HeroOfTim
This is probably one of the most ambitious 2D games ever. I feel like Kojima's mind was working 4 console generations ahead of its time. Not amazing or anything but like... it shouldn't be this good for 1990 lmao
Final boss is legitimately great story wise and the whole story gains so much depth after knowing the later games.
Final boss is legitimately great story wise and the whole story gains so much depth after knowing the later games.
1987
Surprisingly, not bad. Honestly, it's more cute than anything. It's a neat little game for the time and after having played MGS1-3. Use a walkthrough and maybe some save states, though.
(Played Master Collection version)
Man... everyone told me. Everyone told me this would be one of my favorite games of all time. And they were absolutely right.
It's extremely hard to make a game this perfect in every area. A game where the gameplay and the story are both this good is such a rare occurrence but this really is one of the most perfect games I have ever played.
So the gameplay is absolute fire, but the story... I have no idea how Kojima topped MGS2, but he did. This is easily one of the most complex games ever made, with such a crazy amount of character dynamics, psychologies, tons of intertwining and unique themes, parallels, and plot threads that all get thoroughly explored with nothing left even the least bit underdeveloped. And all with Kojima's patented Movie-Quality Directing™, Crazy Twists™ and Meta Video Game Elements™. There's also the badass action movie sequences and even the best soundtrack out of the trilogy, for what that's worth.
The word "masterpiece" shouldn't be overused, and can't be awarded to a lot of games, but this is one of them.
Man... everyone told me. Everyone told me this would be one of my favorite games of all time. And they were absolutely right.
It's extremely hard to make a game this perfect in every area. A game where the gameplay and the story are both this good is such a rare occurrence but this really is one of the most perfect games I have ever played.
So the gameplay is absolute fire, but the story... I have no idea how Kojima topped MGS2, but he did. This is easily one of the most complex games ever made, with such a crazy amount of character dynamics, psychologies, tons of intertwining and unique themes, parallels, and plot threads that all get thoroughly explored with nothing left even the least bit underdeveloped. And all with Kojima's patented Movie-Quality Directing™, Crazy Twists™ and Meta Video Game Elements™. There's also the badass action movie sequences and even the best soundtrack out of the trilogy, for what that's worth.
The word "masterpiece" shouldn't be overused, and can't be awarded to a lot of games, but this is one of them.
Used to be a hater of this game for misunderstanding the original's atmosphere but actually giving it a full playthrough... yeah the original has higher peaks for atmosphere but outside of those moments this version is straight up better with it. They made SR388 look very pretty and alive.
And gameplay wise I mean the comparison is a joke. This game is fun as hell and definitely on par with Zero Mission for me. Music is the only aspect it lacks in.
And gameplay wise I mean the comparison is a joke. This game is fun as hell and definitely on par with Zero Mission for me. Music is the only aspect it lacks in.
1998
Recipe for a Great Game
Ingredients:
-Extremely high fun factor
-Well-designed levels (size perfectly, place collectibles well)
-Fantastic, delightful music
-Some of the best graphics on the console
-A fuckton of silly charm
Directions:
-Mix well.
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(only one huge flaw to speak of, we all know what it is; and it was fixed in the Xbox version)
Ingredients:
-Extremely high fun factor
-Well-designed levels (size perfectly, place collectibles well)
-Fantastic, delightful music
-Some of the best graphics on the console
-A fuckton of silly charm
Directions:
-Mix well.
---------------------------------------
(only one huge flaw to speak of, we all know what it is; and it was fixed in the Xbox version)
(Played Master Collection version)
I kinda don't know how to process this. I went in knowing absolutely nothing outside of memes and finished with my head in my hands and wanting to lie down. Don't look up a goddamn thing at any point, ever, just play it. I cannot believe this game came out in 2001 and I cannot believe that 3 is arguably even better.
Gameplay is a vast improvement from the first game, too.
I kinda don't know how to process this. I went in knowing absolutely nothing outside of memes and finished with my head in my hands and wanting to lie down. Don't look up a goddamn thing at any point, ever, just play it. I cannot believe this game came out in 2001 and I cannot believe that 3 is arguably even better.
Gameplay is a vast improvement from the first game, too.
(Replay) The fact that I reeeally feel like I missed a lot in this story and I still definitely think it's better than OoT and WW says a lot. A beautifully written, thematically complex story. Light and shadow, the corruptive and tempting nature of power, lingering regrets. Hyrule, despite being the world of light, is a fading shadow of its former self that has not moved on from the past like it has in WW. Ganondorf parallels himself across alternate timelines, Midna's arc is wonderfully fitting, Zant is just all around great. The Hero of Time wanders the earth, only one regret left that he wishes to ease before finally moving on. Zelda dungeons have never had more of a focus on lore and in-universe purpose, and the game has an insane amount of beautiful shots and cinematography. TP, in all of its thematic explorations, is the culmination of the Zelda series, and especially the Hero of Time saga (OoT, MM, WW, TP). I know that every replay after this I will find even more to analyze.
