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http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Fri, 3 Sep 2021 20:40:48 +0000

And that’s Breath of the Wild, and maybe in ten years I’ll have the perspective to decide how I feel about it. There are things I definitely don’t like. Pretty much everything related to health, equipment, and combat (I liked Lynels, “test of strength” Guardians, Kohga, Maz Koshia, and the sequences like where Link de-Malices Naydra or opening up the Divine Beasts aside from Rudania), and especially weapon breakage, is a drag. The Divine Beasts and shrines were poor replacements for proper dungeons. Rain and thunderstorms are the death of fun. Voice acting was… hit or miss. But there were things I liked. The story ranged from serviceable to great. Some wonderful characters: Kass, Sidon, Riju, Urbosa, a version of Zelda that’s among my favorites [1], and a fun enemy in Kohga [2]. Exploration was fun when it didn’t rain and I didn’t have to fight anything. Hyrule is beautiful, and the game’s art style is probably my favorite overall. So where do I rank it? Oh, boy, that’s a question. It’s better than Phantom Hourglass (a good game, but the series at its most blandly self-derivative), but I can’t say it’s as good as Spirit Tracks (an excellent game with some infuriating issues). So that puts it in somewhere with the NES games and Four Swords Adventures – really good games, but I don’t count them among my favorites in the series [3] for various reasons [4], and that’s about right. At long last, I’ve caught up after 25 years of neglecting the series! Well, mostly. As of this writing, I’m not quite halfway into Skyward Sword HD, trying Cadence of Hyrule for the… fifth time, I think [5], and still yet to seriously tackle Age of Calamity [6]. So I’ve got more to write on, and of course Zelda 20: 2 Breath 2 Wild is coming Soon™, so I’m not quite ready to put the Master Sword back in the forest and retire just yet. [1] Spirit Tracks, Wind Waker, Breath of the Wild, Ocarina of Time, and to fill out the top five… Twilight Princess, I guess. [2] I could definitely see him getting annoying, but he doesn’t last long enough. [3] It has not escaped my notice that my ten favorite Zelda games are the nine single player games from A Link to the Past to Twilight Princess, and the one that reimagines A Link to the Past. [4] You could argue Spirit Tracks is in this tier, but my issues with that game don’t drag it down as much as, say, the grindiness of Adventure of Link. [5] Rhythm games and I don’t get along, apparently. Which is kind of embarrassing, because I was a percussionist once upon a time. The fixed-beat mode and I do fairly well, except I don’t like not being able to sit with my shield out to reflect something, and then I end up getting overconfident and impatient. [6] Curse the lack of Zelda-style controls that the original Hyrule Warriors had!

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Fri, 3 Sep 2021 20:40:37 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Postgame Playing the game after Ganon is defeated, the world is in the state it was right before Link’s battle with Ganon: Malice, hostile Guardians, Blood Moons, etc. Link doesn’t keep the Bow of Light, but any other changes to his inventory during the battle carry over; in particular, there are three Compendium pictures (Calamity Ganon, Dark Beast Ganon, Bow of Light) that can only be taken during the battle. Symon is impressed that Link has completed the Compendium, and fumbling for a reward, gives Link a Classified Envelope with “a picture of a beautiful young woman of the Sheikah tribe.” He has a trailing thought about who the woman in the picture could be, probably thinking it’s someone familiar: Purah, simultaneously younger and older, most likely. The map now displays a completion percentage: there are 1,250 things tracked, and each counts equally. Because 900 of those are the Korok Seeds, the seeds make up 72% of the total. The 120 shrines add 9.6%, and the Divine Beasts – the main thrust of the game – add less than a third of a percent. The rest is filling in map labels; there were about 10 I missed, which meant a lot of comparing the map in game to a completed one to find the few little waypoints not filled in. There are individual rewards for completing all the Koroks (well, it’s sort of a reward) and all the shrines, the Divine Beasts have very powerful individual awards (and with The Champion’s Ballad, completing them all is a gateway to further power), but the map has no reward aside from having it done. Finally, Kilton offers medallions if Link defeats all of each type of boss monster in the game. Guardians aren’t bosses, nor Lynels (even if they’re harder than the three boss monsters). There are four Molduga (the Molduking doesn’t count), all in the desert, and forty each Hinox (including Stalnox) and Talus (including all variants except the Titan). When I first visited Kilton, I was one Talus short – if you know the game and noted that I didn’t mention the Talus among the enemies in Hyrule Castle, that’s why. Back to the castle, find the area I didn’t explore thoroughly enough, pop the Talus, wait for night, find Kilton again, get the medal, done. (cont.)

