Seven-year-old Christina Towery’s eyes gaze upon the world of “The Legend of Zelda.” Playing as the main protagonist, Link, she lives the storyline, killing every bad guy in her way.

“The very first time I started playing I thought ‘Oh my goodness! This is so exciting!’” Towery said. “And then I continued and I thought ‘Wow, this is really hard.’”

Now a senior, Towery loves the games more than her brother, who introduced her to them.

“My brother didn’t collect, only played video games. But I’m obsessive and took it one step further,” Towery said.

Her obsession started with dressing up and acting out the games on her own. By ninth grade, she had a collection including video games, manga, books, shirts. Towery’s favorite item is her “Ocarina”, a flute-like instrument from the games.

“My Ocarina is my favorite because it reminds me of when I was younger and I would dress up,” Towery said. “It was a way for me to bring the video games

to life.”

Towery also showed her ability to bring the games to life by cosplaying as Link for Anime St. Louis last April.

“It was pretty cool looking,” mother Mary Towery said, recalling her daughter’s handmade Link cosplay. “She was dressed completely in character.”

Towery believes her love for the franchise will never diminish.

“Just because other parts of my life change doesn’t mean I’ll become less obsessive about my first loves,” Towery said.