse one in the world he lives through. Having notable symbols, memorable core characters, and a protagonist that constantly becomes confused with the eponymous person of legend, this second part looks at the principal trio hinging many of the stories that appear in the franchise, cultural groups, gameplay mechanics, the role of music, and concluding with how the The Legend of Zelda series is true to its name.
Timestamps:
01:06 - The Principal Trio
01:41 - Link
08:09 - Zelda
12:43 - Ganon/Ganondorf
20:59 - Cultural Groups in The Legend of Zelda
32:55 - Gameplay Mechanics
40:47 - Examples of Items & Equipment
47:43 - The Role of Music
47:59 - On Instruments
54:18 - Composers
1:02:33 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
The Legend of Zelda (Video Game Series)
-
List of Items in The Legend of Zelda Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda Theme Music (Overworld)
-
Hyrule Field, from Ocarina of Time 3D
-
Tracks from Majora's Mask
Clock Town: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Final Hours
- Creative Personnel
Shigeru Miyamoto
Takashi Tezuka
Koji Kondo
Koji Kondo on composing “The Legend of Zelda Theme Music”
Mahito Yokota
Toru Minegishi
Hajime Wakai
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for the random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my copy of Skyward Sword HD and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Like lightning in a bottle, this series quickly followed in the successful footsteps of the Mario games, later establishing itself as one of the biggest names associated with the Nintendo brand: The Legend of Zelda. In this series characterized by adventure and action, the journeys Link embarks have the ability to immerse one in the world he lives through. Having notable symbols, memorable core characters, and a protagonist that constantly becomes confused with the eponymous person of legend, this first part looks at the history of this franchise, its games, key personnel, other details that focus on highlighting the trajectory of this well-known franchise, then looking at the setting(s) and story formats that appear in the various legends surrounding Zelda.
Timestamps:
00:40 - Preamble
03:49 - A Bottled History of The Legend of Zelda
03:51 - Genre(s) and Development Details
06:07 - Basic Premise
09:41 - Bottled History
37:39 - What Inspired The Legend of Zelda?
40:06 - Select Creative Personnel
44:34 - Setting
45:23 - The Land of Hyrule & Other Settings
48:33 - Common Environments
58:05 - Story Formats
59:12 - Link's Awakening (Example)
1:02:53 - Ocarina of Time (Example)
Links/Resources:
-
The Legend of Zelda (Video Game Series)
-
Video Game Console
(NOTE: Check the hyperlinks within the page to find the video game consoles that are discussed in this episode, or search it up individually.)
- Shigeru Miyamoto
Miyamoto on the Origins of Nintendo Characters
Miyamoto on The Legend of Zelda (2003 Magazine Interview)
Miyamoto on the role of the Sword (Iwata Asks Interview)
-
Takashi Tezuka
-
Keiji Terui on The Legend of Zelda Backstory
-
Soldier in the Back Alley (Ocarina of Time)
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for the random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my copy of Skyward Sword HD and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab's founder reacts to the new trailer that has dropped for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, revealing new Pokémon and other details about the upcoming core series games slated to release in November 2022!
Timestamps:
00:55 - Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Second Trailer Reaction
17:03 - Additional Commentary
Links:
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Second Trailer
-
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: New Information
-
New Pokémon + Legendary Pokémon
Pokémon Legends: Arceus presents us a world of the distant past where Pokémon and humans do not coexist, though research is being made to make that possible. This is all contingent on the eponymous Pokémon, Arceus, and what drives its decisions that appear in the background of the game’s events. This theory-heavy episode deep dives into the dynamics of Legendary Pokémon, discussing Arceus and the Creation Trio (Dialga, Palkia, Giratina), establishing the stakes and external elements that contribute to Arceus’ omniscience, and reviewing examples in Japanese mythology that may provide answers to Legendary Pokémon dynamics in this second part.
Timestamps:
00:12 - Quick Disclaimer
01:26 - Arceus & its Creations (Dialga, Palkia, Giratina)
01:55 - Recap + General Thoughts
08:36 - Describing the Appearances of Arceus & The Creation Trio
22:51 - Commentary on Arceus & The Creation Trio
58:21 - Connections/Parallels to Japanese Deities
1:15:15 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
History of the Sinnoh Region
-
Legendary Pokémon
Arceus
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina
Lake Guardians
- Volo
Volo Cutscenes + Battle
-
Details on the Origin Myth
-
Dialga, Palkia and Giratina Artwork by Ken Sugimori
-
List of Japanese Deities
Amaterasu
Izanami
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
Kuni-no-Tokotachi
-
The Kojiki
-
Kami (Deities)
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises and the number of cuts. Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon Legends: Arceus presents us a world of the distant past where Pokémon and humans do not coexist, though research is being made to make that possible. This is all contingent on the eponymous Pokémon, Arceus, and what drives its decisions that appear in the background of the game’s events. This theory-heavy episode deep dives into the dynamics of Legendary Pokémon, beginning with an introduction to Legendary Pokémon in previous generations, Arceus’ relationship with the protagonist, and other ideas that tie into linking Pokémon Legends: Arceus to its predecessors Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum in this first part.
Timestamps:
00:32 - Conceptualizing Legendary Pokémon + Introducing Arceus
02:55 - Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum Connection
03:17 - Preceding Legendary Pokémon Examples
12:57 - Arceus before Pokémon Legends: Arceus
18:42 - Theorizing on the Creator Pokémon
33:49 - Broad Theories + Questions on Pokémon Lore
Links/Resources:
- Legendary Pokémon
Arceus
Dialga
Palkia
Giratina
Lake Guardians
- Volo
Volo Cutscenes + Battle
-
Details on the Origin Myth
-
Arceus Event Cutscene (Sinjoh Ruins)
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises. Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own copy of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A quick update on upcoming episodes and what to expect from the Lab in the near future!
There are all kinds of statistics out there about Pokémon, providing unique details about the creature or revealing aspects of their viability in the game. The metric of weight presents an interesting analysis that shows just how heavy, or conversely, just how light some Pokémon really are! Like the companion episode on Pokémon height statistics, The Lore Research Lab’s founder looks at some examples of Pokémon that are surprising in their weight. Tune in to hear what crazy examples there are out there!
Timestamps:
00:32 - Discussing Pokémon Weight
03:38 - Weight Criteria
05:14 - Light Pokémon
12:14 - Medium Weight Pokémon
12:22 - Tier 1
15:56 - Tier 2
21:26 - Heavy Pokémon
21:30 - Tier 1
23:54 - Tier 2
28:49 - Tier 3
40:44 - The Heaviest Pokémon in Existence (Rant)
Links/Resources:
-
List of Pokémon (By Weight)
-
The Sixth Heaviest Pokémon in Existence
-
The Heaviest in Pokémon Existence (Image)
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this franchise; images have been taken from my own guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In what ways does music add to the video gaming experience? How does a game successfully immerse its players? For all its simplicity, Kirby games are fantastic in their scores, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land is no exception! Tune in to this episode that discusses the music of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the composers, and other fun trivia!
Timestamps:
00:37 - The Creative Team
03:02 - Game Director
05:10 - Composers
09:09 - Selected Tracks
25:11 - Town Life
31:57 - Battle Themes (Spoilers)
1:01:05 - Conclusion
Links:
- Shinya Kumazaki (Game Director)
Kumazaki's Art Gallery
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land Composers
Yuuta Ogasawara
Hirokazu Ando
Jun Ishikawa
Yuki Shimooka
-
Jukebox
-
(Spoilers) Bosses
-
(Spoilers) Dream Discoveries Tour Clip
-
OST Listing (Playlist)
(Creator's Note: I apologize for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
There are all kinds of statistics out there about Pokémon, providing unique details about the creature or revealing aspects of their viability in the game. The metric of height presents an interesting analysis that shows just how tall, or conversely, just how short some Pokémon are! In this haphazard episode, The Lore Research Lab’s founder looks at some examples of Pokémon that are surprising for their height. Tune in to hear what crazy examples there are out there!
Timestamps:
00:44 - Addressing Pokémon Height
04:54 - Discussing Pokémon Height
05:20 - Height Criteria
06:02 - Short Pokémon
19:21 - Medium Pokémon
23:57 - Tall Pokémon
Links/Resources:
-
List of Pokémon (By Height)
-
(Misc.) List of Largest Birds
-
(Misc.) Griffinfly + Carboniferous Period
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this franchise; images have been taken from my own guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this second part, the founder of The Lore Research Lab ranks legendary Pokémon themes in a chaotic way and poorly explained manner; watch to see where themes rank in a very subjective tier list!
Timestamps:
00:16 - Tier List
01:51 - Ranking Legendary Pokémon Themes
Links:
- Pokémon Legendary Themes (Compilation: Check timestamps in video description for individual/grouped themes)
Glastrier/Spectrier Theme (Extended)
Galarian Birds Theme (Extended)
Mounted Calyrex Theme (Extended)
The Legendary Titans (Regis)
- Pokémon Legendary Themes (Playlist)
NOTE: I didn't rank Mounted Calyrex's theme properly; it should be ranked higher. It's a bop (combines the best parts of Glastrier/Spectrier's Theme with Calyrex's).
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises. The video version of this episode is only available on Spotify, so check it out here to see the video I recorded! It will be normal audio on any other platform, so I apologize if it sounds a little strange. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this first part, the founder of The Lore Research Lab does some minor housekeeping and describes how this ranking will be different from others, as a preliminary episode to ranking Legendary Pokémon themes!
Links:
- Pokémon Legendary Themes (Compilation: Check timestamps in video description for individual/grouped themes)
Glastrier/Spectrier Theme (Extended)
Galarian Birds Theme (Extended)
Mounted Calyrex Theme (Extended)
The Legendary Titans (Regis)
- Pokémon Legendary Themes (Playlist)
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this fun review, The Lore Research Lab's founder discusses Kirby and the Forgotten Land; what is there to know about this game? What makes it different from other Kirby games? What does the new world have to offer, and is this a game worth getting? Answers to these questions and a whole lot more can be found in this episode on the first ever 3D, open-world Kirby game!
Timestamps:
00:35 - Basic Premise
03:15 - Gameplay + Objectives
05:40 - Background
09:21 - Gameplay
12:24 - Objectives/Quests
20:20 - Game Difficulty Modes
21:59 - Treasure Roads
24:56 - Copy Abilities
25:14 - Abilities
31:26 - Mouthful Mode
36:06 - The Forgotten Land (Geography)
36:59 - The Worlds
41:45 - Worlds (Spoilers)
42:37 - Bosses (Spoilers)
52:54 - Concluding on the Worlds (Spoiler-Free)
54:54 - Waddle Dee Town & More
55:13 - Purpose of the Town
56:10 - Building Examples + Life in Waddle Dee Town
1:02:43 - Spoiler Details
1:06:28 - Other Thoughts (Spoiler-Free)
1:07:51 - Conclusion
Links:
-
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Official Website
-
HAL Laboratory (Developers of the Game)
-
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this (not so short) episode, The Lore Research Lab's founder reviews a snippet from the Launching timing update of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel and what it could mean within the universe of Zelda, lore implications, and more!
Topics:
-
The Master Sword
-
Hylia and Zelda associations
Hylia and her tools
-
Link's role as the hero
-
Tying it back to Breath of the Wild
-
What is the role of the Master Sword in the sequel? How will it differ from Breath of the Wild, if at all?
