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LNU n' Pinkie Pie

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  1. LNU n' Pinkie Pie
    This is long overdue, so here you go. I'm not going to go into too much detail on the actual game itself, since it's a port of Ocarina of Time. This is merely to compare the two games and ultimately decide if it's a good idea to buy this if you've already played the original.
     
    Story: You probably know most of the story even if you HAVEN'T played this game. You're a young boy who lives in the Kokiri forest, and are picked on by some of the others because, unlike most children, you don't have a fairy. That all changes when Navi, the blue fairy, comes to tell you the guardian of the forest, The Great Deku Tree, has summoned you. Navi joins you on your quest as you travel across Hyrule, and even through time to stop the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf, from stealing the triforce and conquering the world.
     
    Specs: The game was released on June 19, 2011, with almost universal positive reception. Upon beating the game, you unlock Ocarina of Time Master Quest, which was sold separately from the original game on the N64. As of June 30, 2011, it had sold 1.08 million units worldwide, making it the third 3DS title to breach the million units sold mark. A little over 1/4 of these sales were in japan.
     
    Positive points:
    I'm going to point this out every time. This is my opinion. Any contradictions you may have can be posted below.
     
    You may think to yourself that there's no reason to purchase this game if you've already beaten it on the N64. I can understand that. But at the same time, I strongly urge you to get it, especially if you never played Master Quest.
     
    Obviously, a high point was the graphics. Remember in ocarina when you were in castle town and whatnot, and ALL the buildings looked like they were in an oil painting? Not anymore. The buildings are actually polygonal now, and seem less static. The updated graphics look nice and clean, but still remind you of the old graphics which are nice. And of course the 3D is good. It really isn't necessary to play the game, and I never found it making things really any easier, but it's nice to have all the same. Like lettuce on a sandwich. It doesn't really change the flavor, but it gives it that crunch to make it a little better. (that analogy made me hungry...)
     
    This next point is probably why I liked it so much. The gameplay. If there's two things I hated from playing the original, it's the way you had to take your boots on and off. (Water temple, anyone?) And archery controls. (Again, Shooting Minigame, anyone?) These were both fixed in this port in a way that makes them super convenient.
     
    The way that boots work, (And any C items, for that matter) is now you can have four equipped at a time instead of three. The items can be pathed to X, Y, I, and II. If your item is at I or II, you use them by tapping their pictures on the touch screen. You can activate the X and Y item by touching them as well, but I can't imagine why you would do that...
     
    What does this have to do with the boots? Boots are now C items like in Twilight Princess. So taking them on and off is as simple as pressing a button or tapping an icon. This makes traversing places like the water temple so much more efficient, without having to go to pause menu, going to the gear subscreen, equipping them, and rinsing and repeating 500 times.
     
    Shooting controls are now as responsive as if you were literally holding the slingshot or bow in your hand. Namely because they are controlled by the gyroscope in the 3DS and you can to move it around to shoot. This makes shots quick and accurate, making places like the shooting gallery actually enjoyable to do. "But LNU!" You say. "The gyroscope controls won't work in a car very well! What then?" Not to worry. You can still use the thumbstick to aim the bow or slingshot as well.
     
    Something else nice about the game is that they dumbed it down a little. Places I noticed this were:
     
    1. Remember that creepy beggar in castle town who would always say "Please! Please sell me something with C!!!"? For some reason, I never could figure out what he wanted. It apparently was that way with more than a few people, because now when you talk to him, he says, "Please! Please sell me the contents of a bottle!!!" At first I thought, "Aw, that's really pandering. Just giving stuff away." But then I thought, "On the other hand, I don't think I would have thought of that if he hadn't said that..." So I guess that works.
     
    2. Something some of you may not have known, is if you played Zelda's Lullaby in front of a gossip stone, a fairy will come out. I didn't know this until Navi said, "There's a fairy inside! Maybe you could find a way to coax it out." WHAT!? NAVI GIVING ACTUAL TIPS!?! BLASPHEMY!!! Obviously, Navi left THAT crucial piece of information out in the previous game...
     
