#yES there is an element of wind waker to this

[veggiecorner]

Man how cool would it be if there was a Zelda game where the plot was Zelda being raised thinking she was the hero for that time only to find out she wasn't and it was her friend who knew all along

[gloriousmonsters]

Mememememe I want to see

please enjoy a selection from you're on a path in the desert, chapter 2: 'The Ancient', brought about by wondering what ganondorf's motivation is and being honest and brash enough he kind of likes you and is like 'sorry, kid' while murdering you to attempt a breakout in the first chapter. narrated by Zelda, starring Link and Ganondorf.

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You're on a path in the desert. Or... it's more of a beach, isn't it? You can hear the sea. Small crabs scuttle and hide among rocks smoothed by eons of lapping waves; the pristine sands glitter, here and there, with old coins and jewels set in tarnished metal. Pirate treasures, as if a ship was wrecked here long ago. A lonely blue sky arches high above, unmarred by a single cloud. A path of scattered white rocks, like sun-bleached bones, lead toward the edge of the water. At the end of this path, a man with evil eyes is imprisoned. A king. You, hero, must slay him; or it will be the end of the world.

Voice of the Curious: He didn't seem that bad!

- Yeah, he wasn't as bad as she hyped him up to be.

- Bad? He was very bad! I'm completely on board with the 'slaying' thing now.

- Hang on, how are we here? Didn't we die?

> I see what you mean, but he did very much kill us. That was a thing that happened.

Voice of the Curious: I guess, but he was so... sad. He just wanted to escape. He seemed like he'd been there for a really long time.

> He did.

Excuse me, who's this? And what are you saying about dying? Please don't tell me—

Voice of the Curious : We died and we came back to life!

- More or less.

- I died and it was terrifying and now I'm me and also this other part of me and they're both me and I don't know how that works or what's going on and I'm going to start crying probably

> This isn't the first time we've been here. Your 'man with the evil eyes' was the one that killed me, not the other way around.

He's not mine, and... It wouldn't be the same, the other way around. You need to slay him, not kill him.

- I get it. I'm a human, and he's a monster.

> Semantics.

Very important ones. Listen to me, hero. I hoped that this wouldn't happen, and I didn't want to scare you with the possibility. But please believe me—we're walking a fine line, now. All is not lost, but every failure widens his chance at escape.

Voice of the Curious: Really?

I do not like how you said that. This... voice, whatever it is, it seems very young. Don't let naivety influence you, hero. One failure means he's already found a chink in your armor—it is even more imperative you keep your guard up. Whatever he said, whatever he did, put it out of your mind. Focus on this. He is evil, and he will destroy everything if he escapes. You are the hero, the only one with the power to stop him. I—everything depends on you.

Voice of the Curious : That's a lot of pressure...

- I love pressure.

- I hate pressure.

 > Are you really sure I can do this?

Yes. You’re the only one that can. 

Voice of the Curious: Wow, she sounds... so serious. I don't know if I trust her, but I think she likes you.

Ha. That's... You matter a great deal to me. By definition, of course. You’re the hero, you matter to everyone. But we don't have time to sit here and talk about our feelings, whatever they might be. Your quest is the same, hero. It's time to go forward.

> (proceed to the prison)

N: At the edge of the water, the path of rocks continue—for a little while. Soon they're fewer and farther between, and in their place are footholds of debris, half-rotted hulls of wood, old chests rammed up on some invisible sandbank below the water. There have been many wrecks here, and as you pick your way forward, you see the largest of them up ahead. Splintered and broken, its massive hull impaled on the tall and jagged rocks that rise from the hidden seabed, like towers of some sunken castle. The rest of it is remarkably intact, but it looks ancient. Weathered, by years that have sapped color from cloth and wood and leached memory from material. Every detail blurred. The figurehead is faceless, nearly formless, like the... like the image of a loved one long forgotten.

> Are you all right?

Your path ends—or rather, takes a new form—at the side of the wreck. An old rope ladder leads up the barnacle-encrusted side. The old wood creaks as you ascend, but even that sound is... muted. This ship isn't just wrecked, it's becalmed. The muting of that sound makes you acutely aware of the absence of others. No birds cry in the sky; no fish splash in the water. The land behind you is already lost in a hazy fog. This is a lonely place.

Voice of the Curious: She's making it sound so depressing. It's sad, but it's also sort of cool, right? It's like an old pirate ship! It doesn't feel like a prison, it feels like... like a hideout!

Please be quiet. It's a prison. It might look... odd, but it's a prison.

Voice of the Curious : Do you think there's treasure?

...No.

Voice of the Curious: ...You want there to be treasure too, right?

I'm not interested. We have a very important job to do. To your left, across the weathered deck, a door leads to the fo'c'sle. It's not locked, but it's encrusted with barnacles, warped in its frame. Beside it, a sword is embedded in the wall, as if left there after a battle long ago. It gleams with its own light—

Voice of the Curious: It's not glowing, though. It's just a sword.

It's not—but... Ah. Yes. Well, it doesn't need to glow, does it? It's the hero's sword. It's made to kill evildoers and monsters. It's meant for your hand, and your hand alone. Take up the sword, hero. You'll need it if you want to save us all.

- But it's not glowing. Didn't you say it was important it glowed?

- What if I don't want to save everyone?

> take up the sword

- don't take up the sword

Sword in hand, you force open the door, rusted hinges screeching as you shove your whole body's weight against it. Before you is a sheer drop, lightless, only the first few feet visible in the foggy sunlight that filters past your shoulders. A rope ladder hangs over the ledge at your feet, vanishing into shadow. The air is musty, damp, and smells of moldering spice and rotting silk, wood permeated with gunsmoke and worried by the icy teeth of the ocean over the course of centuries. If this is the prison the king's been confined in, killing him will be a mercy.

His voice echoes up from the darkness, tired but commanding.

The King: I knew you'd return. Come here, boy. Let us speak face to face.

Voice of the Curious: He remembers us! And he sounds... older. I mean, he was already older than us. But he sounds much older now. 

Of course he's old, he's been in prison for a long time. Don't dwell on it or wonder about it, the more time and thought you give him the more dangerous he is. Just get down there and accomplish your quest.

> proceed down the 'stairs'

After what feels like half an hour of nerve-wracking descent, feeling for foot and hand-holds in the darkness, light begins to bloom below you. When you come to the bottom, a few minutes later, you find yourself facing another door—this one richly carved wood, remarkably well-preserved considering the state of the ship. It's hard to make out much in the light filtering through the cracks around it, but you can see intricate, geometric patterns, and the snarling face of a boarlike beast carved huge in the very center.

