2D Paper Art - The Legend of Zelda Dungeons

Here's a little something I made for Zach for the Zelda subreddit gift exchange a few months ago. It was fun! And challenging. And you know. Maybe it wasn't that fun. There are so many geometric shapes, you know? But I think it's pretty cool, and I think the recipient really enjoyed it.

-MJ

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Midna - Twilight Princess Paper Art Video

A paper piece made for the lovely Rachel for her birthday! Enjoy watching Midna fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess come to life!







-MJ

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Why do we collect?

Behind the times, as usual, I recently finished my playthrough of Metal Gear Solid 4.  It was a fantastic game.  Upon completion, however, I found myself wondering what I would move onto next.  This prompted me to take a look at my collection of video games.  Surrounded by swag, I had a simple thought: "Why do I collect all of this?"

 

"Surrounded."

Don't get me wrong, it isn't like I was having a moment of doubt and considering taking all of my merch to market.  I just don't think that I've ever actively considered why I collect in the first place.  Of course, I've got many reasons of my own (which you'll soon discover), but I was also curious as to why other people collect.  Hosting an open forum for a small survey was the perfect chance to get an inside look at what people snatch up and what their motive is.  I resorted to a basic reddit post on /r/gamecollecting where users were more than happy to share their personal thoughts.

What do you collect?

Personally, I'll snatch up whatever catches my eye as interesting, which is a real bad habit to have.  Video games, consoles, strategy guides, figurines, I want it all!  I will admit that there is probably more Mega Man and Zelda paraphernalia on my little shelf than anything else, though.  It seems like most of the people who shared with me on reddit are in the same boat, with the exception of some users who stick with one company at a time, but you gotta start somewhere.  A comment from Mitch (reddit handle /u/Warruzz) gives good reasoning for this, "I collect Genesis at the moment, but that is simply to keep focused and only stray outside of it if a really good deal presents it self."  Makes sense.  Being able to focus on one thing at a time definitely helps streamline the process.

Speaking of good deals manifesting themselves, Mitch has a website with a section devoted entirely to collections and awesome finds.  Visit http://pauseyourgame.com/ and check it out!

 

If only my collection were as organized as Mitch's! Be sure to check out his entries on collections here!

Does your collection stay mainly to one brand (Nintendo, Sega, Sony, etc.) or do you have a little bit of everything? Does brand loyalty play any part in your hobby?

Growing up, it was always my friends who had a Genesis or a PlayStation.  It wasn't until I was older and able to spend my own money that I started acquiring my own consoles.  Because of this, Nintendo definitely holds the most nostalgia for me.  /u/humanman42 vocalized perfectly the only sense of brand loyalty that takes place in his (and my own) collection.  "... I know more about Nintendo stuff. So when searching through tons and tons of games, my eyes will see the good Nintendo stuff first."

I've branched out plenty, though, as I've even acquired my first complete-in-box Sega Saturn game (with console!).  It's so cool to be able to experience all of these titles and systems that I didn't have the opportunity to when I was younger, even if I don't have as much spare time to do so as I'd like.

 

A sampling of /u/humanman42's collection. The whole thing can be viewed here!

How long ago did you start collecting and how has it grown?

As with most of the people included in this discussion, I couldn't really tell you when I caught the collecting bug.  I do know that even if my room were a mess, I'd always make it a point to hang onto and preserve any boxes for any video games I received.  I've got a plastic storage bin with all of my GameBoy Advance cartridge boxes (complete with their corresponding manuals and peripherals) sitting in my garage at this very moment.  I never knew why I wanted to hang onto them, I just did.  I even still have the big ol' box that my Skyrim Collector's Edition came in.  Just can't let the things go.

So I guess you could say I started young, since I can't pinpoint the exact moment.  I've only gotten rid of games that I haven't necessarily enjoyed, so my collection certainly hasn't shrank.  I wish it was growing in Room of Doom proportions, but we're just chugging along for now.

 

Another snapshot from /u/humanman42's own Room of Doom!

Is your collection "hands off"/for decoration or do you pull things off of the shelf to play on a regular basis?

It appears that unlike toy collectors, those of us in the digital realm have unanimously spoken:

 

GAME ON!

