ShinGenX
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fanfic writer spotted, opinion irrelevant
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So… Meta Ridley sure was a boss fight, huh?
In Metroid games, atmosphere is paramount. The fundamental ability to effortlessly immerse a player into the imaginative planets they embark upon is crucial to their success, and it’s arguably Metroid’s defining characteristic as a video game franchise. Much like its predecessors, Prime succeeds in crafting a captivating ambience that convincingly places the player in the boots of Samus through unmatched realism in both its audio and visual design. This much should be undisputed - the amount of detail encoded into the various lifeforms of Tallon IV should not be overlooked, with every room richly constructed with detailed lighting and natural sonorousness to make them feel like genuine articles. The implementation of a first-person perspective and by extension the scan visor further amplifies the scale of Prime’s scope, literally allowing players to view the world from Samus perspective and unravel the narrative surrounding the world at the same pace she does. As a nice additional bonus, the visor also takes into account minor changes in Samus’ POV - fog can cause Samus’ vision to become clouded, and bright flashes allow players a brief glimpse into her eyes. Overall, Metroid Prime is inarguably a masterclass in terms of how it pushes the technical boundaries of its audio-visual presentation, certainly one of the most beautiful looking games, even today. Given how rushed Prime’s development appeared to be, this is nothing short of a miracle.
What isn’t a miracle, however, is Metroid Prime’s unfortunate pacing problems that distills the illusion of immersion.
Metroid Prime takes a puzzle box-esque approach to its level design, much akin to the likes of Super Metroid before it, fashioning every area as their own self-contained environment which revolves around a particular puzzle or platforming challenge players must solve in order to progress to the next task. This isn’t an inherently poor concept, however most puzzles in Prime demand the acquisition of an item that you’re unlikely to have obtained at that point in the game, mandating backtracking to retrieve said item to bypass the gate only to then be immediately gatekept by another unretrieved item! This scenario is ever-present throughout an average playthrough of Prime, with items uncovered in the second half being conveniently scattered at great distances between each other following the otherwise butter smooth pacing of the game’s first half - this only serves to inflate the runtime beyond what was necessary. Generally, environmental traversal is further worsened by the sluggish movement speed Samus seems to travel at in this game (this is an exception if you know scan dashing - a technique most newcomers and casual gamers would be unaware of).
As aforementioned, Super Metroid did take a similar approach in how it designed its world layout, and does frequently require backtracking for certain items if played linearly. However, one thing that draws a major divide between Super and Prime is that Super is much more open-ended - speedrunners can defeat Phantoon even before obtaining the Gravity Suit, whereas in Prime Samus needs her entire arsenal to even access the Impact Crater without glitches. Super also does have the reduced drawbacks of being a 2D platformer with a run button, as well as less connecting tunnels between every area compared to Prime. Most crucially, however, is that most doors in Super only require regular shots to unlock them after using the required weapon on them the first time - this is not included in Prime, forcing players to constantly swap awkwardly between beams while backtracking for hidden items.
Another glancing difference between the progression flow of Metroid Prime and Super Metroid can be observed in terms of how they handle endgame enemies - in Super, players are rewarded for deep progression into the game with strong weapons such as the Plasma Beam and the Screw Attack, which instantly trivialise most common enemies that had previously troubled them throughout their travels on the planet. This is a trend that future games opt to emulate, and often the gratifying satisfaction of steamrollering past what once were annoying obstacles empowers the player as they near the climactic finale of their journey.
