Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS) (Wii U)

 

All Aboard the Crazy Train!

Thought about playing this after Phantom Hourglass, but other things got in the way and after playing through it again I can say I don't very much like the DS gameplay. Spirit Tracks is a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass that followed Wind Waker. Story is that after getting his engineer degree to pilot a train, Zelda ask Link to take her to the Spirit Tower to investigate the disappearance of the spirit tracks across the land. Turns out that the chancellor Cole is a demon in disguise that kidnaps Zelda's body to use it for a vessel of the Demon King Malladus (meaning no Ganon in this story). Zelda's spirit follows Link around and after getting to the Spirit Tower they meet Anjean, a lokomo. Apparently the lokomos aided the spirits before the hylians arrived and trapped Malladus by using the Spirit Tracks, but after they eroded away the Chancellor saw his chance to release Malladus. So you set out to restore the spirit tracks by traversing the spirit tower itself and then finding the temples scattered around the land. 

This is the second time I play through it which makes it one of the Zelda games I've played the least. It came out in 2009 and I didn't finish it until I got a 3DS in 2011. Playing it again there is some really fun puzzles and it follows the Zelda-formula. I won't deny that it's quite interesting how they use all of the DS functions, you control Link with the stylus, you gotta use the microphone to play the pan pipes and tell this little girl if she is plain or cute... I don't have the heart to tell her she's plain so it was cute every time I interacted with her. But the stylus shows some real problems since it doesn't always correlate to what I try to do. The pan pipes is a nightmare to try to get working at times, especially the restoration song you need to time trice over each time. And it's even in the final battle with Malladus which makes it one of the harder parts. And the attacks with the stylus get's a bit weird at times when I don't draw the sword or when I try to roll but swing instead and so on. I prefer a normal control scheme thank you very much.

Also, like Phantom Hourglass you follow a set route, of course diminished in this game since you are restricted to the tracks that exists compared to the ocean, but no time limit in the main hub. Overall travel feels so slow compared to a traditional Zelda. There are teleportation points, but you have to pass through them and they are point A to point B. Wished the flute have had some teleportation songs like in the earlier games, but I assume that would be a problem with the transportation quests. Overall, it will probably still be one of the lesser played games in the series just by that. The Save Point on the Wii U at least helps with the minigames and traveling with people or transporting cargo.

On the other hand, music is a bit more distinct than Phantom Hourglass and I do like pan flute music after watching Mysterious Cities of Gold and listening to the Golden Sun Soundtrack.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Wii U)

 

The smallest of Links.

Thought I had written about this game, but apparently not. Been playing Bravely Default for the Switch 2, but just don't feel like finishing the end game and everyone that have played it knows what it is. So I watched Game Grumps playing the Minish Cap so just felt that it would be a nice break. Originally for the GBA and made by Capcom that also did the Oracle-games. I got it for the GBA, the 3DS ambassador program and the Wii U that I played here. Seems like I hadn't finished it before since the only save on the console was from even before Link leaves Hyrule town with the princess. Probably was bored at the time.

Story is that Link is the grandson to the smith and it's the Picori Festival when Hyrule celebrates the picori, pretty much gnomes that are really small and lives in peoples houses or in the forest. At the price ceremony the winner Vaati goes haywire and turns Zelda to stone, breaks the picori blade and releases evil upon the world. Link gets the mission to find the picori since he is a child and they only show themselves to children. On his way through the Minish Woods he finds a talking hat that is being attacked. He helps it and it tells him that he is Ezlo, a minish sage that was turned into a hat by his apprentice Vaati that stole the minish cap from Ezlo and intended to rule the world. So Ezlo joins Link and this is the origin of Link's green hat.

You need to find the four elements and fix the broken picori blade. Ezlo helps you by being able to shrink yourself to minish height. It is a fun concept especially when they take normal enemies and turn them into bosses, because now they are massive. The picori blade then turns into the four-sword that was introduced in the side-quest for the Link to the Past remake for the GBA (where Vaati also was the end boss). So it's a lot of origins here.

I finished it before, but the memory was that it was hard to fight the end boss. And it is, but I guess 20 years of video games actually improved my thinking. I never 100 % it though and as I played it I began to see why. You have the kinstone fusions where you fuse kinstones with people that you get in chest, or get from grass or enemies and so on. Which is fun since you get chests or enemies or open paths and so on. But several of the fusions are random, and people can be really picky on if they want to due a fusion or not. I actually was able to get all those, but the last one was a pain. Apparently a deku scrub that had it. And then it was the figurines. You collect shells (which I assume is a nod back to Link's Awakening) that you can gamble to get figurines of characters or enemies. There is 136 total and I got to something like 100, and I got that by abusing the save state while playing the rupee game to max the winnings. Maybe I should have bought more shells than kinstones. Too late now. And you need to get all figurines if you want to get all heart pieces. God dammit.

Overall, a fun game and I like the concept of the minish and such (having watched Gnomes as a kid). End boss was hard though and took me a minute to remember how to beat Vaati and there is three phases of the boss. Don't like that, especially when I'm forced to fight off 3 darknuts under a time limit. And then I spent 2 hours to get enough rupees to buy the shells to gamble on the figurens. All to get the final heart piece and 3 chests with 200 rupees each... what am I supposed to spend it on, the game is over?

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (Switch)

 

I can do the duck-walk!

Like most people in the know, I've heard about the unholy triforce, the three Legend of Zelda games that wasn't made by Nintendo, but contracted out to Philips in a deal for when Nintendo looked for a CD-add on for the Super Nintendo that first lead to the creation of the Sony Playstation that would become their biggest rival and then the Philips CD-I, which pretty much went out and died as a game console. I think I saw the AVGN episodes on the CD-I first, then PeanutButterGamer, then Game Grumps (which I still watch from time to time) and then Pro Jared play through it. Why bring all this up? Because Arzette is a game that tries to recapture the feelings from those game. 2D action platformer with animated cutscenes. What I've seen Arzette is actually a much higher quality, both in graphics and gameplay.

Story is that 10 years earlier Arzette and her friend stopped Daiumur the evil demon lord, and trapped him in a book with the jewel of Faramore. Now, the traitourus Duke have gathered the Jewel and released Daimur and plunged the world in darkness. Arzette sets out once again to protect her kingdom and fight Daimur. And then you go around finding beacons to uncover new lands, find bosses that carry the pieces of the Jewel and helping people to boost your stats and such. Took less than 4 hours to finish the whole game (including 100%). Also finished Hero Mode which as I suspected was a bit frustrating, but it at least forced me to do things in right order since you just couldn't tank the damage or luck out on some kills. You pretty much needed the edge to finish certain parts of the games. That of course unlocks even harder modes and I think I will stop here since I play to have fun.

Overall it's kinda fun, both to see the nods to not only the Zelda-games, but also the Hotel Mario game with the bonus room where you close doors and such. It pretty much alludes to that Arzette is supposed to be Zelda, and her bard friend would be Link. Daimur is obviously Ganon, greenskin and all as well as references to his capture in the book like in the CD-I games. You also got the original voice actors for Zelda and Link from the CD-I games and they do a pretty decent job. I enjoyed playing it, never got difficult, but that could also be for me playing with health restores since I just couldn't be bothered. 100% also gives you a short little cutscene at the end with the book flipping the pages while a woman hysterically laughs. I assume a new enemy since Daimur got killed off. The end credits even spelled out that Arzette will return so I've got something to look forward to.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES Classic Edition)

Always loved this sword.

So I'm waiting on Dragon Quest III: 2D-HD Remake to be released in November 2024 so I prefer playing shorter easier games and the NES is perfect for it so played through Zelda II again on the NES Classic Edition. So long I got a save state function I can fix it meaning the last versions I have on the Wii Virtual Console and Zelda Game & Watch I probably won't be able to finish. I can probably get to the great palace, but since extra lives don't stack I've have a hard time both getting there as well as getting through the palace with the jumping chozo warriors they seem to populate the palace with. And the damn Thunderbird ain't no pushover either.