What good is a game if you don't even play it??  Just like action figures, they were created to be experienced firsthand.  I like having the boxes for display, of course, but the only things that are not to be touched are sealed items.  Even then, I've been smart enough to purchase doubles of said sealed items to be used as "play" copies, much like how some people have shelf and read/loan copies of books.  Still, just like /u/redbearder says, don't go using my GameCube discs as drink coasters.  "The games are there to be played, but still be nice and put them back when you're done playing."

What are your future plans for your collection?

If I were rich and famous, I'd probably constantly have the funds set aside to fuel my scavenging spirit.  For now, I only make a purchase when I have some extra cash.  My biggest aspirations are to get as much Mega Man and Zelda merchandise as I can.  From there, we'll see where we move onto next.  Maybe Dreamcast titles...  I do love giving that console attention.

Most everyone that shared with me is on a system-by-system basis, moving onto the next console only once they've completed a set.  We've all got the same "can't stop" mentality as /u/noisyturtle, though.  "As for the future, my collection can only grow, and I have no plans on stopping collecting for cartridge based systems. I am thinking about starting to collect/play for the Turbo Grafx and the PC-FX."

 

An interesting find from /u/mullersmutt's collection. The rest can be viewed here!

Why do you collect?

 

A quote so good I had to further-immortalize it on the internet.

What it all comes down to is a combination of enjoyment, nostalgia, and a tiny bit of investment in the future.  I love playing video games, by myself and with friends.  Picking up these titles gives me plenty of material to where if I (or anyone else) ever got an itch to play something specific, I'll be able to pick it right up off of the shelf.  It's also fun to just look at all of it.  It's a window into the past of game design.  There's a lot of fun to be had in reading the descriptions on the back of boxes, looking at the pictures to get an idea of what the game would look like, or leafing through the manuals to discover some hidden in-game move you didn't realize you could perform, or that there's a secret third option below all of the rest to fight Bahamut (not actually in any manual).  Nostalgia comes into play especially when I've got friends around and we can share our memories about whatever we see on the shelf.  Good times, man, good times.

Perhaps I should explain what I meant by investment in the future.  I know I'm going to have children one day, and I would love for them to have the freedom to experience the things I did when I was their age.  Having a library of video games and systems will give them those chances to explore and conquer the worlds I traveled through as a kid, and maybe even teach me a thing or two about them.  It won't be something I'll cram down their throats or anything, but just knowing that the option will be there is somewhat comforting to me.  And hey, if they don't like it, I can just cash it all in for top dollar later on and buy myself a convertible just in time for my mid-life crisis.  Or maybe it will be worthless, and I'll just bury it in a landfill with all of those copies of E.T.

Please do weigh in and answer these questions yourself!  It would be great to hear individual reasoning and have discussions about differences and similarities.  Also, share your collection!  Let's see some snapshots!

-Zach

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When the 'Game' Changes: Am I Drifting from Gaming?

It’s not difficult for me to remember a time when a new game was on the horizon, tantalizingly out of reach, and building a hysterical excitement within me as I counted down the days until its release. Yet in spite of this easy to recall memory, I struggle to think of a game whose release I have anticipated. After some mental strain I came up with three: Animal Crossing: New Leaf, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.



Really? I’ve only been excited for three games in one year? That can’t be right. Is the industry slowing down? Am I not paying attention to new titles? Are there fewer games being made that interest me? Or, maybe, am I losing touch with the current generation?



In all honesty, I have to assume it’s the last one. As sad and old as that makes me feel, I cannot deny that video games continue to hum and thrive all around me. I’ve always been at least a bit behind the curve on new releases, and it’s not unheard of for me to take years to actually finish a game (Skyward Sword, anyone? I’ll beat it someday). But does this mean I’ve already turned into a ‘golden age’ gamer who only likes the titles from their youth?!

You KNOW this is a good time waiting to happen.

Possibly.



But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The backlog of games that I have yet to sink my teeth into (Mass Effect and Fallout: New Vegas, for starters) is truly enormous. I could go years and years without buying a new video game and still not run out of content to devour. At least I’m saving money, right?



