Tingle
Encyclopedia
is the video game character of the eponymous Tingle series. He was originally part of the The Legend of Zelda series
, first appearing in Majora's Mask
, released in the year 2000. Since his first appearance, he has appeared in each installment of the series up through Spirit Tracks
, except for Twilight Princess
. He has gone on to be the star of video games for the Nintendo DS
: Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, currently released in Japan
and Europe
, and the Japan exclusive games Tingle's Balloon Fight DS, Irozuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip, as well as the DSiWare application Dekisugi Tingle Pack.
, a game designer at Nintendo EAD
. According to an interview with Kensuke Tanabe, producer of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, character designer Imamura created Tingle in a "very relaxed manner." He was also in charge of the character design of the games F-Zero and Star Fox
.
and Kinstones in The Minish Cap
. In Majora's Mask, Tingle can be found around Termina selling maps, and in The Wind Waker, he translates Triforce Maps for a high price, among other things. Tingle's fixation for Rupees is explained in the Nintendo DS game Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, where it is stated that Tingle needs Rupees to live, as a result of a curse placed on him by Uncle Rupee.
Knuckle is Ankle's twin and the one who built Tingle Tower. In The Wind Waker, he is largely a side-quest character, requiring use of the Tingle Tuner to find. By doing so, Link can gain the Hand-Me-Down Tuner which provides additional options. He also appears in Four Swords Adventures and later in The Minish Cap, where he fuses Kinstones in Trilby Highlands. His outfit is light blue.
David Jr., although similar in appearance to Tingle and his brothers, is from Windfall Island and is unrelated to Tingle. After getting shipwrecked on Tingle Island, he was forced by Tingle to work turning the wheel. Unenthusiastic about his role, he does it anyway, although he is prone to complaining. He also appears in Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, the latter of which sees him fusing Kinstones in Lake Hylia. When reading his inscription in the Nintendo Gallery, it implies that his father was the one who made the ghost ship chart, but died immediately after doing so. His outfit is white.
game 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 Clock Town, Southern Swamp, Woodfall, Mountain Village, Milk Road, Great Bay, Ikana Valley, Stone Tower, and outside Zora Hall. His father operates the pictograph contest at the Woodfall Swamp, and is ashamed by his son's antics, although he admits that perhaps he spoiled him too much.
Tingle doesn't appear in Oracle of Seasons but does appear in the land of Labrynna in Oracle of Ages
, giving Link a chart that he needs to cross the sea. He also gives Link an upgrade to the Seed Satchel in a linked game, which can hold 99 of every seed.
Tingle's first appearance in The Wind Waker
is in a small, dingy prison cell on Windfall Island. He was imprisoned for being mistaken for a troublemaker. 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 and assist Link 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. He deciphers the charts needed to haul the Triforce Shards from the ocean floor. He is also known for his extortionate prices; he demands 398 Rupees per chart, plus 201 Rupees for the IN-credible Chart that shows the location of the Triforce Charts and Triforce Shards from the charts that have been deciphered. This game also introduced his brothers, Ankle and Knuckle, who are twins, and David Jr., who is not related but was (supposedly) saved by Tingle after his ship was sucked into a cyclone.
Tingle takes on the role of a friendly antagonist in the GameCube game Four Swords Adventures
. If a player leaves a good deal of Force Gems lying 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 multi-player, 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.
Tingle, Ankle, Knuckle, and David Jr. are able to fuse Kinstones with Link in the Game Boy Advance game The Minish Cap
. Fusing Kinstones is an action that Link can do with many people, animals, and seemingly inanimate objects throughout the game, which influences the game world, often only in some minor way, to give Link 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.
In Phantom Hourglass
, Tingle makes a small appearance in Mercay Island's bar, as a poster on the wall. In Spirit Tracks
, an almost life-size Tingle figurine is in Hyrule Castle Town's shop and Linebeck III's shop.
