The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, part 2

Original Release: March 3, 2017

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Wii U

Introduction

Music

Breath of the Wild has a surprisingly low amount of music compared to other Zelda games. Most of the time, when Link is traversing the overworld, there isn't any music aside for the occasional few piano notes. 

That being said, this game does have its share of great songs, just a significantly smaller share than other Zelda games. This isn't because the songs aren't good, of course, it's just because there aren't very many. One which stands out to me is the Hyrule Castle theme, a sweeping, epic song that is befitting of the game's final battle, and that pulls from the series' many past themes.

Most of the soundtrack, however, consists of background piano music, which consists of flourishes and the occasional simple melody. This is what plays when roaming the vast fields of Hyrule, most of the game's world, and it captures the game's atmosphere in a way I can only describe as masterful.
Some have bemoaned the lack of more traditional songs, as past Zelda games have had. But the primary function of music in a game is to complement that game, not necessarily to provide a soundtrack that can stand on its own (although this is definitely not uncommon).

Manaka Kataoka, one of the two primary composers, had never worked on a game of this scale, and was known as the composer for Animal Crossing games (a Nintendo series about managing a town of animal residents). But her music in this game has fit perfectly with what the game was trying to capture. She also composed the theme for one of the first trailers, a theme that left many fans in awe as they watched for the first time.

(I meant to finish this post last year but never did, so I thought I might as well publish it)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, part 1

Original Release: March 3, 2017

Platform: Nintendo Switch, Wii U

Introduction

Guys. This is an amazing game. I feel like this is one of those landmark games, like Super Mario Bros,  LOZ: Ocarina of Time, and Final Fantasy VII. I'm serious. But only time will tell.

If you've never played a Zelda game before this one, fear not. If you haven't played many video games before this one, fear not. Because even though this game can be hard at times, it isn't the kind of hard that requires technical skill, it's the kind of hard that requires you to think critically, and everyone (most people) can do that.

Part 1? What are you trying to pull?

Sorry, but there's so much I have to say about this game that squeezing it into a single post would be unpleasant for everyone. There will be a second one soon, and at the bottom of this post you can see exactly what it will cover. I'm going to split some categories over both parts.

Gameplay (World Accessibility, Shrines, Abilities)

World Accessibility

In past Zelda games, there were specific methods of getting to different places and solving certain puzzles. In Ocarina of Time, to get to the Gerudo Desert, you had to use the hookshot to breach Gerudo Valley. The world had walls everywhere, and you could only approach most locations from one direction. In Breath of the Wild, however, the map is seamless, and you can approach every location from all directions. To get to Kakariko Village, you could certainly take the path that leads to the gate of the village, but you can also walk up the field to the west to find another path, or even go around and climb up the mountains from the north to drop down on the houses.

Link floats upwards after setting grass on fire

Many methods of getting around the world involve the natural mechanics Breath of the Wild introduces. Simple things, like cutting down a tree to cross a chasm, or using the paraglider to catch an updraft from some burning brush, can help Link reach new places. In this way, the game is very friendly to inexperienced gamers. Simple problem solving skills are the only thing required to reach one of many solutions to each of the game's puzzles.

Shrines/Dungeons

From my Majora's Mask and Wind Waker posts, you may be familiar with the focus of dungeons in the Zelda series. If not, just know that dungeons are elaborate labyrinths with a sequence of puzzles and enemy fights, culminating in a boss fight at the end.

In BOTW, there are only four dungeons. Each one takes place in a "Divine Beast", one of four animal-shaped mechanical creatures intended to protect Hyrule from Ganon. Compared to dungeons in other games, they're pretty simplistic. I wish they were more like dungeons in other games, but I can see that the developers chose to focus on the overworld.

A wind puzzle in a shrine

To make up for the lack of dungeons, there are 120 'shrines' scattered all over the world. These are sort of like dungeons, but are very short, focusing on one concept for a puzzle. Some are very short, with just one puzzle, and others can be longer, with 5 or 6. I actually liked the concept of shrines, because the puzzles were always very unique and creative, and required some real thinking. In some other Zelda games, dungeon puzzles often were as simple as sliding block puzzles, so this was welcome.

