The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY!) (Last Update: September 6)

Time to record more gameplay!

No update today. To tide you over…

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Click here to open the update!

Hey, here’s another thing to look forward to someday.

So, this quest I was stuck on earlier? Turns out we can’t do it yet. It requires the last rune we do not have, one gotten from progressing the main quest.

We’ll revisit this eventually. Maybe.

For now, let’s get to kicking skulls.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u14/004.mp4

And…whatever this is.

First, had another vote for spirit orbs, and another vote resulting in more stamina. I’m not complaining (yet).

Let’s do those couple of side quests we got last time. First, the side quest about treasure within a triangle? South of the Lurelin Village is this…triangle. As good a place to check as any!

For this, we’re going to borrow the raft the village elder offered us. We could Cryosis it, but…it wouldn’t be pleasant.

We could just hope for the best with the wind, or take matters in our own hands. Always have a Korok Leaf handy!

There’s a bit to fight through to get to our destination, of course.

Good time to break out the Shock Arrows! Rain makes them hit a much larger radius (and the targets being in the ocean helps, too).

Then some Ice Arrows to conserve my Shock ones for later.

Also bombs.

Looks like we found our trove! The results:

A sapphire, two topaz, and…

…this beauty. This sword will hit the enemy with electricity, which is as wonderful as it sounds. As you may expect, similar versions exist for fire and ice elements.

Then the guy asks for more money. Think we’ll pass this time.

You know, there might be some treasure that yet sleeps in this ocean. A diligent boy like you could get rich finding it… May all your delving end in gold!

Our reward, other than the treasure itself, is the hint that there may be more chests hidden underwater. So keep that in mind, I guess. Even though I’m already way ahead on that front.

Our next quest is going to take us back on the road north from Lurelin Village.

Er, sorry… Here, I’ll share some nice info I came across as my form of apology. The fish in Lurelin Village are pretty fatty. As a result, I hear they’re incredibly delicious when you grill them!

We make our way back to the fork, this time heading south. Way to the south is our destination, Aris Beach. All we have to do there is wipe out the enemies.

Our targets.

But first, burning.

We probably shouldn’t have burned this crate first.

Ah, here we go. Mighty Bananas are a nice way to boost attack. They also have another wonderful use we’ll see later on.

The issue here is there’s no way to reach that platform as is.

The solution?

As always, whenever water is involved, “Cryosis.”

Now time for the ol’ Sneak and Smack.

Ouch. This guy’s better at the Sneak and Smack than me, it seems.

Let’s try this again.

Much better.

Link’s not the only one who can use the elemental arrows. This Bokoblin is raining fire arrows upon us, which understandably is rather bad.

Good thing we’re a better shot, then.

I clear the first tower of enemies. One more tower to go.

Link gets a nasty hit here, but he’s still standing!

Almost got it!

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u15/064.mp4

…or that could happen.

Yes, Moblins will attack you by picking up and throwing nearby Bokoblins.

OK, now we’re done here.

The enemy chest nets us a new weapon. Considering how many I’ve gone through here, it’s quite welcome!

You know, while we’re nearby, we might as well check out the mountain.

Another plus to exploration: This game can be gorgeous.

Ganonhoof can climb no further at the end of the road, but luckily we’re near the top.

This place has a lot of hearty radishes here.

…Ah. I see now.

Are you… Could you be the voe I am destined to meet? No… No, I don’t think so. But then… This IS the pond of legend, is it not? The one where a person finds true love? Yet all I see right now is that strange voe on the other side of the pond. Could I be at the wrong one?

Who’s ready for a rather simple and somewhat entertaining quest?

Sure, why not.

…Phew. I’m so glad! Oh, by the way, my name is Wabbin! To be honest, I lost my way earlier.

At first I thought I was dreaming…or that she was a ghost or something. I mean, it’s not every day you run into a gorgeous woman in the middle of nowhere… But figment of my imagination or not, it was love at first sight. And so I’ve decided to gather my courage and go confess my feelings to her!

If I had a blue nightshade, I’d head straight over to that woman… I mean, imagine her and a blue nightshade… That’d make a beautiful scene. Don’t you think?

Blue nightshade’s not that difficult to find, and in fact we already have some with us!

I want to talk to her, but I don’t have anything worthy of being a gift. If only I had blue nightshade… Ahh, the smell of it… I can almost imagine it right now. It’s so clear, almost like…it’s… Wait, do you have some blue nightshade on you right now?

Sure, it’s not like we can’t get a hundred more.

Ah… I just… Ugh. When I look at her, my legs freeze up. My throat goes dry. I…I can’t do it.

uh ok

I’ll give you back this blue nightshade. Oh! And don’t forget to mention it’s a present from ME!

This guy is hopeless.

Now we have to walk allll the way to the other side of the heart pond.

I see… So…you’re delivering these flowers for that voe over there?

I don’t sense any deceit from you…

This fades into a conversation between the two. For clarity, Wabbin will be the blue Sheikah Symbol, and Perda the red.

Could…could it be that you don’t like blue nightshade?
Why would you stay that? This is my favorite kind of flower! How did you know that anyway? Are you a Yiga spy?!
N-no… Th-that’s not it!

Your true love… So this is what they call destiny…

What do you mean?
No, that’s not right at all! I’m talking about what a voe says to a vai!
What do you mean?

Wh…

This is the first time anyone has ever said they like me, and for it to come from the woman of my dreams… This is such an amazing feeling…

There’s no way I can truly thank you, but please take this as a token of my thanks.

So our reward for helping this guy talk to the love of his life is twenty rupees?

That’s all you’re willing to offer him for everything he’s done for you?!

Hey, you! I guess I owe you too… I hope you have as much luck finding someone as I did… thanks to you!

All’s well that ends well!

…Huh? Oh! You’re still here! I really owe you for helping out my voe. It’s true that he’s more than a bit on the shy, nervous side… That’s nothing a little push in the right direction can’t solve, though! I hope you get to meet your true love soon, like I did!

Hee…

Also inside this heart pool is a chest with a spear. Shot through the heart, but who’s to blame?

Top of the mountain has a Korok.

Next lake over has fire arrows.

We’re done here. Back to Lurelin to report our progress.

First, though, let’s start another side quest.

That settles it! I’ll make some seafood paella.
Yaaaaay!

I’m so busy with housework that I don’t have time to go shopping for ingredients.

Eh, why not.

Really? I’m happy to hear that. I’ll be waiting!

This one is very simple, but also something we’ll have to hold off on until we can find those things.

OK, now let’s report our results on Aris Beach.

Thanks, mate. I suppose I should give you this to show my appreciation.

Come back whenever you’d like! I’ll share the day’s haul with you.

Another job successfully done!

Check this out: if you see a bunch of fish gathered around a reef, sometimes you can find treasure hidden there…

Oh and I missed a guy earlier.

Sure have!

Huh, never would have guessed that just from looking at ya. Just remember…going out to sea isn’t something you should take lightly! The wind can quickly strand you out there!

Anyway, we’ve done pretty much everything there is to do right now (probably). Only one thing left to do now.

First, let’s walk all the way to the end of the cape.

With a couple of diversions along the way, as always.

Some chests are embedded in the ground. Magnesis takes care of them.

This one had a red rupee. The other chest is an Octorok, so I leave it alone.

Next time…Eventide Island.

How bad can it be?

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Man I didn’t even find that village in my playthrough. At all. There’s so much shit in this damn map.