Links/Resources:
-
Launch Timing Update
-
Bow of Light
-
Breath of the Wild Secret Ending
-
Cucco in Hyrule Castle
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
As a second part to celebrating two years of The Lore Research Lab, the Lab's chaotic duo embark on a Pokémon challenge with a speedrunning twist; The Rushlocke! Both individuals play through Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, first laying out the rules of the challenge and setting the competition in motion with a bang!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Quick Disclaimer
1:59 - Anniversary Episode (Part 2)
02:33 - Explaining the "Rushlocke"
03:01 - The Rules (Win Conditions)
05:48 - The Penalties
08:59 - Pokémon Brilliant Diamond Rushlocke Challenge
Links:
-
Map of Sinnoh
-
Pokémon BDSP Pokédex
(Creator's Note: Apologies to headphone users, the challenge turned out to be a crazy ride! All banter was said in good fun, and apologies for any abrupt cuts and/or random background noises. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab celebrates the momentous anniversary of being in existence for two years, where the founder embarks on a fun, easygoing challenge in Super Mario Odyssey.
Timestamps:
00:49 - The Rules of the Challenge + Thank You note
11:10 - The Odyssey Objective Challenge Run
Links:
-
Super Mario Odyssey Info
-
Super Mario Odyssey (Wikipedia)
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the sixth installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally fumbling founder tackles “Rock Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Rock Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:30 - Type Overview + Background
05:25 - Technical Information
13:09 - Appearances + Moves
14:02 - Pure Rock Types
21:18 - Primary Rock Types
33:13 - Secondary Rock Types
36:29 - Rock Type Moves
40:53 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Rock (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
-
Fossil Pokémon (NOTE: Not all Fossil Pokémon are Rock Types.)
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: I recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any muffled audio, cuts, and random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This brief episode reviews the latest Pokémon news on Pokémon Day; 26 years since the first ever Pokémon games were released!
Links:
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Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Official Announcement Trailer
-
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violent Official Website
-
Pokémon Presents | 2.27.2022
In this episode, the founder of The Lore Research Lab ranks all the new forms presented to players in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, including evolutions and new Pokémon altogether. History and Pokémon collide in this discussion on how Legends imagines and simultaneously reimagines Pokémon. Listen to this entertaining episode that describes information about the original Pokémon and much more!
Timestamps:
00:33 - Background on Regional Variants
05:33 - The purpose of Variants
13:49 - Hisuian Pokémon Variants
47:43 - New Hisuian Pokémon
57:42 - Ranking Hisuian Pokémon
1:23:08 - Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
-
All Hisuian Pokémon (Forms)
-
New Hisuian Pokémon + Variants
Noble Pokémon
-
The Four Auspicious Beasts (Spoiler)
-
Pokémon References
(NOTE: Not all Pokémon discussed in this episode are listed below. Please refer to the links above for additional reference if needed.)
Scyther
Exeggutor (Example)
Typhlosion (Starter)
Stantler
Ursaring
Sneasel
Gastrodon (Example)
Samurott (Starter)
Lilligant
Zoroark
Decidueye (Starter)
Cursola (Example)
Legendary Pokémon Spoiler
Sekien, Toriyama. Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. Edited by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt. Dover Publications. 2017.
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. Opinions expressed in the episode are subjective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This brief episode discusses the updated information released on Kirby and the Forgotten Land, coming to the Nintendo Switch in late March 2022. Listen to this fun and confusing rambling on why Kirby games are fun and what hopes The Lore Research Lab's founder has for this new look at Kirby!
Timestamps:
00:05 - Analyzing Kirby and the Forgotten Land
12:30 - Discussing Kirby
Links/Resources:
- Mouthful Mode Trailer
- Copy Abilities and Co-op (Co-op was not discussed in the episode)
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from "Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Mouthful Mode - Nintendo Switch" video and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This episode briefly describes initial thoughts on Pokémon Legends: Arceus as recent release, how it compares to other Nintendo video games like it, and the broader implications of how this game succeeds in what it sets out to do.
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
-
New Pokémon Snap
-
Pokémon Sword & Shield
-
Super Mario Odyssey
-
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
-
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
-
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
-
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Upcoming)
-
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (Upcoming)
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. Opinions expressed in the episode are subjective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A franchise that emerged in the early 1990s, Fire Emblem is a notable series that has emerged from Nintendo’s roster of games, but what more is there to know about these games? The Lore Research Lab has an answer to that question, exploring details on development and Fire Emblem’s unique take on game genres. This second part discusses characters and gameplay mechanics that present distinct qualities about this franchise.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Character Information
02:37 - Character Building
13:14 - Character Archetypes
16:57 - Classes
18:02 - Reclassing
20:05 - Types of Classes
25:38 - Supports
31:09 - Discussing Supports in Awakening and Fates (Minor Spoilers)
37:44 - Gameplay Mechanics
40:24 - Battle Environments
46:18 - Combat Mechanics
58:17 - Game Scenarios
1:07:56 - Weapon Triangles + Battle Forecast
1:08:48 - Stats
1:09:27 - Weapons
1:11:00 - Game Difficulty Modes
1:14:59 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Interview with Yamaguchi, Narihiro, and Miguchi (2013)
-
Character References
Eliwood
Hector
Lyn
Robin
Chrom
Henry
Cordelia
Alm
Celica
Clive
Corrin
-
Classes + Supports
-
Game Scenarios (Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia)
Desaix's Fortress
Sluice Gate
Grieth's Citadel
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A franchise that emerged in the early 1990s, Fire Emblem is a notable series that has emerged from Nintendo’s roster of games, but what more is there to know about these games? The Lore Research Lab has an answer to that question, exploring details on development and Fire Emblem’s unique take on game genres. This first part looks at a bottled history of the franchise and the general story format and setting Fire Emblem games are set in.
Timestamps:
02:00 - Bottled History
02:08 - What is Fire Emblem about?
02:42 - Brief History of Intelligent Systems
05:46 - Bottled History of Fire Emblem games
17:23 - Notable Creative Personnel
24:01 - Setting & Story Format
Links/Resources:
- Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems Background
- Fire Emblem Background
Fire Emblem through the ages
What saved the franchise
(Land) Ylisse
(Land) Valentia
- Consoles
NES History
SNES History
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In the third instalment of The Parody Series, this episode looks at how The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 3D World are linked together through a series of underlying connections, concealed by each respective game’s take on their worlds and storytelling. Listen to this episode to gain an understanding on the nature of the connections between this unlikely game pairing and what there is to theorize about this.
Links/Resources:
-
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Story
-
Super Mario 3D World Background
Sprixie Princesses
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 3D World; images have been taken from my own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This seventh and final part concludes with questions and parting thoughts regarding triangulation in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Timestamps:
00:05 - Concluding Thoughts
14:28 - Other Questions
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This sixth part presents a lore-heavy theory discussion that explicitly details information from the guidebook materials, supplementing previously discussed ideas.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Guidebook Theorizing
00:42 - The Timeline (Hyrule Historia)
04:15 - The Timeline (Encyclopedia)
09:30 - Timeline of the Hero
16:16 - Timeline of the Princess
51:36 - The Root of Evil/Timeline of Ganon
1:02:26 - Timeline of the Triforce + Creation Myth
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. Sorry for any random background noises. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This fifth part highlights the importance of triangulation in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Timestamps:
00:06 - The Importance of Triangulation
00:49 - Triangulation in Skyward Sword
11:20 - Triangulation in Ocarina of Time
26:58 - Triangulation in Breath of the Wild
45:51 - Summarizing Triangulation Theories
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This fourth part discusses other examples of prominent trios or triads across the case studies, as well as the concept of the 'Absence of Triangulation' (and what this means).
Timestamps:
00:06 - Other Tripartite Examples + The Absence of Triangulation
00:22 - Tripartite Examples
29:57 - The Absence of Triangulation
55:20 - Other Questions + Ideas
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This third part analyzes the triangulation of characters and stakes in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Timestamps:
00:06 - The Triangulation of Stakes and Characters
00:59 - Commonalities across Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild
48:58 - Differences between Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild
56:05 - Individual Character Triangulation
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This second part focuses on analyzing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and discussing the Triforce as a relic of lore in the three case studies.
Timestamps:
00:06 - The Fated Trio in Breath of the Wild
16:10 - Discussing the Triforce
16:34 - In Skyward Sword
28:40 - In Ocarina of Time
42:50 - In Breath of the Wild
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda is a franchise attributed to the memorable symbol of the Triforce, three golden triangles forming one large one. Beyond its emblematic function, the Triforce is a relic of lore in many Zelda iterations, each game providing their unique take on its role as a form of divine power. But how deeply rooted is the role of the Triforce in other aspects of storylines and the broader timeline built around the games? Using the Triforce and the three main characters of the franchise (Link, Zelda, and Ganon) as case studies, the founder of The Lore Research Lab theorizes on the nature of triangulating characters, lore, stakes, and more in this episode covering three Legend of Zelda games. This first part presents the framework of analysis for the broader arguments being made, starting off with a closer look at The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Timestamps:
00:36 - The Scope of Triangulation
07:40 - Focal Points of Analysis
10:04 - Defining 'Triangulation'
12:30 - Quick Disclaimer
15:24 - The Fated Trio in Skyward Sword
44:46 - The Fated Trio in Ocarina of Time
Links/Resources:
-
Link
-
Zelda
-
Ganon/Demise
-
The Triforce
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Please listen to the episode parts in order. All theories discussed in this episode are subject to change. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A repackaged version of previous information released by The Lab; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often heralded as saving the franchise, and The Lab’s extremely chaotic duo unite in an effort to describe, in this third part, what life is like in the land of Hyrule, sidequests players can embark on in the game, gameplay, concluding with the lore implications and the role The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has in the franchise.
Timestamps:
00:13 - Life in Hyrule
05:33 - Geography
10:23 - Other Locations + Miscellaenous
16:40 - Sidequests
31:49 - Core Gameplay + Game Structure
32:18 - Controls (Buttons)
39:00 - Touch Screen Features
41:29 - Menu Screens
45:37 - Items + Gear
45:49 - Gear
51:27 - Items/Weapons
53:36 - Pickup Items
58:58 - Lore Implications of Ocarina of Time + Conclusion
Links/Resources:
- Ocarina of Time Map
Castle Town Locations
The Great Fairies + Fairy Fountains
Trading Quest
-
Ocarina of Time: Songs
-
Ocarina of Time: Bosses
-
Ocarina of Time: Items + Gear
-
Ocarina of Time: Enemies
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noises. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; images have been taken from my own game and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A repackaged version of previous information released by The Lab; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often heralded as saving the franchise, and The Lab’s extremely chaotic duo unite in an effort to describe, in this second part, characters, bosses, temples, enemies, and cultural groups you can encounter in this game.
Timestamps:
00:43 - Principal Characters + Entities
24:34 - Temples, Dungeons, Bosses
36:20 - Enemies & Others
36:48 - Mini-Bosses
41:14 - Enemies (Common)
44:53 - Enemies (Overworld)
50:59 - Enemies (Child Timeline)
53:00 - Enemies (Adult Timeline)
59:55 - Traps
1:02:10 - Meet the Locals!