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 2 Sep 2021 20:19:20 +0000

"Credits" [youtube IPWNhgq5h30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPWNhgq5h30 youtube]

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 2 Sep 2021 20:09:44 +0000

When he’s defeated, Calamity Ganon explodes, and his essence vanishes back up the tower. Link is teleported out to Hyrule Field, where Epona waits for him, and Ganon reforms into a giant version of the pig demon form, Dark Beast Ganon. Zelda gives Link the Bow of Light (the mysterious open slot in the bow inventory) and periodically weakens Ganon, causing weak points to appear on his body. (She gets a great line here, saying that even if Link hasn’t recovered all his abilities and memories, “courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten.”) This fight is even easier than the Calamity Ganon one; Ganon only attacks directly in front of him, and the weak points are on his flanks and underside so there’s no need for Link to be where he can get hit. The weak points are destroyed in a single hit, and after they’re all gone, a giant Malice eye opens on the back of Ganon’s head. Link shoots that. Zelda comes in, glowing; with Ganon weakened from his fight with Link, Zelda is now able to seal him away until the next sequel. She talks about Link’s journey, saying she always believed he would defeat Ganon, echoes the original game’s ending (“Thank you, Link… the hero of Hyrule”), and asks if Link truly remembers her. The credits roll with a series of pictures of key places, people, and items from the game. For each of the four non-human races, we first see their main city, Link’s ally in tackling the Divine Beast, the Divine Beast, and the Champion. Most of the important characters are shown here, but I think Kass and Master Kohga got snubbed. The credits end, of course, with a shot of the Master Sword sleeping in the forest. After the credits, Link and Zelda stand before the gates of Hyrule Castle before turning to walk away. From over the castle, the spirits of King Rhoam and the Champions look out over Hyrule one last time before disappearing, finally able to rest in peace. There’s one final scene, with Zelda talking about rallying everyone to restore Hyrule to what it was before, or even greater [1]. As she and Link set off to start their work, the camera pans out, ending on a shot dominated by a single Silent Princess flower. Next: There’s actually a fair bit to wrap up after the game. [1] At the start of the scene, she’s talking about examining Ruta to understand why it’s stopped working, and it was nice to see that with Ganon gone and Hyrule safe, she’s finally able to pursue her own interests, no longer forced into the role fate gave her.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 2 Sep 2021 20:09:22 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Calamity Ganon In Kakariko Village, Impa tells Link, now that he’s visited and relived all twelve memories, that there’s one more. The final memory is located in the Guardian graveyard, east of the Dueling Peaks stable. As I was headed there, I ran across some Bokoblins and shot one, forgetting I was still using Ancient Arrows. Bit of a waste – Bokoblins are easy – but then again, I don’t have anything to save them for, so I’m more amused than annoyed. In the memory, Link is barely standing as multiple Guardians run about, but he refuses to run and leave Zelda. When it looks like a Guardian is about to finish him off, Zelda steps in front of him and finally unleashes the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, destroying all the Guardians in the area. Link’s injuries and exertion get to him and he collapses. Zelda thinks he’s too far gone to save, but Fi speaks to her to tell her he just needs his batteries recharged. A pair of Sheikah show up; Zelda tells them to take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection while she takes the Master Sword to the Great Deku Tree and goes to face Ganon. Now it’s back to the castle to finish this up. Along the path from the front gate to the castle Sanctum where Ganon’s waiting, there are two gatehouses. As Link enters each, the gates close and a Lynel drops to face him. And just like with that Bokoblin, I’m so used to leading off Lynel fights by Majora’s Masking and shooting them in the face when the magic wears off that I shot the first Lynel in the face with an Ancient Arrow. So much for that boss. Also, while every other Lynel in the game except the tutorial one on Ploymus Mountain has been upgraded to Silver Lynels, these are Blue and White Lynels, respectively, so Link can get pictures of them if he needs [1]. Finally, Link reaches the Sanctum and enters for the final showdown with Calamity Ganon. If Link missed taking control of any of the Divine Beasts, he first has to fight the respective Blights. Then Zelda’s power finally fails and Calamity Ganon unleashes lasers that break him free, and as he lands on the floor, it collapses, sending him and Link falling to the basement. As Link and Ganon prepare to face off, the Champions unleash the Divine Beasts, blasting the castle with energy that knocks off half of Ganon’s health. Calamity Ganon is a spidery creatures that wields the weapons of the four Blights, plus a Guardian laser. He’s really not hard, especially if you’re good at deflecting the laser because he keeps going back to that. (cont.) [1] I’d say it feels weird to have the two in the endgame area be the ones that don’t upgrade, but the others are easier to avoid and/or get away from.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 2 Sep 2021 14:49:21 +0000

