#especially wind waker my beloved

[lilas]

Wind Waker isn’t a true Zelda game because instead of Epona you get a boat! Why is everything under water and who’s this Tetra chick? Gimmicky af.

I'm already seeing some people suggest that EoW is not a "real" Zelda game due to the new mechanics and lessened focus on combat. And like it's actually crazy to me how people call themselves Zelda fans but baulk every time the series gets a shake up (as if the devs haven't been trying to shake up the formula since Zelda Fucking Two.)

Anyway, with this I would like to start a thread called "Why Your Favourite Zelda Games Aren't Actually Zelda Games." I'll start:

Ocarina Of Time isn't a true Zelda game because Zelda shouldn't be 3D. The games began as 2D, and to change mediums is betraying the series roots and core gameplay.

Now, continue:

[crowroboros]

top 3 favourite Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf designs?

Easy. Again this is about their designs and designs only.

Link -

The #1 design for Link goes to Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom's Link (Especially Link in TotK with the Archaic Set, though the Snowquill set is a close second)

By far Link's best look across the entire series. From his hair to the arm to just the general artstyle of this era, I absolutely love this design for him. I would love to see more creative ways to have him in that classic Legend of Zelda green like this. The classic green tunic and cap is lovely, I think spicing the look up like this though is great (I consider the Tunic of the Wild to be BotW's green tunic only, even though it appears in this game as well.)

Wild Era Link himself just has my favorite design out of the Links—not even limiting him to the Archaic Set. I'm talking about the base man. He rocks.

#2 goes to Skyward Sword Link

Skyward Sword Link has what I consider the best traditional Legend of Zelda green tunic design (emphasis on traditional cause Archaic Set my beloved), especially in the artwork. I also like his hair, not as much as the Wild Era Link's hairstyles but The Hero of the Skies has nice hair too.

#3 goes to A Link Between Worlds Link (and technically Triforce Heroes but that game has a different artstyle so I'm not counting it as the same design even though it is the same Link)

It's a very "classic 2D Zelda" look—being very reminiscent of Link from most of the 2D titles from before 2002, but I just think that this specific look does the concept presented by Zelda 1, Adventure of Link, ALttP, the Oracle games, etc better. A big part of it is Ravio's Bracelet, the general artstyle of the game, and his painting form he takes. That wall merge mechanic is fantastic.

Zelda-

#1 goes to Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Zelda (but more so Tears of the Kingdom's Zelda)

Yet another win for the Wild Era. I don't know who came up with the general look and design for this incarnation of Link and Zelda but fuck, they deserve the world. All of the outfits that Zelda wears in these games are great, and I think the short-hair look works wonderfully for her as well.

#2 goes to Twilight Princess Zelda

Despite my criticisms of TP Zelda's character (or lack thereof, if this was about character writing she would NOT make top 3. Go girl give us nothing!!), her design fucking slays. The colors, the intricate patterns and details, her rapier. Definitely deserves top 3.

#3 goes to Skyward Sword Zelda

I could go on for a while about this Zelda's character and her role with the people of Skyloft and Link and Goddess Hylia and how fascinating it all is...but this is about designs so that will have to be saved for another day. Although her two outfits are heavily tied into her character and how she sees herself: Zelda, inhabitant of Skyloft vs Zelda, Hylia Reincarnated and how she has to sacrifice who she is when forced into the role she plays in a conflict spanning millennia. I really want to make a post about her character in Skyward Sword. Maybe that'll happen one day.

Ganondorf-

#1 goes to Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Yeah, none of you should be surprised. They cooked unbelievably hard with the character designs in the Wild Era games. Link, Zelda, Ganondorf all look FANTASTIC. Hell even his rotted corpse look is great (and I wish we saw more of it; Lich King Ganondorf as a concept sounds so good)

#2 goes to Wind Waker Ganondorf

Best written Ganondorf from the best Zelda game, and before TotK he was the best Ganondorf design as well! I don't have a single negative thing to say about Wind Waker Ganondorf's design really. I think the colors are great, the details serving as nods to the Helmaroc King are cool, he duel wields swords as well. After getting sealed away in Ocarina of Time, he really stepped up his fashion game.

and finally, #3 goes to Twilight Princess Ganondorf

He looks cool. The scar in the middle of his torso from the failed execution at the Arbiter's Grounds (and then him wielding the weapon that The Sages failed to kill him with) is a detail I really like. That's cool as fuck. This design kind of feels like what was attempted in Ocarina of Time, just no where near as good.

But there you have it anon, my top 3 favorite designs for Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf.

[wickedcriminal]

For the ship meme, hmmmmMMMMMM Wind Waker!Link/Tetra, Alphonse/Mei, and Book!Alvin the Treacherous/Monstrous Strangulator

TETRA AND LINK YEEEAAAHHHHHH

I love all incarnations of zelink and telink in particular is one of my favorites 😭 I'm especially a big fan of post Wind Waker when they're older and sailing the Great Sea together looking for New Hyrule,, give me the pirate power couple <33

ALPHONSE AND MEI MY BELOVED

They're so gosh darn adorable 😭 I love their goofy-silly relationship because Mei has a case of hero worship at first and Al thinks she's just a strange little girl but they eventually even out to see each other on the same level of competence and strength and I just really love that for them 😭😭

ALVIN AND THE MONSTROUS STRANGULATOR

THIS IS THE ONLY ALVIN SHIP THAT MATTERS LMAO;; THEY BOTH CRAVE VIOLENCE ITS MEANT TO BE

[ppeasants]

Hey so I ended up making a good amount of Headcanons for the Rito in Wind Waker, and I wanted to share them with y'all.

This came about while writing for my Wind fic focusing on the obscene amount of father figures he has (check it out here). This chapter was focused on Quill, and while I was developing their relationship, I ended up developing a decent amount of internal lore for the Rito, and I couldn't fit them all in the fic

So, I'm putting them so people can see it, and if people like em, they can hopefully use it for themselves, or expand on them, or just tell me what their own HCs are, or what they would change. I love the Rito, especially Wind Waker's, and I had so much fun doing this.

Just a quick disclaimer, I am not any sort of anthropologist, or linguist, or anything, so if I disrespect any real-world race or culture with this, I am really sorry. Please let me know if I misrepresent something so I can learn from it and change whatever is wrong.

HCs under the cut:

Tribe

It's all but confirmed that the Rito were evolved from the Zora, who were forced to evolve due to the unlivable water of the Great Flood. This colours a lot my headcanons about the Rio's values, traditions, and relations.