Links/Resources:
-
Ocarina of Time Map
-
Ocarina of Time: Songs
-
Ocarina of Time: Bosses
-
Ocarina of Time: Items + Gear
-
Ocarina of Time: Enemies
-
Soldier in the Back Alley
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noises. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; images have been taken from my own game and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A repackaged version of previous information released by The Lab; The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often heralded as saving the franchise, and The Lab’s extremely chaotic duo unite in an effort to describe, in this first part, the main story of the game.
Timestamps:
00:37 - Preliminary Information
03:39 - Ocarina of Time's Story (Part 1)
24:12 - Ocarina of Time's Story (Part 2)
Links/Resources:
-
Ocarina of Time: Map
-
Ocarina of Time: Story
-
Ocarina of Time: Songs
-
Ocarina of Time: Bosses
-
Ocarina of Time: Items + Gear
-
Ocarina of Time: Enemies
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noises. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; images have been taken from my own game and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this episode, The Lore Research Lab’s one and only duo returns to (poorly) explain the plotline of Pokémon Sword & Shield; listen to this episode to see what there is to know about this game's story, characters, and more with a comedic spin!
Timestamps:
00:55 - Re-introducing The Parody Series
04:22 - Explaining Pokémon Sword & Shield's Story
04:31 - Part 1: Beginnings
18:39 - Part 2: Making my way downtown
23:03 - Part 3: Adventuring Around Galar
41:08 - Part 4: Nearing the End + Tournament Arc
45:22 - Part 5: Solving the Energy Crisis
51:50 - Part 6: Stopping the Monarchy?
56:26 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Sword & Shield Story
-
The Galar Region Pokédex
-
Pokémon Sword & Shield Gym Leaders
-
Galar Fossil Pokémon
-
Rose Meme
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noises and numerous cuts but hopefully this was still entertaining. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from Pokémon Sword; images have been taken from my own game and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
With some new footage released on the upcoming game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, The Lore Research Lab provides a summary on characters that have been introduced in the trailers thus far, discusses Pokémon lore in relation to the games of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, and other thoughts on this game as we inch closer to the release date!
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Official Website
-
New faces from the Hisui Region | Pokémon Legends: Arceus
-
Pokémon References: Hisuian Voltorb's Shocking Debut!
Hisuian Voltorb Animated Short
Shellos & Gastrodon
-
Eterna City
-
Celestic Town
(Creator's Note: Please refer to Season 2, Episode 2 discussing Pokémon if further background is needed. Additionally, listen to the other episodes discussing this game for further context (or watch the available trailers). Theories and ideas discussed in this episode are not finalized. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "New Faces from the Hisui Region | Pokémon Legends: Arceus" and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In the vast world of Pokémon, there are some Pokémon considered to be more rare than others, more powerful and vested in lore and mythology. But what are Legendary Pokémon? In the second part of this episode, the founder of The Lore Research Lab discusses the overall ranking of all the Legendary Pokémon previously mentioned in the first part.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Ranking Legendary Pokémon (Overall)
32:03 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Legendary Pokémon
-
Arceus Cutscene (Skip to 4:57)
-
Lugia and Yveltal Meme
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: This episode was extremely opinionated, I do not intend to offend anyone with the thoughts I expressed in this episode (everything was done in good fun!). I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from Pokémon Shining Pearl; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In the vast world of Pokémon, there are some Pokémon considered to be more rare than others, more powerful and vested in lore and mythology. But what are Legendary Pokémon? The founder of The Lore Research Lab struggles to form coherent sentences in explaining what Legendary Pokémon, distinctions to be made compared to other rare Pokémon, the subjective criteria constructed for ranking Legendary Pokémon, and ranking the Pokémon within their respective generations.
Timestamps:
00:31 - What are Legendary Pokémon?
07:16 - The Ranking Process
12:49 - Ranking Legendary Pokémon (By Generation)
14:14 - Generation I
18:16 - Generation II
23:21 - Generation III
27:58 - Generation IV
38:27 - Generation V
46:23 - Generation VI
56:34 - Generation VII
1:08:07 - Generation VIII
Links/Resources:
- Legendary Pokémon
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: This episode was very opinionated, I do not intend to offend anyone with the thoughts I expressed in this episode (everything was done in good fun!). I also apologize for the number of cuts made during this episode, which was due to audio issues (a trademark from Season 2 returning in Season 3). I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from Pokémon Shining Pearl; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Welcome back to The Lore Research Lab! This episode marks the beginning of another new season for The Lab, but like the introduction to Season 2, requires some housekeeping. What happens at The Lore Research Lab? What will be discussed here? What will be different from the previous two seasons? It is time to answer those questions!
Reference Episodes:
-
Season 2 Ep 2: Explaining Pokémon
-
Season 2 Ep 11+14: Explaining Mario
-
Season 2 Ep 20: Explaining The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
-
Season 2 Episode 23: Explaining Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
-
Season 2 Ep 27: The Deal with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
-
Season 2 Ep 29: Explaining The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
In this episode (that you should take seriously), The Lore Research Lab's resident fumbler of the English language presents a comedic take on explaining The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Possessing references to previous Breath of the Wild episodes, this has a clear goal (explaining the game poorly), but how poor of an explanation will this be? Will this be more succinct than intended? Listen to find out!
Timestamps:
00:29 - Introduction to The Parody Series
09:34 - Explaining Breath of the Wild
10:04 - The "Basic" Premise
14:30 - Characters + Entities
39:55 - Cultural Groups
44:29 - Geography
50:03 - Enemies
54:57 - Mysterious Stuff + Miscellaneous Details
59:05 - Sidequests
1:03:02 - Shrines & More
1:16:26 - A Site of Ruin
1:21:51 - Concluding Notes
Links/Resources:
-
The most Accurate Map of Hyrule
-
How to make Breath of the Wild Dishes
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is an interesting yet dark addition to the Legend of Zelda canon, a game that functions differently compared to other games within the canon, along with its status as a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. What is there to know about this game? How does it fit within the master Legend of Zelda timeline? How and what does this game do differently in respect to other games? You can find out these details in this informative take that deconstructs the world of Majora's Mask!
Timestamps:
00:46 - The Basic Premise
03:08 - Dungeons & Geography
08:08 - The Masks & Sidequests
24:19 - Majora's Mask in The Legend of Zelda Timeline
28:25 - Conclusion
Resources:
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from this source and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A brief episode discussing some more updates on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, along with a reaction to new footage (that came out of nowhere) released on Pokémon Legends: Arceus; listen to this series of ramblings for some fun analyses on what we can expect from these upcoming Pokémon games!
Links/Resources:
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus "Mysterious Footage restored!"
Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark Video
-
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Other updates
-
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (Main Website)
-
Zorua (Pokémon)
-
The Arc Phone
New gameplay footage has been released on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, along with some new footage for Pokémon Legends: Arceus! This episode provides some updates as per the newly released footage (BDSP), along with a reaction to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, concluding with an analysis of the same footage.
Timestamps:
00:04 - Episode Breakdown
01:21 - Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Updates
19:57 - Reacting to Pokémon Legends: Arceus New Gameplay Footage
27:08 - Analyzing the Pokémon Legends: Arceus New Gameplay Footage
51:58 - Updates from The Lab
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Gameplay Footage
-
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Gameplay Footage
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises or muffled audio. Please listen to the end for some housekeeping updates!)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword provides players with an ancient world belonging to an era of myth. Link must explore the world of The Surface, venturing through three vast, principal regions known as Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. Across his travels, and as the primeval demon known as Demise’s awakening becomes imminent, Link is expected to be tested through trials in the Silent Realm, meant to aid him in strengthening both his sword and his will as the chosen hero. This second part discusses what the implications are of the Silent Realms; a series of mini theories that tie into the worldbuilding of Skyward Sword, along with lore and history connections to two other prominent Legend of Zelda games.
Timestamps:
00:21 - Other Notes about the Silent Realms
04:55 - Theory Discussion
Topics:
-
Spirit Realm Significance (Connections to the Goddesses + Hylia, the hero's role, importance of song)
-
Guardians + Trials for the Hero
-
Connections to other games
-
Origins for the Hero
Links/Resources:
- Silent Realm + Soundtrack (listed below)
Collected Tear Vessel
Spirit Vessel (Completed)
Farore's Silent Realm
Nayru's Silent Realm
Din's Silent Realm
Guardians Awaken
- Earth Guardians, Sky Guardians, Watchers
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noise. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword provides players with an ancient world belonging to an era of myth. Link must explore the world of The Surface, venturing through three vast, principal regions known as Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. Across his travels, and as the primeval demon known as Demise’s awakening becomes imminent, Link is expected to be tested through trials in the Silent Realm, meant to aid him in strengthening both his sword and his will as the chosen hero. This first part of the episode provides a breakdown of preliminary information and a comedic take on what the Silent Realm trials are, what Link is expected to do within them, and the end result of said trials.
Timestamps:
00:33 - Skyward Sword Housekeeping
03:57 - The Basic Premise (Recap)
06:24 - The Role of the Sword (Myth)
12:24 - Before the Silent Realms
19:05 - Exploring the Silent Realms
20:36 - Know your Geography
23:55 - The Trials
Links/Resources:
- Maps
Faron Woods
Eldin Volcano
Lanayru Desert (Present)
Lanayru Desert (Past)
- Silent Realm + Soundtrack (listed below)
Collected Tear Vessel
Spirit Vessel (Completed)
Farore's Silent Realm
Nayru's Silent Realm
Din's Silent Realm
Guardians Awaken
- Earth Guardians, Sky Guardians, Watchers
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any background noise. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A revamped version of the monumental 2011 release, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD brightens up the visuals from the original version, added some new features, but what kind of changes were implemented for this divisive game? What else is there to know about the game? What is the nature of gameplay? Does it correct the issues from the original game, and is it a game worth getting? You can find out that information here and more in this review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD!
Timestamps:
00:34 - Preliminary Details
03:16 - Skyward Sword's Premise
06:24 - The Development of Skyward Sword (2011)
06:47 - Disclaimer on Development
09:22 - The Development Process (Directors and Producers, Controls)
12:58 - The Scenario (Origins, Overworld Development)
17:29 - Brief Discussion on Gameplay Mechanics
20:30 - The Soundtrack of Skyward Sword (Composers, Thematic Elements)
24:21 - Characters + Cultural Groups
25:50 - Characters
36:46 - Cultural Groups
43:22 - The Sky and the Surface (Skyward Sword's Geography)
59:58 - Comparing Gameplay (2011 v. 2021)
1:00:25 - Skyward Sword Controls + Gameplay Mechanics (2011)
1:06:52 - Skyward Sword HD Controls + Gameplay Mechanics
1:16:53 - The Debate on Skyward Sword
1:23:57 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
- Skyward Sword (2011) Development
(NOTE: Any information not cited here can be found in the Footnotes section of the Development Page.)
Iwata Asks: Motion Controls
Iwata Asks: Script and Direction
Iwata Asks: The Transformation System
Skyward Sword Art Inspiration
- Skyward Sword Characters
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random background noises or muffled sounds. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the fifth installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally fumbling founder tackles “Electric Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Electric Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:26 - Type Overview + Background
06:45 - Technical Information
21:32 - Appearances + Moves
21:44 - Pure Electric Types
27:22 - Primary Electric Types
32:23 - Secondary Electric Types
36:32 - Electric Type Moves
40:56 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
42:08 - The Pikachu Copycat Phenomena
47:08 - Atypical Case Studies
Links/Resources:
-
Electric (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: I recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any muffled audio, cuts, and random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This third and final part concludes with how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity world builds, a comparison between The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and finally, discussing what this all means in the context of world building and storytelling.
