Editing Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

{{italic title}}
{{rewrite-expand|add missing descriptions}}
{{Game infobox
|image=[[File:Zelda Wand of Gamelon box art.jpg|250px]]
|developer=[[Animation Magic]] 
|publisher=[[Philips Media]]
|platforms=[[Philips CD-i]]
|released={{Released|USA|October 10, 1993|Europe|December 25, 1993}}
|genre=Action-adventure, platform
|modes=Single player
}}
{{redirect|Wand of Gamelon|the item with the same name|[[Wand of Gamelon (item)]]}}
'''''Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon''''' is a video game released for the [[Philips CD-i]] in 1993. It was developed by [[Animation Magic]] and published by [[Philips Media]] alongside ''[[Link: The Faces of Evil]]''. ''The Wand of Gamelon'' is very similar to ''The Faces of Evil'' in its gameplay, though the player controls [[Princess Zelda]] rather than [[Link]]. Both games, as well as ''[[Zelda's Adventure]]'', are the only ''The Legend of Zelda'' games where [[Nintendo]] was not involved in the their development.

While both games initially received mixed reviews, they are infamous for their extreme negative reception in contemporary reviews and retrospectives, and they are often considered the worst games in ''The Legend of Zelda'' franchise, as well as some of the worst games of all time. The CD-i games were ambiguously disowned from the franchise by [[Eiji Aonuma]].<ref>[http://www.mtv.com/news/2468188/eiji-aonuma-addresses-those-horrible-zelda-cd-i-games/ Eiji Aonuma Addresses Those Horrible 'Zelda' CD-i Games - MTV]</ref>

==Plot==
[[King Harkinian]] announces his plan to aid [[Duke Onkled]] when the latter falls under attack by Ganon. [[Princess Zelda|Zelda]] is worried for his safety, so the King orders her to send [[Link]] for backup in case he does not return from his mission within a month. A month passes without word from the King, so Zelda sends Link to find him.

When he too goes missing, Zelda ventures off to [[Gamelon]] (accompanied by the elderly [[Impa]]) to find both Link and the King. In the town of Sakado, Impa discovers that King Harkinian was captured and that Link had engaged in a battle, the outcome of which is unclear. As she adventures across the island, Zelda meets many friendly characters and battles with many monsters including [[Gibdo]] and [[Iron Knuckle]]. Along her travels, Zelda battles the sorcerer [[Wizzrobe]] to free Lady Alma, who gives Zelda a canteen that she claims Link gave her in exchange for a kiss. 

On reaching Duke Onkled's palace, Domodai Palace, it is revealed that Duke Onkled has betrayed the King and is working for Ganon. Zelda storms the palace, kills [[Hectan]], and saves the imprisoned [[Lord Kiro]] who used to work for the King. Kiro reveals the secret entrance to Onkled's chamber, and when they confront him he reveals the entrance to Reesong Palace, where Ganon has taken residence.

Zelda travels to the Shrine of Gamelon to defeat the head-switching chimera Omfak and obtain the Wand needed to defeat Ganon. She also visits Nokani Forest to obtain a magic lantern needed to clear the darkness around Ganon. Finally at Reesong Palace, Zelda fights Ganon, incapacitates him with the Wand, and rescues her father. Back at Hyrule Castle, Duke Onkled is turned over to the King, begging for mercy. He is arrested and punished by the King by scrubbing "all the floors in Hyrule". Although Link's whereabouts are still unknown, a comment by Lady Alma prompts Zelda to throw her mirror against the wall and as it smashes Link magically materializes, seemingly having been trapped in the mirror.

==Gameplay==
The gameplay is very similar to the accompanying title, ''Link: The Faces of Evil''. The player controls Princess Zelda, who must find and defeat Ganon and rescue both King Harkinian and Link to become the heroine of Gamelon. The weapons, a handful of the items, and most of the enemies are the same as in ''Link: The Faces of Evil'', although the trading items, characters, and bosses are different. When the player begins this quest, three areas are initially available, accessible through Impa's map. The player can access each area on by moving the on-screen cursor over one on the map and then pressing Button One. 