"You kick the treasure chest. Your foot hurts."

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:55:48 +0000

I mostly chose it just for the collection of Links, as a celebration of finishing Breath of the Wild. But... as best I can tell: A bunch of Links [1] are posing together while Breath of the Wild Link uses the Sheikah Slate's camera rune to take a picture... of himself. [1] Back row: Twilight Princess*, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword*; front row: Wind Waker, Adventure of Link. (The ones with a * are in their starting outfits for some reason; I guess to make it easier to tell them apart.)

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 21:50:13 +0000

There’s a lot to collect in the castle. I got a Royal Guard’s Spear on one of my previous trips, and there’s a full set of items hitting each of the types: bow, claymore, shield, spear, and sword. These are very powerful but very fragile items, although the Master Sword (powered up) and Hylian Shield are better than the Royal Guard Sword and Shield even if you don’t factor durability in, the Claymore is similarly outclassed by the Savage Lynel Crusher, I prefer the multishot Lynel bows (especially when I get a five-shot one), and I don’t use spears. The final armor set, the Royal Guard set, is here in three pieces spread throughout the castle. The twelfth memory is here as well: Zelda excitedly looks out at researchers working on a Guardian, but her father comes and insists she focus on awakening her own power instead. The final twenty-five Koroks are in the castle as well. As this is the final area, some of these are really tricky: a long archery shot (well, this would be worse without the Twilight Bow that shoots in a straight line), a “match the offerings” puzzle where the offerings are hard-boiled eggs (fortunately instead of bowls, the eggs go in hot spring pools which boil them), and so many spires. When Link finds the last Korok, a special message pops up saying he’s done so and can go tell Hestu the good news, which, sure, I’m done collecting. Hestu assumes Link must have had an army of people looking for all the Koroks. It’s not entirely untrue – I found many of them on my own (Korok Mask counts as “on my own”), but I think if I were averse to using a guide, I’d either still be at it [1] or have given up long, long ago. (Anyone who truly gets all 900 Korok Seeds on their own has my admiration and my sympathy.) The reward for this… is poo. Hestu’s Gift, a golden poo [2] that “smells pretty bad.” The true reward is [X] never having to find another Korok [3], and a trophy is pretty much in line with my expectations, but that it’s a trophy poo has me stunned [4]. Hestu will also do any of his unlocking dances on command, and I didn’t even realize until now he had different dances. Next: I remember the time I knew what happiness was / Let the memory live again! [1] I am writing this post approximately eleven months after beating the game. [2] Inspired by a Japanese good luck charm. But still, poo. [X] IntenseDebate has apparently decided it doesn't like strikethrough text, so I'm moving the bit I struck to a footnote: "the friends we made along the way" [3] Until… unless… I play it again. [4] Although… looking at the Korok Seeds with their “distinct smell,” it seems Hestu’s Gift is just a giant Korok Seed from a giant Korok. So they’ve all been poo.