THE King of Fruits, much beloved by Malaysians, has long been a global sensation with many ardent fans thanks to its infamous aroma, spiky appearance and delicious durian flesh.
Indeed, the durian’s many intriguing qualities make it a hard-to-ignore delicacy. So much so, that it reportedly makes an appearance in not one, not two, but quite a few well-known video games!
It’s time to settle this "thorny" question: Is it true that gamers can benefit from the prized fruit in certain in-game universes?
VERDICT
TRUE
In the 2017 action-adventure game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, the discovery of Hearty Durians in a tropical jungle setting (or mountainous area and other locations, for the sharp-eyed!) would have made any Musang King lover beam with pride.
The odour-able food item provides significant restorative benefits in recipes, and this writer can recall many instances where a rare harvest of cooked Hearty Durians made the difference between life and death for warrior Link in the game.
With the latest iteration of The Legend of Zelda game franchise, Tears of the Kingdom, now available to gamers from May 12, Malaysian fans firing up the game today on their Nintendo Switch consoles will soon discover if their beloved Hearty Durians will continue to be a boon for adventurers traversing the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Elsewhere, in the massively popular JRPG Persona 5 Royal, you can also get the health point (HP)-restoring Durian Au Lait canned drink from vending machines situated at a few locations in Tokyo, Japan.
Of course, durians also dazzle in legendary games and franchises apart from the above.
Over in the bright and zany Super Mario universe, durians or durian-like items have appeared in multiple games including Super Mario Odyssey.
Apart from the popular platformer Castlevania, the spiky showstopper is also present in the indie hit Don’t Starve - with a shared trait of possibly decreasing the player’s in-game health points if improperly handled!
As for the critically-acclaimed Xenoblade Chronicles series, in-game collectibles have also included Red Durians and Amana Durians.
Thus, it’s safe to say that the pungent, poky curiosity with its creamy, custardy pulp has certainly made an impression on a generation or two of gamers.
The only question that remains is this: When will game universes level up to delight gamers with other delectable durian dishes like dodol and tempoyak?