I never picked up on the throwing spear inside the heart pool. That’s a nice touch. Eventide Island is one that I didn’t even visit during my first playthrough so I’m curious to see what’s on it.

Click here to open the update!

This is a cool thing, though it requires upgrading the armor sets before you can get the bonus effects. It’d also help if we had more armor beyond a fish hat and our tourist shirt.

In order to get to Eventide Island, we have to cross the ocean. There are many ways to do it: Paraglide from a nearby peak, sail a raft, swimming while stuffing your gullet with stamina recovery foods, create a flying machine…but I just end up opting for good ol’ Cryosis.

It’s also nice because there’s a couple chests along the way to pick up some free stuff. Nothing too exciting though.

A few enemies here and there, nothing we can’t evade though.

After a couple minutes, we finally reach the destination we’ve been heading toward: Eventide Island.

A warm welcome awaits us.

I present you with a challenge. In your travels, you’ve relied on the equipment you’ve found along the way.


Even in a game with as much diverse content as Breath of the Wild, Eventide Island stands out as one of the high points. It takes away all the cool items and armor you’ve gotten so far and pretty much forces you back at square one. In a way, it’s a test of everything you’ve learned, forcing you to rely on your skills and wits to survive this ordeal.

It really works best finding it mid-game. Late game, you’ll have enough extra hearts and other powers to make this a breeze. Too early and it can be pretty difficult since one dumb move can end things. And considering you cannot save during this quest and thus must get all three orbs in one go or completely start over…

Yeah, this one took me a few tries. I still like Eventide, though!

It’s really not all that bad, as there’s still plenty of weapons and a few shields scattered around. You just have to be more resourceful and careful than you may be accustomed to.

Also, you still have your runes available. Magnesis and Bombs will be handy for the first bit before you get some decent weapons.

Keeping track of your environment is more important than ever. One missed detail could be lights out for you.

Luckily a naked Link can survive a explosion with minimal injuries.

There’s a trio of Bokoblins near the beach. They’re usually good candidates to go first since they’re surrounded by a lot of loot, including some much-needed food.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/021.mp4

Also maybe it’s just me, but thunderstorms occur more often here than you’d usually see.

That little island is actually a platform. We need to find three balls and place them in the three platforms on the main island.

In the background in the top of the image is a new enemy type, the Fire Chuchu.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/027.mp4

These guys can be scary since they start a lot of fires and will burn you easily. Fortunately a large enough fire will create an updraft we can parasail with to fly to safety.

There’s the usual way to deal with them, either ice attacks or wait for it to become vulnerable after it dives at you.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/029.mp4

This is probably the best way, though.

Another trap item. Handy if I’d ever remember to use it. At least it’s an alternate way to start a fire.

Further inland is this area with a load of Mighty Bananas. If we could find a way to cook them, we’d be in business.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/034.mp4

Failure #1: Death by Treasure

I completely missed the treasure chest in the environment, so walking to the next tree ended up being my last step.

Oh, and when you reload you start back at the last land area you were at before travelling to Eventide, even if you save halfway in. Have fun going all the way back!

Let’s try this again.

This time, since I avoided violent explosions, these spears still have fish on them.

Fish that will be very useful for recovering hearts.

Another fine get.

This time I avoid the Treasure Octorok. I’m learning!

Nearby is a bog. A weak Woodcutter’s Axe and a treasure chest in the bog with some whatever in it.

Eventually we reach a Bokoblin camp. If you look closely, you’ll see a glowing orange orb. Guess what we’re after!

The red ones, as usual, are of no concern.

The blue one is trickier, putting up a good fight, but eventually we come out on top.

Before grabbing the orb, I want to break the barrel so I can grab whatever food goodies are inside.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/055.mp4

Failure #2: Death by Barrel

So apparently an Electric Chuchu was inside that barrel. I’ll never open a barrel again.

So on we go. Again.

This time I use Magnesis to crush the initial Bokoblins…

…then smack the ones at the camp…

…and somehow snag the orb without dying. We’re taking this one to that island platform we saw earlier.

So then it becomes a question of how we get the ball up there. Statis is possible but kinda unreliable.

I try making a ramp using this tree, but it didn’t want to cooperate.

So I end up throwing the ball into the ocean (luckily it floats), using Cryosis to make a platform under it from which I can throw it onto the island.

First platform complete!

We head to the southeastern part of Eventide to scale this small mountain.

More Bokoblins, this time with some friends. Those yellow blobs are actually Electric Chuchu.

We start off with a bombing run, getting some new toys in the meantime.

Link takes some licks, but nothing fatal. Well, until…

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/073.mp4

Failure #3: Death by Death

So Link kills the Bokoblin, forcing it to drop the rock it was holding…right onto Link’s skull, killing Link.

Freaking physics, man. That’s going to be a hard death to top.

So we go back. Again.

This time I find a random bird thigh in the water. I don’t know where it came from, but it’s not a bad get…I guess?

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/078.mp4

Failure #4: Death by Boom

I mean, there is a reason Bokoblins keep exploding barrels near them so often.

So…back we go. AGAIN.

Start off finding a nice chest in the sand.

Then I bring my own boom.

I learn more from each failure. I avoid making the same mistakes. I learn to always harbor distrust for barrels. I vow to keep my distance from rocks. I will only open chests that I can slam on enemies’ heads. I choose to explode less.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/083.mp4

Also apparently using your tablet to move a metal chest with magnetics is scary to Bokoblins for some reason.

I clear out the camp. Again.

I prepare a nice dinner.

The first platform is complete. Again.

More things to find. Always new things to find.

Here’s another thing to find. You can burn crabs alive!

See those barrels?

You can explode them.

After some light clean-up, I take over the base camp.

There’s our second platform, and a cooking pot!

I make a bunch of heart-boosting food because not dying in one hit would be pretty nice.

I also make some attack-buffing food because there’s something I’ll want to use it on soon enough.

Our next destination is up this mountain.

Another Bokoblin camp, this time with a Moblin.

Sneakstrike is a beautiful thing.

For this one, orb and platform are in the same place. The platform’s covered with a giant slab of stone, though.

Statis works wonders.

That’s two! We might actually not die this time!

We know where the third platform is, so where’s the third orb?

Near the beach, between the smaller mountain and the Bokoblin camp we got the first orb in, is a new enemy.

This is no ordinary enemy, though.

This guy is big. He’s easy to sneak up on, and if we wanted we could simply take the orb without waking and fighting him.

Music: Hinox Battle

But we’re not doing that. Because, honestly, this guy isn’t so tough.

Meet the Hinox. This guy’s popped up in quite a few games through the series, most famously in Link to the Past as a Dark World enemy. This is his first 3D console appearance, though, and boy does he make the most of it. The guy is huge.

Obviously, fighting head on is a fool’s errand. He’d have no issue squashing up flat. We need to find a weakness.

Like, say, his giant eye.

After getting hit in the eye, the Hinox will fall over, letting us wail on him.

He also has a belt of weapons we can nab during this time.

I botch the timing, but you can distract the Hinox by shooting the beehive on him, causing a distraction with the bees.

The main reason I backtrack was to reach the fire. This Hinox has wood footguards, which makes it harder to deal damage to him when he’s down. But they are wood, after all…

Now let’s see some sick moves.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u16/122.mp4

I freaking love this game.

To add a wrinkle to things, once the Hinox hits below half-health, he wisely starts to cover his eye with his hand when you aim at it. He’s learning!