Voice of the Curious: What—

You waste no time fooling around and asking questions, and open the door. Striding within, you find yourself confronted with a surprisingly lavish room, dimly lit by old oil-lamps. Rich rugs cover the floor; a huge bed stands in the back of the room, partly hidden by curtains, and a huge desk carved with intricate details dominates another side of the room. Tapestries, paintings and maps nearly cover the walls, save for a section that seems dedicated to a number of weapons—at a glance you see twin swords and a trident. Everything feels a little... oversized, as if you're a child venturing into the room of an adult. When you look closer, you can see signs of wear and age—cracking paint, books with pages puffed by soaking and drying out, scratches in the fine wood and dust on the tapestries—but the overall effect is still opulent, overwhelming. This feels right for a prison meant to confine a king; it would be suitable for an emperor, confined to his office by the new regime, allowed to keep a pretense of dignity.

But across the room from you, there's a strangely bare section of the wall, interrupted by only two things: A porthole filled more by spiderwebbing cracks than glass, showing only blank darkness, and the King, who stands tall and studies you thoughtfully with pale gold eyes.

The King: You approach me, yet again, with your blade in hand. Interesting.

He's a big man, broad and heavy, a physique that might impress as brutish or sedentary if not for the way he holds himself. Straight-backed, imperious, with a hint of a fighter's grace in the way his stance shifts as his eyes track the step you take forward. There's no gray in his hair, or deep wrinkles on his face, but something about him gives an impression of great age and greater weariness. His face is craggy, but his eyes are delicately lined with black; he wears a topaz on his brow, and fine robes that inspire ideas of entrenched and confident authority. As he seems to reach an internal resolution in his appraisal of you, his teeth bare in what is hard to determine as a mocking smile or a grimace of pain.

The King: I suppose that if you try to kill me this time, it will only be fair. But I'd rather we talk.

Voice of the Curious: Ooh, talk! Yes! I want to know what's going on! Just, um, maybe we should stay at a distance.

Remember what you're here for. Don't listen to him, or him. Please, hero. Kill him now.

- slay the king

- kill him?

- You killed me last time, I'd like an apology before we do anything else.

> All right. Let's talk.

[phoenixcatch7]

Things tloz has not been consistent about that you'd think it would be:

Everything. Buckle up.

The hero being called Link. He's Link in the same way Frisk is the character. The player chooses the name in every SINGLE game up until botw, and that only happened because of the voice acting. It's just shorthand for the link between the player and the game.

The princess being called zelda. Wind waker, she was called Tetra.

The princess being in the game at all (links awakening)

There only being one princess (the hero of either hyrule or legend had two)

There only being one hero (hyrule warriors had three and also linkle)

The princess not being a playable character (hw, aoc, and upcoming EoW. There's also non canon games like cadence and smash bros).

The master sword being in the game (four swords, minish cap, triforce heroes (?), ooa/oos only have it as a linked game post story unlockable, zelda 1,2 and la it was the magical sword).

Ganon being in the game (basically the exact same as the last point minus the 1st 3 games)

Ganon being a bad guy (hyrule warriors and generously, GENEROUSLY aoc, where he's playable as an ally post game).

The master sword being needed to defeat ganon (in botw aoc and totk the master sword is entirely optional, and totally inverts the traditional 'zelda weakens and link deals the final blow').

Link being the main character (upcoming eow which I'm cackling about)

The existence of humanity

Link being in green (abotk made him blue :( and took his hat >:((().

Zelda being in pink (abotk)

Zelda being blonde (she's anything from blonde to brown to ginger)

Link being blonde (tp and lttp (why is he pink?! Zelda is blonde! There's brown haired people! Why neon pink??)

Gerudo having rounded ears (up until abotk)

Nintendo making the games (hw and aoc, cadence lol)

Teen/kid link (totk is the only Link over the age of 19)

Link having a companion (it's pretty evenly split)

Zelda having the companion (aoc and eow)

Link having two companions (hw with basically all of them)

The nature of humanity vs hylians

The story taking place in hyrule (literally so many... La, mm, ooa, oos, technically ww, technically ss, half points for lttp and lbw, tfh)

Just the one triforce (lbw)

Just three separate pieces of the triforce (ww)

Any triforce at all (okay this one is complicated bcz depiction/hand marks/Actual Wish Granting Triforce but hylia alone knows where the triforce was in abotk. I'm counting ooa/oos because opening cutscene. La has zilch and I'm pretty sure mc too.)

Literally any religion has come and gone INCLUDING IRL CHRISTIANITY

Knowledge of the triforce

Knowledge of hylia (it's literally just ss abotk and maaaybe lbw)

The existence of hylia (^^^

The general populace being useless (totk) (that's it)

Link being left handed (in ss and abotk he's right handed. Tp is 50% right handed because they flipped the controls (and world) for the wii).

Link being able to swim at the start of the game (only in the 3d games minus lbw and la remake)

Link succeeding in his quest (botw) (I'm not counting failed hero oot because it's a meta attempt at a working timeline)

At least a tiny bit of time travel (loz 1/2, la, fs, lbw, lttp, botw...)

The hylian shield (only appears in the 3d games! (-la remake and ww and mm))

Link using a bow! (surprisingly 50/50)

Epona!! (literally just oot mm and tp. Botk she's noncanon amiibo and she's in mc but doesn't belong to Link T-T.)

A tutorial (varying subtlety, yes, but there's a difference between the great plateau and a 'press x to open menu :D' prompt five minutes into the game while a knight is trying to kill you (lttp)).

Link having the hero's spirit (ww. I personally disagree but hey)

The hero being a hylian! (totk hero's aspect)

Sleepy boy link (botk he has power naps On Lock)

Link being masc presenting (linkle, hw)

The symbolic elements (3/5/7 combos, lightning/ice/water/fire/wind triforce, boar/owl/dragon/whatever tf)

Things tloz has been consistent about in every game:

Link being a gnc short king (tp is the beefiest he ever got and that was 4'9 male gymnast build at BEST).

Him not telling anyone anything important ever.

[typecastwritesssss]

okay but like the wind waker man. that intro. so many questions. we all know ocarina is dark but man wind waker just straight up said "and then they all drowned and the gods never came to help" hello??? how many years. how many decades. how much time did the adult hero of time buy for them? which child of zelda’s was daphnes? her son? grandchild? great-grandchild? when he stared at the rising waters and realized nothing was going to save them, his kingdom, did he think it was retribution for all the war? 

has it really been all that long? yes and also no. the lines are so blurred. the zora are birds and the kokiri are koroks and they had time to Get That Way but everywhere you look the old Hyrule, the Hero of Time himself, they're both all over the place. the deku tree is implied to be the sprout from the adult timeline but honestly who knows. the golden goddesses are statues on islands somewhere and there was a tower built to test who came after but…who and how and why? what was the tower of the gods even for? how did they know they’d need it? at what point did they accept the hero of time was never coming back so they’d probably need to train a new one? 

and oh my god, that outset island tradition. “dress your kids in green and give ‘em a sword and pray to the gods they’ll have the courage to cast down evil.” link rolls his eyes at it but he wears them to appease grandma. the revered clothes of the hero have had time to pass into “stupid traditional getup” territory. how many ��failed Links” were there before Aryll’s brother? what evil could those children have possibly stricken down? the monsters in the woods?