Timestamps:
00:01 - Introduction to Part 3 (3)
00:59 - How Age of Calamity World Builds
04:56 - Discussing Characters
32:57 - Discussing the Soundtrack
41:50 - Discussing World Building
1:01:22 - World Building Miscellaneous Topics (+ Non-Canon Topics)
1:17:04 - Comparing the Games
1:47:27 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Nintendo Official Website)
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Wiki)
-
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wiki)
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Soundtrack (With Timestamps)
-
Zelda's Lullaby
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises. I also apologize if things sound repetitive in this episode. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This third part focuses on deconstructing the story of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
Timestamps:
00:05 - Introduction to Part 3 (2)
01:45 - Framework for Deconstruction
05:39 - Deconstruction of the Story
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Nintendo Official Website)
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Wiki)
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
With the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl nearing in November of this year, as well as the 2022 release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, new (non-finalized) footage is now available in this Pokémon Presents announcement video! The Lab's verbally incoherent founder discusses some new updates pertaining to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, along with an analysis of footage shown for Pokémon Legends: Arceus in a non-linear fashion.
Timestamps:
01:19 - Updates and Thoughts on Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
What's New and What's Different
10:28 - Analyzing Pokémon Legends: Arceus Footage + Discussion
New Battle Formula
Adventuring through an Ancient Region
New Pokémon forms
Thoughts on what this means for the franchise
1:11:23 - Analyzing Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Additional Thoughts)
Links/Resources:
-
Pokédex
-
Pokémon Presents 8.18.21 (Starts at 5:53)
(Sorry if I sound muffled, for any background noises, and general lack of incoherence. In the description, I have listed some (not all) of the topics I cover in this episode for reference. Please note that any potential theories discussed in this episode are not finalized, and any ideas and thoughts I have are based on my opinion and viewpoint of the footage (making this quite biased towards the news, so it may not be balanced for some). Enjoy the episode!)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This third part focuses on summarizing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity's story.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Introduction to Part 3
05:13 - Age of Calamity's Story
05:56 - Chapter 1
09:07 - Chapter 2
15:24 - Chapter 3
18:56 - Chapter 4
22:52 - Chapter 5
29:39 - Chapter 6
34:10 - Chapter 7
40:30 - Disclaimer for upcoming Part
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (All Cutscenes)
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Nintendo Official Website)
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
Nintendo. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Omega Force. Nintendo Switch. 2020.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This continuation of the second part concludes with a discussion that describes how Breath of the Wild world builds.
Timestamps:
00:05 - Introduction to Part 2 (4)
03:03 - How Breath of the Wild World Builds: Discussion Topics
1:23:43 - How Breath of the Wild World Builds: Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Captured Memories
-
All Endings
-
King Rhoam's Journal
-
Breath of the Wild's Soundtrack
-
Creating Breath of the Wild (From the Creators of the Game)
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises and cuts. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This continuation of the second part focuses on other story details included in the main game of Breath of the Wild.
Timestamps:
00:07 - Introduction to Part 2 (3)
03:43 - Story Events (Continued)
05:07 - Mipha and Divine Beast Vah Ruta
11:25 - Daruk and Divine Beast Vah Rudania
15:16 - Revali and Divine Beast Vah Medoh
18:27 - Urbosa and Divine Beast Vah Naboris
26:30 - Reclaiming the Master Sword
27:57 - End of the Story
35:34 - True Ending
Links/Resources:
-
Divine Beasts
-
All Endings
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This continuation of the second part focuses on game events and story elements that occur once the main game begins in Breath of the Wild, including an in-depth analysis of an in-game quest that glimpses at the lives of the heroes before Hyrule was destroyed.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Introduction to Part 2 (2)
01:43 - Story Events (Beginnings)
12:37 - Captured Memories
15:01 - Memory #1
17:31 - Memory of Revali
19:22 - Memory #2
21:33 - Memory of Daruk
23:10 - Memory #3
27:03 - Memory of Urbosa
33:40 - Memory #4
35:14 - Memory #5
37:31 - Memory #6
42:13 - Memory of Mipha
47:21 - Memory #7
50:53 - Memory #8
59:21 - Memory #9
1:03:04 - Memory #10
1:08:21 - Memory #11
1:17:52 - Memory #12
1:21:29 - Memory #13
1:26:11 - Memory of Korok Forest
1:27:51 - Discussing the Captured Memories
Links/Resources:
-
Captured Memories
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for the the number of cuts I had and any random background noises, there were some technical issues. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This second part focuses on historical events and the stories preceding the main game of Breath of the Wild.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Introduction to Part 2
04:00 - Historical Events + Other Contexts (Prior to Breath of the Wild's events)
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. Sorry for any random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
What does it mean when a game passively tells its story, and conversely, what does it mean when a game actively tells its story? How does this impact gameplay, and what are key differences between the two formats? How is world building affected in this process? Using The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as case studies, these questions can be answered! This first part focuses on defining terms and describing characters integral to the stories of both games.
Timestamps:
00:50 - Preliminary Information + Defining Terms
03:50 - Episode Framework
04:43 - Defining Terms
10:42 - Locations, Cultural Groups, Principal Characters/Entities
14:12 - Hyrule + Constituent Regions
17:52 - Cultural Groups
28:26 - Benevolent Characters
43:46 - Malevolent Characters
45:51 - Sheikah Technology
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Listen to the episodes in order for the sake of continuity, context, and general explanation. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and video games, which are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the fourth installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally struggling founder tackles “Fire Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Fire Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:24 - Type Overview + Background
04:27 - Technical Information
18:21 - Appearances + Moves
19:17 - Pure Fire Types
22:55 - Primary Fire Types
34:25 - Secondary Fire Types
40:06 - Fire Type Moves
43:15 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Fire (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
-
Ho-oh Battle Theme
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: I recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any muffled audio, cuts, and random background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Just some quick housekeeping about upcoming episodes and a note about future episodes here at the Lab!
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that occurs following an apocalyptic event known as the Great Calamity, a disastrous phenomena that decimated populations, one caused by a powerful entity known as Calamity Ganon. A premise built from the failures of heroes 100 years prior, what if things had played out differently? How would things be different if that was the case? Was there a chance of beating Calamity Ganon in the first place? Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity provides answers to these questions as a spin-off prequel to Breath of the Wild; tune in to hear about what this game has to offer and a whole lot more!
Timestamps:
00:25 - Game Premise, Setting, and Preliminary Details (regarding Breath of the Wild)
02:20 - Preliminary Information
05:02 - Breath of the Wild Story Context
09:48 - Age of Calamity Premise
13:03 - Development Notes
20:12 - Gameplay Mechanics + Structure
20:56 - Age of Calamity's Gameplay/Storytelling Structure
23:26 - Gameplay
26:12 - Other Key Functions
43:03 - Display Screen
49:26 - The Heroes (Playable Characters)
52:42 - Spoiler Free Characters (ex. Characters introduced in Breath of the Wild)
1:04:25 - Spoiler Characters
1:17:26 - Antagonists + Age of Calamity Story Details (Spoilers)
1:30:21 - The Debated Canonicity of Age of Calamity
Links/Resources:
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
Tapestry
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Development Notes
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Canonicity
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for the cuts and random background noise (as well as the length of this episode). I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the third installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally fumbling duo tackle “Grass Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Grass Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:24 - Type Overview + Background
04:39 - Technical Information
24:50 - Appearances + Moves
25:00 - Pure Grass Types
35:45 - Primary Grass Types
42:41 - Secondary Grass Types
45:14 - Grass Type Moves
51:04 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Grass (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: We recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any background noise and cuts. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Across the core series Pokémon games, there are a number of stories to play through, unique locations to discover, and all kinds of Pokémon to be caught in the wild. This episode focuses on Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, released in 2009 (Japan) as remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, games that were released in 1999; how do remakes work in the Pokémon franchise, and what is there to know about these four games? Why are the remakes worth discussing? You can find that out here in this descriptive episode on lore, storytelling in early Pokémon games, and a whole lot more!
Timestamps:
05:27 - Preliminary Information (Gold & Silver + Technical Info Context)
06:30 - Abilities
13:08 - Impact of Abilites
14:13 - The "Physical/Special Split"
23:43 - The Remake Formula
27:17 - Summary of Points
30:30 - Basic Premise
34:10 - Geography, Story & More
35:19 - What's New in HGSS
36:41 - Gameplay Basics
40:00 - The Johto Region
49:36 - Story Beats (Main Game)
1:19:10 - Story Beats (Post-Game)
1:24:51 - Characters
1:43:01 - Johto's Soundtrack
1:50:03 - Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Red and Green Versions
-
Pokémon Red and Blue Versions
-
Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions
-
Generation IV
> Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions
Version Exclusive Pokémon (HGSS)
Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver OST Playlist
Ho-oh's Theme
Lugia's Theme
-
Legendary Pokémon
-
Damage Category > "Physical/Special Split"
-
Ability
-
Move
Pokémon Examples:
-
Sandshrew
-
Slaking
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: Ido not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebook and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A repackaged version of previous information released by The Lab; in light of the recent mini-surge of Zelda content (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, new trailer footage for the Breath of the Wild sequel), this episode will serve to re-introduce key information about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, describing story details, characters, extensive gameplay explanations, other miscellaneous information discussed in past episodes, and much more in a fun episode that looks back and forward!
Timestamps:
00:28 - Preliminary Information
05:42 - The (Extremely) Complex Story + Principal Characters & Entities
18:02 - Game Structure & Gameplay Details (Part 1)*
18:33 - Game Structure Pointers
19:07 - Quests
23:10 - Overworld Context
25:13 - Commands
27:40 - Sheikah Technology
31:14 - Game Structure & Gameplay Details (Part 2)*
32:00 - Sheikah Menu Inventories
32:03 - Weapons
33:05 - Armour
34:02 - Materials
34:42 - Cooked Dishes
36:56 - Key Items
37:45 - Other Menus
42:43 - On-Screen Display
48:03 - Systems Menu
48:52 - Run from Everything! (Monsters & Enemies)**
1:07:58 - Explore the Wild!
1:14:30 - Meet the Locals! (Cultural Groups in Hyrule)
1:22:07 - Age of Calamity Context
1:28:51 - The Inflection Point
Links/Resources:
-
Breath of the Wild Tapestry
-
Hyrule Interactive Map
-
"Free the Divine Beasts" Quest
-
"Captured Memories" Quest
-
Menu Interface (Reference)
-
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: Due to the number of things to keep track of, this list presents a condensed and simplified explanation of game controls, game structure and so on. * To clarify what was said in the episode, some monsters introduced in this game are new, while others have already existed in the franchise. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the second installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally incoherent duo tackle “Water Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Water Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:42 - Type Overview + Background
07:30 - Technical Information
27:12 - Appearances + Moves
27:40 - Pure Water Types
41:33 - Primary Water Types
52:14 - Secondary Water Types
57:20 - Water Type Moves
1:05:43 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Water (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: We recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any random background noise and for the typos (we also had technical issues recording). We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Nintendo Direct E3 has presented gamers with news that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Sequel is progressing nicely in development, revealing new trailer footage of the upcoming game set to release in 2022. The Lab's bumbling researcher discusses this news at length and analyzes the presented trailer footage in conjunction with ideas and theories argued by The Lab previously, inferring (incoherently) what the implications are for this upcoming sequel and its relationship to The Legend of Zelda franchise.