At the beginning of the game, Zelda is only equipped with a sword and shield. The sword is used to attack enemies and to fire deadly Power Blasts, and the shield can deflect projectile attacks thrown at the player. The shield is automatically lifted when the player is standing still or crouching. Other helpful tools, such as [[lamp oil]] (for lighting a lamp), [[rope (item)|rope]] (for climbing) and [[bomb]]s (which can destroy some obstacles) are available for a price at the [[General Shop]] in [[Sakado]]. The rubies that the [[Merchant]] takes as currency can be obtained by defeating enemies.

Like ''The Faces of Evil'', Zelda's health is also measured by [[Heart Container|Life Heart]]s. By running out of Life Hearts the first two times, the player is provided with the option to continue near the point where Zelda's last heart was lost. The player is forced to restart the level if Zelda loses all her Life Hearts a third time.

==Characters==
===Main characters===
{|class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Name
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Princess Zelda TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Princess Zelda]]
|The main protagonist. Seeks to liberate Gamelon from "the evil forces of Ganon" and rescue her father and Link.
|-
|align=center|[[Link]]
|The Hero of Hyrule. After a month with no word from King Harkinian, Link makes his way to Gamelon, only to be captured by Ganon as well. Link is revealed to have been sealed within a hand mirror at the end of the game, and shattering said mirror frees him.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Impa ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Impa]]
|Zelda's caretaker and keeper of the [[Triforce of Wisdom]]. While the Triforce does predict the King's safe return, it does not foresee Onkled's treachery, nor is it able to decipher what happened to Link. Impa is awoken in the middle of the night by Zelda to accompany her on her mission to Gamelon. Impa plays the role [[Gwonam]] had in [[Link: The Faces of Evil]].
|-
|align=center|[[File:King Harkinian ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[King Harkinian]]
|The King of Hyrule. Implied to be a powerful figure, as Link claims that "Ganon's no match for the King!" He sets sail for Gamelon after a distress call from his ally, Duke Onkled. Onkled, however, turns traitor, and Harkinian is imprisoned by Ganon.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Duke Onkled ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Duke Onkled]]
|The supposed Duke of Gamelon. According to Lord Kiro, "Duke Onkled betrayed the King," which Zelda had suspected. Duke Onkled's treachery seems to be out of fear, as he is portrayed as a cowardly man. He is sentenced to scrubbing every floor in Hyrule at the end of the game.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Ganon TFoE-WoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Ganon]]
|The recurring antagonist of the series. Ganon now wages war against the country of Gamelon in the hopes that Duke Onkled would seek diplomatic aid from King Harkinian. In the end, the cowardly Duke Onkled betrays his ally and allows him to be captured. Ganon is defeated by Zelda using the Wand of Gamelon, which binds him with magical golden chains and drags him into the [[Book of Koridai]].
|}

