Site Event The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Launch Party (ENDED)

[Okayge]

I can't decide whether to

• Complete my Shine count in BoTW (no badge)
• Beat Minish Cap for the first time (short)
• Replay ALBW or WW (both align with TotK w/ open-ended gameplay)

If time wasn't so limited, playing through SS HD for the first time would be my pick, but alas I'm starting late.

I mean I'm not saying I'm completely taking my time with SSHD because I'm kinda rushing the main story a lil bit, but SSHD has an average "time to beat" of like 31 hours, which is theoretically possible to complete in 11 days dependent on how busy your life is. It's what I'm doing, and I only started it about two days ago.

 

[totofogo]

I mean I'm not saying I'm completely taking my time with SSHD because I'm kinda rushing the main story a lil bit, but SSHD has an average "time to beat" of like 31 hours, which is theoretically possible to complete in 11 days dependent on how busy your life is. It's what I'm doing, and I only started it about two days ago.

Ha, since making that post I have actually had a change of heart and will likely be aiming to pull it off too!

 

[totofogo]

So it turns out that a good number of the shrines I was missing are actually already discovered on my map, and an unsurprising amount of them are... test of strength!

I suddenly distinctly remember happening upon these, ruining my exploration vibe, and turning right around.

nods approvingly to past me

 

[ExoticSpice]

A launch party needs music right?

 

[totofogo]

Playing Skyward Sword has me all kinds of nostalgic tonight.

I still sometimes can’t believe that my favorite series since childhood is still kicking in such a huge way. It’s grown with us, yet every title before still stand on their own in such a perfect way.

We are living history this next week and a half fami!

 

[Irene]

Thanks to our lovely admin, the timer is now fixed!

I ended up just wanting to sit down "a bit" with A Link Between Worlds and sort of already made it to Lorule. Amazing, amazing game as always - just love so much about it, from the way it looks and the soundtrack it has, to the puzzle design and how it's built around the wall concept, an ingenious concept in and of itself.

It really showcases exactly WHY so many of us loves Zelda dungeons so much. There is - still - so few things in gaming that matches the experience of a really good dungeon. The way you solve all of these interconnected puzzles is so extremely satisfying.

 

[merp]

Thanks to our lovely admin, the timer is now fixed!

I ended up just wanting to sit down "a bit" with A Link Between Worlds and sort of already made it to Lorule. Amazing, amazing game as always - just love so much about it, from the way it looks and the soundtrack it has, to the puzzle design and how it's built around the wall concept, an ingenious concept in and of itself.

It really showcases exactly WHY so many of us loves Zelda dungeons so much. There is - still - so few things in gaming that matches the experience of a really good dungeon. The way you solve all of these interconnected puzzles is so extremely satisfying.

Frankly?

There aren't many games with dungeons, at least like the ones you see in Zelda games.

I can see why Zelda-likes are kinda their own thing.

(And by dungeons, I mean how the areas are done specifically in Zelda games, not just your typical "dungeon-crawler.")

 

[ITSMILNER]

I actually started a BOTW replay tail end of 2021 but never beat the last boss….is it cheating if I was to go back and finish that run off?

 

[Irene]

Ice Palace done. Gosh, what an incredible dungeon. Every puzzle truly is a joy to solve. Love how you get the extra stamina and can shimmy all the way back to the northernmost part of the dungeon for 300 rupees.

I actually started a BOTW replay tail end of 2021 but never beat the last boss….is it cheating if I was to go back and finish that run off?

Rules state that it's fine to continue an existing file!

 

[ITSMILNER]

Finished off my Breath of the Wild playthrough which I restarted back in 2021. Wish we had gotten Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on Switch by now as I would have gone through those.

 

[TriGen]

I think I’m going to start Minish Cap. I always liked it but I haven’t ever done a second playthrough. With the sky connection and it being a Fujibayashi directed game it seems fitting — and SS is too long for me right now. I’ll keep ya posted how it goes.

 

[PikminSnezkov]

Yeah I’m super excited for ToTK.

This has to be one of the longest weeks ever lol

But as always, patience is a virtue and before we know it, we will be having ton of fun playing this game next week! (Or whenever you buy it )

I’m buying it day one myself, I’m going to have a blast with it haha

 

[Tangerine_Cookie]

Behold! The Long-a-ton Hammer.

For uses of this revolutionary item, please see the attached diagram:

 

[Zeldabotw]

(all the pictures were taken by me while playing)

It doesnt matter how many times I see Link run out of the Shrine of Resurrection and take in the view, I always get chills.. the build up of the music in this part feels absolutely phenomenal.

