Messages

[It's about a carnival that features games but isn't Carnival Games.]

276

TalkBack / Funfair Party Games Impressions

« on: June 13, 2013, 02:09:34 AM »

It's about a carnival that features games but isn't Carnival Games.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/34621

Funfair Party Games is like visiting your own personal amusement park right on your 3DS. It includes 11 carnival-like games. All of the mini-games were score based, and competition is what Funfair Party Games is all about. It will include online leaderboards as well as both local and online multiplayer. And though the game allows for button-based controls, the game prides itself in using the gyro controls, to the point that we were outright told that it was the optimal way to play.

A few of the games include:

Shooting Gallery tasked players to use the motion controls to aim and shoot at various targets. Reloading was performed by tilting the 3DS down and quickly back up.

Strike the Bell was the classic carnival game where a person slams a hammer down in order to launch a piece of metal up to hit a bell. To do this the player had to rhythmically lift the 3DS up and down before hitting X.

Slam Dunk is a game where you shoot basketballs into the 5-feet-away arcade-style hoop. Like all other games, the gyro controls are used to shoot the basketball.

Tin Can Alley is a classic carnival game of knocking down cans by throwing a ball at it. It's straightforward, but the physics of the cans falling looks nice.

Claw Crane used the motion controls in order to navigate a crane inside a claw machine.

Camel Derby, Ball in Glass, and Ball Roll all controlled similarly. They all require the player to push the 3DS forward in order to launch a ball in the same direction. The objectives are different in each game, but they all felt similar.

Overall, we thought the motion controls were problematic. While moving the 3DS around, we often felt the top screen of the 3DS was wiggling around too much. This makes us fear for the safety of our 3DS's. That said, Joindots showed an earnest commitment to the game and promise that the gyro controls offer a learning curve rather than a problematic playstyle. Though we don't entirely agree, only time will tell if the public will share Joindot's stance on the matter when the game releases this summer.

[Mario is back again in an adventure that feels both fresh and familiar.]

277

TalkBack / Super Mario 3D World Impressions

« on: June 11, 2013, 04:48:53 PM »

Mario is back again in an adventure that feels both fresh and familiar.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/34555

Super Mario 3D World is clearly a mixture of Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA). This causes the game to feel fresh while at the same time giving Mario fans an experience that is also familiar, especially with the multiplayer mode.

I first played Super Mario 3D World with the Wii Remote on its side like an NES controller. The game's controls were basic. Movement is handled by using the D-Pad, run with the 1 button, jump with 2, and duck with the B Trigger. The only flaw here is that the B Trigger is a big awkward to press when holding the Wii Remote in this fashion.

Using the Wii U GamePad was much more straight forward. Controlling a character could be done with the D-Pad or the Control Stick. Jump was A, run B, and ducking with Z1. Hopefully the final version will allow players to use Wii U Pro controllers as they would be the ideal way to play this game.

Mario and crew retain several abilities from previous games. Ducking while jumping causes the characters to do a back flip. Wall jumping, the twisting back flip, long jump, and the ground pound also return. Running in tight circle for a while, and then jumping, will cause the character to spin jump. At one point I was also able to do a forward roll, but I have no idea how I did it.

Each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Mario seemed to be the baseline character. Luigi jumped the highest, but his constant kicking did make landing in the right spots a bit harder. Toad seemed to be the fastest. Peach was very slow, but could use her dress to float like in Super Mario Bros. 2.

The characters' strengths and weaknesses didn’t seem to matter in the first stage I played. This is because at the beginning of the first stage all four of us playing the game needed to hop on an aquatic Yoshi like sea monster. This character apparently has no name yet (I asked).

Once all players hopped on the back of the beast, teamwork became very important. The camera gave a behind-the-back view of the action as the sea monster swam down a straight course full of traps, hidden secrets, and more. Pressing left or right would cause the creature to swim in that direction, while also still barreling forward. The speed at which the monster would turn appeared to depend on how many of the players were currently controlling him in a given direction.

