In preparation for my review of The Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time 3D I’ve compiled a topical top ten. Exploring the diverse and beautiful lands woven for you in the Zelda series is a joy with no equal but the real heart and soul of the games can be found in the dungeons. The innumerable dungeons spanning the Zelda series are famous for their design and atmosphere. Entering one is like stepping into another world, one overrun by dangerous monsters, and full of fiendish puzzles and Indiana Jones style adventure and mystery. Usually designed around some kind of elemental theme the dungeons often exhibit a unique conceit such as rescuing caged monkeys or adjusting the water level in a flooded fortress. The following ten stand out as the most memorable examples in the series to date in terms of clever design, addictive puzzles and immersive atmosphere. A good Zelda dungeon should transport you and amaze you. This was a tough list to compile and some great dungeons such as Ice Palace, Fire Temple, Tower of the Gods, and Arbiter’s Grounds didn’t make the cut. Here are the ten best.

10 – Turtle Rock (A Link to the Past)

The final standard dungeon of the behemoth that is A Link to the Past, still the game with the most dungeons in the series, is a suitably challenging affair that really tests your ability to keep track of your surroundings. In several rooms you must create moving platforms on rails using the Cane of Somaria and allow them to transport you to new areas. With some such courses fraught with hazards the dungeon can get pretty challenging and it’s a sizeable one with a lot of dangerous enemies. Oh, and you’d better have some green potion to replenish your magic meter because you’ll run out of magic in the blink of an eye.

9 – Eagle’s Tower (Link’s Awakening)

Link’s Awakening featured some terrific dungeons such as the head-scratching Face Shrine and the scarily-scored Key Cavern but the standout is Eagle Tower, the only dungeon in the game with multiple levels. It’s a great test of spatial awareness in which you have to work out where you are in relation to what’s on the floors above and below as you transport a heavy wrecking ball used to demolish pillars and bring half the tower down. It’s made doubly taxing when you factor in the heavy use of blocks that are raised or lowered from the floor by hitting switches which are designed obstruct your path in many places. It’s also noteworthy for featuring Kirby of all things as an invincible enemy you just have to sneak past before he can inhale you.

8 – Snowpeak Ruins (Twilight Princess)

Situated in a frozen mountainous region at the end of a giant snowboard run in Twilight Princess stands this crumbling mansion, one of the remotest and most inaccessible dungeons in the series. It stands out by subverting the form slightly and having NPCs to meet inside the battered old building in the form of a pair of friendly yetis who make their home there. The female, Yeta is sick but wants to help you find the Mirror of Twilight shard you’re looking for and gives you directions that only lead you to new ingredients to add to the soup her husband is cooking. The frozen theme of the place means you can expect plenty of slippery surfaces and icy enemies that can freeze you solid as you carry heavy cannonballs around to launch at obstacles but the most memorable thing about the place is that you’re essentially just exploring somebody’s house complete with kitchen, dining room and bedroom.

7 – Snowhead Temple (Majora’s Mask)

This brilliant dungeon, which combines fire and ice for its elemental theme, is designed around a huge central room in which a vast pillar rises up to the ceiling simultaneously blocking and opening routes in higher floors of the dungeon. It’s possible to adjust the height of the pillar by punching out fragile segments as Goron Link with whom you must make some pretty huge jumps by rolling at high speed into ramps in other places in the dungeon. Snowhead Temple gets extra points for climaxing with the most enjoyable boss in the entire series, Masked Mechanical Monster Goht whom you must pursue as Goron Link, rolling at maximum speed as you dodge various traps the boss tries to hinder you with.

6 – Great Bay Temple (Majora’s Mask)

Ocarina of Time‘s Water Temple is infamous as a confusing, tiresome labyrinth that hampers progress by necessitating frequent use of the Iron Boots and backtracking to adjust the water level despite featuring some rather clever level design and one of the best mid-level bosses ever. It’s so derided by some quarters that Grezzo made significant design choices for the interface of their 3DS remake to make the dungeon easier to manage. Lakebed Temple in Twilight Princess involved a similar theme of manipulating water by having you reroute water courses to drive water wheels and open new areas but the best aquatic themed dungeon in the series is Great bay Temple from Majora’s Mask which you can only access by riding on the back of a giant turtle. The brilliant premise of the dungeon surrounds a central room where a huge device resembling a clockwork key, power by a massive waterwheel creates an underwater whirlpool, the flow of which determines which of the many underwater passages in the room you can access. You have to explore the dungeon activating and changing more such wheels and opening passages with water pipes to find your way. Although it’s another brain-bending challenge the process is made enjoyable and, dare I say, fluid by transforming into the nimble-underwater Zora Link. This immersive and demanding dungeon is made all the more memorable for containing some unique minor bosses and a dangerous end-of-level boss.

5 – Shadow Temple (Ocarina of Time)

This is by far the scariest dungeon in the entire series thanks to its dark lighting and colour schemes, twisted music, invisible death traps and long, crushing descent. It’s quite possible to get into this dungeon without finding the Lens of Truth in the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon but you’ll immediately be stumped by a dead end that gives you creepy messages – you need the mysterious lens to see that the wall isn’t really there. The brooding, spine-chilling soundtrack taunts you as you gradually delve deeper into what feels like a descent into the underworld complete with ferry crossing, surpassing huge, open rooms that give you a colossal sense of scale and dodging wallmaster enemies as they drop on you from above after their terrifying shadows appear with a horrible rushing noise. Scariest bit? Walking into a large, apparently empty room and marching forwards into an invisible pair of massive statues of Death revolving with their humongous scythes that shred you to pieces. The design of the dungeon isn’t the most ingenious; it’s pretty linear, but the atmosphere of dread and cool boss encounter go a long way to making this one of the most memorable dungeons in the series’ greatest game.

4 – City in the Sky (Twilight Princess)

City in the Sky is a remarkable dungeon long before you get to the main reason it’s so high on this list. Firstly, it’s a city in the sky, which, frankly, is cool enough. Home to the slightly odd Oocca people the dungeon sees you using the bird-like creatures to float around as you explore this mysterious old fortress to a somewhat unhinged soundtrack. Things get really good when you get your hands on the dungeon’s item although you might be a bit confused at first since you already found it in Lakebed Temple. City in the Sky gives you a second clawshot, Twilight Princess‘s updated version of the hookshot which allows you to shoot for another point to grab on to with one clawshot whilst already hanging from one with the other. In this way you can do a pretty effective impression of Spider-man even lowering yourself by extending the chain when hanging from a ceiling to line yourself up for the next shot. It makes for some imaginative and highly enjoyable level design and makes City in the Sky stand out as the best dungeon in the game.

3 – Spirit Temple (Ocarina of Time)

As the last standard dungeon of Ocarina of Time, Spirit Temple, the game’s most remote dungeon, found inside a colossus located at the far side of a vast desert, needed to do something truly special to not disappoint players already in raptures over the magnificent game, and it did exactly that. The twist here is that when you enter the first room your progress is impaired by a block too heavy to move in one direction and a hole too small to fit through in the other. In a game in which you’ve already failed to save the world you are forced to admit defeat and leave the dungeon. Only then will Sheik appear and teach you the melody that will allow you to warp back to the area as young Link and fit through that claustrophobic hole. Spirit Temple demands you explore it as both young and adult Link, both of which getting unique rooms to traverse against a brilliantly atmospheric background tune. The temple also features the most challenging enemies in the game and one of its most epic boss battles, not to mention a number of superb puzzles the best of which make awesome use of the Mirror Shield to deflect beams of light.

2 – Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)

Located deep in the Lost Woods’ Sacred Forest Meadow where you learned Saria’s Song as a child, Forest Temple is the first dungeon you explore as adult Link in Ocarina of Time and it soon announces itself as the most atmospheric and mysterious not just in the game but probably the whole series. As you explore the slightly hazy temple in search of the four Poe Sisters and the flames they’ve stolen from the central room you are bewitched by a strange, echoing melody that enthrals you at every turn. The place oozes mystery and surprises with ceilings that collapse as you cross a chessboard floor, open-air gardens that mirror one another, enemies and a boss that emerge from paintings, and, best of all, twisted corridors leading to rooms with doors and treasure chests stuck to the walls waiting to be untwisted allowing you to enter said rooms from another angle. It’s a brilliantly inventive design that transports you more capably than any other in the game into the fantastical playground.

1 – Stone Tower Temple (Majora’s Mask)

Located at the top of a fortress tower designed to repel armies and only accessible by playing the Elegy of Emptiness to create multiple copies of yourself to move giant floating blocks, Stone Tower Temple is unforgettable before you’ve even set foot inside it. Once you do cross the threshold your fist question is ‘why is the tile that transports you to the boss room on the ceiling?’ It’s a running theme as you soon notice treasure chests glued upside down above you and doors that don’t reach the floor. The open-air temple fells like an epic, imposing place as you traverse it, filled with puzzles that test you in every way, forcing you to use all of your transformation masks and make varied use of your items throughout but after you discover the Light Arrow by beating the very cool Garo Master mid-level boss you are cued to take a step outside the dungeon and use the new weapon to blast a red emblem and turn the whole place upside down. It’s an unadulterated joy to explore the temple a second time inverted in this way. Mysteriously the dungeon isn’t flipped over like a pancake but translated like a mirror image meaning the map for both versions is the same asymetrical shape. Nintendo have made the most of the concept; rooms in the normal temple feature pools of lava, the same rooms in the inverted dungeon drip the red hot liquid from the ceiling. Some rooms are completely unrecognisable, one such that’s waterlogged the first time round seems to have dumped its water out of the open roof in the inverted version. You can even repeat the trick by using light arrows to turn Death Armos enemies upside down, rendering them helpless. After a long, complicated search for all of the stray fairies and an awesome battle with Gomess, a minor boss that can only be described as a manic grim-reaper who wears a cloak of bats, you eventually find your way to the boss chamber. The entrance is in the same room where you fought the Garo Master. A circular opening in the ceiling that gave way to the heavens becomes nothing but a hole to jump into in the inverted dungeon leading to a huge desert where you fight the biggest boss in the entire series, in fact you fight two of them. These double bosses, Giant Masked Insect Twinmold which can only be fought if you turn into a giant with the Giant’s Mask, found in the temple after beating a lethal Eyegore monster. Stone Tower Temple has everything, an epic journey to reach it, a cool background tune, tough enemies, challenging puzzles, deep exploration and a fantastic central theme. It takes its place as the best, most inventive and downright most enjoyable dungeon in the Zelda series.

Most of my fondest childhood memories revolve around video games. My family moved around so often that it was difficult to make and keep friends, so I turned to books, writing, and my Super Nintendo. While Koei’s mostly forgotten strategy game Gemfire is my favorite SNES title of all time, I keep a very special place in my heart for Super Mario All-Stars.

I need to since my copy vanished when I was 11. Super Mario World was nice, but it didn’t have Super Mario Bros. 3 on the cartridge. I spent 11 years longing to find my long-lost All-Stars and relive all the gleeful memories, but copies of that game turn up at resale shops in terrible shape.

When Nintendo announced that they were releasing the original Super Mario All-Stars collection on the Wii, I very nearly had my own N64 Kid reaction. Nostalgia whipped me into a frenzy that repelled the dismay that this was just a SNES cartridge slapped on a disc. It was more than that. It was like getting back a little piece of my childhood.

Super Nintendo days

My health has never been particularly good. I was often sick as a child; I even had chickenpox twice. While in kindergarten, I developed pneumonia and empyema that necrotized a part of my lungs. I was in the hospital for so long that I barely remember much of that year in school, but I do remember video games.