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 21:49:27 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Hyrule Castle Before starting Hyrule Castle, I need to note that I missed documenting two memories in the Ridgelands area. One is mostly lighthearted as Zelda muses on flowers being useful for cooking and catches a frog and demands Link eat it. In the second, Zelda contemplates her impending seventeenth birthday, which means she’ll finally be able to visit Mount Lanayru’s Spring of Wisdom, which she hopes but doubts will give her a better result than the other two. I decided, for the final dungeon of the game, I would restrict Link to using only iconic items – the Hero of the Wild armor set [1], Master Sword, and Hylian Shield [2] – with two exceptions: Link can use the Climbing Set if he needs to climb and it’s raining and the Thunder Helm in a thunderstorm. Since there’s no iconic bow (well, there’s a slot saved on the bows inventory page so there may be, but in any case, Link doesn’t have it yet), Link can use whatever bow and arrows he likes, including Ancient Arrows since there’s no point saving them anymore. Hyrule Castle has some special rules of its own. It’s treated like a dungeon, which means the map is the spectacularly useless 3D rendering (even though there’s no moving parts for Link to manipulate) [4] and Link can only quick travel by leaving the area, getting dropped outside the front gate. (He can, however, set the Travel Medallion location inside the castle and teleport there from outside.) Also, even in the outside areas of the castle, Blood Moons are disabled. Finally, the Champions’ abilities recharge three times faster, and this stacks with the bonuses gained during The Champion’s Ballad. So Revali’s Gale recharges in forty seconds, and even Mipha’s Grace is under three minutes. (The Master Sword is powered up in the castle, but because I completed the Trial of the Sword, there’s no difference.) The castle has both indoor and outdoor areas. Indoors, the enemies consist of Moblins and Lizalfos, Keese, and Pebblits. There’s a single Stalnox in the castle’s dungeon, that I fought long ago to get a Hylian Shield but the Blood Moon has long since brought back. Outside, the castle is watched by Guardians, including Turrets and Skywatchers. And, of course, with Ganon in the castle, there’s Malice. (cont.) [1] I’d go with the Champion’s Tunic if I could dye it green. [2] I know, it’s such a drag having to use great items that never break [3]. [3] Well, hardly ever, in the case of the Hylian Shield. [4] I suppose I should be grateful Link doesn’t have to get a map, then unlock the five seals, all while Zelda coaches him along.

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Mon, 30 Aug 2021 11:45:01 +0000

Plactus (Re+)Plays The Legend of Zelda <img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClUsDRQUYAAqfb8?format=png" width="600"> (Source: @mmimmzel on Twitter.) I got a bit longwinded on The Champion's Ballad, so I'm back to wrap up Breath of the Wild this week. It'll probably be three posts: Monday – Ulehyr Pnfgyr Wednesday – Pnynzvgl Tnaba Friday – Cbfgtnzr naq Jenchc (may get combined with Wednesday, but I doubt it) As I said two weeks ago, this won't be the end of the road, but I'm going to take some time off to figure out what I'm going to do with Cadence of Hyrule and Skyward Sword HD [1], get going with Age of Calamity, and maybe actually remember that my archive needs a lot of attention. [1] Current progress: Started the third dungeon. Going very slow. (Spoilers through start of fourth dungeon (Napvrag Pvfgrea).) V xabj jura V svavfu guvf qhatrba V unir gb svtug gur Vzcevfbarq, qb n Fvyrag Ernyz, zrrg gung qnzarq ebobg naq Sneba, tb onpx gb gur svefg qhatrba, naq cynl gur pybja pnaaba naq sfpxvat unec zvavtnzrf orsber gur arkg qhatrba. Fb V'z fgnyyvat.