. It tells the story of Tingle as a simple, 35-year-old man who ended up becoming a Tingle after meeting a character known as Uncle Rupee. The game explain why all of Tingle's incarnations have been so obsessed with Rupees, as well as why he wears his 'fairy suit'. The game was released in Japan in 2006 and one year later in Europe on September 14. Although the game scored high reviews in both Japan and Europe, it never saw a North American release. This was likely due to a poll on Nintendo's website asking if the game should be brought to America. The poll slightly swung against an American release due to the poor perception that Tingle had received in the region.
is a Nintendo DS
arcade style
platformer
published and developed by Nintendo
for the Nintendo DS
handheld video game console
, which is solely available to Platinum Club Nintendo
members. The game itself is based not only on The Legend of Zelda, but on Balloon Fight
as well, making this the third entry in the latter franchise (following the first title and Balloon Kid
).
Tingle's Balloon Fight uses the same game design as Balloon Fight
. The game has three modes: Balloon Fight (single player), local wireless Balloon Fighting Spirit (2–4 players), and Balloon Trip (single-player). Performing various accomplishments throughout the game (winning multiplayer matches, achievements in scoring, and other as yet unknown methods) unlocks artwork in a gallery of Tingle portraits, available on the Options screen of the game. According to the offer, the story is that 35 year old Tingle challenges the "Balloon Fighting Spirit" of the bosom oak. The game was released exclusively to members of Club Nintendo in Japan
.
published in June 2009 contained a teaser advertisement depicting a tiny picture of Tingle along with a line of text saying Yōsei? (ようせい?, lit. "Fairy?"). On June 12, 2009, Nintendo opened a teaser website, hinting at an upcoming Nintendo DS game starring Tingle. Later, a DSiWare title named Dekisugi Tingle Pack (lit. "Too Much Tingle Pack") was released in Japan on June 24, which is a collection of Tingle themed applications. Another issue of Famitsu published in late June revealed a Nintendo DS game titled Irodzuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip (lit. "Ripening Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love"), which is a sequel to Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. It was released in Japan on August 6, 2009.
as part of the Termina Bay stage, as well as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. Here, he threw out a large amount of items that could quickly be grabbed by all of the fighters. However, he would sometimes just float away, not doing anything. He also appears as a trophy in both games, the former based on Majora's Mask
and the latter based on The Wind Waker
.
did not like Tingle, in part because his role in The Wind Waker
was an integral part of "tedious fetch quests". When development for what would later be called Twilight Princess
began, IGN
hoped that game directors Shigeru Miyamoto
and Eiji Aonuma
would not include the character, saying "we're not going to stand for him in another Zelda game". Cracked
editor Tim Lovett listed Tingle as the seventh most annoying character in otherwise great games, criticizing him for being a general annoyance and his "Kooloo-Limpah" catchphrase. Tingle ranked sixth on GameDaily
's top 10 ugliest game characters list, stating that his face looks out of place. GamesRadar
described him as "Zelda's Jar Jar
". Nintendo Power
listed Tingle as one of the three weirdos, describing him as both a great cartographer as well as a "fully grown man in a green elf costume who rides a balloon and says, 'Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!'". He also appears in their Fashion Police segment of one issue, where people comment on his ridiculous outfit, such as one person commenting on him wearing his underwear on the outside.
In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, director Eiji Aonuma
stated that he had "found out some American people didn't like him very much" and ultimately decided not to include him in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
. In a later interview with Nintendo Dream, he stated that the character Purlo is his reference to Tingle in Twilight Princess. According to Aonuma, Purlo's appearance "is the result of wondering what a realistic Tingle would look like".
PALGN
editor Matt Keller stated that Tingle was widely considered the weakest part of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
.
On the flip side, however, there are several people that have stood up for Tingle, as well his respective game series. Zelda in my Pocket webmasters Alter Stevens and Justin Folvarcik are among them, having dedicated large portions of their site to covering the games. From the same site, a fan game entitled Kakashi: The Search for Tingle is being created as a homebrew game for the Nintendo DS. The game has already received a great deal of attention, due to its spin on an already controversial series. On July 14, 2010, the game's official website, Kakashi: The Search for Tingle, was launched, causing the game to increase in popularity.