Mostly it’s just interesting to me that I haven’t really noticed any video game news. Where is all the news?! Is there a single, reliable source for it anymore? Last time I tried to keep up I had to visit a handful of different websites, and most of that information I didn’t care about. Even when I was buying new games regularly I had a specific scope that I paid attention to (Nintendo), and I know that I’ll never stop having a foot in that pool. I definitely saw all of the hullaballoo regarding the re-releases of Ruby and Sapphire, which elicited an almighty shrug from me seeing as that was my least favorite batch of Pokemon (don’t hurt me).

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the internet world collectively lost their minds at the announcement.

So yes, I have become a dawdling old gamer who loves to wax nostalgic about the PS2 generation and everything that came before it. I’ve moved away from the flashy new releases and have started to focus my efforts on older games that I missed (like my Final Fantasy 8 diary), titles I wouldn’t normally play that have been gifted to me by friends, favorites that will never leave me that I simply have to play every so often, and, yes, the very occasional new game that I won’t even pick up until at least 3 months after it has come out.



Am I sad? A little bit! I didn’t think this day would come. And hey, maybe it’s not even permanent. Maybe a little bit of the other factors that I mentioned are at play, and in a few years the industry will shift in a direction that’s more immediately demanding to my attention. For now at least, I have a huge library to get to, and it’s pretty fun to be the 'old' person who can actually say, “Back in my day…”

 

Get it? Or have I crossed too far over the age gap?

Where are you in your video game career? Hardcore fanatic? Calm collector? Dawdling oldie? I want to hear about your journey!



-MJ



*Header image sources: link, nes, hat.

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The Sounds of Secret of Mana

I wanted to use this entry to gush about not only one of my favorite aspects of gaming (soundtracks), but one of my all-time favorite soundtracks itself:

 

Hold onto your butts. Source!

That's right, the diverse masterpiece that accompanied Secret of Mana for the SNES. Composed for the then-Squaresoft game by Hiroki Kikuta, the musical companion to the 16-bit adventure did its job stunningly by lending many different sounds for multiple feelings and situations.  From dark times to happy days, and from hot summers to chilling winters, there was a tune for just about everything.  Though Kikuta's work was almost always only attributed games that never made it to America, I'm certainly glad his genius got a chance to shine through in the release of SoM for us Westerners.

If you want to dance along with the little fella up there, I'll be linking to many songs as you read so you can get an idea of just how great these pieces are.  Honestly, you don't even need to know the context of the tracks, they're beautiful in their own rite.

Now, I'm not going to gush about every note, even though I'd like to, but I am going to start with the intro sequence to the game.  Few pieces of music can set the tone for its subject right off the bat, and "Fear of the Heavens" does exactly that.  You're about to embark on a magical and dangerous adventure guaranteed to evoke all sorts of emotion and the title piece is so good at conveying a sense of hope and adventure.  Then, once you get started, you are treated to a slideshow (accompanied by "In the Dead of Night") giving you the story of this world you will be spending some time in, and all of the fun follows soon after.

But time flows like a river... and history repeats. Source!

Every game with an open world needs to have good adventuring music, right?  I don't think a track from a game has ever gotten me ready to go quite as well as the aptly named track, "Into the Thick of It," to which you are introduced pretty much right when the gameplay begins.  As the player, your hero now has a sword he picked up in forbidden territory, and now you need to fight your way back to your home.  Your inner reassurance had better have a badass tune to go with it, and that's where "Into the Thick of It" comes in.  Here is an orchestral arrangement that I think did a brilliant job of remastering the sense of adventure and wonder.

 

Don't be fooled by the cuteness of the local flora and fauna, either. Source!

The mood of the in-game music changes frequently, and is mostly location based.  For instance, you will hear an ominous tune such as "Whisper and Mantra" as you move through one of Secret of Mana's many palaces to visit a sage or spirit.  You'll feel just how much Dwarves like to party when you hear "It Happened Late One Evening" as you enter their underground village.  You'll feel the sadness of a town falling victim to a mysterious plague in "Phantom and a Rose."

 

Hell, there's even wintery music when you meet Santa Claus. Source!

Location-based music is a fantastic tool for conveying situational feelings, but what about all of the in-between?  "What about the battles?" you might be asking.  There's plenty of urgency in "Danger" to let you know you're fighting for your life.  This is one of my favorite battle music pieces because of how hectic it is.  At the same time, I love the bridge in the middle that gives you some hope, only to have it slowly dwindle away back to the "You better put your ass-kicking boots on" mode.