Abilities

At the beginning of the game, Link gains a few core abilities that are used all throughout the game, from traversing the world to aiding in combat to solving puzzles in shrines. Remote Bombs are energy blasts which Link can detonate from a distance. Magnesis lets him manipulate metal objects through the air. Stasis locks an item in place for a short time. During this time, one thing Link can do is hit the object repeatedly to build up force, causing the object to experience the combined force once Stasis runs out. Cryonis makes a pillar of ice rise from a body of water, which can lift up gates, help Link traverse water, etc.

I love the abilities because using them in tandem creates some really interesting puzzles, combat methods, and even exploits.

Story/Characters (champions)

In Breath of the Wild, Link wakes up in a preservation chamber 100 years after a great calamity struck Hyrule. During that calamity, there were four "champions" who helped Link and Zelda (try to) defeat Ganon. They died in the struggle, but through memories and ghostly apparitions, the player gets to know each of the four champions. They're strong characters, in my opinion.

Mipha

Mipha is a member of the sea-dwelling Zora race, and she had a crush on Link since their childhood together. She is quiet and shy, but she shows resilience in the face of danger. I like how she is dedicated to helping Zelda even though she knows Link has feelings for Zelda. Mipha is said to be quite handy with a spear, and she pilots the elephant divine beast Vah Ruta. I'm not a huge fan of her voice actor, though.

Revali

Revali is a Rito, a race of bird people. He's arrogant, but lovable at the same time. He resents Link for being the Hero of Legend, believing himself to be more skilled than Link is. When Link meets Revali's spirit after completing the dungeon in Revali's Divine Beast, he finally acknowledges Link's skill. Revali's confidence makes him memorable, and I actually like his voice actor.

Urbosa

Urbosa is the chief of the Gerudo, a race of women living in the desert. She is seen acting like a big sister to Zelda, and she has some pretty kick-ass lightning powers. In the group of champions, she seems to be the wisest, and the one who maintains order. She also has a surprising hunger for revenge against Ganon, and she relishes the chance to help in defeating him.

Daruk

Daruk is a Goron, a rock creature who lives near the volcano. He's the least developed character, but from flashbacks it can be seen that he acts like a big brother toward Link. There's also a touching scene where Daruk's descendant sees his spirit. The excitement and sadness are almost tangible in the young Goron's expression.

Art

This game uses a cell-shaded graphical style, which I think suits it very well. It looks a lot like Studio Ghibli films, and its style was inspired by traditional Japanese animation.

Ahhhhh

The open world of Breath of the Wild combined with the artstyle make screenshots of this game look like paintings. Any shortcomings in the Nintendo Switch's graphical capabilities are masked by the style.

Be still, my heart

The characters also benefit from the style. The features in their faces are more pronounced, making them more expressive and letting the developers convey emotions with subtleties in the faces.

Part 2

Part two will include Gameplay (combat, food, and quests), Music, and Characters/Story (Zelda and Link). I hope to have it out in a week.

Super Smash Bros. 4

Original Release: October 3, 2014 (3DS), November 21, 2014 (Wii U)

Platform: Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

Introduction

This game is pretty different from the other games I've posted about. Super Smash Bros is a series of fighting games based on all of the Nintendo series. Each of the 58 characters in Super Smash Bros. 4 hails from one of Nintendo's series, from Mario to Link to Samus. There are also some characters who are more obscure, like the trainer from Wii Fit and Lucas from MOTHER 3. The Wii U version has around 600 songs, the vast majority of which are remixes of songs from other games or just the unaltered version of one of those songs.

There are also a select few series with representation in Super Smash Bros. that are not from Nintendo. These include Sonic the Hedgehog, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Mega Man, PAC-MAN, and even Bayonetta. Also, just so you know, every game I've posted about so far has some sort of representation in Super Smash Bros. 4, so that's a thing.