It’s also possible to make the sea monster jump by pressing the jump button and any player can control this. This made the stage a bit chaotic at first and really caused everyone to cooperate in order to each the end goal.

The first stage also had boost pads, which would give the sea monster a quick boost of speed. Boosting appeared to be the only way to reach certain secrets, some of which even appeared behind waterfalls. Rings also littered the level and would give everyone playing more points if they made their way through. My team of players also managed to find a green star.

At the end of the river was a warp pipe that led to the end of the stage. This is something familiar to anyone who has played Super Mario 3D Land. After hopping on the flag pole, the game gave a total score and the demo was reset.

There were also three more standard stages to play in, as well as a boss fight. The standard stages were all very reminiscent of Mario 3D Land, but they also appeared to have much more going on. Each stage had secrets, which is to be expected in any Mario title.

The first of the basic stages appeared to be set in grasslands full of moving platforms and obstacles. The second of these stages was set in a more dirt-like and underground setting. The second stage gave out the new Cat Suit more than any other.

Using the cat suit is a ton of fun. Just jumping on special surfaces will have the player grip it. Moving around felt similar to around on fences in Mario World. Hitting the run button while a cat allowed Mario to scratch at foes. Hitting the same button while jumping sent the character in a diagonal attack dive towards the ground. The most fun part though was easily just climbing up to the top of the flag poles. This will never get old.

The final standard level was full of the new Clear Warp Pipes. Going in one of these new pipes would send the player though automatically. There is, however, some control. The pipes often branch out and holding the appropriate direction would send the player down a new portion of the pipe. This gameplay mechanic was used in several exciting ways.

At one point, every player had to pop out of specific portions of pipe in order to grab different keys before the path, leading towards the end of the stage, would open. The end of the level also featured a mini pipe maze. Going through it correctly would drop the player off at the top of the flag pole at the end of the stage. Go the wrong way here and the player would be dropped beneath the top, or next to the pole completely.

The fire flower was also introduced in this stage and works as expected. It is especially useful with clear pipes around since a fire ball will travel through a pipe and kill any enemies weak to it which lurk inside. Pipes full of enemies often led to various rewards such as coins or hidden warp pipes.

The final stage was a boss fight against a snake like enemy wearing a crown. Only the snake’s head was poking out of the ground and he had a weak point on his head. The problem was his head was too high to jump on normally. In order to reach the top players needed to jump on the heads of smaller snakes that would occasionally pop out of the ground and slowly work their way up to the height of the main boss’s weak point. This ended up being somewhat challenging especially while dodging attacks and trying to accomplish the same exact task as several other players.

Overall, the Super Mario 3D World demo has me wanting more. The multiplayer aspects will be a ton of fun and each stage will have replay value since there are hidden routes and green stars.

[NES hardware, Mario figures, Wii U merchandise and more can be seen in this week's journal.]

278

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 6/6/2013

« on: June 06, 2013, 02:51:18 PM »

NES hardware, Mario figures, Wii U merchandise and more can be seen in this week's journal.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34457

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

I have two people to thank for several of the items featured in this week's journal. First, my friend Pete who recently gave me a bunch of things since he was moving. Second, Nick from StreetPass Princeton for hooking me up with some PAX East Nintendo swag. In addition to those goods there are also some cool Mario figures and more Pokémon books to be seen. Enjoy!

279

TalkBack / Re: My First E3

« on: June 05, 2013, 03:49:43 PM »

2001 was the first E3 I was able to get in to too.  You are so right about them being a lot more lax about letting people in back then (and for the next few years after that too).  That year a friend of mine worked for 3DO and he had gotten some guest passes, and that year if you had a guest pass you just got in, no questions asked.  People were putting that they were King of the Mushroom Kingdom and things like that for their occupation, it was hilarious. In my delusions of grandeur, for the whole show I was carrying around an NES cart of Super Mario Bros. and a gold Ocarina of Time, *just in case* I ran into Shigeru Miyamoto.  Then on the second or third day I was in one of the back rooms watching a Smash Bros. Melee demo, and guess who just walks in! I still have those autographed carts in ziplocked bags. 
And those foam GBAs and Gamecubes were awesome, I still have those too.  They may or may not be sitting out on a shelf...