The Hinox also has no issue ripping up entire trees to use as a weapon. That’s alright, because I’m about to finish it off. To get my best shot, I’m going to climb up to this platform and jump off…

…giving me the time to take out his eye before he has time to react…

…like so.

And that takes care of it!

The Hinox drops a lot of loot. Usually whatever weapons you didn’t grab earlier, various food items, and of course Hinox parts.

And with that, we’ve got the last orb!

One uneventful return to this platform later, and we are finally done with Eventide Island!

This results in a rumbling at the very top of the island.

Our reward is a shrine. Which…kinda seems underwhelming after all we’ve been through, honestly.


Still, this is one of the coolest quests in the game to do, so I’m not complaining too much.

For shrines like this, simply unlocking it is the challenge. We get a token treasure chest and our usual Spirit Orb.

This one is not too shabby, an extra 300 rupees.

And that’s it for Eventide Island!

We have successfully travelled to the southeastern-most point on the map. We’ve certainly come a long way since we began our adventure at the Great Plateau…

…but we’re far from done!

It’s time to decide where we go next. This will be the usual “Nominate some choices” followed by a multi-choice vote on said choices. Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle are both still available, of course.

So where to?

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Poll is up! Roughly 24 hours to vote before I start the next batch of gameplay. Multi-vote as usual.

HOLY MOLEY WE’RE DOING ACTUAL PLOT SOON

Click here to open the update!

We’ve had some fun exploring a bit for the past ten updates, but now it’s time to do some plot. Kakariko Village is to the north, a decent trek but not that lengthy of one.

I’ll be taking the roads because there’s actually a lot of useful stuff along the way, like shrines, a stable, and a rather important game mechanic you can easily miss if you travel by climbing everything (which is what I did first time I played of course).

First, though, we need to take care of one last thing.

Beedle just loooooooooves rugged rhino beetles! Can I take it off your hands?

Sure, why not.

Beedle loves beetles. Something to keep in mind!

I’ll add this bad boy to my beetle collection! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Even if you leave your horse somewhere, you can go to a stable and get it back.

Beedle wasn’t the one last thing. You see, we’re easily over 1000 rupees now, so…

Now we’re going to finally unlock the power of the horse god.

Thank you. You are too kind.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u17/017.mp4

Meet…uh…the horse god.

The music here is quite interesting, a combination of two classic Zelda songs, Epona’s Theme and the Great Fairy theme.

Music: Horse God (Malanya’s Theme)

And you’re the one who set me free, are you not?

I suppose you deserve a reward for setting me free… What shall I do…

If a horse you love passes away from some sort of tragic, fatal accident, it is within my power to revive that horse… However… If I detect vile intent behind the death of your horse…

I only jest… Let me see…

The friendship you established with a horse really is extraordinary. Remember that such a friendship is a two-way road. Horses care for you as much as you do for them.

So that’s Malanya, the Horse God. He’ll revive our horses should they die. Good to have on our side!

Fortunately, both our horses are still alive, and hopefully will remain that way.

Rather than teleport to a nearby shrine, I’m going to ride Ganonhoof north from here and follow the roads. The land is uncharted past Lake Hylia, but our general sense of direction and using landmarks like the Dueling Peaks should help guide us to Kakariko.

The trek back over the bridge is uneventful.

We eventually get back to around where Link first set foot off The Great Plateau.

This odd cave has five sets of flowers, each with a number of flowers ranging from one to five.

Step over them in sequentially increasing order, and…

What a surprise.

The road branches at this point, so we’ll be going east.

I feel this screenshot is worth including.

Lots of road signs to help guide us as well. There are plenty of travellers who use the roads, after all.

So on we go! You can also tell we’re going the right direction because of the Dueling Peaks in the background.

Oh, what’s this?

Time for another shrine.

Music: Shrine Theme

Like the other shrines close to The Great Plateau, this is pretty easy.

There are wind currents to paraglide on. This first one leads to a chest with Amber.

Next, you have to clear a pit, though a wall will helpfully stop you from overshooting the floor. There’s also a return stream back if you deem it necessary.

Finally, one last stream leads to the monk. Short and simple.

Except hidden in the corner is another chest. Landing there’s a bit tricky, but still little issue.

Not bad!

I wish there was more to this one, honestly. There will be more interesting wind shrines later on, at least.

The shrine was right before this bridge.

Where this random guy is standing.

We’re doomed! I mean, don’t panic! Sorry, who are you? Have we met? Well, doesn’t matter who you are, really. I was getting tired of talking to myself, so you’ve come at a good time. By the by, those strange things that popped out of the ground… Did you see them?

They seem to have popped up all over the place!

You know what this means, don’t you? The end is here! With all this craziness happening, I’ve been keeping an eye on that thing.

Not sure what he’s talking about.

This one here?

No, it was a different one. That one was closer to the castle but before the forest…

Man, I was so sure that was the end for me. I was prepared for the worst. But I somehow managed to escape into the nearby woods. You think it was my lightning-fast reflexes that saved me?

Anyway, I hear Guardians like that still wander around Hyrule Castle. Be careful.

Remember when we did the Bomb Shrine and we ran across that Guardian that could easily one-shot us? Now imagine them mobile. Now imagine a bunch of them, all around Hyrule Castle.

It may be a while before we’re prepared to tackle Hyrule Castle.

Brigo moves under this shelter after you talk to him the first time, due to the rain. He also has new dialogue.

First, let’s ask for directions.

Kakariko Village:

Hyrule Castle:

Hyrule Castle?! I don’t know how many lives you’ve got, but in a place with that many Guardians, I guarantee you it’s not enough!

The Great Plateau:

The Great Plateau? Why would you possibly need to go to an abandoned place like that? How would you even begin to scale that cliff?

After asking for directions the first time, you can also ask what he’s doing.

Just patrolling. This bridge is an important route. I keep really busy making sure monsters don’t nest here by chasing them off the bridge and stuff.

Time to travel on.

Making progress!

Hm. A rock, and a hole.

Yep.

Before we reach the peaks, there’s a couple of detours.

First, I hear and then see a pinwheel. This usually means stuff like this, moving targets to hit with an arrow.

Some Stalkoblins try to distract me.

But I get what I wanted.

And another.

And wouldn’t you know it, this Korok led me right to our next tower.

Since this is probably the first tower most people will encounter outside the Great Plateau, this one is very easy to scale.

And now we’ve got a better idea of where we need to go. This tower is right at the base of the Dueling Peaks. We follow the road through and then travel north. As Brigo said, there’s also a stable along this route, which will be handy.

I scout another shrine, but it’s far out of our way. We’ll mark it and come back later.

Further on is another traveller.

Well, if it’s your tummy that’s grumblin’, you’re talkin’ to the right guy. I’m a butcher, as luck would have it! I’d be happy to sell you whatever I’ve got in stock.

We can buy meat off this guy. Meh. Much easier just to hunt our own.

Right, now through the peaks. And of course, along the way there’s a shrine.

Crossing the river’s a bit eventful, but only a bit.

These rocks hide a chest with a Traveler’s Bow, which is rather outdated at this point.

Now for the shrine.

Music: Shrine Theme

This one is short, but a bit more interesting.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u17/126.mp4

Stupidity aside, stepping on the switch lowers the platform. Get the ball in the hole to take the platform to the next section. This first one is simple enough, but soon timing comes into play.

This second one, we have to get off the switch when the ball’s about to hit the second platform. This resets the platforms, raising the lower one back on an incline to let the ball roll into the hole. Simple stuff.