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Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:22:21 +0000

"The Divine Princess and the Five Champions," the music for the memory sequence, ending with my favorite version of the Champion's Ballad, a simple piano-based version. [youtube Pq9RxMOZ6bE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq9RxMOZ6bE youtube] There's also this music box version that plays as Link hangs the picture in his house. The music for the final Divine Beast dungeon. It's hard to tell [1] listening to this track, but this is like "Lorule Castle" from A Link Between Worlds; it builds as Link completes each sub-challenge. (It's also based on the game's shrine theme, which is reminiscent of the Light World dungeon theme from A Link to the Past.) Monk Maz Koshia battle theme. [1] Well, until the tempo takes off.

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Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:01:24 +0000

In Monk Maz Koshia’s (“The Divine Trial”) first phases, he borrows attacks from the Yiga Clan members Link’s fought (or, more accurately, uses attacks they borrowed from him) and the various Blights. In the second phase, he spawns eight duplicates of himself that are dispelled if they take damage, and Link can use Urbosa’s Fury to get rid of them all and stun the real Monk. For the third phase, he grows big and borrows another trick from Thunderblight’s playbook: throw balls at Link and electrify them. The counter is the same as Thunderblight: grab one with Magnesis, hold it close to the Monk, and let him stun himself. He also tilts the platform, summons a bunch of balls, and tries to roll them at Link. All I could figure out to do here is dodge. For the final phase, he grows huge, tries to stomp Link if he gets close, sometimes throws a couple doubles at Link, and gains a Guardian laser attack. At this point, it was easiest to pull out Link’s bow and shoot Maz Koshia in the face until he stopped and declared Link worthy. “You faced that challenge with great courage. You have erased all doubt from my mind. You are a true hero. As such you were destined to take hold of this ancient masterpiece…” Maz Koshia presents Link with his own Divine Beast: my main vehicle in Mario Kart [1][2], a unicorn-themed motorcycle called the Master Cycle Zero. It’s summoned via a rune on the Sheikah Slate, and requires fuel in the form of whatever Link happens to have too much of in his inventory. (Apples, in my case.) “Hero of Hyrule… May the Goddess smile upon you.” Link returns to the Great Plateau, where he finds Kass looking at Hyrule Castle. Kass has completed his teacher’s unfinished song, about the inauguration of the Champions. As he plays, Link flashes back to the ceremony, where the champions were presented with their Champion’s garments. After the ceremony, the Champions examine the Sheikah Slate, and Mipha asks if they can take a group picture. There’s some fun here as Purah [3] has trouble getting Daruk into the frame and Revali and Mipha toward the center, although Daruk solves the latter problem by grabbing everyone into a group hug just as the picture’s taken. Back in the present, Kass found a copy of the picture in his teacher’s notes, and thinks Link should have it. (Link can hang it on the wall of his house.) Kass and Link stand on the outcropping where Link first looked out at the Great Plateau and Hyrule beyond, and Kass leaves this wonderful DLC with a final thought: “May the souls of the Champions who watch over Hyrule rest in peace.” Next: You know, I was expecting a crappy reward for the full set of Korok seeds. [1] I assume it came first here. [2] Rosalina. [3] Her name’s not mentioned, but the “Click, snap!” as she takes the picture gives it away.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 00:00:37 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champion’s Ballad As Link returns to the Shrine of Resurrection, Maz Koshia greets him, “To the brave soul who wishes to master a Divine Beast… You have done well to return to this place of beginnings. You have overcome many challenges thus far. Now, allow me to bestow upon you one final trial. Return the Sheikah Slate to the terminal you first obtained it from. Do so, and the final passageway will reveal itself…” The One-Hit Obliterator has returned to where Link first picked it up, and if he tries again, is told, “It has fulfilled its duty. It slumbers peacefully…” When Link places the Sheikah Slate back in its terminal, the door to outside closes and the room descends underground like an elevator. As Link exits at the bottom, Maz Koshia speaks again: “Welcome, hero. You have overcome many trials to reach me. Now it is time to face the final trial. This trial is a complex labyrinth. To start, you will need a map. You may obtain map information from the Guidance Stone.” Even though Link has to have completed the first four Divine Beasts to tackle this one, and it’s not voiceover they paid someone to record so they may as well use it, we start with reminding him what to do. However, when Link gets the map, there’s no “activate the four terminals” hint, so that’s better. There’s a door with four locks, and each lock is tied to a terminal. This Divine Beast isn’t corrupted, so there’s no Malice, no eyes, and no endless parades of enemy skulls, but there are Guardians, including Turrets and Skywatchers that spawn after terminals are activated. The center of the Divine Beast starts still, but Link can rotate it in either direction (back to still is not an option) to advance. The four terminals are each in a corridor off the main room, each themed around each Champion’s element. The fire room has a spiked pillar, fire jets, and a contraption on the wall Link needs to guide an Orb through by changing the center room’s spin. The wind room has a giant fan, and Link needs to change the direction it blows to help him make jumps, plus Stasis the fan so he can get by with out being blendered. The electric room has a surprisingly simple “connect the circuit” puzzle. The water room has Link manipulating water levels. After one final Magnesis puzzle, Link comes face-to-face with Maz Koshia. “You have proven to possess the power of a true hero. In the name of the Goddess Hylia…,” he says as his hand starts twitching. He stands up and folds his hands and says, “I offer this final trial!” Link is transported to a platform floating above the Great Plateau, where he’s joined by Maz Koshia, who takes a combat pose. “Let us begin.” Well, there wasn’t not going to be a boss fight, was there? (cont.)