“what became of that kingdom? none remain who know” like goddamn. say what you want about the hero’s shade in twilight princess. but at least the traumatized ghost got to meet one of his descendants and pass on his songs and his knowledge, even if that knowledge was only of war and death and combat. in the wind waker he’s a statue. an element of a legend mentioned once or twice by the last remaining holdouts of the past—holdouts who so badly want him to return, view him as the solution over all else, that they never pause to consider any other option. there are stained glass windows of the seven sages in the master sword’s chamber that are never mentioned. there is so much that is never mentioned.

nobody knows what the fuck anybody is talking about. link doesn’t know old hylian. tetra is running around the high seas (as a pirate. she and her retainers are now pirates. how did things get that way) with a piece of the damn triforce around her neck and she doesn’t know who ‘princess zelda’ even is. the juxtaposition between ganondorf, older and tired and wiser but still hell-bent on ruling hyrule even if it is a dead land full of nothing and no one, and tetra, a zelda that knows nothing, asking why he’s laughing and calling him insane. because hyrule’s dead. she has no frame of reference for his longing, or what he found so great about this sunken kingdom.

and this is framed as a good thing. the king of red lions thinks it’s better not to let either of the kids in on the loop until tetra nearly dies for lack of knowledge. daphnes nolhansen hyrule brought “the hero” back just to end ganon, and hyrule with him. was the plan always to let the sea fall in on him? maybe. i don’t know. but he rejects zelda’s plea with him to take him with them to the land that will be the new hyrule, because “it will not be hyrule. it will be your land” and that still gets me. he thinks the best thing to do with his kingdom, Hyrule, the kingdom of a whole hell of a lot of irl people’s childhoods, is for it to wash away. he wants the kids to live for the future and they do and they will and they name it hyrule anyway in his honor but he never gets to see it.

anyways i’m still mad everybody got butthurt over “trains in a zelda game” like come on now

[cyphyra]

zelda ramblings of the night: the power of the master sword

ripping the band-aid off right now, i think the four sword is more powerful than the master sword, and no version of the master sword has been nearly as powerful as it.

like, think about it. the Four Sword, in it's prime, was a blade already infused with the four elements (earth, wind, fire, and water) and was used to destroy and bind evil spirits to a chest, itself serving as lock to that chest. i would say it's on pretty equal terms with the master sword in terms of power there. when repairing the broken picori blade, melari mentions it still holding the power of the elements despite it's breakage. and after the fact, you put the power of the four elements in the sword AGAIN and it reforges into the Four Sword, which is able to physically replicate the wielder into 4 copies, something the master sword could only dream of doing

on the flipside, you have the Master Sword, an ancient relic of a blade made to combat the Demon King, Demise. a blade which, in TotK, fully shattered and had to be restored over gods know how many years, slowly and meticulously. i do think it was an all-powerful blade in SS, but through the years it ends up losing more and more power through the ages, having to be empowered by two of the elements in wind waker, earth and wind, to be able to fight Ganondorf, who is an incarnation of Demise's fury-- which wouldn't make sense unless the sword was indeed losing power over time. in Skyward Sword, nobody needs to pray to give the blade it's power-- it is forged through the flames of the goddesses and blessed by Hylia herself, pushing it to it's absolute strongest.

now, let's talk about the blade of evil's bane's biggest tell of it losing it's power, and possibly it's purpose. A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, and Echoes of Wisdom. in ALttP, the blade itself is still very powerful, but has to be reforged by mortal means (the blasksmiths) to become level 3, then blessed by the dark world's Great Fairy for level 4. in ALBW, a direct-ish sequel to ALttP, both upgrades of the master sword come from mortal smiths-- using ore you collect, yes, but still through the mortal means of smithing. in EoW, the master sword is entirely absent, and the various dungeons that used to be standing in both previous games are either absent or in such decrepit ruin they are essentially lost to time. i think the sword ends up losing it's purpose somewhere along the line and fades into obscurity... and dust, potentially. the same could also be said about the Four Sword, but we just don't have that information-- we havent really had enough games with it to determine if it has a fading of power like the Master Sword

[blueskittlesart]

Hello! Do you have any theories/thoughts about the mystery lady in the totk trailer? I am so so normal about her (and your painting of her made me EVEN MORE normal) and I keep looking up things about her but she doesn’t have a tag so I have to go into the HYLIA tag even though I really don’t think she is Hylia. Also I’ve been reading your loz doc and your takes are totally not occupying my brain at the moment. Sorry, all of that to say that if you have thoughts about the mystery lady I would love to hear them

YES. i am almost completely convinced that she's NOT hylia and is in fact the earlier zelda mentioned in botw. visually analyzing her character, we see a lot more similarities to other ZELDA designs than depictions of hylia (and yes i know there's deliberate overlap, but they do each have distinguishing features which i will get into.)

here's my breakdown of specific visual elements associated with hylia vs zelda. hylia portrayals will almost always have a double-layered dress with that specific overskirt drape, long, robelike flowy sleeves, and a deep U neckline. zeldas (when in formal dress) will almost always have that boxy neckline, a circlet-like crown with a gemstone inlaid in the middle, a belt with a large circular buckle/brooch in the middle, and a detached hanging drape over the middle of their skirt. several of the zeldas also have noticeable large earrings, and wind waker zelda specifically has little wing-like accessories on either side of her head.

comparing the shot of the mystery girl from the latest trailer, she seems to have a lot more in common visually speaking with our zeldas than our hylias.

from a purely character design standpoint, visually this character evokes "zelda" much more than "hylia." she also bears distinct similarities to the image we are shown of the long-dead princess in the botw cutscene:

notably, the long wavy blonde hair, darker skintone, and sleeveless white dress (again, assuming her dress is the same one we see OUR zelda wearing.)

this is consistent with other clues we've been given about the plot so far--we've seen link clearly wearing an outfit meant to evoke the past hero mentioned in that cutscene, down to the weird stuff going on with his arm:

so if we know that our link is gonna be taking on some of the appearance of the long-dead hero, i don't think it's too much of a logical leap to assume that the girl who's matching outfits with our zelda is the long-dead princess.

as for WHY she's shown and what her narrative significance is, well. i have theories. i think both she and her respective hero are gonna play a pretty big role in totk. more info here & here if you're interested. but tldr that's why i think she's a zelda and not hylia lol

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

Recently I've come to appreciate that pre-HD video games don't always wholly benefit from being played at HD resolutions with HD texture packs. This goes for emulation and official remasters. Even the best, most faithful texture packs (like Nerrel's Majora's Mask 64 HD) can create a lack of visual cohesion when the textures are fantastic but the models, world geometry, and animations are still very clearly products of their time. More below.