The hospital had a well-worn NES on a cart that they wheeled around. Since I couldn’t move much due to the fluid in my lungs, playing games was the best thing to keep me from just sleeping all day. This was a dramatic step backward from the SNES I had at home, but anything was better than staring out a window.

Magically, someone donated a SNES and a lot of games to the hospital. In that set was a precious copy of Super Mario All-Stars. Even though all I had been doing was playing Mario and Zelda games, the fresh look of All-Stars made everything new again.

Once I started getting better, the video game-trolley didn’t stop in my room as often. I was happy to walk around, sure, but I missed All-Stars most of all. I longed for it in that annoying way children do, and I have no doubt that my parents were sick to death of hearing me talk about it. By the time I left the hospital, I moved on from constantly nagging them about it to the quiet, slightly depressed stage of want that many only children suffer.

Of course my parents hadn’t forgotten. Once things had settled down at home and I started going back to school, I almost forgot about All-Stars. I really only remembered it again when I came home from school one day and my father was failing miserably at hiding something behind his back. It was Super Mario All-Stars! I remember screaming with joy and rushing off to play it right away. My mom was in the middle of playing A Link to the Past, but I couldn’t wait.

Then, after a particularly stressful move, my game disappeared. I tried not to cry, but it was terribly important to me for a lot of reasons.

Mario’s 25th anniversary

I never picked up another copy of All-Stars, despite constantly renting or borrowing the game. By the time I started high school, I stopped obsessing about it entirely.

While the new Wii release of the collection isn’t the most outstanding thing in the world, somehow it stuck a cord with me. The day my copy arrived I was immediately hit with a rush of happy, gushy childhood memories. It allowed me to reconnect with an experience I thought was gone forever.

I readily admit that Nintendo just put an SNES ROM on a disc, but for me they put a precious memory on an easily accessible format. I think this is ultimately what they were trying to accomplish. Sure, you’ve played these games a million times, but the nostalgia around Super Mario All-Stars outweighs the nonexistent upgrades.

Por Alexei Barros

A Nintendo é paradoxal. Ao mesmo tempo em que a abrangência se manifesta ao atingir novos horizontes nesta geração com o Nintendo Wii, a restrição com as músicas é imensa. Por conta da baixa vendagem dos álbuns nos últimos anos, os lançamentos das trilhas originais são escassos e das arranjadas inexistentes. Quando ocorrem, visam a promover o jogo, não as composições, como os CDs promocionais da Club Nintendo. Se um concerto obtém a licença para executar faixas de direitos autorais da produtora e cria novos arranjos, a performance não pode acontecer sem prévia aprovação das partituras. Tal cuidado se justifica pela supremacia das franquias da Nintendo, é claro, e pelo que as trilhas representam no imaginário gamer, com melodias incrustadas na memória graças ao vasto repertório musical criado por muitos compositores geniais em quase 30 anos.

A Nintendo foi introduzida aos concertos na série Orchestral Game Concert (1991-1995), citada tantas vezes por aqui não por acaso, porque exerce influência até hoje. Os tempos eram outros, e as cinco apresentações foram publicadas em CD. Depois disso, arranjos inéditos surgiram com maior visibilidade nas séries Symphonic Game Music Concert (2003-2007) e Press Start (de 2006 em diante), a primeira sem álbuns oficias e a outra sem nada da Nintendo no primeiro disco, Press Start The 5th Anniversary. Fora esses, alguns casos raros no Games in Concert e PLAY! A Video Game Symphony. A única iniciativa recente que gerou um álbum foi o Dairantou Smash Brothers DX Orchestra Concert (2002), concerto com músicas orquestradas do Super Smash Bros. Melee, ou seja, com muitas franquias da produtora.

Toda esta introdução para dizer que: sendo a Nintendo tão restrita e as músicas tão raras em apresentações, parece uma lenda que uma récita caprichada como o Symphonic Legends – music from Nintendo tenha ficado à livre apreciação no dia 23 de setembro de 2010, data em que a produtora completou 121 anos de fundação. E que presente de aniversário!

Ainda sem nome e nem temática, o concerto foi anunciado previamente em 24 de setembro de 2009 para exatamente um ano depois, graças à excelente recepção do Symphonic Fantasies. A data foi antecipada para o dia 23 de setembro, e o nome revelado: Symphonic Legends. Em março deste ano ocorreu a confirmação de que a Nintendo seria a homenageada. Detalhe: antes que as pessoas soubessem disso, 90% dos ingressos estavam esgotados. Posteriormente, foi comunicado que o formato seria uma mescla das inovações implementadas pelos concertos antecessores, trazendo arranjadores convidados de primeiríssimo nível, para mais tarde sabermos que jogo cada um foi incumbido.

Dois japoneses, dois alemães, dois finlandeses. Compositor de trilhas de animes como One Piece e Ah! My Goddess, Shiro Hamaguchi é conhecido nos videogames pelos principais arranjos de Final Fantasy nos concertos recentes da série. Hayato Matsuo, um dos discípulos de Koichi Sugiyama e compositor de Ogre Battle, orquestrou os temas de abertura e encerramento de Final Fantasy XII, entre outros arranjos, como do Shenmue Orchestra Version. Ambos do estúdio Imagine, recentemente participaram do Monster Hunter 5th Anniversary Orchestra Concert e do A Night in Fantasia 2009.

Nascido em Munique, Masashi Hamauzu, compositor de jogos como Unlimited SaGa, Sigma Harmonics e Final Fantasy XIII, foi a maior surpresa entre os convidados, já que é raro vê-lo arranjar músicas que não são de autoria dele, e quando aconteceram foram para solos de piano, não orquestrados. Também da Alemanha, mas da cidade de Dresden, Torsten Rasch é um compositor de música erudita contemporânea que morou 15 anos no Japão criando trilhas de filmes. No mundo dos games, fez um arranjo para o obscuro álbum Psychic Detective Series – The Best (1991) e mais recentemente a releitura para piano da “A Place to Call Home” do Benyamin Nuss Plays Uematsu.

Da Finlândia, Jonne Valtonen, o principal arranjador do Symphonic Shades e Symphonic Fantasies, desta vez dedicou-se exclusivamente ao poema sinfônico de Zelda. Por último, o conterrâneo Roger Wanamo, o mais jovem dos seis, tendo nascido em 1981, que foi quem mais me impressionou. Sua inventividade pôde ser mostrada já na “Fantasy III: Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross”, em que foi coarranjador, com o uso constante de polifonias, transições fluidas e minúcias que exigem muita atenção para serem percebidas. Desta vez, Wanamo se superou com os dois segmentos de Mario, o que não é pouca coisa pelas composições serem do Koji Kondo, e pelo Encore, que é um emaranhado de faixas de diversos jogos da Nintendo.

Arranjadores de grande envergadura pedem por intérpretes igualmente competentes. O maestro sueco Niklas Willén conduziu mais de 125 pessoas: cerca de 80 integrantes da WDR Radio Orchestra, e mais 45 do coral State Choir Latvija. Como de praxe, Benyamin Nuss no piano e Rony Barrak na percussão foram os instrumentistas-solo. Diferentemente dos anos anteriores, não houve convidados japoneses para autógrafos, não que isso faça muita diferença para quem não esteve no Cologne Philharmonic Hall.

A ideia do produtor Thomas Boecker era apresentar as músicas da Nintendo com arranjos criativos. Para tal, foi dada total liberdade aos arranjadores. “É interessante ver como eles usaram essa liberdade. Porque há um momento em que é melhor trabalhar de maneira fiel à música original, e há um momento em que você pode introduzir diversas ideias próprias”, afirmou ao SEMO. Sou favorável à iniciativa de arranjos orquestrados que tragam uma nova ideia, desde que as músicas ainda possam ser reconhecidas. E isso aconteceu? É o que veremos adiante.

Antes de comentar individualmente segmento, vale destacar a escolha de jogos do repertório. Levando em conta que o Press Start é o único na atualidade a tocar arranjos novos da Nintendo, o programa do Symphonic Legends é uma benção pelas novidades, visto que Star Fox, F-Zero, Pikmin, Donkey Kong e Metroid jamais foram executados na série japonesa (Star Fox não em um segmento exclusivo). Há quem tenha sentido falta de outras franquias, como Fire Emblem, Mother, Kirby e Pokémon. Além de serem necessárias mais algumas horas de apresentação para poder incluir tudo, nem todas são populares na Europa, leve isso em conta. Dentre as ausências, só lamentei que Hirokazu Tanaka não fora representado pela importância que tem na história musical da Nintendo, ainda que a maioria dos jogos 8-bits seja difícil de imaginar com um número próprio.

Infelizmente, o streaming de vídeo não funcionou na hora do concerto conforme prometido anteriormente, e acabou restrito aos residentes na Alemanha. Mas todo o espetáculo pôde ser conferido de qualquer parte do mundo pelo rádio ao vivo, o que me trouxe boas lembranças do Symphonic Shades em 2008. Poucas horas depois sete dos dez segmentos podiam (e ainda podem) ser vistos no YouTube.

Depois do Hadouken muito mais sobre o Symphonic Legends, com links para os vídeos do YouTube e do Goear (a referência para quando mencionar a numeração de trechos específicos). Sobre o poema sinfônico do Zelda, ficarei devendo as faixas originais detalhadas (algumas foram citadas no texto), já que há muitos temas sobrepostos e variações, o que dificultou a listagem precisa.

Primeiro ato

01 – “Fanfare for the Common 8-Bit Hero”
Composição: Jonne Valtonen

Enquanto a “Fanfare Overture” do Symphonic Fantasies buscava se distanciar da Square Enix, esta fanfarra de abertura igualmente composta por Valtonen e previamente anunciada em vídeo busca o oposto: aproximar-se do estilo preponderante da Nintendo com uma música mais jovial sem abandonar a pompa.

02 – “Star Fox (Space Suite)”
Originais”: “Opening” (Star Fox 64) ~ “BGM (Corneria)” (Star Fox)

Composição: Koji Kondo e Hajime Hirasawa
Arranjo: Shiro Hamaguchi

Como se imaginava, o requinte de Hamaguchi e as músicas de Star Fox combinaram perfeitamente. O que me surpreendeu, no entanto, foi o proveito do State Choir Latvija, que, nesta suíte, é uma das melhores maravilhas do mundo moderno. Ao menos com Final Fantasy ele não costumava adicionar coral em músicas que não apresentavam timbres de vozes.

A abertura maravilhosa da orquestra fica mais espetacular quando o coro entoa em latim a “Opening” do Star Fox 64, pouco em seguida desenvolvida com a riqueza da orquestra. O coral retorna lentamente, e a velocidade da peça aumenta para uma viagem sem volta à Corneria, no momento em que lanço a pergunta: o que é esse coral? O excerto correspondente à “BGM (Corneria)” ficou assombroso, e o coro empolga como nunca no final, que o diga o trecho de 3:49 a 3:55. Indubitavelmente o melhor arranjo de Star Fox já feito.

03 – “Super Mario Bros. (Retro Suite)”
Originais: “Dire, Dire Docks” (Super Mario 64) ~ “Athletic” (Super Mario Bros. 3) ~ “Underworld” (Super Mario Bros.) ~ “Athletic” (Super Mario Bros. 3) ~ “Castle” ~ “World Clear” ~ “Overworld” (Super Mario Bros.) ~ “Main Theme” (New Super Mario Bros.) ~ “Overworld” (Super Mario Bros.)

