The sound comes from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, released for the GameCube in 2002 in Japan and 2003 internationally. Its cel-shaded version of Link is especially expressive, and his short falling scream became one of the game's most recognizable vocal effects. As Let's Play videos, speedruns and meme edits spread online, players began lifting the clip to use outside the game. It remains popular because it instantly identifies both a Zelda fall and a lighthearted failure, even for viewers who have never played Wind Waker.