The Champions' Cast - Zelda Dungeon Podcast

Welcome to the Zelda Cast! This week, we are laying down some heavy predictions for the as-of-yet unannounced Nintendo Direct that we're presuming will slot in the usual E3 time frame (if E3 was happening this year, that is). Andy and Al argue about whether or not it's finally time for Nintendo to pull the lid back on Breath of the Wild 2 and completely show us what this game is all about, plus, have differing opinions as to if any ports of classic Zelda games will get revealed or not. Plus, is it finally time to get a glance at Metroid Prime 4? How about the long rumored Super Mario Odyssey 2? And what kind of presence will Mario Kart have? New courses only, or maybe more? All this, PLUS predictions about Donkey Kong Country, Xenoblade, Advance Wars, My Time in Portia, Goldeneye, and more! Let us know what you think of our predictions on Twitter and who you think will come out on top!   Follow The Zelda Cast! Twitter The Zelda Cast (@TheZeldaCast) Andy Spiteri (@Spiteri316) Alasyn Eletha (@AlasynEletha) Twit

To everyone that's been following the Zelda Dungeon podcast for the last four an a half years, we've got some news for you: the podcast will be undergoing a name change! Four and a half years ago when I decided I wanted to revive the Zelda Informer Podcast (that's going waaay back!), the hip and happening thing in the Zelda world was The Champions' Ballad, the last piece of downloadable content for Breath of the Wild. Wanting to play on that name, The Champions' Cast was born! For over four years, we've podcasted weekly about all things Zelda, from Breath of the Wild to Ocarina of Time to Wand of Gamelon to Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland to literally anything even kind of associated with The Legend of Zelda. With that in mind, we thought it was fitting that with the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2 around the corner, we establish a name that better represents what our show is all about: The Zelda Cast! So what does this mean for longtime listeners of the show? Are there any earth shattering changes you should expect? I

Recently, we ran a staff feature asking our writing staff what one specific thing Breath of the Wild 2 could do that would make the 6 year development time worth the wait. Answers varied from having a playable Princess Zelda to introducing a Dark World to featuring underwater exploration to an emphasis on Malice and its origins and much, much more, so this week, Andy and Al dissect each answer and react and give their own analysis on how likely our staffs wishes are. Come hang out with us, as we're also talking Star Wars, Stranger Things, Avatar, and a big announcement coming in a few weeks!   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  

If you've listened to the Champions' Cast even a little, you probably know that The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is Andy's least favorite Zelda game, so this week, we asked YOU to send us questions about the 3DS title for us to unpack. In addition to explaining why Andy thinks Tri Force Heroes is a bad Zelda game, the gang answer questions like what did they think of the totem mechanic, what their favorite outfit from the game was, if Lady Maud is an underrated villain, what their opinion on the music is, what could have been improved in the online play, and thoughts on playing solo versus with friends. You won't want to miss this show, as we cover all this PLUS weigh in on the Mysplaced / Link's Awakening controversy. Come enjoy a holiday Monday (well, for us Canadians anyway!) 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 to The Champions’ Cast! Apple Podc

We’ve got a special show for you this week as we catch up with Andrew Shouldice, the lead developer of Tunic, a game we called on this very show “maybe the best Zelda-like game we’ve ever played”. We pick Andrew’s brain about the origins of Tunic, how the project started, how he met his collaborators, the state of Canadian indie developers, what other games inspired Tunic, the manual concept and where that was born, his reaction to the positive reception, what his gaming backlog looks like, and if there’s a chance we see the little Fox back in action again someday. If you haven’t played Tunic, check out our review and listen to our podcast episode and believe us when we say it’s one of the best Inspired By Zelda games you’ll play. … PLUS, get ready for a special treat next week, as we are taking YOUR questions about Andy’s least favorite Zelda game: Tri Force Heroes! Submit your questions for next weeks Tri Force Heroes Q&A show on Twitter or Discord! Follow The Champions’ Cast! Twitter Andy Spiteri

This week, we had some scheduling snafus that lead us to not being able to record a new episode, BUT instead of taking the week off to relax, recharge, and sip Pina Colada's, we're instead releasing an episode from the vault, one of our best shows, where we are ranking all of Link's showdowns with the King of Evil himself, Ganondorf! Joined by the amazing Mallo Photography, we get talk all things Ganon in this blast from the past!   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  

With absolutely nothing going on in the world of Zelda, Andy and Al spend this week answering some of the Daily Debates the Zelda Dungeon Writing Team have come up with, and the conversation is fantastic! How long is too long to wait for a sequel? Does that Breath of the Wild 2 footage look a little too good for the Switch? How are choosing as our party if we can pick any Zelda NPC's to back us up in a RPG? What unique dungeon theme should be revisited in the future? What would be the spot in the Zelda world we would just like to chill out in? All this and a ton of other questions answered in a light and breezy show this week! Don't miss out!   Download!   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 Me

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