===Supporting characters===
{|class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Name
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Fairy ZWoG sprite.png]][[File:Fairy ZWoG sprite 2.png]]<br>[[Fairy]]
|Fairies that have been captured by the Three Witches. Once freed, they give Zelda a life heart, Fairy Dust, and some Water of Life.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Grimbo ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Grimbo]]
|An alchemist who transforms Zelda's glove into a Power Glove after she retrieves some Hanyu Spore.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Harbanno ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Harbanno]]
|A Sakado baker who was imprisoned in Tykogi Tower. He gifts Zelda with some of his bread after being freed.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lady Alma ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Lady Alma]]
|A noblewoman who Wizzrobe entombed within Shutoy Lake's tower. She met and kissed Link before his capture, and gives Zelda his canteen upon meeting her. It's later revealed that her hand mirror contained the imprisoned Link, which is shattered after Zelda throws it at a wall.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lika ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Lika]]
|A rather frightening resident of Sakado; despite her appearance, she helps Zelda by creating the Magic Cloak after the Princess retrieves some Fairy Dust.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lord Kiro ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Lord Kiro]]
|A nobleman who was with King Harkinian when they were betrayed by Duke Onkled; Kiro in particular was imprisoned by Hektan. He is freed by Zelda in Dodomai Palace and, after telling her about the ordeal, apprehends the Duke and brings him to Harkinian.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lubonga ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Lubonga]]
|The only resident left in Aru Ainu after Gleeok's arrival. She knits a green shroud for Zelda.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Hungry Girl ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Makoto]]
|A starving girl who longs for an Arpagos egg. She hands Zelda a flute upon receiving said egg.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Mayor Cravendish ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Mayor Cravendish]]
|The mayor of Sakado, who was imprisoned in Tykogi Tower despite his protests that the action was illegal. He was able to conceal a lantern which he later gives to Zelda.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Ushrom ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Merchant (Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon)|Merchant]]
|A shifty shopkeeper who sells lamp oil, rope, and bombs to Zelda.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Myra ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Myra]]
|A sorceress who enchants Zelda's shroud with an Arpagos feather. She later hands Zelda an upgraded lantern before the Princess' expedition to Reesong Palace.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Water Lady ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Sanda]]
|A water carrier that gives Zelda some Water of Life after jumping over a Gohma-infested pit. She also points out Yokan's entrapment in a nearby fish skull.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Yokan ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Yokan]]
|A fisherman who gets trapped inside a giant fish skull in Ahitaru. After being freed, he moves to Sakado and becomes a blacksmith; there, he increases the power of Zelda's sword.
|}

===Enemies===
{|class="wikitable sortable" width=75%
!width=8%|Name
!class=unsortable|Description
!width=10%|In ''Link: The Faces of Evil''?
|-
|align=center|[[File:Arkadai TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Arkadai]]
|
|{{No}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Armos TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Armos]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Arpagos sprite.png]]<br>[[Arpagos]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Bago-Bago TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Bago-Bago]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Boar TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Boar]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Boon TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Boon]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Bot TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Bot]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Daira TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Daira]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Darknut TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Darknut]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Deadite TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Deadite]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Deeler TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Deeler]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Dodongo TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Dodongo]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Ghini green TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]][[File:Ghini yellow TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Ghini]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Gleeok ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Gleeok]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Gohma TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Gohma]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Goriya TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Goriya]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Gleeok Head TFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Head of Gleeok]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Jawbee TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]][[File:Jawbee red TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Jawbee]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Keese TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Keese]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lowder TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Lowder]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Gargoyle TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Mini-Dragon]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Moa TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Moa]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Moblin TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Moblin|Moblin Spearthrower]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Octorok TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Octorok]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Phyrandaii TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Phyrandaii]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Spearfish TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Spearfish]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Stalfos TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Stalfos]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Stone Head TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Stone statue]]
|
|{{No}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Vire ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Vire]]
|
|{{No}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Wallmaster TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Wallmaster (The Legend of Zelda)|Wall Master]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Floormaster TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Wallmaster|Wall Master]]
|
|{{No}}
|-
|align=center|[[File:Zora TFoE-TWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Zora]]
|
|{{Yes}}
|}

===Bosses===
{|class="wikitable"
!Name
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Gibdo ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Gibdo]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Ironknuckle ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Iron Knuckle]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Three Witches ZWoG sprite 1.png]] [[File:Three Witches ZWoG sprite 2.png]] [[File:Three Witches ZWoG sprite 3.png]]<br>[[Three Witches]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Wizzrobe ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Wizzrobe]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Hektan ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Hektan]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Omfak ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Omfak]]
|
|}

==Items==
{{Stub|section=yes}}
These are items that can be used from Zelda's inventory: 

{|class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Item
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Bomb LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Bomb]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Bread ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Bread]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Canteen TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Canteen]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Fairy Lantern ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Fairy Lantern]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Flute ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Flute]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lantern TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Lantern]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Magic Cape ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Cape]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Magic Cloak ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Magic Cloak]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Magic Lantern TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Magic Lantern]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Power Glove TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Power Glove]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Rope TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Rope (item)|Rope]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Shroud ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Shroud]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Wand of Gamelon ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Wand of Gamelon (item)|Wand of Gamelon]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Water of Life TFoE icon.png]]<br>[[Sacred Water|Water of Life]]
|
|}

