Game Theory: Zelda Rupees are REAL?!? (ft. PBG)

MatPat discusses a long-overdue subject with a pun about being 'drowning' in requests, initially misleading viewers about Ben Drowned Creepypasta.

PeanutButterGamer appears in the video by hacking into Zelda-related videos using Skyward Sword code modifications.

• MatPat blames lack of Diet Coke for his fuzzy thinking • PBG critiques the Ben Drowned topic as old news, having covered it 3 years prior • Playful banter about topic selection between the two hosts

PBG proposes analyzing the real-world value of Zelda rupees instead of the Ben Drowned story.

• First Legend of Zelda game refers to rupees as 'rubies' in the manual • Localization error initially suggested, but naming pattern matches corundum gemstones

Rupees come in multiple colors (green, purple, blue, black) which matches corundum—pure corundum is colorless but becomes colored when elements like chromium are present during formation.

• Red corundum is called ruby • Non-red corundum is called sapphire, available in blue, yellow, orange, purple, green, black • Both are chemically identical, just different names based on color

Zelda rupees form as hexagonal bipyramids or hexagonal bifrustums, which places them in the hexagonal crystal family—the same family as corundum.

Emeralds, aquamarines, and morganite (all forms of beryl mineral) are considered but eliminated as alternatives to corundum.

• Pleochroism is an optical illusion where viewing angle changes the gemstone color • In high-resolution Ocarina of Time rupees, colors darken and lighten during rotation—textbook pleochroism

• Corundum exhibits moderate to strong pleochroism in all colors • Beryl shows pleochroism but not at corundum's level • Diamonds and garnets do not exhibit this property

All evidence points to rupees being corundum-based gemstones: name, color variety, crystal structure, and refraction properties.

Using Link's height of 4 feet 2 inches (calculated in the Majora's Mask episode), rupees are measured at just over 2 feet or 61.51 centimeters tall and 12.7 centimeters wide at the apex.

The hexagonal base is divided into two isosceles trapezoids with a combined area of 99.3 square inches or 640.64 square centimeters.

Using the bipyramid volume formula (two-thirds × base area × height), the total volume is 165.5 cubic inches or 2,712.05 cubic centimeters.

With sapphire density at 3.98 grams per cubic centimeter, a single green rupee weighs approximately 10,793.9 grams or 24 pounds.

• Green sapphire prices range from 250 to 760 dollars per carat • Opaque green rupees skew toward the lower end of the price range

A single green Ocarina of Time rupee is worth an astonishing $13,492,448.75.

• Explains why Link smashes pots everywhere to collect rupees • Puts bomb refills and magic armor purchases in perspective as extremely expensive transactions

PBG thanks MatPat for the collaboration and acknowledges how the rupee value analysis makes certain in-game items seem even more absurd.

MatPat delivers the classic 'Game Theory' sign-off and encourages viewers to click the spinning rupee for more content.

Both hosts encourage subscriptions to their channels for cool videos about cool games, with playful debate about whether they qualify as 'cool guys.'

Mention of a previous Super Amazing Card Tournament poll where 62% chose true love over 10 million dollars, yet 10 million still wouldn't buy a single green rupee.

• PBG video available on his channel • MatPat's Hookshot analysis coming next, exploring why it's deadly to Link himself rather than enemies