If people actually did that in the Metroid Prime games (which doesn't really define dungeons), there'd be much less whining about "fetch quests." Grab those mysterious thingies that don't have much explanation yet, simply because you CAN, because they are puzzles asking to be solved! But NO, people forgot how to have fun.
Apples and oranges. The items I found in Zelda had a real obvious function to them. This is like the bow and hammer and stuff like that. They weren't just random doodads with no given purpose.
And I would argue that collecting random doodads is poor design. I know you usually collect some sort of thingy from each dungeon after beating the boss but those are like a way to give some storyline purpose to beating the level. Collecting a medalion just makes the game more immersive than having an icon on the menu saying "Level Complete". Even in games like Super Mario 64 you don't collect stars, you complete missions or objectives and the doodad is just your little trophy to keep track of doing so.
I don't effing believe this, but maybe it's par for you to lose track of what you previously wrote. On top of that, you conveniently ignore aspects of these games you appear to have experience with.
"I sucked at defeating the bosses so to explore the world further I would get the item and then leave the dungeon and explore further. It was pretty fun. It also let me built up additional heart pieces so I could come back to a boss that gave me problems and have more energy to spare (plus some new items)."
You found helpful little things like Heart Pieces. Acknowledged.
"Apples and oranges. The items I found in Zelda had a real obvious function to them. This is like the bow and hammer and stuff like that."
BOW? HAMMER? How are hell are these critical *unavoidable* tools being compared to Chozo Relics and Fuel Cells? You were talking about small **** like HEART PIECES. MISSILES, EXTRA POWER BOMBS, E-TANKS, MOAR GODDAMN MISSILES -- these are comparable useful things you come across thru the mere act of "non-dungeon" exploration.
"And I would argue that collecting random doodads is poor design. I know you usually collect some sort of thingy from each dungeon after beating the boss but those are like a way to give some storyline purpose to beating the level. Collecting a medalion just makes the game more immersive than having an icon on the menu saying "Level Complete". Even in games like Super Mario 64 you don't collect stars, you complete missions or objectives and the doodad is just your little trophy to keep track of doing so."
And I would argue you lost track of whatever you were thinking about. Medallions? Immersion? How are they any more useful than Prime's keys, items that have attachments to their respective games' histories and backstories that you always lovingly scan for, and are even utilized as keys during whatever gate opening ceremony during the story? In addition, Prime's keys are more relevant to the effort the player puts in - you get the keys by DOING THINGS - they're evenly guarded by puzzles and challenges just like any other power-up in the Prime games. They're also a reinforcement of the non-linearity of the Prime games, regardless of what whiners say about backtracking. If you were truly EXPLORING, the rewards aren't always predictable, and that mystery adds real fun. Primes' keys can be found before the halfway mark of the game, long before you even get an explanation. Medallions/whatever are pretty much expected after some *early* story sequence tells you how many there are. Gee, what a surprise, I am so filled with purpose now, even after getting the 8th one.
I would argue the lack of "keys" in recent [GameCube] Zeldas is what allowed so much linear hand-holding BS to get into the dungeon designs. If there's a reason to explore different areas and directions of a place (finding scattered keys), then we wouldn't be stuck with dungeons that show you where the exit is all the time.
If you were to talk about random doodads, it should be about Zelda's useless rupee chests and maps that lead to MAPS. These things waste time and are a waste of good puzzles and hopelessly outnumber all the keys in the Prime Trilogy. Tell me what the obvious function of 500 rupees I can't carry is. You went exploring for this junk, did you not?
Please tell me more DEKU NUTS give you some purpose. How do you continue to pretend being a Nintendo gamer?
*And sweet goodness, Chef Unagi really understands it.