As we've seen already, there are a fair few blemishes on Zelda's reputation; things that Nintendo would much rather people just move on and forget. The biggest of them all lies in the first game though; more specifically, Level 3 of the First Quest. For whatever reason, the layout of this particular dungeon is shaped like a swastika. Yep, the infamous symbol used by the Nazis. Well, actually, it isn't. It's actually a manji; a left-facing symbol (denoting good fortune or peace) which has deep roots within Japanese culture. On a very base level, the symbol has absolutely no connection to Nazism. However, it still caused a stir when the game was moved to America where the manji is pretty much non-existent. Given the number of changes made by Nintendo of America to launch Zelda in the States, it seems weird that they would leave the manji in the game; after all, no matter which way it's facing, nowadays a swastika is nearly always associated with nazism. Again, the controversy over this dungeon never reached critical levels - there were a few complaints but it was never a massive ordeal. Still, if Nintendo were to ever go back and rewrite parts of Zelda's history, it's a fair bet that they simply wouldn't bother with the shape of this dungeon again; one quick look around the internet and you'll find people are a lot less understanding about the shape of this level. Agree? Disagree? Are there any other examples of problems or issues with the Zelda series that Nintendo would rather we all just forgot? Let us know in the comments below.
I have an addiction to achievements, a craving for new bands and a dream to become Captain America. I once finished second in a Mario Kart 7 tournament so I'm kind of a big deal.