I never did get one of those cool GameCube backpacks given to the press. Those were the coolest!

[In 2001, luck was left to the heavens to determine if I could go to E3.]

280

TalkBack / My First E3

« on: June 04, 2013, 06:23:34 PM »

In 2001, luck was left to the heavens to determine if I could go to E3.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/34439

It was March 2001. I was, like I still am today, a huge Nintendo fan and just 16 years old. I was riding the high off of seeing Nintendo’s 2000 Space World presentation and really wanted to get my hands on the GameCube. I can’t tell you how many times I probably watched the 2000 Space World GameCube trailer; the music is ingrained in my brain.

Around this time I decided to start begging my father to take me to E3. Now E3 isn’t exactly down the street. I live in New Jersey and not just anyone can get in. However, my father works in an industry full of technology so I figured it might be possible. However, he quickly shattered my dreams saying it wasn’t going to happen. Regardless, I kept begging and dreamed of being able to play the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance before they released in North America.

About a month before the start of E3, I got a phone call from my father at work. Apparently, to his utter shock, the customer his company was working for wanted to send some of them to E3 in order to check out the emerging technologies. He was quickly chosen to go, and told me I could come with him. I couldn’t even believe what was happening.

I was soon registering for the show under my father’s company. I had to lie about my age to get in and even had some forged documents, but I never had to use them. They never even asked for an ID when I went to pick up my badge holder in LA. (Note: They always check now, so don’t try anything stupid.)

When I finally got to the show, I was able to get my hands on a ton of new games. Games like Pikmin, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2, Luigi’s Mansion, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, Kameo: Elements of Power (GameCube), Eternal Darkness and various other Game Boy Advance titles. The game that stole the show for me, though, was Super Smash Bros. Melee, which became the subject of many of my thoughts after the show. I couldn’t go back to the original after sampling the GameCube version.

I was also lucky enough to meet some of the guys that were currently running Nintendo’s official online community known as NSider. Needless to say, they were in utter shock that I actually made it after telling them I was going in a chat room. They probably thought I was some kid lying on the Internet.

More notable people I met included Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, and Ken Lobb. I even got to sit in during a live interview of Shigeru Miyamoto by N’Gai Coral. It was pretty amazing seeing the man who has, without a doubt, changed my life and made me a perpetual Nintendo fan sitting only a few feet away from me. Just being in the same room as Miyamoto was a magical moment.

At the end of the Miyamoto interview, I did go up to him for an autograph. All these adults hounded him and I was waiting for my turn. I was eventually next in line to meet Miyamoto and he began reaching for my pen and game, but then, some woman working for Nintendo pushed my hero away and said he had to go. It was very heartbreaking, but I was still happy to just be there and to see him. I did eventually get an autograph years later.

After two days, I had to go home. I begged my father to stay for the third, and final day of the show, but it didn’t happen. I ended up getting a ton of Nintendo swag including GameCube and Game Boy Advance style stress balls. Nintendo also gave away Game Boy Advances in a random game, before the US release, but I didn’t win one. However, the guy sitting next to me did win and we happened to run into each other nearly every year of the show that I attended since. I’m apparently his lucky charm.

The trip changed my life and I have gone back to E3 many times since. In 2003, I even ran into the founder of Planet GameCube, and thus Nintendo World Report. Who knew that 10 years later I would be headed back to E3 working for the site he created? I didn’t.

