It seems like all I can think about is the new Zelda game that is about to come out, so I channeled that into a themed crossword. I wrote it with non-Zelda players in mind, so you might pick up on some fun references if you've played, but no inside knowledge needed. Also, this is my first full-size crossword, so feedback is very welcome! Thanks to jackofallspades98 and clobug for testsolving.
Delightful! Love how you linked the LINKs, plus nice bonus answers with RAINPARKA and CATTREATS. I'm going to have to give you a little grief for not giving DIN a secondary Zelda-related clue, though.
Pump (up), like I need to do to my Spelling Bee game to keep up with my mother-in-law
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Orizzontali
1A
Pump (up), like I need to do to my Spelling Bee game to keep up with my mother-in-law
4A
Like some fancy-schmancy communities
9A
It represents E in Morse, or A in Braille
12A
Bacon, lettuce, and tomato, for example. The triforces, for another.
13A
Quaff that might give you eternal life (or let you prance around a volcano in your underwear in Hyrule)
15A
"You wanna talk about a supply and demand problem? I sell __ for a living." -Kristoff, once permanent winter set in in Arendelle
16A
* The one where the hero played hooky
18A
The original in-ground pool
19A
Foolproof way to make a kitty not completely resent your existence
20A
Nice option for a baby name when your short list is the NATO alphabet
22A
"___, please advance to c3." (How I address my knights in a chess game)
23A
"The pictures made this look like a nice house of sticks, but this place is a ___!": possible bad review on AirBnB
25A
Like, sooo many
26A
Me: "Okay, I'll do it in a ___." My kids: "One. Time's up!" ALL. THE. TIME.
29A
"I don't want to order a whole drink, I'll just have a ___ of yours": mantra of drink-stealers like myself
31A
It's a good listener
33A
One beats ace high
35A
* The one where the hero had the same taste in jewelry as Mr. T
40A
Played the fool, say
42A
Private comms.
43A
Something you might pick up as you draw with a Smencil(R), such as Blue Slushie (my favorite)
45A
* The one where the hero downed too many Monsters?
48A
Giant broccoli (or does broccoli look like a tiny this?)
49A
Lamb's mama
50A
When I was 10: "I'll feel ___ when I'm 20." When I was 20: "This isn't ___. I'll feel ___ when I'm 30," etc., etc... Me now: "Eh, 100's not that ___. You still have your whole life ahead of you!"
52A
Totally destroy, in a match
53A
Someone must have been really bad at alphabetizing, because this is definitely the last letter of its alphabet but somehow got misfiled between epsilon and eta.
56A
Family dr., maybe
59A
Platform that has this great feature where it lets me record myself singing the Paw Patrol theme song with an animated shark head for my 3 year old and then somehow accidentally send it to all his daycare teachers
61A
Clutch at the invisible knife in my chest and fall on the floor after someone tells me something like "all escape rooms are boring," for example
63A
Coat for all cold weather
68A
CA Angels, on a scoreboard
69A
* The one where the hero wore a hot dog costume
71A
'Tis a grievous wrong where one doth attack another's honor with foul speech, in the parlance of modern times
72A
"___ Change-o"
73A
Base x height / 2, for a triangle
74A
Second account for the weird stuff, often
75A
Like an error-free crossword solve (and unlike the fill in this grid)
76A
What you cause pink slime Gannon to do when you light-arrow him right in the triangles (until he's brought back to life in the next one, along with the hero)
Verticali
1D
Prima donna speciality
2D
You might get sprayed with it in the produce aisle
3D
"'Being Off Instagram Has Been Good for Me,' Says Friend Who Now ___ 90 TikToks a Day" -Reductress headline
4D
Like products such as Kit Kots, Prongles, or Thick Mints
5D
Pond scum unit
6D
Slants
7D
Did you know that when you're not thinking about the rest of us, we cease to ___? We're all a figment of your imagination. Kind of weird that you had to find this out in a crossword, but it's probably time for you to know. Anyway, next clue.
8D
Racket, or a Hyrule goddess
9D
Type of ball with an average of 8,347.2 mirrors (don't check my math)
10D
One making waves?
11D
Sad juice (or the first word in the soon-to-be-released Zelda title)
12D
Channel for film lovers, briefly
14D
Original "King Kong" studio back in the day
17D
Some dogs have a hazel one and a blue one
21D
Like a diet where you can eat ice cream for every meal, but ONLY ice cream (Can't say I recommend this; don't ask me why)
24D
Japanese bread
26D
"This is not a ___." -me trying to reason with my 6 year-old who won't get out of the bath
27D
Per
28D
Upgrade for when you've got 2 wheat and 3 ore burning a hole in your pocket and your plucky little settlement is ready for the big-time
30D
Musician Collins with the power ballads that can hit you in the feels (see "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)")
32D
Yankovic and Pacino, for two
34D
Appropriate setting to listen to 30-Down's mentioned song on if you were going through a breakup in 1984
36D
Pierre's bestie
37D
"There ___ I in TEAM"
38D
Roman emporer who had many impostors "come back" as him after he died
39D
Sensed
41D
"Do the ___" (call-to-action that's made easier to stomach by hiding its yellow color in a green bottle)
44D
Number of things I hate about you in a 90s romcom
46D
Cred
47D
Alien Star Trek race who might insult you by saying "Hab SoSlI' Quch" (Your mother has a smooth forehead)
51D
Rad
53D
Princess referred to in the title who may or may not have been amused by the antics of the hero in the starred clues
54D
Thing that triggers an exciting little two note jingle when it shows up on my phone
55D
Twice-cooked dough
57D
Meaner than mean, like the subway conductor closing the doors RIGHT as I get to them
58D
Not chic
60D
Anything + mayonnaise = this, apparently
62D
Skill I can use to guess the number you're thinking of right now (7, right?)
64D
Flighty organization for places like LAX, ORD, or JFK