It is hard for the Rito to call any one place their home, since they lost theirs in the flood.

Their flight is important to them threefold: It's the gift theyr were given by Valoo in order to survive the flood, it gives them the freedom to explore around when they feel the loss of their home, and it's the closest thing they have to the freedom of swimming.

It's why the sky, their flight, and Valoo is all so important ot them.

Their connection to Valoo is why they call Dragon Roost home, although to them, it's more like a common hub, or home base. Most Rito don't actually have a set home, instead they travel around between place to place. It's why the Rito as delivery workers works so well for them.

Along with losing their home, the Rito also lost a lot of their culture. This causes them to be very protective of what they have now, rarely letting others take part in their actual traditions.

It's why Link (Wind) being a part of their family is such a big deal; hes one of the only Hylians to actually be accepted as a Rito¹ (the idea of Link being a Rito will come up later)

As a part of their culture and their worship of the sky as their new freedom, they revere Zephos and Cyclos, even more than sailor of the Great Sea do. A lot of their rituals focus on the Wind Gods.

They have always worshiped Zephos, but Cyclos was lost to time. When they were reminded of his existence, they were horrified that they might have lost more of their culture, but were quick to reinstate Cyclos as a deity, and they do celebrate him now.

Relations

To the Rito as a Tribe, relations to each other are everything. Everyone who is a Rito is connected on some way to the other Rito.

You are defined by your connections to the other Rito. Unless you're the ruler of the Rito, then you are your connections.

You are your mother's daughter - you are the fathger of your son - you are best friend, the partner, the beloved, and they are yours.

As relationships are the biggest way to define who you are as a Rito, it is possible for people who were not born as Rito to be a part of the tribe. There are very few non-species Rito, as they are protective of their identity, but it is possible.

¹This is why Link (Wind) is a Rito. He is defined by his relationships to the Rito: specifically Quill, Medli, and Komali. He is Quill's beloved, and Quill is Link's guardian. He is Medli's mentor, and she is his sage. He is Komali's chosen, and Komali is his partner (komalink truthers rise up).

Feathers are important in defining those relationships. If you are close enough to be defined by a relationship, then you given a feather from the other to keep those relationships.

Most Rito would weave those feathers into their wings, although they would be placed in a way that they could get removed easily. Most Rito only wear their feathers during formal events or festivals, although some wear them at all times.

In Link's case, he has 3 feathers, one from Quill, Medli, and Komali. Link has two feather sets - one which is a loose set of feathers he can braid into his hair, and one in a solid set of 3 which he can place behind his ear.

Language

I did not come up with a full language for the Rito. What I did develop was a base which to base the Rito language off of , and a way to buid off of it in the future as necessary.

One major thing is that the language isn't a full language, for every single word. Another thing they lost in the flood was their language, only bits and pieces of it remaining as they evolved.

What was left was a descriptive language; where words are used to describe larger concepts.

Speaking and Writing in Rito involves using Rito Language and Common/Hylian simultaneously, using words from both to describe full sentences.

The Rito Language itself is a Agglutinative Language. What that means, is that words are formed by merging syllaybles, where every syllable has a unique meaning, and the combinations of syllables make words which are defined by the syllables meanings.

Words tend not to have direct Common/Hylian translations; instead syllables have meanings, and their relationships to each other define concepts.

Concepts and words tend not to exist until invented; they are all based on the same syllables which all share meanings, or different combinations arte invented when needed, and understood when told.

As an example, I'll share the two invented words in my fic - Towaki and Towaveh - divided in syllables as: To, Wa, Ki, and Veh.

To: shortening of Rito

Wa: Love (non-superficial)

Ki: Mine (ownership)

Veh: Theirs (ownership)

Towaki: They are my beloved.

Towaveh: I am their beloved.

Festivals

The two biggest celebrations in Rito Culture are Ballad's Day and Requiems's Day, named after the Wind's Requiem and the Ballad of Gales. The two celebrations are six months apart, and each happen once a year.

Ballad's Day celebrates Cyclos, and Requiem's Day celebrates Zephos. Both festivals consist of three phases.

The first phase is meant for Valoo's attendant and the current Rito ruler. The two ascend Dragon Roost Island and request a scale from Valoo, to give to the Wind Gods in offering.

The second phase has Valoo's attendant, and the upcoming ruler (if one is not born, the current ruler) partaking in a ritual involving a performance of either the Wind's Requiem or the Ballad of Gales to offer the scale to the celebrated deity to ask for favourable winds n front of all of the gathered Rito² (There is nuance as to who is currently involved during Wind Waker's time, which I will explain later)

The third phase is a celebration: Every Rito who can make it for the festivals gather for a large feast. More than the second phase, this is Zephos and Cyclos' favourite part, as it makes them happy to see their worshippers happy.

These two days are some of the only days where almost every Rito comes back to Dragon Roost. These days are the best times to catch up with the various other Rito, as it's the only times all of the Rito see each other.

This aspect of the festival is just as important as the offering to the deities, since their relations to each other are so important, and their need to travel makes it so they can;t see each other often.

²In the Wind Waker's time, the people who participate in the ritual are Komali, Medli, and Link. Komali and Medli are a given, as they're the upcoming ruler and current attendant, but Medli is also the Wind Sage. Her music is powerful magically, and even more so when conducted by Link.

Link's inclusion on the ritual is threefold. He is partially a mentor for Medli, and will help her with her part in the ritual. He is Komali's chosen (komalink truthers rise up), so he is also connected to the upcoming ruler. He is the Hero of Winds, and they are the Wind Gods. Although he wasn't destined to be one from Hylia, he was chosen by Zephos and accepted by Cyclos.

His relations to the Rito involved and the gods make him an important part of the ritual. For Cyclos, he also just wants Link specifically to be there, as he is the one who brought the deity back into the Rito's ritual. Zephos is okay if Link misses the ritual, Cyclos basically requires it.

That's all I have for now! Lemme know what y'all think, if it's good, if this makes sense, or what other HCs y'all have! I love the Rito and would just love to talk more about them!

<3

(also check out my fic here hehe).

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

How would the Ganondorfs (Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Tears of the Kingdom) and Demise react to their lover just… not getting out of bed? They are cozy and warm and its so nice in their shared bed, and they dont care today. They are not getting out of that bed. They will fight the Demon King if he tries.

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Reaction: Wind Waker Ganondorf, despite his often stoic demeanor, has a softer side that emerges in the privacy of his quarters. Seeing his lover so content and cozy would amuse him.