Overall, my first trip out to E3 was something completely lucky and very unforgettable. I got to see the men that inspired me up front and in person for the first time. It also cemented in my mind my life long goal of having a career at Nintendo of America. While I haven’t succeeded in that endeavor yet, each time I go reminds me why I love Nintendo so much. The trip, and much that has happened in my life, has felt like destiny.

[A special look at the two new Ganondorf figures from First 4 Figures.]

281

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/30/2013

« on: May 30, 2013, 06:05:31 PM »

A special look at the two new Ganondorf figures from First 4 Figures.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34392

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

This week I take a special look at the two new Ganondorf figures from First 4 Figures. As with most of the products produced by First 4 Figures, I am very impressed. The attention to detail is fantastic. These figures will definitely become valuable pieces highly sought by collectors in the future. Enjoy the closer look!

282

TalkBack / Re: Super Mario Accessory Bag Now Available as North American Club Nintendo Reward

« on: May 28, 2013, 08:35:23 PM »

I ordered one as well. Some of these rewards are getting too expensive though.

[This item is swarming with Mario villains!]

283

TalkBack / Super Mario Accessory Bag Now Available as North American Club Nintendo Reward

« on: May 28, 2013, 07:26:19 PM »

This item is swarming with Mario villains!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/34363

A Super Mario Accessory Box is now available as a North American Club Nintendo reward. The new item costs 700 Club Nintendo Coins and is only available in limited quantities.

The Super Mario Accessory Box is green and has various Mario series villains printed on it. The item is shown as being a great place to store games, consoles, and accessories.

The Super Mario Accessory Box is likely green to help celebrate The Year of Luigi. While the item description doesn’t confirm this, Nintendo has named each image “luigi_box” on the Club Nintendo site even though Luigi doesn't seem to appear on the product. This could also be hinting that a red Mario Box may hit Club Nintendo in the future. However, this is all pure speculation and should be taken as such.

[This week is completely dedicated to newly released Mario toys.]

284

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/23/2013

« on: May 23, 2013, 08:11:44 PM »

This week is completely dedicated to newly released Mario toys.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34308

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

Love Mario collectables? This journal is for you. I focus on a bunch of new, smaller, Mario figure sets that have recently released in North America. They are all blind bag items, so getting the full sets was a challenge. If you too want to buy them all, I do offer a few helpful hints. Enjoy!

[This pre-E3 Direct is likely this year's version of Nintendo's traditional press conference.]

285

TalkBack / Wii U-Focused Nintendo Direct Airing on First Day of E3 2013

« on: May 23, 2013, 11:52:59 AM »

This pre-E3 Direct is likely this year's version of Nintendo's traditional press conference.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/34313

A Wii U focused Nintendo Direct presentation will be taking place on June 11th at 7 a.m PDT (10 a.m. EDT, 3 p.m UK time). This Nintendo Direct has currently been announced for North America and Europe with each region airing the event from their own Nintendo Direct website. It’s currently unknown if the information will be different on the region specific streams.

The Wii U focused Nintendo Direct takes place only five hours before the E3 show floor opens to attendees, and only three-and-a-half hours before Nintendo’s pre-E3 Wii U Software Showcase admits select members of the press into the Nintendo booth to get hands on time before the big crowds are let in.

This presentation is most likely what Nintendo will be using to showcase their big E3 games and announcements instead of their usual press conference. The format of a Nintendo Direct followed by a media-attended "Software Showcase"is not unprecedented: Nintendo executed a similar chain of events focused on the 3DS on April 17 of this year.

286

TalkBack / Re: Super Metroid Review Mini

« on: May 21, 2013, 10:01:54 AM »

I think this is a fair review. However, it didn't touch on one of my biggest complaints. The Wall Jump in this game just feels off. Yes, it's possible to master, but it is so difficult for a beginner to learn.

[Some of our staff have joined together to play games for you to watch.]

