the Wilhelm Scream or Tarzan Yell in TV or film; a nudge in your ribs with a knowing grin. For a long time, gaming generally felt too young to embrace this sort of thing, but now we have enough history behind us that it’s becoming delightfully more common.
One company that’s been able to do this more often than most, however, is Nintendo. Founded 133 years ago, Nintendo’s history stretches back long before Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to take a punt on digital games, with a history making real-world toys and playing cards. It follows that occasionally Nintendo dips back into that history for a reference or two – and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has a delightful new one.