Response: He would approach the bed, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You are quite the defiant one today," he'd say, a hint of teasing in his voice. "But I suppose I can allow you this indulgence." He'd sit on the edge of the bed, gently running a hand through their hair. "Enjoy your rest."

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Reaction: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf, driven by his relentless pursuit of power, might initially find his lover's refusal to leave bed puzzling, but he would also recognize the value of rest.

Response: He'd stand by the bed, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised. "You dare challenge me?" he'd say, feigning seriousness. After a moment, his expression would soften, and he'd sit beside them. "Very well. But only because you look so peaceful. Enjoy your rest, but remember, the world won't wait forever."

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Reaction: Twilight Princess Ganondorf, with his more brooding and contemplative nature, would understand the allure of staying in bed, especially with someone he cares about.

Response: He'd quietly slip back into bed beside them, pulling them close. "Today, we rest," he'd murmur, his voice low and soothing. "The world can wait." He'd wrap an arm around them, content to share in the warmth and coziness of their shared bed.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Reaction: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf, a fierce and formidable warrior, might initially be taken aback by his lover's stubbornness but would ultimately find it endearing.

Response: He'd chuckle, shaking his head. "You truly are a warrior, even in rest," he'd say, a note of pride in his voice. He'd climb into bed beside them, pulling them into his embrace. "If you wish to stay here, then I will stay with you. We can both afford a day of peace."

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Reaction: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf, always calculating and strategic, would see the value in taking a break, especially if it means keeping his lover happy.

Response: He'd stand by the bed, looking down at them with a thoughtful expression. "You know, even I need to rest sometimes," he'd say with a slight smile. He'd lay down beside them, wrapping an arm around their waist. "Let's take this day for ourselves. The world can wait."

Demise

Reaction: Demise, with his primal and fierce nature, would initially be confused by his lover's refusal to leave bed, but his deep connection with them would compel him to understand.

Response: He'd approach the bed, towering over them with a curious look. "You challenge me?" he'd ask, a hint of a growl in his voice. Seeing their determination, he'd laugh, a deep rumbling sound. "Very well, you win today." He'd lay down beside them, pulling them close. "Enjoy your victory, my love. Today, we rest."

In all these scenarios, the Ganondorfs and Demise would ultimately respect their lover's desire to stay in bed, finding the idea of a day of rest with their beloved appealing.

[chronologically-challenged]

passing you a microphone. infodump about something you like !!

:0!!!!!! Hi!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

My first thought was Super Mario Sunshine so let's go with that.

SMS aka the game that is such a mess but I adore it dearly. 2CPhoenix has an incredible 11 video part series going into extreme detail on every single level of SMS (both worlds and individual levels) and every single little detail they could possibly get their hand on in regarding the game itself.

Super Mario Sunshine is a bit of an inaccessible game. It demands you to get good at the platforming and its camera doesn't help you do that. It's a big vague in how you actually complete it, and its controls aren't immediately intuitive as any other in the series. Also many of the blue coin placements are stupid tbh. You can tell this game had a rushed development Like All The GameCube Era (Melee and Wind Waker also are Like That bc of this).

But once you get past the rough edges, you get one of the most incredible feeling games out there. The movement is fast and fluid, the level design practically begs you to play on every surface of the world's, and yes, the platforming can be difficult especially in the secret levels, but there's a satisfaction in completing these challenges. The blue coins can be stupid but it's so incredibly satisfying planning out routes to collect them as you go through the game. The discovery elements of SMS aren't a big draw for me, but as a collectathon, the blue coins are incredibly flawed but make each level more dynamic. Suddenly empty spaces that had little use are places where you need to platform carefully to get a blue coin. You're suddenly much more aware of the space itself as vehicles to platform on as well. (But why are some of the blue coins only available for certain levels like whhhhyyyyyyyyyy. You have to look up guides for this game you just gotta).

Also spin jump my beloved. They nerfed you so badly in later games but SMS spin jump is one of the most interesting tools they ever made in Mario. It's difficult to master and understand because inherently you have to have good control on the control stick to be able to accurately go the direction you want to go, and if you play for the first time, you're just gonna end up spinning in a random direction. But as a tool, it is your highest jump, with a slow descent so in the middle of the jump you can use it to combo into a hover, letting you gain a huge amount of height and distance simultaneously. It also has a lot of momentum so you can combo a spin jump into a dive to cover distances you otherwise can't over gaps. Every tool that Mario has is useful for SOMETHING. Dives, groundpounds, hover, spins, even sidles. I cannot emphasize enough just how well designed and fluid Mario's movement is in this game. Some folks say otherwise (mostly because it's a little uncanny going from SM64 tbh. Those two games feel just similiar enough for the skills from one to transfer to the other, but offbeat if that makes sense. Jumps a little different, no long jump in SMS, no wall slide in SM64, etc).

This is nothing on just how fun and expressive the world of SMS is. People usually go into it as a positive no matter if it's a criticism or praise video, so I won't go into here. But I adore the Piantas, the Noki, and just the whole landscape is gorgeous and fun to explore. It's such an interesting way to do level design. So much water centric worlds while none of them feel like a water level per say.

Also. The glitches. I need to talk about the glitches. I play with so many glitches and tbh it makes the game more fun. There are some truly stupid parts of the game, and there happen to be a lot of glitches that skip the worst ones. For example, you can skip the casino section entirely if you go above the curtain. You can just spin hover over and grab a piece of invisible geometry to jump over the invisible barrier to the secret level pipe. There's also a secret level where you're intended to take yoshi on what should be a ten minute journey across various boat rides and you can just... clip through a wall and jump across the ocean floor to get to the island instead. It's so good I love it.

This game has so much jank as a product of a rushed development. Some of the lack of polish is bad and some of it leads to interesting design choices that you wouldn't get in a cleaner development. There are glitches in this game that lead to sliding off platforms and not grabbing things you want to, and others that let you accidently cling to the ceiling of the world, store momentum from rockets to jump across the entire map, and skip through tedious elements from the rougher parts of the development.

SMS is one of those games that you have to know the quirks of it to love and even then, even in my irl friend group who are fighting/platformer nerds, it's devisive to say the least. But I've 100%'d this game 8 times in my life. It's my comfort game. I love it dearly.

I could go on but Ill leave it there!!! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my fave game ❤️❤️❤️

[selfship-shenanigans]

I have compiled for you, a list (I couldn't find a lot of in-game footage without going on a deep dive, and at least for OoT I wanted to avoid spoilers so..., also I'm very biased towards TotK Ganondorf, the art style and his design are so cool, but I know you don't ship with him)

I'm not sure if this is a 1:1 in-game screencap or someone edited it but!!! Look!!! Very cool!!