Up until that point it's a great game, the only other faults of the game would be finding the hidden town and realizing the flute open the way to the hidden palace. Otherwise everything works rather well. Went and got the magic jar and the first heart container as well as the jump spell without the candle, being the only sequence break I could do. It's a very linear game really since there's hardly any point going different palaces since you need the things in them up until the next palace, and going in there to snatch items and go to a different palace feels rather redundant.

I still find the game fun to play, but get a guide with maps for palace 4-6 and the great palace. I finished the game below 6 hours and with only 007 continues. Fun number, but I find the time interesting since I feel like as a kid I could spend 5 hours before even entering the first palace.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch)

Girl Power!

So this game came late to me. Damn postal service couldn't get in on Thursday so it didn't come round to Monday the week after. Made it hard avoiding spoilers since many channels I follow on Youtube decided this is the game to stream. Tough luck for you, I won't watch it until I finished the game, which took me to Saturday the same week. Gonna be interesting to see things I missed.

So the big thing about this game, that was spoiled at the release so nothing missed there is that the first 5-15 minutes you start at Link fully decked out and after fighting Gannon Link gets trapped in a rift and Zelda has to step up to fight for Hyrule. On her journey she has the spirit Tri that helps her mend the rifts and create echoes that she can use to traverse the world, fight monsters and solve puzzles. During the adventure you get Links items, sword, bow and bombs that you can use during a fighter mode that you can use to fight of monsters and such for a short time. 

So arriving back at Hyrule castle Zelda tells her father that gets swallowed up by a rift and out comes an imposter that sends the guards after Zelda. Escaping with the help of Tri and Impa Zelda ends up in Suthorn village, the home of Link. From there you mends the rift near you, then either Gerudo desert or Zora river. I choose Zora first and then Gerudo. After that I traversed the world to get heart pieces, stamps and smoothie ingredients before tackling Hyrule Castle again, rescuing the King. 

After that three more rifts appear, Eldin Volcano, the Wetlands and Lanurya mountain. Went into the wetlands first being locked up by Deku Scrubs and destroying Ghoma from creating cotton candy webs for the scrubs so that they get swallowed up by the rifts. After that Eldin volcano and their new Goron Elder that need your help. After that Lanurya mountain where I meet this snowman Condé that looks like the snowmen in the DS Zelda games or Twilight Princess. And I never felt this bad for the snowman that only want's to do good so that his big brother returns from his hot air ballon adventure after their father died. Damn! It was also this boss that gave me the most trouble, Schorchill. You're supposed to use fire attacks on his helmet when theres ice and ice attacks when theres fire. Now, I used the wizrobes, but they didn't seem to hit so I ran around a bit until I looked it up. After that they worked rather well. Miss that Tri doesn't give you a hint or something like the companions in the 3D Zelda games. 

Which probably brings us to the mechanics of the games. The echoes are fun for puzzle solving. Getting too high ledges or using the abilities to get a monster behind the bars in order to hit a switch is rather interesting. Battle on the other hand is either so simple you steamroll them, or it's a drag as the specific monster needs to do certain things in order to defeat the enemy, usually elemental monsters. Bosses is elevated by using the fighter mode, but take the final boss, Null. If you have enough smoothies you only have to run around so that Link can fight him off together with an echo of moblin level 3 or the lizard enemy level 3. So I spent most time running around since you can't attack directly anymore since you have given Link his items back and there isn't much puzzles in the boss fight more than recognizing patterns and avoid damage.

Null is also an interesting boss concept. He is a creature of the void that want everything to be nothing, but the goddesses appears and create the world to contain him and he in retaliation creates the rifts, but the goddesses sends spirits like Tri to contain them. And apparently Gannon is an echo from Null. His plan is forcing Zelda to get the Prime Energies (which is the Triforce, or the Golden Power or whatever they call it) so that he can steal it and therefore destroy the whole Universe. Which you and Link stops when you rescue Link.

It was a great game. Didn't have to much trouble, there's one chest I haven't figured out how to get and I'm missing like 5 heart pieces, 8 echoes and something like 9-10 might crystals that you use to upgrade Link's weapons. Somehow the short horse race gives me more trouble than the others. And there is some challenges left in the slumber dojo. The graphics looks like the Link's Awakening remake and that looks rather well. Music is ok. I can hear the melodies that they are going for like Zelda's lullaby and such, but I can't say that any track stands out for me. A bit short, it only took me something like 27 hours to get through and there is like 6 main temples, plus Hyrule Castle and the starter and final area. So 7-9 dungeons depending on how you see it. Link to the Past at least had 10 main dungeons, Hyrule Castle and Gannon's Tower. That is 12 dungeons to explore. Or maybe the Ship in the bay and Eastern Palace counts as well... have to think about that. Speaking of Link to the Past, the map is taken from that game and expanded so you go beyond what could see in that game explaining thinks like Gerudo, Gorons and Sea Zoras not existing in that game, as well as Deku Scrubs. Although the Deku Tree is not in the Wetlands with the Scrubs, but in the Lost Forest to the north. 

Link's Awakening (Game & Watch: Legend of Zelda)

 

I hate nightmares that repeats!

Had some craving for some Zelda before Echoes of Wisdom is released 1-2 month from when I write this. And why not try out the Gameboy version which I haven't played before. And it make this post goes around rather fast since the story is the same and gameplay as  well, well maybe not for the Switch remake since they fixed a lot of the problems with the game from a modern standpoint.

I gotta say, it feels rather weird to go back to a version with lacks the color dungeon or even something in the area where you either get Dampés dungeon creation or the Photographer Mouse in the DX version. And once again I'm reminded that the photographer mouse actually enhanced the relationship with Link and Marin with the mountain climbing and watching from the plateau near the beach as he took pictures of them. 

At least I found all heart pieces, some are really well hidden I must say cause I have found them from time to time, but I can never remember them. At the same time the game also wants you to take it slow, especially when you have the BowWow or the flying rooster. The BowWow actually tells you about buried seashells and at the end I realized I missed a staircase beyond some holes you need to fly too. Which when I look it up I write all the time playing this game, a pity I never learn.

The final difference I noticed is that Marin flies around with wings at the The End screen which was a bit cute. Probably like the DX and onward ending screen better. Now, would I ever play it again? No, the 3DS screen or using my original DX copy on the Retron-5 is bigger and has the color additions makes the games better, and the Switch is the best way to play it when you can't stand the constant switching of items (plus extra health things). 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)

 

Da-Dadada-Da-Dada!

The latest Zelda-adventures 6 years after Breath of the Wild and long hyped game. A massive game with hundreds of hours to get into the game, I finished it after 180 hours and I still had things to do afterwards. The game begins with Link and Zelda exploring under Hyrule Castle finding murals depicting the founding of the kingdom and the war against the Demon King 10 000 years ago. In the depths they find a skeleton being held back by a hand as it seemed to sap the life out of the skeleton, but as they approaches the hand falls off and the skeleton begins moving talking to our heroes. Turns out it is Ganondorf, the Demon King that was sealed 10 000 years ago by Rauru, the first king of Hyrule and one of the Zonai. He causes the Upheaval where islands in the skies begins falling upon the land, Hyrule Castle is lifted up into the sky and all weapons are degraded by something called the Gloom and the Master Sword shatters and Links arm is corrupted. As Zelda falls off a cliff he leaps after her but before reaching her she disappears and Link is saved by the arm that grabs on to him and seemingly teleports him away. And here I think there is a time skip for an unknown amount of days... maybe months? As Link awakes yet again in a chamber, but now with longer hair and his arm replaced with the one that saved him. Belonging to Rauru it begins teaching Link how to traverse the lands with new abilities. Gone are Bomb, Glacias and Magnesis, instead we get Ultra Hand that works like Magnesis, but you can attach things together, then there is Ascend that allows you to swim through roofs (or ceilings) which is instead for Ravali's Gail. There's Recall witch allows you to turn back time for certain objects and Fuse that allows you to add things to weapons and shields to counter the Gloom-effects on weapons. And then things that unlock later like Camera and Quick Build. You get through four shrines across the the islands in the sky and then jumps back to Hyrule.