Composição: Koji Kondo
Arranjo: Roger Wanamo

Possivelmente o arranjador Nobuo Kurita não imaginaria que a “Super Mario Bros.” do Orchestral Game Concert seria reprisada inúmeras vezes mesmo quase duas décadas depois por tantos concertos mundo afora. Cansou há muito tempo. Pior, quando se tem tantas músicas tão boas das continuações. Raríssimas foram as vezes em que se tentou fugir do básico, como, por exemplo, a “Super Mario Bros. Suite” do PLAY! A Video Game Symphony. No Symphonic Legends as seleções foram muito mais substanciais (magistrais eu diria), com temas icônicos, mas pouco aproveitados.

A belíssima “Dire, Dire Docks” dos estágios aquáticos do Super Mario 64 ficou perfeitamente ambientada com as cordas singelas, e depois os solos de flauta e violino reproduzindo a melodia encantadora. Aos poucos surgem reminiscências de um tema bastante familiar lutando para sair do cano. “Dire, Dire Docks” bem que tenta, e é superado pelo tema seguinte. Nada menos do que “Athletic” do Super Mario Bros. 3! Um parêntesis, para destacar a ojeriza dos concertos com SMB2 e 3. O segundo da série posso até compreender, haja vista a origem japonesa duvidosa (Doki Doki Panic) e o modo como foi lançado lá (Super Mario USA), agora SMB3, um dos melhores e mais vendidos jogos de todos os tempos, não consigo conceber como demorou tanto.

Voltando para a suíte, a instrumentação da “Athletic” é perfeita, captando a alegria e a diversão do tema nas cordas e nas madeiras. No meio dela, basta os metais graves tocarem três segundos para reconhecermos a “Underworld”. Até que surge o pânico da “Castle” do SMB, faixa ausente da mencionada “Super Mario Bros.” do OGC que ficou vertida para orquestra de maneira muito convincente. Chegada a ponte, o Mario pula o Bowser, pega o machado e vem a “World Clear”, que mal acaba e é logo emendada na “Overworld”. A transição ocorre de maneira perspicaz reparando atentamente. Se a “World Clear” acabasse e depois viesse a próxima haveria um vazio. Wanamo conseguiu aproveitar aquela altura da nota próxima do final da fanfarra para unificar as faixas. No entremeio, um solo de trompete evoca a “Main Theme” do New Super Mario Bros. com desenvoltura, voltando para a melodia mais famosa dos videogames com uma orquestração rica sem esquecer do fator lúdico.

04 – “F-Zero (Race Suite)”
Originais: “Mute City” ~ “Big Blue” ~ “Mute City”

Composição: Yumiko Kanki e Naoto Ishida
Arranjo: Shiro Hamaguchi

Como F-Zero não foi lembrado pela série OGC, imaginava que as músicas do jogo não pudessem ser orquestradas satisfatoriamente. A única tentativa anterior foi a “Big Blue” do “Smash Bros. Great Medley” do Dairantou Smash Brothers DX Orchestra Concert que voltarei a falar em instantes. Sendo assim, é o primeiro segmento próprio de F-Zero, a estreia da “Mute City” orquestrada, e ainda com releitura de Shiro Hamaguchi. Tinha tudo para ser um dos melhores números do concerto. Porém, ficou longe de ser o arranjo dos meus sonhos. Apenas bom.

A peça começa com um solo de Rony Barrak, que, além da darbuka, desta vez estava equipado com uma bateria eletrônica. Depois de uma abertura difícil de associar com F-Zero pelo tom de suspense (de 2:31 a 3:01), a orquestra conflui na melodia de “Mute City” (sem aquela abertura até 0:19 na original), mas o intermédio (3:20 a 3:44) atravanca o crescimento do tema que volta com tudo na sequência, no diálogo entre flauta e trompa, e depois os trompetes em um raro momento em que o arranjo consegue acompanhar a satisfação da faixa sintetizada. Vem um trecho centrado na percussão (4:23 a 4:53), e a “Big Blue” é ouvida nas cordas brevemente e ainda sem a introdução (até 0:15), com uma roupagem formosa que não traz a empolgação da original. Para fechar, parte da “Mute City” é lembrada mais uma vez com instrumentação similar à primeira oportunidade.

O segmento é curto e suave demais. Não foi capaz de transmitir a agitação musical inerente a um jogo de corrida, quanto mais um jogo de corrida com veículos a 1000 quilômetros por hora. A origem próxima do rock das faixas clama por uma abordagem mais contundente, mais impactante, e nem acho que seria essencial uma guitarra para isso acontecer. Nesse aspecto, a versão do Shogo Sakai da “Smash Bros. Great Medley”, por sua vez baseada na “Big Blue” do Super Smash Bros. Melee, foi muito mais feliz (ouça o trecho especificamente aqui), inclusive fazendo nos metais a introdução ignorada no arranjo do Shiro Hamaguchi.

Além de incluir outros temas de pistas, desejaria que a suíte seguisse a ordem dos acontecimentos do jogo, como é, por exemplo, a “The Great Giana Sisters (Suite)” do Symphonic Shades. Ou seja, começando pela “Opening Theme” (tela-título) e assim por diante – a “Title” do álbum doujin F-Zero The Graded Driver 2201 dá uma amostra do que quero dizer.

05 – “Super Metroid (Suite: Samus Aran – Galactic Warrior)”
Originais: “Space Warrior – Samus Aran’s Theme” ~ “Planet Zebes – Arrival on Crateria” ~ “Brinstar – Red Soil Wetland Area” ~ “Ancient Ruins (Norfair Area)” ~ “Tourian” ~ “Theme of Super Metroid” ~ “Escape” ~ “Space Warrior – Samus Aran’s Theme” ~ “Theme of Super Metroid”

Composição: Kenji Yamamoto e Minako Hamano
Arranjo: Torsten Rasch

São poucas as vezes em que Metroid figurou em concertos, e nessas ocasiões optou-se pelo caminho seguro de selecionar os temas mais melódicos, e o melhor exemplar dessa vertente é o medley “Theme~Space Warrior Samus Aran’s Theme~Big Boss BGM~Ending” (Super Metroid) de oito minutos do OGC4 em arranjo de Toshihiko Sahashi. Desta vez, foram exploradas as faixas de ambiente para uma adaptação modernista que expressasse a solidão, medo e angústia de Samus nos planetas inóspitos.

Por isso, o mais polêmico número do concerto pode ser definido como “Metroid encontra BioShock”. Após a abertura caótica, surge um oboé típico de uma cena cinematográfica de suspense. Em seguida solo de violino e harpa fazem dupla à moda de “Welcome to Rapture” de BioShock. Flautas e trompetes trilham por caminhos dissonantes, depois as cordas intensificam a tensão. O coral faz uma participação assustadora. “Theme of Super Metroid” é executada como se estivesse simulando uma vitória sofrida. Mas a batalha ainda não está vencida. A percussão alerta para um perigo maior, com o coro mais uma vez provocando temor no entremeio. Por fim, a “Theme of Super Metroid” é invocada com a ajuda do coral numa interpretação de extrema dissonância. Comparado com a musicalidade do restante do programa, o segmento destoa; assim como a própria série Metroid é o oposto do que se costuma encontrar nos jogos coloridos da Nintendo.

A única crítica que faço não é o estilo, de fato incomum para concertos com game music japonesa e que recentemente vem sendo introduzido na game music ocidental por jogos como BioShock e Dead Space. Meu senão é pela dificuldade de reconhecer as músicas do jogo especialmente na primeira metade, com algumas exceções. Apesar de combinar com o universo da série, parece mais uma nova composição baseada em Metroid do que um arranjo propriamente dito.

06 – “Donkey Kong Country (Aquatic Ambience)”
Original: “Aquatic Ambience”

Composição: David Wise
Arranjo: Masashi Hamauzu

Não perco a oportunidade de elogiar David Wise por criar uma música genial que é a “Aquatic Ambiance”, fazendo dele o único compositor ocidental em meio a tantos mestres japoneses da Nintendo. Isso já havia acontecido na “Water Music” do OGC5 que, na verdade é um medley em que a “Aquatic Ambiance” é entremeada pela “DK Island Swing”. Inevitável a comparação, e é fascinante perceber como a mesma faixa pode proporcionar dois arranjos bastante díspares, cada um encantador ao seu modo. Do OGC5, há um colorido maior da orquestra, aqui no Symphonic Legends, a obra-prima new age ganhou contornos de ternura e serenidade em releitura impressionista de Masashi Hamauzu. Em um dos seus primeiros trabalhos como ex-funcionário da Square Enix, abdicou dos instrumentos de sopro para centralizar toda a atenção nas cordas, e mais ainda no violino de Juraj Cizmarovic e no piano de Benyamin Nuss.

De pé, Cizmarovic inicia a peça com um solo de cortar o coração, enquanto as cordas auxiliam a climatização. O piano começa a desabrochar. Nesse momento (1:04 a 1:36), dá para sentir forte influência da “Final Fantasy XIII – The Promise”. Quando o violino retorna aos holofotes, Nuss passeia por excertos virtuosísticos sublimes. Mais para frente, em dueto de puro entrosamento, pianista e violinista demonstram habilidade. Mais fascinante é como Cizmarovic sustentou a nota aguda no violino antes do desfecho melancólico. É Masashi Hamauzu se revelando também um excepcional arranjador. Como curiosidade, vale mencionar que ele ficou com receio de que Nuss acharia o arranjo muito difícil, mas ficou aliviado quando soube da resposta do pianista: “Está um pouco fácil, quero mais difícil”.

07 – “Pikmin (Variation on a World Map Theme)”
Original: “A Panoramic View”

Composição: Hajime Wakai
Arranjo: Hayato Matsuo

O debute de Pikmin em concertos (nem mesmo figurou nos japoneses) representa a escolha mais inusitada do set list, porque não é uma série tão popular como as demais, embora seja merecedora do espaço, representando a era mais moderna da Nintendo. Bem como a “Radical Dreamers Symphony” do A Night in Fantasia 2009, Matsuo se concentra em somente uma música para apresentá-la sob diferentes nuances da orquestra. “A Panoramic View” nasce alegremente, e o solo de oboé anuncia o amanhecer, seguido da tuba e das trompas, uma marca do arranjador. Mais adiante os trompetes remetem ao tema do filme Rocky (em 2:06), e os metais graves surgem com força novamente, alternando com os clarinetes e flautas. No final, pura singeleza, com a indefectível harpa de Matsuo. Uma agradabilíssima surpresa no fim das contas.

08 – “Super Mario Galaxy (Galactic Suite)”
Originais: “Overture” ~ “Starbit Festival” ~ “Attack! Koopa’s Fleet” ~ “Catastrophe” ~ “Peach’s Castle Stolen” ~ “Egg Planet” ~ “Battle Rock” ~ “Floater Land” ~ “Galaxy Plant”~ “Egg Planet” ~ “Wind Garden” ~ “Arch Nemesis King Koopa” ~ “Battle for Grand Star” ~ “Wind Garden” ~ “Super Mario Galaxy”

Composição: Koji Kondo e Mahito Yokota
Arranjo: Roger Wanamo

De tão diferente musicalmente do restante da série, Super Mario Galaxy ganhou uma suíte exclusiva, sendo a única de uma trilha naturalmente orquestrada, como todas as selecionadas foram tocadas pela Super Mario Galaxy Orchestra. Recriando a experiência de jogo, Wanamo interligou os temas com naturalidade inacreditável.

Apenas o começo da “Overture” é tocada porque você não quer perder tempo na tela-título e jogar logo. “Starbit Festival” surge espontaneamente, e é tragada pelo terror da “Attack! Koopa’s Fleet”, com o aditivo do coral imponente, e tem um significado especial por ser originalmente a “Airship” do Super Mario Bros. 3. “Catastrophe” e “Peach’s Castle Stolen” completam o clima catrastrófico.