    3. I'm not sure if this happened in the previous game, because of the fact that I never DID this sidequest, so you guys can maybe help me out with this. Did they mark on your map where you were supposed to take the things you traded in the Biggoron sword sidequest? Like I said, I'm not sure, but something tells me they didn't.
     
    4. I heard rumors that the design of the water temple was going to be altered to make it easier. Thankfully it wasn't. However, they did mark the doors you had to go through to raise and lower the water level. This didn't make it more easy per-say, it just made it more accessible which I liked.
     
    5. This is probably the biggest point of dumbing the game down I found. Now, I have to warn you, there's one of these in Skyward Sword. So I have a sinking feeling they're going to show up in Zelda games from now on.
     
    Sheikah stones.
     
    For all my complaining about how I get stuck on certain parts of Zelda games, I pride myself on almost never using walkthroughs. (And if I do, I read JUST the next step, just to get nudged in the right direction.) I do this because it makes me feel good that I kept at it and figured it out for myself.
     
    And now we have Sheikah stones.
     
    What could be so bad about them? Well, I'll tell you. These things are the BIGGEST cop-out I've seen in a puzzle game to date. For NO COST to yourself, you can crawl inside these huge stones and they will LITERALLY show you what you're supposed to do next. I don't mean tell. I don't mean drop a hint or two to nudge you in the right direction. I mean they will show you a video of Link doing what you're supposed to be doing. It's really cheap in my opinion. But I threw it in with positive things because I guess a little kid or some such would benefit from them.
     
    Probably my favorite change is based on the ocarina. Now, you can pull up your songs while playing the ocarina, so it's more convenient playing those long teleportation songs. Also, every time you play one of those teleportation songs, you hear the ocarina/harp duet that plays when you first learn it. Which made me EXTREMELY happy.
     
    Also, they made Master Quest even harder by not only changing the dungeon design around and including more enemies that do double damage, they also mirrored the entire world. So it's a LOOOT more difficult.
     
    Negative points:
    There's no way for it to have any negative points that the original didn't have. I guess the only thing I could call a negative issue is the game being to pandering. But that's just me and it didn't bother me TOO much.
     
    Overall:
    Thank about all the legistics you didn't like about OT. Got it? They took them out or fixed them for this game. I would highly recommend getting it, even if you already played or beat the original. You'll enjoy it even more than your first experience. I did. And rating the improvements of the game solely, I give it a 5/5. You won't regret your purchase. I can guarantee it.
  2. LNU n' Pinkie Pie
    So, I figure now that I have this blog, I might as well post stuff.
     
    I'm thinking this blog is mostly going to be centered around Legend of Zelda. Due to the name, and the fact that it's the thing I think I'm most qualified to talk about. I guess what I'll do is post reviews and such of the games. My hope is to get everyone to like the franchise as much as I do. So stick around. My first review will be coming soon.
     
    It's difficult for me to...
     
    B)
     
    Mask my excitement.
     
    Yeeeeeeah!!!
  3. LNU n' Pinkie Pie
    Let's see how this goes. My review of my second favorite 3D Zelda game, Majora's mask.
     
    Story:
    The game takes place directly after Ocarina of Time. (Specifically, on the child timeline of the Split Timeline Theory, but I won't go into that.) Link has left Kokiri forest and is going off to search for his companion, Navi. On the way there, he is ambushed by two fairies, Tatl and Tael, (See what they did thar?) and a mischievous skull kid wearing a bizarre mask. Knocked unconscious, Link's ocarina of time is stolen, and skull kid rides off with Epona, Link's horse. Link gives chase and follows the skull kid deep into the lost woods, and into a giant tree. Once inside, Skull Kid informs Link that he has "Taken care" of the horse, and upon seeing his sad face, turns Link into a Deku Scrub with the power of his mask. Skull Kid escapes, but leaves one of the fairies behind, Tatl. Tatl decides to join up with Link so that they can find her brother, Tael, and maybe get Link's ocarina back as well. It's here that you meet an unfortunately familiar face. The Happy Mask Shop Salesman. He tells Link that if he get's him the mask Skull Kid stole back, Majora's Mask, he can turn Link back to normal. Now Link must go on a quest into the twisted world of Termina, a land that is like Hyrule, but seen through a cracked mirror. You see many faces from your previous adventure, but everyone is different. (King Zora is now the manager for the hottest band in Termina, The Indigo-gos for instance.)
     
