Gamerankings.com’s
number one game of all-time is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time so
it’s no real surprise that Link is still getting the star treatment.
(Although, I guess, the recent release of Wind Waker might also have
something to do with it.)This
is Joyride’s version of adult Link as he appears in Ocarina of Time
and is a great collectible for Zelda fans but as a play toy…
First,
Link looks great.The paint
job is neatly applied with no oversplash, even with the fine detail on
his shield (which pegs onto his forearm) and around his eyes.The sculpt grabs his likeness right from the game with a great
“about to strike” stance.Articulation
isn’t so hot.Link has
hinged knees and seams at the shoulders, hips, wrists, neck and waist.The least useful is the neck articulation thanks to Link’s big
hat.The other points
don’t score much
better thanks to the sculpt, which restricts his
movement quite a bit, except for his left arm which has a good range.Take a look at his hinged knees – why even have them there if
there is no complementing ball-jointed hip?It would have allowed more poses.
The
emphasis is clearly on display, especially because of Link’s “Field
of Hyrule” base and the fact he’s ultra unstable when not installed
on the base.The Ocarina of
Time logo is a nice touch and makes him standout even further on the
shelf.
Playability
ranks pretty low thanks to the previously cited emphasis
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on display.It also takes a slight hit from the relative ease at which his
accessories can be lost.To
its credit, the Master Sword can be stored nicely in its scabbard and if
Link’s holding the sword he doesn’t give it up easily.The shield manages to stay firm on the peg on his wrist gauntlet
but if it’s not there it might go missing.People with strong imaginations or don’t care about
compatibility and poseability won’t have problems toying around with
Link – but for the rest of us, Link will stay on the shelf.
(Especially because he’s not all that durable.)
So
there you have it.Link’s
a good collectible piece; just don’t expect to play with him.