Acalmam-se os ânimos para entrarmos na memorável “Egg Planet”, que, prestes a atingir o ápice conflui na maravilhosa “Battle Rock”, e ainda teima a aparecer nas cordas. Muda sutilmente para a “Floater Land”, com a flauta fazendo a voz do timbre agudo da original. O trompete evoca brevemente a “Galaxy Plant”, as cordas “Egg Planet”, e a “Wind Garden” floresce pela primeira vez, mas é esmagada pela “Arch Nemesis King Koopa” e pouco depois a “Battle for Grand Star”, ainda mais bombásticas com o reforço do coral, à moda da “Fateful Decisive Battle” do Super Mario Galaxy 2. A batalha está ganha, e a “Wind Garden” ganha um novo significado com o coro em latim. Para fechar, um trechinho da “Super Mario Galaxy”.

Jamais ouvi o medley com quatro faixas do Press Start 2008, mesmo arranjada pelo próprio Mahito Yokota, e ainda assim declaro desde já a melhor performance do Super Mario Galaxy. O restante é de músicas únicas – “Wind Garden” no PLAY! A Video Game Symphony e “Egg Planet” no Games in Concert 3.

Segundo ato

09 – “The Legend of Zelda (Symphonic Poem)”

I. Hyrulian Child
II. Dark Lord
III. Princess of Destiny
IV. Battlefield
V. Hero of Time

Composição: Koji Kondo e Toru Minegishi
Arranjo: Jonne Valtonen

Quem poderia prever que um ano depois do concerto que apresentou as maravilhas dos segmentos de 18 minutos, teríamos já um número com o dobro de duração? Suíte é suíte e poema sinfônico é poema sinfônico. Não são a mesma coisa, apesar de ambas contarem uma história. Neste caso aqui é como se fosse uma ópera, mas sem letra. Em vez de uma ideia central, há cinco temas, ou estrofes, por assim dizer, para narrarem momentos da epopeia de Link. Há uma distinção clara entre os temas, e cada faixa é desenvolvida de maneira ainda mais rica do que nas suítes, para colocar à prova a criatividade de Jonne Valtonen.

Comecemos então com Hyrulian Child. A “Overworld”, ou tema principal da série como preferir, atinge proporções inimagináveis se arranjada para orquestra – sinceramente duvido que Koji Kondo pensou nisso quando a compôs. Sob o som de sussurros, a música é executada de maneira faustosa em diferentes vibrações. Após o caos das cordas, a “Kokiri Forest” cintila, e o pizzicato me dá a impressão de que a fada Navi está sobrevoando a floresta até dar de cara com o personagem, como na começo de Ocarina of Time. O tema é repetido e desenvolvido exaustivamente. A interpretação majestosa quase emenda no tema, quando viraremos a página para o segundo movimento Dark Lord.

A perversidade de Ganondorf é exprimida no solo do contrafagote, logo ampliada para toda a orquestra em um momento sombrio em que o coral realiza a primeira e explosiva intervenção. É a “Ganondorf’s Theme”, que, mesmo tão simples e curta, foi recriada de maneira incrível, com o coral ainda mais impactante.

No terceiro movimento, Princess of Destiny, usa-se com frequência a celesta para climatizar a realeza de Zelda no Reino de Hyrule. Rapidamente se ouve a “Kokiri Forest” no oboé, e a orquestra explode no esplendor de “Hyrule Castle”. A delicadeza da “Zelda’s Theme” é sentida na flauta e no flautim. E quando entram as cordas então? Que espetáculo! Mais adiante, vem de novo a “Kokiri Forest” em combinação com a “Zelda’s Theme”. Tudo se apazigua, fica um suspense no ar, o coral aparece, e o quarto movimento, Battlefield, se inicia de maneira tranquila e se ouve apenas uma voz…

Que coisa mais fabulosa é essa? Possivelmente o momento mais belo de todo o poema quando a soprano Dita Tarvida entoa a “Light Spirits Theme”, em alternância com o coral. Causou imenso espanto na hora, como o Shades e o Fantasies não utilizaram solos vocais. A partir daí surge uma sucessão alucinante de temas de batalha, em que Ronny Barrak concede maior dinamismo na performance. Até a “Dark World” aparece numa interpretação com andamento bem rápido. Trecho de pura tensão em que se destaca o piano.

Mais uma vez conquista-se a vitória e o quinto movimento Hero of Time inicia-se com o violino de Juraj Cizmarovic. Rapidamente escutam-se “Zelda’s Theme” no fagote e “Kokiri Forest” no oboé, e o tema principal surge primeiro com a orquestra e depois o coral irrompe, rumando até o final grandiloquente.

Provavelmente por não ser um profundo conhecer das trilhas mais recentes da série, acabei sentido falta de algumas músicas icônicas da velha guarda, o que geralmente é o oposto do que acontece, quando prefiro as novidades. Por exemplo, “Kakariko Village” e “The Goddess Appears”. Mas nada fatal. Que se trata de um arranjo sem precedentes, pisando em um terreno onde nenhum concerto de games jamais esteve pela complexidade e ambição, não tenho a menor dúvida. Contudo, pela minha limitadíssima experiência com obras do período romântico, que é a fonte de inspiração do arranjo e nascedouro do formato de poema sinfônico, achei que o número de Zelda exige uma dedicação dos ouvintes maior que o habitual. Como parece ser uma constante nos trabalhos do Jonne Valtonen, é ao longo do tempo, após muitas apreciações, que se consegue absorver tudo.

10 – “Encore (Currendo. Saltando. Ludendo)”
Originais: “Staff Credits” (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker) ~ “Ending Staff Roll” (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption) / “A Panoramic View” (Pikmin) ~ “Ending Staff Roll” (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes) ~ “Ending Staff Roll” (Metroid Prime) ~ “Theme of Super Metroid” (Super Metroid) ~ “Super Mario Galaxy” (Super Mario Galaxy) ~ “Opening” (Star Fox 64) ~ “Super Mario Galaxy” (Super Mario Galaxy) ~ “Overworld” (The Legend of Zelda) / “Big Blue” (F-Zero) ~ “Ending” (Super Mario Bros. 3) ~ “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (Super Mario Galaxy 2)

Composição: diversos
Arranjo: Roger Wanamo

Já vacinado com o bis do Symphonic Fantasies, eu tinha um pressentimento de que haveria um segmento extra. Só não imaginava que traria tantas surpresas, e ainda tão recentes. O tema celta “Staff Credits” de Wind Waker é reproduzido no piano de Nuss, que substitui o timbre de banjo da original, e no darbuka de Ronny Barrak, com direito a solos de flauta e violino, no momento em que entra o State Choir Latvija. Antes mesmo de o tema terminar, o coral entoa nada menos do que a “Ending Staff Roll” do Metroid Prime 3 (com Pikmin bem ao fundo) e a “Ending Staff Roll” do Metroid Prime 2 continuamente para deixar muitos fãs sedentos em relação ao que pode ser feito com as trilhas mais recentes da série. Não acabou ainda a primazia: repare a partir de 1:56 o piano e as flautas tocando a “Ending Staff Roll” do primeiro Metroid Prime!

Com um piano muito mais em evidência que a original, a “Super Mario Galaxy” aparece, com breves intervenções da “Opening” (Star Fox 64) (2:56 a 3:00) e “Big Blue” (2:29 a 3:31) nos trombones. Simultaneamente os trompetes tocam o tema principal de Zelda e de novo a “Big Blue” nas flautas. Amigo, a música na sequência é para enfartar. “Ending” do Super Mario Bros. 3, mesmo tão diminuta, executada com coral em latim. Poderia acabar por aqui, estaria imensamente feliz. Daí me vem com Super Mario Galaxy 2! Isso que o jogo saiu em maio de 2010. Na hora nem reparei dada a emoção: trata-se do trecho da “The Starship Travels” de Mahito Yokota do tema dos créditos “Super Mario Galaxy 2”, mais uma vez com a implementação do coral. Assim que ouvi a suíte do Super Mario Galaxy fiquei sonhando o que o Wanamo não faria com SMG2, cuja trilha gostei mais ainda que a do primeiro. Não poderia imaginar que isso aconteceria no mesmo concerto minutos depois. O final é genial, com o coral entoando “Nintendo”.

Lenda viva dos concertos

A meu ver, a criatividade artística do Symphonic Legends deu um passo além nas experimentações dos predecessores, o que causou reações variadas no público local e em apreciadores de diversas procedências. O produtor Thomas Boecker já sabia disso como comentado em entrevista ao SEMO realizada antes do espetáculo. “Eu nunca quero jogar seguro escolhendo apenas as músicas favoritas dos fãs, e ir pelo caminho mais fácil com arranjos simples o mais próximo possíveis dos originais, apenas para evitar que alguém fique chateado”, diz. “Há sempre espaço para discussões polêmicas – basta voltarmos a pensar no Turrican II do Symphonic Shades ou em todo o conceito do Symphonic Fantasies. Há o risco de que certas pessoas podem não gostar, mas eu prefiro uma discussão saudável sobre os meus concertos do que declarações como ‘bem, ficou bacana’ cada dia”.

Em parte isso é uma consequência natural de o programa ser tão diversificado ao abarcar tantos jogos e estilos dentro da coerência do concerto como um todo. Foi uma ideia bastante arrojada para músicas de jogos da Nintendo, uma produtora essencialmente nostálgica. Digo isso porque é essa nostalgia é muitas vezes evocada em determinadas apresentações de forma superficial e simplória, sem conteúdo.

Enquanto isso, o Symphonic Legends se apresentou como uma substancial jornada pelas principais franquias da Nintendo com momentos de puro êxtase difícil de imaginar em outro concerto, como o coral avassalador de Star Fox, a seleção genial de músicas do Mario, o duo violino e piano de Donkey Kong Country, a soberba viagem galáctica do Super Mario Galaxy, o solo vocal de Zelda, e o tema de encerramento do Mario no número final, para falar de algumas. Tantos momentos memoráveis não acontecem todos os dias em um mesmo concerto de semelhante qualidade de performance, e penso que a maioria dos segmentos deve ser tocada pelo menos alguma vez no Japão.

O lançamento de um CD parece mais improvável do que nunca pelas restrições da produtora, mas caso um dia venha a acontecer será um registro muito bem-vindo de uma das mais formidáveis homenagens musicais que a Nintendo já recebeu.

Agradecido ao Thomas Boecker por todas as informações, ao Fabão pelo detalhe sobre o Twitter do Masashi Hamauzu, e ao Radical Dreamer e DGC pela ajuda na decifragem de faixas executadas.

[imagens via SEMO]

Image via Wikipedia

As you all have noticed lately, I’ve been on a very nostalgic note with my posts. With so many recent releases and announcements of fantastic Nintendo games intended to tie in with or continue past titles, it’s hard to put those amazing memories out of my head. Then again who would want to?

The Legend of Zelda is recognized by the world as one of the few most formative game series ever, any Zelda title is full of fantasy, wonder, action and countless puzzles providing hours of time in front of the TV and/or the portable screen.

However, with the recent announcement of The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, I’m on the verge of a rampage. Although this question has been up for debate among fans of the franchise for many years, like a beach-ball thrown to a crowd of sea lions, what is the correct chronological order of the Zelda game series? The timeline has gone backward, up, down, twist, split and anywhere else but forward. So can we piece together this unsolvable puzzle, it’s worth a shot.

Released in 1986 in Japan, and 1987 in the U.S., The Legend of Zelda was the biggest, most epic game ever. Link, Ganon, princess Zelda and the Tri Force would become beloved Nintendo icons, for generations to come. There was a sequel to this game released the following year called: The Legend of Zelda II: the Adventure of Link. However, this would be the only direct sequel within the series of games to come. The Legend of Zelda had a classic storyline: Link saves Zelda, Link defeats Ganon and peace returns to Hyrule! The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link featured Link as a teen or young adult. However, this Princess Zelda was not the same damsel Link rescued from Ganon’s clutches at the end of the first game, as this Zelda has been asleep for millennia.