I ignored the old man, picked up his axe and went straight to the Great Plateau Tower to awaken the shrines asap (picking up a bunch of apples on the way).

After completing the Aonuma Shrine, I went to the snowy area of the plateau, brute forcing my way through the cold by eating a bunch of apples.
In the process obtaining the warm doublet by reaching the old man at the peak of the little mountain.

B line to the two remaining Shrines and finally getting the Paraglider, it was time to leave.. it took me like 35 minutes to get the glider.


------------------------------------------------
So for this playthrough I kind of wanted to rush to Hyrule Castle while picking some stuff on the way.

This is my favorite game btw.. on my first time playing I remember leaving the Great Plateau after spending at least 6-7 hours there and having so much fun trying all kind of crazy ideas, interactions, looking for Koroks, defeating the Stone Talus by throwing my last spear, then stepping into Hyrule Field and realizing how much more game there was..

Next time I'll be getting Zelda's horse, and then going to Hyrule Castle to loot the place and see if I'm able to defeat all the Blights and Calamity Ganon.

PS: If you somehow managed to read through all of this, thank you.

 

[afternoon delight]

Like many other heroes of time and space, I too am revisiting Breath of the Wild, aiming to complete the DLC for the first time before I start playing Tears. This is my third time through and thanks to the PC community, it's going to be fucking legendary: three heart maximum, locked 60 fps, and a modded Master Mode that doesn't feature enemy re-healing!!! I'm so fucking psyched. It's a dream to play.

I'm currently set on regaining all of my slate camera abilities, just jumped off the Plateau.

 

[TriGen]

Just made it to the 3rd dungeon in Minish Cap, so I’m making decent time. I’m really enjoying it.

I kinda of completely forgot about a lot of the side stuff and all the places in Hyrule you can shrink. My memory only really retained the broad strokes, so I’m glad I chose to play it.

 

[Djehuty]

Does cadence of hyrule count?

 

[Sailor Moon]

Wondering if I’ve got enough time to do Minish Cap for the first time, or if I should just blast through Link’s Awakening.

 

[Irene]

Does cadence of hyrule count?

Yep! Spinoffs are okay.

 

[Subrosian Link]

Game completed! Played on 3DS VC, so I can't take a snapshot - is there anything I should to probe it? I didn't planned to play any Zelda before TotK and just focus on some platformers or rail shooter as palate cleanser, but this thread made me turn down that idea. As Tears is my most anticipated game ever, I think it'd be good to play the first Zelda I ever anticipated at all, and also the first Fujibayashi Zelda game: Oracles. I've lost the count of how many times I've beaten both, and they were, along with Link's Awakening and Gold/Crystal, the games I sink more and more hours when I was a kid. My parents gifted both Oracles to my brother and I the 2001 Christmas, and they gave Ages to him and Seasons to me, and so I always had that game in such a special regard. That was my first Zelda - I already played it 'till death, but that was my brother's game. As such, I grew up with Seasons being my favourite one, because it was the one that belonged to me. It was also the red one, and I always had the red-like Pokemon games (Red, Gold, Ruby); red was my colour, while blue was my brother's.

As time went on, I have to admit that reality struck and... yeah, I started admiting that Ages was the superior game. It was lengthier, with better story (well, with story, period) and with puzzles. And, oh my, how I fell in love with puzzles. That was what attracted me so deeply to Zelda. And so, I started always playing Ages first, just to make Seasons the second liked game, trying to add a little more of flavour and content. But this time I decided to play just Seasons - having planned to beat DKC 2 and Panzer Dragoon before TotK, I thought that, even though I deeply know this game, it'd take a little time to beat it.

But... here I am! This has to be my personal record. Even getting lost a couple of times and almost softlocked once to access some late-game places early, it has taken me just 7 hours to 100% the game, excluding rings. All dungeons, all base game items, all heart containers, even a decent chunk of rings. It has been years, almost a decade I think, since the last time I 100% it. And it's been a little shame - finally, the veil has fall and... yes, Seasons has dropped some places in my Zelda tier list. The last year and a half I played (or replayed) every single Zelda game, bar FSA and Tingle spinoffs, and although I've appreciated some more things (as a kid I never played Ocarina nor Majora's, and having spent some years without playing Seasons, I was never able to see the huge inspiration both, but specially Majora's, had on the Oracle games), but its defects have also been more obvious; for example, I always defended Seasons to be a better game than Minish Cup, and really tied to Link's Awakening, but now... oh my, not by a mile, I'm affraid. But I'm also happy to play the first Fujibayashi game - the one most based on his Zelda 1 remake - and being able to fully appreciate how incredibly far he has manage to grow as a game designer.