These are items that cannot be used from the inventory. They are the exact same as in ''Link: The Faces of Evil'':

{| class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Item
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Key LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Small Key|Key]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Lantern Oil LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Lantern Oil|Lamp oil]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Life Heart LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Heart Container|Life Heart]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Ruby LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Rupee|Ruby]]
|Rubies are used to purchase items and to use certain items.
|-
|align=center|[[File:Triforce Map LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Triforce Map]]
|
|}


There are some items that Zelda must trade with other characters, entirely different from those in ''Link: The Faces of Evil'':

{| class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Item
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Arpagos Egg ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Arpagos Egg]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Arpagos Feather ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Arpagos Feather]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Cloak ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Cloak]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Fairy Dust ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Fairy Dust]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Hanyu Spore ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Hanyu Spore]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Heat Crystal ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Heat Crystal]]
|
|}

===Weapons===
Just like ''Link: The Faces of Evil'', Zelda can only use a Sword and Shield as an equipped weapon.
 
{| class="wikitable" width=75%
!width=10%|Item
!Description
|-
|align=center|[[File:Power Sword LFoE sprite.png]] [[File:Power Sword tempered LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Power Sword]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Reflecting Shield LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Reflecting Shield]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Shield ZWoG sprite.png]]<br>[[Shield]]
|
|-
|align=center|[[File:Sword LFoE sprite.png]]<br>[[Sword]]
|
|}

==Locations==
Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon takes place entirely on [[Gamelon]], a lush island with several towns, palaces, and forests. A [[overworld|land map]] is used to travel between certain regions. 

Three locations are initially available at the start of the game; Aru Ainu, Kobitan, and Sakado. More locations are unlocked after hitting the Triforce Map at the end of specific stages.

{|class="wikitable sortable" width=70%
!width=15%|Name
!class=unsortable|Description
|-
|align=center|[[Aru Ainu]]
|A hamlet in Gamelon's northwestern savanna whose citizens have fled (for the most part) after the arrival of a Gleeok.
|-
|align=center|[[Kobitan]]
|A farming village north of Sakado that has been overrun by insatiable Moblins and a Vire.
|-
|align=center|[[Sakado]]
|A large port town on the island's eastern coast. Inside the town's church, Zelda encounters and fights a Gibdo.
|-
|align=center|[[Ahitaru]]
|A barren desert flanked by Kobitan and Sakado. A giant fish skeleton rests on a mountainside, with the fisherman Yokan trapped in the skull.
|-
|align=center|[[Washubi Swamp]]
|An Arkadai-infested marsh south of Aru Ainu. At the end of the swamp is a hut belonging to Grimbo.
|-
|align=center|[[Hanyu Forest]]
|A forest on Gamelon's south coast that is occupied by many Bots.
|-
|align=center|[[Tykogi Tower]]
|A towering prison near Sakado which houses most of the town's inhabitants, including its mayor. Near the end, Zelda fights an Iron Knuckle.
|-
|align=center|[[Dordung Cave]]
|The lair of the Gleeok that scared off Aru Ainu's populace, located in Gamelon's western mountain range.
|-
|align=center|[[The Fairy Pool]]
|A fairy fountain nestled in a valley near Reesong Palace. It has been taken over by the Three Witches and shrouded in darkness.
|-
|align=center|[[Gobiyan Ship]]
|A haunted shipwreck that was scuttled in Gamelon's northern bay. 
|-
|align=center|[[Shutoy Lake]]
|Gamelon's largest lake is home to an abandoned coastal village and a tall red tower; inside the latter, Zelda does battle with a Wizzrobe.
|-
|align=center|[[Dodomai Palace]]
|The large palace where Duke Onkled currently resides. While exploring the manor, Zelda encounters and defeats a aquatic mage named Hektan.
|-
|align=center|[[Shrine of Gamelon]]
|A shrine on top of Gamelon's tallest mountain. Zelda has to defeat the chimera Omfak to obtain the shrine's treasure, Wand of Gamelon.
|-
|align=center|[[Nokani Forest]]
|A forest near Shutoy Lake that has trees so tall that the forest floor is often shrouded in darkness.
|-
|align=center|[[Reesong Palace]]
|The final area of the game, a red-brick fortress occupied by Ganon. On top of the palace's tallest tower is a cell that King Harkinian is being held in.
|}


