What is an item/ability that you want to like more than you do?

[thePlinko]

Pretty self explanatory. I’m not sure if there’s a thread on this somewhere on the forum from back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and people were still waiting for a new Zelda game on Wii, but I don’t feel like looking for one.

I really wish that the Mirror Shield was a better item in particular. We’ve seen it in 6 games. In LttP and LA they were pointless, in MC it was less than pointless, and in the 3D games it just appears as another item that exists specifically as a funny shaped key for a funny shaped door (though MM and WW both do something cool with it to be fair). The idea of a reflective shield is really cool on paper from a combat and puzzle perspective, but the games never do anything with them beyond “shine light here to progress.” Plus they’re always one of the last items you get, so even if they did have a utility purpose you’d never get a chance to use them. Mirror Shields have so much potential, but we haven’t seen them since MC, which is weird for an item that a lot of people to be a classic Zelda item.

 

[GZ Zelda]

I wish, I WISH, that I found bombs interesting at all, in any way, for any reason. Bomb flowers are boring, the traditional bomb is completely uninteresting, bombchus and remote bombs are the most unique takes on the concept, but only in Phantom Hourglass do I feel that any bomb-related item is actually interesting. I understand that they probably will not meaningfully update bombs for many years, and because of that I really, really want to like them, but I just find them so boring.

 

[twilitfalchion]

The hookshot/clawshot. For as neat as it is to zip from one place to another, it's boring as hell to have the only places you can make use of it for traversal be limited to targets/surfaces that somehow randomly exist on walls scattered around.

Give the player the freedom to make use of them more creatively or freely than in such a situational way as it's been for most of the series so far.

 

[thePlinko]

I wish, I WISH, that I found bombs interesting at all, in any way, for any reason. Bomb flowers are boring, the traditional bomb is completely uninteresting, bombchus and remote bombs are the most unique takes on the concept, but only in Phantom Hourglass do I feel that any bomb-related item is actually interesting. I understand that they probably will not meaningfully update bombs for many years, and because of that I really, really want to like them, but I just find them so boring.

That’s interesting, because I’d argue that from a combat perspective bombs are some of the most consistently useful and interesting items in the series, particularly in the 2D games where there’s generally less of an emphasis on swordplay and melee combat.

You also mentioned the remote bombs and bombchus, but out of curiosity what are your takes on the other bomb derivative items/abilities? Things like the Blast Mask and bomb arrows.

 

[Chevywolf30]

Honestly, Wolf Link. Now, don't get me wrong, I think that his mechanics are mostly all very well done. His controls are fun and the scents/senses mechanic is excellent, although the combat is a little bit oversimplified and unfulfilling, it can feel more like a battering ram or something than a beast with actual teeth and jaws. The exception to this is when you can latch onto a larger enemy and get a few bites on it, but other than that the combat can be kinda boring. My main issue with Wolf Link is that he's underutilized. I remember when I first got the scents I was thinking "Oh, maybe I'll have to manage which one I have saved," and then when I got to Arbiter's Grounds I thought "Oh finally, hopefully there'll be another scent somewhere in here and I'll have to keep track of which one I have memorized," but that never happened, leaving me wondering why they only let you have one scent at once if there's literally no reason for it. So while I feel that Wolf Link is fine from a mechanics standpoint, although the combat could be better, my gripe is mainly that there's a lot of wasted potential. The only time you really need him in combat is fighting the Shadow Beasts, and even then that's really more Midna's doing. Why not have some later game enemies that fall easier to the wolf, maybe Lizalfos with unarmored legs that Link can't get with his sword or sumn, the sky's the limit.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

Not sure if this counts, but the first example I can think of is the Loftwing / sky exploration mechanic in Skyward Sword. It just feels like it could have been way cooler than it was, and there was a lot of wasted potential there. The flying itself was kind of annoying, seeing as the motion control was sketchy at best (although that may just be a SS problem). There also wasn't really anywhere to go. Like, yay, I have a Loftwing, now what do you want me to do with it? All it did was hinder travel and feel kind of forced.

Secondly, the TP spinner. I know a lot of people love this item. I feel like I should love this item. But it's just not useful enough to be cool. If there were more places with tracks it could be more useful. Or even if it could spin for a little longer on its own, so you can zoom around and feel cool. But the best you can get is a little boost and then hop a couple times.

 

[The Dashing Darknut]

Skull Hammer

Like yeah, it looks cool, but it’s slow and pretty boring and not ideal for combat because the Master Sword and other weapons like the bow are just more efficient than a hammer that takes a bit of time to hit something or swing it. Compared to things like the boomerang that can hit multiple targets or the grappling hook, the skull hammer is just not very interesting

I think that it’s great and fun in the Helmoroc King fight, otherwise it functions like the hammer item would, so yeah I find it pretty uninteresting, which is a shame because in terms of its design and how it’s used in the Helmoroc King fight it’s really cool

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

The whip in Skyward Sword. I feel like it could have had way more potential than what it ended up being used for. It sucks too because thematically the Ancient Cistern is the most interesting dungeon in the game, but it's dungeon item is very lackluster. It's like for the dungeon's sake I wanted to like the whip.

The Ball and Chain from Twilight Princess comes to mind too. It's such a unique item, and a cool concept, but it's so slow and clunky to use that I don't like it as much as I want to.

 

[Chevywolf30]

The Ball and Chain from Twilight Princess comes to mind too. It's such a unique item, and a cool concept, but it's so slow and clunky to use that I don't like it as much as I want to.

This also came to my mind, especially the portions in the Cave of Ordeals where you need to use it, it's really really irritating.

 

[Fraxinus]

I'm gonna say the Stasis rune from Breath of the Wild, if not entirely because it had a really fun and interesting concept and I legit expected to find more use and enjoyment out of it when I first acquired it. But there was like pretty much zero reason to ever use it outside of some shrines and the rest of its use was just korok puzzles.

 

[Chevywolf30]

I'm gonna say the Stasis rune from Breath of the Wild, if not entirely because it had a really fun and interesting concept and I legit expected to find more use and enjoyment out of it when I first acquired it. But there was like pretty much zero reason to ever use it outside of some shrines and the rest of its use was just korok puzzles.

I mean, stasis+ is fun to cheese combat with

 

[Fraxinus]

that requires too much effort lmao

 

[Chevywolf30]

that requires too much effort lmao

I guess I see your point, I just like giving the Yiga clanners seizures.

 

[thePlinko]

But there was like pretty much zero reason to ever use it outside of some shrines and the rest of its use was just korok puzzles.

A somewhat successful Stasis launch.

I did a thing! At least I think I did a thing.If you enjoyed this please be sure to browse my wares, leave your opinion in the comments, and like/subscribe. ...

youtu.be

there’s every reason to use stasis outside of shrines.

 

[Vanessa28]

Spinner TP. It could have been so much better. And Ball and chain as well