Check out this episode to hear The Lore Research Lab's founder discuss, rant, and ramble about a core mechanic introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, interspersed with topics related to story and thematic elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Timestamps:

00:08 - Intro to Episode

> 01:05 - Spoiler Warning Disclaimer

> 02:18 - Spoiler Topic

02:40 - Skyward Sword + Breath of the Wild Discussion

> 03:08 - Skyward Sword Topics

> 05:45 - Breath of the Wild Topics

23:10 - Tears of the Kingdom Discussion (Spoilers)

Resources:

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017. 

Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

Tune to hear The Lore Research Lab's founder ramble about their initial thoughts about the freshly released sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Note: There are minor spoilers in this episode. Check out my previous episodes discussing the lead up to ToTK's release and/or episodes on BotW if any background is needed.

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

Tune into this episode to hear The Lore Research Lab's founder ramble about Breath of the Wild, thoughts on its place in the franchise (what came before it), and random thoughts as we close in on Tears of the Kingdom's release date.

The Lore Research Lab's founder returns to discuss the new trailer footage for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with some exciting revelations!

Links:

- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3

- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Gameplay Demonstration

Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

The Pokémon franchise has always been about collecting information about Pokémon in the form of a data-collecting device known as a Pokédex. Notably, certain individuals who are considered experts in studying Pokémon are featured in the games as a part of gameplay and to provide exposition. But how do we explore these characters in more detail and what informs them? This episode focuses on the group of well-known experts who are Professors and appear more prominently in the games they feature in.

00:32 - Preliminary Information + Structure of the Episode

02:39 - The First Professors (Oak, Elm, Birch)

13:32 - The Evolution Professors (Rowan, Juniper, Sycamore)

22:34 - The Specialized Professors (Kukui, Magnolia & Sonia)

31:34 - The Time Travel Professors (Laventon, Sada & Turo)

52:12 - Conclusion

- (Core) Pokémon Professors

(NOTE: Click on each Professor's hyperlinks to learn more.)

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

The Pokémon franchise has always been about collecting information about Pokémon in the form of a data-collecting device known as a Pokédex. Notably, certain individuals who are considered experts in studying Pokémon are featured in the games as a part of gameplay and to provide exposition. But how do we explore these characters in more detail and what informs them? This episode looks at defining an expert, some bottled history on the franchise, and looking at individualized experts.

00:28 - Preliminary Information

> 01:57 - Who is Satoshi Tajiri?

> 03:44 - What is a Pokémon Expert?

> 09:39 - Structure of Episode

11:49 - Expert Individuals who study Pokémon

- Satoshi Tajiri

> Dr. Bug Reference

- (Individuals) Pokémon Researchers & Professors

(NOTE: Check the page to see the hyperlinks for each character.)

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom now has a gameplay demonstration, demonstrated by game producer Eiji Aonuma! Listen to this episode to hear the founder's excitement at this new sequel and the new features present in this upcoming game.

Timestamps:

01:13 - The Legend of Zelda; Tears of the Kingdom Gameplay Demonstration Reaction + Breakdown

42:49 - Discussing the Zonai Race

> 43:07 - Who are the Zonai? + Recapping Zonai Theories

> 53:34 - Connecting the Zonai to Tears of the Kingdom

> 1:04:56 - Concluding Questions

Links/Resources:

- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom Gameplay Demonstration⁠

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

Aonuma, Eiji. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, translated by Michael Gombos et al. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2013.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition, edited by Maura Sutton, et al. Piggyback Interactive Limited, 2017. 

Kayama, Naoyuki et al. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

Sao, Akinori, Ginko Tatsumi, and Chisato Mikane. The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia, translated by Keaton C. White. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2018.

(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Mr. Aonuma Gameplay Demonstration' video and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)

This episode features a review of Metroid Dread, released in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch and 19 years after its Metroid predecessor. What is there to know about this game and is it a game worth getting? Check out this episode to learn more!

Timestamps:

2:13 - Basic Premise

3:54 - Gameplay

> 4:47 - Combat

> 6:40 - Stealth

> 15:44 - Enemies

> 17:49 - Environments

22:02 - Conclusion

Links/Resources:

- Metroid Dread

- Metroid Dread (Nintendo Store Site)

- List of Creatures

(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)

The Mario games are well known for their fun and simple platforms, making the games feel accessible and easy to play through. While most Mario games are simple at its core, none are truly as straightforward as a game solely based on solving puzzles. Furthermore, a game that does not have Mario at the center and instead a side character makes for an interesting spin-off - enter Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a Mario spin-off game related to the character Captain Toad's appearance in Super Mario 3D World. What does a puzzle-solving game entail, and how does spin-off offer a unique version of Mario gameplaying in the form of Captain Toad? Check this episode to learn what this game is all about and why it's great!

Timestamps:

00:32 - Bottled Background

> 00:38 - Who is Captain Toad?

> 05:05 - Captain Toad in Super Mario 3D World

13:02 - Basic Premise

14:47 - Gameplay

> 16:59 - How do you play as Captain Toad?

> 24:58 - The Puzzles and typical Components

> 39:42 - The Objectives

47:03 - Conclusion

Links/Resources:

- Captain Toad (Character)

- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Information

- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker All Cutscenes

- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Full Playthrough

The Lore Research Lab Reference Episodes

Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia - The Official Guide. Translated by William Flanagan and Zack Davisson. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Books, 2015.

(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images and audio have been taken from my own game and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)

Check out this episode to learn about some announcements from Nintendo on upcoming releases, remasters, and games in-between, finishing with an in-depth analysis of the new The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Trailer.

Timestamps:

00:04 - Brief Disclaimer + Summarized thoughts on Nintendo Direct video

06:12 - Reacting to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (New Footage)

08:33 - Last Disclaimer!

09:23 - Analyzing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (New Footage)

Links:

- Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023

> The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Official Trailer #2

(I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this trailer; images have been taken from the "Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023" video and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)