This one I like because it's the one I associate most with you :)

this design is just really cool!!

and lastly this one made me giggle a bit

there ya go !!

Ahh tysm!! I'm gonna seize this opportunity to ramble hehe :3

That first one is definitely edited- it's a lot brighter, and I think the colours have been enhanced a bit. But otherwise that's one of my absolute fav screenshots of TP Ganondorf. He's just so prettyyyyyy 😫

(here he is in gif form! notice how much darker the colours are)

I'm not surprised that you associate the second one with me the most XD I use that pic all the time for reblog games and stuff cus it's just one of the best pieces of official art they ever did for the OOT version of him. A lot of other official art of him can be really ugly, and good in-game screenshots are rare cus of how shit the graphics are, especially in the original game (as opposed to the HD remake)

Like, this other piece of official art isn't so bad:

But then there's his actual in-game model and I--

..............he's beautiful to ME okay??

I do like the hyrule warriors version of Ganondorf, but I'd say it's def my least favourite version of him in terms of design. The main thing that bothers me is his hair. Don't get me wrong, I love that glorious mane of his, but the colour is just completely wrong. This version of him is very clearly based on the TP version, so the green they used for his skin is quite dark, but instead of also using a darker or more muted red for his hair like in TP, they made it fucking neon??? I don't get it. I also just kinda feel like making his outfit so similar to TP when all the other versions of him are very unique and distinct from each other is kinda lazy, but maybe that's just me. I also hate his gauntlets cus if this version of him is based on TP then he should have painted nails like in TP (and later, TOTK) but NO we were ROBBED >:((

That last one is obvs the wind waker version, but I think it's specifically the nintendo gallery figurine of him from the original game (which, by the way, is older than I am), which is why he looks so stiff XD

Here's some better pics of him for those not familiar with this version:

Look at those teefs!!

Anyways. Every version of Ganondorf ever my beloveds <33333

[margindoodles2407]

Margin's Zelda Playlists

I am reposting this because I've added like. 50 new songs and deleted at least 10. Call this the ship of theseus i guess

Anyway, these are each their own separate playlist but I have them all on one playlist to save room. :) Enjoy! And if you have any songs that remind YOU of a specific game let me know- I'd love to listen to them, especially if they're related to one of the games with only a few songs on the playlist! All of these songs can be found on Youtube; not sure if you can find them all on Spotify or Apple Music though :(

The Legend of Zelda (the series; also my Pre-Skord Playlist)

Gate of Time/Zelda's Lullaby by HyruleOrchestra

Ballad of the Lonely by trashyinferno

Rule #15: Four Aces by Fish in a Birdcage [EXPLICIT]

This Tragedy of Mine by Knight of Endale

They're Only Human from Death Note: the Musical

Nothing Changes from Hadestown: the Musical

I Lived by OneRepublic

The Call by Regina Spektor

No One Lives Forever by Oingo Boingo

Skyward Sword

Washing Machine Heart by Mitski

When You're Evil by Voltaire (it's a ghirahim mood)

Bruno is Orange by Hop Along

Curses by The Crane Wives

Anchorage by Marian Call

It's Alright by Mother Mother

Ophelia by The Lumineers

Icarus by Bastille

Something I Need by OneRepublic

Minish Cap

Dandelions covered by Bet

All the Small Things by Blink 182 (don't ask me why)

Flowers in my Hair by Wes Reeves

Four Swords

Open Up Your Eyes covered by Daniel Ingram

The Friend You Need from My Little Pony: the Movie (please ignore that these are both from mlp the movie okay. first of all i unironically enjoy mlp and secondly they remind me of shadow)

Ocarina of Time

The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel

Treehouse covered by Eric D

Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons [EXPLICIT]

Small Hands by Keaton Henson

King by Lauren Aquilina

You Don't Get to Know Her Anymore by Pedals on Our Pirate Ships

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths [EXPLICIT]

Emperor's New Clothes by Panic! at the Disco

Providence by Poor Man's Poison

You Turn the Screws by CAKE

Good Night, Demon Slayer by Voltaire

Go the Distance covered by BYU Vocal Point

River from the Sky by The Weepies

Time/Space by Alex G

Keep You Safe by The Crane Wives

Majora's Mask

Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall

Twin-Sized Mattress by The Front Bottoms [EXPLICIT]

Home by Cavetown

Best Friend by AJJ

Rule #9: Child of the Stars by Fish in a Birdcage

Slow Down by Poor Man's Poison

Listen When You Miss Me by Naethan Apollo

Twilight Princess

Be Nice to Me by The Front Bottoms (the lyrics aren't EXPLICIT but someone does drop an f-bomb in a spoken background track)

Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show

Hell's Coming With Me by Poor Man's Poison

Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

Sundown and Sorrow by Hank Williams

Hermit the Frog by MARINA [EXPLICIT]

Shadows and Regrets by Yellowcard

When the Wolf Meets the Moon by Confused Crow

Drinking Song by Haley Heyndrickx

Wind Waker

Rule #23: Birds of a Feather by Fish in a Birdcage

Joli Rouge by The Dreadnoughts

Kokomo by the Beach Boys

"That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen" from Pirates of the Caribbean (yes. the meme. not "He's a Pirate" the song, i specifically mean the meme.)

Rule #28: Sand by Fish in a Birdcage

Stand By You by Rachel Platten

If We Have Each Other by Alec Benjamin

Abandon Ship by Fin Argus

Welly Boots by The Amazing Devil [EXPLICIT]

Captain's Call by Derivakat

Leave Her Johnny by The Longest Johns

Phantom Hourglass

The Flying Dutchman by The Jolly Rogers (i am sorry that the playlist is only 1 song long :'{ )

Spirit Tracks

Stickshifts and Safety Belts by CAKE

Opening Up from Waitress: The Musical [EXPLICIT]

Ghost Grinder by Steam Powered Giraffe

A Link to the Past

Ghosting by Mother Mother

Welcome Home Son by Radical Face (PLEASE give me recommendations i need more songs for my beloved :'{ )

Link's Awakening

Dream Sweet in Sea Major by Miracle Musical

Hidden in the Sand by Tally Hall

Mary by Alex G (there is a clean version please look it up)

Dream a Little Dream of Me by The Mamas and the Papas

Bones in the Ocean by The Longest Johns

Oracle of Ages/Seasons

Shadow Stalker by Mercedes Lackey (again PLEASE i need song recs)