Timestamps:
00:51 - New Footage!
02:33 - Trailer Context
05:40 - Trailer Analysis
29:05 - Breath of the Wild Sequel Trailer: Reflections and Thoughts (Conclusion)
45:47 - Last Minute Thoughts
The Lore Research Lab Episodes (For Reference*):
-
Season 1, Ep. 5 (Zelda & Mythology)
-
Extra #1 (Ocarina of Time Background)
-
Extra #2 (Skyward Sword Background)
-
Extra #4 (Breath of the Wild Sequel Teaser Analysis)
-
Season 1, Eps. 15-17, 19-22, 24, 25 (Zonai Breakdown)
Links/Resources:
-
Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2019 Teaser Footage)
-
Breath of the Wild Tapestry
-
Nintendo Direct E3
Skyward Sword HD (1:13:41)
Breath of the Wild Sequel (1:16:21)
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(*Creator's Note: It would help to listen to these episodes specifically, but listening to Season 1 would help in providing a better range of context due to the amount of Legend of Zelda information discussed in that Season. Sorry for any random background noise; had some technical issues recording this episode. There were a number of edits I made so you can get a better sense of the analysis as well, which may come across as abrupt when listening. I will add that this is not a finalized rant on theories and such. My organizational skills are phenomenal, as you can tell. Thanks for tuning in!)
A sequel to a game originally released in 1999, New Pokémon Snap presents players with a different approach to learning about Pokémon; instead of catching them all, it is up to the player to photograph them all in a variety of locations to understand the creatures better. But what else is there to know about the game? What is the nature of gameplay? Is it a game worth getting? Find out here!
Timestamps:
00:32 - Introductory Notes
03:16 - A (Not So) Brief History of Pokémon Snap & Development
11:11 - New Pokémon Snap Development
14:51 - New Pokémon Snap's Premise
18:01 - Interactive Gameplay + Setting
26:35 - Conclusion
Links/Resources:
-
Pokémon Snap
-
HAL Laboratory
-
New Pokémon Snap
-
Satoru Iwata
(Unofficial Listing) Iwata's Gameography
Nintendo. New Pokémon Snap. Bandai Namco. Nintendo Switch. 2021.
“Nintendo Strikes Blockbuster Deal.” IGN, June 21, 2012.
Valentine, Rebekah. “New Pokémon Snap was Given to Bandai Namco Because of Pokkén Tournament.” IGN, April 14, 2021.
(Sorry for any random sounds in the background. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon appear in a variety of shapes, sizes, and forms; one important determinant of these characteristics is what is known as a “Type”, giving Pokémon unique attributes based on the Type’s element, power, and so on. With 18 types in total, there are many to review; in the first installment of this miniseries known as “Pokémon Rants”, The Lab’s verbally incoherent duo tackle “Fighting Types”, the Pokémon that constitute this typing, an analysis that includes technical information, design analyses, and other thoughts on what it means to be a Fighting Type Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:24 - Type Overview + Background
08:41 - Technical Information
25:59 - Appearances
29:46 - Pure Fighting Types
38:49 - Primary Fighting Types
42:20 - Secondary Fighting Types
48:37 - Atypical Case Studies + Concluding Thoughts
Links/Resources:
-
Fighting (Type)
-
Type
-
Move
-
Ability
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
“Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version – The Official Pokémon Johto Guide and Pokédex.” Edited by Michael G. Ryan and Lawrence Neves. Bellevue: The Pokémon Company International, 2009.
(Creator's Note: We recommend that you listen to the rants in order for continuity purposes (so things make sense), but this is optional. Sorry for any random background noise. Wedo not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the content discussed in this episode; images have been taken from the cited guidebooks and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Nintendo video games tend to promote simplicity and relative innocence, making the games produced by the company easy to consume and highly marketable. However, it is worth noting that from the various entities faced across Nintendo games, there is a strange trend that shows a number of characters/monsters (usually enemies) having disembodied hands or actual, villainous, sentient hands. Why is that? And considering the primary demographic of Nintendo games, why would a motif this bizarre (at best) and grotesque (at worst) be a mainstay in designs? Join The Lab’s researching duo best known for typos and bad jokes through this investigation on hand-based/related characters in Nintendo franchises.
Timestamps:
00:36 - The Issue at Hand
11:15 - "Hands On" Scenarios
15:20 - Hands of Terror (Legend of Zelda)
45:31 - Give Me a Hand (Mario)
55:55 - A Handful (Pokémon)
1:40:33 - Handling a Conclusion
Links/Resources:
The Legend of Zelda
-
Bongo Bongo (Pictured in Thumbnail)
-
Floormaster
-
Dead Hand
-
Stallord
-
Gohma
-
Captain Keeta
-
Reddit Hyrule Map
Mario
-
Knucklotec
-
Eyerok
-
Stairface Ogre
Pokémon
-
Generation V Pokedex
-
Generation VI Pokedex
-
Generation VII Pokedex
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
“Pokédex: All 482+8 Pokémon & Post-Story Guide – Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version.” Edited by Lawrence Neves. Prima Games, 2006.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. Apologies for the audio cuts (which were due to technical difficulties). We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from the discussed game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Nintendo announced (within the last couple of months that) Super Mario 3D World, a title originally belonging to the Wii U, would be ported to the Nintendo Switch and become available to new and old players. Along with this port came a side story that changes everything we know about Mario; Bowser’s Fury. How does this game shake things up for the franchise, and what makes this game a masterpiece? This second part continues the discussion on gameplay in Bowser's Fury and the significance of this in the context of Mario games.
Resources/Links:
-
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Info)
-
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Overview Trailer)
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(Creator's Note: I might have missed certain details at the time this is uploaded, but any missing information (maybe information regarding controls) will be added at a later date. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Nintendo announced (within the last couple of months that) Super Mario 3D World, a title originally belonging to the Wii U, would be ported to the Nintendo Switch and become available to new and old players. Along with this port came a side story that changes everything we know about Mario; Bowser’s Fury. How does this game shake things up for the franchise, and what makes this game a masterpiece? This episode breaks down a brief history of Super Mario 3D World, discussing Bowser’s Fury at length, bringing in a guest to talk about fun things that occur in this game.
Timestamps:
00:47 - Super Mario 3D World Context + Background
01:50 - Super Mario 3D Land (2011)
02:50 - Super Mario 3D World (2013)
05:11 - 3D World’s Premise + Gameplay
15:17 - Bowser’s Fury Synopsis
19:26 - Spoiler Alert
19:44 - Special Segment: Clueless Guest discusses Bowser’s Fury
Resources/Links:
-
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Info)
-
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Overview Trailer)
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Mario Franchise is one of the most well known video game franchises of all time, the face of the Nintendo brand, and has been going strong for around 35 years. What are levels and worlds? Who are the characters appearing as the face of the franchise? What are enemies, and how has the Mario franchise diversified over time? Listen to part two of this episode to learn about these details and a whole lot more!
Timestamps:
00:54 - Gameplay + Mario Basics
04:59 - What can Mario do?
07:03 - Items
12:09 - Question Blocks
13:08 - Obstacles
17:37 - Basic Objective(s)
19:53 - Worlds + Levels
20:10 - Worlds
20:42 - Levels
24:34 - The Broader Function of Worlds + Levels
28:02 - Characters & Enemies
29:08 - Main Characters
41:55 - Enemies
50:03 - Spin-Offs
Resources/Links:
- Official Mario Website (History)
- Waluigi
- Donkey Kong (character)
- Charles Martinet(voice actor)
- Really Freakin’ Clever - 192 Things WRONG with Super Mario Galaxy (COMPLETE SERIES)
- Nintendo Switch - Bowser & Bowser Jr. - Parental Controls Trailer
Games (mentioned in this episode):
-
Super Mario Odyssey
-
Super Mario Sunshine
-
Super Mario Bros.
-
Super Mario Galaxy
(NOTE: Except for Super Mario Odyssey, these games are described in the encyclopedia cited below.)
Spin-Off Series (mentioned in this episode):
- Mario Strikers Charged
-
Mario Power Tennis
-
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
-
Mario Golf
-
Donkey Kong Country
-
Mario Kart
-
Mario Party
-
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
-
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
-
Luigi's Mansion
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes. Enjoy this photo of Cat Mario and Luigi.)
Pokémon Sword and Shield, released in 2019, were the latest Pokémon code series games introduced until the recent announcement of remakes and a premake releasing in late 2021 and early 2022 respectively. A game already reviewed here at The Lab, there has been a thought which considers a ‘what if’ scenario that explores the possibility of these games having a more engaging storyline. Would it improve the quality of gameplay and pacing, or would it reveal the true nature of these games? Does storytelling have this ability, or is it merely a component rather than a determining factor? The Lore Research Lab aims at answering these questions in an ambitious attempt to reconstruct the storyline of Pokémon Sword and Shield; this third and final part includes a revised version of the Pokémon Sword and Shield storyline, other comments, digressions, and suggestions, concluding with thoughts on this project and what this can tell us about video games in respect to storytelling.
Timestamps:
00:02 - The Reorganized/Revised Plot
13:29 - Commentary Retrospect
13:42 - The Role of the Legendary Pokémon
20:18 - Other Suggestions
53:21 - Conclusions
Resources/Links:
-
Pokémon Sword and ShieldMain Game Storyline
-
Galar Region
-
Galar Gym Challenge
Characters:
-
Galar Champion: Leon
-
Gym Leader: Opal
-
Gym Leader: Piers
-
Main Rival: Hop
-
Marnie
-
Bede
-
Sonia
-
Peony & Peonia
Lore:
-
Wishing Pieces and Stars
-
Eternatus
-
Zacian & Zamazenta
Battle Mechanics:
-
Mega Evolution
-
Z-Moves
-
Dynamax
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon Sword and Shield, released in 2019, were the latest Pokémon code series games introduced until the recent announcement of remakes and a premake releasing in late 2021 and early 2022 respectively. A game already reviewed here at The Lab, there has been a thought which considers a ‘what if’ scenario that explores the possibility of these games having a more engaging storyline. Does storytelling have this ability, or is it merely a component rather than a determining factor? The Lore Research Lab aims at answering these questions in an ambitious attempt to reconstruct the storyline of Pokémon Sword and Shield; this second part describes commentary and observations that reflect what can be shifted around and what would stay based on The Lab's rules required to conduct this experiment.
Timestamps:
00:01 - Recap
08:06 - Commentary
11:09 - Starting in Postwick + Meeting Hop
14:30 - Starter Pokémon
16:24 - Slumbering Weald
17:09 - Wedgehurst + Meeting Sonia
19:09 - Arrival in Motostoke
30:05 - To Turrfield, Hulbury + Back to Motostoke
33:02 - Onward to Hammerlocke + Stow-On-Side
41:13 - Circhester
42:59 - Spikemuth
44:10 - Back to Hammerlocke
51:29 - Heading to Wyndon + Rose Tower Episode
54:19 - Plot Twist + Digressions
1:07:33 - Back to the Slumbering Weald + Eternatus
1:15:41 - Facing Leon(?)