Obviously, there was never the Zelda III us fans were expecting. What we did receive with open arms was a prequel on the Super Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which came out four years after Zelda II and far exceeded our expectations. The game went back to its original format but made drastic improvements adding a new Light World/Dark World system and making the game’s plot much more involved. Agahnim, who has usurped the throne, is planning to break the seal made hundreds of years ago by the Seven Sages. The seal was placed to imprison Ganon in the Dark World, which was once the Sacred Realm before Ganon invaded, obtained the legendary Triforce and used its power to turn the realm into a land of darkness. Agahnim intended to break the seal by sending the descendants of the Seven Sages who made the seal into the Dark World. The main objective was to defeat Agahnim, save the seven Maidens  and ultimately defeat Ganon.

Sometime later on the Game Boy we were given Link’s Awakening which was the first portable Zelda game. It seems to take place right after, A Link to the Past, sort of treating it as its own series. After Link’s boat crash caused by a storm, a mysterious owl tells Link that in order to return home, he must awaken the guardian of Koholint—the Wind Fish who is dreaming in a giant egg on top of Tal Tal Mountain and can only be woken by gathering and playing the eight instruments of the Sirens (you know…the norm). Throughout Koholint Island, nightmare creatures attempt to obstruct Link’s quest to awaken the Wind Fish as they wish to rule his dreamworld. After collecting all eight instruments from the eight dungeons across Koholint, Link climbs to the top of the Tal Tal Mountain range and plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish with all eight instruments. This causes the egg where the Wind Fish sleeps to break open, and Link enters to face off against the last evil being, a Nightmare that takes the form of Ganon and other enemies from Link’s past, culminating in a battle with Dethl, a cyclopean dual-tentacled Shadow. After Link successfully defeats Dethl, he plays the Ballad of the Wind Fish and both Link and the Wind Fish awaken; Koholint Island and all its inhabitants slowly disappear. It may sound corny, but I cried at the end, okay!

Moving on to the N64, we find one of the most anticipated games to date: The Ocarina of Time, the first 3D Zelda game. To my dismay, it was another prequel. Upon release, this was said to be the earliest point in the timeline, so all notions of A Link to the Past being the first were shattered.

As a matter of fact, Shigeru Miyamoto, the man responsible for all of these fantastic games, did an interview with Nintendo Power sometime before The Ocarina of Time’s release, stating, “Ocarina of Time is the first story, then the original Legend of Zelda, then Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, then finally A Link to the Past. It’s not very clear where Link’s Awakening fits in. It could be anytime after The Ocarina of Time.”

And so I sit in confusion.

How could it be? A Link to the Past, the last in the series? I had a difficult time comprehending that any game could take place before it. The name A Link to the Past is of course a play on words however it’s also somehow linking a past chain of events. But linking back to what? Ocarina of Time? I don’t know… I’m not one to doubt Miyamoto himself; however, it could have been a simple mistake due to the interview being on the spot. But I suppose I’ll just go ahead and let it go since it’s only a game.

Anyway, back Ocarina of Time. While it has to be a much different Link and Zelda it definitely seems to take place at the beginning, in fact it seems to tie in with A Link to the Past’s back-story and the origin of Ganon. During most of the game, Ganondorf is in human form, but later transforms into the beast, Ganon, as we know him, right before Link’s eyes! Now counting that this is yet another prequel, the game involves time travel making things even more intricate. Much like A Link to the Past’s Light World/Dark World, Link travels between his childhood and seven years into the future where Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule. So young link basically skips over his childhood to become adult Link who then defeats Ganon.

However, Zelda sends Link back so he can have a chance to live the skipped seven years his childhood, and from this ending we received Majora’s Mask, the second Zelda game to appear on the N64. This game is a sequel to the Ocarina of Time, but not a sequel to the ending where Link defeats Ganon, it’s a sequel to when Link gets sent back to when he was a kid. Any speculation of Nintendo ever making a sequel to Zelda II is out of the question. Only one sequel exists in the entire series which follows in consecutive order, instead Nintendo continues to move back, take a small step up, then back again.

We have: a sequel to the original, a prequel to the original, a prequel to the sequel, a prequel to the prequel and a sequel to the young Link of the prequel’s prequel. At this point be my guest if you’d like to make sense of any of this.

Eight years after the last game on a handheld system, Link’s Awakening, two new Zelda games were released for the Gameboy Color: The Oracle of Ages and The Oracle of Seasons. These games (depending on the order which they were played) took place immediately after each other. Although these games could take place after any Zelda game, many fans speculate that they both take place after Majora’s Mask because of the similar characters. Then again many say they both could take place between A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening, or at the very end of the timeline. Still others felt it was another Link entirely.

By this point, the timeline had changed. No longer was it constant among all fans. But no matter where you place the Oracle games, the theme of the series remains true.

However, things got even more screwed up when Wind Waker for the Gamecube appeared. The story followed a young Link on the great sea who has to rescue his sister, helped along by a young pirate girl named Tetra who is later revealed to be this game’s Princess Zelda. Wind Waker’s backstory told how after adult Link defeated Ganon, Ganon returned. But Link is now non-existent because he was sent back seven years where he lives his childhood as young Link, which is where Majora’s Mask picks up. So he basically disappeared from the present time. Ganon is back, but there’s no Link to fight him so all three Goddesses seal Hyrule under the great sea. So this is our big problem: Hyrule is flooded so this game would have to be the end. Nothing could happen later if Hyrule is still flooded, unless is was un-flooded.

So when debating the Zelda timeline, one must either believe in one linear timeline or a split timeline, and of course there’s no generally accepted theory.

A year before Wind Waker’s release, another game was made in the series as an add on as a GameBoy Advanced remake of A Link to the Past. this was the first multi-player game in the franchise: The Four Swords. At the time, many fans believed that since this game was so radically different from the others, it didn’t count. However the idea was soon debunked on the grounds that it was nothing but an excuse not to think. After Four Swords Adventures for the Gamecube its significance increased, having Ganon make an appearance towards the very end. This is where the timeline really unscrewed the piping, since many new possibilities were opened.

Then, The Minish Cap on the Gameboy Advanced tied in with the Four Swords as well, and is believed to take place at the beginning of the timeline. That’s right, another prequel! How far backward can we possibly go? Are Link and Zelda going to become the Adam and Eve of Hyrule?

Although I’m being sarcastic, many fans find it hard to accept any game coming before Ocarina of Time, while I am trying to figure why any game would take place before the only game which has the word “past” in the title. Many other theories place The Minish Cap at the very end, while others clump it together with the Four Sword titles, taking place within the middle of the timeline. Others speculate that the Four Swords, are their own separate series, however many believe the Minish Cap to be the first game in the saga, since its geography corresponds with Ocarina of Time better than that of any other game. Also, it takes place during a time without many Ocarina of Time species being prominent, suggesting that the Kingdom has not yet united all the races. That coupled with the lack of a Temple of Time suggest that it falls several generation before the Ocarina of Time. Not to mention that it explains how Link first got his hat.

But Like any theory, someone has to find a flaw. For example, Moblins appear in the Minish Cap. And Moblins are the pig-like soldiers created by Ganon in his own image. No Ganon, no Moblins! It’s up in the air.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the first Zelda Wii Console installment has no clear place in the timeline. But it’s so awesome it makes you forget all about it. Then there’s The Legend of Zelda: Phantom hourglass, Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword. What a juggernaut of a timeline.

Many have tried countless times to see how each Zelda title could somehow become logically and chronologically connected. And many of you out there can recall quotes, game prologues and instruction manual texts to back up your arguments. That is amazingly impressive. Fans clearly have an intense love for the Zelda franchise, and that’s what drives these theories about the Zelda world.

But let’s pause for a moment and take a look at all these games as a whole, mainly the early ones. If there was some sort of a concrete storyline–a planned out, logical order in the Zelda universe–it would be there clear as day. The creators of The Legend of Zelda, didn’t think about a timeline. Mainly because of pressure from the fans, Nintendo often times injects different aspects into new titles from previous installments, attempting to tie some of them together. But there is no sturdy foundation to do so, it’s simply a puzzle that can’t be solved. Every time fans make headway and piece things together, a new title is released destroying past logical explanations.

We’ve seen Zelda characters in Soulcalibur. And where does Super Smash Brothers tie in? Zelda, Link and Ganondorf are all in that game, so why ignore it? What about the cartoon? What about the amazingly wretched games on the Philips CDi? There was Zelda: the Wand of Gamelon, Link: the Faces of Evil and Zelda’s Adventure. And Princess Zelda had a huge role in those games, why not count those too?

That’s beside the point. The true heart of a Zelda game is the gameplay. If you can’t enjoy the game, then you won’t enjoy the story and characters anyway. The end goal is that the game is fun, challenging, has some unique twists and is a satisfying experience. So instead of looking at all the Zelda games as a whole, look at each one separately. After all, that was the way they were developed; each Zelda game is a different legend and a different experience.  You don’t have to play the first one to understand the third one, or even the fourteenth one for that matter. And that’s really fortunate for those who haven’t been able to play most of the games, which is the case for most people.

Zelda games are not meant to connect right down the line, nor are they intended to tell the entire history of Hyrule. They were meant to be single, fun experiences.

Now I know it makes for great fun to try and solve the Zelda timeline puzzle and it definitely shows creative thinking, which I commend very much. But don’t sweat it, it’s nothing that deserves a loss of sleep, just enjoy the past and future Zelda games to come.

While these actions that take place in the gaming realm are quite suitable for a good cheer, think about what really defines a classic, satisfying, gaming moment. In my viewpoint–and I’m sure many others could agree–it’s the final Boss Battle! Making your way through a great game full of intricate puzzles, baddies and traps only to reach your certain demise or prevail victoriously and conquer is one of gaming’s biggest thrills!

However, within the library of games I’ve played throughout the years, only a few Bosses stand out as truly worthy of a touchdown dance. That triumphant feeling as that familiar pixilated/orchestrated music plays while the credits roll across the screen.

What do I mean by this? Well, of course each video game franchise, such as Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Mario and many others, started out as simply classic games, then made it to their prime as we know the lovable characters today. However, in a world where the internet and other technological advances of the modern era didn’t exist, it was hard to make your way through a game such as the Legend of Zelda. Today, if we get stuck on a level or Boss, we consult almighty Google, and there’s the answer; whereas back in the day it was either run your parents phone bill into the ground or (as I prefer it) pure skill and smarts.

As a simple example, all gamers remember each Bowser battle in the classic SMB for the NES! When Mario completed each world, he’d make his was through each of Bowser’s notorious, sinister castles, becoming progressively more and more difficult as Mario made headway. When world 8 was complete, not only did one have to get through waves of fire whips and lava pits, but we were required to navigate Mario in such a precise pattern on three different platforms before reaching Bowser! And as I mentioned before, guides were out of the question. On top of that you actually had to beat Bowser!

So as you could imagine, the player was satisfied when he/she had officially destroyed the Koopa King.

And so this is where I reach my point. Today it seems as if Bosses have lost their touch in giving us a thrill. Often times, where your onscreen character is supposed to strike in order to overcome the boss is clearly marked with practically a giant target! Also, attack patterns become dreadfully annoying. Must have forgotten to place the red flag up when attempting to mail their application for River dance in the mailbox.

Many villains are often times ruined by commercials or online footage. If it weren’t for massive media attention, I wouldn’t even know how to defeat Dino Piranha on Super Mario Galaxy. Why not shove it in my face while your at it!