Also, a good one that always successfully creeps Rachel out is "Ceremony" which plays in ancient ruins where citizens of a nearby town are gathering for an unknown reason.  Pretty unsettling, if you ask me.

 

"But I JUST started!" Source!

I can't continue on until I mention the musical accompaniment when you take to the skies on your dragon.  There are multiple tracks that play when in flight depending on where you are in the game.  I feel the song that best depicted the beauty of the world from the sky (as well as how great the three-dimensional capabilities of the SNES were at the time) has to be "Star of Darkness."  Just listen to it!

I've got no words.  Source!

You know, I think I have both successfully and unintentionally covered almost the entire soundtrack of Secret of Mana.  It's rather easy to get carried away when there is so much material and in such variety.  I have to urge anyone who hasn't played this game to give it a try.  It is an absolutely fantastic title.  Give yourself the opportunity to experience the adventure and to appreciate both audio and visual aspects of this masterpiece.

Any fond memories of video game soundtracks?  Old or new, doesn't matter.  Tell me about it!

Special thanks to Hiroki Kikuta for bringing this music to life.

-Zach

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Stabby Good Fun with the Link Figma Figurine!

(Pre-post tantalizing tidbit: this story involves bloodshed.* Read on!)



Let me tell you a few things about this Skyward Sword Link Figma Action Figure. First off, you need it. Are you a Legend of Zelda fan? Yes? Need! If no, then what the hell are you even doing with your free time? Oh, you're reading and rescuing kittens and playing Bingo with your grandmother? Well alright, that's acceptable.



Okay, so we've established that you need this Figma figurine. But why? Because it's one of the most incredible toys I've ever owned. It has been a while since I've had a legit toy. I'm a "grown up" now and so I buy a lot of books and video games, but I don't think I've had a toy like this since I was collecting Melanie's Mall and Betty Spaghetti. Figma's Skyward Sword Link features more moving parts than a K'nex set (I don't know if that's actually true because I've never owned K'nex). He comes with two faces, two hair pieces, TEN hands, a sword, scabbard and shield, a swishy blue thing to create the dramatic effect of him "slicing" through the air with the Master Sword, and a stand with an articulating arm to facilitate all manner of poses.

 

"The Matrix."

"Wondering what to do with ones self after climbing Mount Everest."

Opening up the packaging was, truly, like Christmas morning as an 11 year old. I demanded a knife from Morgan (who was trying to read and was not impressed by my interruptions) and carefully slid it along the clear taped edge of the box. I had planned from the start to take Link out of the box but that didn't mean his original home had to become a mangled, discarded mess. In fact I pieced his packaging back together very carefully and stored it away elsewhere, like an overly obsessive child would, or an extremely strict great-aunt who hand dusts her china set on a daily basis and makes you spit your toothpaste into the toilet because she just cleaned out the sink.



Before that happened though, I sifted through the plastic treasure trove, loudly remarking on each item.



"IT COMES WITH A PLASTIC BAG!" I shrieked through a gaping smile (I'm seriously not sure how I said this because I looked like one of the people from the Black Hole Sun music video). Morgan smiled at me over his book, one eye still on his page, with a face that only barely hid the fact that, while he was happy for me, he wanted to get back to his damn book.



The bag thing is a big deal for two reasons: 1. This dude comes with a lot of pieces, like I already described, and the people who made it want to do all they can to make sure customers don't lose their stuff and that is damn nice of them. 2. Board games that are the same price (or more) as this Figma figurine come with craploads more tiny, small, important pieces and they don't include plastic bags. No, they offer them for sale on third party websites. Way to go, board game printers.

Camera phone shot of an indignant Link.

I think it's important at this point that everyone knows I promptly stabbed myself while assembling the Master Sword. I have a pin prick on my finger like I got my blood drawn for a physical, which is crazy because I don't allow doctors to do that anymore and I no longer participate in tiring activities that would even warrant a physical. But anyway, here's what happened. I was trying to figure out how to get Link to actually hold the sword, but the box and instructions were all in Japanese. I laid out all of the pieces in front of me, hastily shooing a cat away, and lamented out loud, "He's holding it on the box! Why can't I figure this out?!"



