You know those things that happen during the course of a Zelda game that just make you smile? Well we're diving deep into those moments in our show today to discuss what our favorite (and least favorite!) Zelda tropes and reoccurring elements are! Everything from Link beginning the game asleep to the Dead Man's Volley to companions to trading sequences, all the way to box art, reusing old bosses and more! Come strap in and let us know what your favorites are! PLUS, don't forget to tune in on Feb...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 247
In a somewhat darker twist on our All-Star Team episode from a few weeks back, the gang are now picking their LEAST favorite themed dungeons in the series, which is not as easy as you may think! We pick out the dungeons that make us cringe, from the intro dungeon, to ice themed, to water themed, to mini-dungeon, all the way to the final dungeon! Come listen to figure out our thought process, what self-imposed rules we created for ourselves, and to hear us reveal our lists – in which some of the ...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 246
We're back for another week with a very special episode, one that we've been looking forward to for a while: analyzing the world, characters, and themes of Studio Ghibli's 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke and seeing how that movie made a lasting impressing on the Zelda series, and Breath of the Wild in particular. We compare Link and Ashitaka, Zelda and San, Lady Eboshi and the citizens of Irontown to the fabled Sheikah clan, analyze the similar themes of nature versus technology, and even loo...
Jan 17, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 245
We are answering a PLETHORA of fan questions, so with absolutely no time to waste, let's go over some of what we touch on this week. Other than Breath of the Wild 2, what's our biggest hope for Zelda in 2022? Why aren't the CD-i game included in Best Zelda Ever? What' the right balance between reveal and release? What Nintendo IP would we sacrifice to bring another IP back from the dead? What old Zelda bosses should make a comeback? Will there be a Breath of the Wild 3? All this and so much more...
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 244
Happy New Year everyone! To kick off 2022, we're looking back at the year that was and then up ahead at the year that is to come! Was Zelda's 35th anniversary really that bad? Do we think Breath of the Wild 2 is still on track to release in 2022? What was the turning point in 2021 where fans started to get grumpy with the anniversary? Are hopes for a mobile Zelda game officially dead? Is Minish Cap headed to Switch in 2022? And what did Mario and Covid do to throw our Zelda 35 expectations out o...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 243
This is our last show on 2021, so we're going out with a bang and celebrating the culmination of all of our writing team's hard work: Best Zelda Ever 2021! Our annual list is out, and of course Andy and Al were two of the writer that contributed to the list, so this week, we're going over the finished product and seeing what we agree with and what we don't! Come listen to some scathing rants and glorious insight into some of the more underappreciated games. All this PLUS, a little Spider-Man tal...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 242
The title really says it all, doesn't it? This week, we go over everything shown and, more importantly, not shown at The Game Awards this year, including Breath of the Wild 2. Come hear Andy explain why he's losing anticipation for the sequel, our thoughts on The Game Awards as a legitimate award, our reactions to some of the games shown, and how Geoff Keighley fumbled an important chance to hold companies like Activision and Blizzard accountable on such a big stage. All this, PLUS, some crazy d...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 241
We're back on our usual biz this week, passing the time by assembling a Zelda Dungeon All-Star Team! Inspired by the NHL All-Star game every year, the gang decide if they had to pick the best intro dungeon, the best forest dungeon, the best water dungeon, etc. what would that list look like? We came up with some surprising answers, and also gave homage to some of the titans among the series. Copy and paste the template below to fill your roster out! All this, PLUS some Game Award talk (yes we wi...
