The Champions' Cast - Zelda Dungeon Podcast

You know how much we love us a good Zelda-like game, and with Breath of the Wild 2 being delayed, there was no better time for arguably the greatest ever Zelda-like game to grace our consoles: Tunic! The cute adventure of a little fox on a lonely island wears its inspiration on its sleeve and offers an incredibly dense, challenging, fun, at times obtuse, nostalgic adventure all at the same time. The gang are joined by Rod Lloyd, who penned the official Zelda Dungeon review of Tunic, to discuss anything and everything about the game! Tunic is available on Steam and Xbox right now, and we couldn't recommend it enough! We'd love to hear your thoughts on this touching adventure, so let us know what you think!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab

A good or bad gimmick can elevate or detract from a game, and the Zelda series is unique in that every single game has a distinct, unique gimmick associated with it that makes them ripe for examination! This week, we're diving in and discussing what's worked and what needed improvement over the years with Zelda gimmicks; Dual worlds are a favorite staple, but maybe stylus or motion controls weren't for everybody. Transforming via masks was likewise awesome, so why did transforming into a wolf fall flat? How can one multiplayer Zelda game have one of the best gimmicks in the series while another has the absolute worst? All this is discussed in this box-of-gimmicks retrospective, PLUS, we hypothesize on what Breath of the Wild 2's gimmick might end up being; spoiler - it's a gimmick we've seen before! Come hang out with us!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe

Get ready to rumble, because this week the gang are talking a little Smash and a little Zelda, and specifically, what the best stages to play on are. Is Temple still the favorite and what makes it such an elite stage? Are Bridge of Eldin and Gerudo Valley just a little too boring to be great? Is N64's Hyrule Castle "Zelda" enough? Was Breath of the Wild's representation in Smash Ultimate below average? Why dies 2D Zelda get no love at all in the fighting series? And what stages would we have picked if we were in charge of making those decisions? All this, PLUS some followup from last weeks Breath of the Wild 2 delay. You won't wanna miss this episode!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch

With last weeks disappointing yet somewhat expected announcement of the delay of Breath of the Wild's sequel, the gang get together to discuss their thoughts and reactions. Is this the most disappointing Zelda delay yet? Are Nintendo just saving this game for new hardware? Is there something deeply flawed with Nintendo's developmental process? What was up with that busted Master Sword in the trailer? And maybe most importantly, how fresh did Aonuma-san look with his fresh hair cut?! All this and more discussion, including thoughts on E3's cancellation. Come hang out with us this week and let us know your thoughts on Breath of the Wild 2's delay!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store

This week, we're giving some love to an often overlooked and underappreciated game in The Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link! Okay, maybe it's not all love, but we do answer all of your questions about the game and come away with some really engaging discussion! What're our favorite spells? Did the XP system help or hurt the game? What were our favorite bosses? Did we like the random encounters on the overworld? Did the lack of map hurt this game? What are the biggest redeeming factors of this game? How did Adventure of Link inspire the Zelda series, both in terms of what to do and what not to do? All this and so much more! Come and hang with us as we go way back to finally give the black sheep of the series its day in the sun!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart R

Definitive Ranking returns for the first time since summer 2021, this time examining arguably not only the greatest Zelda game, but the greatest game period - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! We're taking a look at the classic 10 categories that make up any great Zelda game - the controls, the dungeons, the story, the music, etc. - and ranking them on a scale of 1-5. Come play along as we shower this game with deserved praise and reminisce about the characters, the side quests, the memories, the legacy, and the foundation that Ocarina of Time laid out, while also examining how it holds up in 2022. All this, PLUS next week, we are hosting an Adventure of Link Q&A! If you have a question about Zelda II, ask us either on Discord, Disquis, Twitter, wherever, and we'll answer your question next week!   Download!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subsc

It's that time of year again where MUSICAL MARCH MADNESS makes its triumphant return! As in years past, the gang go through the bracket and decide each matchup until the field of 64 has been whittled down to just one final champion. Some of our picks this year were surprising even to us, to make sure to tune in, as we also discuss whether we should vote for past winners or let new songs win, the dichotomy of some of the worst games having some of the best music, and our most overrated Zelda song! Come listen and don't forget to play along with us this year for the fourth annual Musical March Madness.   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store  

We are nothing if not topical here on this show, so we decided we would hop on the biggest bandwagon of the last couple months and challenge each other in a game of Zelda themed Wordle! We made a few tweaks to make the game a little more accessible for listeners and out our spin on the popular word guessing game. Andy and Al face off in a game of wits to see who can guess the correct word! Come play along with us! PLUS don’t forget to check out Andy’s new project, https://www.omegametroid.com! Come and support the show and browse the website, and if you want access to an EXTRA podcast called The Spiteri Show, consider signing up for Patreon! Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Pledge to Receive the Spiteri Show! Patreon   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch

