Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been chewing on. Today, Jim manifests the return of Zelda’s most iconic NPC…
If you’ve made it past the title, chances are you fall into one of the following camps. First: You believe Tingle deserves another mainline Zelda look. Second: You hate Tingle and everything he stands for. Three: You think we’re wrong because there’s no way it’s been 20 years since Tingle last appeared in the main game. Four: A strange combination of all of the above. Well, buckle up my friend, because here comes the cold, hard facts.
Yes, it’s been 20 years since this weird little guy last appeared in the original main game (excluding remakes and remasters, obviously) and also yes, his return is long overdue. The Tinglenaissance is ahead of us…
Before we dive into things, let’s go through the Tingle timeline as we hold virtual hands together and go through the shock of 20 years without Tingle (that one sounded better in my head).
Tingle is a recurring Zelda NPC who debuted in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. He wears a green one-piece with a pair of red Y-fronts on top and is convinced that he is the reincarnation of a fairy. Additionally, he was the subject of a 2004 IGN campaign titled “Die tingling, die!“. That just speeds you up, doesn’t it?
Before a host of fetch quests turn this fairy fan into public enemy no. 1, Tingle played an important role in the franchise. In Majora’s Mask, he’s your map man. In Oracle of Ages, he provides an essential map of the island. In Wind Waker, he’s your go-to source for helpful hints (and frustrating scavenger hunts). His usefulness declines in later appearances—the less said about his Force gem-grabbing antics in Four Swords Adventures the better—though his ability to provide a running total of remaining Kinstone Fuses in Minish Cap is a godsend. However, no matter which way you look at it, from 2000 to 2004 he was a friendly face to see.
he was a friendly face you could see.
And of course, we say “he was friendly face” because we haven’t seen him in the original main entry since. That means it’s been 20 years since The Minish Cap was released. Oh God…
Sure, there were easter eggs sprinkled throughout several games featuring Tingle’s character from figurines and plushies in Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword to DLC armor in Breath of the Wild, but otherwise, it was just a weird remake/spin-off look to talk about.
To be honest, they the occurrences came thick and fast. In the mid-to-late 2000s, there were three DS games (Rosy Rupeeland, Balloon Fight, and Balloon Trip of Love) none of which made it to North America, and only the first made it to Europe. Then we have the remakes/remasters of Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker on the Wii U. He proved himself to be a capable warrior (or survivor) by appearing in the Super Smash Bros series and as a playable fighter in Hyrule Warriors. There’s even a Tingle costume in Super Mario Maker. And who can forget his appearance in the ‘Mogitate Chinkuru’ microgame in Japanese copies of WarioWare: DIY Showcase? Our. We can forget it.
And so we come to the present day, a day where Tingle is still part of many Zelda conversations despite not having appeared in the series since the clams were all the rage. But why? IGN’s campaign packed a fair amount of venom into its time, pining for Tingle’s death at all costs as the show entered its darker Twilight Princess phase for grown-up eyeliner. But the silly, goofy mood of the franchise is back with a vengeance. Link avoids Looney Tunes-style mishaps as he blasts Koroks out of the stratosphere, our beloved Addison gapes in OTT surprise as we solve his physics-based puzzles — a side quest we’re sure would be perfect for Tingle in another timeline — and Master Khoga is a total bad guy.
can we stop pretending the show has “outgrown” Tingle and give the weird little guy a second chance?
As we approach our first Princess Zelda-led adventure, one where monsters and bedroom furniture can be summoned at will to solve puzzles, can we stop pretending the series has “outgrown” Tingle and give the quirky little guy a second chance? The answer is, if you ask me, yes, of course we can!
What we know about Echoes of Wisdom at the time of writing is barely enough to fill the back of a postage stamp, but I can already see enough room for some Tingle twist. We know that Princess Zelda will be using the map in the game (she appeared in the lower right corner in the reveal trailer), but she is your Have you seen any Sheikah Slate, Purah Pad or other substitute for the real thing? I certainly didn’t. So who does Zelda get these cards from? How are they designed if there are no obvious towers in the area? Maybe someone is related to a balloon??
We also know that Zelda has a new fairy friend, Tri, in tow. Looking a bit more advanced than Navi and Tatl’s winged orb of light, this mysterious species is sure to attract attention. Maybe from someone who has a great passion for fairies?? It all adds up when you remove the red wire. Sure, there are some timeline shenanigans that I’m probably skirting around (is Tingle even alive at this point?), but if Nintendo can turn a blind eye to such continuity, so can I.
We may have gone 20 years without a main Tingle appearance, but today we find the series in a different place. What was once a quest for mature realism is once again beginning to embrace the lighter side and come on, what’s easier than “Kooloo-Limpah”? Forget the blind hatred of the past, it’s time to tingle again.
