Hello good people! Wow, first blog post…is it weird to say I’m kind of excited? Of course not, I get to ramble about my nerdy passions! What could be better?
Alright, let’s get down to business. To defeat…the Huns! Actually, it’s more like Bokoblins and Chuchus we’ll be fighting. Now, about half of you are probably thinking, ‘What the *bleep* is she talking about?’ The other half (the COOL people…just kidding, you’re all awesome!) are pointing at your screens and shouting “AHA! I get it!” That’s right nerds; it’s Legend of Zelda time! But not just any Legend of Zelda. I’m talking about The Wind Waker. Why am I talking about it? Because Nintendo has done something that has sent my nerd senses into a complete freak-out. They have remade Wind Waker…in HD! The downside is that it's only playable on the WiiU, but it's still some pretty sweet news.
This isn’t to say that the original was bad the way it was. At the time, I thought it was awesome! Toon Link was a fresh take on our classic hero, there was a huge new world to explore, and I thought sailing around on a talking dragon boat was one of the best freaking things to do on a Saturday morning. Having it remade in HD is probably the greatest possible tribute Nintendo can give it.
Now, you will probably find that some gamers (mainly Nintendo/Wii-haters in general) will see this in a negative light. Common complaints I have heard: They are only doing it because they don’t have any new ideas! They’re ruining a perfectly good game! The WiiU isn’t that great of a system anyway!
Chill, you haters. You’re childhoods will survive. And, maybe once you actually PLAY the game, you may find that you like it just as much as before. Maybe even more. Know why? Because Nintendo has made some improvements. Mmmmmhmmmmm, that’s right. Don’t believe me? Well, watch this.
Alright, let’s get down to business. To defeat…the Huns! Actually, it’s more like Bokoblins and Chuchus we’ll be fighting. Now, about half of you are probably thinking, ‘What the *bleep* is she talking about?’ The other half (the COOL people…just kidding, you’re all awesome!) are pointing at your screens and shouting “AHA! I get it!” That’s right nerds; it’s Legend of Zelda time! But not just any Legend of Zelda. I’m talking about The Wind Waker. Why am I talking about it? Because Nintendo has done something that has sent my nerd senses into a complete freak-out. They have remade Wind Waker…in HD! The downside is that it's only playable on the WiiU, but it's still some pretty sweet news.
This isn’t to say that the original was bad the way it was. At the time, I thought it was awesome! Toon Link was a fresh take on our classic hero, there was a huge new world to explore, and I thought sailing around on a talking dragon boat was one of the best freaking things to do on a Saturday morning. Having it remade in HD is probably the greatest possible tribute Nintendo can give it.
Now, you will probably find that some gamers (mainly Nintendo/Wii-haters in general) will see this in a negative light. Common complaints I have heard: They are only doing it because they don’t have any new ideas! They’re ruining a perfectly good game! The WiiU isn’t that great of a system anyway!
Chill, you haters. You’re childhoods will survive. And, maybe once you actually PLAY the game, you may find that you like it just as much as before. Maybe even more. Know why? Because Nintendo has made some improvements. Mmmmmhmmmmm, that’s right. Don’t believe me? Well, watch this.
Impressed yet? I know I was! Just look at those graphics! Plus, shorter cutscenes? Faster sailing? That shaves a great deal of time off of gameplay. Sure, the first couple of times I watched the wind changing direction were neat, but it did get really…and I mean REALLY…tedious. It will be awesome to not have to sit through that again. Same with the grappling hook, especially on Dragon Roost Island. So…much…swinging…ugh. Also, the Swift Sail feature takes the travelling part up a level. Wind Waker’s sea is huge, and there are a lot of cannon boats and towers that shoot at you. It’s great that we can go fast when we really need to now.
There are a few things I’m a bit concerned about though. For one, I’m not sure how it will integrate with the WiiU’s gamepad. I mean, yeah I get what they are doing with it. Having your items within easy reach is nice. But…I’m a bit skeptical as to aiming with the gamepad. It seems all well and good, but from the sound of it, there appear to be some issues with the movement. How much of an inconvenience are we talking here? My patience does have it's limits, after all. Guess we’ll have to see, ne? Also, Hero Mode. It's an option you can choose in the menu that basically makes the game about five times harder. No handy hearts pop out of the grass you cut or the pots you smash. You have to rely entirely on your potions and fairies. I really like those hearts, you know? Bosses will be tougher, monsters harder to handle....yeah. I am aware that it's optional, so it's more of a personal issue than anything. I know a lot of people will probably enjoy Hero Mode. Me, it's just a way to die faster. Despite that, I will most likely end up trying it anyway. Cause I guess I enjoy stressing myself out.
All-in-all, I’d say Wind Waker HD is something to be excited about. Good news, it comes out in retail October 4th, which is literally tomorrow! The digital download for it has already been out for a couple weeks, but personally, I feel more satisfaction from actually holding a hard copy in my hand. Call me crazy.