In a puzzling design choice, however, Prime opts to go in the opposite direction - enemies introduced later into the game are much more substantial in hit points, with most of them requiring several charged attacks to destroy, and with a number of these encounters being mandatory fight sequences. From a narrative perspective, this makes sense - keen observers of the scan logs in research facilities reveal the Space Pirates are learning to adapt to Samus’ numerous weaponry by enhancing their armor’s resistance towards most of her beams. The fact that they are capable of learning is frankly terrifying and adds to the abnormality of your presence in this hostile environment and leaves you feeling encased in a grueling, bitter fight. Unfortunately, in an ironic twist, their armor has a singular weakness - the beams which share the same colour as the pirates themselves. This results in a very clunky and arbitrary combat mechanism, where players have to once again clumsily flip-flop between different beam configurations to defeat these colour-coded pirates. Additionally, their absurd ability to tank hits, further hampered by the lock-on reticle feeling more like an incredibly rough approximation than a guaranteed hit, makes these fights unnecessarily tedious and much worse, boring. The same can unfortunately be said about the Chozo Ghosts, which despite being a stellar setpiece when first discovered, only serve as another fancy roadblock that’s fortunately rather easy to ghost past (haha).
These aforementioned issues seem much more bizarre when viewing the narrative of Prime’s story as a whole - upon landing in Tallon IV Samus is intentionally heavily nerfed following the tutorial, serving as an effective incentive to motivate players into regaining their lost abilities and storm through this foreign planet quicker. Plopping more challenging enemies runs contrary to the usual narrative Metroid games usually follow, and leaves a conflictive bottleneck in terms of player empowerment by leaving them just as helpless as they were at the beginning, despite being arguably more powerful than before they set foot on the planet!
All this culminates in an endgame scavenger hunt that while on paper is an intriguing premise - a trek throughout previously explored caverns and ruins in search of 12 missing artifacts sounds incredibly fun! Rooms that were previously written off as trivial are suddenly given renewed purpose, and it is up to the player to solve the puzzles enlisted at the Temple to find these cleverly hidden pieces. I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoyed the Chozo Artifact searching. What I very obviously didn’t enjoy, however, was the mind-numbingly tedium of backtracking through unchanged rooms just to reach these specific artifacts. The slowness of your movement, the frequency of long, empty hallways, the repetitive and frustrating enemies, combined with all the previous backtracking you already had to do unless you discovered the Artifact Temple early (which I fortunately avoided because I’m a curious bastard who opens every door I can possibly open first chance) and have to return to it to obtain the second half of the clues which, why, just why, results in the pacing of Metroid Prime coming to a screeching halt towards its climax, which is subsequently followed by an arduous, sluggish crawl inch-by-inch across the finish line. Obviously, this does not have great forebodings on my perception of Metroid Prime.
Nevertheless, it cannot be understated the positive outlook that this game provided, which revitalised public interest in the Metroid series - Metroid Prime, alongside the release of the (much better title) Fusion that same year, proved to be a watershed moment in its long history, resulting in two further sequels being released before an Other M brought the whole brigade down in an embarrassing heap of flames. It still remains a fantastic case study into how detailed visuals and appropriate sound mixing can enhance the atmosphere of a video game environment, and provide maximum immersion into the wondrous boundaries of Metroid’s nuanced environmental storytelling.
Despite this, it should also serve as a warning sign of how poor design implementations can likewise shatter that immersion and disrupt the pacing of an otherwise brilliant game.
Final score: 7/10
Focus: Metroid Prime’s second half and its pace-breaking issues.
In Metroid games, atmosphere is paramount. The fundamental ability to effortlessly immerse a player into the imaginative planets they embark upon is crucial to their success, and it’s arguably Metroid’s defining characteristic as a video game franchise. Much like its predecessors, Prime succeeds in crafting a captivating ambience that convincingly places the player in the boots of Samus through unmatched realism in both its audio and visual design. This much should be undisputed - the amount of detail encoded into the various lifeforms of Tallon IV should not be overlooked, with every room richly constructed with detailed lighting and natural sonorousness to make them feel like genuine articles. The implementation of a first-person perspective and by extension the scan visor further amplifies the scale of Prime’s scope, literally allowing players to view the world from Samus perspective and unravel the narrative surrounding the world at the same pace she does. As a nice additional bonus, the visor also takes into account minor changes in Samus’ POV - fog can cause Samus’ vision to become clouded, and bright flashes allow players a brief glimpse into her eyes. Overall, Metroid Prime is inarguably a masterclass in terms of how it pushes the technical boundaries of its audio-visual presentation, certainly one of the most beautiful looking games, even today. Given how rushed Prime’s development appeared to be, this is nothing short of a miracle.
