Everything about the Atmosphere: A Review of Majora's Mask 3D

What’s one word to describe why I love Majora’s Mask so much?  Atmosphere.  Just about anyone will tell you this is the darkest game in the Zelda series.  Heck, this is a game about trying to stop a red-eyed moon from crashing into the earth by wearing masks that make the hero scream in pain every time he dons them.  But that’s not what makes the atmosphere in this game so memorable.  No, the atmosphere in this game twinkles thanks to its incredibly unique cast of characters.

Majora’s Mask is a game about helping people.  Sure, the moon is due to crash into the world in three days, but Link—being the stand-up guy that he is—makes time in his busy schedule to reunite a long-lost couple, lay to rest spirits of the wandering dead (including a war hero and a rock god), and reverse the curse laid on a family turned into spiders.  And all this altruism is recorded in the handy-dandy Bomber’s Notebook.  Fans of the original game will be pleased to see that the Bomber’s Notebook is much more intuitive this time around, featuring alerts to ensure you don’t miss the events needed to help Termina’s denizens in distress. 

But getting back to the atmosphere, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the soundtrack.  From the heart-wrenching “Song of Healing” (which plays when you lay the aforementioned wandering spirits to rest), to the otherworldly “Stone Tower Temple Theme” (with different versions depending on whether the temple is right-side-up or upside-down), the music in this game is simply incredible.  I’ve been playing Majora’s Mask for fifteen years now, and I still never get tired of listening to these tunes.

So, is there anything I don’t like about this game, you ask?  Well, the need to go back in time repeatedly can occasionally be frustrating, especially when you’re just about to finish a temple.  Your time-traveling ventures have been fine-tuned a bit in this version, however—in the N64 version, playing the “Song of Double Time” forced you to skip ahead six in-game hours.  Now, you can choose the exact hour you want to travel to on any one of the three days.  And of course, you can still slow down time with the “Inverted Song of Time.”  That said, time traveling still disrupts the flow of your adventure, though I’d argue that the sense of urgency it creates is worth it.

Majora’s Mask is one of those games you either love or you hate.  If you’re like me and loved the original N64 game, you probably picked up the 3DS version without a second thought.  After all, even without the shiny new graphics and gameplay tweaks, the idea of getting to play such a stellar game on the plane is worth the price tag alone.  I only wish I could go back in time to 2000 and play it again with fresh eyes.

The Wii U Experience!

So, recently, Nintendo invited me--a loyal Club Nintendo member--to an event called the "Wii U Experience."  Basically, this event allowed me to play Wii U games such as New Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin 3, Sing, Rayman Legends, Nintendo Land, and more before they're released this holiday season!  To say I was ecstatic about this event would have been the understatement of the century; I found myself wishing Nintendo would invent a "time pipe" in addition to a warp pipe, so that the day of the event would come sooner.  (Of course, now I'm wishing they would invent a "back-in-time" pipe, so that I could relive the event again...)

Unsurprisingly, the event was a blast.  Granted, I spent most of the time singing or dancing along to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" song because all the other games were being played, but if the worst thing I can say is that I danced the night away, then I'd say I had a pretty fantabulous time.  While I did NOT make the video embedded below, I am featured in it for a whooping 2 seconds (1:20 to 1:22--I'm the girl in the light blue Zelda shirt dancing to Sing).  I really don't know how I'm going to cope with this 2 seconds of fame.  My attempts to live life anonymously have been thwarted.  >;D

ANYWAYS, the Wii U has everything I expected it would: responsive controls, colorful graphics, and a fun factor to the power of infinity.  Some highlights include sailing out of danger with the flying squirrel suit in New Super Mario Bros. U, getting owned at the "Donkey Kong's Crash Course" minigame in Nintendo Land, and laying the law down with Rock Pikmin in Pikmin 3.  Those of you who haven't played the Wii U yet are in for a real treat this holiday season.  I'll be lining up for one the day it comes out.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Another upcoming 3DS game I'm really excited about is Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (formerly known as Luigi's Mansion 2).  The original Luigi's Mansion was my first Gamecube game and is easily one of my favorites.  Luigi is one of my favorite Mario characters (when I can't play as Shy Guy or Boo, I almost always pick Luigi), and so I couldn't have been more excited to get my mitts on this game.