1:18:50 - Post-Game Scenario
Resources/Links:
-
Pokémon Sword and ShieldMain Game Storyline
-
Galar Region
-
Galar Gym Challenge
Characters:
-
Galar Champion: Leon
-
Main Rival: Hop
-
Marnie
-
Bede
-
Sonia
Lore:
-
Wishing Pieces and Stars
-
Eternatus
-
Zacian & Zamazenta
Locations:
-
Hammerlocke
-
Hammerlocke Gym
(NOTE: This experiment required a lot of references, so I had to distribute the links across parts.)
(I apologize for background noises. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Pokémon Sword and Shield, released in 2019, were the latest Pokémon core series games introduced until the recent announcement of remakes and a premake releasing in late 2021 and early 2022 respectively. A game already reviewed here at The Lab, there has been a thought which considers a ‘what if’ scenario that explores the possibility of these games having a more engaging storyline. Would it improve the quality of gameplay and pacing, or would it reveal the true nature of these games? Does storytelling have this ability, or is it merely a component rather than a determining factor? The Lore Research Lab aims at answering these questions in an ambitious attempt to reconstruct the storyline of Pokémon Sword and Shield; this first part presents the goals of the project, criteria determining what can be shifted around, and a description of the original storyline.
Timestamps:
00:21 - Goals + Context
02:10 - What is this experiment about?
07:07 - Guiding Principle(s)
09:17 - Methodology + Rules
09:38 - Focus #1
11:28 - Focus #2
12:20 - Focus #3
13:42 - The Lab's Rules
24:42 - Quick Disclaimer
25:37 - The Original Storyline
Resources/Links:
-
Pokémon Sword and ShieldMain Game Storyline
-
Galar Region
-
Galar Gym Challenge
(NOTE: This experiment required a lot of references, so I have distributed the references across each part, since I cannot fit them all into a single description box.)
(Creator's Note: I apologize for the terrible sounding audio at the beginning. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this special episode, The Lore Research Lab celebrates a benchmark anniversary; one year since The Lore Research Lab began! The two researchers best known for their inability to string together a coherent sentence present this unfiltered episode of banter and conversations about video games while playing video games to honour this occasion.
(Creator's Note: Thank you to everyone that has listened thus far, it is greatly appreciated! We use strong language (for dramatic + comedic emphasis) and discuss various things that involve cartoon violence (which might come across as graphic) - listen with caution. All unfiltered banter was done in good fun, and we may bring up things discussed in this episode in future ones, who knows! A big thank you again!)
The Mario Franchise is one of the most well known video game franchises of all time, the face of the Nintendo brand, and has been going strong for around 35 years. But what is there to know about this franchise? What were its origins, and what is the franchise’s relationship to video game consoles? Listen to part one of this episode to learn about a summary of the franchise's origins and the consoles Mario games were and are playable on.
Resources/Links:
-
Official Mario Website (History)
-
Chris Crawford on Game Design
-
The History of Super Mario Bros.
-
Gaming’s Most important evolutions
-
Donkey Kong (1981)
-
Arcade Game
-
Video Game Console
(NOTE: Check the hyperlinks within the page to find the video game consoles that are discussed in this episode, or search it up individually.)
Electronic Games (1983) Vol. 1 (11) Accessible at: https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Games_Volume_01_Number_11_1983-01_Reese_Communications_US#page/n49/mode/2up
Kent, Steven L. 2010. “The Ultimate History of Video Games.” Vol. 1: Crown. Accessible at: https://books.google.ca/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC&redir_esc=y
Kohler, Chris. 2005. Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. Indiana: BradyGames.
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books. 2015.
(Creator's Note: Sorry for any random cuts, had some editing issues. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes. Enjoy this photo of Cat Mario and Luigi.)
In response to the latest news from the Pokémon franchise, we have learned of a core series game that will be introduced in 2022: Pokémon Legends: Arceus. For new fans, this may come across as perplexing, and considering the latest remakes are based in the same region within this universe, what does this all mean? What could this game be about as one situated in a distant past, what are some interesting connections, and how does this closely relate to Japanese culture, aesthetics, and folklore? The researcher best known for rambling and struggling to form coherent sentences breaks down their initial thoughts upon seeing the released footage, their observations, and what this could mean for the franchise itself in this content-heavy episode discussing Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:23 - Preliminary Info
04:53 - Reveal + Explanation
06:45 - Reveal
14:39 - Explanation
20:53 - Observations
34:55 - Theory
35:13 - Starters
43:09 - Geography Comparisons
56:00 - What about the Legendary Pokémon?
59:02 - Team Galactic Connections?
Resources/Links:
- Pokémon Direct Video
(NOTE: At roughly 12:36, thePokémon Legends: Arceus reveal happens. Everything preceding this discusses Pokémon Snap and the upcoming remakes titled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.)
-
Sinnoh Region
-
Team Galactic
- Pokémon Sword & Shield: Isle of Armour
Pokémon Examples:
-
Sinnoh Pokedex
-
Rowlet, Cyndaquil, Oshawott
-
Sinnoh Legendary Pokémon
Sekien, Toriyama. 2017. Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yōkai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien, translated by Yoda, Hiroko and Matt Alt. Dover Publications.
(Creator's Note: Please refer to Episode 2 discussing Pokémon if further background is needed. I apologize for any random background noise; I must mention that this isn't exactly a spoiler-free episode in regards to earlier games, nor is this a definitive theory as the game has yet to be released. Some content in this episode deals with myths and folklore in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "Pokémon Direct Video (26.2.21)" and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Just today, the Pokémon franchise has some big news for us about the upcoming games we shall see come out this year, later this year, and next year. Listen to an unfiltered rambling from one of the researchers here at The Lore Research Lab as they struggle to contain their excitement and discuss near immediate thoughts, ideas, and what this means for the franchise (and The Lab) after watching the video.
Pokémon Direct Video
(I apologize for any background noise, and as stated, this was a genuine, unedited reaction of my thoughts upon hearing the news. I may add some edits and additional narration if necessary in the near future. Sorry for the rambling! Edit: been filtering through some of what's being said online about this news, and I think there is still ambivalence towards/possible disappointment in what we got (Sinnoh remakes/Pokémon Legends: Arceus). I don't believe I address this very well in my rambling, but this topic may still be divisive for some, so bear in mind that this episode is entirely my opinion and an overall positive reaction to the news. I would suggest looking elsewhere for a more balanced critique.)
Immortals Fenyx Rising is a fairly new addition to the video game library; its open-world environment demands exploration, and its action-packed game style has won it acclaim. But is it worth playing? How has it adapted and reimagined the Greek pantheon of gods as part of the gaming experience? One half of the Lore Research Lab’s verbally inconsistent duo is back for their second ever solo episode to tell you what they thought of the game, because there are reasons for everything!
Timestamps:
00:24 - Overview of Premise + Plot
03:00 - Gameplay
08:40 - Ancient Source Material
12:22 - Conclusions & More
Resources:
- Immortals Fenyx Rising Information
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective.I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
One of the Nintendo Switch titles that propelled its meteoric rise in the gaming scene, Super Mario Odyssey is a fun adventure that sees Mario exploring many worlds and eclectic locations that are nothing short of dazzling and spectacular! Behind that spectacle is an interesting background, myth, and history that (potentially) underpins the framework of the game; first of all, what is an Odyssey? The Odyssey?? The Lore Research Lab’s verbally incoherent duo returns to theorize about this game, to explain how Mario’s journey in this game is closely rooted in a ‘mythical homecoming’, and a whole lot more.
Timestamps:
00:26 - The Basic Story of Super Mario Odyssey
07:42 - Gameplay Overview
21:06 - Exploring the Kingdoms
31:11 - Theorizing about The Odyssey
46:46 - Conclusions & More
Resources/Helpful Links:
-
Super Mario Odyssey
-
Super Mario Odyssey Kingdoms
-
Pauline
-
Donkey Kong (1981)
-
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Homer, 2018. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily Wilson. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books. 2015.
(Creator's Note: Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Using the example of actual animals in comparison to Pokémon, we know how we associate certain creatures with certain environments; think of sharks in relation to water, as one example. Pokémon Typings are based on this premise - the idea that these diverse beings are associated with a specific kind of element. But what are those elements? What is a Pokémon typing? What are its functions, and how does this factor into general gameplay? The Lore Research Lab's infamous duo attempts at coherently explaining and deconstructing what a Pokémon Type is.
Resources/Helpful Links:
-
Type
-
Damage Categories
-
Type Chart
-
Funny Pokémon Entries
Pokémon Examples:
-
Charizard
-
Gastrodon
-
Magikarp
-
Lampent
Foster, Michael D. 2015. “Introducing Yokai.” From The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. University of California Press.
(Creator's Note: Refer to Episode 2 discussing Pokémon so this episode will make sense. In this episode, there is mentioning of folklore that is known in the real world; this information is solely being discussed from a scholarly perspective. Also big apologies for the awkward cuts in previous episodes, including this one; I have been having editing issues and things have been hectic (as of this recording - it was recorded in advance but I have been too busy to post until now); sorry folks. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.Enjoy this picture of Rowlet, a Pokémon personal favourite of mine.)
As the consumers of video games, players can be really creative in the ways they decide to play a game, which has resulted in many self-imposed challenges that increase the difficulty of a game without any technical modifications; these challenges rely on the player’s commitment to carrying out the self-imposed rules, while also limiting how much freedom the player has, making every decision count. How does continuing to do this challenge change after trying out a nuzlocke for a Pokémon game? One of the researcher's at The Lab tries another nuzlocke to see what there is to gain by doing this challenge for a second time.
Resources:
-
Nuzlocke Definition + Rules
-
Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire Information
-
Map of Hoenn
-
Hoenn Pokedex
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Starter Pokémon are the Pokémon players are first introduced to in the core series games. But what is their purpose? Can they generate nostalgia? The Lore Research Lab's duo continues their discussion on Starter Pokémon in this second part, drawing conclusions that arise from talking about Starter Pokémon.
Timestamps:
00:06 - Starter Pokémon [Generation IV-VI]
02:12 - The Sinnoh Starters
13:02 - The Unova Starters
24:54 - The Kalos Starters
34:21 - Starter Pokémon [Generation VII-VIII]
35:22 - The Alola Starters
54:14 - The Galar Starters
1:08:38 - Conversations About Starter Pokémon
Resources/Pokémon Examples:
-
Pokémon in Smash Bros.
-
Starter Pokémon
(NOTE: This provides broad information on Starter Pokémon; the Pokémon references listed below describe them individually. Within the links provided below, you can learn more about their evolutions as well.)
-
Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup
-
Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig
-
Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie
-
Popplio, Rowlet, Litten
-
Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble
(Creator's Note: Refer to the previous part and Episode 2 discussing Pokémon so this episode will make sense. In this episode, there is mentioning of mythology that is known in the real world; this information is solely being discussed from a scholarly perspective. Also, this episode was pretty opinionated, we apologize for the intensity. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Starter Pokémon are the Pokémon players are first introduced to in the core series games. But what is their purpose? Can they generate nostalgia? The Lore Research Lab's duo reunites to discuss at great length what Starter Pokémon are across generations and the first ones introduced in this first part.