If you accidentally let the ball drop off, another will spawn.

This last one is tricky. You pretty much have to time leaving the platform to bounce the ball into the hole.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u17/132.mp4

It takes a few tries this time, but eventually I get it.

That’s the last one we need to do, but there’s another chest here. We can’t reach it as is.

On a seemingly unrelated note, there are metal barrels here for some reason.

Hmmmm.

Yep.

And this reward is really nice. It lets us scale mountains faster, though it doesn’t affect stamina. It also looks pretty cool.

I’ll be rocking this thing for the time being.

And now we’re up to three orbs!

The rest of the journey is short and uneventful.

Next time, we’ll visit the stable, and the shrine, and maybe finally figure out what to do with all these Korok Seeds.

Also since we’re about to get four more Spirit Orbs, vote on our next upgrade.

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I love the Horse God. It’s so darn creepy.

Holy crap a Heart Container!

Update in an hour or two hopefully.

Click here to open the update!

Music: Stables

So we’ve reached the Dueling Peaks Stable. Might as well sit back and relax for a bit before continuing on to Kakariko.

Beedle’s around as usual, but nothing too exciting.

Plenty of travellers and stablehands to chat up.

You know, with how peaceful it is around here, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the world almost ended years ago. But there are still monsters wandering around, and the area near Hyrule Castle is especially dangerous.

We kinda know about Elixirs, but getting some pointers can’t hurt.

You can make elixirs by mixing bugs and other small creatures with monster parts. Most of them are no good for refilling your health, but they can have a lot of unique effects… Some elixirs can increase your speed. Others raise your resistance to extreme temperatures. I’m actually impressed that you’ve made it this far without any knowledge of elixirs.

Using a hasty elixir increases your run speed, so I use it to escape from enemies or any time I need to hurry. The recipe is just hightail lizard and monster parts, so I usually have a stock of ten or so on hand.

Free elixir, and a few pointers. The monster parts lengthen the effect of the elixir, but to make it stronger you’ll want to add more creatures. Just as long as there’s one critter and one monster part, the rest doesn’t matter as much.

Next we’ve got two children as stablehands. The left, Shibo, will be the blue symbol while the right, Darton, will be the red symbol.

Looks like it to me, Darton… Judging from his eyes, he’s just itching to get into the saddle.
You’re right. He’s got eyes that just say, like… “Nothing in this world matters to me except horses.”
That means…
THAT MEANS…

Or…welcome to the front of Dueling Peaks Stables, I guess.
You really can tell just by looking into his eyes! Bro, his head is just filled with horse stuff, right?
That’s right! Just look at his eyes! Right now in his head, it’s all horses, horses, horses, food, and horses…right?
In that case, you should feel free to ask us anything at all about horses!
Do you want to hear some tips to help you master your horse?

These kids are a solid tutorial on horses. There’s stuff I’ve mostly covered, but also a few new things so let’s dive in.

Catching a horse:

Wild horses get scared easily, and if they notice people near them, they’ll take off. Just sneak up on 'em from behind real slow. When you get good and close…grab 'em and jump on quick!
If you crouch and sneak up quietly…they won’t notice you!

Good horses:

Horses with spots on them are even-tempered and easy to train. On the other hand, horses that are all one color, like straight black or white, are a bit more wild and harder to train.
But a one-color horse has more stamina and runs faster, right?
Dad said they’re hard to handle at first, but if you spend a lot of time with a one-color horse, you’ll be best buds! Dad also said that beginners should start with spotted horses… When I grow up, I’ll ride a one-color horse, though!
Hey, mister! Ya get all that?

How to train one:

They’re really wild, so they’ll run in different directions and buck here and there because they aren’t trained yet. When that happens, you’ve gotta soothe them!
But dad also said that just constantly soothing them won’t do at all.
The trick is to soothe them when they do what you want them to do. It’s like saying “thanks” to them for a job well done!
Hey, mister! Ya get all that?

Be stealthy, be kind, be discerning. That’s pretty much our summary on horses.

We’ve got a solid horse right now, but there are faster and more durable horses we can get. Of course none can trample through enemies as well as Ganonhoof.

This guy is the boys’ father, and the brother of the stablemaster here.

It might be hard to imagine now, but this place was nearly destroyed about 100 years ago. However, thanks to the blessings of the Dueling Peaks, everything is full of life again. Even the wild horses are back. There’s a lot of energy in this place!

Wild horses:

Huh? Did you not see any horses on your way here? Certainly not as many as in years past, but there are still quite a few around… Horses in the wild are…well, wild! No one has trained or cared for them. If you manage to catch one, let my brother Tasseren know. He’ll register the horse for you! My boys are wellsprings of information about horses, so feel free to pick their brains.

Kakariko Village:

Kakariko Village is the village where the Sheikah clan lives. It’s said that, some time ago, they had advanced techniques that were more powerful than anything anyone had seen. But that power put them at odds with the king at the time, and they were scattered across the land… Anyway, if you leave here and follow the road straight to the north, you’ll find a big bridge. Cross that and keep following the path, and you’ll come to the Kakariko Village gate.

Hateno Village:

Hateno Village is a village on the edge of Hyrule. It was largely unaffected by the events of the Great Calamity, so the people there are pretty easygoing.

Anyway, head north from here until you reach a fork in the road. Then go east and just follow the road. It’s a little far if you walk it, but with a horse, you should get there in under a day!

Get a bit of background info on Kakariko, plus something of interest in Hateno. Might be worth checking out later.

Next…

Oh, sorry… I didn’t notice you… I was a bit lost in thought there.

Let’s learn more about the blood moon.

You don’t know it? That’s inexcusable. Listen up and I’ll tell you about it. For 100 years now, every so often when the clock strikes midnight, the sky turns red and a full moon rises… At that moment, monsters that had been previously defeated will come back to life.

Why do the monsters return to life? Why does it only happen when the sky turns red? No one really has the answers to those questions. It’s a mysterious phenomenon… If you learn anything about the blood moon as you travel, be sure to come back and tell me.

This guy can tell us whether a blood moon will be coming that night. Let’s ask about tonight’s moon.

Tonight is a full moon…

A falling moon, you say? Well, fancy that.

But they raise their own vegetables there, so they don’t buy much of anything from me…

Reminder that one of our sidequests requires some Goat Butter, so I buy some.

Words to live by.

These guys have a sidequest for us. We won’t trigger it quite yet, but we’ll go ahead and chat them up first.

Prissen is the man in blue, Domidak is the man in red.

Prissen! Hang on!

We’re treasure hunters, on the trail of our latest score… The treasure of the great bandit Misko! It’s as good as ours!
Prissen! You’re going to give it all away!
Sorry, Dak… I got carried away.
Anyway, we’re busy here, dude. If you need something, take it up with someone else.

We’ll get back to them in a bit.

For now, we’ve pretty much chatted up everyone, so let’s go check out that shrine. This one is covered in spikes, so we can’t simply walk in.

When there’s water, use Cryosis. Alternatively, climb up the nearby cliff and paraglide into the center.

Music: Shrine Theme

Speaking of water and Cryosis, guess what the focus of this shrine is!

The first platform is simple enough.

There’s no water on the ground to freeze, though. This shrine is a tutorial to teach us that we can freeze waterfalls to climb that way.

And if you look back, there’s a treasure chest you can scale to with 50 rupees.