I wasn't disappointed.  I found sucking up ghosts with a vacuum Ghostbusters-style great fun.  And the names of the Boos made the not-so-secret punster in me laugh on loud on more than one occasion (Little Boo Peep and Mr. Boojangles, I'm looking at you!).

With all of this said, I'm actually kind of surprised that Nintendo is making a sequel to this game in the first place.  Don't get me wrong: I LOVE the original (as should be clear as plastic by now), but I know a lot of people who complained about it being too short and repetitive.  (Unsurprisingly, I didn't find either one of these to be a problem.  I take a ridiculously long time to complete games unless I'm renting them, and I found the characters and situations Luigi found himself in to be varied and humorous enough to keep my interest throughout.)  In addition to these complaints, Luigi is more cowardly and less popular than his superstar brother, and so it was surprising enough to see him land a starring role in one game, let alone two (despite the *fact* that he clearly deserves his own series!).

Then again, Luigi's Mansion has made quite an impact on the Mario series.  In addition to introducing His Majesty King Boo, the Gamecube great is also responsible for a court in Mario Power Tennis, a racetrack in Mario Kart DS, a battle stage in Mario Kart Double Dash!!, and more.  So, maybe the rest of the gaming population liked the game more than the pessimistic peeps I know.

But enough about the original; let's talk about the sequel! In addition to being in 3D and on a portable system, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon features multiple differences from its predecessor.  First off, Luigi's vacuum has been significantly upgraded, as Luigi can now suck up multiple ghosts simultaneously (http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/34084/best-games-of-2012-3-luigis-mansion-2/).  I wish my vacuum was that durable, as I'm lucky to get through one floor before the cleaning appliance starts choking on dust.

Next, Dark Moon features multiple mansions, including a traditional mansion, a clockwork mansion, and a snowy mansion, with rumors of plant-themed and desert/pyramid-themed mansions as well (http://www.mariowiki.com/Luigi%27s_Mansion:_Dark_Moon).  I'm especially excited about the snowy mansion--think of all the snow-themed Boos Nintendo could have (Snowboony, Boo Spruce, and Boodolph the Red-Nosed...Boo for starters!).

Thirdly, Dark Moon requires more strategy than its predecessor.  Players must use a specific strategy to beat ghosts, as opposed to just sucking them up.  In addition, the game features more puzzles, which will hopefully add longevity to the game (and remedy complaints some players had about the original being too short) (http://press.nintendo.com/E32011/Nintendo3DS/LMansion/FACT_LMansion_3DS_SW_E311.pdf).

With top-notch games like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Paper Mario: Sticker Star coming out, the 3DS is going to have a very busy holiday season.

Pictures obtained from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luigi%27s_Mansion_2-_Dark_Moon_logo.jpg

http://mariokart.wikia.com/wiki/Luigi%27s_Mansion

http://zoknowsgaming.com/2012/06/08/nintendo-shows-3ds-wares/

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

So, I don't know about you, but I'm REALLY excited about Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS.  The N64 and Gamecube titles in the Paper Mario series are two of my all-time favorite games.  The humor, gameplay, and music in these games is just phenomenal.  The humor in particular deserves a special mention.  I'll never forget the time Kammy Koopa (AKA the Mushroom Kingdom's resident stalker) told Bowser about her latest "Mario sighting" in Rogueport, only to have Bowser reply, "Am I Mario's baby-sitter?  I don't care what he's doing!  Are you going to call me every time that guy blows his nose, or what?"  I nearly died laughing after reading this line, and the dialogue in The Thousand-Year Door stayed just as humorous throughout.