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Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:43:21 +0000

I meant to put these in the above post but editing doesn't play nice with embedding. First, the theme for Revali's memory; I may not like Revali much, but at least they gave him good music. I especially love the part where he flies around blowing everything up. And, of course, Kass' takes on Revali's and Daruk's themes.

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Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:31:35 +0000

Each of the songs Kass plays at the monuments has the same basic melody, but with each monument visited, Kass adds more and more to it. (I'm not sure where the fifth version in this video comes from.) [youtube i9ujRQSh7rk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9ujRQSh7rk youtube]

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Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:20:50 +0000

Kass’ song about Revali: “Wind’s ally soars the land of cloud. Medoh’s Champion, swift and proud. / The hero’s power shall grow. Seek trials monuments show. / One, shoot the flame dragon’s horn. Two, race down a peak rings adorn. / Three, shoot four targets to win. Champion, the trials begin!” Shoot the flame dragon’s horn – Dragon horns are good for cooking (they make special effects last 30 minutes), and Dinraal’s the easiest one to get to, so I’ve had lots of practice shooting his. For this trial, Link needs to do it near where Mazli is keeping lookout duty; in the area, Dinraal’s horns glow blue. Shira Gomar Shrine (“Aim for Stillness”) challenges Link to destroy walls; the intended solution is using winds to blow bombs where they need to go, but it even gives him bomb arrows. Race down a peak rings adorn – Yeah, it’s snowboarding (with a little bit of paragliding along the way). Kiah Toza Shrine (“Master the Orb”) is a guide-the-orb puzzle, with tests involving Cryonis, Magnesis, and Stasis. Shoot four targets to win – At the Flight Range, Link has to jump into the canyon and hit four of the targets around in a single slow-motion period. Noe Rajee Shrine (“The Four Winds”) is an updraft shrine; the central room has four crystal switches that turn on fans Link will need to reach the end. For the rematch against Windblight, Link gets three bows (Revali’s Falcon Bow, a Duplex Bow, and a Phrenic Bow), a hundred regular arrows and five bomb arrows, a Feathered Edge, and two-star Snowquill Armor. With that assortment of equipment, this fight is the least different from the earlier fight. Kass sings, “Recall Medoh’s Champion of flight, before he fell to his fateful plight. / Revali’s feat was a wonder to see, so the princess made her plea.” Zelda caught Revali before he fully mastered Revali’s Gale; the task before him gives him the last bit of inspiration he needs, and when he does, he can’t resist showing off. With the trial complete, Revali’s Gale’s cooldown is brought to two minutes, which removes any worries I would ever have about needing it before it comes back. With all four Champions’ trials completed, Maz Koshia contacts Link to return to the Shrine of Resurrection for the final trial. Next: Divine Beast Vah Ruum.

