Every Zelda fan has to do a timeline theory at least once in their lives. It's like a tradition or something, passed down from fan to fan until we're all arguing whether there is irrefutable evidence that Wind Waker comes after Twilight Princess while everyone else wonders what the hell's going on. As for me, I follow most people's theories for the first four games, Four Swords Adventures, and Minish Cap, since I've never gotten all the way through them. So this is just my theory for the last four major console games - Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess - and how I think Hyrule developed during those four. (Except in the case of Majora's Mask, which wasn't in Hyrule. Still, I have things to say about it.)
Right. First, obviously I believe that Ocarina is the first in the series. As everyone knows, the goddesses Din, Farore, and Nayru created Hyrule, then left, creating the Triforce and the Sacred Realm when they departed. An evil king rose up from the Gerudo tribe, obtained the Triforce of Power (which was Link's fault...), and took over Hyrule. And a hero rose up, gained the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage, and defeated him. You know the story. So the question is: what comes after that?
If we're going on location continuity, then Twilight Princess should come after Ocarina/Majora and before Wind Waker. First off, assuming that about a hundred years passed between Twilight Princess and the game before it, the geography of Ocarina had the time to change to that of Twilight Princess (except for a few strangely unexplainable things, like Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain making a sudden jump to the area north of Hyrule Castle). And the Hyrule Castle of Twilight Princess looks like the one from Wind Waker, and the position of the lake behind it makes sense.
Totally lost my train of thought on this, so I'll end it here.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Five minutes later...
Okay, I'm very bored right now. I need to rant about stuff. So I'm going to rant about games, series, and so on that seem to go on and on and on when really, they just need to stop and give everyone something new!!
So the first series I have to do is Pokemon. I'm not saying I don't like Pokemon, because I do. As a matter of fact, Pokemon Yellow was my first game ever. (Unless you count that time I played Rampage...nah.) Still, only the newest players/watchers think that it's original - sorry to burst your bubble, kids, but it really isn't. I can sum up the plot of the games and show in about three sentences. Three short sentences. Let's see: Kid leaves home to become Pokemon Master. Kid runs into Team (insert name here) and defeats them. Kid becomes most powerful trainer on the planet. See, easy.
The trouble with complaining about that is that most of the time when they try something new, it ends up being pretty bad (i.e., Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Channel...you get where I'm going with this). Personally, I think the last really good Pokemon games were Gold, Silver, and Crystal, but maybe I'm just getting old. In any case, Nintendo, when you do something new to try and revive a series, try to do it well. That's all I'm asking. (And maybe a remake of G/S/C, you know...)
The other one that comes immediately to mind is the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII games/movies/etc. I'm almost at a point where I'm saying 'Enough's enough', but not quite because I'd love to see a remake of VII on PS2. But aside from that, there's only so long you can milk a license, and I think VII's about done.
Okay, that's enough of that for now.
So the first series I have to do is Pokemon. I'm not saying I don't like Pokemon, because I do. As a matter of fact, Pokemon Yellow was my first game ever. (Unless you count that time I played Rampage...nah.) Still, only the newest players/watchers think that it's original - sorry to burst your bubble, kids, but it really isn't. I can sum up the plot of the games and show in about three sentences. Three short sentences. Let's see: Kid leaves home to become Pokemon Master. Kid runs into Team (insert name here) and defeats them. Kid becomes most powerful trainer on the planet. See, easy.
The trouble with complaining about that is that most of the time when they try something new, it ends up being pretty bad (i.e., Pokemon Ranger, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Channel...you get where I'm going with this). Personally, I think the last really good Pokemon games were Gold, Silver, and Crystal, but maybe I'm just getting old. In any case, Nintendo, when you do something new to try and revive a series, try to do it well. That's all I'm asking. (And maybe a remake of G/S/C, you know...)
The other one that comes immediately to mind is the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII games/movies/etc. I'm almost at a point where I'm saying 'Enough's enough', but not quite because I'd love to see a remake of VII on PS2. But aside from that, there's only so long you can milk a license, and I think VII's about done.