After further careful poking and prodding (which was more like pulling and whining while being simultaneously terrified of breaking my brand new toy) I realized that the very teeny tiny bottom of the sword hilt could come off, which allowed the handle to be slid through Link's gripping palm (one of five different hand positions to choose from!). I made an off-handed comment about the brilliance of this design before sliding the handle through and placing the teeny tiny bottom part back onto the hilt. Or, at least I tried to. The teeny tiny cap piece didn't want to go back on. I realized it was time to get into the serious effort position. So obviously I furrowed my brow, stuck out my tongue, and then pinched the impossibly tiny pieces in my fingers and pushed with all of my might.



Then I screamed in pain.



Morgan dropped his book with a noise of concern and asked what was wrong at the same time that I dropped all of the pieces I was holding and stared incredulously at my thumb as a tiny red dot formed.

It's tiny but it's there, dammit.

"The sword stabbed me!" I exclaimed in disbelief. I then immediately showed him the pointy bits on the bottom area of the sword and repeatedly insisted that he poke them to understand just how sharp they were.

Dangerous coming OR going.

The next ten or fifteen minutes followed similarly, with me raving about not knowing what went where or how to make the stand work, and after trying to get photos of Link riding both of the cats I officially put him away for the night because I dropped him sword first onto my face and nearly got myself in the eye.

 

Link valiantly protecting the realm from giant, 2 month old kittens.

"Onward yon mighty stead!"

In conclusion, this is a badass toy of an incredibly high quality and it will mess you up if you're not careful with it.



After a few days (read: allowing my thumb to heal) I decided to bust him out again and have a little photo shoot. This time with my real camera!

 

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"They're right behind me, aren't they?"

 

Um, this was an attempt at making it look like night time. ???

 

Will Link slay the gentle giant, or will they become unlikely allies?!

-MJ



*Okay, so it wasn't real bloodshed, but it did break the skin!

**All photos property of Miranda Eubanks/A Bit of Geek

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The Gift that Shaped my Life.

The scene is Christmas. The year is 1991. A 5 and 7 year old dance excitedly around a small tree as their mom hands them a large, grey wrapped present. Warmly clad in 90s attire, they tear at the wrapping to reveal a brand new Nintendo Entertainment System complete with Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. The two children screech with delight. They had played a Nintendo at daycare, you see, so they knew the depth of this treasure. The mom hands out two smaller gifts, one to each squealing girl, who then rip them open in unison. Both packages contain NES games; one is revealed to be the The Little Mermaid, the other is Barbie. They stand proud on that cold December night, armed with games and a thirst to play. For that 5 year old, the thirst has never been quenched.

 

My sister and me about to open a bomb shell.

As you might have guessed, that 5 year old was me. Is me! I am still that 5 year old. Sort of. You know what I mean. Nintendo has been my jam, my one true love, for nearly my entire life. I still have that NES! It even still works since I replaced the PIN connector inside of it. It sits proudly on display along with my SNES, GameCube, N64, Wii, Wii U, Gameboy, Gameboy SP, and my variety of DS systems.

When I tell people that we had Mario, Barbie, and The Little Mermaid for our NES they usually laugh and remark on the "girlie" games. The truth is that The Little Mermaid was a solid adventure title with plenty of challenges and level diversity. The day that we finally defeated Ursula was a proud one, and I honestly think it's the first game that I ever finished. Barbie, on the other hand, is the game of demons and monsters. Whoever designed it didn't like children and wanted to watch them suffer. It was a platformer with timed puzzles and was hard. as hell. We never did beat that one! I'll never forget the shopping mall level with its random bits of flying clothing that would pelt you to death. Sometimes I think about going back and giving it one last chance, and then I think, "Not today."

 

I wish we still had the original boxes.

I remember playing a lot of Duck Hunt. Somewhere, somehow, we acquired two additional Zappers. Two of them sit on my shelf and the third is in a box. I can still hear the twangy clack of the trigger pull and see the dog giggling. I also have fond memories of my grandma playing it with us. She'd sit very still on the couch, hike her glasses up to her forehead and press the butt of the Zapper up to her eye and take careful aim. She was no slouch!