In 1992, the world was introduced to it’s latest installment in the Zelda series for the SNES: The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. The entire time, Ganon was the main meanie, and we hadn’t a clue what he looked like or how one should fight him. It was so enthralling to actually be locked in combat with Ganon for the first time. Shouldn’t every boss be that formative?

Video games need to give us a chance to find our true capabilities instead of just laying it all out there. Put some thought into your enemies, make them worthy to fight our heroes with dignity and respect.

Weekly Video Game Podcast – Feb. 24, 2010 <92 mins (84.0 MB)>
^ right click to save

• Jamie Gore and Roberto Panetta (of OKConsole.com)
• HUGE PODCAST! We talk about the big news coming out of the Nintendo Media Summit today. Looks like it will be a massive spring for Mario & Co.
• First round of Hall of Fame results. Why wasn’t Ms. Pac-Man inducted? That may be one for Unsolved Mysteries.
• Is Sony even trying anymore?
• All our sales data comes from www.vgchartz.com
• I’ve also included lists of the numbers from the previous week and the game releases from the previous week because they were not posted here last week.
• Continue reading for all the release dates and expanded sales figure

Video Game Sales for the Week of
February 13, 2010

Game Releases This Week

Microsoft Xbox 360	Deadly Premonition Fret Nice (Xbox Live) Geed Corp. (Xbox Live) Lazy Riders (Xbox Live) Risen Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing
Nintendo DS	Aura-Aura-Climber (DSiWare) Casual Mania Crazy Garage Faceez (DSiWare) Flight Control (DSiWare) Hello Kitty Birthday Adventures Lovely Lisa and Friends Pony Friends 2 Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Super Speed Machines Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s World Championship 2010 Reverse of Arcadia
Nintendo Wii	Crazy Garage Endless Ocean: Blue World Family Go-Kart (WiiWare) GhostSlayer (WiiWare) Mouse House (WiiWare) Pony Friends 2 Sled Shred featuring the Jamacian Bobsled Team Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Winter Blast: 9 Snow and Ice Games
Sony PSP	Metal Slug XX
Sony PS3	Heavy Rain Last Rebellion Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing

Video Game Review
The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
Super Nintendo
1992
Developed by: Nintendo
Published by: Nintendo

If there was any series that people had really big expectations for after the release of the Super Nintendo, it was The Legend of Zelda. Super Mario World was the largest Mario game to date with much upgraded visuals. Unlike Mario, which was a linear experience, the open-world nature of Zelda had people salivating at the potential experiences that could happen. Nintendo did not disappoint and with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, offered one of the best action-RPG experiences on the system.

The game stars Link, although not the same one from the NES games. Link is awoken one night by the voice of Princess Zelda begging for help. Link runs to Hyrule Castle to save the Zelda which has been taken over by the evil wizard Agahnim. After sneaking Zelda away to a sancutary, Link is asked by Zelda to find three mythical pendants so that he can wield the legendary Master Sword to fight the evil wizard. After travelling through Hyrule and obtaining the three pendants, Link gains possession of the Master Sword and goes after Agahnim. At this time, Zelda has been kidnapped again and as Link enters Agahnim’s chamber, Agahnim teleports Zelda to the Dark World; which is a parallel world to Hyrule. Link battles Agahnim in a showdown on top of Hyrule Castle. After Agahnim’s defeat, Link is transported to the Dark World.

Ganon is an evil thief that had gained control of the Triforce many moons ago. The Triforce is an extremely powerful artifact that grants the wishes of those who possess it. Ganon’s evil heart has transformed the once Golden Land into the demented Dark World. The wise men of Hyrule were able to trap Ganon in the Dark World and protect Hyrule from his evil. However, now that Agahnim has captured and sent the seven maiden descendents of the wise men (Zelda being the final one) to the Dark World, the seal has been broken. It is up to Link to find the seven crystals that act as the prison for the maidens to be able to face-off against Ganon, defeat him once and for all, and gain control of the Triforce to restore things back to normal.

Controls are very well done on the SNES controller. The d-pad moves Link around Hyrule’s terrain. The B button swings Link’s sword. The Y button uses the item that’s been selected from Link’s inventory. The X button calls up the map and the A button performs various actions like read and pick up items. The start button pulls up the inventory screen and the select button pauses and allows the game to be saved. The controls work well although there is the odd time where the d-pad movement isn’t as responsive as desired; especially near narrow pathways. There’s going to be the odd time where Link will control like a drunk and he’ll make it a point to fall down the nearest pit. Thankfully, it happens few and far between but it would have been better for this not to happen at all. However, executing attacks with the face buttons are very easy and alternating between the sword and the second weapon during intense battles feels effortless.

The graphics look really good. In fact, outside some of the later games on the system like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario World: Yoshi’s Island, this is one of the best looking games on the system. The world of Hyrule looks gorgeous with everything looking as detailed as possible (or at least as much as possible for a 16-bit console). Even the little things have incredible detail like shadows in the Lost Forest and the moving eyes on the enchanted trees. It makes it feel like Hyrule is a living, breathing world.

The sound is also amazing. The classic Zelda tune sounds incredible. At times, it’s easy to forget that it’s a bunch of midi sounds coming from the grey box and not a full symphony. Most of the music of this game is timeless. There are a couple of sound effects that feel like there wasn’t much effort put in towards their development; like the sound of a soldier that has been alerted by Link’s presence. Some of the effects sound dull and unimaginative. However, for the most part, the sound of the game is very pleasing to the ears and does an outstanding job complimenting the gameplay and the graphics making which makes for one engaging experience.

A Link to the Past is a game the defies normal convention. Those who hate RPG games can still enjoy it because it isn’t of the you-hit-me-then-I-hit-you variety. The action is intense. It also spits in the eye of Nintendo games being cute, cuddly, and adorable to the point of inducing vomiting. This Zelda game can have some downright ugly creatures. The story is fantastic and more engaging than some Hollywood films. The game is near-perfect.

But it isn’t perfect. Although the puzzles in the game are quite creative, when there are areas of the game that don’t have any or don’t require much intelligence, the game becomes rather bland. Some dungeons are more an exercise in progression and item hunting than anything else. The Dark Forest dungeon in the Dark World is lame in the sense that I was able to bowl through it with little difficulty and didn’t even have to enter into some of its rooms. It tries to be difficult with multiple entrances but once you find the dungeon’s item, the map, and the compass (which isn’t that hard), you can make a beeline for the castle’s boss without much difficulty. There are other castles that don’t pose much of a challenge and are feel a bit flimsy like the Desert Castle in the Light World. When there are no puzzles to solve, it feels like A Link to the Past is a bit light on gameplay.

Then again, when you’re surrounded by puzzles, the game shines. The Water Temple, the Ice Temple, and Turtle Rock are all impressive dungeons that require quickness with the sword and the mind. The Tower of Ganon is a stellar castle that is incredibly challenging due to all the traps. The game is really creative in some of the puzzles crafted which requires you to be quite cunning in finding the solution. It’s not trying-to-solve-a-Rubik’s-Cube-blindfolded difficult but this isn’t a game where you can run straight through hacking and slashing with the Master Sword and expect a quick victory.

That is, with one notable exception; the final fight with Ganon. From a cinematic perspective, it’s pretty cool. However, it feels a little anticlimactic in that it isn’t all that difficult. It kind of feels like a cheap victory. I would have thought that someone who has control of an object with incredible power like the Triforce wouldn’t be defeated in a matter of seconds. Regardless, even though it’s not an epic battle in terms of difficulty or even duration, it still feels monumental. Before the battle and after Ganon’s defeat, the game is able to present an atmosphere that makes it feel extremely special.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an incredible game. It is one of the best in the series and is a masterpiece of action-RPG games. However, it does have its issues. It could have been more well-rounded and the final battle could have been more challenging (especially considering the level of difficulty of the final dungeon). Still, it is a fantastic game where most should do themselves a favour and play it for themselves. Nintendo has made the game available throughout the generations on the portable platforms and on home consoles; most recently on the Wii through the Virtual Console service. It is a remarkable 2D action-RPG and it a strong addition to anyone’s library.

☆☆☆☆

(This is an assignment I did for my Writing in Virtual Worlds and Games class, posted on my personal blog with permission. I have made minor changes to the text and images.)

Background Information

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the third game in The Legend of Zelda franchise and was developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  It was released in the United States in April 1992 to great commercial and critical success.  The game sold nearly five million copies on the Super Nintendo alone and has a 92.78% on the GameRankings review aggregator.

Technical Details

When The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was released in 1992, it was twice as large as most other Super Nintendo games, requiring a then-gargantuan one megabyte cartridge. Even so, the engineers at Nintendo had to invent many tricks and tweaks to fit the entire game on a single Super Nintendo cartridge.

Nintendo ported A Link to the Past to the portable Game Boy Advance in 2002. There were numerous changes made to the game, with the most significant additions being a new dungeon and an entire four-player “cooperatively-competitive” multiplayer mode dubbed Four Swords.

In 2007, A Link to the Past was made available on the Wii’s Virtual Console service.

Gameplay

While the exact terminology for the franchise’s genre is up for debate, The Legend of Zelda games incorporate a mixture of action and role playing elements.  The game is played from a two-dimensional, overhead perspective. The overworld is large and contains many hidden items, while completing dungeons advances the game and provides rewards and challenges for players.

The main character, Link, has limited health, represented by hearts in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Link’s standard attack is a sword swing, though A Link to the Past introduced a powerful spin move that requires the sword button to be held down and charged before use. The player also can use a variety of weapons and items to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. Defeated enemies can drop rupees, the game’s system of currency, which are used to buy items and consumables such as bombs and arrows.

Rules and Objectives

The most basic rule in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is if Link runs out of hearts, he dies and the player is forced to restart.  Enemies, holes, and traps are a few examples of obstacles the player must avoid to prevent losing health.

The first portion of the game tasks the player with finding three pendants located in dungeons scattered throughout the overworld in order to find and wield the Master Sword. The second part of the game revolves around rescuing Princess Zelda and six “maidens” from seven more dungeons. Finally, after saving Zelda, the final dungeon becomes available.

Every dungeon follows a pattern that anyone who has played a contemporary Legend of Zelda game will find instantly familiar. After finding the dungeon’s location on the overworld, the first task for the player is to find the “big key,” which is usually necessary for both opening the chest containing the dungeon’s special item and opening the door to the boss room. This is done while the player navigates through the often labyrinthine and large dungeons featuring many difficult puzzles and enemies.

Outside of dungeons, there are many optional side quests to participate in. Most of these quests lead to pieces of heart, and if four are collected Link gains a higher maximum health level. These upgrades are generally optional, but can make the game much easier.

Variety

Nintendo made a number of design decisions in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to slightly change the experience and keep it fresh throughout the game. Players are given access to a number of strange weapons that include a staff that creates pushable, remote-detonating blocks used for puzzle solving and a medallion that calls lightning from the sky, causing tremendous damage against enemies. Link’s tunic and shield can be upgraded for extra protection along with the boomerang and Master Sword.

Nearly every dungeon in the game has its own interesting style and gameplay challenges, usually centering on the special item located within. The dungeon containing the fire rod has a horror theme, with unique enemies including mummies and disembodied hands that fall from the ceiling.  The ice dungeon’s floors are often completely covered in ice, making progress through the labyrinth difficult. Each dungeon ends with a different boss monster that requires new tactics to defeat. Towards the end of the game, a few of the early bosses reappear as mini-bosses that are much more difficult than they were in the first encounter.