This game will always have a really special place in my heart, and I'm really thankful to this thread for making me go back and play it. It's a little shame that, as time goes, I'm way more critic with it but I always enjoy my time in Holodrum. I'll love it no matter what and I can't find a more satisfying way to prepare for TotK. And now? Hell... ok, let's go. Let's begin Ages.

 

[Irene]

@Subrosian Link Great idea to replay Oracle!

For games that are not Switch games, it’s recommended to snap a shot of the credits or completed file with your phone camera and upload it to an image site, and then paste it here on Fami. If you could manage that, it would be good. But it’s a great write-up and you really took us on a journey! So we trust you on your word and you’re eligible for the badge anyway.

I have added further information about picture sharing in the FAQ.

 

[MeatheadSamus]

People say Minish Cap is short, but I'm seeing it's about 15 hours--is that true?

 

[soundchaser]

@Subrosian Link Great thoughts! I've always found Seasons to be a little...odd...from a structural point of view, with a few of the dungeons and big setpieces (the return visits to the Temple of Seasons and the date with Rosa, off the top of my head) not sticking the way they were probably intended to. The dual map system is interesting, though, and the items are probably objectively better than the set in Ages (one in particular lets the latter down), but I still find Seasons just an "ok" game compared to Ages' dense brilliance.

It's interesting trying to trace Fujibayashi's influence from here to Breath of the Wild -- all of his games have lots of new ways to interact with the world itself, and the "overworld as dungeon" philosophy that was touted in Skyward Sword is present if you squint hard enough.

I'm doing my own replay of Ages, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that one as well!

 

[totofogo]

I've decided to punt on beating SS HD in time for ToTK launch. I'm in too stressed of a mindset due to a busy work week and hype. SS is a relaxing game that deserves good summer vibes, so I'll wait to tackle it. @brainchild thanks for the encouragement though, the few hours I spent with it were a huge delight and reminder, they have me looking at botw with new eyes!

I'll be focusing my effort on completing all Shrines in BoTW, which should take me a good bit of time. It's been a fun way to reacclimate myself with the map lightly which should make totk's revisit of it more impactful! I'm not sure if that'll count for the badge if I go and beat ganon again after? I understand if not.

I'd like to give Hyrule Castle another sweep as well.

 

[Irene]

Maybe it's just me getting better and perhaps also reading the text faster, but lately, I'm amazed at how much shorter Zelda games are than what you'd think.

My recent playthrough (no sidequests and going through the story only) of SSHD was 16 hours.
A similar playthrough of Twilight Princess was 18 hours.

(Back in 2006, my first playthrough of Twilight Princess was 39 hours)

 

[Gabev]

I was originally just going to do a replay of OoS, buuuut I figured I already have my gba out let’s go ahead and play through OoA as well.

 

[merp]

Justice for Ganondorf!

 

[TriGen]

I have finished the Temple of Droplets in Minish Cap — which is a very funny name — and I really enjoyed it. It’s the ice dungeon of the game for people that don’t know and I really loved it.

Normally slipping equals annoyance but I think it’s possibly my favorite dungeon in the game so far. It felt more involved than the others as it kept going when I thought it was going to end. It also does that fun trick of you getting the boss key really early on which I enjoy.

I should have a couple dungeons left, so I should be done after the weekend. I could beat the game tomorrow but having it going is a nice distraction from TotK so I think I’ll just do one a day.

BTW, I realize most of my memories of this game are probably tied to seeing it in videos and stuff because I’m only vaguely remembering stuff while I play. I’m someone who doesn’t replay stuff that often because I feel guilty of not getting through my backlog, but seeing how fresh this is despite beating it before is making me want to replay more games that I haven’t beat in 10+ years.

 

[Plum]

And with that - after starting the game almost two years ago - Skyward Sword is finally finished:

(Above: Ending screen & my save file pre final boss)

Frankly it took so long not because I was playing the game all that time, but because I dropped off the game hard after a certain point and just... never really picked it back up. So thanks to @Irene for giving me the motivation - by way of a cool profile badge lol - to actually finish it.