287

TalkBack / LIVE STREAM: Watch the Staff Play Games Live Today From 1PM - 5PM EST

« on: May 18, 2013, 09:19:08 AM »

Some of our staff have joined together to play games for you to watch.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/34240

The NWR staff is once again meeting up for some great gaming action. The staff will play a wide variety of titles throughout the entire live stream. Tune in at 1 PM EST (10 AM PST) for the live stream. Details on where you will be able to access it will follow soon.

Some of the game we may play include:
 - Nintendo Land
 - Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
 - Injustice

If there is anything you would like to see us play, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We will surely try our best to accommodate any viewer requests.

[A mishmash of Nintendo goods can be seen in this week's journal.]

288

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/16/2013

« on: May 16, 2013, 03:49:59 PM »

A mishmash of Nintendo goods can be seen in this week's journal.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34202

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

A greatly assorted set of goods was gathered for this week's journal. Of course, there are various Pokémon items to be seen, as they seem to be the most common merchandise to get at an extremely low price. I was also able to find a Nintendo 64 game and a box for a Game Boy game. To top it all off there are some Mario and NES themed items as well. Enjoy!

289

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/9/2013

« on: May 16, 2013, 03:40:06 PM »

Justin, I enjoy these videos, too, especially when you have really old stuff on there.  I have to ask, though, where do you store all this stuff?   It would be awesome if you posted some pics of your massive collection, or maybe even made a video just walking through everything you have on display/in storage.

Storage is a pain for sure, and I am running out of space. Some of it I keep at home with me. A majority of it gets stored at a relatives house in a side room they don't use for much. I really need to start a museum or something.

For that reason it wouldn't make a great video to show you everything in boxes. I do, however, have an older video on my YouTube channel. It shows off a lot of my stuff, though not all of it, before I really went and boxed/organized/cleaned it all up. It was a huge mess, but it will have to do for the time being. If you're interested it's titled My Nintendo Hoard.

290

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/9/2013

« on: May 10, 2013, 01:31:57 AM »

Hey Justin. Just wanted to say thanks for making these videos.   It's always interesting to see Nintendo-related items that I've never heard of/seen before.

I'm glad you like them!

[NES games, Mario goodies, Pokémon toys, and more can be seen in this week's Collectors Journal.]

291

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 5/9/2013

« on: May 09, 2013, 06:26:36 PM »

NES games, Mario goodies, Pokémon toys, and more can be seen in this week's Collectors Journal.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34150

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

This week I was able to obtain some classic NES games, Mario sleep pants, a Mario bag, a nintendogs plush, and a bunch of Pokémon goods. The collection continues to grow!

292

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Downloads - May 5, 2013

« on: May 02, 2013, 06:03:26 PM »

I'm going to download Tank! Tank! Tank! just to see if I get some Club Nintendo coins.

[Pokémon fans, get ready!]

293

TalkBack / Deoxys Pokémon Distribution Event Announced

« on: April 26, 2013, 11:59:54 AM »

Pokémon fans, get ready!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/34022

A special Deoxys distribution event will be taking place starting May 8, and ending on May 31, for owners of Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2.

This Deoxys will be available via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and will come to players at Lv. 100. The moveset of this legendary creature has yet to be revealed.

Fans of Deoxys have even more to look forward to since a new Deoxys-EX card will also be released next month as part of the new Pokémon TCG: Black & White – Plazma Freeze expansion set.

[Hyrule Historia, Pokémon plush toys, Nintendo Land promo cards, and more can be seen in this week's journal.]

294

TalkBack / Nintendo Collectors Journal 4/25/2013

« on: April 25, 2013, 06:42:13 PM »

Hyrule Historia, Pokémon plush toys, Nintendo Land promo cards, and more can be seen in this week's journal.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/34019

For those who don’t know, I’m a pretty big Nintendo Fanboy. I collect just about anything that says Nintendo on it including games, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Here I am again taking over the Mariobilia feature for Andrew.

This week I was able to gather a variety of goodies to show you guys. I snagged some more Nintendo T-shirts to add to my already large Nintendo clothing collection. I also found more Pokémon items, which seem to be so easy to come by and very inexpensive. Then there is an oddball item like Nintendo Land promo cards. To top it all off I glance over both English versions of Hyrule Historia. Enjoy!