==Development==
{{Main|Link: The Faces of Evil#Development}}
''The Wand of Gamelon'' shares a nearly identical development story to ''Link: The Faces of Evil'', as both games were developed in tandem by Animation Magic and saw a simultaneous release. Together, they were the first Nintendo-licensed games to be released on the [[Philips CD-i]].

With the relatively low budget of approximately $600,000, Wand of Gamelon was given a little over a year for completion — time which would have to be split between the development of Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil. It was decided by Animation Magic, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based development team led by Dale DeSharone, that the two games would be developed in tandem and would share the same graphics engine to more efficiently use the budget.

The voice of Princess Zelda was provided by Bonnie Jean Wilbur and the voice of Link by Jeffrey Rath, while additional voices were provided by Jeffrey Nelson, Mark Berry, Natalie Brown, Karen Grace, Josie McElroy, Marguerite Scott and Paul Wann. 

==Reception==
At the time of its release, contemporary criticism was largely positive. SNES Force magazine described the animated sequences as "breathtaking" and praised the game's high-resolution graphics and "brilliant" use of sound and speech. Highly anticipated by the French video game press, Joystick magazine's development preview of the title highlighted the fact that this would be the first of the Zelda games to feature true voice acting, and described its plot as highly original and the background graphics as a tableaux of great beaut.] The UK-based CDi Magazine rated the game a 75%, describing it as a "reasonably good game" and praising the puzzles and the animation sequences while criticizing its perfunctory plot and poor controls. In 1994, Edge reported that both Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon had sold a "respectable number of units", but as CD-i sales began to suffer criticism sharpened and the games were described as low-cost, low-risk ventures that had failed to excite any interest in the platform despite their sales figures.

All three Zelda CD-i titles have garnered a largely negative reception among modern critics, with The Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon standing out as the most frequently derided. The magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked Zelda: Wand of Gamelon the sixth worst game of all time, and GameTrailers rated it fifth worst game of all time. The Star Tribune described the game's voice acting as "laughable" and it was also criticized by Zelda Elements as jarring.  IGN described the games as "infamous" and "cheesy"; other reviewers called the animated cutscenes "freakish" and "an absolute joke". Wired magazine said that the animation on the first two Zelda games was extremely simple and stilted and that the graphics had several glitches.

Despite the largely negative reception of ''The Wand of Gamelon'', there have been a few positive reviews as well. Both Danny Cowan of 1UP.com and John Szczepaniak praised Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon as among the best games on the CD-i. Szczepaniak in particular suggested that several of the gaming magazines that had rated and reviewed Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil had engaged in hate campaigns having never even played the game. Cowan's and Szczepaniak's praises drew from the games' detailed, well-drawn in-game backgrounds and "pretty decent" gameplay, although both criticized the controls.

While the audio was thought to be "average", and not up to the usual Zelda quality by some reviewers, this has been contested by others who have described it as diverse and high-quality with an adventurous upbeat tempo blending electric guitar, panpipes, marimbas, and other unusual instruments. In a periodical for Retro Gamer magazine, Szczepaniak identified the natural comparison of the games by reviewers to the quality of games in the rest of the Zelda series as an improper comparison to make and suggested that when reviewed in their own right the games were actually excellent.

Contrary to what were described as "lies perpetuated about [Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon]," Retro Gamer described these games as "astoundingly good" and rated them together as number ten in its "Perfect Ten Games" for CD-i. While acknowledging that the games lacked canonicity, the games were praised for exhilarating pacing and superb gameplay design and music. The game's background art was also described as ranging from Gigeresque to Monet-esque.

==References==
{{other wikis|Wikipedia=1}}
<references/>

{{Games}}
[[Category:Home console games]]
[[Category:Spinoffs]]
[[Category:Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon|*]]
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