Overall I did enjoy my time with the game. However, in the context of it being "the last Zelda game before BotW", it makes so much sense. The game strips out almost all the sense of adventure that this series is known for, and instead opts for a very 'Mario-Like' design philosophy. That is, a philosophy of restricted levels which, whilst providing a variety of level elements - or 'toys' - to interact with, leave the player with not much downtime or discovery to truly savour the experience. Those levels are good, with only a few true 'bad' moments (cough Tadtones cough), but they are still just levels instead of, well, a world.

I did somewhat like the combat, and I'm glad that I opted for motion controls instead of button ones here (though the inclusion is great). The final boss - whilst significantly easier than I thought - was a genuine workout and it made defeating them more satisfying than had it just been a bunch of button presses. Could have gone without flying being motion controlled though (or as involved as it is; another way the game minimises true downtime in its gameplay).

Spoiler: Spoiler Thoughts

Perhaps the one thing this game truly nails with no caveats are the characters. Like the story, the arcs here are simple, but they're done really well and - by virtue of the game's linear structure - allowed to develop in a way BotW's characters simply couldn't. I know it's a completely uncontroversial take but Groose was the standout here and it's a continued crime against humanity that he never got into Hyrule Warriors as a fighter, or Smash as an Assist. I must admit that the farewells of both Impa and Fi at the end got me slightly teary-eyed; that, and the end-credits scenes of Zelda's own adventure was a really neat touch that makes me wish she'd get more to do (I know nothing about TotK so this doesn't hint towards anything, I promise).

Gameplay-wise, the game's main problem is, by far, the pacing. It's one of the worst-paced games I've ever played... and I played Persona 5. I think Nintendo knew that they didn't have enough for the game to meet the standards of previous games, so they instead opted to make you do a bunch of errands instead. For instance, the silent realm trials are stressful, but fun times that test your knowledge of an area. Having to fly back and forth between the shrine to access each trial is not. It's just pure busy-work that adds nothing to the game. Oh, and The Imprisoned is genuinely bad. Though I doubt that's controversial though lol.

However the game does have some really great moments gameplay-wise. The Sandship and Ancient Cistern are incredible dungeons that really make a good point for why so many people like, and want, Zelda dungeons. The Ghirahim boss fights are great tests of your sword skills that only get better. The final dungeon having a "shifting rooms," structure is a really good idea.

Also, this is the first Zelda game I can safely say that I've 'done (mostly) everything in':

Which I'm glad I did. The game has some really neat side-quests and stories strewn throughout, and the 'Gratitude Crystal' system - whilst ultimately pretty pointless gameplay-wise (seriously, who'd ever need 9,900 rupees?), was a really nice way to tie it all together in a way other games in the series didn't.

However... all of that completion stuff meant nothing lol. Cause I literally didn't lose a single heart in the final boss fight. Not a single one. The invincibility potion lasted 6 whole-ass minutes and I defeated Demise before it even ran out. So I had four full heals, a fairy, and all of the hearts for... nothing much, really.

So, yeah. With all three challenges in the thread completed, I now wait. And, damn, what a hard wait it's going to be. Thankfully, I'm now able to do my favourite post-game ritual of watching all the 1+ hour long video essays and reviews the game has lol

 

[Zeldabotw]

I'm sure that we all want to pet them. I hope that is possible in the sequel!

I had to capture some bugs for stamina potions to be able to tame Zelda´s horse. Last stop before the castle was Lake Kolomo to pick something very important.

I tried to bee line my way to the entrance of the castle but got swarmed up by 3 guardians so I had to rethink my strategy and execute a bomb launch to safely pass gliding over them.

Hyrule Castle is probably one of the most beloved areas in the whole game, I'll just say that the music here is incredible. I personally love the dynamic changes of the music depending on if you are inside/outside.

So the important thing at Lake Kolomo was: Majora's Mask!. It is a joy to walk inside the castle with the mask on.
All the enemies (except guardians) will just chill with you, so this is the perfect tool to loot the interiors of the castle.

I obviously had to get the korok at the top of the castle just for the fun and then jump directly into the sanctum. It was finally time.


FINAL MOMENTS

Spoiler

All my equipment was found in the castle and just by exploring around 3/4 of the whole area.

I clocked around 3 hours and a half and the whole fight took me 2 tries because Thunderblight was really hard with only 3 hearts.

I guess my recall is complete. I'm finally ready for next friday!

 

[Barely Able]

Playing A Link Between Worlds for this (hope I can get through but can’t help myself trying to go 100% for everything when I play these games). One thing I either didn’t notice or forgot (probably because I’m playing with headphones this time), but the muffling of the music when you paste yourself to the wall is a nice touch. So many great details in this game. Please give me a new HD 2D Zelda!

