Mushrooms in video games - Legend of Zelda
The use of fungal species in video games is more common than one might think.
Today we will talk about Legend of Zelda (Breath of the Wild and the subsequent Tears of the Kingdom), a video game created for Nintendo in 1986. One of the longest-running and most famous fantasy series.
In this video game, mushrooms are a fundamental resource to compose tasty and sometimes even complex meals that provide various enhancements (such as vigor, stealth, energizing, resistance, etc.) to the protagonist character. They are useful both raw and cooked, but if cooked, the effects will be greater.
First of all, to cook, a cauldron is necessary, found near villages, close to campsites, or maybe in your home, and obviously the ingredients to combine will be needed.
The flowers, mushrooms, plants, and shrubs are all items scattered throughout Hyrule and frequently appear in specific locations, which is why online guides and maps are available to indicate their positioning.
An interesting feature of this video game is that it does not limit the quantity of items that can be stored in the inventory, thus encouraging and facilitating the collection of as many as possible.
Production, that is, crafting, is an important component in The Legend of Zelda. The skill in creating elixirs, in cooking delicious dishes allows you to have an advantage and be more protected and prepared during the journey through the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Online you can find recipe books that combine mushrooms with other plant species, guides compiled by players who share their experience with the network and the dishes have names similar to those cooked at home. In the game, mushrooms and other foods are of fundamental importance, in fact, it is not convenient to throw everything into the cauldron, some combinations of ingredients will not be favorable to the player, as well as in our kitchens.
It is interesting to note that for almost all the mushrooms present in the game, the name recalls the effect they produce, but some have names that remind the common name used for existing species, such as the Caldoncello, the Chiodone, and the Cuortufo Bianco e Nero, although depicted, they do not resemble the corresponding species in nature at all.
The Cuortufo species, which resembles the Black Truffle and the White Truffle, is the rarest species in the video game. It grows in the ground and releases a very strong aroma and taste.
When cooked, it fully restores health and temporarily grants additional hearts.
Note that there are no poisonous mushrooms in Legend of Zelda, but it's just a video game!!
Illustration: https://www.deviantart.com/choyuki/art/The-Legend-of-Zelda-Breath-of-the-Wild-fanart-677211495
Copyright of all Legend of Zelda images: Nintendo