Okay, that's enough of that for now.
Console Wars: Chrystasen Style!
Ah, the wonderful issue of console wars. Everyone is convinced that one will triumph over the other, and thus come to dominate an era of gaming. Even if you're not a fanboy (or fangirl, though that's an entirely different issue sometimes), there's still normally one system you root for over the other, for the sake of a game or a series that'll appear on said console.
I've gotta admit, until last summer, I was a Nintendo fangirl. I still am, a little (Zelda hat, anyone?), but not as much as I was. For one, I've just come to realize how stupid it is to root for one company that has no idea who you are and doesn't really care, as long as you buy their stuff. And I finally got a PS2. That had a lot to do with it. Anyway, the point is, here's a former Nintendo fangirl's opinion on the consoles and what could happen in the industry from now on.
Nintendo: I used to get all indignant when people called Nintendo a kid's company, and I still do, to an extent. The problem is that the DS and Wii sorta lend themselves to 'cutesy' games like Elebits, or 'those weird games from Japan' like Elite Beat Agents. Along with the Wii's appeal to everyone of any age instead of seasoned gamers (except in the case of Twilight Princess), I think Nintendo might be losing (or have already lost) those original gamers who started out on the NES. (Which, weirdly enough, doesn't include me, since I started in 1999 or 2000 with my Game Boy Color. Oh well.)
The only question is: does that really matter? If they do what they say they're going to do, it might not hurt them so much to lose those old gamers. And the lower price might sway some people over. But some people (rich bastards...) care more about gameplay and graphics than price, and it looks as if that might become an issue. Especially in the case of Far Cry: Vengeance, which pretty much every source says was downsized in graphics and gameplay. With the lower, almost current-gen capabilities of the Wii, this'll probably be an issue later on.
Do I think Nintendo can do it? I think they're taking a step in the right direction, with the ability to interact with Miis, the Virtual Console, and everything else that comes with it. But they definitely need to get more third party games on there this time around, and a few more 'mature' games wouldn't hurt, either.
Sony: I've gotta admit, some of the people at Sony scare me. Then again, so does the 600 dollars I'd have to shell out to get a PS3. Not that I'm saying it's not worth it. The graphics I've seen so far are absolutely stunning, and if developers start focusing on gameplay along with making everything look shiny (although I like the shiny), they'll be pretty hard to beat. The only problem I see with the PS3, like everyone else, is...
...the price. 600-someodd dollars for a system is way too much. Add that to the fact that I'd have to get a whole new TV in the thousands-of-dollars range is really way too much. (And I know my current TV wouldn't work. It's a 13-inch, 60 dollar one I got at Wal-Mart about two weeks before Twilight Princess released because my better TV died on me.) In any case, there'd have to be some kick-ass titles and a few price drops before I got a PS3. I think Sony's a strong competitor, they just have to have good and shiny games, not just shiny ones.
Microsoft: The Xbox 360. What can I say about this? Xbox Live and the Achievements are holding people, so truthfully, I'd say Microsoft's perfectly fine. (The inner RPG fangirl in me wants to scream 'DOWN WITH XBOX!!' because there are so few (good ones) on it, but...)
So who do I think will win the console war? Truthfully, no one. At least not in the way people tend to think of as winning. I think as time goes on, each company will move into their own little niche, maybe not to the point where you absolutely have to get the Xbox for great online play, but where it's your preferred system for it. As I just said, the Xbox 360 will most likely have the largest number of the people who like people to know how good they are at what they do. The PS3 will be for the people who don't necessarily care about other people knowing what they've achieved, but more about gameplay (I would say the serious, older gamers, but that might not be the case). As for the Wii, it'll be more towards the family crowd and the longtime Nintendo fanboys and girls.
There you have it: my opinion, nothing more and nothing less. (Although maybe a little rambly. Sorry about that.)