 

[TriGen]

The Four Sword is powered up and ready to take down Vaati. It was neat to head into the clouds with the context of TotK almost here.

I’ll finish it on my next play session.

 

[snesiscool]

Hello everyone, I'm coming over from the other place to celebrate ToTK's release!
It turns out I never finished my BoTW Master Mode playthrough, so that's what I did today. Unfortunately there was one casualty - Sam, the only horse I had tamed. He succumbed to a Guardian's laser in the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town. RIP Sam, 2018-2023. Anyway...

Spoiler: Images

 

[Irene]

With the weekend behind me, 3 more dungeons in ALBW down, and I'm definitely going to do a dungeon tier list or ranking when I'm done with the game. I love the puzzle box nature of Turtle Rock, the intricate design and music of Desert Palace and how the game throws you something unconventional yet exciting in Thieve's Hideout. While I do enjoy ALBW's story and find myself touched by it at times, at the end of the day, it wins me over purely by means of design alone. Stoked to tackle the water dungeon later today.

@Zeldabotw Yours was a great writeup, and I love how you accompanied it with pictures! You really made me reminisce and once again remind myself that Breath of the Wild is such a monumental achievement and experience.

So, yeah. With all three challenges in the thread completed, I now wait. And, damn, what a hard wait it's going to be. Thankfully, I'm now able to do my favourite post-game ritual of watching all the 1+ hour long video essays and reviews the game has lol

Huge congrats on finishing all three challenges, you really put your heart into it! It's indeed going to be a hard wait. (It already is)

I have to stay away from essays myself, (So jumpy than I sort of panic shut down the YouTube app when accidentally pressing it on the phone) but it's a great way to hype.

 

[Dragoncaine]

God damn, Turtle Rock from ALttP is amazing. The last three dungeons have all been extremely sweaty and extremely awesome. Especially since I only found out I could temper my sword (twice) right before Ganon's Tower...

 

[deiniol]

Revisited some areas in Hyrule before finishing my 2nd playthrough of Breath of the Wild (this time in Master Mode). Wearing different tunics while exploring made it feel like I was channelling all Links in one. It’s a type of celebration that I’ve never done in a game before that it almost feels nostalgic. I’ve already been to Hyrule Castle to get the shield and complete all shrines but this time I’m finally defeating Ganon for good.

 

[Irene]

Revisited some areas in Hyrule before finishing my 2nd playthrough of Breath of the Wild (this time in Master Mode). Wearing different tunics while exploring made it feel like I was channelling all Links in one. It’s a type of celebration that I’ve never done in a game before that it almost feels nostalgic. I’ve already been to Hyrule Castle to get the shield and complete all shrines but this time I’m finally defeating Ganon for good.

I have the TP Link amiibo, and while it’s a bummer to have to grind the outfits, exploring with my favourite tunic outfit is a truly special experience.

 

[VolcanicDynamo]

So my Minish Cap progress has slowed down dramatically in the past few days. Some of that is due to IRL factors. I didn't get to play three days in a row, turning this from a "beat the game in 11 days" challenge to "beat the game in a little over a week." The other comes from the design of the game itself. At this point I could be blasting through the third dungeon. Instead, I find myself drawn to Kinstone fusing, solving overworld puzzles and exploring using whatever new items I get or by finding new areas to shrink in, and taking my time. The antithesis of besting the game quickly, but I appreciate how dense Minish Cap can be if you want it to, but also how if you really want to beeline to the end you can cut a lot of this out, too.

And thus here I am, exchanging Mysterious Shells for figurines. Have no idea if I'll finish in time at this rate. Oops!

 

[ProteusRidley]

I wish I had it now, God this sucks. Why we gotta have games leak early.

 

[Dragoncaine]

I have finally beaten A Link to the Past for the first time. What an incredible, unforgettable experience made all the sweeter because Ganon literally exploded the exact moment my family pulled into the driveway of our rental in the Outer Banks for a two-week vacation This pic is from when the credits finally rolled after we finished unpacking lol

10/10 game and it has held up BEAUTIFULLY. My only legitimate gripe is how obtuse the silver arrows signposting/necessity is - if I didn't already know about them from Zelda videos, I would've been so pissed if I got to the final fight without them!

 

[ZeldaPY]

So I finally finished my play through of WW just now as it was my last chance because I am working the next 3 days before TotK. Oh boy, does this game still pack a punch.