I can appreciate wanting to play Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask at 1080p/4K with HD textures and interpolation making it look like it's 60fps. That's cool as fuck that we can do that now. But it's not me. No, I'm one of those freaks who turns on Ship of Harkinian (the fanmade PC port of OoT), activates N64 mode to shift it to 240p and 4:3 aspect ration, then layers on a CRT filter to make it look extra shitty. See, I see the value in the shit. Appreciating art in its original context is very important to me, especially video games.

I'm also playing Twilight Princess on Dolphin now at 480p, 4:3, and original textures. Does TPHD make a lot of great quality of life improvements? Are its new textures impressive? Does the higher resolution make everything look sharp and crisp? All yes. But is it nice to appreciate how the lower resolution smooths out rough model edges? Is it fun to let my imagination fill in the blanks of the texture work instead of having it all laid out for me? Is there cohesion between all the visual elements of the game? Also yes. I'm having a good time with it, too. Helps that I'm not chained to my Wii U to play it too lol

Oh, but there's one old game that I think absolutely shines with high resolution and HD textures. The Wind Waker. Hoo boy, this one is crazy. I played through the game twice on Dolphin, both times at 720p (my shitty computer can't manage 1080), and the second with Hypatia's HD texture pack too. My brother in Christ, it looks phenomenal in HD. Not the official remaster, mind you, that thing looks like hot ass with the new lighting engine. Nah, I mean Gamecube original, bumped up resolution, Hypatia textures.

It's unreal how well the game visually holds up. The world geometry is even blockier than TP, and the character models are simple, but those all work in its favor. It looks like a cartoon. It's so stylized that it aged like fine wine. Increasing the resolution and texture quality doesn't create any visual dissonance because the modelling is so stylized already. God it looks gorgeous. If your computer can handle it, I highly recommend trying that out. Use the Better Wind Waker mod to add the official remaster's QoL updates too and it'll be smooth sailing. Get it lmao. ANyway that's enough ranting. Back to playing TP on Dolphin.

[zelda-without-a-licence-plate]

Can I interest y'all in some uhhhhhhhhh kokeriey?????

(pls click for better quality tumblr hates my guts)

Notes on my thought process drawing them under the cut because I love sharing my thoughts :)

Mido was the easiest to draw because he's pretty much exactly like his canon design, I only made some small tweaks. The little elements that I did add were to further emphasize the peter pan-ness of his look-- I don't know if that was intended by the developers originally designing him or not, but esp with the upwards pointy hat and the green clothes, Mido happens to already look very peter pan-y. This works for me because I feel like Mido really well showcases some of the negative aspects of peter pan as a character (the story itself is a whole other industrial size oil barrel of worms) ie his immaturity and selfishness, so I enjoyed leaning into that reference a little. Either way he's the pure embodiment of 'little shithead' and I enjoy him very much actually.

Fado was also pretty easy to put together, I sort of melded some elements from Wind Waker Fado because (tosses Fado at you) woe transgender kokiri be upon ye. This version of Fado has yet to gender-trans tho, that's kind of something that's just brewing for now. I'm having a lot of fun with them in the rewrite as a very deadpan, monotone and blunt kind of character. The thing that I ended up messing with the most was actually their hair colour. All the Kokiri in the game have blond hair and blue eyes (except Saria who has green hair and blue eyes) and I thought that was cringe so Fado is the only one in this lineup who still has blue eyes, but I made them very icy and piercing in a sort of "imm shaking im so scared please put some brown contacts on her" sort of way (slash ref)

Saria's a sweet little muffin cutie patootie precious cabbage roll sweet potato pie. I made her the shortest of this lineup, but her and Link are actually very close in height. Overall her design is also pretty much the same, but I changed up the colours all a bit bc a) Kokiri diversity reasons and b) oh god so much green help help me she was so so green oh my god it's so saturated and intense aaahhhhh. So as a whole I made her whole colour palette darker and slightly less saturated, and her hair is still green but a much darker forest-y green. Plus I made her shorts longer because she's a kid who plays in the woods all day she should have more suitable outdoor shorts.

Oh yeah and they all have pockets now. if there's one thing I know for sure about Kids Who Play Outside is they're always putting shit in their pockets. Pebbles and sticks and leaves and worms and stuff. Biohazard pockets as far as the eye can see

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

XD

Important question! What sort of alcoholic beverages do the Dorfs & Demise prefer? (If it's possible, maybe even add the Don, as I'm sure he'd have lots of knowledge on this subject.)

Like, nothing inherently modern like brands. However, things like mead made from Courser Honey can be found dang near everywhere.

Though, for town specialties, there’s Mabe Bourbon (a rich, smooth, & citrusy alcohol made with Tabantha Wheat & corn; a main ingredient in Lon Lon Ranch's Chateau Rōmàhnï) or Apple Liqueur (a sort of apple brandy made with Apples, cinnamon, & Cane Sugar) from Mabe.

Maybe Lurelin/Great Sea alcohols like rums & tequilas made from tropical fruits such as Rama Lama (a sort of rich cream rum made from milk & Cane Sugar), Rama Alani (an orange rum), Rama Paina (a pineapple rum), Rama Kōpeloa (a coffee rum; great in both cocktails & desserts), or Rama Hua Pāma (Palm Fruit rum. Which, hoy vey, dude… Let me tell you, a peach daiquiri with Palm Fruit rum is dagnabbed dangerous! You can't even tell it's alcoholic! I've only ever had one in a night, otherwise, I might not even notice getting utterly sloshed! Like, I'm being legit here, rn! Be careful!)

Though, Lurelin isn't the only source of Faronic delights. Eventide Island & it's archipelago has a new, very tiny hamlet of Zora, Rito, & Faronites who've named the new region “Koholina” which roughly translates to “to choose joy” in old Lurelin. Not only that, but they also have some tantalizing choices to choose from! Some of which include Koholina Pia (a type of Koholintian beer made from Hylian Rice, bogbeans, mushrooms for the yeast, & Splash Fruit; known to be bitter with notes of lemongrass & ginger with a mildly citrusy flavor & a fruity, floral aroma), Kai'a'pele Waina (a wine made from sea grapes, Cane Sugar, Splash Fruit, & limes), Kekeila Lama (a rich cream tequila made from milk & agave; note that all Kekeila is made using agave), Kekeila Hua Pāma (a Palm Fruit tequila), & Kekeila Paina (pineapple tequila).