And now, time for something a little different! We’re transforming the show into the Pokémon Cast this week, as we give our thoughts and in depth review of the new open world, Breath-of-the-Wild-esque Pokémon adventure Pokémon Legends Arceus! We go over how the new open world format feels, the new mechanics used to catch Pokémon, and how the game is the perfect blend of classic games, Pokémon Go, and Breath of the Wild! We also discuss the games music, weight in on the graphics debate, offer some criticisms about the story, look at how side quests could be improved, and give our two cents on the new Hisuian forms for some classic ‘mon! All this, PLUS, we discuss how the newly revealed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet could impact the release schedule for Breath of the Wild 2! Come and catch ‘em all with us!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x

We finally made it to a whopping 200 episodes! There are so many people to thank, so many friends we’ve made along the way, but all that is for another day! Today is about competition, and we’ve got both of Andy’s podcasts facing off against each other in a trivia contest! 20 Zelda and 20 Metroid questions await the combatants, each of varying difficulty, so if you think you know the answers, come play along with us! We can’t thank everyone enough for all the support over the last four years. We love all of you!     Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store    

We finally got a Nintendo Direct, and while it was mostly awesome, the absence of Breath of the Wild 2 loomed large over the proceedings. We break down what exactly we think is going on with that game and when we think it will be fully revealed, and then spend some time breaking down the rest of the games shown off. Splatoon 3, Triangle Strategy, Advance Wars all look awesome, and the new titles revealed like Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Fire Emblem Warriors 2, and Nintendo Switch Sports also look really promising. Throw in a free update for Metroid Dread and DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and we had a mostly good time! Come hear our full thoughts, and THANK YOU to everyone who tuned into our Episode 200 live stream! Look forward to that in podcast form next week!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts

February is here, and you know what the means: it's the month of loooove, and we are getting a bit salacious this week as we take a look back over the years and rank all of the various love interests that Link has had over the years. Are we #TeamZelda or #TeamMipha? What was the first true romance for Link? Does Link show any romantic affection for Tetra or Midna, or are they just business partners? What moment in the most heartbreaking, and why can't destiny let our boy have nice things? What character from Twilight Princess has the opposite of chemistry with Link? Come have fun with us, and stick around for some quick Pokemon talk, Sony talk, and Episode 200 plans!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch

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 February 13th for our episode 200 live stream! We hope to see you there!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store  

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 dungeons might surprise you, and some might seem obvious! All this, PLUS, some Microsoft/Activision talk, and discussing whether we should watch more Zelda-themed movies in the future. Come hang out with us! If you want to play along and make your own list, use this template: Intro Dungeon: Forest Themed Dungeon: Water Themed Dungeon: Fire Themed Dungeon: Ice Themed Dungeon: Desert Themed Dungeon: Scary Themed Dungeon: Mini-Dungeon: Vertical Tower 2D Themed Dungeon: Technology Themed Dungeon: Themeless Dun

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 look to the plot of Princess Mononoke to deduce where we might be headed in Breath of the Wild 2. Come get sweat away with us, and PLUS - we reveal our big episode 200 plans! Come and hang out, and if you haven't ever seen it, or maybe it's been a while, do yourself a favor and watch Princess Mononoke this week!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x P

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, PLUS, tune in next week when we detail our big plan for episode 200!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Advertise on The Champions’ Cast! Inquiries – andy.spiteri@zeldadungeon.net

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 of whack? All this and a lot more too, PLUS, don't forget to head over to Discord or Facebook to ask us a Zelda question for next week!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Advertise on The Champions’ Cast

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 talk (no spoilers, promise!), Matrix Resurrections hype, and more movie chatter. Come hang out, and thank you for another wonderful year of Zelda podcasting!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Advertise on

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 dog barking, new coffee flavors, and how we like to Christmas shop! Come hang out!   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twitch x Facebook x Discord   Subscribe to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podcasts x Podbean x Spotify x iTunes x Google Podcasts x iHeart Radio x PlayerFM   Grab The Champions’ Cast Merch! Official Zelda Dungeon Merch store   Advertise on The Champions’ Cast! Inquiries – andy.spiteri@zeldadungeon.net

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 will be streaming after the show if Breath of the Wild 2 is shown), the continuation of the best song of all time debate, and some Princess Mononoke talk. Come listen!   Intro Dungeon: Forest Themed Dungeon: Water Themed Dungeon: Fire Themed Dungeon: Ice Themed Dungeon: Desert Themed Dungeon: Scary Themed Dungeon: Mini-Dungeon: Tower Vertical 2D Dungeon: Technology Themed Dungeon: Themeless Dungeon: Final Castle Dungeon:   Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316)  Al