More tutorials follows, several people have began building up Hyrule town as a base of observations and monster controls lead by Purah that sets you on the quest to look into wether phenomenas near Rito, Gorons, Zora and the Gerudo. Before leaving you meet Josha and Robbie (Josha being a new Sheika scientist, and the new child genius since Purah have aged herself up to look something like a 20 year old). They began looking into the chasm that have appeared and leads into the dephts, a dark underworld where you gotta find lightroots to bring light to the underworld (and each lightroot corresponds to one of the shrines on the overworld so finding one can help you find the one in the other map. At least the quest tells you there is ruins and abandond mines below, mostly allowing you to mine zonite, a new material that powers your batteries mostly. Of course the gloom effect is the limiting factor since if you get hurt by monsters with gloom they not only give your damage, they also blocks the hearts so you can't regain health until you get into sunlight (either from leaving, standing under a lightroot or eating meals that undoes the damage, preferable sundilions). 

The game is actually pushing you to do the four phenomenas first, then Hyrule Castle where you follow an illusion of Zelda that makes yo fight Phantom Ganons together with the sages you rescued. Here they reveal that Ganondorf hides beneath the Castle in the depths, but you are encouraged to find the fifth sage and the Master Sword that disappeared after clearing the tutorial area. The search for the fifth sage should lead you to Kakiriko village where you have ring ruins that tells you to go to the Faron Woods where you help some researchers and unlock an island cluster above that was hidden in a storm cloud that shows you a mask that takes you to the depths and a factory that puts together a robot vehicle with the conscious of the sage of Spirit, Mineru that was the sister of Rauru. After that travel across the world to find the dragons tears that lies in glyphs that looks like the Nascau lines in South America. The tears tells the story from Zelda's view as she apparently travelled back 10 000 years to meet Rarau and Sonia, the first king and queen of Hyrule. Apparently she awoke as the sage of time and she watched Ganondorf appearing and getting a secret stone that turned him into the Demon King and the final battle between him and the six sages and Rarau which ends with Rarau sacrificing himself to block Ganondorf for 10 000 years until the start of the game when Zelda and Link found them. And Zelda took her secret stone and the part of the Master Sword, that was sent back in time too Zelda as well, and turned herself into a dragon with the Master Sword on her forehead and dropped the tears across the lands. So now you gotta fly up to the sky, land on the light dragon and pull the Master Sword from the Dragons forehead. Amazing! Now, eating the tear and becoming a dragon I believe is actually a Chinese folk tale about a rice farmer that finds a pearl one day and to keep it from the tax collector eats it and that turns him into a dragon since it apparently was a dragon pearl. Neat how small factoids from my childhood comes back like this.

Now, did I do that in intended order? No, I first traveled the land to get the lookout-towers so I had the map, then taking so many shrines as possible to max stamina as fast as possible and then I just happened to get through the storm cloud to get to the mask, but was blocked since you needed more hearts, but that was quickly solved and then I got to the Spirit temple with the construct, but got beaten up by the boss so I began doing the tears collecting and it just happened to lead to the Master Sword. Then I started the weather phenomena. The first being the Rito wear a snow storm have taken hold so you gotta find a flying ship by jumping on other flying ships together with the Rito child to the Rito that helped you with the divine beast in the last game. On the ship you then had to fight a flying monster by diving through his weak points. Great first boss, and you don't need any weapons at all. Then I went to Gerudo where a sandstorm have taken the whole desert and Gibdos walked around. Got help from the chieftain and found a temple where we fought the Queen Gibdo by firing arrows at heras Riju summoned lightning. Then to Death Mountain and the Gorons that have been brainwashed by some rock food. You save Yunobo from the last game and uses his help to fight a monster in the volcano and then jump into the depths where you find the Gorons ancient city and has to fight a Gohma encased in rock. Then over to the Zora where the water is contaminated by sludge so you and Sidon finds a water temple in the sky and fights the most irritating bosses of them all that jumps around in mud. Hate him. After that lighting up the depths and after that trying to find the sage's will so I could level up the sages and mostly finishing side quest like finding every cave and the wells and the clothes. With something like 5 caves and 8 wells left I just went for the end. 

First jumping into the chasm beneath the castle and finding the cravece that lead to the area where you began, and then jumps to a tree where you fight of legions of monster together with the sages and then the battle against Ganondorf in two phases that ends with Ganondorf eating his secret stone and turning himself to a dark dragon and grabs you in his mouth. Zelda the light dragons appears and attacks him so he drops you and then you have to jump and land on the dragon to destroy all weak points and in the end push the master sword through his secret stone on his forehead (that seems to become a Zelda tradition). Zelda is turned back into... human? Hylian form? And as they fall down to Hyrule Link grabs her (which is a call back to the beginning where he missed her) and both lands in a lake. All sages gather, swear loyalty to Zelda and Mineru finally leaves. The End! Probably the most epic end for any Zelda game.

Amazing game, I spent closer to 200 hours and I still haven't done everything, but I begin to feel fatigue. I also might be getting the guide before finishing up since it's a bit hard finding the last caves and such and even if I could use the internet is a bit spotty at the moment. For example the easiest way to find caves is to find Koltin (Kilton's brother that wants the bubbelgem that you get from the shining monsters in every cave) and he tells you where there is a cave within specific areas where you find him. Now, I don't think all places where he is have been found yet since it's rather impossible to google up a list on them. And it can be irritating finding them. Same as the wells. Think I found every major settlement and some of the ruins so there gotta be some weird lonely well in the wild... doesn't help that the only help I get is "use the sensor", a pity it doesn't work across the country. A couple of amazing moments like getting the Master Sword, fighting the first boss and Ganondorf (all three phases). The depths are interesting and in the beginning the claustrophobic darkness makes it the place to explore and most akin to Breath of the Wild feeling of finding a tower for the first time. That is the problem with reusing the same map, but since they added caves and such there is things to discover at familiar places. And the new monsters are a breath of fresh air, like likes and Gleeoks are back, new monsters like horrorblin and Gloom Hands... especially the Gloom Hands. First encounter was in a cave where I just found a lot of illuminous stones and suddenly I see this patch of gloom coming toward me and several hands appear. First instinct is taking a photo, but they don't register and then it was just run and lucky enough I spotted a shrine so I got there and did that, saving me from the hands. 

Overall, would I play this over Breath of the Wild?  I don't know. In the beginning I thought all the stuff would make me not being able to handle it another time, but at the end after everything why not? Still hate we only have one save file (I know about different accounts, but I want just one since it track my time). A bit hard in the beginning getting used to the loss of elemental arrows since you now have to use add ons, and you have to do it for every arrows. The same with losing elemental weapons, but the fusing gets rid of that. Graphics looks the same like last time and it works and music is good, enjoyed the creepy music in the beginning, the boss music at the Wind temple and the final approach at the end game was really good and then the Gleeok battle theme. Best new songs I've heard in the game. Got some bonuses for carrying over the save file so all my horses followed and several people recognised me and hey my house in Hateno is still there... wait, where is my weapons stand? Wait, why is everyone talking about Zelda's house? She stole my house? Is nothing sacred?

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Wii U)

 

"I'm a captain of a ship

My ship is charmed, and called Plutonia."

