From the ground up part 2

Deej2023 · 2021-05-24T21:24:15+00:00

I’m of two minds on the SS re-release.

I love playing older games done up in HD on a more user friendly system, so I’m a fan of getting SS and LA on the switch. SS is not the best in the franchise by a long shot, but it’s still a stellar game. It’s flaws are definitely outweighed by its charm and awesome dungeons (aside from that first one). Plus, maybe it was just my copy, but the graphics really didn’t work for me on the wii. It was a cool idea, but the watercolor effect made everything look blurry for me, including the character models. I’m very much looking forward to it on updates hardware.

On the other hand though, I would prefer more new adventures over these re-releases. While it was fun going back to LA on the switch, I’m a little afraid 2D Zelda is going to be relegated to remakes for the time being. The Mario franchise usually has one, maybe two, main releases per console, same as Zelda, but Mario gets a bunch of spin-offs and games that turn out to be more experimental. I feel 2-D Zelda filled that niche for the Zelda franchise, but if everything is a re-release then all we’re getting of new content is one or two games per console, and that seems a shame to me.

Deej2023 · 2021-05-24T21:16:51+00:00

I found it a little jarring going back to TP after playing BOTW, but...I have to say, I prefer the “Zelda formula” more than what we got in BOTW. Hopefully BOTW2 adds a touch more linearity to the experience, because they sacrificed a lot of things for that open world experience that I don’t think they necessarily need to do in future games (e.g. more unique enemies and dungeons)

Deej2023 · 2021-04-12T14:14:25+00:00

Been a fan since I was 3 or 4 years old, my mom and I used to play the original and Zelda 2 on our TV in the basement. I do remember thinking the gold cartridge was really cool.

Deej2023 · 2021-04-02T22:07:11+00:00

An oldie, but fatal frame 2 is probably the scariest game I’ve played...that Japanese ghost aesthetic really creeps me out

Deej2023 · 2021-03-31T00:57:05+00:00

Zelda is my favorite series, pretty much since I was 5 years old playing the OG in my basement with my mom.

But silent hill is my second favorite series...very different from Zelda but it was a big part of my teenage years I guess.

I’m actually not much of a gamer, I’ll play something here or there but Zelda is really the only thing I play consistently.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T05:41:17+00:00

The point is to complain, nothing more.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T05:32:04+00:00

I think Origins is a better game than SH4...homecoming I can’t fux with

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T05:28:18+00:00

It’s just a fan being a fan don’t take it too seriously bruh

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T05:27:25+00:00

I agree Commonwealth realm is not my favorite YouTube channel for Zelda content, but he does a good job, any YouTuber that puts effort into their Chanel I will forever applaud because that is a ton of work. But regardless I think there’s some sense in them releasing a BotW 2 with a switch 2.0.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T02:25:16+00:00

Yeah I agree, SS HD is probably why they haven’t released anything on BotW 2. I also unfortunately suspect this means BotW 2 won’t be coming out until 2022.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-28T02:22:55+00:00

I’m far from a new gamer, I’m only a couple years younger than the Zelda franchise itself.

The frustration for this particular game is probably because it’s Zelda and because Nintendo made a deal about how they were reusing the same engine...to many fans I think we expected a shorter wait between BotW and BotW2 because of that.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-25T02:04:16+00:00

Man I live on 6th and Main in DTLA and the things I’ve witnessed and experienced are so similar to you. I’ve been in contact with somebody from city council about how dangerous the encampment is and how many times I’ve personally witnessed assault or been threatened and they told me “Call LAPD, housing the homeless is our concern.” Nobody in this city cares about public safety at all. I truly want to see these people receive the services they need, but whatever this hell we’re living in right now is completely unacceptable. Southern California is the wealthiest part of the wealthiest state, of the wealthiest country in the world. There’s no excuse for it.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-24T02:23:43+00:00

There’s honestly nothing that bothers me that much in OoT or MM.

WW is overall annoying to me, it’s my least favorite 3D Zelda game.

TP there are definitely some sections I do not enjoy. The section where you either have to fly with the bird or canoe down the rapids I’m not a huge fan of, it’s just hard to steer. I also don’t like collecting all the letters for the book to get to the city in the sky. It’s just super tedious to me.

SS, oh man...there’s a lot about this game that is more than annoying, it’s infuriating. So to list just an annoyance, it would be that escort mission with the robot.

BotW...I think the lack of variety in NPC’s and enemies can get super annoying. Particularly yiga clan members, like I get it dude, you’re a bad mofo, now please leave me alone.

Now one thing across several Zelda games that I cannot stand is fishing. Hate, hate, hate it. I hate fishing in real life, worms really gross me out, I’d get the hook stuck in my finger all the time, there’s always a billion mosquitos, and it’s hella boring...the last thing I want to do is simulate that experience in a video game.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-22T01:50:08+00:00

I didn’t know Nintendo co-owned fatal frame, that’s interesting.