A Link Between Worlds

Mona Lisa by Mxmtoon

Banana Bread by Sarah Maddack

Tri Force Heroes

Fashion by Lady Gaga

Puttin' On the Ritz by Taco

The Hyrule Fantasy

Rule #33: Pyre by Fish in a Birdcage

Fairytale by Alexander Ryback

Parables and Primes by Danny Schmidt

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Snow by Ricky Montgomery

Seven by Sleeping at Last

Hyrule Warriors

Villains Aren't Born (They're Made) by PEGGY

The Red Means I Love You by Madds Buckley

OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH CIA MOVING ON

I'll Make a Man Out of You from Disney's Mulan

She's Kerosene by The Interrupters

Ain't No Crying by Derivakat

Burned Out by Dodie (@unclemoriarty I blame you for this one :] )

That Unwanted Animal by The Amazing Devil [EXPLICIT]

Inkpot Gods by The Amazing Devil

Battle Cries by The Amazing Devil

The Fall by Half Alive

Choke by I Don't Know How But They Found Me

Blossoms by The Amazing Devil

Breath of the Wild

House of Memories by Panic! at the Disco

Amnesia Was Her Name by Lemon Demon

The Distance by CAKE

The Cost of the Crown by Mercedes Lackey

The Mute by Radical Face

A Moment Forever Ago from Central Park

Waiting on a Miracle from Disney's Encanto

Rule #31: Calamity by Fish in a Birdcage

Frank Sinatra by CAKE

Seventeen by MARINA [EXPLICIT]

The Family Jewels by MARINA

Expert in a Dying Field by The Beths

Everglow covered by Remedy A Capella

Stella by Cereus Bright

She covered by Rob Wilson

The Horror and the Wild

Tears of the Kingdom

Rule #29: Throne Room by Fish in a Birdcage

Rule #15: Waterfall by Fish in a Birdcage

Pompeii MMXXIII by Bastille

@whyoneartheven

[7-oh-ta1]

The vibes I got while playing botw were so fun!! could you reccomend me ur fav Zelda games? Or just have fun explaining them? I'd love some good recs if u have time! ^^

AWAH YOU ENJOYED BOTW????? I'M SO GLAD;;; IT'S THE GAME EVER FR... I WANNA HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS SOMETIME IF THAT'S ALRIGHT;; 🥰

I'LL TRY MY BEST TO REC GOOD ONES;;!!!

Uuuuu okay so I've played every Zelda game besides the Oracle duo & the Four Swords BUT I have watched playthroughs!! Botw is a very unique Zelda game because it was created to break the status quo of the series so there isn't another Zelda game quite like it!! The others are very linear stories! So based on botw that's a hard one to follow up....

For you I think you would like Twilight Princess's vibes!!!!!! I love twpri..... It's sort of got this eerie but sacred vibe like "do not be afraid" as you get further in the game and I think the mature tone suits you! I think you would also really like Midna and the light/twilight/dark symbolism (it is a bit heavy handed since it's a rated T game lol but I enjoy it) also you are a dog in that game. :)

A Link Between Worlds might also interest you, it's got the whole mirror worlds going on and I don't want to spoil it but the story is really good imo :>> not the most complex but who cares!!! Is good!!!!!! I think you would like Ravio and Hilda :>

As for my favorite, it's Skyward Sword bec I'm a baby who likes the water colors BUT ALSO heavy religion themes and I love those >:3c Zelda becomes catholic the game but it's like. What if Jesus was your girlfriend and I love that 💞 The dungeons are also very fun especially the ancient cistern. The story is also HEAVILY important to botw's.... also my favorite Link !! Is here!!! He's so talkative and so silly just the guy ever he just loves his best friend soso much and he just wants to sleep and he's like a disney princess w/ birds and that's iconic of him <3 + The moments when he's like dead serious you KNOWW he's dangerous bec what did you possibly do to piss HIM off...... Also Zelroolink polyam is endgame. 2 me. 😌 AND THIS ZELDA??? The fans sort of infantalize her but she's so complex and interesting and tough as nails she's my gorf. GirfFriend. Hylia my loathed beloved.......

If you're okay with playing the most ugly as shit game ever, Spirit Tracks is also in my top 5 :) THE STORY IS BASIC AND BAREBONES BUT YOU DRIVE A TRAIN AND ZELDA IS YOUR COMPANION!!!!! THE WHOLE TIME!! SHE'S JUST THERE!!! NO SEPARATION LIKE USUAL!! AND SHE'S A HELPFUL QUEEN WHO CAN IN SOME CASES KILL FOR YOU AND I LOW HER SHE'S MY FAVORITE ZELDA AND HER N LINK'S RELATIONSHIP IS SOOOO GOOD HERE!! So like the black and white plot doesn't even matter bec ?? They're slaying??? And the puzzles are really fun :)

OKAY OKAY I'VE TALKED ENOUGH THIS IS SO LONG;;;;; special Wind Waker mention bec it's a perfect game but I didn't want to name all the 3D Zeldas 🥲🥲

EDIT - WAIT HERE'S ONE OF THE GOOFY CUTSCENES I WAS TALKING ABT

[elder-dragon-93]

Comfort Songs

Some of the songs that instantly lift my mood even on my worst days:

Special - Lizzo

I Like Me Better - Lauv

Never Gonna Give You Up - both Rick Astley and the Japanese covers

Love Like You - Rebecca Sugar and a few covers

Devil Trigger - DMC5 OST

Stand By Me - Any version, but especially the Florence + The Machine cover from FFXV

Final Fantasy Victory Fanfare - especially when Prompto or Barret are singing it

History Maker - Dean Fujioka and Caleb Hyles versions

Most of the Undertale soundtrack but especially Undertale

Most of the Hades soundtrack but especially Good Riddance

Tsuna Awakens - Katekyo Hitman Reborn OST

Number One - Bleach OST

Rising Fighting Spirit - Naruto OST

The Lord of the Rings Main Theme - but like, that one part (you know the part)

Fairy Tail Theme Song - Fairy Tail OST

He’s A Pirate - Pirates of the Caribbean OST

Simple and Clean - Hikaru Utada

Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts OSTs, most versions

Legend of Zelda Main Theme - most versions

Dragon Roost Theme - Legend of Zelda Wind Waker OST

[giriduck]

Totally agree. The generational gaps within the Zelda fandom are fascinating, and Skyward Sword made some of the biggest (controversial) pivots to the lore. Long post below.