IGN
ranked him number 1 of the top 20 weirdest Zelda characters.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
, first appearing in Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
, released in the year 2000. Since his first appearance, he has appeared in each installment of the series up through Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, released as in Japan, is the fifteenth installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, it was released worldwide throughout December 2009 after Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the...
, except for Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
. He has gone on to be the star of video games for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
: Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, currently released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and the Japan exclusive games Tingle's Balloon Fight DS, Irozuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip, as well as the DSiWare application Dekisugi Tingle Pack.
Concept and creation
Tingle was created by Takaya ImamuraTakaya Imamura
is a Japanese artwork designer for Nintendo. He designed the characters from the F-Zero and Star Fox series of video games. He is credited for creating many of the characters, universe, and overall concept of those franchises. He is the original designer of Captain Falcon and Fox McCloud in Super...
, a game designer at Nintendo EAD
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development
, commonly abbreviated as EAD, is the largest division inside Nintendo. It was preceded by the , a team of designers with an art background responsible for many different tasks, which Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka originally belonged to...
. According to an interview with Kensuke Tanabe, producer of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, character designer Imamura created Tingle in a "very relaxed manner." He was also in charge of the character design of the games F-Zero and Star Fox
Star Fox (video game)
, released as Starwing in Europe and Australia due to a game of the same name and subsequent trademark issues in those regions, is the first game in the Star Fox series of video games. It was released in the spring of 1993 for the SFC/SNES...
.
Characteristics
Tingle is a short, paunchy 35-year-old man who is completely obsessed with "forest fairies" and dresses up in a green costume, slightly resembling that of the main character, Link. He also wears tight red shorts and a necklace with a clock that is permanently stuck at four o'clock. Tingle is normally seen floating around on his red balloon, drawing and selling maps for his father, who runs the Southern Swamp pictograph contest and sees Tingle 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 in Four Swords AdventuresThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, released as in Japan, is the eleventh installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on March 18, 2004; in North America on June 7, 2004; in Europe on January 7, 2005; and in Australia on April...
and Kinstones in The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...
. In Majora's Mask, Tingle can be found around Termina selling maps, and in The Wind Waker, he translates Triforce Maps for a high price, among other things. Tingle's fixation for Rupees is explained in the Nintendo DS game Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, where it is stated that Tingle needs Rupees to live, as a result of a curse placed on him by Uncle Rupee.
Tingle's siblings
Ankle is Tingle's younger brother and Knuckle's twin. In The Wind Waker, he is found turning the grinding wheel at Tingle Tower with David Jr.. The reason he does so much work is to support his brother, Knuckle. He also has a love of gardening. He also appears in Four Swords Adventures and later in The Minish Cap, where he fuses Kinstones behind Lon Lon Ranch. His outfit is faded purple.Knuckle is Ankle's twin and the one who built Tingle Tower. In The Wind Waker, he is largely a side-quest character, requiring use of the Tingle Tuner to find. By doing so, Link can gain the Hand-Me-Down Tuner which provides additional options. He also appears in Four Swords Adventures and later in The Minish Cap, where he fuses Kinstones in Trilby Highlands. His outfit is light blue.
David Jr., although similar in appearance to Tingle and his brothers, is from Windfall Island and is unrelated to Tingle. After getting shipwrecked on Tingle Island, he was forced by Tingle to work turning the wheel. Unenthusiastic about his role, he does it anyway, although he is prone to complaining. He also appears in Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, the latter of which sees him fusing Kinstones in Lake Hylia. When reading his inscription in the Nintendo Gallery, it implies that his father was the one who made the ghost ship chart, but died immediately after doing so. His outfit is white.
Appearances
Tingle made his debut in the Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
game Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
. 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 Clock Town, Southern Swamp, Woodfall, Mountain Village, Milk Road, Great Bay, Ikana Valley, Stone Tower, and outside Zora Hall. His father operates the pictograph contest at the Woodfall Swamp, and is ashamed by his son's antics, although he admits that perhaps he spoiled him too much.
