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This article is about the character Tingle. For information on the series in which he stars, see Tingle (Series).

Template:Character Tingle is a recurring character in Template:LZS.

Appearances

Majora's Mask

In Majora's Mask, Tingle appears as the son of the Swamp Tourist Center Guide obsessed with Fairies.[1] He is 35 years old and claims to be the reincarnation of a Fairy.[2] Suspended by a balloon in the air, he uses his vantage point to plot maps of Termina, which Link is able to purchase.[3] He sells maps to help out his father.[4] If Link brings his father a picture of Tingle, he will be rewarded with a Piece of Heart. Tingle will always remember the form Link is using when he is first spoken to in a cycle. If Link talks to Tingle in a form other than the one used for their first meeting, he will still recognise Tatl and dismiss Link's change in appearance as being magic.[5]

Tingle is the subject of four Keaton questions.[6][7][8][9]

Oracle of Ages

In Oracle of Ages, Tingle can be found floating on top of a stump in the Forest of Time. To reach Tingle, Link needs Ricky's assistance the first time, as his path is blocked by holes and cliffs. There is an alternate route through a cave to Tingle that does not require Ricky, but in order to extend the bridge across the gap, Link needs the Seed Shooter to hit a Crystal Switch around a corner. Tingle gives Link the Island Chart that he uses while crossing the sea to reach Crescent Island. If Link returns later, Tingle will also give Link an upgraded Seed Satchel.

The Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, the people of Windfall Island had put Tingle in jail for stealing a Picto Box.[10] Once Link frees him, Tingle gives him the Tingle Tuner in return so Link can ask him for help at any time. Afterwards, Link can find Tingle on Tingle Island, where he also meets Tingle's younger brother Ankle and his friend David Jr. Link can also meet Knuckle, Tingle's other brother, on Outset Island. Tingle can translate Triforce Charts for Link so he can find the Triforce Shards at a price of 398 Rupees each.

By using the Tingle Tuner, Link can interact with Tingle. The young hero can buy items from him, find hidden Tingle Statues in dungeons, and fulfill sidequests on Windfall and Outset Islands. In the Tower of the Gods, five legendary pages can be found, which tell the history of Tingle from Majora's Mask. In The Wind Waker HD, Tingle's Tuner is replaced by the Tingle Bottle, therefore removing various interactions with Tingle.

Four Swords Adventures

FSA Tingle Balloon

In Four Swords Adventures, Tingle collects Force Gems. Throughout the game, anytime Link finds a big Force Gem outside of dungeons, Tingle will also try to get it. If Link picks up the Force Gem first, he will retreat. Link can also shoot an Arrow at Tingle to slow him down. Tingle also tries to pick up the huge Force Gems, but his balloon can not carry them.

Tingle posts signs throughout the stages called the Tingle Times, which tell a story of an experience Tingle had in the area , offering insight to his childish nature. Tingle also runs the Tingle's Tower, a multiplayer minigame gallery that can be accessed by progressing through the Hyrulean Adventure mode.

The Minish Cap

In The Minish Cap, Tingle can be found on a ledge east of Link's House after the young hero initially fails to cross Castor Wilds. When spoken to, Tingle mistakes Link for a Fairy and promptly requests that they fuse Kinstones.[11] Tingle will also tell Link that he gave Kinstones to his brothers, and promises that if the young hero fuses Kinstones with each of them, he will receive something significantly beneficial.[12] Tingle hopes to become a Fairy by fusing Kinstones.[13]

When Link successfully fuses Kinstones with Tingle,[14] one of the trees in North Hyrule Field will open with a chamber containing a Switch connected to a torch and a Treasure Chest containing a Kinstone Piece. When spoken to afterwards, Tingle and his brothers will tell Link how many Kinstone Fusions he has left to complete.[15] When Link has done all Kinstone fuses, Tingle will give him the Tingle Trophy, which replaces his Kinstone Bag. After Link fuses Kinstones with all of the Tingle Brothers, he will offer to fuse Kinstones with the young hero again,[16] which will cause a Golden Tektite to appear on Mount Crenel.

