Tingle (The Legend of Zelda)
| Tingle | |
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| The Legend of Zelda character | |
| File:Tingle.jpg Tingle | |
| First game | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask |
Tingle (チンクル, Chinkuru) is a fictional video game character created by Nintendo in The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Since his debut in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, he has been a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series.
Tingle holds some popularity in Japan, and has two Japanese video games for the Nintendo DS, titled Mogitate Chinkuru no Barairo Ruppīrando and Tingle's Balloon Fight.
Characteristics
Tingle is a short, paunchy 35-year-old man who is completely obsessed with "forest fairies" and dresses up in a green costume which slightly resembles that of the main character, Link. He is about a foot smaller than Link in his The Wind Waker incarnation, and so can be judged as less than three feet tall, although he appears to be much taller in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. In Majora's Mask, he wears tight red shorts and a necklace with a clock that is permanently stuck at 4 o'clock. Tingle is normally seen floating around on his red balloon, drawing and selling maps for his father, who sees him as a fool. He is also known for his catchphrase "Tingle-Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah!"
Tingle appears to have a fixation for rupees (and other similar collectibles, such as Force Gems from Four Swords Adventures and Kinstones from The Minish Cap). In Majora's Mask, Tingle could be found all around Termina selling maps, and The Wind Waker, Tingle would translate Triforce Maps for a hefty price. Tingle's fixation for rupees is explained in Tingle's Nintendo DS title (translated title is: Tingle's Rose-Coloured Freshly Picked Rupee Land), where it is has been stated that Tingle needs rupees in order to survive.
Appearances
According to Nintendo, most of the Legend of Zelda games take place several generations apart, with The Wind Waker taking place hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, yet Tingle has been in every Zelda game since his debut in Majora's Mask except for the port of A Link to the Past that was released on the GameBoy Advance. Though he does not appear in Twilight Princess himself, Nintendo did put a character as a reference to Tingle in the game. This may imply that there are several Tingles throughout time, just like there are many incarnations of Link and Princess Zelda, or that Tingle is a single entity living through many generations.
Majora's Mask
Tingle made his debut in the Nintendo 64 title, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Throughout Link's adventure, Tingle helps Link navigate the land of Termina by selling him maps of various areas (although, Link has to shoot down Tingle's balloon with the bow and arrow or the bubble technique used in Deku form). His maps come cheaper if bought in their respective areas. Tingle appears in several areas, including Clock Town, Romani Ranch and Ikana Canyon. His father operates the pictograph contest at the Woodfall Swamp, and is ashamed by his son's antics, although he admits that he perhaps spoiled him too much.
Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
Tingle appears in the land of Labrynna in Oracle of Ages, and gives Link a chart that he needs to cross the sea. Tingle will also give Link an upgrade to the Seed Satchel in a linked game, which can hold 99 of every seed.
Tingle doesn't appear in Oracle of Seasons, but he is mentioned by a fairy who thinks he should grow-up. However, the fairy is too busy and asks Link to tell Tingle her message in the form of a secret.
The Wind Waker
Tingle's first appearance in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is in a small, dingy prison cell on Windfall Island for being a nuisance to others and stealing a Picto Box. When freed, Tingle gives Link the Tingle tuner, a device that can be used if the player connects a Game Boy Advance to the GameCube via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. This allows a second player to control Tingle to help the first player, or allow one player to multi-task between the controller and the Game Boy Advance by selling him potions, providing him with a shield, allowing him to float and dropping bombs. Tingle also gives the player a crudely drawn map to Tingle Island, and can be found for the rest of the game on this island, near the top of Tingle Tower. According to the Tingle tuner, Tingle is merely a native of a different island with a Tingle-centric legend, in parallel to the Link-centric legend of Outset Island.
Four Swords Adventures
Tingle takes on the role of a friendly antagonist in the GameCube game, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. If a player leaves a good deal of Force Gems laying around for too long, Tingle will eventually float towards them on his balloon in an attempt to steal them. The players must grab them before he does (although while playing multiplayer, players are given the option of turning this off). There is also a trap in this game that causes Tingle to lead an army of lookalikes and steal the gems directly from the Links.
The Minish Cap
Tingle, Ankle, Knuckle, and David Jr. are able to fuse kinstones with Link in the Game Boy Advance game, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Fusing kinstones is an action that Link can do with many people throughout the game, which influences the game world in some minor way to give the player access to an item or new area. When all four have fused kinstones with Link, a passage will open on the Castle Grounds that gives him the Magic Boomerang. Tingle, his brothers, and David Jr can also tell Link how many kinstone fusions remain. Once Link has done every kinstone fusion, Tingle will award Link with the Tingle statue.
Mogitate Chinkuru no Barairo Ruppīrando
Tingle also stars in his very own game for the Nintendo DS, titled Mogitate Chinkuru no Barairo Ruppīrando. It tells the story of Tingle when he was a regular person, how he came to become the Tingle that we've seen in previous The Legend of Zelda games, and explains why he so obsessed with Rupees. Released in Japan in 2006, an American and/or European release would seem unlikely given when considering the baffled reaction to the character in the west and the typical fate of more 'eccentric' games such as this, but Nintendo's pledge to translate as many DS games as possible, coupled with the prestige of the Legend of Zelda series, may still allow this game to leave Japan. An English version of the game will be released, on a yet undetermined date, in 2007.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Tingle does not have an appearance as himself in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, yet producer Eiji Aonuma stated in an interview with Nintendo Dream that the character Purlo is Nintendo's reference to Tingle in Twilight Princess.[1]
Purlo is the host of the STAR CIRCUS minigame in Hyrule Castle Town, and indeed he does share some similarities with Tingle. According to Aonuma, Purlo's appearance "is the result of wondering what a realistic Tingle would look like". Among other physical similarities with Tingle, it is noteable that Purlo is very greedy and has a love for Rupees.
Tingle's Balloon Fight
Tingle's Balloon Fight is a Nintendo DS game which is solely available in Japan, to members of Nintendo's Platinum Club Nintendo service, in 2007. Members are offered a choice between this game or a Wii Remote battery pack engraved with the face of a custom Mii. The game is similar to the NES game Balloon Fight, though featuring Tingle in the place of the unnamed balloonist.
Other appearances
Tingle is also spotted in Super Smash Bros. Melee as part of the Termina Bay stage. His balloon acts as an additional platform to players, but when a player strikes or stays too long on his balloon, the balloon pops, and Tingle falls down, causing the player to fall down and take two percent of damage. Tingle then stays on the ground for some time before inflating a new balloon. He can also fall beneath the water which will delay his respawn time. He also appears as an unlockable trophy, which is based on his appearance in Majora's Mask. The trophy description reveals that he is middle aged.
Trivia
- Tingle bears a mild resemblance to Nintendo composer Koji Kondo.[2]
- In the popular Homestar Runner Flash cartoon series, Homsar dresses up as Tingle during a Halloween special, complete with balloons and confetti and is also met with scorn by Homestar, though this may just be due to his dislike of Homsar.
- Tingle has an image of a yellow cobra on his back.
- Nintendo is concerned about Tingle's reception in the West, and has published an online survey asking its members what they think of Tingle. The survey includes a question asking fans how they would feel if Mogitate Tingle no Barairo Rupee Land was released outside of Japan.[3]
- The European unofficial Nintendo magazine, NGamer, has collected a particular load of bile for Tingle; referring to him as a "freak" and a "disgusting little man". In one particular issue, they stated "... clearly he's made some sort of deal with the devil. That's the only possible way anyone could want to become Tingle", whilst previewing Mogitate Tingle no Barairo Rupee Land.
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