Should the Beetle be a Mainstay in the Zelda Franchise?
Posted on May 26 2012 by Hanyou
The Beetle is easily one of my favorite newer Zelda items, and one of the best things about Skyward Sword. In a game with so much to offer, it was a standout and an essential part of the adventure.
Skyward Sword is a linear game, but the Beetle enhanced elements of player choice and interaction with the environment–both keys to giving Skyward Sword its unique place in the Zelda pantheon. It also utilized Wii MotionPlus fairly well, and though it would by no means have been impossible to use without it, it felt like a natural extension of the motion-driven gameplay, more successful than other items like the bombs.
One of the things that impressed me about the Beetle in Skyward Sword was that right out of the gate, it had a number of creative and interesting uses. It could be used to scout out dungeons, distract enemies, and solve complex puzzles as soon as you got it. By the time the game was over, it was even useful for combat situations and was as sophisticated as the gamer wielding it wanted it to be. It served to make every dungeon and every overworld location more accessible, navigable, and entertaining.
Designing levels in a game featuring the Beetle likely requires cleverness and effort on the part of the developers and open-minded thinking on the part of the players, but it’s one small way in which the series continues to march forward and expand on some of its most basic ideas. Perhaps in the future, it can be used to plan ahead for sophisticated puzzles or can play up some of the stealth elements that have been creeping into the franchise since The Wind Waker, acting as a spy cam of sorts against waves of enemies. While Skyward Sword toyed with these ideas, it never fully developed them, and there’s plenty of room for this item to grow.
Given its utility and potential, it would be a shame if it didn’t become a mainstay.
What did you think of the Beetle? Would you like to see it featured in future Zelda games, and if so, what design ideas do you think they could add?
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