The time I’ve spent adventuring in the world of Zelda dwarfs the time I’ve spent playing other video game series. Zelda is my secret life, the kind of life I like to keep hidden from the public eye and shrouded in mystery. My experiences with Zelda have distracted me from the more important parts of life, but I don’t regret playing Zelda games. They may be soul-sucking engines of addiction, but I love these video games regardless. That being said, I would like to share my first (and favorite) experience with all the kind people of Zelda Dungeon. This is an excerpt from my post on the thread “What Does Zelda Mean to You?”:
My very first was Twilight Princess, which I purchased in the fall of 2008 (without my parents’ knowledge). It was somewhat of a guilty pleasure. The idea of taking Twilight Princess out for a spin was brought on by my affection for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which I was completely obsessed with for the longest of times. In total, I have invested nearly 300 hours in Brawl, yet only 90 or so hours in TP over the course of three playthroughs (yes, I took my sweet time the first time around with nearly 90 hours). But why do I hold my first Zelda game to a higher esteem than I do SSBB: the game I spent the most time playing? I simply enjoyed Twilight Princess far more than any game I had played before it.
I dived into the game with a simple mindset: SSBB will always be my favorite game and TP will just be my second favorite. After about four Dungeons my point of view completely changed. You always hear the phrase “quality over quantity”, and that especially holds true for me when comparing Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Twilight Princess. While I didn’t spend as much time playing through TP, the experience was much more enjoyable. The appeal of a fighting game wears off very quickly, and I just played the new SSB game because there wasn’t a better game around to play. But enough about how I was first introduced to the series for I want to get more into how Twilight Princess changed the way I viewed video games forever.
The seemingly never-ending and serene landscapes of Twilight Princess were really what brought me to fall head-over-heels in love with the game. No matter how many technical flaws TP had with its visuals, I still found the game to be beautiful in its own special way. The game just proves that a gorgeous game can be crafted with the right materials and the right people working on the design. The first time I mused about how simple (but strangely pretty) the graphics in Twilight Princess, the one thing that caught my attention was how Nintendo was able to take GameCube-level building blocks and twist and configure them into such awe-inspiring environments. It’s incredible what TP’s developers were able to do with such limited resources and I am truly starting to respect them for their stunning work.
Now it wasn’t just the scenery in the game that struck me. It was nearly everything: the presentation, the climactic final battle with Ganon, the music - absolutely everything. I oftentimes spent time in the Fishing Hole and other scenic places around the game just to relax and take a breather from the main events of the game. For the first time, I felt like the game gave me complete freedom to do whatever I wanted and not really be bothered to make progress in the main quest until I felt like doing so. While the game isn’t generally considered a sandbox, given my finite experience with video games before playing Twilight Princess it really felt like one to me. There was just so much vast land to explore, so many secret Heart Pieces and other goodies to unearth and so many good memories that I knew lay ahead of me.
Certainly I could not forget the final battle with the great Ganon. He did not take on two forms (like in Ocarina of Time), but four! Yes, I was completely astonished that there was still a section of the game on horseback after defeating Beast Ganon. I strongly believe that everything about the battle was complete and utter perfection. The setting in a semi-apocalyptic Hyrule suited the nature of the fight marvelously, and furthermore, the destruction of the castle left players wondering what would become of Midna. After defeating Puppet Zelda, Beast Ganon and Ganondorf on horseback, Link was finally ready to take on the big boss... in a one-on-one swordfight. I literally squealed with joy after seeing Ganondorf unsheathe his blade, since I had seen it being used in SSBB as a taunt prior to playing Twilight Princess. And I must proclaim that the final swordfight most certainly did not disappoint, and neither did Ganon’s other two manifestations (not including Ganondorf on horseback).
The inclusion of Zant in the game was just the icing on the cake for me. Many fans of the franchise praise him for being a very dynamic and vivid character, but I really thought that the Twilight Princess experience lay more in Link’s confrontation with Ganon rather than his meeting with Zant. While Zant played the “crazed usurper king” role quite well, his overall appearance, attitude and battle with Link lacked the grandeur that Ganon possesses. But he really was a nice touch, especially since the story revolved around his spat with Midna.
The ending credits of Twilight Princess tied up the entire adventure with a big golden ribbon, assuring that I would not forget about the grand times I had playing the game anytime soon. Not only were the screenshots of Hyrule elegant and peaceful, but I found the music that accompanied the slideshow especially tear-jerking. My emotions ran high, and tears started dripping down my cheeks like gentle rivers. Now as corny as that may sound, it happened. Never before had I seen the soft side of the gaming, the picturesque side that really brought your many adventures in the game to a close. Overall, TP changed the way I viewed games for the past three years. I do not see them simply as products for the public’s amusement. I see video games as art now, and it’s all thanks to the Legend of Zelda.