(Replay) While this is far from the most complex Zelda (it's pretty much completely linear aside from like, two dungeons), it's an absolute blast. Normally this kind of linearity would bore me in Zelda but I don't know, this game is just so much fun. One of the best looking and best sounding games on the console, too. Link's Awakening is a better designed game but the pure fun factor in this one is just wonderful.
1998
Have been excited to play this game for years. I felt a little bit disappointed in the first couple hours but it quickly picked up and by the end I was absolutely on board, sign me up for MGS2 immediately. The last couple hours/final boss in particular are an easy 10/10 and definitely improve the earlier parts with the knowledge of the story they add.
The presentation is absurd for the time, with the best voice acting of the era and fantastic cutscene direction, and the way the gameplay integrates into the story is genuinely unlike anything else.
Speaking of that gameplay, it's................ not good, but I've played worse for sure. Only really frustrated me in one section, and overall, it's intentionally a little primitive. Not a huge detractor at all.
The presentation is absurd for the time, with the best voice acting of the era and fantastic cutscene direction, and the way the gameplay integrates into the story is genuinely unlike anything else.
Speaking of that gameplay, it's................ not good, but I've played worse for sure. Only really frustrated me in one section, and overall, it's intentionally a little primitive. Not a huge detractor at all.
(Replay) This week I went from someone who pretended to not like Wind Waker to someone who can't even pretend to not like Wind Waker.
The dungeons suck, let's get it out of the way. There's only one that requires even a little bit of navigational skills. However, regarding the gameplay, I found myself enjoying the Great Sea a lot more this time. It's not great but it's ok. It's fine. I don't have a problem with it.
The Triforce quest is still pretty indefensible but I know that's fixed a bit in the HD version.
As for the story, wowee I don't remember it being this good. I can't decide if I like it more than OoT's or not, but there are some high-ass peaks in this game because of some great dialogue and a fantastic thematic buildup and its connections to the Hero of Time's lore are wonderful. The final boss and ending made me ascend. The game also just has wonderful vibes/atmosphere in general.
The soundtrack also just might be my favorite so far in these replays. Not quite as many memorable songs as OoT, but still lots of amazing originals and the usage of leitmotifs from the game itself and the whole series is 10/10.
Glad I replayed this game.
The dungeons suck, let's get it out of the way. There's only one that requires even a little bit of navigational skills. However, regarding the gameplay, I found myself enjoying the Great Sea a lot more this time. It's not great but it's ok. It's fine. I don't have a problem with it.
The Triforce quest is still pretty indefensible but I know that's fixed a bit in the HD version.
As for the story, wowee I don't remember it being this good. I can't decide if I like it more than OoT's or not, but there are some high-ass peaks in this game because of some great dialogue and a fantastic thematic buildup and its connections to the Hero of Time's lore are wonderful. The final boss and ending made me ascend. The game also just has wonderful vibes/atmosphere in general.
The soundtrack also just might be my favorite so far in these replays. Not quite as many memorable songs as OoT, but still lots of amazing originals and the usage of leitmotifs from the game itself and the whole series is 10/10.
Glad I replayed this game.
1999
Such a wild ride. While the story obviously isn't nearly as complex, powerful, or thematically driven as 2's, it's still good and always kept me intrigued, with one particularly good character to back it up.
But story aside, this game is a damn near masterwork of presentation. Visuals, sound design, camera direction. The visceral horror and scariness in general is absolutely amazing and the tension and atmosphere is nearly as good as its sequel. I'm shocked this is running on a PS1. I prefer 2's gameplay but that's really more of an afterthought in a game like this.
But story aside, this game is a damn near masterwork of presentation. Visuals, sound design, camera direction. The visceral horror and scariness in general is absolutely amazing and the tension and atmosphere is nearly as good as its sequel. I'm shocked this is running on a PS1. I prefer 2's gameplay but that's really more of an afterthought in a game like this.
i-
it's
a game
it's
a game
I have genuinely no idea why everyone says this game is more focused on puzzles than Seasons, in the slightest. There's a couple okay dungeons in the second half of the game but everything else about this game was a linear snoozefest I really didn't feel like playing. The puzzles and overworld design never get anywhere close to the creativity and depth that Seasons consistently churned out, which really surprised me as these games came out on the same day. The music was way worse than Seasons too. The story is better but that's not saying a whole lot.
Better than Zelda 1, I guess, but this game is what I thought the Oracle games were before I had played them fully.
Better than Zelda 1, I guess, but this game is what I thought the Oracle games were before I had played them fully.
The Oracle games are some of the only Zelda games I haven't beaten before. The reason being I thought they were mid and boring, but giving it a much fairer shake this time, I actually really enjoyed it. Every single dungeon is good to great, with some great puzzles and fantastic navigation, plus a few really unique dungeon items used in creative ways. It makes me really excited for Ages, since I hear that game focuses more on the puzzles.