One element that was first introduced with A Link to the Past is the inclusion of alternate “Light” and “Dark” worlds; this concept of world duality would not only be echoed in future Legend of Zelda titles, but also extend to other Nintendo franchises such as Metroid.  The Dark World, which becomes fully accessible after receiving the Master Sword, gives players a familiar but much more challenging environment to explore and allows the use of switching between the light and dark realms to solve puzzles or access new, previously inaccessible areas.  The Dark World is much more sinister than the Light World that is the basis of the first section of the game.  Skulls litter the ground and the entire overworld is covered with an oppressive gloom. This change in scenery gives players further incentive to finish the game.

Audience

As with almost any Nintendo franchise, The Legend of Zelda games have always appealed to a wide variety of people and A Link to the Past is no different.  The game is suitable for all ages and skill levels due to the lack of realistic violence or other “mature” content while also managing to be mechanically simple and not particularly difficult.

Experience

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past has three distinct aspects to the core gameplay that often intertwine. The integration and execution of the games’ combat, puzzle solving, and exploration are all important parts of what makes the series unique.  The game consists of a constant stream of varied situations based on those three elements that give players a constant and satisfying sense of accomplishment.

Sources

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for SNES – GameRankings”. GameRankings. 22 Feb. 2010 http://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588436-the-legend-of-zelda-a-link-to-the-past/index.html.

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_A_Link_to_the_Past.

“Zelda Universe – A Link to the Past”. Nintendo of America. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. http://www.zelda.com/universe/game/past/.

My mind, clouded with Zelda memories, missed one critical flaw in my theory: Mario was good in 3D, but it was a completely different game. Sadly, Ocarina was a completely different game, too. Little did I know this would change the series forever.

The late ’90s brought changes to some older titles, but redoing existing franchises with different styles of play started before that. After the original Legend of Zelda, they immediately started experimenting with Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. You still explored the map and defeated enemies to find items which would help you progress to new areas. However, this game featured side-scrolling action sequences and an RPG-style leveling system. I did enjoy Zelda 2 a lot, but it was a very different game.

Along with Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 2 (at least in the US) and Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest were both experiments with new gameplay styles. When all three of these titles reached their third game, however, they more closely resembled their respective originals.

Other titles, like Mega Man, had a slower progression. Its second through fourth games added new elements but kept the same core gameplay. Later on, Mega Man entered the world of 3D, and then it was no longer Mega Man; it was a different, 3D game that featured the same character. In much the same way, Super Mario 64 was not a Super Mario Bros. style game; it was Mario starring in a different game that was 3D.

Thankfully, both of those titles returned to their 2D roots with the downloadable Mega Man 9 and New Super Mario Bros. for the DS and Wii. Castlevania survived in 2D on portable systems, but its 3D console outings ranged in quality from OK to horrible. Zelda made some 2D portable attempts, but they all seemed to contain a gimmick. Here’s Zelda…but with a stylus. Here’s Zelda…but with a train. Here’s Zelda…but you need two cartridges. Here’s Zelda…but with four Links. I think Minish Cap has been the closest to a true top-down Zelda game, but Flagship developed it.

The question this creates for me is: Should Nintendo and other developers experiment on existing franchises by changing their style of gameplay, or should they use these ideas to create new intellectual properties? For example, what if Ocarina of Time had bombed? Would it have taken the Zelda franchise down with it, or would Nintendo have just gone back to putting out 2D Zelda titles? What if Nintendo decided to use a brand new IP for experimenting with their first 3D action-adventure game instead of risking the Zelda name? Would the game have been as successful or as critically acclaimed? I’m not sure, but at least we wouldn’t have two sets of completely different gameplay sharing the same Zelda title.

On the opposite end, Castlevania for the Nintendo 64 was not critically acclaimed and clearly didn’t benefit the franchise. However, if it was a new IP, could it have turned out better? It wouldn’t have had certain restraints such as trying to force a 3D whip mechanic, which was difficult to do early on in the world of 3D development. Of course, it’s also possible that it only sold because of the Castlevania title attached to it.

Maybe people like me — who purchase every game with a certain name — are the problem, and that’s why we still get old franchise games with new gameplay instead of new IPs. I’m still of the opinion that Ocarina of Time should have been a new franchise, and Zelda should have stayed true to its roots. As for now, Ganondorf can keep her. Call me when I can fight pig Ganon, top down, with real controls. I don’t want any styluses or dungeons that I have to keep going back to and repeating the same tasks I already did.

No trains either.

Or boats.

Before I get into that, let’s take the wayback machine to 1994, the days of the Super Nintendo. This was the year Super Metroid came out and just a couple years after The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was released. These are two of my favorite games of all time, which makes sense because they are both fairly similar. You start in a place that begs to be explored, fighting enemies and gathering items to progress further and explore more areas where you fight enemies and gather items. This, along with good controls and a good underlying plot are key components to the formula for great gaming, at least in my opinion. Most important of all is the exploration. These are considered action and adventure games, correct?

Now let’s go back to 2002 and my horror of the extremely linear Metroid Fusion. Having a map is one thing, but when it says “hey, good job, you got this item, so now go here,” that’s disturbing. This removes the most important part of the formula, the exploration. Sure they’re not telling you where everything is, but why even bother having a giant map to explore? If you’re going to tell me where I should go next, just make it Super Mario Bros. style and have world 1-1, 1-2, and so on.

This trend has continued through the Prime series with the (thankfully optional) hint system. Even the Zelda series has turned from action adventure to just action. One of the best downloadable titles this year was Shadow Complex, and it could have been the title of the year were it not for the way it holds your hand throughout the game. Again, it is possible to find plenty more hidden items by exploring, but this does not encourage players, especially those new to the genre, to snoop around for things that might not be in plain sight. One of the most enjoyable parts of those Metroidvania games were when you’d accidentally stumble upon something while trying to progress further in the game.

There’s an easy solution to this: make these hand holding hints optional. There was internet furor over the Nintendo Super Guide which was introduced in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but was the commotion really necessary? First of all the feature is optional, in fact it’s only available after you’ve died on one level eight times. Secondly this is not a game with much exploration, and even still those portions of the game are not revealed in the Super Guide.

Meanwhile an entire genre is being hijacked with “go here next” signs all over their maps. This is a feature that can easily be made optional. Metroid Prime did it seven years ago. Am I saying that there shouldn’t be mini maps with arrows and icons? No, I couldn’t imagine games like Oblivion, Assassin’s Creed or GTA without them. That’s not what those games are about. However, if it’s an exploratory game don’t tell me where I should be exploring.

Until then my suggestion is to do what I do and go everywhere except where the map tells you to.

It is with great trepidation that I come to this review of Nintendo’s classic game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

There is no perfect introduction to this great work of art that has ignited so many imaginations; a game that has danced in the minds of young children with magic and possibility. I know this because I rehearsed them all in my head a hundred times before I could even sit down and write this, and each one of them – in the nicest possible way – failed to encapsulate the full gamut of what this game represents to Gaming as a whole.  How do you review something that you know will outlive you? How do you review…a Legend?

Well, you can start by slinging a few tired cliches. Let’s call them ‘adages’ for legitimacy’s sake.  There are two adages that spring to mind when playing A Link to the Past:

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

AND

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Zelda games are 3-D now, but graphical updates aside, scant little of them have strayed from the indelible watermark set by this game.  It may as well be set in stone: the multi-level dungeons, the hookshot we all take forgranted, the Pegasus Boots, the MASTER SWORD, the Spin Attack, HYRULE CASTLE – THE HUB OF THE ENTIRE SERIES, Nintendo’s now-infamous Light World/Dark World theme (or in broader terms, travelling between two parallel worlds) – all emerged for the first time right here.  Even the fan-favourite Ocarina has its origins here, though the English translation yielded only the word ‘flute’ (presumably the Western gaming world was not yet ready for the word ‘ocarina’). Zelda‘s musical landscape as you now know it – “Zelda’s Lullaby” (Princess Zelda’s Theme), “Ganondorf’s Theme”, “Hyrule Castle”, “Kakariko Village”, “Fairy Cave” (better known as THE SELECT SCREEN SONG) – was brought into being by Koji Kondo for this game. Even Link’s wide sword swing had its genesis in – you guessed it – A Link to the Past. So little has changed because so little needed changing. If any Zelda game or game *period* deserved a dubious 10 out of 10, it was this one.

Speaking of dubious 10s, The Ocarina of Time is a sacred cow that I take great pleasure in sacrificing on a regular basis. Those familiar with this particular habit of mine; feel free to roll your eyes knowingly at this point.  But when the two games sit right next to each other on my Virtual Console, comparisons are going to be made.  Ocarina of Time is, for all intents and purposes, A Link to the Past in 3-D.  It was not the revolutionary trend-setter 19-year-old Nintendophiles claim it to be.  It’s barely evolutionary, and its ‘innovations’ – context-sensitive buttons; NAVI, YOUR HELPFUL FAIRY GUIDE – loathe as you may be to admit it, could well be the reason you have to sit through a compulsory three-minute tutorial before you can play Wii Sports Resort. The introduction of one of Gaming’s most irritating support characters was the first of many steps towards Nintendo’s long-term stupefication of the gaming population. Z-Targeting meant a lot to 3-D games, but only insofar as it made what was already a simple task in 2-D games tolerable on an additional axis. Like the fifth generation consoles themselves, the shift to 3-D was completely arbitrary. I don’t know what flavour Kool-Aid we were drinking, but all of a sudden we were willing to lay down Super Street Fighter II for Battle Arena Toshinden, Sonic 3 for Crash Bandicoot, Tetris for Tetrisphere.

And Link to the Past for Ocarina of Time.

Never mind the fact that these mechanics work better in two dimensions; never mind the garish, jagged, polygonal puppet show before you; it’s in 3-D, kids!

Why do I feel the need to tear strips off Ocarina of Time – a great videogame adored by thousands (millions even?) – for a Link to the Past review?  Think of me as a critical Robin Hood, robbing the rich to feed the poor. Earlier I alluded to a very vocal segment of the gaming population, the circa-19-year-old gamer whose first videogame console was the Nintendo 64, to whom Ocarina of Time represents the dearest experience one can have with a controller (albeit an absolutely terrible one). To those people, please understand that it is not my desire to stomp all over your childhood memories, I merely seek to contextualise the pedestal you place them on. The fifth console generation coincided with the rise of the internet, and so unanimously lauded franchise entries reached critical mass very, very quickly. Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario 64, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – all new entries to long-standing franchises; all made relatively successful transitions to the third dimension; all were the first of their respective series to appear on the fifth generation of consoles; all were hyped like hell on a worldwide scale by online and print media – all received unanimous critical praise, and all have been claimants to the title of “Greatest Game of All Time”. Gamers today are no strangers to “Sequel Syndrome”, nor its dark brother “sequelitis”, and so I’m sure you can appreciate the powerful effect this had when unleashed on the international consciousness for the first time. Again, that’s not to belittle the achievements of these great titles, but the fifth generation of console owners had found their international voice for the first time, and that voice was saying “[Franchise Sequel X] is the Greatest Game of All Time” on a semi-regular basis. Those that had experienced previous console generations and earlier iterations may have perceived Franchise Sequel X in a different light, instead approaching it in the wider context of their place in the series as a whole.  Had the internet reached critical mass in say, the late 80s, we might have proclaimed “Final Fantasy III/Metal Gear 2/Super Mario Bros. 3/The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the Greatest Game of All Time” upon release.  And we may have been right.  But that’s not the point – the point is that the current Loudmouths of Gaming first owned a Nintendo 64 and their Greatest Game of All Time is Ocarina of Time.  I disagree.  I put my own bias under scrutiny, however, with the admission that I reached the “golden age” for gaming (that’s eight years old) during the 16-bit era and my first console was the Sega Megadrive.  And so this could easily be [mis]interpreted as generational walking-stick-waving at good-fer-nuthin’ whippersnappers who don’t know no better.  “In my day we played real games with real difficulty, no tutorials, and graphics that don’t look ugly as fuck in retrospect, and we walked barefoot eight miles to school every day in the blistering snow” and so on and so forth. Well guess what?  I missed out on A Link to the Past during the 16-bit era.  I played A Link to the Past for the first time via the Wii Virtual Console.