After Ocarina of Time I got a bit tasty for another one, but which one to play? I just bought the Wii U virtual console versions of the DS Zelda games since the eshop was shutting down so I gotta play it? Released originally on the DS back in 2007 I got it first day and played through it twice if I recall and nothing after that. I have very few memories of this game, mostly about sailing and collecting ship parts. Nothing about the dungeons or bosses besides the final boss and the Temple of the Ocean King... helps a bit that you constantly travels to it. 

Story is a direct sequel to Wind Waker where Link and Tetra and her pirate crew are sailing across the sea in search of the Pirate Ship that terrorise the ocean. They find it, Tetra jumps on it, disappears, screams and Link follows after but ends falling into the water. He dreams about Tetra being captured and wakes up on an island where a fairy named Ceilia takes him to her grandpa that tells Link how to fight the evil of the ghost ship to rescue Tetra. Collect three fairies corresponding to the triforce, Courage, Wisdom and Strength. 

After that you enter the Ghost Ship and finds Tetra, but she is now petrified into a stone statue, so you learn that grandpa is actually the mythical Ocean King that was sealed away by Bellum, the evil that controls the ghosts ship. To defeat it you need the Phantom Sword... which doesn't exist so you gotta get three ores that you then create the sword from. You get the sword, get to the bottom of the Temple of The Ocean King, defeats Bellum, Tetra awakens, Bellum merges with the ghost ship, you blast it open, Bellum possess Linebeck (the owner of the ship you have been using during the adventure), you stab him in the back and the games over, the end.

It was fun replaying it since it's probably 15 years since I played it so it feels like a completely new game. Problem was getting used to the controls again, but once I got a hang of it, it was kinda enjoyable. Interesting knowing that every gimmick the DS could hold was used for this game, you gotta use the microphone to talk to people, fight some monster (just like the original Legend of Zelda on the Famicom), the game is completely controlled with the stylus and the original at one point you had to close the lid on the DS to print a map onto your map, which they fixed by pushing the home-button on the Wii U. I played the screens separated for most of the time, except on the damn archery mini-game. Which I also used the save-function to get past it. Don't think I cleared the mini-game back in the day.

It might not have the amount of dungeons or such like the other Zelda's (just 7 dungeons, that's like Zelda II numbers), but it has a lot to do if you have time to spend. Collecting ship parts, salvage treasures, fishing, archery mini-game, cannon mini-game... mostly to get ship parts, but it can be fun to build your own ship, a bit disappointed to learn that the numbers of hearts only correlates to the numbers of parts from the same set. I also checked my old save and saw that I missed a heart and a couple of gems for the different fairies, but I had every single treasure collected through the game without selling it... cash bonanza!

Overall, a fun game. Is it in the bottom of the Zelda games? Maybe, the graphics are a bit rough and the music is pretty much just Wind Waker music recycled so it doesn't stand out in anyway. A bit small as mentioned with very few dungeons and such. But I like Linebeck so that is a plus. Was a bit worried when I realised that all items you had to change in real time against enemies, but since I just brute forced my way through the Temple of the Ocean King and defeated him even though badly hurt by the phantoms and such you can take some hits and being slow. So I should be able to play it again when I turn 50.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Wii U)

 

LINK! He Came to Town!

He came to save the Princess Zelda!

As of writing it has just been Halloween and I have my yearly autumn semester to recharge the batteries after been working for 3 months straight (besides the one sick day due to Covid I got after the Swedish election). I intended to play Bayonetta 3, but my copy didn't show on time, and maybe that was good enough so that the controversies around it got known (and solved as far as I know). So I went on to my other choice of game that was Ocarina of Time which I haven't played in ages and that was for the 3DS. So I played it on the Wii U version since I have it on the TV (gotta use those 65 '' for something). 

So it begins with Link being woken by a fairy and a summon to the Great Deku Tree. The Tree have been cursed by a man from the desert so Link enters the tree to fight Gohma which is a throwback to one of the bosses of the first game (and I assume the entering the tree is also a reference to the first dungeon of the first game). Leaving you get the Kokirik Emerald and the quest to seek Princess Zelda in Hyrule Castle before the Deku Tree dies. Link leaves and find Zelda that send him to find the other spiritual stones, one is the Goron Ruby that you get from Darunia after saving the Gorons from the Dodonga infestation in their food cave where it was sealed by Ganondorf from the Gerudo desert... I think we found the one responsible for the death of the Deku Tree. The third stone is in Zora Domain, the Zora Sapphire that you get from Ruto after rescuing her from Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly after she got lost there. Returning with the stones to Hyrule Castle Link is almost run over by a fleeing Zelda and Impa (her nursemaid) that are being chased by Ganondorf, leaving you with the titular Ocarina of Time that you need to open the Gate of Time with the Song of Time in the Temple of Time to reach the Sacred Realm. But as you open the gate and find the Master Sword you are transported into the Sacred Realm and put to sleep for 7 years as Ganondorf followed you and take the Triforce and rules the land.

As you awake you are greeted by Rauru, the Light Sage and one of the Seven Sages who gives you the light medallion and sends you back to the Temple of Time, where you meet Shiek that instructs you to awaken the other 5 sages. You gotta travel to the Forest Temple to rescue Saria, your childhood friend of the kokiri, the fire temple where the Gorons have been abducted by Ganondorf to be feed to an ancient dragon if you and Darunia can't stop them. The Zoras meanwhile have been frozen in ice so you and Ruto gonna get to the Water Temple and restore Lake Hylia. After that you get back to Kakariko village that is under attack from the Shadow Demon Bongo Bongo that Impa sealed in the well, but now have escaped to the Shadow Temple. The last is the spirit temple that is beyond the Gerudo desert where you have to travel back and forth through time in order to save Naboro of the Gerudo from Twinrowa, the gerudo sisters that raised Ganondorf. After awakening all sages Shiek revels his true form as Zelda and the seventh sage. She gives you the light arrows and is immediately kidnapped by Ganondorf and taken to his castle. The sages creates a rainbow bridge that allows Link to enter where he once again destroy the six seals that allows the sages to destroy the barrier of darkness and allows Link to climb the tower where he face of against Ganondorf and rescues Zelda. After the battle the castle is collapsing so both of them flee and then Link has to face Ganondorf again, but this time as Ganon. In the end Ganon gets the Master Sword square into the head and Ganondorf is then sealed into the Sacred Realm by the sages. Everyone celebrates, Zelda sends Link back in time to live out the 7 years that was sacrificed so that he would defeat evil. The end!

Now the Children don't play!

But they will when Link saves the day!

HALLELUJAH!

It isn't as majestic as playing it for the first time back in 1998. I recall that dad got a call from the video game store that they had a copy left since it hadn't been claimed and I assume we weren't one of those that had a sure way preorder. He of course went and got it and he started up the game and played the first part in getting the sword and shield. It took us weeks to get through the first dungeon. I recall I was the first one getting to Gohma, but my arachnophobia got the better of me (plus I didn't get how to use the slingshot so I couldn't stun lock him fast enough). My sister got in second and defeated him so that we finally could leaves Kokiri forest. Dad was able to get Dodonga Caverns and we got to Jabu-Jabu, but I couldn't stomach (haha) the weird claustrophobic feeling inside with the jellyfish and tentacle monsters. I think we got the guide after that and it still took a long time, but I was able to get through the dungeon with a lot of coaching. So we probably already had the game for half a year at this point. With a guide. Then dad beat the Forest temple and I was able to get through the Fire Temple and after a lot of time got through the Water Temple, and then I stopped since we got to the Well and Shadow Temple, the scared little child I was couldn't handle that. Took me what, 4-5 years to get through the game and that was going on a restart and reading the guide from cover to cover (which took away some surprises like Sheik being Zelda, but since it took me 5 years it might have been excused). I recall finishing it in the summer when I was home after getting some chemical pollution at my summer work that made me sick. 

