Behind the Rupees: Lure of the Loot

Read my latest article here:

http://www.zeldauniverse.net/content/view/457/258/

Heh, don't feel bad buddy, I used to be able to draw anything, now I'm stuck writing

Very nice article, I would say one of your better, simply because you brought along your topic in an interesting manner. While I don't agree with you entirely, I kinda feel where you're coming from, so nice job as usual.

I don't fully agree with this article, but then again, I don't normally fully agree with any article that anyone writes XD.

On a note, I'm the same with the drawing. Couldn't draw then, even worse now.

That was a very beautiful article, lord-of-shadows. Very emotional from a Zelda fan's point of view. I know where your coming from when you talk about zelda items. Actually, they have become more of a chore to collect, but still they are fun to use.

This article reminded me that we need a couple of good, solid trade sequences in every future title. Nice job, as usual.

Niiiiiice. I really like this article. The items and the adventuring are some of the great lures of Zelda.

Originally Posted by lord-of-shadow

But around the time of OoT – and even earlier, with LA and it’s secret seashells – they gradually started moving away from that method. Nowadays, items and tools are always found in dungeons, or storyline events. The thrill of discovery is gone, wiped out, and along with it goes the incentive to explore, one of the hallmarks of the Zelda series.

When Zelda moved from 2D to 3D, the sense of exploration did fizzle a little. You very rarely find major items anymore outside of dungeons. One of the things I liked about ALLTP was that there were areas that you could see, but you couldn't quite get to, which fueled the sense of adventure. I walked all the way around Lake Hylia to get the Ice Rod, but I never knew if there were islands. When I got the Zora's Flippers, that was the first thing I checked out. More exploration.

I mean, look at Death Mountain (ALLTP). That area is filled with "pointless" caves, there for the sake of exploration. Part of the fun of exploring Death Mountain was entering the cave and just seeing what was down there. Most of the time, nothing. Sometimes, a Piece of Heart.

I've gone off tangent a little. I think they've really cheapened the exploration aspect of the games by rewarding us with Skulltulas or Kinstones. Travelling through dark caves to find an important item... Well, it just feels more rewarding to me.

Good article. *thumbs up*

I enjoy reading your articles, l-o-s; they often trigger a rush of nostalgia for me. Seeing those drawings forced me to smile. I remember having all these thoughts and ideas that in retrospect seem way too cheesy but at the time they were the coolest things in the world.

Sadly, I didn't have the same sort of experience with ALttP that you had. The game's Zelda Magic- which I know it has- didn't influence me. I never had an SNES, so before the game was ported to GBA I thought I'd never get around to playing it, but I was greatly intrigued by it. I read tons of stuff about the game, from the blurb in the OoT guide to the ALttP info sections on fansites. When I finally played the game on GBA I was excited and I had fun, but I just didn't feel that magic quality, that essence that would completely immerse me in the world of the game. But I did feel an overwhelming amount of that quality in LA and OoT in particular, and I do remember that thrill that comes from finding new stuff.

Inventories in Zelda games have been going downhill recently. The inventory in TWW, for example, is horrible. The major items, with few exceptions, feel like keys, not tools/toys. You'd just use the newest item to trigger a few switches in its dungeon, then you use it to expose the boss's weakness, then you forget about it for the most part. Using it wasn't really fun in itself, and it didn't really require skill.
Then there was all that dumb collectible junk. I remember looking up in one Forest Haven room when I was replaying the level, and noticing an accesible area I hadn't seen before. I used the Grappling Hook and Deku Leaf to reach those higher platforms and I found a chest. I opened the chest to discover... another stupid Joy Pendant. I mashed the A and B buttons hoping they would magically make that wretched text disappear for once, and then I moved on, slightly disappointed.

To me, the Secret Seashells weren't bad. It was cool finding one when I wasn't expecting to find anything, and when I found enough I was rewarded with an awesome new sword that shot beams. But unfortunately, Nintendo has overused that concept of rewarding the gamer with rather useless collectible stuff, and it's been getting worse with each game. In OoT I'd feel like I'd accomplished something when I'd get a Piece of Heart. In MM and TWW, I sometimes groan when I get a Piece of Heart. It feels like the developers are saying, "Good job, but we don't have anything better to give you than this. Oh well, you can always use another Piece of Heart!"

I'm worried about Twilight Princess in some regards. I know it's going to be awesome, but if the game doesn't fix some of the flaws evident in recent Zeldas, then it would apparently mean that Nintendo doesn't realize they are flaws, and that Nintendo has indeed lost sight of some of the aspects that made the older Zeldas so wonderful.

Originally Posted by Hylian Dan

In OoT I'd feel like I'd accomplished something when I'd get a Piece of Heart. In MM and TWW, I sometimes groan when I get a Piece of Heart.

You might want to try avoiding The Minish Cap then.

I agree with everything you said in your article l-o-s.

S'good. Although "You’ll probably think I’m either insane or a genius, depending on your own grasp of reality." seems a little OTT. I mean, I wouldn't compare even Miyamoto to, say, Hannibal Lecter or Newton.

In OoT both the Fire and Ice arrows are hidden. You don't need them to finish the game. WW had the magic armor. But I see what you are talking about because ALTTP had I believe 6 things that are not needed to complete the game (not counting the bottles or cloths)

That's a fair point. I never really noticed it, but now that you pointed it out, you're quite right. It's gotten exponentially less important as the games progressed, uniqueness is important, I suppose. What we can do now is hope that Twilight Princess will have some nice unique weapons, like the one's of old. But I doubt it, to be honest.

Of course, remind yourself that the Harp of Ages and the Rod of Seasons was a nice little original touch