What Makes A Zelda Game A Zelda Game?

I’m just about finished with Phantom Hourglass, and I was surprised both by how much content the game dropped from previous iterations as well as how much was familiar and even expected.  So I started thinking a bit more about “what makes a Zelda game a Zelda game?”  That is, if you stripped a modern entrant in the series down to its bare structure, what would you find?

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Redlining

Is it just me, or does Phantom Hourglass seem to drain a DS battery much faster than many other games?  I feel like I have a hard time getting more than an hour or so out of it.

And Back

I managed to injure my forearms rock climbing, so I haven’t been able to post very much in the last two days - sorry for the radio silence.  In my absence, N’Gai Croal kindly pointed us towards an interesting post that he wrote with Stephen Totilo on what makes for great bosses. 

Totilo makes the point, using Bioshock, that the actual game bosses aren’t really very interesting - for example, the first one you meet is basically a straight FPS fight.  However, the Big Daddies are both more challenging and more intriguing from a gameplay perspective.  This struck a nerve, because I’ve been playing Phantom Hourglass quite a bit and the bosses are very Zelda-esque: that is, if you’ve played one Zelda game, you already know how to defeat them.  For example, (and perhaps most irritatingly to me) the Ghost Ship boss is basically a straight rip-off of a LttF encounter that managed to be much more dramatic in that title.  This didn’t ruin the game for me by any means - I like it quite a bit - but it’s definitely germane to the discussion.

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Phantom Hourglass Impressions

I’ve been playing PH for a few days now and thought I’d offer up some impressions.  In general, I’ve had a great experience so far, although it’s not without some flaws.

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Halo DS Existed

Matt Casamassina has updated his blog once again claiming that he played a version of Halo DS from a real developer with actual funding behind it.  That would be nothing new, except that this time he’s posted videos of the game to prove it.

While it looks like it actually moves a bit faster than the console Halos, it looks like it could’ve been a lot of fun.  He makes sure to mention, however, that the game has been canceled with no way of ever seeing the light now.  What’s not mentioned is why.

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50M And Counting

Man, the DS has sold over 50M units since its introduction.  I admit, I was a bit skeptical when it was first introduced - the two screens seemed a bit gimmicky.  But I’m definitely a believer now - Nintendo was able to leverage its dominant position in the handheld market to get possibly the best software lineup since the NES.

I can practically taste Phantom Hourglass.

Ninja Gaiden DS Looks Fantastic

For some reason I wasn’t really keeping up with Ninja Gaiden DS news. I was under the impression that it would be another solid 2d entry in the same vein as the original NES games. I had no idea that they would actually try replicating the fast-paced 3d-gameplay of the more modern series. Not only do the graphics impress, but the gameplay looks to be just as fast and furious as the newer games. My only concern is how accurate the stylus controls will feel, but take a look yourself below.

Ninjitsoops

I thought this was a weird statement to make (from IGN’s recent impressions on Dragon Sword):

“[H]ow do you translate a series known for cutting-edge graphics and spectacular button combos to a handheld that lacks the horsepower of any home system and uses a stylus to boot?”

Unless I’m mistaken, haven’t all of the Gaiden games prior to Black/Sigma been twitchy action games unreliant on their graphics?  I loved them, but let’s not confuse the last two games with the series.

As long as we’re on the subject, another line that raised my eyebrows: “What the demo proves beyond any doubt is that Gaiden for DS is terrific.”  Gee, guys, you’re generally supposed to wait for the game to be released before you review it.  (For what it’s worth, I’ve beaten 2 & 3, but have never finished 1.  I’m hoping Dragon Sword turns out well.)

A Post Of Pure Bile

Clearly, the reason that Nintendo doesn’t localize niche Japanese games for the US is because they’re anti-American. 

I know, I know, the post is a bit tongue in cheek (I hope).  But the idea that hordes of gamers are clamoring for obscure, bizarre, and hopelessly Japanese games is a ridiculous idea.  Most people - myself included - couldn’t care less whether such titles are released here, and I suspect I’m more predisposed to give these games a chance than the average player.  I get the frustration, but you can’t expect a company to cater to your tastes for no other reason than the fact that you would like it.   They’d like to, you know, make some money.

By the way, I hated Elite Beat Agents too.  So there.

One-Liners Part II

I’m not sure how many people actually hate these, but I have about 20 minutes left before I board my flight… so I thought I’d try to catch up quickly on anything I’ve missed in the last few days.

- In what universe does telling a company that has agreed but failed to comply with your regulations constitute a “sucker punch“?

- I’m as tired of the guy as anyone, but any Jack Thompson fight that can be drawn out over 4 posts is amusing enough to warrant a mention.

- If Lifetime really thinks that “women’s casual gaming” is equivalent to “Golden Girls Trivia” and “Sally’s Salon,” both they and their audience should feel very dirty.

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