Tingle doesn't appear in Oracle of Seasons but does appear in the land of Labrynna in Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are two action-adventure games in The Legend of Zelda series, co-developed by Capcom and Nintendo. They were released on February 27, 2001 in Japan, May 14, 2001 in North America, and October 5, 2001 in Europe for Nintendo's Game Boy Color...
, giving Link a chart that he needs to cross the sea. He also gives Link an upgrade to the Seed Satchel in a linked game, which can hold 99 of every seed.
Tingle's first appearance in The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
is in a small, dingy prison cell on Windfall Island. He was imprisoned for being mistaken for a troublemaker. When freed, Tingle gives Link the Tingle Tuner, a device that can be used if the player connects a Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
to the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
via the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable. This allows a second player to control Tingle and assist Link 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. He deciphers the charts needed to haul the Triforce Shards from the ocean floor. He is also known for his extortionate prices; he demands 398 Rupees per chart, plus 201 Rupees for the IN-credible Chart that shows the location of the Triforce Charts and Triforce Shards from the charts that have been deciphered. This game also introduced his brothers, Ankle and Knuckle, who are twins, and David Jr., who is not related but was (supposedly) saved by Tingle after his ship was sucked into a cyclone.
Tingle takes on the role of a friendly antagonist in the GameCube game Four Swords Adventures
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, released as in Japan, is the eleventh installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on March 18, 2004; in North America on June 7, 2004; in Europe on January 7, 2005; and in Australia on April...
. If a player leaves a good deal of Force Gems lying 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 multi-player, 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.
Tingle, Ankle, Knuckle, and David Jr. are able to fuse Kinstones with Link in the Game Boy Advance game The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, known as in Japan, is the twelfth game in The Legend of Zelda of video games, developed by Capcom, with Nintendo overseeing the development process. It was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan and Europe and 2005 in North America and Australia...
. Fusing Kinstones is an action that Link can do with many people, animals, and seemingly inanimate objects throughout the game, which influences the game world, often only in some minor way, to give Link 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.
In Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
is the fourteenth game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It was released after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii and before The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS...
, Tingle makes a small appearance in Mercay Island's bar, as a poster on the wall. In Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, released as in Japan, is the fifteenth installment of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, it was released worldwide throughout December 2009 after Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the...
, an almost life-size Tingle figurine is in Hyrule Castle Town's shop and Linebeck III's shop.
Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
Tingle's first starring role was in the spin-off title game known as Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland for the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. It tells the story of Tingle as a simple, 35-year-old man who ended up becoming a Tingle after meeting a character known as Uncle Rupee. The game explain why all of Tingle's incarnations have been so obsessed with Rupees, as well as why he wears his 'fairy suit'. The game was released in Japan in 2006 and one year later in Europe on September 14. Although the game scored high reviews in both Japan and Europe, it never saw a North American release. This was likely due to a poll on Nintendo's website asking if the game should be brought to America. The poll slightly swung against an American release due to the poor perception that Tingle had received in the region.
Tingle's Balloon Fight
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
arcade style
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
platformer
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
published and developed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
handheld video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, which is solely available to Platinum Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo is the name of several publications and a more well-known customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program is free to join and is committed to providing rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products...
members. The game itself is based not only on The Legend of Zelda, but on Balloon Fight
Balloon Fight
is a 1984 video game developed by Nintendo. The arcade version was released in 1984 and the Nintendo Entertainment System version was released in 1986. The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Joust by Williams Electronics.-Gameplay:...
as well, making this the third entry in the latter franchise (following the first title and Balloon Kid
Balloon Kid
Balloon Kid is a flying platform game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy on October 5, 1990 in North America and on January 31, 1991 in Europe. It is the sequel to Balloon Fight...
).
Tingle's Balloon Fight uses the same game design as Balloon Fight
Balloon Fight
is a 1984 video game developed by Nintendo. The arcade version was released in 1984 and the Nintendo Entertainment System version was released in 1986. The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Joust by Williams Electronics.-Gameplay:...