I've gotta admit, until last summer, I was a Nintendo fangirl. I still am, a little (Zelda hat, anyone?), but not as much as I was. For one, I've just come to realize how stupid it is to root for one company that has no idea who you are and doesn't really care, as long as you buy their stuff. And I finally got a PS2. That had a lot to do with it. Anyway, the point is, here's a former Nintendo fangirl's opinion on the consoles and what could happen in the industry from now on.
Nintendo: I used to get all indignant when people called Nintendo a kid's company, and I still do, to an extent. The problem is that the DS and Wii sorta lend themselves to 'cutesy' games like Elebits, or 'those weird games from Japan' like Elite Beat Agents. Along with the Wii's appeal to everyone of any age instead of seasoned gamers (except in the case of Twilight Princess), I think Nintendo might be losing (or have already lost) those original gamers who started out on the NES. (Which, weirdly enough, doesn't include me, since I started in 1999 or 2000 with my Game Boy Color. Oh well.)
The only question is: does that really matter? If they do what they say they're going to do, it might not hurt them so much to lose those old gamers. And the lower price might sway some people over. But some people (rich bastards...) care more about gameplay and graphics than price, and it looks as if that might become an issue. Especially in the case of Far Cry: Vengeance, which pretty much every source says was downsized in graphics and gameplay. With the lower, almost current-gen capabilities of the Wii, this'll probably be an issue later on.
Do I think Nintendo can do it? I think they're taking a step in the right direction, with the ability to interact with Miis, the Virtual Console, and everything else that comes with it. But they definitely need to get more third party games on there this time around, and a few more 'mature' games wouldn't hurt, either.
Sony: I've gotta admit, some of the people at Sony scare me. Then again, so does the 600 dollars I'd have to shell out to get a PS3. Not that I'm saying it's not worth it. The graphics I've seen so far are absolutely stunning, and if developers start focusing on gameplay along with making everything look shiny (although I like the shiny), they'll be pretty hard to beat. The only problem I see with the PS3, like everyone else, is...
...the price. 600-someodd dollars for a system is way too much. Add that to the fact that I'd have to get a whole new TV in the thousands-of-dollars range is really way too much. (And I know my current TV wouldn't work. It's a 13-inch, 60 dollar one I got at Wal-Mart about two weeks before Twilight Princess released because my better TV died on me.) In any case, there'd have to be some kick-ass titles and a few price drops before I got a PS3. I think Sony's a strong competitor, they just have to have good and shiny games, not just shiny ones.
Microsoft: The Xbox 360. What can I say about this? Xbox Live and the Achievements are holding people, so truthfully, I'd say Microsoft's perfectly fine. (The inner RPG fangirl in me wants to scream 'DOWN WITH XBOX!!' because there are so few (good ones) on it, but...)
So who do I think will win the console war? Truthfully, no one. At least not in the way people tend to think of as winning. I think as time goes on, each company will move into their own little niche, maybe not to the point where you absolutely have to get the Xbox for great online play, but where it's your preferred system for it. As I just said, the Xbox 360 will most likely have the largest number of the people who like people to know how good they are at what they do. The PS3 will be for the people who don't necessarily care about other people knowing what they've achieved, but more about gameplay (I would say the serious, older gamers, but that might not be the case). As for the Wii, it'll be more towards the family crowd and the longtime Nintendo fanboys and girls.
There you have it: my opinion, nothing more and nothing less. (Although maybe a little rambly. Sorry about that.)
Monday, March 5, 2007
Beginnings, and New vs. Old: Zelda!
Ah, the first post. The post where intentions are stated and all that good stuff. The only problem with that is that I have absolutely no idea what my intentions are for this, except to provide my own commentary on games as they come and go, the people who make said games, and the people who don't like the games. I might throw in some non-game related things in depending on the day and what's happening in the world. It all depends.
So anyway, the first thing on my mind is Zelda. Obviously, since this is called The Girl In The Zelda Hat. I don't know if it's been done, but I was thinking about Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, trying to figure out which one is better. In other words...comparison time!