What isn’t a miracle, however, is Metroid Prime’s unfortunate pacing problems that distills the illusion of immersion.
Metroid Prime takes a puzzle box-esque approach to its level design, much akin to the likes of Super Metroid before it, fashioning every area as their own self-contained environment which revolves around a particular puzzle or platforming challenge players must solve in order to progress to the next task. This isn’t an inherently poor concept, however most puzzles in Prime demand the acquisition of an item that you’re unlikely to have obtained at that point in the game, mandating backtracking to retrieve said item to bypass the gate only to then be immediately gatekept by another unretrieved item! This scenario is ever-present throughout an average playthrough of Prime, with items uncovered in the second half being conveniently scattered at great distances between each other following the otherwise butter smooth pacing of the game’s first half - this only serves to inflate the runtime beyond what was necessary. Generally, environmental traversal is further worsened by the sluggish movement speed Samus seems to travel at in this game (this is an exception if you know scan dashing - a technique most newcomers and casual gamers would be unaware of).
As aforementioned, Super Metroid did take a similar approach in how it designed its world layout, and does frequently require backtracking for certain items if played linearly. However, one thing that draws a major divide between Super and Prime is that Super is much more open-ended - speedrunners can defeat Phantoon even before obtaining the Gravity Suit, whereas in Prime Samus needs her entire arsenal to even access the Impact Crater without glitches. Super also does have the reduced drawbacks of being a 2D platformer with a run button, as well as less connecting tunnels between every area compared to Prime. Most crucially, however, is that most doors in Super only require regular shots to unlock them after using the required weapon on them the first time - this is not included in Prime, forcing players to constantly swap awkwardly between beams while backtracking for hidden items.
Another glancing difference between the progression flow of Metroid Prime and Super Metroid can be observed in terms of how they handle endgame enemies - in Super, players are rewarded for deep progression into the game with strong weapons such as the Plasma Beam and the Screw Attack, which instantly trivialise most common enemies that had previously troubled them throughout their travels on the planet. This is a trend that future games opt to emulate, and often the gratifying satisfaction of steamrollering past what once were annoying obstacles empowers the player as they near the climactic finale of their journey.
In a puzzling design choice, however, Prime opts to go in the opposite direction - enemies introduced later into the game are much more substantial in hit points, with most of them requiring several charged attacks to destroy, and with a number of these encounters being mandatory fight sequences. From a narrative perspective, this makes sense - keen observers of the scan logs in research facilities reveal the Space Pirates are learning to adapt to Samus’ numerous weaponry by enhancing their armor’s resistance towards most of her beams. The fact that they are capable of learning is frankly terrifying and adds to the abnormality of your presence in this hostile environment and leaves you feeling encased in a grueling, bitter fight. Unfortunately, in an ironic twist, their armor has a singular weakness - the beams which share the same colour as the pirates themselves. This results in a very clunky and arbitrary combat mechanism, where players have to once again clumsily flip-flop between different beam configurations to defeat these colour-coded pirates. Additionally, their absurd ability to tank hits, further hampered by the lock-on reticle feeling more like an incredibly rough approximation than a guaranteed hit, makes these fights unnecessarily tedious and much worse, boring. The same can unfortunately be said about the Chozo Ghosts, which despite being a stellar setpiece when first discovered, only serve as another fancy roadblock that’s fortunately rather easy to ghost past (haha).