. The game has three modes: Balloon Fight (single player), local wireless Balloon Fighting Spirit (2–4 players), and Balloon Trip (single-player). Performing various accomplishments throughout the game (winning multiplayer matches, achievements in scoring, and other as yet unknown methods) unlocks artwork in a gallery of Tingle portraits, available on the Options screen of the game. According to the offer, the story is that 35 year old Tingle challenges the "Balloon Fighting Spirit" of the bosom oak. The game was released exclusively to members of Club Nintendo in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip
An issue of the Japanese magazine FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
published in June 2009 contained a teaser advertisement depicting a tiny picture of Tingle along with a line of text saying Yōsei? (ようせい?, lit. "Fairy?"). On June 12, 2009, Nintendo opened a teaser website, hinting at an upcoming Nintendo DS game starring Tingle. Later, a DSiWare title named Dekisugi Tingle Pack (lit. "Too Much Tingle Pack") was released in Japan on June 24, which is a collection of Tingle themed applications. Another issue of Famitsu published in late June revealed a Nintendo DS game titled Irodzuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip (lit. "Ripening Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love"), which is a sequel to Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. It was released in Japan on August 6, 2009.
Dekisugi Tingle Pack
Dekisugi Tingle Pack (lit. "Too Much Tingle Pack") is a DSiWare application that includes several different minigames, including a fortune-teller, calculator, timer, coin-flipper and dancing game. It was realeaded on June 24, 2009 as a promotional application for Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip.Other roles
Tingle appears in Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
as part of the Termina Bay stage, as well as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. Here, he threw out a large amount of items that could quickly be grabbed by all of the fighters. However, he would sometimes just float away, not doing anything. He also appears as a trophy in both games, the former based on Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
is an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
and the latter based on The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
.
Impact and reception
The editors at IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
did not like Tingle, in part because his role in The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
was an integral part of "tedious fetch quests". When development for what would later be called Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
began, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
hoped that game directors Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
and Eiji Aonuma
Eiji Aonuma
is a Japanese video game designer and video game director. He currently works for Nintendo, and has overseen several installments in The Legend of Zelda series of video games.-Education:...
would not include the character, saying "we're not going to stand for him in another Zelda game". Cracked
Cracked.com
Cracked.com is a humor website that was spun off the last attempt to revive Cracked magazine. It began in its current form in 2007.-Attempted relaunch of Cracked:...
editor Tim Lovett listed Tingle as the seventh most annoying character in otherwise great games, criticizing him for being a general annoyance and his "Kooloo-Limpah" catchphrase. Tingle ranked sixth on GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
's top 10 ugliest game characters list, stating that his face looks out of place. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
described him as "Zelda's Jar Jar
Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character from the Star Wars Saga , and the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His primary role was to provide comic relief, but many reacted negatively to his character...
". Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
listed Tingle as one of the three weirdos, describing him as both a great cartographer as well as a "fully grown man in a green elf costume who rides a balloon and says, 'Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah!'". He also appears in their Fashion Police segment of one issue, where people comment on his ridiculous outfit, such as one person commenting on him wearing his underwear on the outside.
In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, director Eiji Aonuma
Eiji Aonuma
is a Japanese video game designer and video game director. He currently works for Nintendo, and has overseen several installments in The Legend of Zelda series of video games.-Education:...
stated that he had "found out some American people didn't like him very much" and ultimately decided not to include him in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
. In a later interview with Nintendo Dream, he stated that the character Purlo is his reference to Tingle in Twilight Princess. According to Aonuma, Purlo's appearance "is the result of wondering what a realistic Tingle would look like".
PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...
editor Matt Keller stated that Tingle was widely considered the weakest part of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released as in Japan, is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 2, 2003, and in Australia on...
.
On the flip side, however, there are several people that have stood up for Tingle, as well his respective game series. Zelda in my Pocket webmasters Alter Stevens and Justin Folvarcik are among them, having dedicated large portions of their site to covering the games. From the same site, a fan game entitled Kakashi: The Search for Tingle is being created as a homebrew game for the Nintendo DS. The game has already received a great deal of attention, due to its spin on an already controversial series. On July 14, 2010, the game's official website, Kakashi: The Search for Tingle, was launched, causing the game to increase in popularity.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked him number 1 of the top 20 weirdest Zelda characters.