Timestamps:
00:53 - Starter Pokémon Origins
26:33 - Starter Pokémon [Generation I-III]
27:07 - The Kanto Starters
45:16 - The Johto Starters
53:54 - The Hoenn Starters
Resources/Pokémon Examples:
- Starter Pokémon
(NOTE: This provides broad information on Starter Pokémon; the Pokémon references listed below describe them individually. Within the links provided below, you can learn more about their evolutions as well.)
-
Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander
-
Chikorita, Totodile, Cyndaquil
-
Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip
Kammerer, C. F., & Smith, R. M. (2017). An early geikiid dicynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (late Permian) of South Africa. PeerJ, 5, e2913. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2913
(Creator's Note: Refer to Episode 2 discussing Pokémon so this episode will make sense. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A year ago, the Pokémon franchise released the latest core series game, Pokémon Sword and Shield. With the release of the DLC this year, there has been some buzz around these installments, both good and bad. Reviews tend to be mixed, but is there a way to discern the quality of these games? What is the deal with them, what is there to know? How do they compare to earlier installments? Is it a game worth getting? Find out here!
Timestamps:
00:26 - Basic Information
10:56 - The Story(?)
19:08 - The Pokémon
26:07 - The Characters
34:13 - The Setting + Music
39:17 - Isle of Armour + Crown Tundra DLC Breakdown
1:17:00 - Conclusion
Resources/Links for Reference:
-
Galar Region
-
Galar Pokedex
-
Starter Pokémon
Pokémon Examples:
-
Articuno
-
Zapdos
-
Moltres
-
The Legendary Titans
(Creator's Note: I would like to note that this is not a traditional review (in a manner of speaking), and I recommend that you do research of your own if you believe the topic of this game requires further probing. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
As the consumers of video games, players can be really creative in the ways they decide to play a game, which has resulted in many self-imposed challenges that increase the difficulty of a game without any technical modifications (although in many cases, some people do modify the games); these challenges rely on the player’s commitment to carrying out the self-imposed rules, while also limiting how much freedom the player has, making every decision count. For Pokémon, one well-known challenge is called a ‘nuzlocke’, but what exactly is a nuzlocke? What are the rules? One of the researchers here at The Lab actually tried one out, and you will learn here what the definition of a nuzlocke (roughly) is and one version of the experience.
Resources/Helpful Links:
-
Nuzlocke Rules
-
Sinnoh Pokédex
-
Sinnoh Region
(Creator's Note: I made some typos in the Pokémon I had on my team at certain points, my bad; I also apologize for the muffled audio. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
You might have heard about this multi-media franchise known as Pokémon; even if you don’t play Nintendo games or know a thing about Pokémon, there is a good chance you know who Pikachu is. This episode will introduce the basics about the core series Pokémon games, what Pokémon are, breaking down controls, storylines, staples to gameplay, and more!
Timestamps:
00:21 - The Pokémon Franchise (Bottled History)
05:14 - Pokémon Basics
06:25 - Menu Controls + Game Data
08:51 - Pokémon Attributes
09:50 - Battle Mechanics
15:13 - Distinguishing Pokémon (and their many stages/forms)
20:07 - Can every Pokémon be acquired in a single game?
23:35 - Pokémon Console History
30:41 - Pokémon Gameplay + Story
34:48 - Pokémon Main Objectives
35:19 - Objective #1
43:14 - Objective #2
44:41 - Objective #3
53:08 - The Pokémon Story Formula
Resources/Links for Reference:
-
Pokémon Website
-
Official Pokémon YouTube Channel
-
Bulbapedia Homepage
(NOTE: You can search within Bulbapedia for most, if not all the information discussed in this episode.)
- Serebii Homepage -
(NOTE: Like Bulbapedia, this is another resource for research about Pokémon information. There's some overlap between the two, but Serebii is more technical in my experience. Check this out to also refer back to anything discussed in the episode.)
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes. Enjoy this picture of Rowlet, a Pokémon personal favourite of mine.)
Welcome back to The Lore Research Lab! If you are new here, welcome to The Lore Research Lab! This episode marks the beginning of a new season for The Lab, so there is some housekeeping to be done; what happens at The Lore Research Lab? What will we discuss here, and what has already been discussed? Will there be any updates for returning listeners? It is time to answer those questions!
(Creator's Note: I apologize in advance if you hear random noises in the background; this is a low-budget, fun project I am doing -- I hope you all enjoy!)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This ninth and final part analyzes the fall of the Zonai, what led to their collapse as a race, and the legacy they left behind; Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
-
Interactive Map of Hyrule
-
The Tapestry (Image)
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This eighth part focuses on Zonai relations with the Rito, the Sheikah, the emergence of Shrines, other events that were occurring as they became familiarized with Hyrule, and the wide-scale project headed by the Zonai in an effort to spread their culture. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry yet again for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has demonstrated its capacity to depict diverse races and allow them to feel unique, realized, and realistic in many ways. The Rito are a group of anthropomorphized birds who behave like bipedal Hylians but like other races in Hyrule, are distinguished. Their isolated lifestyle, societal structure, cultural values, and the mysterious areas surrounding the area they live on and within make them an intriguing race in more ways than one; the two bumbling researchers at The Lab discuss this interesting race in detail.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
The Rito:
-
Kaneli
-
Rito Village
-
Revali
-
Teba
-
Kass
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I'm sorry for the random clicking and shuffling noises, and as always, other background noises. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has an unexpected prequel! The Lore Research Lab is here to announce and share the good news about Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a combat-based Zelda game focused on the events that occurred 100 years ago prior to the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and how this new game may or may not affect the Lab's meta-theories and analyses on this franchise.
Resources:
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This seventh part discusses the first steps the Zonai took being a newly-instated Hyrulean group, as well as another group the Zonai may have interacted with. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry yet again for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This sixth part analyzes Zonai behaviour as they continue journeying throughout Hyrule, as well as other developments made by the group as a newly inducted Hyrulean group. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; the image used has been taken from the Nintendo-released content on the Breath of the Wild Sequel teaser and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This fifth part discusses a key area the Zonai visited and how this would eventually define their time in Hyrule. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry again for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This fourth part discusses what the Zonai may have done upon arriving in Hyrule, their journey throughout Hyrule, and key events within this initial journey. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is all about the tasks its hero, Link, must accomplish for the betterment of society, a role meant only for him. His duty to be the hero predicates the future of Hyrule; this bumbling mess of an episode looks at the characterization of the hero, how Link’s character follows the typical journey of the hero, and more!
Resources:
Matyszak, Philip. The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to Classical Stories. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014.
The Mahabharata, abridged and translated by John D. Smith. London: Penguin Books, 2009.
Virgil. Aeneid, translated by Frederick Ahl. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: The content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This third part looks at the environment surrounding the Zonai, other behaviours as a race, and the precursors to their arrival in a land we know very well. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This second part serves as an overview of Zonai society and culture, including practices and traditions this group may have implemented. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. Also, sorry for any background noise. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild handles many cultures at once, all with nuance; this allows the game to feel as immersive as it is. The Hylians, for example, were the race most devastated by the Great Calamity, so what is left of them implicitly informs the player of Hylian history. But what about ancient cultures? What about missing histories in other parts of Hyrule? The Zonai are a mysterious, ancient race The Lore Research Lab is set out to investigate, a race that has lost its voice over time. This first part serves as an overview; who the Zonai were and what there is to know about them solely based on gameplay. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Zonai.
Timestamps:
00:20 - Who were the Zonai?
4:22 - Zonai Remnants
4:41 - The Zonai Problem
5:14 - Zonai Ruins
7:10 - Armour Set Connection
8:03 - The Lomei Labyrinths
11:35 - Zonai Outliers
20:38 - The Mysterious Zonai
22:42 - Conclusion (Part 1)
Resources:
-
Interactive Map of Hyrule
-
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Trailer
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: If you are not familiar with this game, we recommend that you listen to the episodes in order for this episode to make sense. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own games and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has shown us that it has a massive landmass to explore, but what about that landmass? What about Hyrule and all of its constituent provinces? This episode focuses on geography, how Hyrule is seen in Breath of the Wild, some locations that make each province unique, and why it is important to know about the provinces that make up this version of Hyrule. Theorizing and discussing geography in this franchise appears to be important, so this episode is dedicated to making sense of the wild.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: For those that are not familiar/do not own this game, use the map that is linked here for any clarification on names and locations. If you zoom out fully, you can see the province names; zoom in as much as you can, and you will find names of minor locations, so toggling with this map can give you the necessary information. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has demonstrated its capacity to handle culture in a very nuanced way, in that there are multiple cultures to investigate, both old and new. Each culture has a different story to tell, almost literally in the Zelda franchise! This episode takes a look at the Gorons, a mountain-based, rock-eating race, one that has been in the franchise for many years and have appeared in multiple iterations. To celebrate the entrance of a new researcher, this slightly subversive episode analyzes the Gorons in detail, their timeline as a race in the franchise, and much, much more. Fair warning; English is still a language to grasped on this podcast.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for any peaks in the audio! I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild presents players a world that almost demands to be adventured through; it's hard not to with some amazing locations and beautiful sights to behold! However, this game begins in a post-apocalyptic period; it begins well after the Great Calamity. The Great Calamity was a catastrophe responsible for the ruination of many settlements, most prominently Hylian settlements. This episode looks at some locations that experienced the brunt of the Calamity's destructive force, speaking to more general Hylian locations affected by the Great Calamity. Keep in mind that verbal typos are a given when it comes to how this information is presented. Enjoy!
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
For a video game universe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does a wonderful job engaging players with the characters they meet and the cultures attached to the Hyrulean citizens. Though Calamity Ganon is a spirit-like villain entity, he once had a humanoid form, just like any other Hyrulean. In this third part, The Lore Research Lab’s established duo looks at the ways Gerudo culture, behaviours, history, and Ganon’s evolution over time in relation to the Gerudo leads to certain questions; how old are the Gerudo? Why is it important to know that this is the group Ganon hails from? What else are the Gerudo hiding in their culture, and do the Gerudo connect to any other more meta elements of the Zelda franchise? Welcome to the deep-dive on the Gerudo race.
Timestamps:
00:57 - Gerudo Fun Facts + Gerudo Archaeology
06:47 - Gerudo Archaeology, Paleontology & More
26:39 - Real World Connections & More
27:14 - Urban Planning
35:04 - Cultural Inspirations
46:17 - Conclusions + Theories
1:21:24 - Other Conclusions + Theories
1:29:13 - Conclusion (Part 3)
Resources:
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Interactive Map of Hyrule
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Map of Hyrule (Ocarina of Time)
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Map of the land (Skyward Sword)
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The Gerudo
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Molduga
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The Leviathan Skeleton Bones
“What is Urban Planning”. School of Urban Planning, McGill University. https://mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/planning.
Bozorgi, Khosrow. “Desert Utopia: The Hidden Unity of Iranian Architecture Conceptualization behind the Making of a Documentary Film”. American International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 4 (2018), 15-30.