[The biggest event of the year for Nintendo fans will, likely, not be the same.]

295

TalkBack / No Super Bowl for Nintendo Fans This Year

« on: April 25, 2013, 02:21:00 AM »

The biggest event of the year for Nintendo fans will, likely, not be the same.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/34010

There has been a lot of Nintendo news over the last 24 hours. Just check the site. Iwata will be the new CEO of Nintendo of America, Miiverse can now be accessed through web browsers, and multiple Nintendo games have been given release windows. Oh yeah, Nintendo also won’t be holding a “large-scale” E3 presentation.

WHAT?!

When I first read that my heart sank. You see, I am headed to E3 this year and I only own Nintendo hardware. Could Nintendo be serious?

Fortunately, there will be something. Nintendo has announced there will be two smaller events focusing on software for America. One will be for distributors and one for western media. What about the rest of the world, as E3 is an international event? I don’t know.

As a Nintendo fan, and someone who writes for this site, the news still hurts. Nintendo’s E3 press conferences have been the Super Bowl of Nintendo news for fans and the highlight of E3 for me. Good or bad, the yearly event has had so many memorable moments. Many of these moments stick with me years after they have happened. Moments such as:

Reggie’s Introduction

The DS Reveal

The Reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Iwata Taking Reggie’s Name

Revealing the Revolution (Wii)

My Body Is Ready

Broke My Wrist

Reggie Playing Wii Fit

Ravi Drums

3DS Introduction

Wii U’s Reveal

Reggie’s Burnt Suit

Reggie Feels Like a Purple Pikmin

Chances are if you’re a Nintendo fan, a few of these moments bring back memories. Sure, not all of them were positive, but they have become a part of the Nintendo fan subculture.

It’s clear that Nintendo has been successful with their Nintendo Direct presentations, which have in recent months really been like mini-E3’s for the company. Many Nintendo moments have come out of the Nintendo Directs, although I don’t think any of them have been nearly as memorable as the best ones at their E3 press conferences. Additionally, I really doubt the Nintendo Direct presentations, which probably only draw in Nintendo’s core fanbase, attract the same audience as an E3 press conference where the entire gaming world is watching.

I’m still excited to see what Nintendo has to show at this year’s E3. They absolutely need to show some great Wii U software on the horizon, especially some unannounced games. However, I am worried that these new presentations may fail to gather the hype and attention necessary for an event as large as E3. Nintendo is taking a gamble, and until we understand this strategy more I’d say it’s a big one.

296

TalkBack / Re: Hyrule Historia: A Timeline for the Trash

« on: April 24, 2013, 07:52:40 PM »

Where does wind waker directly reference majora's mask? I can't remember... I know it directly references Ocarina because it shows the sages in stained glass where you get the master sword, but I don't remember any Majora references.

I was thinking the same thing, I dont recall any MM references. In fact, I have never seen anyone  before say there was a MM reference in TWW.

I believe there was a line of dialogue that stated that the Hero of Time left the Kingdom for adventures elsewhere (and because of this, he wasn't there when Ganon invaded again), and that when he did his Triforce piece was scattered across the land. I think that's as close as Wind Waker comes to a direct reference to Majora's Mask's intro that Link left Hyrule to find someone important to him.

I always thought that was a reference to Princess Zelda sending Link back in time, and thus to the Child Era timeline. Because he wasn't there he couldn't come back to face Ganondorf.

297

TalkBack / Re: Hyrule Historia: A Timeline for the Trash

« on: April 24, 2013, 07:16:25 PM »

I haven't purchased the english version of Hyrule Historia, but in the Japanese version, Aounuma made the following statement:

“While reading over The Full History of Hyrule, it’s possible that some parts may look contradictory… I’d like to ask everyone just to enjoy the book and to be broad-minded, and to think that those parts are the way they are because of the way Zelda games are developed.” (translated by Patas and posted at Glitterberri)

Also, the argument that Aounuma has not made a game in that fork of the timeline is likely negated by the new 3DS sequel to A Link to the Past.  Assuming he is involved, does that mean he's going dumpster diving?