I wish I had it on a N64 mini console with the right controller, cause even though modern controllers are a bit more comfortable the fact that the game is rigged with the c-stick instead of c-buttons make certain aspects of the game harder. It's a bit flimsy with using the c-weapons if you happened to stray only a little (so I changed everything to c-> since it appeared to be the least messing up). Why not activate the d-pad for the c-stick as well so I at least could play the ocarina a little bit better? I had to change every button for the frog mini game since it didn't work with the stick. It at least forced me to learn how to close the tablet since I wanted to use my pro-controller. Especially since the battery is 80 hours compared to the 3-6 hours for the tablet, plus since my charge died a couple of years ago I had to use a usb-charger with separated cord, but sadly the charger gets a bit fried if it is on at the same time. So now I ordered a new charger that can handle the voltage. 

Game still decent, got 100 %..., well, I did't do the race to get the cow, but it was nothing you really needed anyway. Graphics are a bit dated, but I'm used to them and I find them rather charming. Music is amazing. Nothing beats entering the Temple of Time and hear the song of Time by that chanting choir. The dungeon themes on the other hand are all really eery and haunting. I would like them to get the 3DS version on Switch so that we can get the graphical update as well as better control schemes (getting iron boots on the c-buttons is a godsend in the water temple), maybe in a Zelda 3D All-Star Collection with Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess? 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Master Mode (Switch)

 

Winner Takes It All!

Loser Takes The Fall!

Played the Master Mode of Breath of the Wild in parts anticipation for Tears of the Kingdom (the trailer was released during my play and then it was 8 months of wait for that and finished as of writing, look forward to that post in 2024-02-07) and since I wanted to refresh the magic I felt playing it from the beginning. And to do that without reseting my old save is playing on Master Mode (which I started once before when it was new, but didn't get off the plateau). Really dislike the one save they have, should have been at least 2 or three like the old games. 

Master Mode then, it's harder alright. First thing I noticed, your starting weapon is useless against the first enemy so avoiding combat was the way to go. Then you have the damn flying platforms everywhere with more enemies you have to avoid. And to top it all off, there is a damn Lynel at the plateau. And all monsters is one grade over there usual one and they regenerate health unless you deal damage to them (to a point at least as far I understood it). It's harder, but I got the hang of it. It forced me to use other tactics so I actually got a use of Urbosa's Fury in order to deal with a lot of enemies and even harder ones. I stamped over Moldugas, and when I got the Master Sword the Lynels and Hinoxes didn't stand a chance when I got stasis working for me. Really, stasis become the best power since it allowed me to reset the monsters attack pattern and save myself some headaches. I thought I had cracked the code on how to get through the Trail of the Sword, but alas, the divine beast power's don't work there which I say boo to. Those are part of you as well.

Then it was just playing the game. I actually got pretty good at it and got around 50 korok seeds more than in my original run (could be due getting the korok mask pretty early since it actually existed at the start of the playthrough this time). Tried getting the DLC costumes early since they are a great help in the early stage of the game until you find the great fairy's and can get the upgrades for the armours. But due to me not remembering where I found them I got them pretty late in the game so I still had better armour. But I was able to upgrade the sheika stealth armour to the max. I found THE Hylian Shield and cooked a lot more different foods and did most of the Champions Ballad DLC, I got as far as the bosses and had to give up since I couldn't get around it. Mostly my weapons broke before I was able to kill it due to the regeneration. So, long before playing over 100 hours, I got to Calamity Ganon and beat him up. Had to use the champions powers a bit more (Daruk for reflecting back his attacks and penetrating the golden armour and Urbosa to insta stun him and get some good damage). The Champion Ballad's upgrades would have been nice for some faster turnaround, but it wasn't impossible. Sad I didn't get the motorbike.

Still a great game, can't wait for the sequel (that have already come out when this get published and I believe already finished, but it will probably be a couple of months before that post gets up). I got so hooked I also looked on some interesting discussions on the Zonai tribe that apparently made most of the ancient monuments. Got so out of hand I got both the special edition of the Behind the scenes book as well as the strategy guide. Which I got the very day I finished it. Worth the money? Probably not, but now I got the bragging rights. It's really interesting reading about how the thought process on the designs and what they began with in some cases. The strategy guide at least have things that are really great, like the korok list, a guide on every cooked meal and helps and tips for the trail of the sword and the Champions Ballad... still won't fix it in Master Mode I feel, but got thru the beginner trail on Normal Mode upgrading the Master Sword one level. It's really detailed on some events, for example there's the shrine where you stasis the orange orbs and hit it across the room to fit a hole. They give you detailed instructions on how many hits you need with which weapons. And it works (although, I fixed it on my own first, but the second time I couldn't bother with it).

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)

Happy Together!

So not only have I've been dusting off my old reliable Wii U, I also went through reading this old blog and realised that when I wrote about Smash Bros for 3DS I wrote that I would play the Wii U version, but I never wrote about it, mostly because as noted, I was a bit burned out by the series, and it has actually not been helped with Ultimate. So why didn't I play that instead? Well, I mostly played the Wii U version because it was the last game in the series as of yet to have trophies. And you couldn't transfer data between the version, what a huge hassle.

Cause what is there otherwise to talk about? It's a fighting game and works as much every other Smash game. Didn't help the Wii U that much, but introduced DLC where we finally got Roy back in the fold. As well as Mewtwo that you could get for free if you bought both games and registered it on some Club Nintendo site or such, unfortunately I bought the 3DS version in a Swedish shop meaning it didn't have the code so I had to buy it on the side. Well everything is bought online today so no problem with that anymore.

So I played through Classic Mode with every character, and some on All-Star Mode, but with this many characters it's a real pain getting through it. Also, All-Star mode is fine since it's pretty much the same as it always been, but Classic mode, what a downgrade from the original (now this might be just me playing it on easy since I want to get through it) but I recall Classic mode have different phases with metal Mario, large and small versions and such spicing up the gameplay, here it's just move around the board and choose a group of enemies. And why isn't there any Adventure mode like in Melee or Brawl? At least the 3DS had the great cave offensive or whatever it was called. So nothing special about, works like everyone else and if you have a couple of friends it's a great time, maybe not so much playing alone.

So why is trophies so important? Because it introduced me to a much larger world of games. In Melee you could get trophies from games that wasn't out yet and games that never was released in Europe or the US. The stickers in Ultimate doesn't tell me anything about the games they come from. I learned about Earthbound from the trophies, got me interested in Metal Gear before the Twin Snakes come out and something called the Famicom Detective Club... wait, that came out on the Switch some time ago. And I got it, might be a fun playthrough.

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda

 

Now You're Playing With Power, SUPER POWER!

The celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda gave us another Game & Watch edition, akin to the Super Mario edition. Instead of two games, we got three. The two original Zelda-games, The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: Link's Adventure and the original game boy version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. And a modified version of the Game & Watch-game Vermin. Which I have a score over 200 on as of writing.

I've pretty much played all of the games before on different consoles and versions, latest being Link's Awakening with the remake for the Switch. Playing them again, maybe that the screen isn't the best for long play in these adventure games, a bit easier to play a couple of levels of Mario and then quit. In Zelda you get into a flow and need to be able to see small things on this tiny screen. For example, you are able to see the movement of the crawlers in Zelda II while it's dark before you get the candle, not so much in this version. The only one I can't play on any other console is actually the original Link's Awakening (although, the DX version isn't that much different than the original). I also lack a way to listen on the music through earbuds or something, maybe I don't want to disturb all around me, but the music is so good that you have to hear it while playing.