    Oh yeah, and you only have three days to complete your quest before the moon falls and ends all life in Termina. Did I forget to mention that?
     
    Specs:
    Majora's mask was released in the year 2000 for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the last games for the console, and was one of the two games to require the expansion pack on the system. (The other being Donkey Kong 64.) It sold 3 million copies worldwide.
     
    It was included in the special Legend of Zelda promotional disk for the gamecube, along with Ocarina of time, and the first two Zelda games. It was released for the virtual console on Wii in 2009, and a 3DS version is currently in the works.
     
    Positive points:
    As a disclaimer, these are all my personal opinions. if you disagree, you can tell me why in the comments. It's a free country.
     
    Majora's mask was the second 3D Zelda game to be released, so it ironed out some of the issues that were in the first one. For an N64 game, the graphics are really good, as it was one of the last N64 games to be released.
     
    This Zelda game was based more around collection rather than exploration, unlike the previous one. There are a total of 42 masks that you can collect throughout the game, and each has a different ability and use. (Like the stone mask that makes you invisible to enemies, or the bunny hood that makes you run twice as fast.) Collecting all of the masks is optional, and actually quite difficult. There are a couple of required masks, but for the most part, you can beat the game and only get about 5 to 10 of them. (It's worth your time though, as the reward you get makes the final boss hecka easy, and the fight super awesome.)
     
    Now, you may think I'm crazy, but I LIKE the three day time limit. (For those of you who don't know, it isn't a LITERAL three days, more like fifteen minutes to half an hour, I'd say.) It's a very interesting concept, and it makes everything have a sense of urgency because you REALLY want to save these people. Of course, beating the game in one three day cycle is almost impossible. (I have seen it done, but it's absolutely crazy.) So when things get down to the wire, you can play the song of time and reset everything. (also, the three day time limit isn't really daunting when you play the song of time backwards and it slows time down to 1/3 it's normal speed. So quit belly-aching. )
     
    The story is also really easy to get into. Everyone has more three-dimensional personalities, unlike OT, especially the people involved in a certain sidequest that takes all three days to complete.
     
    Negative points:
    The save system.
     
    Chances are, it's the reason you stopped playing the game. It was for me the first time I tried to beat it. The head of Zelda Universe said he hasn't beaten the game because of it.
     
    Essentially, the only way to make a true save is to play the song of time and set back time. Problem with this is, not only do you have to go back to the correct time for certain timed events, but you lose all minor collectibles in the process. (Rupees, bombs, arrows, Deku nuts.) So that can get annoying. (Fortunately, there's a banker who can break the fabric of space and time to keep your rupees for you after time resets, but he can't keep your arrows and such, so you'll have to find or re-buy those.) But there is an alternative for setting time back by using owl statues. Using these, you can make a quick-save. Which means it will save your progress there, but you have to turn the game off there, and when you re-load the save, if you turn off the game you lose your progress. It's tough to explain. (But to all the pansies who complain about the save system, me included, just be glad you aren't Japanese. In the Japanese version of the game, the owl statues could teleport you like in the American version, but it wouldn't quick-save for you.)
     
    One of the things I like about the Zelda franchise is the dungeon items. (For non-Zelda players, dungeon items are the special items you get in dungeons, like the Megaton Hammer or the Hookshot.) Unfortunately, the masks seem to take the place of these, as you get the fairy bow in the first dungeon, and then arrow upgrades in the next three. You do get a couple of items like the lens of truth and hookshot, but not in dungeons, and not as many as in OT.
     