The overworld exploration is also extremely fun with the season switching, and is perfectly nonlinear without ever dipping into "what the fuck do I do" territory like Link's Awakening does at times. Overall, not an amazing game or anything, especially right after finishing two of my favorite games of all time, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
The overworld exploration is also extremely fun with the season switching, and is perfectly nonlinear without ever dipping into "what the fuck do I do" territory like Link's Awakening does at times. Overall, not an amazing game or anything, especially right after finishing two of my favorite games of all time, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
This review contains spoilers
(Replay) Man, I knew I loved this game, but I didn't know I loved it this much.
To get it out of the way, this game has easily the best gameplay in the entire series to me, it's not even close. We'll see if TotK tops it (I doubt it will) but this game has three fantastic dungeons (Great Bay and Stone Tower have been my top 2 in the whole series for a while now, and they probably still are), fun movement, fun minigames, and the game as a whole is a phenomenal exercise in routing that, in my opinion, make it the absolute best 100% run in all of gaming (I 100% every playthrough). Time management IRL is like my favorite thing ever, this game was literally made for me.
But the gameplay isn't even half the reason I love this game. The story is both a masterful continuation of OoT's themes and is also great on its own. Link went through a journey with a child's mind in an adult's body, learning what it truly means to mature and grow up, and now Link has an adult's mind in a child's body. The details of him being able to use all the adult weapons that he couldn't as a child in the last game (like the hookshot and hero's shield) are great at showing his maturity, but he also has to deal with adult responsibilities and fears that he can no longer run away from. We all wish we could go back to those days where we had no real worries or stress (just like how Link in this game is trying to find Navi, the one who represented his carefree childhood innocence and who has now left him). The sad truth is that we can't just run away from or ignore our problems forever (the unstoppable force that is the moon representing this fact on top of the fear of inevitable death), but we can put in the effort to live our lives so that when our fate catches up with us, we won't have any regrets. As so many of the wonderful story moments and side quests in this game try to tell us, strengthening your relationships with those you love is always worth it in the end.
Clock Town has the most humanized and realistic NPCs in all of gaming to me and learning about how much of their lives they've built up, how intricate their schedules and relationships with others are, only to have to watch their varying reactions and responses to all of that being washed away in a single moment during the haunting final hours segments is one of the most immersive experiences I've had in a game in a long time. Even putting aside Clock Town, there are so many tiny details packed into the NPCs of this world, so many interactions and conversations you'll discover for the first time on each playthrough. Some of them gave me chills.
"By doing one good deed, a child becomes an adult." The line that bridges the gap between OoT and MM.
I'm not used to writing reviews as long as this, but the ultimate point is that with great gameplay and an amazing story, MM has always been, and always will be my favorite Zelda, and I'm ranking it higher on my top 10 immediately.
To get it out of the way, this game has easily the best gameplay in the entire series to me, it's not even close. We'll see if TotK tops it (I doubt it will) but this game has three fantastic dungeons (Great Bay and Stone Tower have been my top 2 in the whole series for a while now, and they probably still are), fun movement, fun minigames, and the game as a whole is a phenomenal exercise in routing that, in my opinion, make it the absolute best 100% run in all of gaming (I 100% every playthrough). Time management IRL is like my favorite thing ever, this game was literally made for me.
But the gameplay isn't even half the reason I love this game. The story is both a masterful continuation of OoT's themes and is also great on its own. Link went through a journey with a child's mind in an adult's body, learning what it truly means to mature and grow up, and now Link has an adult's mind in a child's body. The details of him being able to use all the adult weapons that he couldn't as a child in the last game (like the hookshot and hero's shield) are great at showing his maturity, but he also has to deal with adult responsibilities and fears that he can no longer run away from. We all wish we could go back to those days where we had no real worries or stress (just like how Link in this game is trying to find Navi, the one who represented his carefree childhood innocence and who has now left him). The sad truth is that we can't just run away from or ignore our problems forever (the unstoppable force that is the moon representing this fact on top of the fear of inevitable death), but we can put in the effort to live our lives so that when our fate catches up with us, we won't have any regrets. As so many of the wonderful story moments and side quests in this game try to tell us, strengthening your relationships with those you love is always worth it in the end.
Clock Town has the most humanized and realistic NPCs in all of gaming to me and learning about how much of their lives they've built up, how intricate their schedules and relationships with others are, only to have to watch their varying reactions and responses to all of that being washed away in a single moment during the haunting final hours segments is one of the most immersive experiences I've had in a game in a long time. Even putting aside Clock Town, there are so many tiny details packed into the NPCs of this world, so many interactions and conversations you'll discover for the first time on each playthrough. Some of them gave me chills.
"By doing one good deed, a child becomes an adult." The line that bridges the gap between OoT and MM.
I'm not used to writing reviews as long as this, but the ultimate point is that with great gameplay and an amazing story, MM has always been, and always will be my favorite Zelda, and I'm ranking it higher on my top 10 immediately.