Despite Breath of the Wild being recognised as a masterpiece, its storytelling aspects are one of its most criticised elements. Given the nature of its narrative, and how Link finds himself awakening a century after the world began to fall apart, it’s natural that a number of critical characters have either perished, moved on, or just aren’t part of the picture anymore. It’s a lonely game, but deliberately so.
The Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a weird reputation. On the one hand, most of the games are generally enjoyable, offering a fun mix of puzzle-solving and platforming . However, the spin-off series tends to struggle to trigger any significant excitement, and a new release’s announcement tends to be treated with a shrug rather than a cheer. The 2024 release is not an exception, although it does benefit slightly from being the subseries’ first project in nearly a decade. That said, as a remake of the 2004 GBA original, the game does not contain all that many surprises, even though Nintendo did incorporate a fair amount of new content to try and keep things fresh. Still, at its core, this experience is largely identical to its forefather, with Mario having the same moveset and many of the main levels being unchan
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but Zelda has always been a wonderfully diverse series. Not to the extent of Mario which has crossed all manner of genres in its years, but it is diverse all the same. It has shaped the RPG genre numerous times since the ‘80s, inspiring the likes of Dark Souls, Secret of Mana, Shadow of the Colossus, and now, the aforementioned Genshin Impact. You can see how much the RPG genre varies with Zelda’s inspirations alone and that’s telling. After Breath of the Wild 2, it needs to do something different again. Going back to the classics might not scream new. In fact, it sounds like a step back, aye? Well, that’s the thing. The triple-A space seems to be scared of its own history, desperate to move past it and become more cinematic, more graphically domineering. It’s all about tech and visual prowess. But art style is just as import
Men are already in positions of power in these scenarios, so women are left to comprehend the opposite gender’s mistakes and Elden ring best talismans find a way forward of their own accord. It’s empowering to an extent, although the fact that women are made to throw away what is seen as conventional beauty purely to grow into something one would define as independent still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. On the flipside, this rejection of traditional femininity is equally as groundbreaking, showcasing that societal norms aren’t something these heroines have to abide by. Other characters are often left shocked and outraged at these changing tides, but that’s the whole point – it’s a statement that’s supposed to inspire.
Link can’t speak, making Zelda the emotional core of a story in desperate need of one. Our protagonist can only stop and stare, providing the occasional nod or grunt to ensure he is with Zelda regardless of whatever circumstances might greet them. Given that so many of Breath of the Wild’s strongest moments are fragmented flashbacks and snapshots of Link’s own memories, it told a wonderfully coherent story of bittersweet heroism. Sacrifices are required to save the world, and Zelda is fully aware of the need to step forward and face the music even if it means giving herself up. She does this, but Link is able to save her, and Breath of the Wild 2 should explore their new lives and the inevitable threat that has the potential to wipe them out once ag
Nintendo Labo is fun for all ages and is as simple or complex as the player’s imagination. By setting up the controllers on various bits of cardboard, players get a level of immersion they’d ordinarily need VR to harness. Ultimately, this release is difficult to recommend since it is the definition of an acquired taste, despite being fairly accessible as an idea. While certainly fun, Labo is also one of those concepts that can grow old quic
I’m worried that Breath of the Wild 2 likely won’t heed this advice, with Zelda being yeeted into a hole in the latest trailer and seemingly imprisoned as Link, Ganon, or whoever we end up playing as is tasked with saving her and freeing the realm. It’s far too early to draw conclusions about exactly how BOTW2 will play out, but it’s easy to assume that Nintendo will abide by series conventions and go for something safe.
The last 2D Zelda was released in 2004 – The Minish Cap . It was followed by Twilight Princess , Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Skyward Sword , A Link Between Worlds, Tri Force Heroes, and Breath of the Wild. Now, we have a sequel to the latter on the way. 2D Zelda seems to have died out, but that’s because 2D as a whole has seemingly been tossed to the wayside. Even now, remakes of 2D games opt to 3Dize them (if that isn’t a term, it is now). When I say that Nintendo should release another 2D game, I’m not talking about a remaster or remake or even the style of the 2D games but in 3D a la Link’s Awakening for the Switch. I’m talking flat, 2-dimensional sprites – the whole kaboo