I knew someone was going to bring that up since Aonuma is working on A Link to the Past 2, but I actually wrote this before the new game was announced. Even then I still stick to my editorial since it focuses on the book before A Link to the Past 2 was announced.

One could argue that Miyamoto, the man who was talking about how great a 3D version of a Link to the Past would be, told Aonuma to go with it. Is Aonuma dumpster diving? I don't know, but it will be his first game on this timeline which I find interesting.

298

TalkBack / Re: Hyrule Historia: A Timeline for the Trash

« on: April 24, 2013, 06:42:09 PM »

              The "Link is defeated" timeline, I dont believe is trash. If one remembers the story of link to the past, Ganon was sealed away in the dark world by the seven sages. At the end of Ocarina of Time, thats what the seven sages did. Maybe during this "defeat" of Link, the seven sages still managed to do the seal anyway even though Link was killed just beforehand. Or maybe Link sacrificed himself in order for the seal to happen?
              With Kotake and Koume, I suppose an easy explanation is that they were barely defeated and ran off. Maybe this is actually the reason why Link was defeated as Kotake and Koume may have intervened with the fight between link and ganon. I suppose with this mindset, the actual difference between the timelines is whether or not Link actually killed the twins.
               I might be reaching a bit with these ideas but I figured why not try :

Hyrule Historia states, if I'm not mistaken, that the Sages did seal Ganondorf away after Link's death on the Hero is Defeated timeline. Still this doesn't change the fact that Link's defeat was completely made up for the book and anyone that plays the games and reads the manuals would never in a million years come up with it.

Your Kotake and Koume theory still doesn't hold up though as in Ocarina of Time you see their ghosts, unwillingly, raise up to the heavens. Careful reading of the book, as stated in my editorial, states that Link lost after their defeat. Therefore I really can't see how the twins could have been in the final battle.

Not trying to be a jerk with my response. Just stating some things to help clear up any confusion. If you have a different theory you prefer, that's fine.

[A look at one of the biggest letdowns in an otherwise-fantastic book.]

299

TalkBack / Hyrule Historia: A Timeline for the Trash

« on: April 24, 2013, 05:01:45 PM »

A look at one of the biggest letdowns in an otherwise-fantastic book.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/33996

When Hyrule Historia first released in Japan, I was highly skeptical of the official Zelda timeline it presented, but I managed to keep an open mind. I can’t read Japanese and decided to wait for a translated version that would, hopefully, explain specific confusing events in greater detail. Well, after having time to read the English translation of the book, cover to cover, I still feel the official Zelda timeline has two major flaws.

The Flaws

The first flaw that should be on everyone’s mind is the new Hero is Defeated timeline that supposedly takes place at the end of Ocarina of Time. Before Hyrule Historia was released, most Zelda fans were fully accepting of the fact that the end of Ocarina of Time split the timeline into two braches, the Adult Era and Child Eras. These can be seen in the book, and their branches make total sense. However, the third Hero is Defeated branch never takes place in any game and therefore is clearly nothing more than a terrible, completely unnecessary fabrication.

The second flaw also happens on the Hero is Defeated timeline, and its cause is a direct result of the error of this branch existing in the first place. According to Hyrule Historia, the Link in Ocarina of Time would have lost to Ganondorf in the final battle of the game. Therefore, everything else he did in Ocarina of Time would have happened exactly the way everyone remembers it.

The problem with this is that Link would have killed Kotake and Koume in the Hero is Defeated timeline. This causes a problem, since the twin witches appear again later in the same timeline in the Oracle games without any explanation that I know of.

