Do you think Pieces of Heart should return as quest or exploration rewards in the next Zelda game, or is it better as it is now in BotW/TotK? :_banditThonk:

If you try to get too many hearts in BotW/ToTK, Hylia tells you that if you were to try to hold any more life force, your body wouldn't be able to withstand it. So that's where the limit comes from, the basic laws of nature in Hyrule's world.

The headcanon way I've excused the "can anyone use these heart pieces" thing is by assuming they're rare enough that few people know to collect four of them

So the camera in Mario 64 is diegetic since it’s represented by a Lakitu and Mario knows it’s there.

Remember that part in Twilight Princess where the yeti couple embrace each other and a whole bunch of recovery hearts and a Heart Container come out of them? What is the lore implication of that?

Why are you worried about the implications of Heart Containers when Rupoors exist?

I once theorized that hearts in Zelda specifically represent Link's resilience, as in how many more hits he can take before he's KOed. Perhaps in a world where actual money spawns from grass, perhaps hearts are physical manifestations of restorative energy that can also be found in food and drink. Perhaps heart containers are special vessels that can contain more of that physical energy beyond one's natural capabilities, thus their high value and rareness.

You missed the more explicit mention of a piece of heart from an NPC in Link to the Past - Winning the maze race. The vendor literally says "I award you with a piece of heart".

There’s an important piece of lore missing here. In The Minish Cap, it’s stated that the Minish hide the hearts, rupees, etc in the tall grass for people to find. That’s as diegetic as it gets

I don't mean to be dismissive, but my exact reaction to this is, "You can say 'diagetic' till the sun flickers out but heart pieces are fun."

ALTTP was some of the most fun I ever had in Zelda--especially finding heart pieces in the overworld. The fact that they're tangible rewards of a higher tier than others, the suspense you feel when you have 3, the sheer seratonin of finishing a new container and the sensation of getting noticeably stronger

No offense to BOTW/TOTK--Which I did enjoy, mostly--but those completely took away that awesome exploration/progression loop with heart pieces, and I absolutely want them back.

Don't forget that BoTW and ToTK have the "going to bed" mechanism to also restore hearts, giving the notion of health restoration from basic necessities.

The heart containers being real doesn't necessarily mean the hp bar is real
They could just be making him stronger

Health systems in games are almost always something that have no choice but to mess with the realism. Unless you’re playing a super-realistic game like Rainbow Six, most games need health bars so you don’t just die after  like 1~3 hits. Health bars, hearts, common health items; they’re just convenient. Otherwise, in a TRULY realistic medieval game, if you got seriously wounded in battle then your character would need to go home, clean and dress his wounds, stay in bed and eat healthy and undergo weeks or even months of recovery.
It’s easier and more convenient to just put a “health potion” in the game.

I would simply make it so that the Heart Containers only react to the Triforce holders, anyone else can collectthem, but not use them. As for food healing wounds, that's just a slight step up from how food interacts with our bodies' metabolism anyway. Eating doesn't make people immortal, but it can help speed up recovery.

The next Zelda game needs to have an uneven number of heart pieces leaving you at 19 hearts and 3/4 heart containers to trigger everyone's OCD response.

So much for that comeback..... 😔 6 mths and no videos. I really enjoyed your efforts but I do understand. Real life comes-a-calling!!! Hope everything is going week for you and your family.

0:25 EX P A N D HEART

9:28 EXCUSE ME? I didn't know that could happen.

Just wanted to thank you for all of the zelda and information over the years. I've  very much appreciated it.

The Fishing Hole lady in Twilight Princess also acknowledges a Piece of Heart when you catch it.

Also, Hylia flat-out states that extra Heart Containers would destroy him once he’s at full hearts.