The final section is one large ball puzzle.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u18/120.mp4

We need to lead the ball to the bottom-right, where the goal is.

It’s kinda hard to notice, but there’s water flowing along that entire wall. That should give a clue as to the optimal (but not necessarily only) way to solve it.

The first Cryo block lets the ball bounce the other direction. However, the tilt falls under the ball’s weight.

So a Cryo block right under the tilt maintains its direction. Despite all that, the ball doesn’t get enough air to reach the hole.

But one more Cryo block to bounce off of is enough to unlock the path to the monk.

We probably could’ve been clever with Stasis or possibly even Magnesis if we wanted, but honestly that would’ve been more effort than it was worth.

Music: Stables

Returning back to the stables, Rensa has a side quest for us.

Trust me - I took second place in the Hyrule Horse-Taming Competition!

You don’t believe me? Let’s go, pal! You and me. Right here. Right now.

Uh…let’s do it?

The only rule is that you must bring a wild horse back to this spot within the time limit!

My record is two minutes flat, so you need to bring back a wild horse within that time.

I feel confident in our abilities.

Just have to be patient. Try to rush it and you’ll scare the horses.

We eventually get one lured off and snag it.

And we make it back with time to spare. After the guantlet that was taming Ganonhoof, this was a piece of cake.

But…I can’t believe you beat my two-minute record so easily…

Anyway, here’s the purse for winning the second official Hyrule Horse-Taming Competition! You earned it.

What an honor.

Another quest complete.

Now let’s unlock the side quest from these guys.

I want to learn more about this treasure.

Ahhh shoot. Welp. Can’t say I didn’t try to throw him off…
Hey, Dak… Why don’t we just tell him? Maybe he’ll leave us alone if we do. I mean, if we can’t figure this riddle out, there’s no way someone like him will be able to.
…That’s a good point.

I’m not about to give this information away for free. I’m no fool!
That’s the keen sense of the strongest treasure hunter at work! No gold left behind - not by Domidak! You’re great, Dak!
It’ll be 100 rupees to learn what we know.

If this treasure’s as great as they say it is, this should be a bargain, right? I’ll pay.

Heh. Good deal.
Way to go, Dak! You did it.

Misko hid the location of the treasure in some kind of strange secret code.

Just knowing someone with good intel like that? Exactly what I’d expect from you, Dak!

This one is a bit of a riddle.

If you talk to them again…

We don’t need your help OR your encouragement. We’re so close to the answer, I can almost smell it! Tell this guy to beat it, Dak!

So, the little twin steps over the little river. Let’s check our map for rivers.

To cross this stable, we had to step over the Big Twin Bridge. And then there’s a second bridge nearby, so logically that would mean…

First, though, there’s a pinwheel up there.

With that out of the way…

Well, what do you know!

The treasure is at the source of the river. We simply have to follow the river to its source. Luckily it’s a rather quick trek.

More opportunities to find new things.

Like this bear…

…and this snail. Not the snail we need, but still a good snail to have.

Eventually we reach the river’s source. Sort of.

It’s flowing from above, so we’ve got a bit of a climb.

And eventually, some rocks.

Jackpot.

First, a mediocre spear and some food.

Also some chests. One opal, one amber, one luminous stone, two sapphires…

…and this beauty, hidden behind another set of bombable rocks. This will set enemies on fire, but honestly it’s probably more useful for setting things on fire. Still a great find.

Back to the stable.

It sometimes feels like there’s a shrine sleeping behind every hill, there’s so many of them. Archaeologists get pretty fired up hunting down each one of them, but I haven’t got time for mysteries… Still, looking at that glowing light…you do start to see something romantic about the whole endeavor.

Time to break the bad news.

Pfft, yeah. Definitely lying!

Suit yourselves.

We’re finally done here! Now we simply need to ride north and we’ll hit Kakariko pretty quickly.

If you are, just follow the roads north. That village is one of the places I sell ore at, so I know the way really well!

She loves her gems.

In fact, I’m in the middle of a journey. I even had the great honor of meeting with the leader of Kakariko Village. She is very knowledgeable of the history of Hyrule, and she is also blessed with a lovely personality.

We’ve reached that big bridge mentioned earlier.

You want my advice, you’d buy stuff that fills you with vigor, you know? Gives you the stamina you need. That’s just if you want my advice.

And wouldn’t you know it, he sells such things! What a coincidence!

Unsurprisingly there’s a lot of foot traffic going to and from Kakariko.

We’re almost there when we spot some giant tree man with a quest for us.

Wait what

Apparently so!

It’s been 100 years since anyone has been able to see me!

I can’t use my powers without them. Shoko… So please! PLEASE get my maracas back from them!

This should be simple, I guess. Let’s get the sentient tree person’s maracas back from monsters so they can access their special powers again.

I spot a shrine on top of one of the Dueling Peaks. Might be worth checking later on!

Just some Bokoblins, nothing too scary.

Very easy stuff.

Oh, yikes! I’m sorry! I was having such a beautiful daydream, I was completely zoned out… Thinking about rubies and sapphires… Those two gems can be sold at really high prices! They’re some of the best gems to sell for serious money!! …Sorry. I just get so carried away when it comes to gems…

Right, the maracas.

Those are my maracas! Please giiiiiiive them to meeeeeeeee!

But wait! There’s something wrong with my maracas!

If I had just one Korok seed, I could sing, dance, and use my powers to help you.

So you may have been wondering what the point of the Korok Seeds were. If we give them to Hestu, he’ll give us more weapon and shield slots to hold more things in. Very useful, indeed.

Of course, if you don’t take the roads, chances are you’ll miss Hestu and not even realize he exists. I think it took me maybe fifty hours at least before I learned he even existed just from random internet chatter. I like climbing things, sue me.

I never thought I’d be the target of one of their pranks. Shoko…

Do you have a Korok seed?! You do! You got a Korok seed from one of the forest children!

Let’s do it.

I opt for weapons because there’s a much larger variety of them than bows or shields. Bows are a secondary concern, and shields really aren’t that big a deal.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u18/280.mp4

And there we go!

I do a second weapon upgrade. Each upgrade tier for each stash type costs more Korok Seeds. Now weapons cost two instead of one and will steadily grow more expensive. Bows and Shields will still cost one each when we decide to upgrade them, so it’s more economical to spread the upgrade love.

For now, more weapons.

Unfortunately, we can only do two upgrades right now.

I need to get back before Grandpa yells at me.

Quest complete. We can’t upgrade any more, but we can talk to Hestu before he leaves.

Once I see you off, I’m going back home to Korok Forest!

Korok Forest:

Korok Forest… It should be somewhere north of here. Grandpa told me, “If you get lost, follow the Hylia River and continue north.” That’s what he said, and Grandpa is no liar.

Who is Hestu:

Huh? I suppose I should tell you a little something about myself! My name is Hestu! The most celebrated musician of Korok Forest!

Korok seeds:

Korok seeds…come from the Korok children…and they’re a…little bit…

Korok Forest might be an interesting place to visit someday. Then again we’ve got plenty of interesting places to visit someday.

Just a bit further to Kakariko.

Kinda hard to see in this weather, but there’s two stone block structures on that cliff wall. One’s a 2x2 square, one’s an L-shape. There also happens to be an extra block to the left we can move with Magnesis.

Yep.

Next time, Kakariko Village.

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Click here to open the update!

Some of this stuff can be climbed but can take up stamina. Sometimes though you can get around unclimbable overhangs by a well-timed jump upward to skip the unclimbable part. It varies on what you’re climbing though.