When we got our hands on Super Mario Bros. 3 we abandoned all other games. My sister and I played it straight into the ground but never actually beat it. I know the first three worlds well, and if we were having a particularly good day then we would grace worlds 4 and 5 with our presence! But, those were rare occurrences. Being the younger child I always had to be Luigi. I hated that for the longest time, but eventually grew to develop a kindred connection with the green dressed brother. Nowadays whenever I play Mario games with other people I'm player 1 because I own the console, and consequently I'm Mario. I like him just fine, but I do miss being Player 2.

 

My sister on her 8th birthday.

With the release of virtual consoles for the Wii, Wii U, 3DS, and the re-releases of NES games on the GBA, it's certainly not difficult to get old school kicks fulfilled and satisfied. I have all of the NES/SNES Mario games on GBA and a few of them on my Wii and it's great. Really! But, nothing beats the fuzzy *ponk* of turning on an old tube TV, sitting on the floor, blowing hard into a cartridge, and holding my breath in hopes that the little red power button on the Nintendo won't simply flash on and off. Even the hard, angular controller digging into my palms is comforting, combined with the squeaking twist of indestructible plastic as I push harder in an attempt to jump higher and go faster. Excuse me, I have some games to go and play.



What are your NES stories?



-MJ

 

This article is inspired by the NEStalgia prompt from Gamerwife!

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Old, New, Borrowed... Rented? The Lowdown on ALBW.

I am enjoying the hell out of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The first whiffs of the game seemed promising and fun, and after playing a demo at PAX Prime 2013 I was hooked and anticipatory for its release. I received it as a Christmas gift and jumped into the game shortly after the new year. As I've been playing I've been jotting down my first impressions and my overall feelings about the game. I'm happy to say that it's a handheld Zelda that I actually like. I loved Minish Cap, as well as Oracle of Ages and Seasons, and I'm still stumbling and struggling to get through the tough-as-nails Link's Awakening, but Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were just bleah to me. There's no bleah over here though! Here are my thoughts on the newest addition to the Legend of Zelda series. This will contain some spoilers!

It's the same startup music as A Link to the Past. You can hear it, can't you?

So, A Link Between Worlds (here on out referred to as ALBW) is the story of our constant Hero of Time being called up in Hyrule's time of need. This time a strange man (at least I think it's a man) named  Yuga is turning important, and sometimes (seemingly) random, people into portraits with his magic powers. Sahasrahla begs for your help because you happen to be nearby with a sword.

What started as a bummer errand soon became the adventure of a lifetime.

Your chase leads you to Hyrule castle where you're too late! Zelda has been turned into a painting. After following Yuga through a strange, colorful crack in a wall you pop out into Lorule, the Dark World equivalent in ALBW. Yuga is harnessing Ganon's Triforce of Power to be... beautiful? It was a weird scene. This is when Hilda, ruler of Lorule, shows up and begs for your help in fixing the devastatingly horrible world that is hers to reign over. And with that, the Hero of Time sets out to recover all of the paintings that turn out to be descendants of the Seven Sages from Ocarina of Time (here on out referred to as OoT) in an effort to help Hilda and save Lorule, while also restoring those descendants to their rightful living place in Hyrule.

No matter how many times I acquire the Master Sword it doesn't get old.

It's really exciting that ALBW is set in the same universe as A Link to the Past (here on out referred to as ALttP). I knew this going in, of course, but getting to explore the same map with new goals in mind just feels... cool. Familiar but different at the same time. It instilled a sense of confidence in where to go and how to get to certain places. ALttP ties for my favorite Zelda game along with OoT, so any opportunity to explore the area is fine by me!



When meeting Zelda for the first time I got a real kick out of the fact that it's the same music that plays in OoT (when meeting Zelda for the first time). I felt a good little shiver at the bone-deep memories that it conjured. In a way it felt like I really was the Hero of Time and past lives/parallel lives were reverberating through me with hearing that music and seeing that girl. It was also pretty neat that Nintendo reused the plot device of both Link and Zelda having evil premonition dreams.

At least she's not commenting on my crazy green garb.

I stayed pretty far away from preview videos and teasers before the game was released because I like to be surprised as the story unfolds. I also hate those "First 20 minutes of gameplay!" videos. Objectively I understand their purpose and appeal, but if I watch them then the beginning of the game will be boring! With that in mind, I had no idea that ALBW would circulate around the Seven Sages! A swish and a win for more OoT references! It further instilled my Hero of Time feelings.



