Sometimes I watch this just to feel something. What an immaculate trailer.
With Tears of the Kingdom just four weeks away1, it feels strange to not have a level of hype like this trailer gives folks, even to this day. Perhaps it is because I am older, more tired, and juggling more. Maybe it is the level of secrecy Nintendo has had surround the newest game.
I am excited for Tears of the Kingdom, but I am not “hype.” Is it because this open-world Zelda is a know quantity now? Or that it isn’t launching alongside next-gen hardware? It is interesting to look back and think about all of this.
Perhaps procrastination will pay off again: Since I started this draft, Nintendo now has announced the premiere of the “final pre-launch trailer” for Tears of the Kingdom is tomorrow (4/12/23). If there was ever a moment to try and chase the dragon that is the 2017 trailer, this is it. 🤞🏻
There is so much different in my life surrounding this new game compared to Breath of the Wild. I have a kid now. Heck, I wasn’t married when Breath of the Wild dropped. I wrote a complete history of the game’s development. I was working on the guide for BotW. This will be the first 3D Zelda I’ve played since 2011 that I have played purely for myself and fun, with no work of deadline surrounding it.2 That has me more hyped up than the game itself.
It’s strange how much has changed in six years. I wonder how this version of Hyrule has changed. Will I recognize and remember the hills, mountains, and valleys? How will it feel to explore as a dad? Will I be playing in handheld while my daughter rolls around, maybe starts crawling?
Change is constant, but we are not always aware of it until afterward. Using Zelda as a marker for change is making me keenly aware. I suspect the next time a 3D Zelda game releases, Eloise will be old enough to engage with the games. ☠️
This has turned into the ramblings of a old(-feeling) dad watching his daughter grow up far too quickly, even if it has only been six months. Perhaps I am entering my King of Red Lions phase of life. Not a terrible place to be when you put it like that.
1. And that beautiful SWOLED out in just two weeks. 🤤
2. I have gone back to Skyward Sword (on the Wii) and played my fair share of the 3DS games. You get my point though.