In terms of video game history, LoZ is an ancient series. It's one of the longest-running, consistently-shipping game franchises there is.

Because it's so old, Legend of Zelda now has literal generations of players. For example, I listened to a fan podcast about a year ago in which the panel (all folks in their early to mid-20s) were talking about how they got into the fandom because their parents played the original game in the mid-1980s. Folks on that podcast panel are old enough to have kids of their own. I know of several families in which grandparents, parents, and the kids are all gamers, and The Legend of Zelda is one of those family-friendly Nintendo staples that can be enjoyed by a huge variety of ages.

Because it's such a beloved series, its first-party titles are primarily used to sell new console generations; often as launch titles (or slipped out by a year because the polish on the first-party games are so high). So, when purchasing a new flagship LoZ title, players not only bought a $60 USD game every 5 years or so, they also had to buy the $200 USD console on which to play it. That higher price tag and those technology leaps created additional generational dynamics with regard to investing in interface and peripherals (i.e. motion control), and game style (2D vs 3D). (An example of fan rage was when the A Link to the Past fans were angry about Ocarina of Time as the first 3D Zelda game with camera controls.)

Then there are the design and lore. Though several big names in the industry are still involved since Majora's Mask, the LoZ franchise has changed design leadership a few times, as folks have retired from their careers working on the games (while others may start to retire in the next decade or so). As the vision holders change, so shall the direction of the franchise.

There've been some big swings and drastic shifts across the first party games. Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, all feel very, very different from each other, in tone, art direction, gameplay, and lore. They feel about as disparate is any of the mid-generation Final Fantasy games: there are common names and places, and they're all part of the same genre, but they're essentially different worlds, at most abstracted echoes of each other.

But 2011 was particularly annoying to older fans because that's the year that Skyward Sword came out as a retcon of everything. Like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it tried to create an origin story that--at the time--didn't feel earned at all. The sky islands, ancient robots, Hylia--and especially Demise--felt totally out of nowhere within the larger context of the already established games and lore. It definitely felt like a case of a new direction due to new design leadership.

Then, that very same year, Nintendo released the Hyrule Historia, which was a marketing tie-in to Skyward Sword and codified the timeline(s) of the games. It felt like a really heavy-handed justification of the wild pivots the franchise took.

I've been a LoZ fan since it was released in the US in 1986. I watched the cartoon when it aired on Friday afternoons, ate the cereal, handed out the Valentines Day cards, subscribed to Nintendo Power Magazine, played many of the games, and adored the lore the escapism Hyrule provided for decades.

Real-life got busy and I put video games on hiatus until the pandemic hit.

But there was also a lore pivot that made me lose interest in the franchise for over a decade: Demise.

I'm a Ganondorf fan. I was already deep into Legend of Zelda before Ocarina of Time came out, but Ganondorf has been camping out in a Nine Inch Nails, dark eyeshadow, mall goth, metal-studded corner of my brain since he rode across my TV screen in 1998. Ganondorf was also a major pivot to the original, teal, pig-wizard Ganon that I'd grown up with; he was essentially the first Ganon retcon: the human origin story of the scourge of Hyrule. Toss in sociological Gerudo lore, and I was deeply interested what this guy's whole deal is.

Skyward Sword introduced Demise: the second Ganon retcon, and the demigod(?) origin story of Ganondorf.

Which could have been interesting, but as far as I could tell, they had ripped Ganondorf of his agency, and that pissed me off so much that it took me a dozen years to get over it and finally start playing Skyward Sword now, only after playing through Breath of the Wild last year (and eventually getting used to seeing all the little Hylia statues), and after learning that Tears of the Kingdom would partially take place on an archipelago of floating islands.

To my surprise, I'm really enjoying Skyward Sword. It's lovely, very pretty, and the music is stunning. It had done very strange things with direction of the larger lore when it first came out, but as a standalone game, it's wonderful. With the context of Breath of the Wild to (loosely) back it, it's easier to appreciate.

Sometimes I feel a bit at odds with LoZ fandom, but only because of how old it is and how much it's constantly changing.

I generally love to engage with the lore, and I love to play with the characters and setting...But good god is it exhausting.

I genuinely feel like my exposure to OOT and WW early on as my only point of reference for years have greatly shaped the way I look at games as a whole...So at times it can be super frustrating to communicate with fans who jumped on between the SS and BOTW era.

There are unique generational gaps in this fandom that I haven't observed before in other spaces. In part because playing older LoZ titles is just not possible for a large portion of new fans, but also because LoZ has always had a "current" game that doesn't require the player to have knowledge of previous games.

Each game can be a stand alone as much as they can be a piece of a larger picture.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately as totk draws closer and closer. It's impossible not to run into a popular theory or a speculation that I find incredibly misplaced. And even harder to remember that the basis for these theories comes from the lack of exposure to the rest of the series.

I feel like SS takes up waaaay too much space when it comes to current lore. But also when it's one of the only other newer LoZ games playable on modern consoles for the last 10+ years, it's only natural that it would.

HD remakes and reboots are great, Nintendo needs to be releasing the entire LoZ franchise for switch like yesterday.

I see so many ppl talk about Ganondorf incorrectly or from a post SS point of reference...but really I am just begging y'all to play WW....preferably immediately after OOT as a sequel if you can. (not TP, because he really was 2 dimensional and bland in that game. Even if he is daddy to me.)

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

How would the Ganondorfs (Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Tears of the Kingdom) & Demise react to having Hanahaki Disease?

For those Who Don't Know: Hanahaki disease is a fictional trope that appears in fanfiction, manga, and literature. It involves a character suffering from unrequited love and developing flowers in their throat and lungs. The character may cough up or vomit flower petals as a symptom of the disease. The disease can be cured in two ways: The beloved returns the feelings: If the character's love is reciprocated, the flowers will disappear. Surgery: The flowers can be surgically removed from the lungs, but the character will also lose their romantic feelings. If the flowers are still alive and growing, the surgeon may need to open the character's chest to remove them. There's no guarantee that the flowers won't grow back, and the character may never be able to love the person who gave them the disease again

Here's how each Ganondorf and Demise might react to Hanahaki Disease and the decisions they would make:

Ganondorf (Wind Waker)

Thoughts & Reactions: Wind Waker Ganondorf, with his complex and contemplative nature, might initially struggle with the disease. He would likely be both frustrated and pained by his unrequited love, seeing it as a weakness that he can't afford. His pride would make him reluctant to admit his feelings, but the discomfort of the disease might eventually push him toward confession, especially if he sees a chance to resolve the situation without compromising his pride.