The first thing that I really didn't like about ALBW was the fact that you have to rent your weapons. I scoffed and pouted and wondered why on earth Nintendo would take from me the great joy of finding new weapons in each dungeon. How could they do this? Don't they understand how great an experience it is?! I have to *pay* for weapons, and if I get a Game Over then I lose the weapons and have to pay to rent them again? What's with all the rupee grubbing?

This weirdo sets up shop in your old house because you "aren't using it". So presumptuous.

If you don't like the sound of what I'm saying, keep reading! I have good news for you. It turns out that Nintendo had an excellent reason for this rental system: for the first time since the NES days players can explore the dungeons in ANY order they want! Whaaaaat?! Yeah. Big news. Of course, I'm terrible at following in-game prompts (especially the ones that are in bold letters and are highlighted in red giving clear instructions on what to do next) so I missed the repeated hint to go to the fissure behind Sahasrahla's house (which would have lent a semi-sense of order to the dungeons) and merrily wandered off to the Thieves Hideout and the Swamp Palace first.



The sense of freedom was inordinately intoxicating. I'd look at the map, review the Xs indicating dungeons, and just... decide on a whim which one I would go to! It was refreshing! I think precisely the perfect balance of old and new, familiar yet innovative. Also, eventually the rented weapons become purchasable and so you don't have to worry about re-paying for them if you fall in battle. Another thing that Nintendo finally did right was to give you an infinite (or nearly infinite) wallet from the very start. There's actually a reason to chase all of the rupees and even conquer the random treasure hunting locations that you'll find. Thanks Nintendo!



Another aspect of the game that I dislike, yet understand, are the save points. I despise when games don't have a 'save anywhere' feature. As a very busy and important adult I may have to shut my 3DS at the drop of a hat. I don't want to worry about losing my progress! This is a very minor gripe though because in reality there are a lot lot lot of save points and they also serve as a way to integrate fast travel into the game. Near the beginning you're given a bell by a young witch who is trying to be more charitable and from that point on if you ring the bell she'll swoop by on her broom and take you to any save locations that you've activated. Pretty sweet!

A little history lesson in Hyrule castle.

When a dungeon has been conquered and a Sage has been saved you're taken to the Chamber of Sages where they'll talk to you, and in this chamber you can actually walk around! I always wanted to be able to walk around in the chamber while playing OoT, so it really is the little things that make the world go 'round.



I feel it's important to note that the wall merging is pretty damn slick. I think a lot of people were afraid it was just a super gimmick, but I feel that Nintendo incorporated it very well. It's really not that different from the mirror/warp points in ALttP, except there are more of them! Plus the wall merge is used for more than just going into fissures to get from Hyrule to Lorule and back again. Many of the dungeon puzzles are based off the merging and some places on the map are only accessible via merge. The only real downside to this aspect of the game is that the "regular" view is bird's eye view. As in completely top down. I prefer to be more over the shoulder angle and so at first this really bothered me. I realize that it's because seeing more of the surroundings would make the merging puzzles useless. I got used to it after a while, so ultimately it wasn't a deal breaker.







As of this writing I'm still attempting to beat the game. I made a huge push toward completion while hanging out with my nephew during the Super Bowl. He sat with me as I worked my way through the last two dungeons as well as Lorule Castle. He whooped and hollered and said things like "I'm too nervous I can't watch!" as I attempted to defeat Yuga-Ganon thing. Unfortunately I failed spectacularly because I only had two faeries and no potions. I recently read on a walk through that 3000 rupees tossed into a special faerie pond will grant Link another bottle, so I'll be going after that before I try to beat the game again.



A Link Between Worlds has been getting rewards and outstanding reviews all over the place and is definitely worth at least one run through. When I'm finished with it I can't wait to lend it to my friends! Have you played it yet?



-MJ



*All images property of A Bit of Geek! I took them with my phone, they are masterpieces.

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EXP Share - Good or Bad?

I have what I consider to be a real on again off again relationship with Pokemon. I played Red when I was in 8th grade, and since then I’ve picked up at least one version of every generation. I usually play to the third gym, and then immediately get annoyed at the level grinding required to win the next gym. EXP share was a magnificent gift, and certainly made the process easier. However, I only ever beat the Elite Four in Red. Every other game has been left to collect dust.