Other Appearances

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

TRR Tingle 2

In Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle is promised a life in a paradise, Rupeeland, by a creature named Uncle Rupee. The only thing he would have to do is collect as many Rupees as possible and throw them into the tower located under the Western Pool. Tingle accepts and then is changed into a Tingle. Under this curse, his money became his life, so if he runs out of Rupees, he will die. Uncle Rupee also provides him with an assistant, Pinkle, who fulfill the role of Tingle's sidekick and suggested love interest. Tingle travels to many islands and fulfills many tasks to get the money to get to Rupeeland. It is then revealed to him by the Grand Fairy that Rupeeland is a paradise for only Uncle Rupee, the demon whose power depends on Rupees. If Tingle were to proceed, everyone would be turned into a Tingle, forced to work for Uncle Rupee until the end of time. Tingle manages to free Pinkle, and with her help, confront Uncle Rupee. Using the Rupees he has collected, Tingle manages to defeat him, and is freed of the Tingle curse. When the Grand Fairy asks him what he was going to do with all the money left, Tingle replies that he was going to use it to lead the life that was initially promised to him.

Tingle's Balloon Fight DS

TBFCA1

Tingle's Balloon Fight concept art

Tingle's Balloon Fight DS was a special promotional game released only in Japan. It was mostly just an updated version of Balloon Fight with a Tingle theme. Along with music from Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, one of the new additions to the game is a special Tingle artwork gallery, where 20 pieces of art can be unlocked.

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love

Tingle 2 TLBT

In Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love, Tingle is seen as an ordinary man at the beginning. He orders a book from a television sales program, which is said to make its readers popular among women. However, he gets sucked into a picture book world when he opens it and becomes Tingle. The only way to exit the world is to dance with the princess. On his way to find her, Tingle teams up with his new friends Kakashi, Buriki, and Lion. Tingle must advances from page to page with his three friends, following the yellow-brick road.

Super Smash Bros. Series

Tingle makes a cameo appearance in the Great Bay stage from Super Smash Bros. Melee. His balloon can be used as a small platform until popped. Upon landing, he will do his dance and eventually blow up a new balloon. He also appears in his The Wind Waker appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U as an Assist Trophy. When summoned, a random effect occurs. These include:

  • Releasing Hammers and Golden Hammers.
  • Making the stage gravity lighter by releasing balloons.
  • Making the ground slippery by throwing banana peels.
  • Releasing flowers causing the camera to zoom in on the player who summoned him.
  • Giving everyone Curry status.

Tingle also appears as several Trophies and a Sticker.

Trophy Information

Game Image Description How to Unlock
Super Smash Bros. Melee File:Tingle Trophy.png Tingle is a mysterious middle-aged man who thinks he's "the very reincarnation of a fairy." His bizarre behavior and unique speech are just little pieces of his vibrant personality. Tingle travels by way of a small hot-air balloon, making maps of the lands below him. Pop his balloon, and Tingle will fall to earth to sell his maps. Random
Super Smash Bros. Brawl File:Tingle Trophy (SSBB).png A strange little man easily spotted by his trademark green bodysuit, bright nose, and pointy beard. Tingle has frequently appeared around Hyrule and always lets those he meets know that he's a fairy and selling homemade maps. In a recent adventure, Tingle escapes a sad and dreary life to embark on a magical adventure in the delightful, dreamlike paradise of Rupeeland. Random
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U File:SSB4 Tingle Trophy.png Never seen without his green bodysuit, it's a wonder this strange little man is single at 35, isn't it? In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, he was locked up for causing trouble. In Smash Bros., he'll appear on the scene, shout "Kooloo-Limpah!" and unleash all sorts of madness. Random

Sticker Information

Name Image Artwork from Effect in The Subspace Emissary Usable by
Tingle File:Tingle Sticker (TRR).png Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland [Arm] - Attack +12 This sticker is usable by Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Toon Link
Tingle File:Tingle Sticker.png The Wind Waker [Flame] - Resistance +24 This sticker is usable by Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Toon Link

Hyrule Warriors series



In Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors Legends, Tingle appears as a playable Warrior. In Hyrule Warriors, he is available in the Majora's Mask DLC Pack. He uses the Balloon as his class of Weapon, with which he can use to bounce off of, float into the air, and even blow up into gigantic size to pop and damage nearby enemies. It can also fling Tingle into the air by tapping the dodge button after being blown with the Strong Attack button, allowing him to evade attacks or continue hitting foes.[17] Tingle also uses a Wallet, Map, and Bombs to attack.