Now, some of you are probably asking, “Rachel, does this mean you are going to get the game the day it comes out and spend hours reliving the fabulous adventure and geeking hard-core?” As much as I would love for the answer to be a big, fat, “YES!!!” sadly, I cannot do this. Why? Because I do not own a WiiU. There is a little hope though. Nintendo is offering a special package deal for The Wind Waker HD release, which includes a black 32 GB WiiU console (I hear it’s very slimming), a limited-edition Zelda-themed gamepad (it’s got Hylian writing on it!), a code for the digital download, and a download of Hyrule Historia. All this for only $299.99, which is GameStop’s regular price for the WiiU alone. I’d say that’s a pretty sweet deal. Sure, you’d still have to buy the game itself if you want the hard copy, but that’s an awesome package anyway! So if you are like me and love The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (or any Zelda game for that matter), but don’t have a system to play it on and have $300 to spend (which I’m not saying I do, but we’re talking about you here!), then check out this link: http://www.ign.com/wikis/the-legend-of-zelda-wind-waker/Pre-Order_Bonuses_and_Special_Editions Go on, do it. You know you want to.
Well, that’s probably enough gushing for now. Just one more thing, and then I'll let you get back to your lives, I promise. Since I am new to 5 Nerds, and seeing as it's my first post, I figured I could tell you a bit about myself. Q&A style! So, if you have any questions you're just dying to ask, or something you're curious about, send an email to [email protected] with the subject Q&A. Warning: I do not answer personal questions. That's nunna yo' beeswax, ya here? Stick to questions about nerdy topics. Don't be shy, I don't bite. Usually....eh, I hope you all enjoyed my first post! I know I enjoyed writing it. From me and my good friend Toon Link....
Go and do not falter!
Rachel
There are a few things I’m a bit concerned about though. For one, I’m not sure how it will integrate with the WiiU’s gamepad. I mean, yeah I get what they are doing with it. Having your items within easy reach is nice. But…I’m a bit skeptical as to aiming with the gamepad. It seems all well and good, but from the sound of it, there appear to be some issues with the movement. How much of an inconvenience are we talking here? My patience does have it's limits, after all. Guess we’ll have to see, ne? Also, Hero Mode. It's an option you can choose in the menu that basically makes the game about five times harder. No handy hearts pop out of the grass you cut or the pots you smash. You have to rely entirely on your potions and fairies. I really like those hearts, you know? Bosses will be tougher, monsters harder to handle....yeah. I am aware that it's optional, so it's more of a personal issue than anything. I know a lot of people will probably enjoy Hero Mode. Me, it's just a way to die faster. Despite that, I will most likely end up trying it anyway. Cause I guess I enjoy stressing myself out.
All-in-all, I’d say Wind Waker HD is something to be excited about. Good news, it comes out in retail October 4th, which is literally tomorrow! The digital download for it has already been out for a couple weeks, but personally, I feel more satisfaction from actually holding a hard copy in my hand. Call me crazy.
Now, some of you are probably asking, “Rachel, does this mean you are going to get the game the day it comes out and spend hours reliving the fabulous adventure and geeking hard-core?” As much as I would love for the answer to be a big, fat, “YES!!!” sadly, I cannot do this. Why? Because I do not own a WiiU. There is a little hope though. Nintendo is offering a special package deal for The Wind Waker HD release, which includes a black 32 GB WiiU console (I hear it’s very slimming), a limited-edition Zelda-themed gamepad (it’s got Hylian writing on it!), a code for the digital download, and a download of Hyrule Historia. All this for only $299.99, which is GameStop’s regular price for the WiiU alone. I’d say that’s a pretty sweet deal. Sure, you’d still have to buy the game itself if you want the hard copy, but that’s an awesome package anyway! So if you are like me and love The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (or any Zelda game for that matter), but don’t have a system to play it on and have $300 to spend (which I’m not saying I do, but we’re talking about you here!), then check out this link: http://www.ign.com/wikis/the-legend-of-zelda-wind-waker/Pre-Order_Bonuses_and_Special_Editions Go on, do it. You know you want to.
Well, that’s probably enough gushing for now. Just one more thing, and then I'll let you get back to your lives, I promise. Since I am new to 5 Nerds, and seeing as it's my first post, I figured I could tell you a bit about myself. Q&A style! So, if you have any questions you're just dying to ask, or something you're curious about, send an email to [email protected] with the subject Q&A. Warning: I do not answer personal questions. That's nunna yo' beeswax, ya here? Stick to questions about nerdy topics. Don't be shy, I don't bite. Usually....eh, I hope you all enjoyed my first post! I know I enjoyed writing it. From me and my good friend Toon Link....
Go and do not falter!
Rachel