Dec 06, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 240
Another slow week of Zelda news makes way for us to dip into one of our oldest bag of tricks and answer Daily Debate questions from our amazing Zelda Dungeon writing staff! Would Link and Zelda swapping roles be compelling? What do we want DLC to look like in the future? What's the most excited we've ever been for a Zelda game? What's our favorite version of the dead man's volley? Best physical pre-order bonus? This is only a peak at some of the questions we answer! All this, PLUS we go over our...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 239
Which version of Impa reigns supreme within the Zelda series? Join Andy and Al this week as they discuss their takes and rank the many iterations of this beloved character, from her humble beginnings in The Legend of Zelda, to her latest, action-packed role in Age of Calamity. Find out if you agree with their list in the end, or if you prefer a different choice at the top! And of course, feel free to join them in their discussion-- or drag them for how wrong they are-- over on the Zelda Dungeon ...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 238
Another week goes by, another week with no Zelda news. In order to pas the time and entertain ourselves, Andy and Al are joined by Gooey Fame to answer some Zelda-themed "would you rather" questions. Would we rather see a live action or animated Zelda movie? Would we rather hang out at Telma's Bar or the Lofty Pumpkin? Would we rather every new Zelda game play like Tri Force Heroes or look like Twilight Princess? Would we rather work for Beedle or Tingle? Would we rather have the Spinner in real...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 237
The second batch of DLC for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, called Guardian of Remembrance, dropped last month, promising new vignettes, playable characters, stages, abilities, and more. Was the DLC a smashing success? Well, not exactly. This week, come listen to the gang as they lay out their problems with Age of Calamity's story, discuss the new playable characters, go over the missions and where they fell short, ponder the timing of introducing ultimate weapons, and wonder out loud "what wa...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 236
Happy Halloween Zelda fans! Get into the spooky mode by celebrating some of the scariest and creepiest dungeons and areas in the Zelda series. We are definitively ranking them to figure out what is the absolute creepiest of them all. From heavy hitters like the Shadow Temple and Arbiters Grounds to lessor known dungeons like Phantom Hourglass's Ghost Ship or Oracle of Seasons' Explorer's Crypt, all the way back to area's with creepy vibes like Ikana Castle or The Minish Cap's Royal Valley, we co...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 235
With another slow news week in the world of Zelda rolling on by, we decided to pass the time by bringing back an old favorite: Guess That Zelda ____! This time, we've decided to try and stump each other by picking some of the dungeons (and mini-dungeons) of the series. Joined by our own Skull Kid Nico , we activate what we're calling Fusion Difficulty (thanks Metroid!) and limiting ourselves to only 10 questions instead of the usual 16 to get it right. Think you can beat us? Come play along! Fol...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 234
Buckle in, because we have an action packed show for you today! We asked you to give us your best Majora's Mask questions and as usually, you did not disappoint! What would a Rito transformation mask have looked like? Is there any reason to ever come back to Termina? Where does Skull Kid rank on the list on non-Ganon Zelda villains? What do we make of the "Link is dead" theory? What's a sidequest that could have been improved? Which Majora's Mask characters are better than their Ocarina of Time ...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 233
So, full disclosure: this is more an episode about Metroid from a Zelda fans perspective than an episode about Zelda itself, so if you're looking for in depth Zelda, come back next week (when, by the way, we're answering Majora's Mask questions, so if you have any, make sure to ask us on Discord !). This week, we're celebrating the release of Metroid Dread by looking back and examining why it is that Zelda took off as a series and Metroid hit a stalemate, while then comparing the 35th anniversar...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 232
Gather round the fire and prepare to be enraged as the gang gets together and debates which Zelda games have the best OST's. We're tackling a bunch of different topics that were a lot of fun, including: does one great song redeem the Spirit Tracks OST? How has our opinions on Breath of the Wild's ambient music changed over the years? Is the music of Tri Force Heroes its one redeemable quality? Which Zelda game gets the S-Tier crown? Can Andy convince everyone that The Minish Cap has a A-Tier wor...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 231
We had our usual September Nintendo Direct, and while it didn't necessarily blow the roof off the house, it was still a solid show that gave us a look at a lot of cool stuff! Come listen as we break down and react to the announcements, including our thoughts on the Mario movie and casting voice actors versus celebrities, if you should be mad that Nintendo 64 games coming to NSO will cost you more money, Andy's scathing rant on Kirby, and of course, the latest snippet of DLC we got for Hyrule War...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 230
If you're anything like us, you might feel like you're in a bit of a Zelda drought. With no new new Zelda games for the last couple years and a bunch of remakes to hold us over, the itch to play something Zelda-like can feel pretty intense. Luckily this week, Andy and Al are covering some of the absolute best Zelda-like games you can play! Come hear us talk about classics like Okami, Shadow of the Colossus, and Hyper Light Drifter, while also detailing newer games like Ittle Dew, Moonlighter, an...
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 229
If you haven't heard by now, the third annual Fall Brawl Character Contest is LIVE over on Zelda Dungeon, and this week we're going through the field of 64 to narrow it down, match by match, until only ONE character is left! Who will end up being our favorite character? Senior Editor Heather Beard makes her Champions' Cast debut to help us narrow it down! YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FILL OUT A PREDICTION AND WIN PRIZES! Just follow the link to the main article and enter the contest at the bottom! Fal...