I just realized after finishing that although I had played this game 4-5 times already it was only the second time I actually played it all the way through turning Ganondorf into a stone paperweight with my Master sword beautifully adorned into the top of his skull. I had forgotten just how big he is compared to Link. So thank you @Irene for the challenge, otherwise I’m not sure if I would have completed it.

After playing BotW for so long and not really playing any other Zelda games since, It brought back so many fond memories that made me realize why I feel the way I do about the dungeons in Zelda games along with all the quirky characters who all have a social awkwardness to them that just makes you fall in love them.

The dungeons were so good in this game too, I think the tower of the gods was probably my favorite, but the aesthetics of each Temple and dungeon are all also really good. It wasn’t that BotWs were bad per se, but I never felt that sense of anxiety trying to complete the Devine Beasts like I did completing Earth Temple, The Wind Temple and Forbidden Woods. Really basically most dungeons throughout the Zelda series have accomplished this with me in some way.

Just getting to and then figuring out to get into the dungeons is so much better than the lead up to the Devine Beasts in my opinion. In BotW it felt like playing through a long cut scene rather than having to figure anything out as to where to find the Devine Beasts and how to access them. Also with having limited inventory I felt like I really needed to be prepared, which I think is where my anxiety kicks in when finally entering a new dungeon or Temple.

I took a few quick snapshots with my phone towards the end, didn't quite get them centered or the timing right in the pictures. Oh and I forgot how much the Zelda Devs love to show hands reaching for each other, as the final scene with the King sinking and Link reaching out to him missing of course, can't think of what that reminds me of hmm.... I'm also really hoping that TotK has tons of treasure maps now based on the coordinates we have seen, I've been collecting treasure maps in the WW for a week now and I need more.

 

[TriGen]

Well, here it is, my playthrough of Minish Cap is completed. It only took a few days played in 2 hour sessions but I’m really glad I played it again. I haven’t touched it since the GBA was a current-gen machine, but despite that I always considered it one of my favorite 2D Zeldas and this reinforced that. I love the games style, it has really good pacing, and enough side stuff to fill it out.

The only sad thing is there’s not enough time for me to comfortably start a new game so the next few days are gonna feel long.

The legend will continue…

 

[Suswave]

some things shouldn’t be fused

 

[afternoon delight]

some things shouldn’t be fused

NEVER SAY NEVER

 

[Deleted member 2]

zelda. Goodnight

 

[Irene]

Congrats everyone on your completed games and earned badges! Great job

some things shouldn’t be fused

Hahahaha, oh dear.
For the gallery, do you think you could be able to come up with a name for your fine work?

 

[Suswave]

Congrats everyone on your completed games and earned badges! Great job



Hahahaha, oh dear.
For the gallery, do you think you could be able to come up with a name for your fine work?

Majooccoo!

 

[Chaotic Neutral]

Ah, it's becoming pretty clear that I won't have time for a Zelda run after all with my AW playthrough dragging on a bit. I'll hang in the thread though and enjoy seeing all the happy Zelda celebrating and only being slightly jealous of everyone who gets that lovely badge.

 

[KilgoreWolfe]

Since there's still a few days left, I decided to work on finishing Minish Cap. I'm doing clean up before tackling the last dungeon and I can see the influence it had on Skyward Sword, with the overworld being full of little puzzles (though not to the same extend as SkSw). It makes for engaging exploration, which puts MC near the top of my list of 2D Zelda games.

 

[totofogo]

I've decided to punt on beating SS HD in time for ToTK launch. I'm in too stressed of a mindset due to a busy work week and hype. SS is a relaxing game that deserves good summer vibes, so I'll wait to tackle it. @brainchild thanks for the encouragement though, the few hours I spent with it were a huge delight and reminder, they have me looking at botw with new eyes!

I'll be focusing my effort on completing all Shrines in BoTW, which should take me a good bit of time. It's been a fun way to reacclimate myself with the map lightly which should make totk's revisit of it more impactful! I'm not sure if that'll count for the badge if I go and beat ganon again after? I understand if not.

I'd like to give Hyrule Castle another sweep as well.

So I uh, started Minish Cap over the weekend lmao

I was getting fatigue from my Shrine hunt. There were bright moments, but teleporting around the map just to dive into Shrines in fully explored areas was not the best way to experience that content and I feared I'd tire myself out ahead of totk.

Anyhow, Minish is going to be the one that sticks! I'm probably 1/3 of the way through and haven't ever beaten it prior. It takes a lot of nods from the original game and also uses my favorite art style, so it's a perfect reminder of the past headed into the future soon!