    Oh, and the longest sidequest in the game, the all-three-days one? It's a great and touching one. and you're super happy when you first do it. You get a mask and a bottle.
     
    Then you have to do the ENTIRE thing again if you want another mask. This seemed really unnecessary to me. My suggestion, if you REALLY don't want to do it twice, do the ending that gets you the mask and just be a man without the extra bottle. There are five others anyway.
     
    Overall:
    Majora's Mask was my favorite 3D Zelda game until Skyward Sword. I loved the mask collection aspect of it, the story is one of my favorites, and the memory of the final boss is one that I'll always have. (Well, more like scarred in my brain, but whatever.)
     
    All in all, I'd give it a 4/5. It loses a point because of the lack of dungeon items, and the ones you DO get were in OT anyway.
     
    If you have 10$ and a Wii and need a new game, buy this from the virtual console. You won't regret it, I assure you.
  4. LNU n' Pinkie Pie
    So, this isn't Zelda, but I feel I need to talk about this game so people will get it. That being said, enjoy.
     
    Story: What's the story of EVERY Donkey Kong game? Bananas. Someone has stolen the bananas and you must retrieve them. In this case, freaky tiki musical instruments have hypnotized the animals of Donkey Kong's island with their funky island beats to steal all the delicious bananas, and take them to this HUGE tiki monster coming out of the volcano in the center of the island. Since the tiki monsters are unable to hypnotize Donkey and Diddy Kong, the two must stomp, smash, and destroy anything and everything in their way to rescue the yummy treats, and save all the hypnotized animals. But the real question is, why do the tikis need your bananas?
     
    Specs: Donkey Kong Country Returns is the fourth Donkey Kong Country game and was released on December 3, 2010 for the Wii. The third DKC was released in 1996, so there's quite a gap between the two games. As of March 2011, it had sold 4.96 Million copies.
     
    Positive points:
    Once again, this is my opinion. Differing opinions or points I may have missed that you liked may be posted below.
     
    To be honest, Donkey Kong never really was my thing. I played Donkey Kong 64 a little, but mostly I was playing Zelda or Mario. So when Donkey Kong Country Returns came out, I thought, "Huh. I wonder why it's taken them so long to release a sequel." and dismissed it. But then my Dad gave it to me for my birthday, saying he saw it and said it looked like fun. I played the first couple of levels and then quit because a couple of games I had purchased/received seemed to me like they were better choices to play.
     
    Just recently, I started playing it again and actually made it past the first stage. And boy did I realize I had been missing out.
     
    Seriously. Why hasn't this game been more talked about? It's the most genuinely all around fun game I've played in a while. If you played and enjoyed the first DKC games, I don't know why you haven't picked up a copy of this yet?
     
    First, let's talk about level design. Flawless victory. In a sidescroller like DKCR, you can guess how levels work. There are eight worlds, each world has around seven levels, and you're always going right from point A to point B. Sound monotonous right? Wrong. Dead Wrong. I will admit that the first world starts out slow, but after that, the levels get really creative. I'll give you an example. I found out that in world four, (which is cave themed) every world is either a minecart or rocket barrel level. At first I was disappointed because cave levels are usually used for exploration. I mean, they're caves right? But then I played them, and EVERY level was in some way different. One minecart level was you going in the same direction as a bunch of other moles on minecarts so you had to jump on or over them. Another was you getting bombed by a mole in the foreground and he was destroying the track and such. And then their were rocket barrel levels where you were flying through caves as moles were throwing pickaxes at you or bats were shooting sonic booms at you.
     
    My absolute favorite world was the fifth which was forest themed. Specifically the level before the boss. Muncher Marathon. You can keep a level head in most situations where you have to run from things in videogames. Lava flowing towards you? (Which happens in the game) Piece of cake. Level sinking and you have to go up? (Which also happens in the game) No problem.
     