Small Scene: Ganondorf stands alone in a dimly lit chamber, struggling to suppress the coughs that threaten to choke him. The vibrant petals that escape his lips betray his secret, and he clenches his fists in frustration.

When his beloved approaches, noticing his distress, he meets their gaze with a pained expression. “I have… I have something to confess,” he begins, his voice strained. “This affliction I suffer from is not merely a physical ailment but a consequence of my unspoken feelings for you.”

He pauses, eyes locking with theirs. “I seek neither pity nor a cure. Only a chance to have my feelings known. If you cannot reciprocate them, I will bear this burden alone.”

Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)

Thoughts & Reactions: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would find Hanahaki Disease particularly galling, viewing it as a vulnerability that undermines his control. His reaction would be a mix of anger and desperation. He might try to conceal the symptoms, reluctant to admit weakness, but if the disease worsens, he would be driven to confess his feelings, seeing it as a final attempt to control the situation before opting for surgery.

Small Scene: In the privacy of his chamber, Ganondorf coughs violently, petals scattering across the floor. The sight of the flowers only fuels his anger, and he paces restlessly until his beloved arrives.

“You must know by now,” he growls, “that this affliction plagues me because of my feelings for you. I have never been one to show weakness, but this... this torment cannot be hidden any longer.”

He meets their gaze with a fierce intensity. “I will not endure this suffering forever. Either you return my feelings, or I shall seek a cure—though I will be left empty without them.”

Ganondorf (Twilight Princess)

Thoughts & Reactions: Twilight Princess Ganondorf, with his calculated and strategic mind, would view Hanahaki Disease as an obstacle to be dealt with efficiently. He might initially try to hide the symptoms, but if the disease becomes severe, he would weigh the options carefully. His preference would be to confess his feelings if he believes it could lead to a favorable outcome, but he would also be prepared to undergo surgery if necessary, viewing it as a tactical retreat.

Small Scene: Ganondorf stands on a balcony, the cool night air brushing against his face as he tries to calm the persistent cough. His beloved finds him there, the petals that fall from his lips making the situation clear.

“This affliction,” he begins, his voice steady despite the strain, “is the result of my unfulfilled desires. I have long hidden these feelings behind a mask of power.”

He turns to face them, eyes dark with determination. “If you do not return my feelings, I will resort to surgery. I cannot allow this weakness to compromise my position.”

Ganondorf (Hyrule Warriors)

Thoughts & Reactions: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf, with his fierce and combative nature, would likely see Hanahaki Disease as an affront to his strength. His pride and warrior ethos would make him resistant to showing vulnerability. If the disease progresses, he might choose to confess his feelings out of a sense of honor or be forced into surgery if he cannot resolve the issue through confrontation.

Small Scene: Ganondorf is found in the training grounds, struggling to suppress a fit of coughing. His beloved, concerned by his condition, approaches him.

“You’ve noticed,” he says, his voice rough. “This sickness is a testament to my feelings for you—feelings that have been a weakness I’ve tried to deny.”

He meets their eyes, his expression a mixture of defiance and resignation. “I would rather face this affliction head-on than succumb to it. If you cannot return my feelings, I will endure the surgery, though it will mean losing this part of myself.”

Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom)

Thoughts & Reactions: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf, with his deep understanding of dark magic and curses, might approach Hanahaki Disease with a mix of fascination and frustration. He would see it as a personal challenge and a test of his power. If his beloved’s feelings are not forthcoming, he might be more inclined to opt for surgery, viewing it as a way to eliminate a weakness.

Small Scene: Ganondorf sits in a darkened room, petals falling from his mouth as he coughs. His beloved, having heard of his condition, approaches with concern.

“This disease,” he says, his voice low and filled with a strange mix of resignation and resolve, “is a manifestation of my desires. I have always viewed obstacles as opportunities.”

He looks up at them, a steely determination in his eyes. “If you cannot return my feelings, I will remove this affliction through surgery. I refuse to let it control me.”

Demise (Skyward Sword)

Thoughts & Reactions: Demise, with his embodiment of hatred and unyielding nature, would be infuriated by Hanahaki Disease. To him, it would be a sign of his failure to achieve his goals, and he would see it as a personal affront. He would likely be driven to either forcefully confess his feelings in a bid to resolve the issue or opt for surgery as a way to remove what he sees as a weakness.

Small Scene: Demise stands in his dark lair, the petals from his persistent cough forming a macabre trail. His beloved approaches, and he glares at them with intense frustration.

“This disease,” he growls, “is a result of my unfulfilled desires. It is an insult to my power and my will.”

He confronts them, his voice thunderous. “I demand that you either acknowledge my feelings or face the consequences of my resolve to eradicate this weakness through surgery. I will not be controlled by such a trivial affliction.”

Each character’s reaction reflects their personalities and priorities, with some leaning towards emotional confession and others viewing surgery as a means to regain control and power.

[liccy]

Hi Liccy, so cool to see you post again! Miss your art, especially little Hyrule I've seen no one else do a rendition that topped yours. Just wanted to say- thanks! Your art is really cool, unique, and inspiring. It assures me that there's room for personal style, even in established franchises like Legend of Zelda.

Baaaww! I never meant to imply that i wouldn't draw anymore, only that LU just wasn't sparking up the muse like it used to, so i needed something else. But it really makes me happy to know my stuff is enjoyed!

I... I don't think i could stop drawing Hyrule, tbh. He reminds me to much of an old, cursed, but much beloved, OC that will probably never again see the light of day. (RIP Mex) So a lot of his design was merged from him.

In fact (i don't think i uploaded this here) but he's a quick, old, and sloppy timelapse of how i draw Hyrule.

Moving on, what are you taking about? There's varying styles for the Zelda franchise itself! From the dark and gritty Twilight Princess, to the toonish Wind Waker, to the semi realism of BotW, and the minimalistic 2D games! Of course you can bring your own!

Though, having your own style does have its pros and cons -

Pros are that your art is more recognizable and less chance of being stolen; less stress in focusing on the accuracy of similarity for fanart; and you draw the way you're most comfortable with!

Cons are, it's harder to mimic other's styles; it can be an "acquired taste" for some; and depending on how stylized it is, one runs the risk of complying too much with how they draw, that they forget the basics still apply (like how a limb bends, use of guidelines, ect.)

Point is, Just draw! Skill and "talent" isn't a requirement for what Zelda art needs to have, as long as the draw is able to connect with the fans, and you enjoy what you're doing!