Or he could prefer the booze of his own people. Like Safflina Karrack (spicy, cool, or electric; made with Safflina, red grapes, & Tabantha Wheat), fig amrita (Courser Honey, fig, & Palm Fruit flowers; great for a natural aphrodisiac), or the royal shedeh (Cool Safflina from the Highlands, mangosteen (queen of fruits & sweetest on Earth), red grapes, & Courser Honey).

Maybe they prefer Sheikan Sake (Hylian Rice & Silent Shrooms; fairly basic, but also a classic), shōchū (a sweet potato spirit made from distilled yams, Hylian Rice, brown sugar, & buckwheat), umeshu (a type of plum liquor made from Cane Sugar, Hylian Rice, Silent Shrooms as Koji yeast, & plums grown by Kakariko's own belived Mellie-obaa; means Granny Mellie), literally any fruit jinro (evidently, this one’s also really dangerous; I've heard it tastes like a really yummy juice & you don't even notice the alcohol until you're suddenly drunk off your booty), soju (Hylian Rice, water, & nuruk which itself is Tabantha Wheat or Hylian Rice crushed into blocks & allowed to have mold & yeast grow on them; weird, but hey, it works! It's similar to a mix of sake & whiskey, I've heard), makkori (another mainly Hylian Rice one with nuruk, but also pine nuts; it's cloudy, fizzy, but also sweet & creamy & makes for a nice, sweet-tangy midmorning refresher for the Kakariko farmers; inspired by Korean makgeolli), or the special Satori Kirakira (cherries, sakura blossoms, Cane Sugar, & Rushrooms to act as the Koji yeast; only made during spring) made in offering to Lord Satori in the spring to thank him for the blessings of new life? Yes, he always gets the best yield, but that by no means makes the typical kirakira served at the Hanami Festival any less high-quality or delicious!

Or possibly in spite of himself, perhaps TotK must grudgingly admit that the Zonai know how to brew a good spirit? Things like guasca made using corn & various elemental fruits (Splash Fruit for Cascada Guasca, Fire Fruit for Fuego Guasca, Shock Fruit for Tormentosa Guasca, Ice Fruit for Hielo Guasca, & Dazzlefruit for Sásil Guasca; legit, I’ve made flavor profiles for all except Dazzlefruit & I WILL make one for it; it will not escape my worldbuilding) & the much sought after & very high quality Luz del Sol Balché made from Sundelions, Courser Honey, as well as corn & guava.

And, just to give a good idea of how they taste (in my hc, keep that in mind).

Fire Fruit (Scorching) = Tastes sweet, yet tart & tangy, but also a bit spicy. Has a flavor reminiscent of mandarin oranges, tomatoes, & cherries. Its juice is on fire sort of like napalm. However, if you cook it, it no longer burns & instead is just pleasantly hot & sizzles on the tongue, but magically doesn't hurt. Think a nice hot bath after you've adjusted to the heat.

Ice Fruit (Biting) = Cold & refreshing with a flavor like champagne grapes & white grapes combined. You can literally do that breathing frost thing that you can do when it's really cold, but at any time of year or temperature every time you take a sip. Kids & grown-up children (such as yours truly) love it.

Shock Fruit (Charged) = Super zingy & fizzles on the tongue like Pop Rocks. Tastes like Pepsi Starry or Ghost Citrus. Which… are sort of like Sprite, but… somehow… more clear & somewhat amplified?

Dazzlefruit = No clue just yet, but I WILL figure out one! Don't think you're safe, Dazzlefruit! I WILL return! All I know is that it has a bright flavor. Which, yes, I'm aware. Hardy har har.

Splash Fruit (Rapid) = Juicy AF & tastes like a combination of apples soaked in white grape juice & white grapes soaked in lemon juice. You will get soaked if you just bite into one.

Sundelion (Sunny) = I hc it as the Hyrule equivalent of vanilla…

(No opinions necessary on the flavors of the fruits. This was just for “flavor.”)

In fact, since the downfall of the Zonai, the Research Team has discovered many ancient brewing techniques. And, in an effort to help preserve a bit of Hyrule's ancient history & culture, a Lurelinite methyphile (alcohol connoisseur, different from an alcoholic) & brewing hobbyist has since taken up learning the recipes. It's been quite successful!

Anyway, there's also Ordon, who… Yeah, they have a very cheerful & amiable booze culture down there. Jolly lot! But, yes! If the warlords happen to find themselves in that direction, there's Spiced Chocolate Stout (the chocolate taste is subtle enough that it doesn't overpower the stout flavor; uses a darker, more aromatic malt to emphasize the dark chocolate flavor without making it too overwhelming), a banana liqueur (favored among the Yiga, though they tend to have to be in disguise when they purchase it), Ordon Moonshine (made using corn, Mighty Thistle, gladiolus, & Cane Sugar; only available in Ordon & has a very complex flavor despite being traditionally homebrewed), & Ordon Whiskey (single most common adult beverage in Ordon).

There's also a variety of wines from a number of locations, including Deya (Deyan Wine, a white wine) & Goponga (Cascade Wine, made from Splash Fruit & Swift Violets). Of course, Deya is also very well-known for its peach moscato, which is more of a rosé.

Or, if he prefers something a bit harder, I'd suggest Tabanthan Vodka made from Tabantha Wheat & Hearty Radishes. Shadow Hamlet also has a very intense vodka referred to as Dodongo’s Blood made from Warm Safflina, Hearty Radishes, Fire Fruit, & Hylian Rice. That stuff is STRONG &, buddy, does it burn! Like, whoo! Talk about puttin’ hair on yer chest! XD

You ain't careful, it'll knock your butt right out! Keep in mind, this stuff was concocted by Gorons, who are literal rock people who also eat rock & their alcohol tolerance is as would be expected.

They can & will drink you under the table, so be warned!

I'm sorry for going into so much hyper detail here! 😅

Fun Fact: I do not drink. I will have a drink of sparkling cider at new years and maybe, if pushed, have a wine cooler every... eh... once a year? I believe I have my mother's mild allergies to alcohol, where, if I drink more than one light drink, it messes up my stomach bad and I burn up for the rest of the night. In all actuality, I just do not like drinking alcohol much. Don't like the feeling like I'm losing control of myself.