In Hyrule Warriors, Tingle does not drop any unique Materials when defeated. In Hyrule Warriors Legends, he may either drop his Map as a silver Material or his Watch as a gold Material.

Kooloo-Limpah

Kooloo-Limpah are Tingle's "magic" words he created.[18] Kooloo-Limpah is a romanization of "kururinpa," the sound that Japanese people make when doing the "Cuckoo sign," a circling motion of the index finger at the ear or side of the head that signifies that a person is crazy.

The effects of Kooloo-Limpah in The Wind Waker are always random, including a Ting or a Link homing Tingle Bomb.

Name Origin

Template:Sources

Tingle's first starring game was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan as Mogitate Chinkuru no Barairo Ruppī Rando. It was not released in North America due to his unpopularity there.[19] It was later released in Europe as Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland.

The game explains many aspects of Tingle, including the meaning of "Tingle." According to the game, Tingle is not a person, but a state of being; a curse that can befall every living being.[20] Tingle in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is not called Tingle. A name must be chosen as "Tingle" is not available. Tingle's real name plays an important role in the story and as such needs to be recognizable from his curse-name. This curse is the work of Uncle Rupee, a demon who becomes stronger as he obtains more Rupees. Rather than collecting them himself, Uncle Rupee chooses a person to collect them for him. By offering him access to the supposed paradise Rupeeland, Uncle Rupee manages to trick Tingle in being that person. Upon accepting the offer, Tingle is changed into a "Tingle."

A Tingle is a servant or slave of Uncle Rupee. Whoever becomes a Tingle automatically gains the green and red outfit. Such a person will become dependent of Rupees himself. For a Tingle, being without Rupees equals death. If a Tingle succeeds in getting enough Rupees for Uncle Rupee, the latter becomes incredibly powerful and capable of turning everyone into Tingles. As such, it is up to the first Tingle that is created by Uncle Rupee during his attempt to conquer the world to stop Uncle Rupee before it is too late.

Tingle's obsession with Fairies is also explained, as Tingle seems to get romantically involved with a Fairy princess named Pinkle, with Fairies being Uncle Rupee's archenemies. Uncle Rupee is the manifestation of evil Rupee power (greed/egoism), while Fairies are the manifestation of good Rupee power (charity/altruism). As such, a Tingle that chooses to fight Uncle Rupee will find himself aided by the Fairies.

While Tingle is almost solely a state of being, it also acknowledges that Tingle is a person. Towards the end of the game, Tingle meets his uncle. He physically resembles Tingle, a reference to Tingle's brothers from previous Zelda games. While he does not seem to be a Tingle, he does wear clothes like Tingle, only with different colors. He also has a balloon to reach places far away. This seems to suggest that Tingle might be similar to Link in that the person Tingle is destined to become is the hero needed to defeat the evil, which would tie the two concepts of Tingle together.

Reception

Tingle, along with Navi, is one of Nintendo's most widely criticized characters. IGN editors particularly loathe Tingle for his role in The Wind Waker for leading Link through many "tedious fetch quests."[21] When Twilight Princess was being created, IGN hoped that Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma would not include the character, saying "we're not going to stand for him in another Zelda game."[21] Most criticism of the character comes from Western gamers, but in Japan, Tingle has a huge following, which resulted in the development of several spin-off games featuring Tingle as the main character.