Story: Twilight Princess has definitely upped the ante in terms of the storyline and the general 'really getting into what's happening feeling'. In Ocarina, it was all basic - young kid discovers his destiny and goes on to save the world. Not to say that the story didn't have parts that I loved (mostly the parts involving Sheik, and the last scene with Link and Zelda) but it was really all just little things to get you from place to place and eventually defeat Ganondorf. Twilight Princess, on the other hand... While the scenes aren't as cinematic as those in, say, a Square Enix game, the epic, 'Omigod, I've really gotta save Hyrule' feeling definitely comes through. And the good thing is that there's story apart from the saving Hyrule. Sure, some involves getting Ilia's memory back, or saving Colin, but it's a start! So yeah, TP's story wins out.
Atmosphere: It's kinda hard to compare an N64 game to a GameCube (and Wii...) game in terms of graphics. But the general atmosphere can be more important than graphics (I play handheld games more than consoles, so trust me on this), which is why this one's a tie. Both of them had this feeling that you're really wandering through Hyrule as an intrepid green-clad adventurer with an annoying sidekick. And although Zelda is nowhere near as horrific as some other games I could mention, three areas, namely Ocarina's Shadow Temple and the Palace of Twilight and Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess had me freaked out. Meh, enough rambling on this, though. They're tied.
Music: My favorite category. Koji Kondo has done the music in most of the Zelda games I've played, along with someone else for Wind Waker. I'm pretty sure he came back for TP, though I can't be sure, because the soundtrack just screams 'good old Zelda!' at me. A lot of people are complaining because it's not fully orchestrated, which doesn't really matter too much to me. Okay, I take that back, it does a little, especially after playing Final Fantasy X, but still... Definite improvements in the fact that there's a little music at night, and the sheer freakiness of Hyrule Castle, so of course this goes to Twilight Princess.
If I think of more categories later, I'll add them in later posts. Gotta run for now, but more rambling shall come soon!
So anyway, the first thing on my mind is Zelda. Obviously, since this is called The Girl In The Zelda Hat. I don't know if it's been done, but I was thinking about Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time, trying to figure out which one is better. In other words...comparison time!
Story: Twilight Princess has definitely upped the ante in terms of the storyline and the general 'really getting into what's happening feeling'. In Ocarina, it was all basic - young kid discovers his destiny and goes on to save the world. Not to say that the story didn't have parts that I loved (mostly the parts involving Sheik, and the last scene with Link and Zelda) but it was really all just little things to get you from place to place and eventually defeat Ganondorf. Twilight Princess, on the other hand... While the scenes aren't as cinematic as those in, say, a Square Enix game, the epic, 'Omigod, I've really gotta save Hyrule' feeling definitely comes through. And the good thing is that there's story apart from the saving Hyrule. Sure, some involves getting Ilia's memory back, or saving Colin, but it's a start! So yeah, TP's story wins out.
Atmosphere: It's kinda hard to compare an N64 game to a GameCube (and Wii...) game in terms of graphics. But the general atmosphere can be more important than graphics (I play handheld games more than consoles, so trust me on this), which is why this one's a tie. Both of them had this feeling that you're really wandering through Hyrule as an intrepid green-clad adventurer with an annoying sidekick. And although Zelda is nowhere near as horrific as some other games I could mention, three areas, namely Ocarina's Shadow Temple and the Palace of Twilight and Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess had me freaked out. Meh, enough rambling on this, though. They're tied.
Music: My favorite category. Koji Kondo has done the music in most of the Zelda games I've played, along with someone else for Wind Waker. I'm pretty sure he came back for TP, though I can't be sure, because the soundtrack just screams 'good old Zelda!' at me. A lot of people are complaining because it's not fully orchestrated, which doesn't really matter too much to me. Okay, I take that back, it does a little, especially after playing Final Fantasy X, but still... Definite improvements in the fact that there's a little music at night, and the sheer freakiness of Hyrule Castle, so of course this goes to Twilight Princess.
If I think of more categories later, I'll add them in later posts. Gotta run for now, but more rambling shall come soon!
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