As you can clearly see by the passage above, I care deeply for the series. I form a bond with Link, with all the characters from every installment in the Zelda franchise. Link is sort of like a “blank slate” (where he has no obvious personality), which gives the player a chance to feel more immersed in the game. Link doesn’t talk, so I truly feel like him. My actions are his actions and whatever courageous endeavors Link decides to uptake are also mine. I felt more in control of Link when I played Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Nintendo was less focused on crafting details stories, therefore Link is less involved emotionally. Speaking of which, I wish to describe to the good members of Zelda Dungeon of the time I spent playing two of the greatest games to ever be conceived.
Majora’s Mask was like a special, rare treat for me. I purchased OoT and MM at the same time and rushed head-first into Majora’s Mask because I originally thought it was the inferior of the two. This was, of course, due to the massive critical acclaim Ocarina of Time has received in the past. You know what they say: save the best for last. And so I did. However, what I didn’t know was that Majora’s Mask would amount to much more than I thought it would. For many reasons, I actually believe that MM is superior to its elder brother.
Having never played Ocarina of Time before Majora’s Mask, I didn’t have the faintest idea of the events that occurred during Ocarina of Time or of who exactly Link’s “friend” was. All I knew was that I was embarking on a fantastic adventure that I would never see the likes of again. The opening sequence of Link riding through the mysterious forest was already an indication that I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Then the Skull Kid swiping Link’s Ocarina of Time and taking control of Epona out of nowhere? Things couldn’t have been any more confusing for a semi-newcomer to the series. The trudging through the forest in pursuit of the Skull Kid and the entire Clock Town sequence really tested my patience. Both were but minor sections of the game, but both had sucked the strength from my thumbs. The way Majora’s mask really separated itself from the crowd was the way it introduced itself to the player - which was in a very vague manner. And who knew that you would encounter the Skull Kid (possessed my Majora’s Mask) within the first half an hour of the game? Boy, was that a surprise.
I played the rest of the game with my jaw resting on the ground and with a little bit of drool hanging off my lip. To put this in formal words, I was awestruck throughout the duration of the game. Every twist and turn, every boss, every Dungeon, every area, every sidequest, absolutely everything in the game was exciting and so different than Twilight Princess and the Wind Waker (the two games I played before MM). The game was designed fantastically, but what I found truly stunning was the execution of sidequests. NPCs finally served a greater purpose, and I couldn’t have been happier with the way Link interacted with these virtual people. Each of them had a story, whether it was nonsensical or heartfelt, and I always felt that it was necessary to help them out (and reap the rewards). As I played through the game, I began to enjoy that sense of impending doom in the NPCs.
The biggest payoff for completing the sidequests (other than acquiring masks and items) was seeing the end credits roll. If I had not completed the game 100%, most of the credits would be a black screen. But having done everything there was to do, I was given the privilege to behold the end credits in its entirety. And I will certainly say that it was worth it. While Majora’s Mask’s credits were not as heart-melting or tear-jerking as Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess’, viewing the credits was still quite the experience. Instead of elegant music playing, the credits, to my surprise, jumped into more upbeat compositions and even threw in a bit of jazz. Much like the game itself, the credits were very fascinating and out-of-the-ordinary.
Ocarina of Time was next on my agenda. After completing MM, I knew that OoT had to be a whopper of a game to impress - and it didn’t at first. While playing as a child version of Link was all good fun, the Dungeons presented no real challenge. I was able to zip right past the first three Dungeons, but my quick progress was slowed to a halt be the fourth Dungeon. The quest as an adult was much more enjoyable, as Child Link was limited in the ways of weaponry. I felt like I was playing the “meat” of Ocarina of Time as Adult Link, and that the beginning of the game was just an appetizer and the rest was the fabulous main course.
The Forest Temple, Fire Temple, Water Temple, Shadow Temple, Spirit Temple and Ganon’s Castle were all immensely more difficult and mor entertaining than the first three Dungeons. It was also interesting to see the adulterated, hideously evil Hyrule that would manifest itself once Ganon took control of the kingdom. However, having already played Majora’s Mask, the Dungeon designs seemed a bit simplistic. While OoT’s Dungeons included lots of small, generic-looking chambers, MM Dungeons tried to mix it up a little and make Dungeons a little more creative. The décor in OoT was slightly lacking, but the marvelous gameplay and puzzles made up for it.
The real icing on the cake was, as always, the credits. Ocarina of Time concluded with a hell of a final battle, but I found more enjoyment in the dénouement. To indicate that Hyrule was truly at peace, the ending credits showed a heart-warming slideshow accompanied by some of the finest Zelda tunes to date. Much like the credits of Twilight Princess, OoT nearly brought me to tears. It really struck me as sensational that such an epic and sinister battle could be followed by such a beautiful closing sequence.
With that, I conclude my telling of my experiences in Zelda. These three games were the ones that I liked the most (and were the ones that left a lasting impression on me). While Super Smash Bros. Brawl was the game that dragged me into the world of Zelda, it was the brilliance of Zelda games that kept me addicted to the series for so long.