Sep 13, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 228
This week, Andy makes his triumphant return to the show to tell a few wedding stories about his bachelor party and a homeless person sleeping in his car, while also tackling a plethora of Zelda questions! We asked you for your best, and as always, you didn't disappoint! What's our favorite mini-dungeon in the series? What kind of Zelda game do we think comes after Breath of the Wild 2? Other than Clock Town, what's our favorite town in the series? If we could add any character from Zelda into Su...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 227
Behold the triumphant return of Guess that Zelda Location! Gooey, Corey, and Al had a great time playing this game last year. So we decided to bring it back with some new guests! Come see how well we know each other, and try to guess the Zelda locations in 16 questions or less as you play along with us! Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Lulu Tyson (@Lulushugaboo) Judy Calder (@AHylianPrincess) Twitch x Facebook x Discord Subscribe to The...
Aug 30, 2021•58 min•Ep. 226
Andy is off getting married this week (congrats friend!), so we decided to dig deep into the archive for this week's episode. We're taking you back to the Andy and Taylor days as Andy recounts his wacky adventures in Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland! Whether this episode is a blast from the past, or a whole new listening experience for you, we hope you enjoy, and maybe even consider playing Tingle's spinoff game yourself one day! Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eleth...
Aug 23, 2021•47 min•Ep. 226
Andy and Al are back for another fun ride through the world of Zelda, answering a bunch of Daily Debate questions. Which Link has the best character arc? Which game has the least amount of plot holes? Would we like to see upgradable items and weapons make a comeback? Was Demise way too hard of a final boss? Should we stop calling it the Zelda timeline and instead call it a Multiverse? All this and so much more! Come and hang out with us! Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 225
Last week in our Definitive Ranking of Skyward Sword, we glossed over the dungeons, giving them a perfect 5 and promising to elaborate the next week. Well, that week is now here, and we have a lot to say about the different dungeons of Skyward Sword! We go over all seven dungeons, discussing in great detail the bosses, the items, the music, the aesthetic, and puzzles, and more! We had wildly different rankings, so there was some hard bargaining too! Come tell us what you think of our list, and m...
Aug 08, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 224
Alasyn returns this week to join Andy in one of their absolute favorite activities: definitive rankings! Borrowing the concept from their Hyrule Compendium pals, definitive ranking entails taking the ten categories that really make up a Zelda game - the world, the art style, the story, the music, the dungeons, the bosses, the items, the pacing, the extras, and the gameplay - and ranking it from 1 to 5. Where does Skyward Sword fall on our list? Come listen to find out! Plus, don't miss next week...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 223
Happy ZDMX week everyone! This week, our pal Alasyn is away for the 10th annual Zelda Dungeon Marathon, so we're cracking open a previously-Twitch-exclusive episode pitting Andy and Al against Zelda Universe's Alex Trevino and Amanda van Hiel ! There might be a few audio hiccups on here, but we figured it was better than skipping a week of the show, so come on and play with us! There are some epic doozeys in here, o come and see which competitor walks away the champion from this Fatal 4-Way matc...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 222
It's finally here! The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is one of both Andy and Alasyn's favorite Zelda games ever, so there was a lot to look forward to in the new HD remaster. Hear our thoughts as we go in depth covering both control schemes, what works and what doesn't, what we think of the updated visuals and performance, what's missing from HD that would level it up even more, and what QOL changes really stick out to us as invaluable. Come and enjoy Skyward Sword HD with us! PLUS, be sure to ...
Jul 20, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 221
We are back with another weeks worth of Daily Debates to, well, debate! We picked the minds of Zelda Dungeon's Writing Team, getting some of the best and most engaging questions to give our hot takes on! We cover a bunch of different issues, such as: what we think of the Switch OLED, our favorite tunes in Skyward Sword, the idea that we might not be playing as Link in Breath of the Wild 2, interactive memories, voice acting, Zelda as a playable character or companion, and if Nintendo botched Zel...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 220
Welcome to another episode of the Champions' Cast! This week, we're joined by Zelda Universe's Alex Trevino to discuss and review the first wave of DLC for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Pulse of the Ancients! Find out what we thought about the new skill tree, learn about all the different upgrades available, if we liked the new Flail and Master Cycle weapons, what viscous monsters were the worst, and of course, if we rated the new playable characters, the Battle Tested Guardian, as a thumbs ...
Jul 05, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 219
