Dungeon

Present in all Zelda games, the dungeons form the "underworld" of the worlds which Link visits and contain items and treasure to collect, enemies to overcome, and puzzles to be solved.

Purpose
The main reason for the existence of dungeons is to house a prize that Link must collect. Throughout the series these items have been different; Link collected fragments of the Triforce in the original LoZ, pendants and crystals in A Link to the Past, musical instruments in Link's Awakening, and other items throughout the other games. In Zelda 2 the goal was not to collect, but to return gems to magical statues in the dungeons.

Items
The dungeons that Link visits are home to valuable items and treasures for Link to collect, ranging from item upgrades to unique tools and weapons. Many of these items will prove to be essential to the completion of Link's goals. With the exception of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, almost every dungeon that Link encounters contains a set of items usable only in that dungeon. These include a Dungeon Map, which displays the layout of the dungeon (but may still omit certain secret rooms.) The original use of the Compass was to display the location of the boss of the dungeon, but as the games moved into a 3D style it has come to also pinpoint hidden secrets within the dungeon. The Big Key is used to open specially locked doors (and sometimes chests.) It is sometimes called the Boss Key since its use usually signals that the boss fight is about to occur.

2D Era
In The Legend of Zelda, the dungeons retained the same format as the rest of the game: the player, as Link, maneuvers each area from a top-down perspective, facing everything from dead ends to invincible and annoying enemies to complex traps, puzzles, and maze-like passages. The first installment in the Zelda series is one of but a few in the franchise to feature a special second quest after the challenges of the first one are overcome, or by the player entering "ZELDA" as the file name. In either case, the second quest proves more challenging, offering nine dungeons similar to those in the original quest. However, not only are some of the dungeons' locations mixed up in the second quest, but they are generally more difficult, with a different layout and the items hidden more carefully and stronger enemies and bosses introduced sooner. The general layout of Hyrule remains the same, but the locations of items scattered across the overworld are also hidden in different places.

The Adventure of Link saw a major change in the original Zelda concept, in that, though the top-down perspective remains, it only does so when Link is wandering Hyrule Field. Most of the action takes place in a side-scrolling format, adding other platforming elements (i.e. this is the only Zelda title to date in which the player can press one button to make Link "jump" without the aid of items or special moves). The side-scrolling element adds difficulty to the overall game (and the dungeons especially), in that certain enemies are much more difficult to defeat than they were in the strictly top-down perspective offered in The Legend of Zelda. On the other hand, the addition of certain abilities&mdash;most notably the downthrust technique, which is one that allows Link to jump up in the air and come down sword first&mdash;make effective tools in Link's fighting repertoire.

A Link to the Past returned to the fully top-down perspective, going back to the series' roots, thus removing the platform and side-scrolling elements that featured heavily in The Adventure of Link. However, they still suffered some alterations, as they have become multi-leveled, the puzzles are more complex and they're less focused on defeating enemies. Because of the game's use of the Light/Dark dichotomy, some dungeons in the Dark World are in the exact same places some are in the Light World.

Link's Awakening also retains the same format, but they also include portions of side-scrolling navigation, as in The Adventure of Link. Also, each dungeon can only be accessed after collecting the proper entrance key.

3D Era (1998-2001)
After a five-year absence on the market, the Zelda series returned with its fifth installment, titled Ocarina of Time. Its series-new 3D graphics allow the game's dungeons to be far more individual, and more unusual settings are used, such as the humongous insides of both a tree and a giant fish. The game also introduces another first in the series: an optional dungeon, the Gerudo Training Ground, in which, if he completes the challenges therein, Link will obtain the Ice Arrows; however, the Ice Arrows are not necessary for completion of his quest.

Though not included in the original release of the game for the Nintendo 64, the GameCube release of Ocarina of Time carries a Master Quest, which is a similar revisiting of the game to that of the second quest from the original Legend of Zelda. One major difference of note between the second quest and the "Master Quest" (from Zelda and Ocarina of Time, respectively) is that, in the second quest from The Legend of Zelda, both the overworld and dungeons undergo radical changes, but in Ocarina of Time Master Quest, only the dungeons change, offering new puzzles and traps, as well as different locations for the items within and stronger enemies introduced sooner.

Majora's Mask employs the same game engine used for Ocarina of Time, but so far has not offered a second quest. In fact, the game's dungeons were fewer than in previous titles of the series. However, they have become more complex in various aspects, and they're thematically unique (the third dungeon, for example, serves as a waterwheel factory). One of the new aspects is the game's time-based gameplay device, which make the dungeons resettable, meaning that all the puzzles solved, enemies defeated and keys obtained are reverted every time Link travels back in time. However, when cleared for the first time, they allow Link to confront directly the bosses through the warp spots that activate in the dungeons' entrance rooms. Likewise, stray fairies can be collected in these dungeons so that Link can return them to the fountains they belong to, in exchange for special rewards. It's also worth mentioning that the game's first three dungeons require Link's new respective forms (Deku, Goron and Zora) to be conquered, while in the fourth one Link makes use of all of them to reach the temple's boss.