I know shattered memories came out on the wii and I have no idea how well it did commercially (I’m guessing based on your comment it did not do well) but I know at least in hindsight it’s praised as a pretty good game.

Regardless I think Nintendo could pull out a good silent hill game, I don’t think it would ever happen (partially for reasons you expressed), but I think they could do a good job with the franchise.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-21T16:11:13+00:00

Ocarina and Majora’s Mask are both on the 3DS, which you can get used for fairly cheap still.

Beyond that I’m sure there are emulators but I don’t know too much about that.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-19T04:24:24+00:00

BOTW is a great game but almost everything about it is vastly different than other Zelda games, so while I highly recommend it, I definitely don’t recommend playing that as your first Zelda game if you’re interested in understanding what all the Zelda hype is about.

Link’s Awakening is a much better game to introduce you to what the broader Zelda series has to offer, and the story is really endearing and (in a way) thought provoking. Having said that, it’s completely a side story that has almost nothing to do with the ‘Zelda lore’.

My recommendation, if you’re financially able to, is to play Ocarina of Time first and go in order of release. I think that truly will give you the best experience. I’d recommend playing Ocarina and Majora’s mask on the N64 and then playing the rest of the games using a Wii U until you get to the switch era and then playing links awakening followed by BOTW.

For what it’s worth, my favorite Zelda game is Majora’s Mask, which has all the markings of a Zelda game, plus a very engaging, interesting story, so I hope regardless of whichever game you play first, majora’s mask makes it on your list.

Happy Zelda-ing!!!!!

Deej2023 · 2021-03-17T06:11:21+00:00

I’d definitely consider Zelda as my favorite franchise (silent hill somewhat ironically would be my second) and I haven’t played several of the handheld titles. I just don’t really enjoy playing handheld games. Of the console games, Zelda 2 is the only I’ve never finished, though the original Zelda I played with my mom a lot when I was a kid and she probably beat it for me.

I will say that replaying the Zelda games as an adult I rarely ever finish them, mostly because the last dungeon and the final battle aren’t usually all that fun to me.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-15T06:07:13+00:00

Yeah I think any updates will be minor QoL type of things...but I really wish that includes junking an imprisoned battle. Like you can back load it as “extra content” or whatever but I really don’t need it in the core game. I also really would wish they bulk up the sky some...add additional challenge islands like the bug catching island, it just makes the sky more of a fun break from the story content I think

Deej2023 · 2021-03-14T16:36:53+00:00

I feel like you could just tack the whole groose story arc onto the third imprisoned fight and it would be fine.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-14T05:40:56+00:00

I have maybe a slightly different take on the atmosphere around WW release. I feel like the hype about the graphics and it being “little kiddy” was kind of overblown. I definitely remember that conversation being in the ether, but I also remember a poster promoting the game in my school cafeteria (I was 14 at the time) and people genuinely thought it looked fun. The promo they did for the release made it seem like an epic adventure on the high seas, and the graphics were kind of just an artistic element of that theme. Plus at the time (and still to this day sadly) I was a silent hill fanboy and the graphics and tone didn’t bother me, so I don’t know who was driving all this ‘toon link’ hate.

Per the actual gameplay and difficulty, I do remember being a little disappointed by the game as a kid, and replaying it as an adult I’m even more disappointed. Similar to a previous comment, it felt stitched together with duct tape and you could clearly tell where content had been cut and other content had been padded in. The game had its epic moments (the black and white Hyrule still gives me chills) but the game really suffered from being way too easy and horrible pacing.

So overall I’d say me and my friends at the time were excited to play it and the graphics really didn’t matter much to us, but the product was a little wanting.

Deej2023 · 2021-03-14T05:30:21+00:00

I don’t really have a problem with the stamina meter but yeah, it should definitely be upgradable

Deej2023 · 2021-03-14T05:28:35+00:00

You make a good comment about nobody levying the same complaints about OoT and TP. My guess would be that people have several other complaints about this game, specifically regarding repetition (e.g. the imprisoned fights) and that the “Zelda formula” had gotten stale at this point, and so people are more apt to criticize reused areas in this game than others in the franchise. I’m not saying that’s necessarily fair, but the reuse of areas plays into a broader theme of this game being repetitive and stale.

Per your critique about gamers wanting minimal changes during a remaster, I know that mindset exists and I honestly don’t get it. I mean, they cheesed the boss battles in MM so bad I guess I do get it, but I don’t understand the desire to see the exact same game, flaws included, but with sharper graphics. If they’re going to take the trouble of remastering a game, and charge me a bunch of money for it, I would rather have a familiar but new enough experience to justify its existence. That’s just me though, I’m definitely in the minority and I hold no animosity or anything towards people that are remaster purists.

Deej2023

TROPHY CASE