 

The first time I played and met him here, I was SO unprepared.

With the release of X and Y, I have found myself newly invigorated by the series. It’s awesome to see Pokemon in a 3D environment, and it has captured my attention like only Red had before it. And, I was absolutely floored when I received the EXP share so early in the game. I also did a legit double, maybe even triple, take when I read that it gives experience to ALL Pokemon in the party, not just the one equipped with the item. No more excessive grinding! No long and dull lapse in gameplay just to get my beloved Pokemon up to speed. It was the final straw of indication that I’d see the Elite Four again after all these years.



My play resumed as normal, and something strange happened. Well, it wasn’t actually strange, it was exactly what was supposed to happen: my Pokemon wouldn’t stop freaking leveling up, and the disparity in their levels continued to exist. I found myself frowning in baffled irritation when my Fennekin (well Braixen, I guess) moved along to level 27, meanwhile the Vivillon that I was currently training sat around level 20. Braixen hadn’t actually been out in battle since level 19 or so! I started to legitimately feel like I was missing out on bonding time with the rest of my party.

 

I made this just for you, dear readers.

I know that I can turn off the EXP share, and hack at this the old fashioned way. There are a lot of ways to make Pokemon more challenging, based on what the Internet tells me. Personally I find it to be a big enough challenge already. I don’t play competitively, even with friends, because I don’t plan my moves well and my favorite Pokemon is Oddish, who isn’t allowed to evolve and is therefore weak as hell. With this fact present, you'd think that I'd be overjoyed at the EXP share, right?



Does anyone else have mixed feelings about the EXP share, or perhaps have you stopped using it? Did anyone else feel like you were missing out on bonding time, having the rest of your team level up even though you weren’t using them in battle? Or am I all alone over here?



-MJ



*banner image sources: oddish, inkay, fennekin, pokeball.

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It's a Mario Party!

If you follow the A Bit of Geek Facebook page, then you may remember me posting this at the beginning of October:

Well, the time has come! Here is a full showcase of my nephew’s Mario themed birthday party. My sister took great care to create the full Mario Party experience, complete with ceiling, wall, and food decorations. She even did Mario themed games for the kids, and to great success! I was extremely impressed with the range that she brought to her son’s special day, and it, no joke, made me a little jealous that it wasn’t my birthday!

        

Many of her ideas came from Pinterest. I would never have thought of these ideas. The mural behind the food table was an inexpensive and easy way to make a bold statement and large decoration. She used a blue plastic tablecloth, green streamers, gold paper plates, and giant gold stars (all found at Party City for under a few bucks each), and we quickly cut out the clouds with regular printer paper right before the party started.

         

It’s not easy to come up with decorative food that’s not a sugar or sweet, but she managed to find an awesome vegetable display, and even made themed sandwiches with the simple use of a cookie cutter and chocolate chips!

        

She made the pinata herself out of tissue paper and mod podge. She was also convinced that it was extremely fragile and would break with one hit. This was comedically wrong, and after all of the kids had a go at it around three times, her husband ended up cutting it open with his keys. I’d recommend fewer layers of tissue paper, if you’re going to try this yourself! I also want to comment on the brilliance of those question blocks. They must have been a pain to make, but the kids were so STOKED to be punching blocks just like Mario!

        

According to my sister, it was no easy feat to find Mario items for this party. She made these great piranha plant glasses, and filled them with candies, Mario stickers, and star stamps that were pretty close to looking like invincible stars. I provided additional decorations from my own collection, and her sister-in-law brought some really awesome decorations that she had made for her own daughter’s Mario themed party earlier this summer.

         

The afternoon was a raging success, and my nephew walked away with a lot of awesome gifts, one of them being a copy of Mario Party 9! Fun fact, when he was only two years old, my sister and I played a round of Mario Party 8 with him. He was actually controlling his own Wiimote, and he somehow managed to beat us. I legitimately don’t understand how this happened.



Have you ever thrown a Mario birthday party? What would you have done differently, and did we miss any awesome ideas? I may or may not be fishing for more ideas for my own birthday party next year ;)



-MJ



*all images are property of Miranda/A Bit of Geek

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