The handheld games Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages retain the top-down perspective from the original.

3D Era (2002-2005)
Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures brought back the top-down perspective, but introduced into the gameplay another first in the series: the first and so far only multi-player Zelda adventures, making for more varied and interesting puzzles and gameplay, which can only be conquered when the individual Links work as a team.

The series' next installment, The Wind Waker, saw more breakthroughs in graphics and changes to the way the game is played through the dungeons. While many people were neither pleased nor impressed at first with series' creator Shigeru Miyamoto's more "child-friendly" approach&mdash;Miyamoto's idea was actually to appeal to all ages with the advent of cel shading, not necessarily just a younger audience&mdash;the game retains in spades the same basic puzzle and other elements that have made the Zelda franchise so popular. In this installment, the dungeon idea got another renovation: as new items are introduced in the game, The Wind Waker proves once again that a new spin on an old idea can work. With every item Link obtains throughout the dungeons, new abilities become available, but the puzzles change more than ever to conform to the usability of the items, and the series has continued more this way since. This game also introduces the ability to manipulate other crucial characters and inanimate objects (such as statues), adding another layer to the gameplay and challenging puzzle elements that are hallmarks of the series.

The Minish Cap once again uses the top-down perspective of many of its predecessors, and the overall plot is to tell the backstory to Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. Although Link once again gains the ability to split himself into up to four Links (as in the other two games), this game does not feature a multi-player mode, but the complexity of the dungeons once again takes a turn and keeps the player on his/her toes. Adding a new layer of puzzle challenge to the game is the Minish Cap, which allows Link to shrink to the tiny size of the Picori who inhabit most of Hyrule. This item and ability combination grants Link access to places he could never have gone before, such as inside certain enemies and into the homes of the Picori, who live in everything from mouse holes to shoes to tree stumps. However, this newfound freedom to go where he wants is replete with new dangers, too, from cats to giant ChuChus, which become deadly enemies when Link is only the size of the Picori. Most of the dungeons Link visits in this game require him to be this size&mdash;or require that he shrink at certain places while he traverses the dungeons&mdash;to either enter the dungeons or access otherwise inaccessible areas.

Games into present
The Legend of Zelda series continues in late 2006 with Twilight Princess, which returns the player to the 3D perspective after Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, but adds a new element of puzzle and gameplay: the ability Link gains to turn himself into a wolf. Certain puzzles can only be solved and obstacles overcome by Link when he is in wolf or human form. The items play a heavy role in puzzle specifications once again. Statue manipulation also returns to stretch the player's abilities and test his/her puzzle-solving skills. Thematically, the game's dungeons vary significantly, including a mining cavern, an inhabited mansion and a temple trapped in time, among others.

Phantom Hourglass (the sequel to The Wind Waker) and Spirit Tracks once again use cel-shading and similar puzzle elements. A new addition to the series with this games is the almost-exclusive use of the stylus. The stylus is used for movement, swordplay, using items and picking up objects. For instance, the player can use the stylus to control the movement of Link's Boomerang, to plot his path through dungeons, and highlight dungeon items (i.e. the dungeon map, Compass, etc.). Traditional Zelda elements remain, but are significantly altered by the extensive use of the stylus, adding challenging features that are another first in the series. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks also contain a "master dungeon" (Temple of the Ocean King and Tower of Spirits). These master dungeons are rather large, and Link must visit them between regular dungeons to acquire Sea Charts and Rail Maps, which guide him to previously unexplored areas. The Temple of the Ocean King is filled with fog, which limits the amount of time which Link can spend in the dungeon to the amount of sand remaining in the titular Phantom Hourglass. Both dungeons themselves contain Phantoms, which are enemies that Link cannot defeat until he acquires the Phantom Sword in Phantom Hourglass. In Spirit Tracks Link has to collect three Tears of Light, so that Princess Zelda is able possess the suits of armor of a Phantom. The time limit (only in Phantom Hourglass) and the Phantoms are nullified by the various "safe zones" throughout the dungeon.

Architecture
In the original The Legend of Zelda game, Link explores labyrinths, whose purpose is to guard the fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, with the final labyrinth being the whereabouts of Ganon and the Triforce of Power; these mazes house numerous and powerful enemies, such as knights, apparitions and monsters. Puzzle-wise, they aren't too complex, aside from a few parts where Link has to either move a square rock or trade some item or money to someone. The progress is more based on defeating creatures in order to open locked door or collect keys; something interesting is that creatures used to be bosses in some dungeons may return in later ones, either as bosses again or mid-way opponents, and either as powerful as before or as stronger variations. The dungeons are mostly monochrome, some of them are blue-colored, others are green-colored, yellow-colored or white-colored; in the first quest, the arrangement of their rooms are based on animals or objects they are named after. In the second quest, the first five dungeons resemble letters (E, A, L, D, Z; EALDZ is an anagram for Zelda), the sixth is based on a hat, the following two are spiral-shaped and the last one is similar to its First Quest counterpart, but surprisingly smaller.