    Running away from millions and millions of bugs?
     
    Holy cow.
     
    This, in my opinion, was the best level in the game. The music that was playing was INCREDIBLE. Look it up. It was extremely nerve-racking running from a wall of bugs through a jungle, and at one point, the game makes you run BACK TOWARDS THE BUGS to pick up a Kong letter. They pulled off what could be just another "fleeing from death" level, and made it amazing. Kudos to them.
     
    The collection aspect is tough but not to tedious. You can collect bananas, banana coins, balloons (Lives), Kong letters, and puzzle pieces. To 100% the game, you only have to collect the Kong letters. Which fortunately, aren't too difficult to find and collect. Usually. (There was a certain G in the last stage that almost made me pull my hair out, but I got it so it's all good.) If you go the extra mile and collect all the puzzle pieces, which can range from 5 to 9 per level, you unlock game art and dioramas. The puzzle pieces are actually REALLY tough to collect, so you have my respect if you can collect all of those.
     
    Collecting all the Kong letters in a world unlocks the secret level of that world. These are tough, and ALWAYS aesthetically appealing. You may find yourself just looking at the backgrounds and such. And then you'll find yourself burned, sliced, crushed, or drowned. Or any combination of the above.
     
    Which is another point. The visuals. The visuals are amazing. Busy backgrounds are rampant, and there's always some sort of cool aspect of the level going on. The levels are always either actively trying to kill you, or actively falling apart. There was a level in the forest world where you fired out of a barrel and were flying slightly toward the screen through this tube of trees and mushrooms and rocks and I was awestruck at how cool it looked.
     
    Negative points:
    Dat difficulty.
     
    I know I sound like a super pansy saying that, but you can't deny it. DKCR is a tough game. Usually it's not frustratingly bad, but there are a couple of levels where you'll want to throw your Wii out the window. I think the most I died was one level in world 8 where I died 24 times. That was absolutely miserable.
     
    For the most part, the bosses had the opposite problem. Most bosses you'll be able to beat without even dying once, and ALL bosses will drop hearts at some point during the battle. the most I died on a boss was in world 7 when I was killed about 6 times. I am at least glad that on the final boss he would drop FLAMING hearts and you had to wait for the hearts to extinguish before you could pick them up.
     
    This is what I think was my BIGGEST complaint with the game. To be vague, as you would expect, for getting all the Kong letters and beating all the secret levels, you unlock a final bonus level. Suffice to say, this level was very very unsatisfying. For specifics, highlight the white text bellow.
     
    Okay, you've collected all the Kong letters and, more importantly, beaten all the bonus levels. After beating the final boss and watching the credits, you unlock the golden temple. It's just one level, and so I go in thinking, "Okay, this is going to be a super hard level to test my skill and whatnot."
     
    The level takes place in the clouds. There is giant floating fruit. EVERYWHERE.
     
    Now, I see this is a novelty level. So NOW I'm thinking, "Well, at least this just means this is fun to play, and no REAL difficulty to worry about." Here's the issue with this level. It's this sort of manufactured difficulty that isn't fun to play. And what I mean by that is, while you're trying to go through these levels, there are these freaking tikis that teleport random places and shoot arrow heads at you. This is extremely annoying, and killed me quite often. I died around 16 times, and since there are no checkpoints, had to do the WHOLE level over again. Which doesn't sound too bad, but there are a lot of points where you have to just wait for the correct time of these floating moving fruits to jump across. It was really tedious, and I was just glad when it was over. So unfortunately, the game ends on a low note.
     
    Overall: This game is a trip. It's extremely fun. Doesn't slow down. Makes you react quick, and feel like a boss when you do. In short, Donkey Kong Country Returns kills aliens and doesn't afraid of anything, and that's why I give it a 4/5. It could have gotten a 5/5, but that last level left a bad taste in my mouth.
     
    I've almost beaten Ocarina of Time 3D, so that will be my next review. Look forward to it!
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