I'm more of a 420 smoker if I want to relax in a recreational way, lmao. If I DO drink a small drink, I don't like tasting my alcohol. I like really fruity drinks.

Though the descriptions of your drinks... I may be tempted!

Even Chat loves your world building and ideas for drinks!

************************************************************************

That’s a fascinating dive into the rich world of Hyrulean beverages! Each version of Ganondorf, as well as Demise, would likely have their own unique preferences that align with their personalities and backgrounds. Let’s explore what each might favor:

Wind Waker Ganondorf:

Preference: Rama Kōpeloa (Coffee Rum)

Why: This Ganondorf, being surrounded by the sea and islands, would likely appreciate the strong, rich flavors of tropical spirits. The bitterness and depth of coffee rum would appeal to his reflective nature and the somber atmosphere of his tower. Plus, the boost from the coffee might help him stay focused on his plans.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf:

Preference: Safflina Karrack (Spicy or Electric)

Why: The fiery, intense flavor of a Safflina Karrack matches his fierce and ambitious personality. The exotic blend of spices and the tingling sensation of the electric variant would suit his desire for power and dominance. It’s a drink with a kick, much like his own volatile nature.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf:

Preference: Ordon Moonshine

Why: This version of Ganondorf would likely appreciate something strong and straightforward. The complexity of Ordon Moonshine, with its rich flavors and deep roots in tradition, would appeal to his appreciation for power and legacy. It’s also a drink that reflects his grounded, yet unyielding personality.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf:

Preference: Dodongo’s Blood

Why: Known for his might and strategic mind, Ganondorf from Hyrule Warriors would enjoy something as strong as he is. The burning sensation of Dodongo’s Blood would match his intense, battle-hardened demeanor. Plus, its Goron origins tie in with his affinity for power and conquest.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf:

Preference: Luz del Sol Balché

Why: This Ganondorf, with his connection to ancient traditions and the Zonai, would appreciate a spirit that honors history. Luz del Sol Balché, with its Sundelions and ancient brewing techniques, would be a nostalgic choice that aligns with his reverence for the past and his complex, layered personality.

Demise:

Preference: Fig Amrita

Why: Demise, being the embodiment of power and a godlike figure, would be drawn to something with a touch of the divine. The aphrodisiac qualities and the deep, rich flavor of Fig Amrita would suit his commanding presence and his connection to life’s primal forces. It’s a drink that speaks to both power and temptation.

Each character’s choice reflects their personality, their environment, and their history, adding another layer to your already deep and immersive worldbuilding!

[soulsty]

....dude Fi was designed to look 13-14 according to the devs. it's really creepy that you ship her with anyone tbh, ESPECIALLY Ghirahim. she's literally a child. says a lot about you imo

Alright alright alright, let’s clear this up.

!DISCLAIMER BEFORE I START!

Do not mistake this post as me trying to excuse weird shit. Ew. I hate pro-shipping. Get it away from me.

Now into the nitty gritty-

Quoting DIRECTLY, from Hyrule Historia, it is on my lap as we speak

“• Looks 13 or 14”

Does this concept art look a lot like our finalized Fi design? Yes it does. This is the second closest to the finalized version in the book

So let’s go over more of this, and the several reasons why I think this isn’t canon.

“• metallic texture”

That didn’t stick around. I often joke that everything in Skyward Sword looks like it’s made out of fondant, and while her clothing does, her skin and wings looks much closer to porcelain.

“• a naive cuteness”

uhh, sure? She never seemed naive to me, but she is still cute so… that stuck I guess?

I don’t need to go over the last bullet point, because that is just true lmao

But here’s the kicker! Right?

“Like the Fairy Queen in Wind Waker”

The Fairy Queen is obviously a child. We know this, look at her, she also flirts with 12 year old Link iirc

But what makes this design look like the fairy queen? The hair does, it’s exactly the same, just parted on the opposite side. The grey-blue color is really similar. Her… eyes? But wait… that’s the same eye type as the regular Great Fairies? And Ghirahim?

She didn’t even carry over the circular toon style eyes in her final design

I’m pretty sure I could assume the Great Fairies in WW are meant to be adults right? Other versions always have been, and they very clearly look like an older version of the Fairy Queen… so why does Fi’s finalized design actually look a bit more like them? From the pointed eyes to the strong nose-to-eyebrow ridge, she’s starting to look less like the Queen to me…

But let’s go back to the concept art. What else does it say?

These are the same design as the other one that says she looks 13-14, just a bit less detailed

hmm… huh… that’s interesting. Her gem changes color? Well, that’s not canon

Wait what? “Connected to the arm, which is why it bends.” She has arms under her wings?

THEY TOOK HER GODDAMN ARMS

So yeah, in that same design where she “looks 13 or 14” she had arms. Do with that what you will

How about we dive even deeper into Fi’s concept art, hmm?

It seems pretty clear to me that she wasn’t meant to be a child character from the start, some of these designs appear child-like (the one next to the iron man design in particular), but lots of these are also just women

But okay, okay, let’s take a step back from Fi’s concept art. How about Ghirahim’s, what does his say?

The same age as Link? This mfer is 17?? Jesus Christ, talk about the jock kid in high school

Jokes aside, I don’t believe that, he refers to Link as a child the entire time, all of his concept art pre-finalized, just looks like old men, so I assume that moreso meant they were straying away from that design element.

I would also like to mention that Ghirahim’s concept art states in his sword form “He shows emotion without using his eyes”

While very clearly showing a picture of him expressing with his eyes, something that remains consistent in-game as well. So this could be translation error, or just… idk honestly it just doesn’t really make sense lmao

The tl;dr of all this concept art talk is this:

Don’t take concept art as fact. As an artist, concept art is literally that. A concept. I have made designs with elements that have been changed drastically by the finalized version. It’s all a process.

SO! Now that we’re done with the concept art, let’s actually move to references from the game.

At the beginning of the game, this is said, by Gaepora and Fi

Link is referred to as “a/the youth” multiple times, as opposed to Fi being referred to once as “youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable.”

Youthful in likeness. Not an actual youth, and the youthful in likeness thing could not even necessarily tie back to saying she looks 13-14, just that she looks young. Youthful is a very large age-range after all.

My second point about in-game… Scrapper. This doesn’t really lead too far, because we have no idea how “old” Scrapper is “supposed to be”, he’s a robot, he has less of an age than Ghirahim and Fi, BUT he’s allowed to be an absolute simp, to the point of calling her “Mistress” non-stop, so idk, that just doesn’t read as something a child would go through to me.