All dungeons from The Adventure of Link and some from A Link to the Past are palaces. The former ones house sacred lecterns where Link must place magic crystals that lift the seal blocking the entrance to the Great Palace, which itself houses the long-missing Triforce of Courage, the latter ones guard either sacred pendants that are the key for obtaining the Master Sword or crystals where imprisoned maidens are encased. In Zelda II, the palaces are explored with a side-scrolling format and, like the previously cited labyrinths, can be distingished by the color of the bricks they were built with; they usually require Link using magic spells to be conquered, and fighting enemies is now optional (as long as they're easy to overlook, of course). In A Link to the Past, the palaces are explored in top-view perspective, and have a more elaborate interior than the previously cited dungeons, having more hazards, obstacles and traps; as with all other dungeons in the game, a Big Key is required in each palace to meet the boss.

Most Ocarina of Time dungeons, all of Majora's Mask ones and some from The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Link finds and explores temples. In Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, these temples are built to awaken the chosen Sages who contribute on the defeat of evil, as well as to worship sacred deities. The temples in Ocarina of Time are, interestingly, the first dungeons where keys (big and small) begin to be used, as the first dungeons lack them; they also can be completed by Adult Link only, and each one revolves puzzle-wise around a gimmick or mechanic related to the theme that's being dealt with (for example, in the Water Temple, Link has to change the level of water in order to make some rooms accessible, in the Forest Temple he has to modify some corridors in order to find some Poes that stole the main room's lights; and so on). In The Wind Waker, the two temples act in a similar way their OoT counterparts do, the differences are that they cannot be completed by one lone person, and that the chosen Sages pray to give power to the Master Sword, whereas the Sages of the other temples await in the Sacred Realm to keep Ganon from causing evil. In Majora's Mask, the temples guard the Four Giants that aid the people of Termina when disgrace is foreseen.

Besides the aforementiones dungeons, there are also Caverns (characterized for having little, if any, artificial architecture within), Towers (large buildings that have a more prominent purpose, such as guarding a pearl that bring protection to the user from dark influences, or guarding the entrance to the ruins of an ancient kingdom), or organic entities, among others.

Themes
The dungeons in the Zelda series cover a wide variety of elements, themes and enviroments; however, the following ones are the most common or the most recurring:

Dungeons located in forests or groves or swamps usually mimic the ecosystems surrounding them, both in context and in atmosphere; enemies such as Deku Baba plants, Deku Scrubs or Skulltula spiders inhabit the rooms; the puzzles are usually generic in nature and aren't too difficult to solve. Also, depending on the game itself or the plot, there may be various unique situations. For example, in Twilight Princess, Link has to cooperate with monkeys in order to make his way through the rooms of the Forest Temple, in Ocarina of Time, he ocassionally has to twist some corridors so that he can access and explore new rooms of the same temple.

Dungeons related to fire are expectedly more difficult because of the new hazards present, such as lava or fire obstacles. These dungeons feature puzzles that are in one way or another related to removing or creating fire, although others have more to do with the use of Bombs. Moving blocks have been reportedly frequent in these dungeons as well.

One of the most controversial types of dungeons are arguably those dedicated to water, mostly because the difficulty is even higher than in the other dungeons. Most water-based dungeons can only be conquered by manipulating water in one way or another, which is considered by some players to be annoying. In the Water Temple, Link has to make the water descend and ascend its level at least twice in order to meet the boss, and numerous times if the players guiding him overlook keys that may be needed later and that are only accessible when the water is on its right level; another difficulty is that Link has to constantly equip or de-equip his Iron Boots, depending on whether he is rising to a surface or walking on a bottom. Other dungeons include the Great Bay Temple (where Link must invert the water's flow direction, freeze small bodies of water or enemies, activate water-based elevators, etc.), the Lakebed Temple (where water must be transported from its sources to fill in empty rooms), etc.

Dungeons dealing with the undead are related to creepy enemies (Poe ghosts, ReDeads, bats, spiders, etc.) and deadly traps and endless pits. Puzzle-wise, these dungeons defy the human eyes, often featuring invisible elements or fake illusions; light may also be required to open new paths, as seen in The Wind Waker with the Earth Temple. There are also desert-themed dungeons, although they are actually similar to forest dungeons when it comes to puzzles (in fact, the Arbiter's Grounds from Twilight Princess are similar to the Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time when it comes to hunting Poes), or at least these are more generic in nature (but sometimes this also depends on the items found or used, as well as the objective to be completed). Ice dungeons are among the most difficult in the series because of the obstacles (icy enemies and sources of the cold that can freeze Link, slippy floors, falling ice needles, etc); it's also common to move blocks on these dungeons, although the low friction of the floor can make this more difficult than usual. Sky or wind dungeons revolve around either using wind in order to reach new places or crossing chasms carefully to avoid falling below.