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Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:18:49 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Daruk’s and Revali’s Songs Kass speculates about Link’s ability to withstand the heat on Death Mountain, but in speculating how he does it, overlooks his armor. He has a song: “Crawling flame on a mighty peak. Rudania’s Champion, never weak. / The hero’s power shall grow. Seek trials monuments show. / One, stop a titan of molten stone. Two, follow rings of light alone. / Three, survive lava’s fiery fate. Champion, trials await!” Stop a titan of molten stone – The titan is an Igneo Talus Titan. It spawns in lava, so Link has to ride updrafts from the lava and Titan out to its head to attack its weak point when it’s stunned. Kamia Omuna Shrine (“Moving Targets”) has Link using a cannon that swivels to hit targets; the last two targets require using motion controls to orient something, first so Link can hit the target, second so Link can shoot through to the target. Follow rings of light alone – Chasing the light rings here involves paragliding and climbing; I would have expected this for Revali, but I suppose the Gorons don’t have a unique form of travel (well, they have rolling, but Link can’t do that), and there’s something else they can do in the snowy mountains. Sharo Lun Shrine (“Blind Spots”) has Link riding blocks through obstacles; the fire jets can be safely handled with Flamebreaker Armor, but the spikes require dodging, and the final challenge has Link climb a waterfall with Cryonis. Survive lava’s fiery fate – The Goron Blood Brothers are at it again, trying to match one of Daruk’s feats by standing on lava in a glowing ring [1]. With the help of a couple blocks made of a metal that’s magnetic and has a really high melting point, Link makes it over to stand in the ring. Rinu Honika Shrine (“Block the Blaze”) has Link trying to get through flame jets, and yes, the Flamebreaker Armor works here and thank God because the last puzzle was a motion control thing. Link gets Flamebreaker Armor for his rematch with Fireblight, but it doesn’t have the fire immunity set bonus, so he has to avoid fire this time. He also gets Daruk’s Boulder Breaker and a Knight’s Bow with five ice arrows. After the fight, Kass sings about Daruk: “Recall Rudania’s Champion of flame, before his fated moment finally came. / This is the tale of Great Daruk’s task, and the princess who came to ask.” In the flashback, Daruk chases a group of Bokoblins off from attacking a dog, revealing in the process that he’s scared of dogs. The cooldown on Daruk’s Protection is reduced. (Also, with the way the fins on the face of Rudania spread out for its laser, it looks like a demogorgon from Stranger Things.) (cont.) [1] They say Gorons can’t walk on lava, but I’m pretty sure in Majora’s Mask’s Stone Tower Temple, Goron Link could. Of course, that game’s Zora Link had an electric field attack that would fry this game’s Zoras.

