A lot of people will scoff at the notion of applying academic theory to videogames; after all they’re just mindless entertainment right? However, as the first chapter in this volume (‘Why Do We Care Whether Link Saves The Princess?’) explores we tend to emotionally engage with video games. Why do we get annoyed when we concede a goal in Pro Evo? Why is it we get scared when a zombie jumps out at us in Resident Evil? And why is our language at its most profane when we get blue shelled in the third lap? If we are engaging with the text in this manner than surely an analysis of this involvement is not something to be written off as hogwash, which is exactly what The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy argues throughout its twenty chapters which cover everything from the concept of free will to whether of not Zelda is a form of art.

While I am not a philosophy student, with only a passing relationship with the area previously, the fact that the majority of this book was easily accessible speaks volumes. The authors generally manage to tread that fine line between being accessible for people unfamiliar with the concepts and not over simplifying everything that the argument loses any academic merit. However having previously read other academic insights into popular culture dealing with theories and debates I am more aware of, I’m sure there will be cases in which people with philosophical backgrounds may find it oversimplified. Ultimately however the authors should be commended for proving that insights can be engaging and informative.

I’m sure many of you are interested in what exactly the book covers but rather than list all the chapters I intend to work their arguments within the course of the review. However, while I wish to give you an impression of what the book covers I do not intend to give everything away, particularly in terms of detailing what the chapters argue as I feel that this will take away some of the purpose of reading the book yourselves, which I thoroughly recommend.

For anyone who may potentially be put off by the book’s title, areas other than philosophy alone are covered. Other issues are addressed such as a feminist reading of the series (‘The Legend of Feminism’), deconstructing the timeline (‘The Hero of Timelines’) and even a cautionary tale on analysing arguments which, while important for this book, could prove interesting to anyone who must read analyses and arguments (‘Legend and Logic’). Thus, while the majority of the book focuses upon philosophy it is not limited to this.

What Would Sidgwick Do?

During the course of the book I was impressed in two different ways; the details of the Zelda series and the application of theories. While this book does not attempt to be a complete history of the Zelda franchise it does feature interesting details about the franchise, both textually and through citing interviews from Aonuma. While I enjoy the Zelda games I would hardly call myself an expert in the series so the occasional morsel of information I came across, such as the origin of Zelda’s name, certainly added a level of enjoyment to the book and work to prove that the contributors aren’t just academics, they are Zelda fans too.

The other manner in which I was intrigued is the application of philosophical debates. In one chapter (‘Look Before You Warp’) Link’s ability to teleport in The Wind Waker, and its philosophical implications, is explored. This ability is compared with contemporary rail and plane journeys as it eliminates the need to appreciate the journey, and often becomes a hindrance on the destination itself. While this may seem obvious to some it was something I had never considered before, and certainly made me think a lot more about those long train rides.

Two recurring themes in the book are Link’s will and destiny. The chapters question whether Link himself has any free will, or if he is simply an extension of the player’s (‘I Am Link’s Transcendental Will: Freedom from Hyrule to Earth’), how his personality is defined by the fact he is destined to be the holder of the triforce of courage (‘Shape Shifting and Time Travelling: Link’s Identity Issues’) and how he gets to do something no human can do (depending upon your own personal spiritual beliefs); come back after death (‘The Hero With A Thousand Hearts’). Considering he is practically a mute there is a lot to be said about Link. Similar areas are touched upon for Gannondorf and Zelda but, unsurprisingly, the majority of insight is given to Link himself.

The book of course has a few problems that crop up now and again. For instance the chapter ‘Legend and Logic’ basically states ‘beware of arguments as they may present themselves as fact but if you really analyse it you can see it to be pure opinion’. While I’m not trying to discredit the importance of this there seems to be little relevance to the Zelda series (other than using Zelda-verse examples) and seems to serve as a warning tool to prepare you for the book, but being the third chapter it seems out of place. Furthermore little issues crop up. Navi is referred to as a cricket by one author, while another calls Tingle ‘Tinkle’, although personally I decided to interpret that as an amusing Freudian slip. However, these few issues certainly don’t take away from the nerdy enjoyment of the book itself, and could arguably even lead to a different kind of geek pleasure when you notice these little mistakes.

Several of the chapters built up an argument but seemed to be cut short as it got interesting. While it is understandable there are certain constraints, a chapter can’t go on for thirty pages for example (most are around ten to fifteen pages) a few chapters really piqued my interest only for me to discover that was the end. To the author’s credit they do note any references they used so if I wish to I can read more about Kant or whatever issue was being explored, but there are times when it felt like there was more to be said about how these ideas apply to the Zelda series itself.

If this doesn’t cause an existential crisis I don’t know what will.

Overall I would say my preferred chapters are those that presented a new argument to me that I had to get my head around. While I enjoyed the discussion of feminism and evil (‘How Can There Be Evil in Hyrule?’ & ‘The Triforce and the Doctrine of the Mean’) they are areas I have previously analysed during my university course. However looking at Hyrule as Utopia (‘Hyrule’s Green and Pleasant Land: The Minish Cap as Utopian Ideal’), whether Zelda, and by extension video games, can be seen as art (‘Zelda as Art’) and how physical and logical space is constructed within Zelda (‘Constructing the NESpace in Zelda’), which, while not being the most groundbreaking chapter, certainly makes you realise how much detail and attention goes into the construction of a game such as Zelda. These particular chapters personally interested me the most, as these were new issues, or new angles on issues, I had not previously discussed.

Ultimately I feel the amount of enjoyment you get from this book comes from your willingness to look at Zelda, and video games as a whole, as potentially worthy of academic critique. If you believe its just mindless entertainment then this book will, at best, annoy you. However if you are open to the idea of video games as culturally significant, or even better agree with that idea, then I would certainly recommend this book for you. This book sparked both a desire to further explore the issues raised and of course to play all the Zelda games I could get my hands on. What more could you want?