Behold Da Power of the Desert Monsoon~!

SheikAVC here, and unless you live in a desert like me, you would know what a monsoon storm is but.....I assume you all don't ^^ so here goes~


What is a monsoon? I'm not quite sure myself....its a big dust storm, usually cause by heavy winds, a lightening show sometimes happen too, and sometimes rain ^^; yeah, or aka a Haboob storm, don't ask, I just learn this term less then 24hours ago. 


So I try to take videos of it...no luck, it was night time already so there was no lights and all, can't see the dust, but it was impressive really! Even for an Arizona resident like me, I mean, I been living here for sevearl years already, I already seen my fair share of monsoons, though this wasn't the fiercest violent one that I experience but the...display of it was...awesome. You know what, why don't I just link ya some videos that DID capture it.

Just gonna link two, cause if ya really that interest, you'll just watch related videos or that sort.  Now, I thought it was cool, and harmless, its just a dust storm right?  So I'm sleeping in since today is my day off of work. Yay, I luv sleep! then I hear I got a txt from someone. Well GOOD GRIEF, who DARES txt ME while I SLEEP....wait...actually a few people did, one of them that I could never hold against at ^^;;; *cough*...AnyHOW, it was my buddy who lives in NY. Usually the kid is at work at the time, even if the timezone is three hours in advance. So...whats the big deal?  
'Sheikie, are you and your bro okay? Been watching the weather.'


o__O apparently news of our weather not only the buzz state wide but national.  Seriously folks, it looks dangerous but its not really ^^ I'm here safe in my house, typing away this blog.


Now if I was driving DURING all that, then yeah....that ain't safe at all~ your talking zero visibility, anyhow.  Just wanna spread the awesomeness that was yesterday July 5th and seriously, this was waaaaaaaay cooler then a 4th of July fireworks show. 

Chained to the Past - Zelda 3D Review Part 1

Alright, alright.
Watching my brothers play Halo: Reach on a maps created to represent Kokiri Forest and Kakariko Village has finally prompted me to get up off my lazy ass and do this.
I know Havoc already did one, but as he said, I have been wanting to do one also, so here it is: My thoughts on "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D"

If you haven't played Ocarina of Time at all, whether it be the original N64 release or the Wii Virtual Console re-releases, or heck, the bonus disc that came with certain copies of "The Windwaker".
Then you've been missing out on a game that shaped how 3D action adventure games are supposed to be made.
Ocarina of Time is, for lack of a better comparison, Nintendo's very own Final Fantasy 7.

I'm not an FF7 fan, but, what I mean is that it's a game that was great in it's heyday, and even 13 years on, still carries alot of weight among gaming fans.
So, can a game that was the epitome of perfection 13 odd years ago really hold up against today's standards?
Or, is this simply a further cash-in on veteran nostalgia and young curiosity...

 I write this review in full control of my senses and memories, and unlike my Duke Nukem Forever First Thoughts, this is composed of my having two full weeks to digest and reflect on what Nintendo and GREZZO presented, while watching my younger sibling play through the original.

 I want to do something different from Havoc.
This review will be in two parts.
The First composed of the game itself; Graphics, Sound and Gameplay.
And then, the Second will be composed of Story, Characters etc.

I'm doing it this way because I don't want one ridiculously large post, and breaking it up like this allows me to conveyu my thoughts unbiased.

 I'll try not to be too spoilerific, and even as I type that I laugh, because, it's hard imagining that in 2011 I'd have to be worried about spoiling a game released in 1998.So, go now and play the game. It's ok, I'll wait...

 Ready? Let's Go!



Graphics and Aesthetics:
Ocarina of Time 3D has excellent graphics and aesthetics overall. But, so much is to be expected when these were the biggest overall focus of the remake. The characters are now more close to their original artwork, stores like the one in Kokiri Forest and Hyrule Market Town have been completely overhauled, feeling more alive and fresh.
For example, there's what I believe to be a Wanted poster for Skull Kid in the Kokiri Shop, or it may be a warning poster about getting lost in the Woods, but these new additions are nice and give a fresh feeling of things to watch out for for veteran players.

Character models have been rebuilt, and now feel to scale with the rest of the world an environment.
The best example I can think of off hand is that the Hylian Shield now fits on Adult!Link's back, rather than taking up 3/4 of the character model.

With rebuilding, some characters feel more sexualised, ie: The Gerudo and Impa.
While others have been toned down. ie: Princess Ruto is no longer a completely naked fish but wears a sort of scale swimsuit thing. Which makes looking at Child!Ruto feel ALOT less wrong.

The character Sheik, who teaches you the Warp Songs has been feminised in body build and movement.
Her hips now sway when she moves for example, yet, the in game text still refers to her as a he, so even in this age, the debate will continue, haha.

Temples and locations have been left alone for the most part, but the subtle updates in certain places feel natural.
Though, my favourite updates have to be with the Temple of Time and Hyrule Market Town, and the easter egg contained within the Happy Mask Shop.


That being said, I wish that GREZZO had done more in certain parts of the game to make it look a little more "pretty". A key example here is Hyrule Field. It wasn't something I really thought about back on the N64, but playing the 3DS, I wonder why Hyrule Field Is always so empty. Would it have killed them to add some more trees, maybe some wild life, or hell, other Hylians? I mean, I get that the game is supposed to be you against the World, but, if villages and towns can bustle with life, why not the open Field? Rather than just one running man and some enemies you won't even notice unless you deliberately go looking for them.