These aforementioned issues seem much more bizarre when viewing the narrative of Prime’s story as a whole - upon landing in Tallon IV Samus is intentionally heavily nerfed following the tutorial, serving as an effective incentive to motivate players into regaining their lost abilities and storm through this foreign planet quicker. Plopping more challenging enemies runs contrary to the usual narrative Metroid games usually follow, and leaves a conflictive bottleneck in terms of player empowerment by leaving them just as helpless as they were at the beginning, despite being arguably more powerful than before they set foot on the planet!
All this culminates in an endgame scavenger hunt that while on paper is an intriguing premise - a trek throughout previously explored caverns and ruins in search of 12 missing artifacts sounds incredibly fun! Rooms that were previously written off as trivial are suddenly given renewed purpose, and it is up to the player to solve the puzzles enlisted at the Temple to find these cleverly hidden pieces. I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoyed the Chozo Artifact searching. What I very obviously didn’t enjoy, however, was the mind-numbingly tedium of backtracking through unchanged rooms just to reach these specific artifacts. The slowness of your movement, the frequency of long, empty hallways, the repetitive and frustrating enemies, combined with all the previous backtracking you already had to do unless you discovered the Artifact Temple early (which I fortunately avoided because I’m a curious bastard who opens every door I can possibly open first chance) and have to return to it to obtain the second half of the clues which, why, just why, results in the pacing of Metroid Prime coming to a screeching halt towards its climax, which is subsequently followed by an arduous, sluggish crawl inch-by-inch across the finish line. Obviously, this does not have great forebodings on my perception of Metroid Prime.
Nevertheless, it cannot be understated the positive outlook that this game provided, which revitalised public interest in the Metroid series - Metroid Prime, alongside the release of the (much better title) Fusion that same year, proved to be a watershed moment in its long history, resulting in two further sequels being released before an Other M brought the whole brigade down in an embarrassing heap of flames. It still remains a fantastic case study into how detailed visuals and appropriate sound mixing can enhance the atmosphere of a video game environment, and provide maximum immersion into the wondrous boundaries of Metroid’s nuanced environmental storytelling.
Despite this, it should also serve as a warning sign of how poor design implementations can likewise shatter that immersion and disrupt the pacing of an otherwise brilliant game.
Final score: 7/10
Focus: Metroid Prime’s second half and its pace-breaking issues.
“Shouldn’t you be heading home as well?”
–
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is fundamentally a game about grief, regret, and most importantly, healing. At the heart of this core philosophy is the Song of Healing which, when played, emits an appropriate aura of warm, pink hearts. It is perhaps a happy coincidence that the notes that compose the song in Majora’s Mask are the exact notes used to play Saria’s Song, albeit backwards. The contrast between both songs is surreal: while Saria’s Song provides superficial happiness in the form of dance, the Song of Healing provides genuine happiness in the form of a spiritual, comforting embrace. Given how the Skull Kid is implied to be the same Skull Kid that the Hero of Time befriended in the past, though, I strongly doubt this was a connection formed through pure chance.
The Song of Healing initially begins a sorrowful, descending tune, and dwells on it for a moment, as if to acknowledge the despair and sadness of the listener. Halfway through the song, however, the piano reascends up the scale, and the song takes on a more bittersweet sound, uplifting the spirits of those listening, wrapping them in a sense of comfort that aims to give them closure. Whether it be a lifelong promise, a fulfilled purpose or a brief moment of pleasure in a period of disarray, the Song of Healing soothes the soul, both metaphorically and physically, with the latter being represented in the form of Masks.
–
Masks in Majora’s Mask are seen as the culmination of one’s purest form of happiness, only formed once their troubles have been answered. To obtain these masks, the Hero of Time must perform various tasks and acts of goodwill throughout Termina to give joy to the people there. It can be something as mundane as reforming the Great Fairy in Termina, or something emotionally profound, like saving a helpless father possessed by a Gibdo, allowing him to reunite with his daughter who not only protected him, but also comforted him as soon as he regained consciousness. These individuals all have their wishes and desires fulfilled by a magical child who quite literally appeared from nowhere, and acquired happiness through his selfless efforts.
