I vegged out for most of my long weekend. It's a noble sport and I recommend it to everyone.
I also splurged for a tonne of Virtual Console games. I bought The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and am enjoying it immensely for something like the billionth time, but that can't be helped. It's just that good.
I well and truly loved The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but I never did play it all the way through more than once or twice. I began thinking (uh oh) about why I would play Link to the Past over and over again, but would shelf a modern Zelda game. I think a lot has to do with the game's first hour. Link to the Past has you up and scooting across Hyrule in no time. In Twilight Princess, first you must fish. And indulge in some falconry. And herd goats.
I know that the Zelda team is hard at work on another title, or so King Miyamoto says--and I'm pretty willing to believe him if he were to tell us that birds swim and fish sing. I know veteran developers probably aren't open to suggestions, but I think "Get On With It" is an important one to consider. Expanding on my theory--um, I'm just going to leave this list on the floor on my way out.
Link to the Past offers a brief story summation on the title screen, should you choose to read it. If you don't, you're thrown right into the water as soon as you start the game, but it's not especially hard to start swimming. Princess Zelda sends a telepathic plea for help to a snoozing Link (probably interrupting far more pleasant dreams about the Milk Maid of the Month in Hylian Gals Illustrated). Link wakes up and finds his uncle armed and ready to respond to the same call for help. After ordering Link not to leave the house, Uncle heads off into an angry thunderstorm to search for a disembodied voice.
Well, Link's been told not to leave the house. The dream about Zelda is still fresh in his mind and his only company is the storm lashing outside. Who's going to stay in bed? "Save the Princess" is pretty pedestrian, but the presentation of the premise in Link to the Past is top-notch. You're intrigued from the start without long tutorials or cutscenes explaining why you should be excited.
When I took a writer's craft class in grade 13 (yes, grade 13. I'll tell you all about the quirks in the Ontario school system some other time, should I live to be a thousand), my teacher wrote "Less is more" in response to a big stupid rambling story I'd put together. It was good advice and I think it applies to all forms of storytelling--including video games. I humbly request you consider it, Nintendo.
P.S.: Please also consider my proposal for a Link dress-up game.
Related Links:
Philosophy? In My Zelda?
Whatcha Playing: BS Zelda
The Ten Most Adventurous Sequels in Gaming History
