Girl at play: Ocarina of Time 3D

Hello gamers,

Last month, I finally beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS version). This momentous occasion marked my first time ever beating a game in the Zelda series. I've played around with a few titles, but I never owned my own Nintendo console or handheld until the current generation of systems. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm a little late to the party, but you can rest assured that I will never leave it. 

**Now before I discuss my reactions to the game, I'll give you forewarning that this post will contain minor spoilers. I'm pretty sure that this is fair territory since most people have played the game, but don't say I didn't warn you!**

art cred ~Coi-Zelda on deviantart

I had a major realization after beating the game that made me very happy as a member of the lady race. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you probably know that I tend to stand up for women as gamers and in games. One reason I never gravitated toward the Zelda series to begin with was due to the fact that it simply seemed like the same old damsel-in-distress narrative. While these types of stories have been around for centuries, they aren't exactly a shining example of feminist ideals and principles.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy playing male characters in video games. I personally find it to be an interesting form of escapism that I couldn't experience otherwise. However, it can get pretty old pretty quickly when you're constantly protecting or saving the helpless little girl. Ok, this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is a recurring theme in many popular video game franchises (Aeris in Final Fantasy VII, Ashley in Resident Evil 4, Kairi in Kingdom Hearts - just to name a few). 

Sheik Zelda cosplay | Momocon 2011

The thing is, Zelda isn't a damsel. In fact, she's kind of a badass. In Ocarina of Time, Link is tasked with saving Hyrule by Princess Zelda. While it does seem that she is shielded due to her royal upbringing, she is still able to escape during Ganondorf's overrule. Zelda is the one supplying Link with wisdom and guidance - not the other way around. Her disguise as a member of the Sheikah clan is cunning and smart. The only reason Zelda gets captured in the first place is because she lets her guard down to help Link. At the end of the game, Zelda aids Link in fleeing the castle and delivering the final blow. Frankly, Link could not have completed his journey without the princess.

Hayao Miyazaki

Nintendo definitely broke the misconceptions I had toward this game. It's just an observation, probably one that I'm looking into a little too much, but it makes me appreciate the series a whole lot more and eager to play other installments. In fact, I can't help but think about my main man Hayao Miyazaki. The creative genius behind Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle is known for his incorporation of ladies taking charge and changing the world. We can save that particular discussion for another time, but my point is, it's nice to see a strong female lead every once in a while. I'm not saying that game developers or movie producers should force it, because that's how really mediocre characters are created, but it can be refreshing in a male-dominated industry. 

While I don't necessarily believe that games need to be tailored only to men or only to women, Lisa Brunette, narrative designer at Big Fish Games, put it poignantly when discussing how to make games that appeal to women in this Gamasutra article: 

"Respect them, don't pander to them, don't talk down to them, and don't give them stereotypes," she says. "Craft strong storylines with the right themes, and don't forget to evolve." 

More ramblings soon!
-The Girl Informer