Gameplay

Explanation of how Smash Bros works

If you've never played a Smash game, the rules are pretty different from other fighting games. Instead of a health bar, players have a 'damage meter', which starts at 0% and goes all the way to 999%. Landing an attack on another character raises their damage based on the attack used. Most attacks, besides inflicting damage, also inflict 'knockback', meaning they launch the other character back a certain distance. This is important, because the only way to take a life from an opponent is to knock them off the edge of the screen.

An interesting fighting game

The unique gameplay of Super Smash Bros is easy for new players to learn, but it also allows for high level play. I've played the game with friends who have never played the game before, but there are also professional tournaments held all over the country.

I know this is a minority opinion, but I prefer the gameplay of Super Smash Bros to the gameplay of traditional fighters. I like how the strategy in Smash revolves around positioning and stage control, instead of split-second button presses and memorizing combos (this is just me, I know there are a lot of people who prefer the latter).

A "Nintendo Museum"

Aside from the game's acclaimed mechanics, Smash fans also love the game because it features content from all different parts of Nintendo's history. As I mentioned earlier, each of the games I've covered so far are represented in this game. I'll put some examples on the right side.

Both versions of Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening

Stage based on Super Mario Galaxy

There are a few ways the game brings in content from other games. One is through playable characters, which is the most popular way of bringing in content from other games. This is because the mechanics of Smash allows for creative sets of attacks that reflect a character's home game. For example, Bayonetta can use Witch Time to slow down an opponent, and Robin uses weapons and magic books that eventually break, much like in Fire Emblem.

The Skull Kid from Majora's Mask is an assist trophy

Another way games are represented is through battle arenas, known as stages. Stages can also be very creative, such as how the Super Mario Galaxy stage features a planet with gravity that curves around the surface. The stage Pirate Ship, based on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, takes place on a ship sailing the sea, and it is occasionally fired upon, picked up by a tornado, and run aground on an island.

A smaller way of representing a series is through "assist trophies". Using this item will summon a randomly chosen non-playable character, like Jeff from EarthBound. Some more irritable fans don't like this, seeing it as an excuse not to make those characters playable, but I like how it lets them include characters they wouldn't have originally.

There are countless other ways references to Nintendo games can be seen in this game, but one of my favorites is the music, which I'll focus on in the next section.

Music

One of my personal favorite parts about Super Smash Bros is the enormous selection of music from past Nintendo games. Lots of games that are too minor to have a character or a stage still have pieces of music.

Each stage has a set of music, and one of the tracks is randomly selected at the beginning of each match. The player can set the frequency of each track, which is SUPER convenient for nerds like me who have very specific favorite songs.

Arrangements

While there is a great amount of music ripped straight from their original games, there is also a plethora of new arrangements of past songs for the game. 60 well-known video game composers worked on the arrangements in this game, including composers who worked on series like Final Fantasy, and Dark Souls. Of course, this also includes famous Nintendo composers like Koji Kondo, who created the original Mario theme and the Zelda theme.

Here are some of my favorite arrangements:

I just spent ten minutes combing through the tracks to pick those, which is a testament to the game's quantity and quality of music.

Competitive Scene

EVO, one of the biggest fighting game tournaments

Super Smash Bros for Wii U has a huge competitive scene. As I mentioned before, there are tournaments all over the world all year long. I, of course, am not a professional-level player, but I enjoy watching matches sometimes. The top level players are well known within the Nintendo community, and Nintendo themselves sometimes makes videos with them on their YouTube channel.

The Smash 4 competitive scene grew out of the Super Smash Bros Brawl competitive scene. But competitive Smash started out with Super Smash Bros Melee, the second Smash game, which came out in 2001. Melee is a much more technical competitive game, as the players usually use exploits that require immense technical skill. When Brawl came out, a much less technical game, the competitive community split. Many Melee players resented the game's simplicity, and stuck to Melee. So thus the Brawl community was formed, which became the Smash 4 community once that game was released.