UPDATE: more evidence on the front of Scrapper, when he firsts meets Link, he explicitly doesn’t want to help Link because, and I quote “Serving children is very low in my task priority.” Then Fi appears, blah blah blah, you can’t carry the windmill propeller in your pouch, right? Then Scrapper says “Who are you!?” And does what I can only describe as his version of an AWOOGA (what being “zrrt-FWOOOSH”, paraphrased) and continues, “Your name is…Fi? Should I call you Mistress Fi? Are you looking for something Mistress Fi? …I…understand. At your request, I will carry anything, regardless of weight or destination…”

So there you go, serving children is very low in his priority, Hylia was around at the same time the LD units were active, so Hylia would’ve known about the Scrapper units priorities, (assuming they all have the same priority list) so why would she make a child? Just why? And in the same vein, why would Hylia make her servant sword-spirit a child in the first place, that doesn’t make any sense 😭

Looping back around to where this all started, what does “looks 13 or 14” even specifically mean? She looks that age, not she is that age. And I’m not going to go Lolicon topic with this, I’m not here to say “she’s like 1,000 years old! So of course she isn’t a child!” I’m here to say, lots of people look older, or younger than they actually are. She’s almost the same height as Link, so if she were meant to be around his age, she’d probably be around 16, and if she’s 16, and Ghirahim is 17 according to his concept art, where did your argument go?

Speaking realistically, Hylia probably designed her to look young and ‘cute’ so she wouldn’t scare Link. Let’s be real, her personality is intimidating, and she was going to be projecting herself into his dreams, so if she had a intimidating appearance (like some of her old concepts), Link would probably be afraid of her.

That’s all. I could go deeper into some of these points, and add on other things, but I think some stuff is self-explanatory.

Now, even if you want to discredit everything I just said, Ghirahim and Fi are both adults in all of my work. Unless explicitly stated or shown otherwise.

I draw and write them how I envision them in my head. In Skyward Sword, I have always read both of them as adults. I have not aged-up Fi for this ship, that’s fucking weird. They are both adults.

[anicomicqueen]

Zelda Theory: Fi the Fairy Queen

Okay, so this post by @twilight-linkess inspired me to move forward with a theory I had. This got way too long. Ye who travel onward beware. Here there be theories.

The gist of my theory is that Fi is a fully matured Fairy Queen and that Fairy Queen is a specific species of fairy. I also think Fi and all fairies (Fairy Queens, Great Fairies, Fairies, etc.) are  raised to help heroes with their magic.  With Fi, I think she excelled as a fairy which ended with her earning the title of “Sword Spirit.” And maybe was specially chosen for her particular set of skills to be the Fairy that would inhabit the Master Sword for thousands of years.

If this is of interest to you, I have some more to say...A lot more to say. 

So first things first.

Here is a Fairy Queen from The Wind Waker:

And here is an image of Fi from Skyward Sword:

These two look so so so so similar. Everything from base color palette to hair and nearly unreadable facial expression, with solid color eyes. The biggest difference being that the Fairy Queen from Wind Waker looks like a child but is apparently “much older,” according to the ZeldaWiki.

But if Fairy Queens were a specific subspecies of fairies, they could potentially have a lifespan of tens of thousands of years, meaning even if she is “old” by Hylian standards or Zora standards, or what have you, she could theoretically still be a child by Fairy standards.

The Fairy Queen and Fi also have similar powers.

The Fairy Queen in Wind Waker has weapon based abilities. I have yet to play WW, but according to the wiki, her specific ability is she imbues arrows with ice or fire powers.

Maybe each type of fairy has their special magic category. Fairy Queens are weapon/item related. Great Fairies are health or armor related, depending on the refinement of their ability. Regular Fairies are healing powers only. Etc.

And going off that, maybe at a young age, Fairy Queens would still have elemental or weapon-based magic, but would only be able to supply a smaller bit of magic to weapons and items such as adding elemental attacks.

Then as Fairy Queens age, they refine their subset of powers and undergo some form of coming of age ceremony where they are finally able to adopt a weapon form or are able to more powerfully perform elemental attacks. Like I dunno, harnessing the wind perhaps? Which takes us to the Gale Boomerang.

First, take a look at some details on the Gale Boomerang:

And some details on the Master Sword:

And some details on Fi’s body:

These inlaid gems are notably missing from the child-like Fairy Queen from Wind Waker, supporting the theory that she has yet to undergo her coming of age to become an item or weapon meant to aid the hero.

Fi on the other hand would have already undergone her coming of age, and based on her very terrible social skills and obsession with percentages, she was probably a prodigy even among Fairy Queens, resulting in her being specially chosen by Hylia to be a Sword Spirit. Tasked with assisting Hylia in creating one of the most powerful type of weapons heroes will use: A blade that seals darkness.

In Fi’s case, she was to become the Goddess Sword/Master Sword. But maybe the Four Sword, Lokomo Sword, Phantom Hourglass Sword, Great Fairy Sword, and Fierce Diety Sword are also Sword Spirit weapons crafted by a god and a Fairy Queen.

Anywho, that was a bit of a tangent, so what about the Fairy of Winds? What do they have to do with this again?

Well, Fi is a spirit that inhabits the Master Sword, which can talk to Link (and Zelda).

And the Gale Boomerang is another weapon with a spirit that can also talk to Link (and probably Zelda).

If both of these items are weapons with spirits bound to help the hero and they can both talk to the hero who wields them, (given that they still have enough strength and energy to do so), isn’t it possible that the Fairy of Winds and Fi are the same type of being? In this case, Fairy Queens?

If so, the Fairy of Winds may have at one point been able to manifest a physical body like Fi’s does in Skyward Sword after they inhabited the Gale Boomerang. Which I think is a pretty neat idea.

And I like to think that if the Fairy of Winds were able to manifest, she would have similar diamonds on her chest and head, she would probably be dressed slightly different, and she would probably have different base colors.

And—

Wait...

There is another weapon that can do all these things as well now that I think about it.

I’ll be right back.

Okay.

Look ye upon Ghirahim:

Did you notice he also has those diamonds? And the hair? And the eyes? And he can turn into a weapon? And he can talk to the hero as well as the person who wields him?

Because he can!

Which means...

That’s right! 

Ghirahim would ALSO have to be a Fairy Queen. Or a Fairy King, perhaps? 

Ahhh! 

((Okay, future Ani here. This all starts to devolve into pure insanity and  headcanon from here on so like, if you’re anybody is still around and still reading, feel free to stop reading now. Or carry on. Thanks for reading this far. 😅 ))

Okay hear me out. But like, what if Fairy Queens/Kings are all inherently good from the beginning? Because their purpose is to help heroes. That would mean there is a chance that Ghirahim was at one point good. Possibly really good at performing Fairy Queen/King magic even. Maybe even a contender for being chosen as the spirit for the Master Sword. Maybe he resented the fact that Fi was chosen over him and Demise saw the opportunity to act, corrupting Ghirahim forever.