There’s a sort of gate up ahead, complete with some brass symbol above with arrows sticking out.

Of course, it’s a Korok.

Also another beetle.

Music: Kakariko Village (Day)

Kakariko Village is a Zelda mainstay, first originating in Link to the Past and being a major hub of that game as well as Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and A Link Between Worlds.

Breath of the Wild’s is still your usual small village, but it also has a much different feel than the villages of the past. Gone is the classic town theme of past games. The buildings, the music, the decorations, even the clothing all are visually distinct and make this Kakariko Village stand out on its own.

Meet the welcoming committee.

I’m sorry you had to see me like that.

Say, traveler…

It’s sort of a long story…

Yes. I see…

Though there are few who know of such legends anymore… But we Sheikah have been waiting for you for a very long time.

It’d be good to know where to go first.

In any case… It was a real honor to meet you. Heh, I suppose you’re used to that, having lived as long as you have.

We’ll be skipping most of the buildings for now, saving exploration of the actual town for the next update.

That said, I’m willing to make a detour here.

…Oh, my. Look at that face! You are TOTALLY my type. Hi. Ooh, and you even have a Sheikah Slate on your hip!

Isn’t that, like…an incredible thing that only incredible people can have?

This is the village of the Sheikah, so it makes sense everyone here would recognize our Sheikah Slate.

Anyway, if we’re going to meet Impa, maybe we should stop looking like a tourist for once and dress more appropriately.

We exclusively stock the special garments of the Claree Collection!

I’m curious about the Claree Collection.

The Claree Collection! As in a high-end collection curated by me, Claree. BUT OF COURSE. I’ve personally selected each and every item in here using my flawless fashion sense. It’s all HIGHLY recommended. Each item has its own unique features and abilities, so take a good look!

Note there’s only two sets of clothes in here.

First is the Hylian set. It’s very basic, offering no special properties of note. It’s mainly useful if you haven’t found any other armors yet, since most armors will have the same defense values (with several exceptions). While the hood isn’t an upgrade since it has the same defense as the bandana and the rubber fish head, we haven’t found any nice body armor yet, so the extra defense is appreciated.

I buy both for now anyway. (Remember we already got the pants back on The Great Plateau)

And over here…

While you wear it, your footsteps are nearly soundless, so it’s perfect for hunting and stuff.

These Sheikah clothes offer less defense than most armor of its tier, but each one adds a Stealth buff, which makes sneaking around much easier. It’s actually very useful for many applications, but mostly for hunting bugs, believe it or not, since you can just run at the bugs without scaring them off.

The problem is they’re pretty pricey. The chest is 700, pants 600, and mask 500. We could probably afford all of it if we sold some gems, and it can be quite useful, but I can also live without it since foods/elixirs replicate the effects (but note that you can’t stack armor buffs with the same food buffs). I’ll leave the choice of whether to buy this set up to you.

Another Rumor Mill.

Kinda already found that one ourselves.

Here’s our current set. I’ll rock it through the next update, but after that we’ve now got a decent enough wardrobe that we can start choosing what Link should wear. Fashion is more important than function (plus I can always switch clothes for applications on a whim and switch back if I really wanted).

Guarding Impa’s home are these two Sheikah guards.

Hm? Is that…a Sheikah Slate? But that would mean you are… No, it’s not possible. Can it be?

Of course we have heard the legends from Lady Impa herself. Please, friend… Go ahead and step inside.

I decide to class it up a bit and unequip my weapons and shield.

Over here is one of the game’s more standout characters. You’ll probably see why pretty quickly.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u18/070.mp4

Huh? Is that-?!

Oh, it’s not that I forgot…I’m just bad with speaking. As for me, my name is Pa… Paaa… Paaay…

Phew! I got it out… I know I should be able to say that easily, seeing as how it’s my own name and all.

Anyway, my grandmother’s been awaiting your return ever since I was little.

This is Paya. Yeah, I’ll let you guys parse out her character.

For now, it’s time we get an idea of what the hell we need to do to have a fighting chance against Calamity Ganon.

https://youtu.be/rzHjSyRET_s

I am much older now, but…you remember me, don’t you?

This is Impa. She’s a major character throughout the series, sometimes as the elderly woman she appears as here, sometimes as a much younger and more combat-capable guardian. Throughout the series, she is a Sheikah who cares for Zelda in various capacities. She shows up in the game manuals of the first two Zelda games, but it’s not until Ocarina of Time (or The Wand of Gamelon if you want to count the CDi games) that Impa really becomes a major character in the series.

Music: Impa’s Theme

You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you. Those eyes… They lack the light of familiarity. It is I, courageous one. Impa. Surely you must at least remember the name Impa?

Well, it matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being.

Yes… A hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda’s final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber. And then…all alone… Alone she went to face Ganon.

I have been waiting 100 years to deliver the princess’s message.

These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you… Well, if you are to hear them…

But I am afraid that burden may be too much to bear while you are still without your memories.

To learn these words, we have to talk to Impa again. But despite all we’ve done so far, we know our ultimate goal is to defeat Calamity Ganon. Anything that can help us with that goal…

Yes.

Not a memory to your name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side.

Very well. Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened…

Note that instead of recounting what happened 100 years ago, instead Impa’s going to recount what happened 10,000 years ago (or a hundred 100 years agos). This is actually kinda relevant and also has some cool music and more Impa voice acting so have another video. At the very least listen to the music, which has quite a few themes including BotW’s main theme.

https://youtu.be/84bs0whEuMM

Music: 10,000 Year Old Legend

…a primal evil that has endured over the ages. This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess.

So listen closely as I tell you of this “legend” that occurred 10,000 years ago.

The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return. They constructed for mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians.

And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged.

…the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow…


Music: Impa’s Theme

…in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years prior. But…in the end…

In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words…

The Divine Beasts of legend that fought against Calamity Ganon 10,000 years ago… Just what are they?

The Divine Beast Vah Rudania, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora. And the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo.

You must infiltrate the Divine Beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side.

It seems finding and freeing these Divine Beasts may be the key to defeating Calamity Ganon. Or at the very least will be a great aid in our quest to defeat him.

Now, let’s see…

We’ve heard about Hateno Village and its research lab before, but more clarification would be helpful.

It is a small village… One of the very few places that avoided suffering significant damage during the Great Calamity.

And like that, we’ve got another quest ahead of us.

We may have two new quests, but at least we’ve completed our current one.

We’ve got a lot more things to do, though. It sounds like Hateno Village is the key to unlocking the final rune on our Sheikah Slate.

There’s also the Divine Beasts, each one once piloted by one of the four major non-Hylian races of Hyrule. We’ll possibly want to investigate those as well.

Do not tell me the steel has slipped from your spine… I realize you have just awoken. I am not suggesting that you must defeat Calamity Ganon right this moment. For now, you should focus on getting that broken Sheikah Slate fixed.

You can go back over whatever advice and hints Impa gave you, including repeating the 10,000 year ago cutscene if you wanted. But for now we know what we need to do.

The fate of Hyrule rests with us.

But before we decide what to do, next time we’ll explore Kakariko Village proper.

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Also a reminder to vote on whether to buy clothes.

the most important part of the stealth outfit imo is that the hat gives link a really cute bun

Everyone in this game is so thirsty for Link.

Trust me, in terms of Link lust you’ve seen nothing yet.

Click here to open the update!