The Secret Truth About the Hyrule Historia Timeline

Hyrule Historia also presents a hidden secret about the timeline I haven’t seen many people discussing at all. Eiji Aonuma is easily recognized as the number-two man in charge of the Zelda series, only falling behind series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Importantly, though, Eiji Aonuma is credited as the Supervising Editor of the original Japanese edition of Hyrule Historia and Miyamoto was only given a special thanks. Let’s take a look at the Zelda games Aonuma has worked on according to Hyrule Historia.

Eiji Aonuma's Hyrule History

1998 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

2000 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64)

2002 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo GameCube)

2003 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (Game Boy Advance)

2004 - The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (Nintendo GameCube)

2004 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance)

2006 - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii and Nintendo GameCube)

2007 - The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)

2008 - Official Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training (Wii)

2009 - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo DS)

2011 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

2011 - The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSiWare)

2011 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Quite an impressive list of titles, but there is something notable. Not one Zelda title Aonuma worked on appears on the Hero is Defeated timeline. To me, this feels like Aonuma has taken much of my childhood and thrown it in a Zelda lore dumpster. Whether this is because he doesn’t enjoy those titles as much, or just isn’t comfortable enough with their lore to work them into his own main timelines, is something that has left me confused and hurt.

(Haha! Look what I did with the Zelda timeline!)

How to Easily Fix the Zelda Timeline

One of the worst parts of this timeline mess is that the fix is extremely simple. First, we just need to delete the Hero is Defeated timeline. Then, move all the games that appeared on the Hero is Defeated branch and put them in order, right after Four Swords Adventures, on the current end of the Child Era timeline. The resulting Child Era timeline would look as follows:

Majora’s Mask -> Twilight Princess -> Four Swords Adventures -> A Link to the Past -> Oracle of Seasons -> Oracle of Ages -> Link’s Awakening -> The Legend of Zelda -> Adventure of Link

This fix would solve both of my problems with the Hyrule Historia timeline. Firstly, it would eliminate the awful Hero is Defeated branch. Second, Link never defeated Kotake and Koume on the Child Era timeline, having been sent back to the past, so they are free to exist many years later.

The only question that would be present in this timeline is how Ganon escaped the seal of the Four Sword at the end of Four Swords Adventures and got sealed in the Sacred Realm before A Link to the Past. While this is a problem, other similar problems exist in the current timeline. For instance:

1. What are the details of what happened before Skyward Sword?

2. Will we learn more about the Hero of Men mentioned in The Minish Cap?

3. On the Adult Era timeline, how did Ganondorf escape the Sacred Realm and manage to cause chaos in The Wind Waker?

The point is there are many different questions people have concerning the specifics of events found in the Zelda timeline. As long as everything else adds up, I feel it’s OK to have a few holes that may someday be filled. However, making up events and causing even more problems is something that ticks me off.

Hope for the Future

My dreams of Nintendo fixing the timeline will, unfortunately, stay dreams for the foreseeable future. However, according to Hyrule Historia, pg. 68:

“This chronicle merely collects information that is believed to be true at this time, and there are many obscured and unanswered secrets that still lie within the tale. As the stories and storytellers of Hyrule change, so, too, does its history. Hyrule’s history is a continuously woven tapestry of events. Changes that seem inconsequential, disregarded without even a shrug, could evolve at some point to hatch new legends and, perhaps, change this tapestry of history itself.”

This passage gives me hope someone at Nintendo will someday fix the Hero is Defeated branch in a way similar to my own theory. Until then, I guess it’s up to fans to either accept or reject what has been written in the otherwise-great book that is Hyrule Historia.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 334: Stupor Guide

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:03:02 PM »

I forget who said it, but someone claimed that Mario Party 3DS would be the third portable Mario Party title. This claim is incorrect.

1. Mario Party e
2. Mario Party Advance
3. Mario Party DS
4. Mario Party 3DS

Mario Party 3DS is the fourth portable Mario Party title!