And while I haven't seen the dialogue in Sticker Star yet (for obvious reasons), I'm confident it will be just as funny.  The gameplay looks to be just as sharp as previous installments, with a return to the turn-based battle system of the original Paper Mario games.  And as the title suggests, stickers will play a major role in the game and hopefully provide some...crafty puzzles.

Mario: Sports Star, Super Star, and now Sticker Star...what about Rock Star?

If that's not enough to get you excited, according to the Paper Mario wikia (http://papermario.wikia.com/wiki/Paper_Mario:_Sticker_Star), one of Mario's partners might be a Chain Chomp!  After being on the receiving end of Tutankoopa's Chain Chomp's bite in the original Paper Mario, I'm seriously looking forward to having C-Dawg fight for me.  It will be interesting to see how Mario teams up with him in the first place.  Does Mario infiltrate a heavily guarded fortress and set poor Chompy free from his abusive Koopa captors?  Or does the Chompstar* challenge Mario to a duel--a duel which Mario must win to secure the hungry hombre's partnership?

According to The Guardian, Chain Chomps were inspired by a traumatic experience Shigeru Miyamoto had with a dog tethered to a post (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture).  But that still doesn't answer the question of what inspired Miyamoto to create Thwomps.  A traumatic experience with falling pet rocks perhaps?

We'll have to wait until the holiday season this year (an exact date has yet to be pinned down) for the answers to these questions and many more.  In the meantime, tell me how YOU feel about the Chain Chomp joining Mario's traveling circus, as well as anything else you'd like to discuss about the latest addition to the beloved Paper Mario franchise.

*Chompstar, not Chompster--it's more in line with the star motif

-Chain Chomp picture obtained from this link: <http://wii.wikia.com/wiki/Chain_Chomp>.

Hotel Dusk Review

So, I know that Hotel Dusk: Room 215 was developed by a game company called Cing, but it was published by Nintendo and released on the DS, so I think it deserves a mention on a Nintendo-themed blog.  And besides that, it's one of the most entertaining games I've played in a long time.

Hotel Dusk is about an ex-cop-turned salesman named Kyle Hyde who is looking for his former partner in the NYPD, a man named Brian Bradley.  Bradley betrayed the NYPD to a crime syndicate called Nile, leading Kyle to shoot him.  Bradley survived, however, and has been missing ever since.  Before he can find Bradley, though, Kyle has to make a delivery to Hotel Dusk, an inn packed to the brim with secrets.  How the hotel and Bradley's disappearance are connected is up to you to find out.

The name's Hyde...Kyle Hyde.

In case you couldn't tell by that paragraph, Hotel Dusk's story is very compelling and the main reason why I like this game so much.  A game doesn't always need an amazing story to be fun (rescuing Princess Peach for the eight millionth time would get old fast if the Mario games didn't have amazing gameplay, snappy dialogue, and catchy music), but games which combine stellar gameplay with a great story tend to make the largest impact (Majora's Mask, I'm looking at you).

For me, a large part of this game's enjoyment factor stems from Kyle's interactions with the other characters.  At first glance, Kyle seems like the stereotypically blunt ex-cop, but his conversations with a little girl named Melissa, for example, reveal his softer side.  One of the puzzles literally requires Kyle to help Melissa put her jigsaw puzzle together.  Some players may feel these puzzles are tacked on, but I enjoyed them because they furthered the character development.  One of Hotel Dusk's greatest strengths, then, is making activities which would be mundane in other games (e.g. connecting dots, rubbing a pen with chalk, etc.) fun.  If you're skeptical, don't worry--I was too.  But every one of these activities--no matter how seemingly insignificant or mundane--drives the plot forward.  And best of all, when you solve the puzzles, you feel smart.  And who doesn't like feeling smart?

Look!  Kyle's smiling!  You better take a picture because it won't last long.  ;)

Even I, though, will admit that some players may be disappointed with Hotel Dusk because it's a very text-heavy game.  The plot tends to drive the gameplay, rather than the other way around.  Personally, I had no problem with this, as I love to read and write when I'm not playing video games.  But some gamers may be bored with reading text box after text box, especially since there's no easy way to skip the dialogue.  But even if there was a way to skip the dialogue, you'd be missing out on the game's most important feature: its story.  This is one game that excels because of its story--strip that away and you're left with a point-and-click adventure much like any other.  In other words, you will love Hotel Dusk only if you enjoy character-driven stories.