Now, whenever I ask [goad/provoke/whip into a frenzy] OOT fans just what it is that makes the game worthy of ‘Greatest Game of All Time’ status, they are happy to provide me with a laundry list of reasons.  However, it wasn’t until I played A Link to the Past that it occurred to me: a vast majority of the things they loved about Ocarina were present in the series before Ocarina. To be precise, most of the things they loved about Ocarina of Time were introduced in A Link to the Past.  The rest centred around nostalgia or something else unquantifiable like watching a Hyrulian sunrise for the first time (which, by the way, sounds like a great name for a drink). None of these things are enough to melt this cold, cold heart.  Now, if someone was to craft a compelling argument citing OOT‘s contributions to the development of Hyrulian anthropology, that is something I could get behind.  But in pure gaming terms, I’d have to award my “Best of Series” to A Link to the Past.  Now falls to me the thankless task of convincing you.

Let’s begin by revisiting one of my earlier statements:

‘[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is] a great work of art  that has ignited so many imaginations…’

Recently I likened creative genius to a bag of Pop Rocks, buzzing and crackling with ideas and potential – it’s a strange feeling, to be sure, but damn if it doesn’t feel great.  Now, Miyamoto is credited with most of these – it’s difficult to tell with the Japanese – certainly he was [and is, and probably always will be] ‘the fall guy’, taking responsibility for the team’s collective brilliance and blunders.  Regardless, Link to the Past bursts at the seams with all the vitality of an art form that’s never been done before.  There’s a sense that these guys are creating their own rules; their own language; and quite frankly, it’s exciting.  Those who travel to the Dark World without the aid of the Moon Pearl transform into a creature befitting of their nature, in Link’s case, a pink rabbit.  The Book of Mudora can be used to translate ancient Hylian runes.  A curse that threatens to ‘halve’ your magic bar actually doubles it.  What kind of topsy-turvy world is this? At this point I was willing to accept that the helpful sage, Sahasrahla, might communicate his cryptic clues via wall-intercom; though others seem to put this down to telepathy; or even something as unremarkable as wall plaques (spoilsports!).

“…and User of Intercoms!”

Returning to the rest of that sentence:

‘[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is] a game that has danced in the minds of young children with magic and possibility.’

I’ll make that more specific for you: Link to the Past is the quintessential boy’s game.  It’s packed with the things that boys love to do.  One need only look as far as Link’s inventory screen to realise this: a sword, a shield, a bow and arrow, a mallet, a boomerang, a grappling hook, BOMBS, and a BUG-CATCHING NET. Let’s focus for a second on the bug-catching net.  Nothing appeals to my boyish mischief more than catching a fairy in my bug-catching net and being asked by the game:

“you have caught a faerie!  Would you like to:
→ Keep it in a bottle
→ Set it free?”

What kind of boy wouldn’t take the first choice? A fairy boy, that’s what! I chuckle evilly as I stuff the helpless creature in its glass prison. It tries to get out, but I knock it back in and press the lid down tight. I shake it up a little to let it know who’s boss. I put breathing holes in the lid of course! Then I stuff the jar in my rucksack. My childhood was filled with stuff like this – I have a fairly amusing story of a boomerang that flew into a tree and disappeared (a MAGIC BOOMERANG, if you will) – and who here hasn’t fashioned a sword, or bow and arrow out of wood to fight with their brothers? Who hasn’t tied a stick to a length of rope and swung it onto the roof? Who hasn’t – with their friends – pooled together resources from their fathers’ garages to make a bomb and set it off in the park?

Ummm…nevermind.

Link to the Past lets you do all of these things and more without fear of reprisal from disapproving and fun-hating adults – mischief is encouraged! Where do I sign?! A Link to the Past is A Link to Your Past; it taps into your boyhood fantasies* and imaginary play, and coming at this game for the first time as a full-grown man (debatable, I know), I can say that its effect is profound. It doesn’t rely on nostalgia, it evokes nostalgia.

* Sorry ladies, how about…Animal Crossing?

ALTTP reminds me of another ‘toy’: Rubik’s Cube. The entire game is a puzzle, from the Hyrulian overworld to the deepest dungeon. You can view the puzzle holistically (from a ‘helicopter view’, if you will), then by working away at a particular section, the puzzle begins to open up to you. And when you discover the secrets of a dungeon or a map, it feels as though they’re opening only to you. It’s all a clever ruse, of course, as they’re often necessary to completing the game, but this is a feeling distinctly missing from all subsequent Zelda titles. The Navis and the Midnas of the 3D Zeldas robbed me of any cleverness I might have had, and for the most part secrets have now been relegated to ancillary discoveries. In A Link to the Past, the dungeons themselves are the puzzles. And while the game does bottleneck at points (most notably at its beginning and end) – like Rubik’s Cube, there’s no ‘correct’ order of completion. The design encourages a particular dungeon order, but it does not force one, which is, you know, kinda nice. Multiple routes means you can skirt most of the overworld from the start, despite not being able to access it in its entirety. It’s not a case of “what are you doing here?! You’re not allowed in this area yet!” More like, “I wonder how I can get over there…” As you gain new items on your dungeon crawl, new paths begin to open up in your mind, and you begin to see how the Rubik’s Cube fits together. Then you start getting real clever, when you can exploit the subtle differences between the Light World and its Dark World counterpart, switching between the two at will.

Light World/Dark World

The Hyrule of Link to the Past is the perfect size: open enough to explore from the very beginning, but dense enough so as to prevent getting lost or bored, with enough *just* beyond your grasp to keep things intriguing. The place is a veritable hive of activity, where stuff actually happens. Guards are constantly scouring the streets and forests for you, thieves are trying to rob you, and the villagers are trying to run from you. The landmarks are distinct and memorable, and it ranks as the only incarnation of Hyrule I’ve ever memorised incidentally. By comparison, Ocarina of Time (et. al) may as well be a barren wasteland (the original Hyrule was intentionally a wasteland, in line with its narrative**).

Hyrule will never be the same again.

While we’re on the boredom score, what other Zelda game throws you headlong into its main dramatic situation from the outset? None, that’s what! **The original game didn’t have a dramatic situation at all per sé, instead motivating players through its over-arching narrative of survival and exploration, and power to it – but every other Zelda game opens with a whimper that can only come from performing menial tasks for village idiots. Link to the Past opens with a telepathic distress call from the titular princess. You receive your sword immediately from your dying uncle, and head directly to Hyrule Castle for the rescue. There are, of course, other forces at work, lest the game be finished within its first half-hour, but no time is wasted on Navi-coddling (“hey, listen!”) or training (welcome to Link’s Crossbow Training – who’da thunk they’d ever make a full game out of it?).

Like most elements of this game, the combat is nuanced enough to be satisfying, but simple enough to keep things in perspective. There’s less dicking around in the item-switching department, for one.  Power gloves and flippers kick in at will when required, while boomerangs, arrows, bombs or hooks can be fired in tandem with sword-swinging without overtaking your primary aim (compare this to say, Twilight Princess, where the world virtually stops for you to take the shot). That’s not to say it’s a cakewalk, either – indeed, if you’re not on your A-game, you can find yourself in a very tight spot, scrounging for hearts wherever you can.  The combat is never drawn out; rather it’s a vehicle for further puzzling. In this way it’s similar to one of the truly great 2-D-to-3-D migrations, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – combat is a pace-changer but not a pace-breaker.

Unlike those 3-D adventures, however, Link to the Past‘s combat isn’t lumbered with an invisible tractor beam in the field of battle. Z-targeting was Ocarina‘s ‘solution’ to its own camera-wrangling problem, praised for its ‘innovation’ – what it *was* was a sufficient stop-gap, not a praiseworthy one. Would you praise a biochemist for providing the cure to the flesh-eating virus of his own creation? Would you thank a snake for biting you and then slipping you the anti-venom vial? No, you’d be relieved perhaps, if not slightly annoyed at the inconvenience, before you dust yourself off and be on your way. And so it is with a mixture of relief and annoyance that I approach the Past and ask the Snake [Nintendo]: why bite in the first place if you’re not going to make a meal of it? Why create a flesh-eating virus if not to wipe out millions?

If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Repare que foram raras as vezes em que fiz posts sobre as trilhas da série Zelda. O problema é que a maioria das performances sofre da síndrome de Mario, que reduzem todo um universo musical para um tema, a “Overworld” de The Legend of Zelda. Mas esse apego ao óbvio definitivamente não passa pela mente das orquestras amadoras japonesas.

A Last Elixir Wind Orchestra, em mais uma prova de talento, fez um medley de cerca de cinco minutos, selecionando músicas quase nunca lembradas, mas que sempre estiveram lá, suplicando para serem arranjadas. Algumas (bem poucas) transições, sempre elas, são feitas subitamente, mas no meu modo de ver são aceitáveis porque a sequência de faixas recria a experiência de jogo.

Isso fica comprovado logo no início. Depois da entrada triunfante do tema da tela-título “Title”, vem a “Select Screen”. Não entendo como costumavam ignorar uma música tão bela – e tão simples também.  Porém, é acompanhada por notas esparsas na flauta que imitam o som de mudança de letras enquanto você escolhe o seu nome. É um mero detalhe que nunca vi feito dessa forma, e denota a criatividade da LEWO.

Em seguida vem a aclamada “Overworld”, que transita vagarosamente para a singela “Forest” até a fanfarra “Master Sword Demo”. A “Dark World” vem logo após, encerrando com a melodia na flauta entoada pelo Flute Boy (atenção para o spoiler no vídeo), outro detalhe pontual altamente nostálgico. Uma pausa, e aparece a pompa de “Hyrule Castle”, emendada no nervosismo da “Boss ~BGM~”. Batalha vencida, o tilintar dos tímpanos abre a estrada para comemoração “Boss Clear Fanfare”. Totalmente espetacular!

Senti a ausência de duas músicas fundamentais: “Kakariko Village” e “Dark Mountain Forest”, mas uma coisa de cada vez. Foram tantas lembranças de faixas ignoradas que nem consigo protestar com tanta força pela criatividade de seleções e da performance do medley.

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Medley”

“Title” ~ “Select Screen” ~ “Overworld” ~ “Forest” ~ “Master Sword Demo” ~ “Dark World” ~ “Hyrule Castle” ~ “Boss ~BGM~” ~ “Boss Clear Fanfare”

Viraram epidemia os arranjos líricos da série Zelda. Depois do sueco Fredrik Larsson mostrar uma criatividade rara em seu “Wind Waker Unplugged”, o filipino Diwa de Leon me vem com uma performance vocal curiosa das músicas de A Link to the Past, eventualmente tocando violino. Levei um susto de início, mas não é o que ficou bacana?

Mais uma descoberta de Link Prandoni.

- “Legend of Zelda Medley”

“Overworld” ~ “Dark World” ~ “Dark Mountain Forest” ~ “Kakariko Village” ~ “Overworld”

Por Claudio Prandoni

Mais uma fantástica arte do Orioto. Difícil escolher uma preferida, mas ouso dizer que a minha é esta aqui, baseada no comecinhozinho do The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Não só é um jogo que marcou demais a minha juvenilidade infância, mas a recriação da atmosfera de mistério e perigo iminente ficou absurdamente genial e impactante em minha opinião.