However, this is Majora’s Mask - the masks aren’t only a form of happiness, they’re also a form of closure.
There’s the constant underlying factor of the Moon that will inevitably crash into Termina if the hero does not act. No matter how much the joyful music of Clock Town attempts to mask the fate of its residents, it eventually gives way to an erratic sense of discomfort and imminent dread. Slowly but surely, Termina comes to terms with its terminal fate. All the Hero of Time is able to do while he rushes through the various landscapes is offer the people of Termina a sense of closure. The Bunny Hood Mask, arguably the most important optional mask in the game, requires the hero march a coop of chicks into maturity so their caretaker gets to see them fully grown before moonfall. The Goron and Zora Masks are acquired by offering their inhibitors closure - Darmani by promising that the Gorons will be saved from the perilous snowfall, Mikau by promising that his bandmates are able to perform at the Carnival of Time. A particularly noteworthy mention would be Anju and Kafei’s Couples’ Mask, which requires player input throughout the entirety of Majora’s Mask’s 3-day cycle. The extensive length of this quest is a beautiful reminder that love requires patience to nurture, and that when both parties are so dedicated to each other that they’re willing to overcome all trials and tribulations to be with each other, their love can transcend all boundaries, even time.
–
Link originated from humble beginnings. He spent most of his early life believing he was one of the Kokori, despite the lack of a fairy companion. It was quaint and simple, yet it was sufficient. Then the events of Ocarina of Time shattered the facade of his reality, revealing that the entire foundation of his existence was a fabrication, built to mask the truth behind his destiny. It was Link who withheld the burden of growing up against his own will, in order to fulfill the prophecy that foretold the prevailing victory of the forces of light against a castle of pure evil. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and despite his success, his deeds are chalked off as an obscure legend to most.
Despite being allowed to return to his childhood, the ordeal ensured Link’s life would never recover. To him, Kokori Forest no longer felt like a true home. And so, in search of the one remnant of his fragmented childhood that remained ever-present throughout his journey, Navi, he inadvertently found himself saving another different world. Once again, however, the curse of being the Hero of Time burdened him, and all the memories he formed with the people of Termina were constantly swept away in the white blanket of time as he rewinded the clock to eventually save their lives. In the end, his selfless acts touched the souls residing in Termina, bringing forth positive change in their lives. However, all that lingers in Termina is a fleeting memory of a hero who came and went, much like the spring breeze.
Throughout the entire journey, Link is the one to play the Song of Healing for all the wounded souls he came across. Despite this, he has never been the recipient of the song, with even the Happy Mask Salesman teaching him the song to pacify the Deku Spirit inhibiting his soul. The mantle of ‘Hero of Time’ is one that requires sacrifice - by the end of the game, despite all his efforts, Link never reaches his goal: he never finds Navi, and he is once again forced to become a mere passerby of a world he saved as he continues his hopeless quest.
Ultimately, Link is the saviour of two worlds, yet is a stranger of both. He can never truly call Hyrule or Termina his true home, as he has no calling and no longer serves a purpose for either world. He is forever displaced in time, cursed by his destiny, trapped in a mind that experienced insurmountable trauma others can barely comprehend. He departed the living realm without ever finding full acceptance, regretting his inability to pass on his learnings, and regretting living as an anonymous entity to the world. Such is the tragedy of the Hero of Time.
–
You saved Hyrule. You saved Termina. But did you save yourself?
Did you allow yourself the time to heal?
Final score: 10/10
Focus: The Song of Healing, and how it connects to the self-sacrificial tragedy of the Hero of Time and the burden of destiny.
Theme: Healing and self-sactifice.
ShinGen's "Greatest Game of All Time" Certification
Review 77.