So, if you like a good yarn like me, pick up this game NOW.  I bought it for only 20 clams on Amazon.  I honestly wasn't expecting much from this game, but Kyle's adventure stole a good 15-20 hours out of my life, and I couldn't be happier.  Fortunately for me, this game has a sequel too called Last Window: The Secret of Cape West.  I'm off to go play that game right about...now.

*First picture from this link: <http://kylehydedoingthings.tumblr.com/>

*Second picture from this link: <http://kylehydedoingthings.tumblr.com/post/11495638998/kyle-hyde-appreciates-a-meal>

*Third picture from this link: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Dusk:_Room_215>

Nintendo Crossword Puzzle!

So, I thought it would be fun to have a Nintendo-themed crossword puzzle.  With the help of armoredpenguin.com, I created the crossword puzzle you see below.  Comment if you solve it.  Enjoy!

Crossword Puzzle Nintendo 1 Enjoy!

Spotlight on Fierce Deity Link

So, I'm one of those rare (*cough* nonexistent) people whose favorite Zelda game is Majora's Mask.  I love the minigames (tell me you didn't love the beaver brothers minigame, and I'll call you a liar); I love the music (I'm listening to the "Song of Healing" right now); and I love the atmosphere (how many other games let you focus on reuniting two lovebirds when the moon's about to crash into the world?)  But I think many people would agree with me when I say that Fierce Deity Link was the most unexpected surprise in the game.  I know a lot of people were disappointed that you don't get to play as Adult Link in this game, but if you ask me, Fierce Deity Link more than makes up for it.  I mean, he has a helix sword which shoots out disks of energy!  How many characters do you know of that can do that?

And then there's the mystery of his origins: who and what is the spirit contained within the mask, and where did he come from?  Based on the "Deity" part in his name, he's obviously no mere mortal.  I've heard some people argue that the Fierce Deity is Majora himself, and Link is selling his soul to Majora just as the Skull Kid did when he donned Majora's mask.  But since Majora is the one to give Link the mask, how can he be in two places at once?  Then again, I imagine that such difficult things like bilocation would come naturally to deities.  And besides that, what was Majora's motive for giving Link the mask in the first place?  What if Majora gave Link the mask thinking that its dark powers would destroy Link?

With so much awesomeness to his name, why the heck isn't Fierce Deity Link a playable character in Super Smash Bros.?  Is it because the people at Nintendo are secretly afraid he'd be so powerful that he'd annihilate the other characters?  If so, I can't say as I blame them; the bosses in Majora's Mask are a pushover when you're Fierce Deity Link.

Even if the peeps at Nintendo don't include him a playable character in Super Smash Bros., I still think he deserves another game--one that could elaborate on his origins.  But since it's difficult to make a game starring a god, it would be interesting if the Fierce Deity started out as a mere mortal and then became a god, kind of like how Kefka became a god in Final Fantasy VI.  In other words, the game would have a similar structure to the other Zelda games, but it would be even darker than either Majora's Mask or Twilight Princess--arguably the darkest games in the Zelda series (and my two favorites).  Twilight Princess-style hallucinations would blur the line between good and evil as the Fierce Deity descends into madness and replicate that unique sense of atmosphere found in Zelda's two darkest chapters.

So, where do you think Fierce Deity originated from?  Do you think he was always a god, or did he become one like Kefka?  And most importantly, is the Fierce Deity good or evil or somewhere in between?  We may never know the answers to these questions, but with the possibility of a 3DS remake of Majora's Mask (go Operation Moonfall!), interest in the Fierce Deity and Majora's Mask in general might be revived enough for Nintendo to consider elaborating on this tantalizing possibilities.