Tagged: zelda series

Multiplayer mayhem with Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (Gamecube)

So many games, so little time. Despite not being active on the blog, there’s been no shortage of new games at home. There’ve been some hits and some misses, and thanks to my recent peripheral obsession I now possess a vast array of Gamecube accessories including a pair of bongos and a microphone on top of the Gamecube to GBA cables I got for this game! (Updates on those forthcoming.)

One big hit I’ve been dying to write about and get out of my system is the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Wow, does this game capitalise on the potential of the Gamecube-GBA connectivity. It makes for a startling contrast with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which has a basic 2D map on the GBA screen, much like Wind Waker’s Tingle Tuner. Four Swords Adventures moves the action to the GBA screen whenever you enter a house or cave, and not only are the graphics, sounds and gameplay the same but it moves between the two screens utterly seamlessly. It’s a pleasant change to Crystal Chronicles, which despite a simple display manages to feel like it’s brushing up against the limits of the connection. Continue reading →

Reflections on the Zelda series: where did it all go wrong?

Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses 2015 has come and gone in London. Many man tears were shed. The concert’s mix of big-screen montages of Zelda games and orchestral music melded so seamlessly that several times I forgot the orchestra were even there. What struck me during such forgetful moments was not so much the number of people at the concert – although the hall was jam-packed – but the sheer variety of people. I expected plenty of male teens, which there were, but there were also a surprising number of kids there with parents, and children-less adults, both male and female. And that set me off speculating about why the Zelda series is so popular with people worldwide, and how it has managed over the last 30 years to capture so many hearts and minds. Why is Zelda so good? What makes these games so timeless and universal in their appeal? Why are people so emotionally attached to the series, myself included? The video montages shown during the concert were really fascinating for what they chose to include – they tried, and succeeded in my opinion, in showcasing what makes Zelda so special and memorable as a series. Continue reading →