Also, maybe not for the original Zelda and Link's Awakening, but I need save states to finishing Zelda II without losing my mind with the instant death and gauntlets of enemies at certain parts. That makes the Wii U, 3DS and NES Classic Edition better choices to play through. Plus bigger screens in all of them. One wonders though if there is gonna be some other Game & Watch editions. Like, Metroid version in preparation for Prime 4 (they missed the opportunity to remind people for Dread and I would like a Prime-collection)? Kid Icarus because... well, it was some time ago. Maybe Golden Sun?.. Nah, better wait for a Switch remake collection in anticipation in the (hopefully) coming episode 4?

Also, gotta add, we decided to get a couple of copies to my dad and brother-in-law for Christmas who are big Zelda fans. It only backfired in that I had to play first half of Zelda 1 for my dad so he can go around with most of the equipments. Twice I might add since I played first on my Brother-in-laws version during the Christmas holiday and then again during the Easter holiday on his own version.

Skyward Sword HD (Switch)

Take me on your Mighty Wings!

Take me on your Mighty Wings Tonight!

Have finished Skyward sword for a third time now. First two being the original release back in 2011. I didn't play through Hero's Mode this time around, mostly because I've got other games to play and there ain't that much to get from it. One difference though is that I didn't 100 % it this time, only missing a heart piece from the Rickety Coster Mini-game since I can't get it to work. You're supposed to finish one of the courses below 65 seconds, and I can't get it. Didn't need that last heart though since if it's something I got better at it seems to use the motions control for the sword. Demise didn't stand a chance. 

Story is that on the day Link becomes a knight Zelda is being thrown to the land below the clouds by a tornado created by the demon lord Ghirahim. Link finds the goddess sword containing the spirit of Fi. At the ground he learns about the Imprisoned, a demonic beast trapped below the sealed ground that try to breaks free. First Link travels to find Zelda, but with the help of Impa she travels back in time to avoid the demons. Link then powers up the goddess sword so it becomes the Master Sword. Then he opens another gate back in time where it turns out that Zelda seals her into a crystal in order to stop the imprisoned to escape in the past. Link then searches for the triforce and uses it to kill the Imprisoned in the present, but as Zelda is awakened in the present Ghirahim appears, kidnaps Zelda and intends to use her in the past to release the Imprisoned. Link fight his way past a horde of moblin and defeats Ghirahim that still is able to summon Demise, the Demon King that was the imprisoned. Link defeats Demise and all is well.

Still fun to play and I have no problem with the motion controls. Graphics are good and the music is really good. Still misses some songs from older games, but now that Breath of the Wild took pretty much most music away I find it even better. Some problems I have with the game I saw already at the original release and that is that the world is really small. Not only do you start with 6 hears (normal is 3 for Zelda games), but two of the hearts are medals you need to equip to gain. No place to stick 8 heart pieces I guess or get two more bosses or give boss status to some apparently free roaming mini-bosses (thinking about the Levias parasite in particular). The temples are fun, and, again, makes me realise how much I miss that in Breath of the Wild. You have certain areas that feels something like that, but there is no Ancient Cistern with its buddhistic theme that makes it really fascinating for example. 

I also like Skyloft, on one hand a bit small, but that makes it better to learn and not feel overwhelming. Since Breath of the Wild 2 is taking place in the sky I hope for a comeback. Overall, I enjoyed it and it was a great summer vacation game with the adventures feel. Gotta find another one now. I also got the special controls and they look really good. Dark blue and purple with gold and red markings. Think I found my new main joycons controlers (help a lot that they won't joy-con drift for a while as well).

Look at the Blue and Purple!

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Switch)

 

Definitively the definitive edition

After playing Age of Calamity I got the urge to continue with the original game, which I also got for the Switch but never finished until now... or finished or finished, I got the ending of the legends mode and finished adventure mode, not 100 %. I basically stopped playing right before the end when I got it for the Switch. Pretty much the Ganondorf stages and it's a pity I did since they had tacked on a couple of extra stages after beating the original game. So after banishing Ganon from Hyrule... again, another portal appears bringing the Wind Waker universe into the Hyrule Warriors one. Apparently Phantom Ganon is... I don't recall his plan, he possessed Cia and brought her back to life, got Helmaroc King to kidnap Tetra so you gotta save Tetra with the help of King of Red Lions and then you fight Phantom Ganon and bring Cia back to life. You get the new sub-weapon in the hammer and a couple of extra modes. There was also Linkle stages, but those are pretty much the old stages with different scenarios focused on being grinding levels for materials from tougher enemies.

I started up my old save on the Wii U that I haven't played in ages and I could see I got a bit into it. Got all skulltulas in legends mode and all heart pieces and such. Then I noticed that Cia and her stages didn't have any heart pieces or such. So they added that. Skulltula missions changed and they added boss keys and fairies you could pick up in Adventure mode to enhance your character. If they added that to the 3DS-version I don't know. The Wii U got all characters so that's noting new, together with costumes and such. Mostly just got it as DLC so no need to play to unlock it as here. You got Linkle, Twili Midna, Medli, Toon Zelda, Tetra, Toon Link, King of Red Lions, Ravio and Yuga. So even more a celebration of the Zelda-series. 

Playing through it again, it doesn't grab me as Age of Calamity. I don't like the big bosses since they can really mess with you since if your unlucky and they don't use the attack that enables you to stun them and get the special attack on them you just wait on them. In Age of Calamity it felt more dynamic with the dodge mechanic giving more skill to the player. But then after getting into it I plunged another 40 hours into it. The addition of quick switch between playable character made the game go faster and when I realised I just could use Link in mission where you allowed 2 playable characters I could use the other slot for the character that would be needed to get the A-treasure instead of playing with that character. What are you gonna do when Link is level 111 and Ravio is level 17? You could probably speed it up even more with another player. 

Although I noticed that the game seems to glitch out a lot which I didn't recall in the original. For example when opening chest or if the camera pans over an area it just goes haywire at times, not loading the right asset and a couple of times Link was just sitting in the air as Epona didn't load at the victory screen. It also crashed at one time.

Hyrule Warrios: Age of Calamity

 

Hero Time!

As mentioned in the last post, I got this game and after playing through Breath of the Wild I could finish this of. I clocked 65 hours in to the game and pretty much 100 % it. It was marketed as a prequel to Breath of the Wild and it delivers on that. Begins as Link is mortally wounded before being put in the Shrine of Resurrection as Zelda's awakening of the power of light also awakens a mini-Guardian that was in the Castle. It escape through a portal and travels back in time. Link, Zelda and Impa is trying to stop Calamity Ganon from emerging and so gathers the Champions to control the Divine Beast as Zelda tries to awakens the sacred light within her while Link gets the Master Sword. At the dawn of the Calamity everything goes to hell. The castle is overrun and the Divine Beasts are corrupted by Ganon. Link and Zelda tries to rescue the Champions, but before they arrive, warriors from the future have returned to the past. Sidon, Yenobo, Tebe and Riju arrives to rescue their respectively Champion. So we enter a different timeline.

The king was also able to escape and Master Kogha of the Yiga clan switch sides after being betrayed by the seer Astor that killed his second in command. You also befriends Hestu the korok and you can find the secret characters Monk Maz Koshia and the Great Fairy. Everyone attacks Hyrule Castle, but after defeating Astor and a corrupted version of the mini-Guardian they merge, corrupt the good mini-Guardian so you have to destroy it. Afterwards you fight a humanoid beast form of Calamity Ganon, but no attacks are able to land, until the broken mini-Guardian comes to life and runs toward Zelda and kamikaze-bombs itself upon Calamity Ganon and allows the heroes to seal Ganon away, saving Hyrule. Damn, I never thought I would feel sad for the mini-Guardian.

Now, the main story is over, but you can still do missions for pieces of the mini-Guardians to unlock it as a playable character and also get Calamity Ganon. I actually 100 % it, the reward being the clothes of Link from the first Hyrule Legends. Interesting enough I felt rather disappointed by that since it was staggering with things all the time that made me continue (upgrades and the secret characters), but after that it just disappeared. Which was good since there wasn't anything else, but they could at least made some fanfare or something. Also, in the beginning I didn't like the map system since it didn't make sense, but I got used to it and some upgrades clearly improved it as it was easy to see which missions had the potential for parts to upgrade with and such.