Music: Kakariko Village (Day)

We’ve got a lot ahead of us, but we’ll worry about that later. Today, let’s just explore Kakariko Village. First, let’s chat up Paya again.

Wh-whatever is the matter at this hour? Dark magic preys upon the land when darkness falls… Please, promise to take care!

This journal is actually a list of the various side quests available in this town. We’ll be doing two of those today.

None of these people are really good at being anonymous.

Next to Impa is this rather familiar-looking orb.

Even for an esteemed guest such as yourself, there are certain rules that must be respected.

Guess we’re not going to find out what it is for now.

There’s also this weird painting of a field full of decayed Guardians.

We’ll chat up some of the townspeople as we go around exploring the town.

I think we’ve heard about them before, but it’d be good to learn more about the Yiga Clan.

We of the Sheikah tribe have long been heralded as a people of great wisdom. Our technology became the key to sealing Ganon away during the Great Calamity, some ten thousand years ago. At one point, our technology was praised as the power of the gods…but eventually the people turned on it. Turned on us. Our creations came to be viewed as a threat to the kingdom. The Sheikah became outcasts, forced into exile. Some, like us, chose to cast off our technological advances and strove to live normal lives. Others fostered a hatred toward the kingdom that shunned them. These sad souls swore their allegiance to Ganon. They now call themselves the Yiga Clan. Their sole mission is to eliminate all who stand against Ganon. Please, dear hero…be careful out there.

The Yiga Clan are allies of Ganon and thus our enemy. Simple enough.

I have a feeling we’ll be meeting them eventually. But then again, maybe not!

Next to Cado are these five statues. Four have apples in front of them. One does not.

Having all five hold apples results in a Korok.

Then we can take all the apples.

At the edge of town is a produce shop.

It sells Bird Eggs, Goat Butter, Bokoblin Guts (what), and a specialty of Kakariko.

That’s why we have so many healthy, happy animals and an abundance of fine crops. My products are all locally grown, fresh, and seasonal. Truly choice goods that bring something special to any recipe.

Let’s fish out some recommendations.

Recommendations… Let me think… Well, everything I sell, really. But if you want specifics, there’s always swift carrots. My mister grows 'em. They put Kakariko Village on the map.

I’d sell them here, but you see…my mister and the pumpkin farmer - they don’t exactly get along. So if you want fortified pumpkins, you’ll have to get some straight from Olkin’s patch.

So those are Swift Carrots.

Across the road is the Curious Quiver, where we can restock on arrows.

Perhaps this is Lonely Arrow Girl?

Young folks in this village don’t have much use for a bow…

No need to sell, so…

Kid, you’ve lifted my spirits so high I can barely contain myself! I even miss my husband at the moment. Just a tiny bit…

I stock up on some arrows because they’re cheap in bulk.

If we talk to Rola again, we can trigger the side quest.

I had you figured for one heck of an archer. And I’m head over heels for a fine slice of man that can use a bow!

Link’s not one to disappoint, so…

There’s a Goddess Statue here?

You really don’t know about the Goddess Statue? It’s by the spring in front of Lady Impa’s home. I don’t know who put it there, but it’s been there forever.

Sure!

Light torches, huh? Should be simple.

There’s the statue, surrounded by four torches. They’re surrounded by water, but considering we were asked this by an arrow saleswoman…

I’m sure regular fire arrows or even bomb arrows would work just as well. But why overthink things? Just set regular arrows alight and fire. Much cheaper that way considering fire arrows sell at the shop for 20 rupees an arrow.

Anyway, lighting these is a trivial task. Let’s return.

You were amazing! Boy, what a shot in the heart that was! My husband’s a fine archer himself…but we’re living apart right now. This feeling… It’s been so, so long.

That really was something special to see. In fact, here… A token of my thanks.

So Link has successfully satisfied a woman’s lust…for exquisite archery.

Next, the inn.

What’s the difference?

The soft bed is stuffed with premium Cucco feathers…or something. I think. Sleep on that, and… Um… Ya know… You’ll be more energized than usual.

I’ll pass. Easier just to eat.

Next, this artist that’s causing a bit of a stir in the town. He pops up enough to warrant his own portrait.

I have my Sheikah gear, so I’m fine, but are you going to be OK? Hope so.

Oh yeah it’s raining so what.

Just between you and me… I hear there’s a Great Fairy Fountain somewhere near this village. I hear it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Aesthetics aside, they also say the place can bestow some kind of mysterious power on people… However, since I’m an outsider, I can’t get anyone to tell me any more details than that. These villagers never leave the safety of their village, so travelers like me are treated with suspicion. But I won’t give up! Oh, and if I manage to find out anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Great Fairy Fountain, huh?

This guy will be useful to remember in the future, though right now he’s not really relevant.

This time we voted for a Heart Container. I certainly welcome it.

There’s a path that leads out to this area overlooking the fields of Hyrule. The group of rocks to the left are a graveyard.

There are two shrines off in the distance. Also a lizard not so far off in the distance.

Across from the clothing shop is this man we talked to earlier. He’s a bit more distraught now…

My Cuccos…

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/123.mp4

Worth it for his scream.

Now that my wife wants nothing to do with me, my Cuccos are my only emotional support…

Best to find them I guess.

Really?

I have 10 Cuccos total. Hopefully you’ll be able to find them all…

This side quest is very similar to one from Ocarina of Time. Wander around Kakariko Village to find all the Cuccos.

Sadly, only 3 have returned to me. To think that somewhere out there, even one of my poor Cuccos could be lost and lonely… Please! Hurry up and bring them back to me!

We need 10, but there’s already 3 in the pen, so we only have to find…2, 3, 4…7 Cuccos!

Cuccos are a recurring animal in the Zelda series. They originate in Link to the Past and usually have some goofy sidequests or features related to them. Cuccos aren’t as stand-out here, though you still don’t want to anger them…

Anyway, we just pick it up and return it to its pen. One down!

I travel out the other exit, beyond the General Store and Arrow Shop, to see if any Cuccos are out here.

No luck, but I did fine a bombable wall with a Topaz inside, plus another Korok Seed.

There’s one in here, but getting it won’t be so easy…

The way they persevere through the harshness of winter and flower at the first sign of spring… We Sheikah strive to live in harmony with our environment and consider plum trees the silent guardians of our village.

I remember a story of a player blowing these plum trees up with bombs, causing this NPC to become depressed and miserable for the rest of the game. I don’t think I could ever do such a thing.

If we try to get the Cucco now, Mellie will kick us out of the plot. We’ll have to grab it later when she’s not around.

In the meantime, there’s a Cucco on the roof of the clothing shop.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/150.mp4

You can glide on Cuccos in this series, though with our paraglider it’s not as useful in this game.

I look inside Cado’s home in case a Cucco ended up there. There are none that are real, at any rate.

Here’s the pumpkin patch we heard about earlier, though it’s “closed” for now.

There’s a Cucco here, plus some NPCs.

You aren’t…part of the Yiga Clan, are you?

We call those who swear allegiance to Calamity Ganon the Yiga Clan. They… Well, let’s just say they don’t take kindly to those who would stand against Ganon. It seems they’re active again, ever since that big earthquake the other day. But don’t worry. I don’t think you’re part of that awful Yiga Clan. I can figure that much out just by lookin’ at ya.

Fortified pumpkins are Kakariko Village’s specialty. I put my heart and soul into every one of 'em. They’re delicious. If you want more, I can give you some. Just stop by the fields and say hello.