–
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is fundamentally a game about grief, regret, and most importantly, healing. At the heart of this core philosophy is the Song of Healing which, when played, emits an appropriate aura of warm, pink hearts. It is perhaps a happy coincidence that the notes that compose the song in Majora’s Mask are the exact notes used to play Saria’s Song, albeit backwards. The contrast between both songs is surreal: while Saria’s Song provides superficial happiness in the form of dance, the Song of Healing provides genuine happiness in the form of a spiritual, comforting embrace. Given how the Skull Kid is implied to be the same Skull Kid that the Hero of Time befriended in the past, though, I strongly doubt this was a connection formed through pure chance.
The Song of Healing initially begins a sorrowful, descending tune, and dwells on it for a moment, as if to acknowledge the despair and sadness of the listener. Halfway through the song, however, the piano reascends up the scale, and the song takes on a more bittersweet sound, uplifting the spirits of those listening, wrapping them in a sense of comfort that aims to give them closure. Whether it be a lifelong promise, a fulfilled purpose or a brief moment of pleasure in a period of disarray, the Song of Healing soothes the soul, both metaphorically and physically, with the latter being represented in the form of Masks.
–
Masks in Majora’s Mask are seen as the culmination of one’s purest form of happiness, only formed once their troubles have been answered. To obtain these masks, the Hero of Time must perform various tasks and acts of goodwill throughout Termina to give joy to the people there. It can be something as mundane as reforming the Great Fairy in Termina, or something emotionally profound, like saving a helpless father possessed by a Gibdo, allowing him to reunite with his daughter who not only protected him, but also comforted him as soon as he regained consciousness. These individuals all have their wishes and desires fulfilled by a magical child who quite literally appeared from nowhere, and acquired happiness through his selfless efforts.
However, this is Majora’s Mask - the masks aren’t only a form of happiness, they’re also a form of closure.
There’s the constant underlying factor of the Moon that will inevitably crash into Termina if the hero does not act. No matter how much the joyful music of Clock Town attempts to mask the fate of its residents, it eventually gives way to an erratic sense of discomfort and imminent dread. Slowly but surely, Termina comes to terms with its terminal fate. All the Hero of Time is able to do while he rushes through the various landscapes is offer the people of Termina a sense of closure. The Bunny Hood Mask, arguably the most important optional mask in the game, requires the hero march a coop of chicks into maturity so their caretaker gets to see them fully grown before moonfall. The Goron and Zora Masks are acquired by offering their inhibitors closure - Darmani by promising that the Gorons will be saved from the perilous snowfall, Mikau by promising that his bandmates are able to perform at the Carnival of Time. A particularly noteworthy mention would be Anju and Kafei’s Couples’ Mask, which requires player input throughout the entirety of Majora’s Mask’s 3-day cycle. The extensive length of this quest is a beautiful reminder that love requires patience to nurture, and that when both parties are so dedicated to each other that they’re willing to overcome all trials and tribulations to be with each other, their love can transcend all boundaries, even time.
–
Link originated from humble beginnings. He spent most of his early life believing he was one of the Kokori, despite the lack of a fairy companion. It was quaint and simple, yet it was sufficient. Then the events of Ocarina of Time shattered the facade of his reality, revealing that the entire foundation of his existence was a fabrication, built to mask the truth behind his destiny. It was Link who withheld the burden of growing up against his own will, in order to fulfill the prophecy that foretold the prevailing victory of the forces of light against a castle of pure evil. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and despite his success, his deeds are chalked off as an obscure legend to most.
Despite being allowed to return to his childhood, the ordeal ensured Link’s life would never recover. To him, Kokori Forest no longer felt like a true home. And so, in search of the one remnant of his fragmented childhood that remained ever-present throughout his journey, Navi, he inadvertently found himself saving another different world. Once again, however, the curse of being the Hero of Time burdened him, and all the memories he formed with the people of Termina were constantly swept away in the white blanket of time as he rewinded the clock to eventually save their lives. In the end, his selfless acts touched the souls residing in Termina, bringing forth positive change in their lives. However, all that lingers in Termina is a fleeting memory of a hero who came and went, much like the spring breeze.