It was fun game. Love the details, take for example that there is this only woman paegent in Gerudo desert, but the male Gorons are allowed in, like in the game since the Gerudos can't see if they are male or female. Love those small details. A bit of a cop-out with the split timeline, I was expecting to cry my eyes out watching the last stand of Link before being killed. Hope Breath of the Wild 2 arrives soon cause I got a craving for more of this world.

Update: Well, what do you know, they announce DLC just a week after me finishing it. Alright, at least Im in phase for this game compared to the first Hyrule Warriors. Pretty much expect Sooga, Robbie and Pura (or whatever her name is) as playable characters, maybe Astor too. Otherwise I don't know. A couple 100 more deku seeds as well.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Champion's Ballad

They are all dead Dave!

Took me 4 years, but I finally got round to play the DLC of this game. Mostly because I was starting up the new Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and got this real craving for playing Breath of the Wild again and since you might have guessed from the Bond-Marathon, I haven't been playing video games for some time. I actually took a whole month of in January of 2021 not playing a single game. Maybe winter depression or chaos of the world, but I just couldn't feel it so I watched movies and TV-shows instead. And now this come back and I recall why I loved the game when it first came out.

So first I began looking through all the rest of special costumes and whatnot I hadn't gathered, like N64 Ganondorf, Tingle and some royal guard costume. I tried if I could get through the Trial of the Sword in order to upgrade the Master Sword, but no luck. All goes well up to the first stone giant, so I hate the lizfalos. They wreck me and I don't know how to get past that, and that is something like level 7-9 and there's 45 of them! I just wanted to get to the first checkpoint!

So that was a dud so I began looking into the the Champion's Ballad. You get four new shrines on the Great Plateau which grants you the last heart or stamina piece in the game (heart piece in my case) which you must do with a special weapon that one-hit kills everything, but means you can only take one hit as well. Took some time, but I did it. Really satisfying destroying each camp of monsters. A new quest is given as each Divine Beast region gets 3 new shrines which you need to find from a pillar that appears near the beast. It shows like a satellite map which makes certain areas harder, but not impossible. You also get a poem for each to solve in order to open the shrines. Biggest trouble was the desert one in the Yiga clan hideout. I thought I had to guide a rolling snowball into the hole, but instead it was an orb you got from the hideout. Probably spent an hour trying again and again until I looked it up.

After finding and solving each shrine you get an emblem and a small scene as the Champions are asked to become champions. Getting all four you return to the resurrection chamber and unlocks a 5th dungeon. Solve that lets you fight Monk Maz Koshia and that gives you control of the 5th Divine Beast, a motorbike formed like a horse. Which you need to fuel with materials every so often. It was rather fun driving around afterwards. Gathered some more koroks seed that I don't how I could have missed the first time around. I went to the hidden temple with all the Guardians and thought, maybe it's time to get revenge so I killed every single one of them before finding it satisfactory for this time.

A bit bummed I couldn't finish the trial of swords, but hey, what are you gonna do? Get good at the game?

Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS replay)

Guess there have been 7 years since I played this game the last time. The game grumps replaying it made me get a craving to play it myself so I run through it again. And I gotta say, it's still really good. I notice though that it takes time getting adjusted to the wall merging idea since more often than not I could walk towards a gap and wonder how I was gonna cross it... and realise that all I needed to do was merge with the wall and go round it. Alas, I didn't get all all heart pieces since I couldn't bother with things like the octobaseball minigame.

Also, is it a remake or an actual sequel? The layouts of the overworld maps are the same, certain dungeons have the same layout, even though they changed parts to make sure the merge doesn't break the game. Similar story structure. The most notable difference being that they moved turtle rock to lake hylia and ice palace to death mountain... which make sense in certain ways. Also the fairy fountain in lake hylia in the light world is gone and replaced with a new dungeon that take the place of the desert dungeon that now merged with misery mire. The item system where you rent it and if you don't die, you can have it forever until you pay to keep it, and then upgrade it. If you go the intended path from the original, no problem.

Still fun, but I don't get the kick like playing through Link to the Past, might be due to knowing Link to the Past inside and out and never stumble upon what to do and knowing how to get all heart pieces. Might need to play it ofter than once every 7th year.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch)

Feels like 1993 (or more accurate 1999 when the DX version was released and the first time I played the game)

As mentioned in this post I was waiting for the remake of Link's Awakening to drop on the switch and I got it after work on release date and finished it the following Sunday morning. A really beautiful remake and the depth perspective is really popping out in this environment. Take for example the dream shrine where you get the ocarina, I always assumed the bed was reachable by going down, but now I can actually see the intent was a plateau.  

I mean, can you blame me? (Now I can't even unsee it so I begin to wonder what I was thinking)

Overall, it's a pretty faithful. Differences is that the warp system have been improved with more warp points as well as the Mambo hooks you up to the network instead of taking you to one point making traveling around the island faster. You have bottles to store fairies making the game even easier actually. You have more buttons now so things like the sword, shield, pegasus boots and bracelets get their own dedicated buttons which diminishes the need for constantly pause and unpause the game to equip the right gear. I usually put the feather on X as a dedicated jump-button. New collectibles in figurines that you can place out in the houses of Mabe village and you win them in the crane game. Both the crane game and fishing pond is improved so that you actually have something to gain from using them (figurines and seashells).

The biggest changes is the inclusion of Dampé the gravedigger from Ocarina of Time that now allows Link to arrange dungeons on his own and then play them. Dubbed Zelda Maker after the Mario Maker games. For people who like those games this might be something to spend time on, but I only played enough to get the heart piece and sea shell. I'm usually to uninspired to create things by myself so I probably won't bother (just like I haven't gotten any Mario Maker game and Dragon Quest Builders just last till the end of the story mode). Also combat have been improved with Link have to outmanoeuvre certain enemies like shielded ones, or that the bomb-eating monsters now have a cool down and wont even eat the bombs first couple of seconds after a bomb prior (lucky they implemented that picking up the bombs pause the timer).

Is there some problems? I couldn't find any options to adjust sound and music. At some places the music was very silent and I miss the DX version when (although sharp sound) the game blasted Tal Tal Heights as I began traversing the mountain. To subdued here and no way other than to bring all sounds up. Another thing is the removal of the photograph mouse and hut (Dampé have taken his place). Gameplay wise it doesn't matter, and it was mostly something to sell the Game Boy Camera I gathered, but the scenes were funny and I would have loved to see the expressions up close that the photographs captured as well as keeping memories of the journey. 

I mean, look at them!

That is actually the only thing I miss in the game. Well, besides the heart container I gotta missed from a boss, cause I was one short and I had to go through all the dungeons again to be sure and I couldn't find it so I think that implies that if you don't get it it's gone for that playthrough. Which is weird (I suspect the angler fish to be the culprit). I would wish they remade the Oracle games as well in this engine since it looks amazing and the improvements to gameplay is fantastic and the reason I would probably prefer this version over DX. 

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (3DS)

Like There Can Be No More Black

Continuing my Zelda Easter and in preparedness for the remake of this game I had to play through it again. Never played the original Game Boy release, but got the DX version when I bought my Game Boy Colour in red (as that was the only colour left). Like A Link to the Past this took forever to finish and I remember hardest part was the 7th dungeon, the Eagle Tower since I never got the gimmick of the place. Now I run through it in 15 minutes (that might be an exaggeration, but it at least doesn't take a month or so). Coupled with that I got the red shirt which doubled my attack, while I really needed the blue shirt for the defence bonus, but the damn rooster you have to carry around until you beat the tower makes it impossible to get hold of. Thanks game.