That was Olkin, who raises the fortified pumpkins. Also more worry of the Yiga Clan.

I don’t get what it is about men. So petty…

Snails all over.

And since Mellie is gone, we can grab this Cucco now. That’s four!

And five.

Some of the travelers from earlier are now arriving at Kakariko. This guy just talks more about stamina before trying to sell us stamina ingredients.

Following one of the streams leads us to this outdated sword.

Music: Kakariko Village (Night)

Once night hits, the fireflies come out.

Found another Cucco! One remains…

And I was thinking about the glee I’ve felt when I consider all the money one can sell a beautiful gem for! Not to brag, but I just made a few sales and am feeling full of glee at the moment…

The last Cucco is up this path, behind Cado’s house.

Mission accomplished!

My Cuccos… My sweet little baby Cuccos… They’re all back!!

I’m ready to get out there again!

Maybe someday those two crazy kids will work it all out…

Let’s go invade houses during the night.

It’s more than fun…it’s magical. But that’s all in the past. Now there are monsters around the village and rumors that the Yiga Clan is nearby and active… That’s why I’m forced to stay inside when it’s dark instead of chasing the night. sigh I wish I could do something.

We’re done with Kakariko Village for now. There’s plenty more to see and do, and people to talk to, but we’ll revisit all that at a later time.

However, we’re still not done! Back where we found the last Cucco, there’s also one other thing…

A shrine!

This shrine is a bit different. It’s a combat shrine like before, but this one is a tutorial for the more advanced combat moves of Breath of the Wild.

First, some free stuff.

Music: Shrine Battle

Meet our opponent.

When targeting the enemy, hold left or right and jump to side hop.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/211.mp4

If you dodge an enemy’s attack doing this at the right moment, this opens up an opportunity for a vicious counter attack!

When targeting the enemy, hold back and jump to backflip.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/213.mp4

Same principle here, though usually the timing isn’t as goofy as it clearly is here.

Simply mastering these two techniques will give you much better odds against more fearsome foes. But the next one in particular can let you break the game over your knee.

Hold your shield up and press A at the perfect opportunity…

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/215.mp4

Three key things to know about this technique. One, this costs no shield durability. Two, you can do this with any shield, even a pot lid. And three, most importantly, this works on projectiles. Including a Guardian’s beam.

Perfect Guard is very useful if you want to take on enemies far, far earlier than you normally should. Like, say, Calamity Ganon.

Hold the attack button…

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/217.mp4

Each weapon type has a different attack. Spears do several quick thrusts, heavy two-handed weapons have you twirl them while charging until you slam them on the ground, while one-handed swords do Link’s iconic spin attack taken from various other games.

And with that, we’ve learned pretty much all there is to learn about combat. With this knowledge, Link can handle pretty much anything now.

Shrine complete!

However, let’s do one last thing before closing out the update.

Further up past the shrine…

Remember that gossip rag we read about a blue rabbit that spits out rupees?

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/227.mp4

It will drop rupees equal to the damage that would’ve been dealt by the bow, so more powerful bows will net more rupees (as would attack buffs).

This is one of the very few ways to get rupees to spawn in the overworld. The vast majority of rupees you get are from chests/rewards or from selling things.

Well, doesn’t this look familiar.

Swarming around this thing are four fairies. Fairies do the usual “revive you when you die” thing, though the game will only let you carry so many before they stop spawning, so you can’t just fairy-tank everything. You can also cook “with” fairies (i.e. use them as an ingredient, except they “help” instead of being cooked in a fairy pie or whatever) to add more hearts, the only way you can have elixirs recover hearts. It’s really not worth it, though.

The Silent Princess pops up here and there in the game. It’s supposed to be a rare flower, and it only grows in very few places, but it comes back regularly enough that amassing a bunch is no issue.

Now let’s check the giant bulb thing.

Sweet boy…

I mean, things worked out well for us the last time this happened, so sure.

This place was once a beautiful spring… But as time passed, fewer and fewer travelers arrived to offer me rupees. As a result, my power has abandoned me. I’m nearly powerless now, so I beg your help. I need rupees to become whole again.

Once my power has been restored, I can help you do great things, boy.

Even at this point, 100 rupees is a paltry sum, so let’s give it to her.

Thank you. You are too kind.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/247.mp4

Music: Great Fairy Fountain

Oh, what a feeling! That first breath of fresh air after an eternity of decay… It’s just so intoxicating! Thanks to you, I’ve been returned to my former glory. And as they say - one good turn deserves another. I can help you, boy.

Great Fairies in this game, excluding the Horse God, focus on upgrading your clothing. The more Great Fairies you’ve unlocked, the further you can upgrade your clothing. Right now, we can only upgrade it one tier.

To upgrade armor, you need the right ingredients. All the Hylian gear requires mere Bokoblin Horns, while the Climber’s Bandana requires Keese Wings and Rushrooms. Unfortunately we don’t have the Yellow Chuchu Jelly to upgrade the Rubber Helm, though I’m sure we’ll get some soon enough.

The rest of our gear (the old shirt/pants, the warm doublet, and the Switch T-shirt) cannot be upgraded at all.

We’re going to upgrade everything we can.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/259.mp4

After an animation that depends on the tier you’re upgrading to, we see our newly-upgraded armor! Anything that has 3 armor will upgrade to 5.

You’ve heard about set bonuses, right? How a set of clothes that have all been enhanced twice could have a bonus? But only if you wear the whole set! Well, and not all sets have a bonus…

If you have all three pieces of armor from a set and upgrade each twice, it will unlock a bonus ability if you wear all three of them. Many of these are quite useful, though unfortunately the Hylian gear has no such bonus, so even if we could upgrade twice we wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it yet.

After we upgrade the Hylian gear as well…

Please come back here once you get some clothes or materials…or once you’ve restored the power of my sisters.

https://mp4.mega64.net/botw/u20/267.mp4

And that’s the Great Fairy! We’ll be seeing her (and her sisters) a lot during our journeys, I’m sure.

And with that, we’re done for now with Kakariko Village! There’s a lot more, but I’m sure we’ll be coming back several more times during the course of the Let’s Play.

So… we’ve got plenty of options now. We could go to Hateno Village and unlock our last rune. We can start tackling the Divine Beasts. We can scope out Shrines since we’ve found a bunch in far-off paths. Hell, we could go to Hyrule Castle. Or we can just do as we did before and go somewhere randomly. Or maybe you have a better suggestion?

You know the drill. Post your suggestions, then I’ll throw them all in a poll and we’ll go from there.

Next time, who knows?

Let’s also vote on what Link should wear! I’ll have to figure out a better way to do this in the future, but for now we have:

  • Old Shirt and Well-Worn Trousers
  • Warm Doublet
  • Nintendo Switch T-Shirt
  • Rubber Helm
  • Climber’s Bandanna
  • Hylian Hood/Tunic/Trousers
  • Stealth Headdress/Tunic/Trousers (Buying this won overwhelmingly)

I’ll also do a vote on that later this afternoon or so.

Seems enough of a consensus on Hateno Village for now that I’ll skip the poll and just do it so I can get some gameplay in tonight and probably sneak in an update tomorrow.

I’ll also go with this for now as this seems the best compromise for now. In the future, I’ll probably do three polls for head/shirt/pants each time I record new gameplay (I usually record in two-update chunks) since it’s the easiest way to do things, though still feel free to encourage clothing preferences to influence voters or whatever.