Maybe that's just my experience with the original coming through in that, I know these enemies are completely avoidable, but there is nothing to entice newer players to go to these areas, so they will likely be completely skipped.

I'll end my rant by saying that the aesthetics in this version really kept me hooked, the world does feel alot more open than before, and with the 3D slider on, that almost doubles.
Depth perception gets a boost and hallways seem longer, entrance ways seem larger and there's a genuine sense of this is the world you live in. It pulls you in and makes you want to save it.

This game, while not pushing the 3DS hardware to the limit graphics wise, is the first step in showing that the 3D is a feature and not a tacky gimmick.



Sound and Music:
You'll forgive me if I go on a bit of a tangent. I'll really try to be as short and sweet as I can.
The music and sound are a mixed bag with me, more so the music, so I'll address that in a moment.

Sound wise, every sound effect and voice grunt has been remastered, so everything is very clear and crisp.
To a veteran, it might be dated, but for a new player, it's as crisp as Twilight Princess.
Except for Sheik, her voice is now more feminine to match her new look.

The music is where I have to question things. The pacing is still there, the beautiful sounds of the forest, the haunting melodies of the Shadow Temple, it's all still there, it all still feels unique.
But I'm not alone when I think that this was a great opportunity to really play with the music, and make the quest songs genuinely feel like they came from an Ocarina, or give new life to those background themes we've all come to love.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the game's music, I love it. And I love that the old MIDI files were not simply ported, but that the music was recreated with the 3DS speakers in mind.
I'm just saying that with the amount of memory these 3DS carts can hold, it's not like they had to worry that much.

However, this may be a double-edged sword out of GREZZO's hands, because, if a recent "Iwata Asks" is to be believed, then Koji Kondo, the original composer had the final say on the reproduction of the music, and I couldn't help but feel while reading that article that it was a case that Kondo could not change with the Times and did not want HIS music being completely redone despite everything else that got an overhaul.

All in all, Saria's Song, the Serenade of Water, the Bolero of Fire and everything else are still as magical as they were 13 years ago.


Gameplay:
Ah, gameplay. Every bit representitive of the Triforce of Wisdom as Princess Zelda herself.
GREZZO have done a fine job of compacting everything to the touch screen without making it feel cluttered.

The Ocarina now has it's own space so it no longer takes up and item space.
Rather than the N64 C-Buttons, the Ocarina is played using L,R,Y,X,A.

There are four item slots now rather than 3, two of which seemed to be in place for things like the Boots and Goddess Magic, and then X and Y are the easier accessible items, or at least, that was how I played through.


The B button is your sword and the A button is your action button. (Roll, Grab, Climb)

Like the new console iterations, Z-Targeting has become L-Targeting when using items such as the Bow or Slingshot, but the 3DS built-in Gyroscope allows a fully immersive first person experience where the 3DS can be moved to change your line of sight.

Little else has changed from the original. Bosses are simple for those who have played the game a ton of times, but are still fun, and will offer a challenge for new players.
Was it just me, or has Morpha's AI been upgraded?


To give new players a rundown. Hyrule is a vast world/country to explore where every nook and cranny has something to offer, be it heart pieces to upgrade your health, items to clear dungeons or magic to power you on your way.

Like any RPG, you fight enemies and solve puzzles in dungeons while advancing to a Boss Chamber allowing you upon victory to progress the story.

The first portion of the game, The Child Chapter, is very linear progression wise, it all acts as a hidden tutorial  I suppose, allowing you to get to grips with game mechanics in a "learn by doing" sense. But there are a couple of sidequests for heart pieces or Golden Skulltulas which you can do if you're not ready just yet to lunge into The Adult Chapter.

Once you reach the Adult portion of the game, the game becomes a massive sandbox of exploration that allows you to choose where and how to travel. Getting stuck in one area?
Go do another, grab it's upgrade and then try again. It's a sense of fun that 13 years later alot of games today, even within the Zelda franchise lack.

After beating the main quest, the game will allow you to play a Master Quest.
The Master Quest is a mirrored iteration of the main quest with tougher dungeon layouts and enemies that do double damage.

It also includes Boss Gauntlet and Boss Rush modes that allow you to re-battle each boss individually and time your efforts, or one after another with no health regain.

My only problem with the gameplay is the inclusion of the Sheikah Vision Stones, or whatever they're called. Luckily there are only two in whole game, but I don't understand Nintendo's incessant need to hold newbies hands.

The Vision Stones are for players who get stuck and need a push in the right direction.
These pushes are in short video clips, similar to the new Mario games' Super Guides, of what the player needs to do to progress their adventure.

The game didn't need these in 1998, it doesn't need them now.
There's a difference between catering to a potential new fanbase and catering to people who shouldn't play a Zelda title if thinking how to solve a puzzle or dungeon is too much effort in today's GTA, Modern Warfare style of gaming.

Luckily, the Master Quest does not include the Vision Stones.

Ok, so that's it for Part 1 of my Ocarina of Time 3D Review.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where we'll take an overview of the plot and some other stuff.