The Surprising Spiritual Successor to the Zelda CD-i Games

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As a huge Zelda fan, I’ve played them all, and while most are amazing, *Link: The Faces of Evil* and *Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon* are… well, they’re infamous for a reason! They’re really hard to get through thanks to confusing levels and clunky controls, but what *really* sets them apart are just how… different they look and feel compared to the rest of the series.

Even though the games first came out in 1993, they’ve become well-known online for being the subject of many jokes and parodies, which has surprisingly led to a dedicated fanbase. Nintendo hasn’t taken advantage of this popularity, but the fans themselves certainly have.

Oh My Goodness, This Is Awful!

Most Zelda fans know the story behind the CD-i games, so here’s a quick overview: Nintendo initially teamed up with Sony to create a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo. This would have allowed games to store more data, improve sound quality, and include full-motion video cutscenes.

Nintendo unexpectedly ended its agreement with Sony (which ultimately led Sony to create the PlayStation), and later cancelled a similar deal with Philips. As a settlement, Nintendo permitted Philips to feature some Nintendo characters in games for its CD-i console.

The CD-i wasn’t originally intended for games, and Philips had limited rights to popular franchises. They also gave the inexperienced developer, Animation Magic, a tight deadline and a small budget, with little guidance from Nintendo. As a result, the games that came out – *Link: The Faces of Evil* (1993) and *Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon* (1993) – became well-known for just feeling strange and unpleasant to play.

I Just Wonder What [Fulkerson] Is Up To…

The games’ rough animations, strange voice acting, unusual 2D style, and lack of connection to the main *Zelda* storyline made them an easy target for early online reviewers and parody videos. While this helped them gain a dedicated, but ironic, fanbase, the actual gameplay wasn’t very good.

Things changed in November 2020 when a developer named Seth Fulkerson, working as “Seedy Eye Software,” released unofficial PC remakes of the games. This wasn’t the first time the *Zelda* series had seen fan-made updates. Fulkerson’s remakes included improvements and tweaks that showed the original games had a genuinely appealing core idea-something Nintendo likely wouldn’t want made public due to the initial flawed release.

To avoid any legal issues and still create something inspired by the old CD-i games, Fulkerson decided to build a brand new game from scratch. He planned to capture the same feel and animation style, but with completely original characters and a unique story. This ultimately led to Limited Run Games publishing *Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore* in February 2024.

Squadala! We’re Off!

Princess Arzette is the star of this game, and she’s constantly on the move! You’ll guide her as she runs, jumps, fights with her sword, and throws items through beautifully hand-drawn levels in the kingdom of Faramore. Along the way, she’ll meet a cast of quirky characters and battle the forces of the demon king Daimur.

As a huge fan, I’m so excited about the story in *Arzette*! It takes place ten years after the events of the old CD-i games. Basically, remember how Daimur was trapped in the Book of Oakurin, similar to how Ganon was sealed away at the end of *Faces of Evil*? Well, he’s broken free again! That’s why Arzette is on a quest to find the pieces of the Jewel of Faramore – she needs it to finally defeat him.

Beyond sharing a similar story, look, and how you play, *Arzette* cleverly nods to the games that inspired it by featuring some of the same voice actors, including Jeffrey Rath and Bonnie Jean Wilbur, who famously played Link and Zelda in the CD-i games. It even has a level designed around the gameplay of *Hotel Mario*, another well-known game from the same developer!

You Want It? It’s Yours, My Friend!

When Arzette: Jewel of Faramore came out, it was highly praised for successfully capturing the quirky, low-budget feel of classic games like Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. Importantly, it did this while also offering fresh ideas and, unlike those older titles, providing a genuinely enjoyable and playable game.

People weren’t criticizing the product for technical problems, but rather for issues with the very idea of an “interactive animated adventure.” Specifically, players found it hard to understand what to do and the artwork took some time to appreciate.

Although the game hinted at a possible sequel in its ending, Arzette’s release didn’t improve the poor reception of the other Zelda games on the CD-i. Because Nintendo has never officially acknowledged those games, Arzette might be the closest we’ll ever get to experiencing this unique style of gameplay done well.

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2025-09-18 19:11