Trivia

Tingle's plush in Skyward Sword
Tingle's plush in Skyward Sword
  • Purlo, the character who runs the STAR Game in Twilight Princess, is a direct reference to Tingle. Eiji Aonuma has said that Purlo is what Tingle would look like if he was a realistic character.[22]
  • Tingle appears in a wanted poster in the Mercay Tavern in Phantom Hourglass and in Ferrus' home in Spirit Tracks.
  • A figurine of Tingle can be found in several houses and shops in Spirit Tracks. A golden version exists inside the Trading Post. The same figurine can be seen during the credits of Spirit Tracks.
  • In Skyward Sword, a Tingle plush can be found on the desk inside Zelda's room.
  • During development of Hyrule Warriors, the developers wanted to include Tingle as a playable character, but the idea was initially rejected by Eiji Aonuma.[23]

Etymology

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese チンクル (Chinkuru) Chinkle
French-speaking countries French Tingle
Federal Republic of Germany German Tingle
Italian Republic Italian Tingle
Spanish-speaking countries Spanish Tingle

Gallery

The following is a gallery regrouping all of the currently hosted images of Tingle.



See Also

References

  1. "Blimey! Where is he? That spoiled child is off playin' hooky again! A child his age has no business searching for fairies...!" — Swamp Tourist Center Guide (Majora's Mask)
  2. "Alas, though I am already age 35, no fairy has come to me yet... My father tells me to grow up and act my age, but why? I tell you...Tingle is the very reincarnation of a fairy!" — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  3. "Lucky! Lucky! You're so lucky to have a fairy! I know! I know! We should be friends! Yes! Yes! In exchange, I will sell you a map for cheap as a sign of my friendship." — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  4. "Now while I stand here waiting for a fairy of my own, I sell maps to help out my father." — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  5. "Huh?...A white fairy? The way you look? Ohh...Magic, isn't it, sir?" — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  6. "Answer me this... Pick one of the three choices... How old is Tingle, the map salesman?: 15, 25, 35" — Keaton (Majora's Mask)
  7. "Answer me this... Pick one of the three choices... What are the magic words that Tingle created? Tingle, Tingle...what?: Abracadabra!, Kookoo-Tingle-Rama!, Kooloo-Limpah!" — Keaton (Majora's Mask)
  8. "Answer me this... Pick one of the three choices... Is Tingle the mapmaker left-handed or right-handed?: Left-handed, Right-handed, Ambidextrous" — Keaton (Majora's Mask)
  9. "Answer me this... Pick one of the three choices... What color of trunks does Tingle the mapmaker wear?: Yellow, He doesn't wear any, Red" — Keaton (Majora's Mask)
  10. "Tingle is my name! I have been looking for you and your kind, for I, too, long to be one of the fairy folk! And yet, I was mistaken for some kind of troublemaker and put into this dreadful sort of place! How disrespectful! Please, Mr. Fairy... Rescue poor Tingle from this place and take him to where you and your kind live in splendor!" — Tingle (The Wind Waker)
  11. "That green cap and green clothes... Are you...perhaps...a fairy?! Woohaaa!♪ I knew it! I knew it! Tingle wants to be a fairy, too!♪ Actually, Tingle has some Kinstones, you know!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  12. "And I have given Kinstones to my brothers, too. If you can fuse Kinstones with me and each of my brothers, well... I don't want to give it away, but you'll get something very, very, VERY good! Good luck, Mr. Fairy!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  13. "They fit perfectly! At last, Tingle can finally turn into a fairy, too!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  14. "You want to fuse Kinstones? Oh, Tingle is so happy!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  15. "Oh, no, no, no! Why, you still have XX Kinstones left to fuse! Why, you've only just begun! The road is long, Mr. Fairy!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  16. "Hey! Mr. Fairy! You've got some nice pieces there! Would you be surprised to know Tingle has a new piece, too? Let's fuse them!" — Tingle (The Minish Cap)
  17. "Use a Strong Attack to trigger the quick escape function, allowing you to dodge attacks or dish out further Regular or Combo Attacks." — N/A (Hyrule Warriors)
  18. "Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! ...These are the magic words that Tingle created himself. Don't steal them!" — Tingle (Majora's Mask)
  19. Template:Cite web
  20. "In Rupeeland, everyone will be made into a tingle!" — The Grand Fairy (Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland)
  21. 21.0 21.1 Template:Cite web
  22. Template:Cite person
  23. Template:Cite web
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