[amazinglyspicy]

People were PISSED off when the wind waker announcement dropped. They thought it was a joke. And when it wasn’t, they got mad. At the time it was skipped over as a baby Zelda game, simply because of its art style. Especially after what Nintendo showed off in a tech demo at Space world in 2000. Fans felt betrayed.

But now years later Wind Waker is one of the most beloved Zelda mainline games for good reason! The art style ironically holds up remarkably well for its time, and Toon Link is iconic just like the other variations of Link through the years.

Nintendo saw all the backlash though and pulled a 180 with the twilight princess art direction. And it’s still one of the most hype reveal trailers out there.

Going to that from Wind Waker basically saved the franchise that had been selling so poorly, especially with how bad the Gamecube sold.

Skyward Sword’s reveal was much more tame in comparison, I remember a lot of people saying it mixed Wind Waker and Twilight Princess together, best of both worlds kind of thing. I know a lot of people did not like Skyward Sword’s voice actor though, for reasons that ranged from “sounds too anime” and “I miss Twilight Princess already.”

(this is all anecdotal, I love all the games)

Cut to Breath of the Wild’s reveal trailer, where Link is now missing his iconic green clothing and has the longest hair we’ve seen him with. I remember people thought that he was a girl, theories that we were just shown a playable Princess Zelda since the CD-I games! Alas that wasn’t the case. I know it sent ripples in the community though, and I kind of miss as well as feel nostalgic for those times where that’s all we had to work with for how breath of the wild looked.

After Skyward Sword’s very brutal Linear story and map, breath of the wild (Only known as Zelda Wii U at the time) was insane to us. Just seeing a small snippet in that world with the guardian chasing link while on a horse (horse riding again being absent from Zelda games since 2006) was so hype.

Anyways that’s my rambling on how people reacted to the new models and art direction that I remember. People were always generally impressed and hyped save for Skyward Sword and Wind Waker. I do feel for new fans who only know Botw Link model. It’ll be years until we see a new art direction for the series.

As someone who joined the Zelda fandom through botw, I have never experienced a game announcement where the character designs were new. Like yes it’s super fun right now to be hyped for totk but it’s the same character design. What was it like seeing the botw link design for the first time, it being so different from the previous styles. Or going from ocarina of time to twilight princess link then skyward sword over the years??? Insane. I hope I get to experience seeing new Zelda character designs as a fan one day

[h-worksrambles]

Apparently my fixation on furry visual novels is only taking me further and further down the rabbit hole (don’t). Because on a recommendation by some folks on Discord, I just started Remember the Flowers (yep, we’re going out of Echo Project territory this time).

Three chapters in and I’ve gotta say…I’m hooked.

The isekai/dystopia premise is really effective. In particular I enjoy how we alternate between Cyrus’ memories of his old life, and the new reality he finds himself in. It gives the reader the same disorientation Cyrus himself is feeling. Just as he’s questioning reality, wondering if he’s found himself in some kind of dream or simulation, if anything around him is even real, so too are we. But then, in that case, which one is real then?

Cyrus himself is already a pretty refreshing and sympathetic protagonist. His reactions to waking up in this new world in such a state feel incredibly believable. The game doesn’t shy away from just how much emotional stress he undergoes as he desperately tries to piece together his fragmented memories and make sense of the new world he’s found himself in. He has a solid amount of backbone which is a great change for the genre. Assertive enough to feel like he has a backbone but vulnerable enough to feel believable. I particularly enjoy the lengthy flashback into his relationship with Damion during the third character. Not only are they a cute as hell couple (I cannot stress how precious Damion is, dear god) but it does a very good job at establishing what kind of person Cyrus once was. And helping us understand what he needs to get back by returning home. Side note, but it’s also great to see that he’s openly asexual, and that it’s incorporated naturally into the story.

And of course, we have our other major character in these early chapters, Cooper. Because I cannot seem to escape problematic wolf men in these games. I knew very little about this game going in, apart from Cooper himself, and the fact that he is apparently a…controversial character, though I had no idea about the context as to why. Naturally, after coming off of Leo in Echo (my beloved/beloathed in equal measure). I was gearing myself for the worst. So far though? I like him. He walks a good line of abrasive and flawed but still likeable and the pair’s dynamic is effective. The tension between him and Cyrus as they’re alone in this bleak dystopic setting is really well done. Cyrus knows that Cooper is his best chance at survival, but between Cooper’s terse personality, his refusal to tell him all but the barest essentials and the simple fact that Cyrus hates feeling so dependent on someone who’s kind of a jackass, his mistrust of the wolf is palpable. And I enjoyed how it comes to a head in Chapter Three where Cyrus puts together (pretty intelligently tbh) that Cooper is hiding a lot more about Cyrus’ own identity from him. But that confrontation is what leads to a moment of truce between them where the walls start to come down and it’s satisfying to see unfold. Chapter Three was where I really got hooked because it was where the character writing really started showing me what it was capable of with stuff like this.

So far, I’m really drawn in by the world here, the contrast between the fantastical technology and how lonely and desolate the actual environments are. Coupled with the little tidbits in Chapter Three about the ‘Seven Stars’ disaster, I have tons of questions about the world that I’m excited to see answered.

I also have to credit the presentation. The artwork is lovely. The character designs have a distinct style that reminds slightly of Wind Waker. And their sprites have been very expressive. Cyrus’ own design is especially striking. We’ve also got Anthemics contributing and after loving their work on Arches and Glory Hounds, their work here likewise doesn’t miss.

Seriously, just look and listen to this title screen and tell me it’s not a wonderful mood setter.

Still, as I said, I’m only 3 chapters in. And if what little I’ve heard about this game is to be believed, I haven’t seen anything yet. But so far, this game has excellent mystery, strong characters and gorgeous presentation. I’m really excited to see what comes next.

[tiredesperdad]

Got tagged by @fred-erick-frankenstein to list my 10 favorite characters from ten different fandoms💛

(Since I got tagged twice I did two posts, one with anime/manga characters and one with misc characters. You can find the other post here.)

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Eddie Kaspbrak - IT (book Eddie, oh my god they did movie Eddie so dirty)

2. Elizabeth - Bioshock Infinite

3. Alphys - Undertale

4. Ten - Doctor Who

5. Elliot Reid - Scrubs

6. Loki - MCU

7. Link - The Legend of Zelda but especially Wind Waker (toon Link my beloved <3)

8. Charles Xavier - X-Men

9. Connor - Detroit Become Human

10. Robin Buckley - Stranger Things

I tag whoever wants to do this <3