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Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:34:42 +0000

Kass' take on Urbosa's theme: [youtube RSEwNX0Y-Y0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSEwNX0Y-Y0 youtube]

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:32:05 +0000

Throw the orb underground – This trial starts at the far end of Karusa Valley, in the area where Link fought Master Kohga. Mils and Mina, the treasure hunting duo Link met when he first came down from the Great Plateau. They tell Link two helpful facts: the Yiga are back in force, and they’ve stolen a sacred orb from the Gerudo. So, we have a second stealth mission with the same rules as the first: Get spotted, they’ll lock the doors and swarm Link; get hit, die. Last time I fought my way through; this time I did the same, but smarter: Sneak around and whack them with Ancient Arrows to kill them before they can spot Link. Link gets the orb, runs outside, and, to Mils and Mina’s horror, chucks it into the pit Master Kohga fell into. Kihiro Moh Shrine (“Inside the Box”) is technically a motion-control shrine, but all there is to motion control is rotating a box to count the orbs inside, then position it so the bottom can be pulled out with Magnesis. There are a bunch of orbs that need to be placed in sockets corresponding to how many similar orbs are/were in the box; colored orbs to open the way to the Shrine Monk, gray orbs to open the gate to the treasure chest. Link’s equipment for the Thunderblight Ganon rematch is Urbosa’s sword and shield, an Edge of Duality, a Shield of the Mind’s Eye, and two-star Desert Voe armor. No bows, although they’re largely useless against him anyway. When Thunderblight is defeated, Kass is waiting for Link outside with a song about Urbosa: “Recall Naboris’s Champion of sand, before she was lost to the land. / Chief Urbosa’s heart was strong, so the princess came along.” We flash back to Urbosa accepting the responsibility for one of the Divine Beasts. She takes the ceremony seriously, but later laughs about it with Zelda. The conversation takes a serious turn when Zelda asks where the “little bird” nickname Urbosa calls her came from, and Urbosa says it was Zelda’s mother’s name for her. Also, some things never change: the Yiga are trying to steal the Thunder Helm, but Urbosa spots a couple traveling incognito and thrashes them. Back in the present, Urbosa speaks praising Link’s strength and reminding him of his duty to protect Zelda. Next: It’s not that I don’t like Daruk and… well, okay, Revali I actually don’t like.

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Double Shenanigans

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:31:54 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Urbosa’s Song With the Divine Beasts, there was some gentle guidance to do Ruta first, but here, when Link’s strong enough to have freed all four Divine Beasts, it’s entirely up to the player to choose the order. My original plan was to do the monuments in the same order I did the Divine Beasts, but after getting the reward from Mipha [1], I bumped Urbosa up because in the short time I’ve had Urbosa’s Fury, I’ve found it the most frustrating Champion ability to be without. The setup is the same, with the same messages from the monks: Three locations revealed on the monument’s pillars, Link goes to each and conquers a challenge, revealing a shrine that gives a champion’s emblem, collect three to rematch with the blight Ganon. As expected, Kass is here with his mentor’s song to help guide Link: “Lightning king of the desert. Naboris’s Champion, the stalwart. / The hero’s power shall grow. Seek trials monuments show. / One, fight the brute of the sand. Two, chase rings upon the land. / Three, throw the orb underground. Champion, trials abound!” Fight the brute of the sand – In the southeast corner of the desert, the “brute of the sand” turns out to be a giant Molduga called the Molduking. It’s not really much harder than your garden variety Molduga except that the safe places to stand are pillars that left me questioning my decision to go for Urbosa’s Fury+ before Revali’s Gale+. Kieve Tala Shrine (“Big or Small”) is a “complete the electric circuit” puzzle shrine with a motion control puzzle at the end for the bonus chest. The motion controls guide a laser to hit four crystal switches that stop moving metal platforms; the idea is to stop them in line to complete the circuit to open the door. Chase rings upon the land – Northwest of Gerudo Town, not far from where Kilton makes his landing, Link finds the first of the light rings. They’re too far apart for him to have a chance on foot; the only way to pass the challenge is sealboarding. Takama Shiri Shrine (“Dual Purpose”) has a bunch of metal blocks that serve both as platforms for Link and conductors to complete circuits. (cont.) [1] Whose combat trial may be the hardest. Seriously, Skywatchers suck.