Summary
The sweeping landscape of Hyrule got a serious upgrade inTears of the Kingdom, the long-awaited sequel to the Nintendo Switch’s debut title,Breath of the Wild. Though the new game, released in May 2023, reused the same map from the first game, andadding the Sky Islands and the Depths more than doubled the amount of explorable ground. But Nintendo didn’t just add to the map — it also altered the surface of Hyrule, giving formerly overlooked areas of interest a facelift.
Because of this, players have found plenty of new secrets hidden throughout Hyrule. Old hot spots have dried up, while new architecture has been built in the years between the two games. With it, some new farming spots have cropped up to aid players as they exhaust every corner of the in-game world. Satori Mountain, once a point of interest for an insignificant side quest,now holds plenty of reason for players to visit it.The point of interest was originally just a rumored tribute, but its evolution offers a new depth to the game’s lore.
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The Satori Mountain Is A Great Farming Spot In Tears Of The Kingdom
Players Can Stock Up On Beetles, Silent Princess, & Blue Nightshade
As pointed out by aTears of the Kingdomplayer on Reddit,Satori Mountain is one of the best places to farm a good number of ingredients.In a post from userceaslack, they inquired about a possible connection to Zelda explaining the influx of Silent Princess flowers, other players pointed out that there are a lot more resources that can be farmed in this one location. In addition to Silent Princess flowers, the area is also littered with Blue Nightshade and other food resources.
Players who visit at night will also find thenearby trees speckled with rhino beetles.Though rhino beetles aren’t particularly useful in most elixirs (compared to some of the other ingredients in the game), they’re best for trading with Beedle. The traveling trader has an intense love for the six-legged creatures and will happily give the player better items and food if they’re willing to trade some of the beetles they have in their inventory.
BetweenBOTWandTOTK, Satori Mountain has been a particularly significant location for players to explore, despite not having any direct connection to the game’s main questline. It’s a location many passed on in their first playthrough ofBOTWunless they went looking for it. Though never officially confirmed by Nintendo, the mountain is alsorumored to be named intribute to the late Satoru Iwata.
Satori Mountain Is Rumored To Be A Tribute To The Late Nintendo CEO
Satoru Iwata Passed Away While Breath Of The Wild Was In Development
A small side quest from an NPC named Botrick inBOTWled many to believethe developers included a tribute to the former CEO of Nintendoin the well-loved game. Botrick, a Hylian who sports the same square spectacles and bowl cut Iwata did, tasks the player with finding the Lord of the Mountain,located on top of Satori Mountain. Any player who successfully explored the side quest was greeted by the mystical mount, surrounded byBlupees. Though Nintendo has not confirmed this as a direct tribute, the game’s developers spoke about the loss they felt for Iwata during development.
Many fans believe that the Lord of the Mountains is a sort of guiding spirit for players.
“When he passed away,there were moments we’d come up with an idea which we’d be excited to talk to Iwata about,” Hidemaro Fujibayashi, director forBOTWandTOTK, told theNew Yorkerfollowing the former’s release. “Then we’d remember he was no longer here. [Shigeru] Miyamoto told me it was the same for him. He’d come up with an idea at the weekend and would feel excited to speak to Iwata about it on Monday, only to remember.”
Because of these connections, many fans believe that theLord of the Mountains is a sort of guiding spirit for players— a belief that is only further corroborated by the creature’s role in the similarly loved sequel,Tears of the Kingdom.
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Botrick And The Lord Of The Mountain Return In Tears Of The Kingdom
The Lord Of The Mountain Is No Longer Confined To Satori Mountain
Though it’s still pure speculation, the Lord of the Mountain’s more prominent presence inTOTKhas a much deeper implication on the game’s evolving lore. The pink trees that once only dotted the hills of Satori Mountain now flow freely throughout the game – and players can use this to their advantage to uncover some of the changes made to the landscape in the new installment. Players whoplace a piece of fruit in the basin of the statues erected near these pink trees will draw the Lord of the Mountain in; he will then highlight all of caves in that area, depicted by beams of light where the entrances are located.
Fujibayashi continued in his interview with theNew Yorkerthat despite Iwata’s passing,it often felt that he was “watching over our work.”He continued, “That became a source of motivation, a drive for us to improve and be better.” Considering the success ofBOTW, it’s not a large jump to assume that the Lord of the Mountain’s guiding presence could be a metaphor for Iwata’s posthumous guidance.
Letting the mythical mount run throughout Hyrule, aiding players on their subsequent quests,could be seen as the developers sharing a piece of their in-game tribute with the fans who madeTears of the Kingdompossible.WhereBreath of the Wildreinvented the Zelda wheel, breathing a fresh life into long-tired formula of the franchise, its sequel expanded on that – which, in part, couldn’t have been done without Iwata’s hand in the game’s development before his passing.