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for when the audio cuts, and on the flip side, I apologize for when the audio peaks; we experienced some technical difficulties recording this episode so I apologize for the many segments. Some content in this episode deals with religions and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
This unofficial episode is a disorganized verbal thank you letter, wherein one of the researcher's here at The Lore Research Lab struggles to string together a coherent sentence -- nevertheless, we at The Lab are thankful for anyone and everyone that has listened to this mumbo-jumbo! All in all, this brief but (subjectively) fun bit describes some plans for The Lab going forward.
For a video game universe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does a wonderful job engaging players with the characters they meet and the cultures attached to the Hyrulean citizens. Though Calamity Ganon is a spirit-like villain entity, he once had a humanoid form, just like any other Hyrulean. In this second part, The Lore Research Lab’s newly-founded duo looks at Gerudo customs and provides some long-winded commentary on said customs … leading to an unprecedented discovery. Welcome to the deep-dive on the Gerudo race.
Timestamps:
00:29 - Gerudo Culture, Language
17:08 - Gerudo Practices & Laws
20:06 - Gerudo Clothing Rules
22:11 - Yiga Clan Complications
33:10 - Gerudo Women Enforcing the Rules
33:54 - Gerudo Trade Protocols
33:34 - Gerudo Town Significance & More
56:03 - An Unprecedented Discovery
1:12:27 - Conclusion (Part 2)
Resources:
-
Interactive Map of Hyrule
-
Divine Beast > Vah Naboris
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for when the audio cuts, and on the flip side, I apologize for when the audio peaks. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild offers an immersive and expansive land for players to adventure through, but danger lurks in many corners in the form of monsters. Both common monsters and niche monsters of this game are discussed and explored to give listeners an idea of what players are most likely to encounter in their travels throughout Hyrule!
Note: If more clarification is needed, check out The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Wiki page on what monsters are and their variants.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
A year ago, fans of the Zelda franchise and specifically fans of this game were pleasantly informed of a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This unofficial episode breaks down this cryptic and short teaser; one of the researchers tries their very best to make any sense of their thoughts, because this teaser seems to be hiding a lot.
Resources:
-
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Trailer
-
Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; the image has been taken from the sequel trailer and is solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In yet another unofficial episode, The Lore Research Lab's researcher continues to struggle in forming a coherent sentence in this breakdown on the gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Here, you will find a review of controls, the land or game overworld, the different inventories accessible to the player, and more! Pictured in the thumbnail is a creature called a sand seal, they are really entertaining in this game.
Note: If more clarification is needed, check out The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Wiki page or Wikipedia.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this unofficial episode, The Lore Research Lab's researcher that continues to fumble around using the English language presents the lowdown on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Heralded to be the origin of the franchise's lore and history, this rambling reviews select characters, some geography, and principle narrative elements that demonstrate how this game functions as the origin to the broader scheme of lore. Most importantly, there are connections to draw between this game, Breath of the Wild, and Ocarina of Time; strap in for the fun ride!
If more clarification is needed, check out The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Wiki page or Wikipedia.
Resources:
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
In this unofficial episode, one of The Lore Research Lab's researchers looks at a very important game known as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This game resonates deeply with a lot that appears in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, from characters to locations, you name it! In this chaotic ramble, you will learn more about Ocarina of Time, its story, and other cool details and ideas.
Side Note: You can fish in Ocarina of Time and it is both fun and tedious, because catching fish is sometimes a little frustrating. But also, why save Hyrule when you can fish? If more clarification is needed, check out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Wiki page or Wikipedia.
Resources:
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
For a video game universe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does a wonderful job engaging players with the characters they meet and the cultures associated with the Hyrulean citizens. Though Calamity Ganon is a spirit-like villain entity, he once had a humanoid form, just like any other Hyrulean. In this first part, The Lore Research Lab’s newly-founded duo looks at the culture Ganon hails from and the history of his founding race, the Gerudo, in Breath of the Wild and the franchise as a whole; welcome to the deep-dive on the Gerudo race.
Timestamps:
00:23 - The Gerudo Race (History & Overview)
10:50 - The Gerudo Race (in Breath of the Wild) & More
27:20 - The Gerudo Race (in Ocarina of Time) & More
59:33 - Conclusion (Part 1)
Resources:
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Interactive Map of Hyrule
-
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Summary
Gerudo Locations & Characters:
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Ganon
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Gerudo Town
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Kara Kara Bazaar
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Divine Beast > Vah Naboris
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The Seven Heroines
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Urbosa
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Nabooru
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Gerudo Valley
-
Gerudo Fortress
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Haunted Wasteland
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Desert Colossus
-
The Spirit Temple
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The Twinrova
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for when the audio cuts, and on the flip side, I apologize for when the audio peaks. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild possesses a version of Hyrule that is so expansive, once again emphasizing the ‘wild’ aspect of this came. One of the integral gameplay functions to this wilderness is the existence of Shrines; Sheikah-made dungeons that act as trials for the hero, with many sprinkled across the land. In this second part, The Lore Research Lab, with another mind in the mix, takes a look at Shrines that are not as enjoyable, and through chaotic banter, discuss the different approaches and experiences one can have when being an adventurer in Hyrule!
Side note: Motion-controlled puzzles are by far the most egregious creation known to humankind when it comes to the Shrine dungeons.
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for when the audio cuts, and on the flip side, I apologize for when the audio peaks. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild possesses a version of Hyrule that is so expansive, once again emphasizing the ‘wild’ aspect of this game. One of the integral gameplay functions to this wilderness is the existence of Shrines; Sheikah-made dungeons that act as trials for the hero, with many sprinkled across the land. In this first part, The Lore Research Lab, with another mind in the mix, takes a look at what Shrines are, their purpose from a gameplay standpoint, and the different varieties you can find through Link’s travels!
Resources
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for when the audio cuts, and on the flip side, I apologize for when the audio peaks. We do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from our own copies of the game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab’s only researcher spends most days researching, in all kinds of ways; whether it’s listening to the score from a game, playing the games – it can really vary! Guidebooks provided on certain game franchises are interesting resources, and aid in the pursuit of knowledge, theory-constructing, and so much more! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has its own guidebook, but there are a couple other guidebooks attached to the franchise as a whole. This episode is the second part, taking a look at two key events that show the amount of thought put into the games, reflecting the game's capacity to engage with its players, and interesting elements that comprise the creation of such events.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Akkala Citadel
26:43 - Fort Hateno
55:06 - Conclusion
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Lore Research Lab’s only researcher spends most days researching, in all kinds of ways; whether it’s listening to the score from a game, playing the games – it can really vary! Guidebooks provided on certain game franchises are interesting resources, and aid in the pursuit of knowledge, theory-constructing, and so much more! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has its own guidebook, but there are a couple other guidebooks attached to the franchise as a whole. This episode is the first part, taking a look at the way guidebooks can be used to add to the gameplay experience, The Great Calamity and The Champions explored in more detail, and the analysis on the group known as the Sheikah.
Timestamps:
00:30 - The Guidebooks
09:43 - The Great Calamity + The Champions & More
34:50 - The Sheikah
Resources:
- Interactive Map of Hyrule
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
It is often said that without music in any kind of visual format, be it movies or TV, a scene would lack impact – music creates moods, it makes the listener experience different kinds of emotions, and is entirely a subjective experience. In this poorly thought-out rant, The Lore Research Lab’s only researcher gives The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack a good listen, and some of their favourite tracks that prompted this rant. This episode explores the cool ways music has the ability to do just about anything – including the ability to tell a story.
Resources
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Interactive Map of Hyrule
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Original Soundtrack Listing
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The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Open-Air Concept
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: I apologize for my consistence incoherence. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
Zelda, Link, and Ganon, the principle trio of The Legend of Zelda franchise. Where does this dynamic find its roots, and are those roots beyond that of the video game world they exist in? Real-world mythology and video games meet in this episode, two worlds colliding with such great force! The Lore Research Lab takes a look at the way mythology appears in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and how this interacts with mythologies known to humankind. It's pretty crazy stuff, and the dive is a deep one - the potential video game universes have are truly endless!
Resources
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Interactive Map of Hyrule
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10 000 Years Ago Myth Tapestry
Mythologies:
Kojiki (Nihon Shoki)
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Amaterasu
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Izanami
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Izanagi
Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
- Kaguya-hime
The Mahabharata
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Devas
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Asuras
An excerpt from Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters, trans. Gustuv Herdt (Columbia University Press, 2014), 8–25. Ō no Yasumaro and Gustav Herdt. 2014. The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters. New York: Columbia University Press.
Campbell, Karlyn K. Inventing Women: From Amaterasu to Virginia Woolf. (University of Minnesota, 1998), 111-126.
Excerpts from Tale of a Bamboo Cutter (Taketori Monogatari), trans., Donald Keene, in Haruo Shirane, ed., Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600 (Columbia University Press, 2007), 170–171 and 179–184.
The Mahabharata, abridged and translated by John D. Smith. London: Penguin Books, 2009.
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(Creator's Note: The content in this episode deals with certain cultures, religions, and myths in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild presents players with a variety of cultures to witness, races to interact with. Among those are the Zora people, who share humanoid traits with the standard Hylian, but have adapted aquatic qualities to match the watery areas they populate. Prince Sidon is a character you meet in Breath of the Wild, and he's this wonderful fish prince who's really nice to Link - this clashes with the Zora climate players are first introduced to; the Zora don't seem too keen on having Link around. What's the deal with that? The Lore Research Lab takes the deep-dive and bad puns on this one, interweaving history and lore in this submerged investigation on timelines and connections to other Zora in the franchise!
Resources:
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Interactive Map of Hyrule
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Zora's Domain
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Prince Sidon
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Princess Mipha
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Divine Beast Vah Ruta
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Princess Ruto
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers tons of animals and creatures for players to interact with; dogs, bears, horses, and of course, Mountain Deer, my personal favourite. Among the known creatures that populate the land of Hyrule, there are also mythical creatures, ones spoken of in legend - The Servants of the Spring. What are these creatures, and how do they connect to the franchise as a whole? Do they hold any greater symbolism? It's time to deep-dive and find out!
Resources:
Interaction Map of Hyrule
The Servants of the Spring
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Farosh
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Dinraal
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Naydra
Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.
Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.
(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)
The second half to my introduction, this is The Lore Research Lab's preface on Breath of the Wild, the video game I will be researching in-depth! Some names are thrown around, a brief history of the franchise, and other tidbits are included in this half to prepare us for the journey awaiting us!
(Creator's Note: This is a low-budget, fun project I'm doing, so the production is really minimalist; I hope this is still an enjoyable listening experience! Check out Extra #1 and Season 2, Episode 20 for more background info, if needed.)
An introduction to The Lore Research Lab, what my goal is as a explore The Legend of Zelda franchise, with a specific focus on Breath of the Wild (2017) ! This is the first half of my introduction to preface listeners on the adventure ahead!
(Creator's Note: This is a low-budget, fun project I'm doing, so the production is really minimalist; I hope this is still an enjoyable listening experience! Check out Extra #1 and Season 2, Episode 20 for more background info, if needed.)
Do you enjoy video games? Do you like history and storytelling? The Lore Research Lab has got both! My name is A.R.K, the Lab’s researcher, determined to investigate video game universes. Topics include (but aren’t limited to), history, lore, geography, and so on, but the possibilities are endless! Connecting the virtual and real world is a cool idea, and The Lore Research Lab plans to have a lot of fun tying the two together!