Credit: Universal PicturesHold onto your butts — a fascinating “link” between The Legends of Zelda and Jurassic Park (1993) has been revealed!
The Legends of Zelda franchise is no stranger to giant beasts, but it turns out that the series’ 2000 title was inspired by Jurassic Park, the iconic film that follows a group of scientists who are invited to sign off on a remote Costa Rican island-theme park, where dinosaurs have been brought back to life using genetic technology.
You might be wondering which subtitle in The Legends of Zelda gaming series could possibly relate to Spielberg’s landmark sci-fi thriller, and though it isn’t at all obvious, you probably won’t ever look at it in the same way again.
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In a recent interview with VGC, Takaya Imamura, the art director for the game The Legends of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000), which follows on from the iconic The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), explained how the title for the 2000 follow-up has a connection to Steven Spielberg’s ground-breaking cinematic blockbuster, Jurassic Park.
Imamura reveals that the word “Mujura” (from the game’s Japanese title, Zelda no Densetsu Mujura no Kamen) combines his surname and his love for the original Jurassic Park.
“Yes, that [Mujura] was originally based on my name,” he said. “I wanted to use the ‘Jura’ part because I’m a big fan of Jurassic Park. ‘Ima-Jura’… that’s where the name came from.”
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The Legend of Zelda is hardly a franchise one would associate with Jurassic Park, or dinosaurs in general, for that matter. The anthology gaming series follows the character Link as he explores the kingdom of Hyrule, where he embarks on epic quests, most of which involve saving the titular Princess Zelda from a dark being known as Ganondorf.
While there are indeed countless mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes littered throughout the games, there aren’t any dinosaurs in sight. There is, however, the beast King Dodongo from 1998’s Ocarina of Time, also known as “The Infernal Dinosaur.” Another Jurassic Park reference? Perhaps. Will any future Zelda game feature any actual dinosaurs, though? We’ll just have to wait and see. For now, the new game The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will do just fine.
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As per the official The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom website, here’s the synopsis for the game:
Explore the vast land—and skies—of Hyrule
An epic adventure awaits in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game, only on the Nintendo Switch system.
In this sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game, you’ll decide your own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Can you harness the power of Link’s new abilities to fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom?
Check out the official trailer below:
Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now available on the Nintendo Switch.
Were you aware of this fun connection between The Legends of Zelda and Jurassic Park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!