Throughout the entire journey, Link is the one to play the Song of Healing for all the wounded souls he came across. Despite this, he has never been the recipient of the song, with even the Happy Mask Salesman teaching him the song to pacify the Deku Spirit inhibiting his soul. The mantle of ‘Hero of Time’ is one that requires sacrifice - by the end of the game, despite all his efforts, Link never reaches his goal: he never finds Navi, and he is once again forced to become a mere passerby of a world he saved as he continues his hopeless quest.
Ultimately, Link is the saviour of two worlds, yet is a stranger of both. He can never truly call Hyrule or Termina his true home, as he has no calling and no longer serves a purpose for either world. He is forever displaced in time, cursed by his destiny, trapped in a mind that experienced insurmountable trauma others can barely comprehend. He departed the living realm without ever finding full acceptance, regretting his inability to pass on his learnings, and regretting living as an anonymous entity to the world. Such is the tragedy of the Hero of Time.
–
You saved Hyrule. You saved Termina. But did you save yourself?
Did you allow yourself the time to heal?
Final score: 10/10
Focus: The Song of Healing, and how it connects to the self-sacrificial tragedy of the Hero of Time and the burden of destiny.
Theme: Healing and self-sactifice.
ShinGen's "Greatest Game of All Time" Certification
Review 77.
Played on the Ship of Harkinian PC Port at 30 FPS.
"Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time! Home... where you are supposed to be... the way you are supposed to be...
What is there to say that hasn't already been said? Ocarina of Time is the eternal critical darling of the masses, an astounding transition of 2D to 3D that just does so many things right, basically consolidating the formula for many, many Zelda games to come. A story that comfortably tells a thematic narrative of time, adolescence and coming-of-age. A visual style so distinct that when Link, Zelda and Ganondorf are brought up, it is this game's depiction of them that immediately comes to mind. A soundtrack so iconic, even people who aren't familiar with video games know a track or two. The dungeon designs, the dark comedy, Z-targeting, the harem (?), all of it is so, so good, to the point where despite OOT clearly showing signs of age and retrospective reviews have rightfully argued against its masterpiece status, it still remains true to its namesake, serving as a long-standing, timeless mantlepiece of successfully executed early 3D game design.
I may not be new to the debate, but in the next 1000 words, I'll try to provide an authentic, fresh perspective of my experience:
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spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spiders dear lord i hate how the fucking skulltulas look why did they make me collect this many fuck spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders the person who designed skulltulas should be tried and sentenced to eternal imprisonment for hate crimes.
Final rating: i h8.5piders/10
Focus: i hate spiders
Theme: i hate spiders
"Now, go home, Link. Regain your lost time! Home... where you are supposed to be... the way you are supposed to be...
What is there to say that hasn't already been said? Ocarina of Time is the eternal critical darling of the masses, an astounding transition of 2D to 3D that just does so many things right, basically consolidating the formula for many, many Zelda games to come. A story that comfortably tells a thematic narrative of time, adolescence and coming-of-age. A visual style so distinct that when Link, Zelda and Ganondorf are brought up, it is this game's depiction of them that immediately comes to mind. A soundtrack so iconic, even people who aren't familiar with video games know a track or two. The dungeon designs, the dark comedy, Z-targeting, the harem (?), all of it is so, so good, to the point where despite OOT clearly showing signs of age and retrospective reviews have rightfully argued against its masterpiece status, it still remains true to its namesake, serving as a long-standing, timeless mantlepiece of successfully executed early 3D game design.
I may not be new to the debate, but in the next 1000 words, I'll try to provide an authentic, fresh perspective of my experience:
i hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spiders dear lord i hate how the fucking skulltulas look why did they make me collect this many fuck spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders i hate spidersi hate spiders the person who designed skulltulas should be tried and sentenced to eternal imprisonment for hate crimes.
Final rating: i h8.5piders/10
Focus: i hate spiders
Theme: i hate spiders