The History of Animation Magic Part 1: Origins, The Zelda CD-i Games, and... A Beat-Em-Up?!
168Watch Part 2 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuISGZwC4wc
---
25 years ago, the world was graced with two very strange spin-offs based on the Legend of Zelda - Link: The Faces of Evil, and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. These games are renowned for their incredibly weird animation, which was infamously done by Russians. But there's more to the story than just that, and this two-part video examines the story of the development team responsible: Animation Magic.
---
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
AnimeGolem (who provided the VHS recording of the King image)
CAP (who gave feedback and helped me get past a bad creative block prior to this video's creation)
DoctorFrosty (who looked over the script in its early stage and gave feedback)
---
Research used:
Retro Gamer Issue 32
http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2012/09/dale-desharone-unspoken-legend.html
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/09/feature_meet_the_unsung_pioneer_behind_the_most_reviled_zelda_games_of_all_time
https://zeldauniverse.net/2013/03/28/an-interview-with-the-creator-of-the-cd-i-zelda-games/
https://www.mobygames.com/company/animation-magic-inc
https://www.igromania.ru/article/12680/Zakrytye_stranicy_istorii_Krupnye_igrovye_kompanii_v_Rossii_byli_esche_v_90-e_no_my_ob_yetom_ne_znali.html
Games/films/shows featured in this video:
Link: The Faces of Evil (Animation Magic/AMI, 1993)
Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (Animation Magic/AMI, 1993)
Below The Root (Dale DeSharone/Windham Classics, 1984)
Alice in Wonderland (Spinnaker Software/AMI, 1992)
A Day with Sid, Ed & CD-i (1995)
Hotel Mario (Philips Fantasy Factory/AMI, 1994)
Phaeton, the Son of the Sun/Faeton Syn Solnca (1972, dir. Vassily Livanov)
The Death of a Government Clerk (1988, dir. Aleksandr Viken)
Polygon/Firing Range (1977, dir. Anatoliy Petrov)
Captain N - The Game Master: Simon the Ape-Man (1989, dir. Michael Miliani)
Super Mario Bros. (1993, dir. Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel)
Mutant Rampage: Bodyslam (Animation Magic/AMI, 1994)
PlayStation SAPS commercial (1995)
I.M. Meen (Animation Magic/Simon & Schuster Interactive, 1995)
Footage created/uploaded by:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBowserChannel
https://www.youtube.com/user/IWasAPerson1
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheZeldaDungeon
https://www.youtube.com/user/DerSchmu
https://www.youtube.com/user/andrea66166 (BrokeBackBros LousyLay)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctERJwqKqR7bulC5D0rubg (someother1ne)
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGamecube64Guy
https://www.youtube.com/user/besahdj (Hobbes Sakuga)
https://www.youtube.com/user/YopiiDotCom
https://www.youtube.com/user/ThunderFlower
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoareyeBlack (Reset Media Productions)
https://www.youtube.com/user/NintendoComplete
https://www.youtube.com/user/sonyplaystation (PlayStation Europe - they posted that PS1 commercial that I forgot to credit. Bums.)
https://www.youtube.com/user/FFL2and3rocks
Music used:
Crystal Caves ~ MediEvil (0:09)
Monster Land Menu Theme ~ SEGA Vintage Collection (2:06)
Dragon Roost Island ~ The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (4:45)
World Map Theme ~ Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (8:11)
World Map Theme ~ Link: The Faces of Evil (9:45)
Go Straight (Beatmix) ~ Streets of Rage 2 (11:13)
---
This is a fan-made video made for commentary and analysis. No copyright infringement is intended.
#AnimationMagic #ZeldaCDi #Retrospective