Playing it again I feel that the game wants you to be slow with it, explore and go around with the new items you get all over the map before continuing with the next dungeon. So there are a lot of missable things if you don't do it slowly. For example some of the photographs are locked at certain points, especially those with Marin. And when you try to get seashells for upgrading you sword you got to stop what you do and go to the seashell mansions when you acquired 5 and 10 shells respectively to get the ones  from the mansion. 

Storywise it has some interesting twists and turns, like that the island is just the imagination of the Wind Fish and the nightmares are trying to preserve it that way. But it seems like Link the one that actually pushes them to be aggressive since they didn't do much until Link landed on the shore. All in all it was fine to play again and I can't wait until the remake comes along. The artstyle already sold me on it and it's gotta be fun to see what they've kept and what they got rid of (if they got rid of anything). The biggest change will probably be the fact that you have enough buttons now to not need to equip things like the bracelet and the pegasus boots. In A Link to the Past they were used with the action button, but since the original game boy line only had an A and a B button, that would be problematic since you needed them for the sword and other items (including the shield). So I get that decision, but I hope they don't keep it since it was a lot of back and forth to go anywhere since you need to change items a lot to get around on Koholint Island.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breathtaking

As mentioned in the Switch post from last week I pretty much have only played Zelda on it from day 1 and one month later and around 100 hours put in I finished the game. A bit of difference from Skyward Sword I could play for 2 weeks from start to finish... twice and on hard mode as well. Doesn't help that my brother-in-law sends me questions on the game as he had some parental leave taking care of their new born child while I sat at a work meeting. Working sucks in that regard, but at least it pays for all these games. So story is Link awakes in a chamber of resurrection after 100 years sleeping recovering from the wounds in a confrontation with Ganon. Zelda put him there after the battle and ended up confining Ganon until his return. But as usual something gotta have gone wrong since I don't think the legendary hero tried to fight Ganon with 3 heart and no clothes... and amnesia. Great, you know what that means? Running around Hyrule to gather weapons, armours, memories and spirits orbs from shrines to power up either heart or stamina. And I gotta say, this is a really enjoyable game. After the starting area you have bombs, magnet power, stasis power and freezing powers which you can manipulate your surrounding (there is a camera power later on, but it isn't necessary for the core experience of the game). And those are what can be called the only left-overs of the Zelda formula of items to clear puzzles. After getting those you get a paraglider and can leave the area and the rest of the world is open to you.

See this? This is the starting area...

... and this is the whole world

There are certain quest markers you can follow to get the core story so to speak, but my method was finding shrines and towers first. Both act as fast-travel points, but as mentioned the shrines contains puzzles, battles or just gives you a spirit orbs to power up Link or even find interesting equipments or weapons in chests. The tower unlocks map portions and are great survey points to see if you can find shrines or other interesting things. Then climbing to the top of every hill and peak since they often contains korok seeds, an item you can exchange for more inventory space regarding melee weapons, bows and shields. And there is 900 of them and as of the end of the game I had found 306... 1/3. I will probably not get them all. I got the 120 shrines though, but when I reached 111 I pretty much gave up and looked through a guide to find the last ones since getting them unlocked the games own classic Link clothing (you could get different outfits from previous games with amibos, but I haven't even got a single one and doesn't intend to get one either). Another reason I caved was that up to that point I could guess fairly easy where a shrine would supposedly be since it was in areas without shrines, but the last ones pretty much all of them was fairly close to other more accessible shrines and more often than not didn't trigger the sheikah sensor that could tell you when you got close to them which is the best thing ever since if you got pictures on certain items, monsters, herbs or whatever you can set the sensor to search for them and therefor cut down on grinding time. Especially when you need to upgrade armours at the great fairy fountains you can find.

Kiss of upgrade... and this isn't even the final upgrade stage

So most of the game is upgrading your stuff by finding better things or get items and drops from monsters or chests. But if you care about the story the main objective is to travel to the corners of the world and finding the four divine beast, calm them down after they were taken over by Ganon, climb inside, solve the puzzles to take control of them and fight a portion of Ganon to release the spirit of the champion that fell 100 years ago. After that you have to infiltrate Hyrule Castle to reach the top and confront Calamity Ganon as he is called here. And I tried it 3 times until a fourth and successful run. First time I ran through at the main gate, but after several confrontations with guardians and two lynels (the lion-centaures) I fled the second lynel fight and flew out of there since pretty much all my shields and melee weapon was destroyed. Second time was pretty much gathering resources until I stumbled upon the library and later Zelda's tower to get the final memory so I fled to finish of those side-quests.  The third time I found one of the last shrines and found a back-door into the library so I escaped and knew which my next point of entry was when I cooked up enough rations and gotten enough arrows. And this fourth time I ran up the steps, jumping to every window I could find and swim up every single waterfall. I entered the final chamber and the divine beast blasted half of Ganons life away. The struggle was just bash him until he started some invincibility crap. I guessed I had to master the dodge and reflect abilities that I never got a hang of (and I pretty much checked it up before continuing just in case). So now or never and I succeed. And of course he goes for a second form and Zelda gives me the light bow and my horse is waiting for me (and thank god the AI choose my best horse instead of the others).

What is it with Nintendo bosses looking like Resident Evil-bosses?

So, is there something wrong with the game? The weapon durability is annoying how much you go through since I assume there is a hidden stat on how much it can take, mostly because there sometimes a stat boost for durability that doesn't affect the number displayed on it. Also the rain always feel like at the most inconvenient moment. The fact you can only have one main save per player without having to create another one if I would replay the game again. And also the damn Yiga clan that respawns without a blood moon (an event that resets all killed monsters and gives an in-game explanation to it) that messed up my dragon farming spot so I had to change it. Lastly, the music... is not bad, but it very seldom feels epic. The only time is when the divine beast are put up against Hyrule castle and then again as they fire. That is the only original song I felt was epic. I missed musical tracks like the Koloktos fight from Skyward Sword that just got more intense during the battle. Why couldn't  certain mini-bosses have that theme instead of the same one for all of them (not bad theme either, but not as epic) and most other songs is a bit on the silent end. But I like the Rito and Zora return as well as Kakiriko and Ranch theme. I don't think the Goron theme was the same. Also, while I get that the divine beasts acted as dungeons together with Hyrule Castle, I really missed the multi-level dungeons. Of course I probably solved more puzzles in this game than any other, but I would really have liked a bit more and bigger divine beasts. Other than this a great game. Especially since I played most of it blind (except the small thing I mentioned). It's not many games where I can feel awe-inspired just wandering around and stumbling upon an event. Most mini-bosses in the beginning you just see a giant lying in the woods sleeping and you just decide to avoid it for the moment. One particular moment was when I was in the jungle area. I was stuck at the source of a waterfall seeing some strange things in the water while the rain poured down with lightning strikes (meaning I can't carry any metal weapons at all) making it impossible to reach the top. Suddenly the wind intensifies and the music changes to some haunting string instrument... and a dragon raises from the water just in front of me. I just hurriedly takes a pictures and wonder if I have to fight dragons in the air as well? Then balls of lighting flies toward me and I have to run away. And that was pure chance since the conditions was just right otherwise he wouldn't have shown up.

You know, the monks looks like the mummy from Tintin and the Seven Crystall Balls...

Or is that just me?

And to cap it of some tips, short on rupees? Hunt in the snow-clad mountains. Elks, wolfs, foxes and some kind of rhino. Gather gourmet raw meat and cook five at a time and sell for around 500 rupees. For rations to actually consume, radishies. One single cooked small radish restores all life and gives 3 extra hearts. Which at maximum means a total of 30 hearts (which is the maximum with 3 whole stamina wheels). And finally, the adventure isn't actually finished since there is some extra DLC on the way (which I already payed for) with both hard mode, multi-level trail dungeon and an extra quest.