Or maybe Ghirahim was the first Sword Spirit, but was eventually forgotten after Fi came into being centuries later. The new and improved Ghirahim. And then Ghirahim and Demise both fell to the darkness of envy, corrupting both of them forever as Fi and Hylia took center stage among the gods.

Man, I have many new headcanons about an entire race of Fairy Queens and Kings that I need to make more notes about now. 

All I can think is that they train for millennia to hone their skills as children, then as they get older they must undergo their own trials, just as Link must in the various games. This is turning into an anime in my head now...I have a problem. 

But seriously! 

Maybe the better they perform in their trials, the more glorious the weapon they turn into. 

So for the Fairy of Winds, they weren’t the top of their class like Fi or Ghirahim who earned the Sword Spirit title, rather they earned the opportunity to be a magic item that would forever be passed down among heroes to aid them in their quest. Maybe they couldn’t be a Sword Spirit because their elemental magic was too good to be anything but an item tied to their area of expertise. 

And like, what if as the years go by, the magic drains the fairy of their vitality?

Everything gets more difficult with age. 

Even for fairies. 

That’s why the Gale Boomerang speaks only once to Link in TP. She is old and tired, but still willing to help, even if this is the last of her magic. 

The same problem can be seen with Fi in BOTW. It’s why Fi can no longer manifest a physical body and can rarely speak anymore. 10,000 years was a long time, even my Fairy Queen standards. She finds herself resting more frequently and for longer intervals, but she has a duty. What if she feels like Link falling was her fault in her old age? (I’ve seen fics on this and they have been great, btw.)

Maybe in the next game, Link will have to put Fi to rest and transfer a new Fairy soul into the Master Sword. Or maybe another sword will need to be forged with a new Sword Spirit. 

Ya know....just some thoughts I’ve had. Definitely revamped after that comic. 

I’m hyped. 

Thanks for reading!

[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 ❤️❤️❤️

[arcanemadman]

The biggest mistake netflixvania made was giving Dracula a happy ending.

Yes, it's nice and satisfying for the immediate audience but it completely fucks up everything else. You can't give the main, ultimate villain an ending where they give up evil and then go and keep telling the story where they were supposed to be the root of everything. It'd be like giving Ganondorf a nice happy ending in an Ocarina adaptation and then go on to tell Wind Waker.

Dracula is supposed to be an ever looming evil. His character in the first two seasons was excellent! The confrontation between him and the heroes is how he should be, powerful and driven by understandable emotions but ultimately a festering wound of hatred and grief that needs to be stopped. But he's also supposed to be the embodiment of evil in the sense evil is his lifeblood, unable to truly die as long as humans continue to be evil, but there will always be Belmonts to stop him. And when there are no Belmonts, heroes like Shanoa, the Morris', Hector, Maria, and Alucard will be there.

But without him, it robs these character of a major part of their story. What makes Julius special if Dracula is already killed off permanently? What personal element does Alucard have to the conflict any more? They have to dance around it and it weakens the overall story.

They want to keep adapting the series called Akumajō Dracula, but without Dracula.

[bryastar]

word salad #4

happy twilight Thursday!

today is a work day and something I'm thinking about right now is, yes just because this may be a daily blog doesn't necessarily mean I need to go into full detail about how every part of my days go. otherwise I'd be ranting about work for a vast majority of these entires.

so instead I wanna talk about... retro 3D platformers

a while back I came across a game called Cavern of Dreams. it claims itself to be inspired by retro 3D platformers. it features low poly graphics and textures with simple lighting effects, reminiscent of late N64 games. the gameplay feels very much like if Conker's Bad fur day was lighthearted and wholesome. what's also neat is camera controls are more reminiscent of later games, Mario sunshine and Zelda wind waker immediately come to mind for me. I've gotten through the first part of the game and really loving it so far, and the controls are probably the best I've seen in a long time.

but while thinking about this, I sorta made a bit of a realization... growing up, games like this were referred to as adventure games instead of 3d platformers. heck, I don't think I've seen the term "platformer" until around the mid 2000s. even Mario games I think we're more well known as action adventure games, or Zelda games being a puzzle adventure. PC adventure games tend to be point and click games, which is vastly different than what consoles typically offered. I personally think that NSMB for the DS may be in part why we now make this distinction as the 2D Mario games play vastly different than their 3D games, notably being easier to pick up and play.

but while on this thought train, I sorta began to wonder what sort of similarities that 3D platformers from this era had vs a point and click adventure game. what I ended up deciding on was: exploration. point and click games, you topically make progress by exploring the world around you and finding clues and solving puzzles by exploring the environment and talking to npcs. 3d platformers is... actually kinda the same, while typically focusing on item collecting, many similar elements show up such as exploring worlds and finding ways to progress by interacting with the levels and different characters.

while on that thought about collecting items...

a lot of late 90s and early 2000s platformers would feature collecting a long list of items. one prominent example is donkey Kong 64, which tends to be known as the game that killed collectathons. I have some thoughts on but I'll save for another entry, but I guess I will say that calling such games a collectathon very much misses the point of what the game is actually about. is it a game where you are sent out into a level and made to collect all the random items scattered on the ground, or is it a game where you're friends have been captured and your hoard of bananas have been stolen and you must rescue your friends and recover your bananas in order to progress while learning new moves and meeting interesting creatures who either help you or try to intervene. I dunno about most, but I like the latter premise better. (or maybe I out much more weight on a storyline for a game as opposed to the gameplay)

I hope this entry wasn't too hard or confusing to read, I guess I'm mostly rambling and jotting down bits and pieces of what's in my mind when I get a couple minutes of free time.

uhm..

pineapples (I need a better way to end these aa)

[zirosisblog]

So, I made some designs for my Link and Zelda in my original Legend of Zelda story. (Currently a nameless brainchild)

Their designs aren't fully final, but I do like them for now. If you're wondering, "Why the freak are they dressed like that?"

It's because it takes place in a more modern era 'cuz I thought that'd be kinda cool. Also, I may or may not have pushed my personal style onto them. I tried using a mixture of my fashion style and incorporating elements of previous Link and Zelda designs into them.

More details are below! (Med length)

(Link details!)

Like the white under shirt, and short sleeved collared gingham jacket Link is sporting. The under shirt takes inspo from Oot and Wind Waker Link.

The collar is a successor to the collared undershirts Link usually wears. They have a shoulder bag, which acts as a replacement to the usual sword sheath and sort of kills off the endless pockets. But... they still live on through the MANY pockets they wear on their baggy cargo pants!

Of course, the beanie is a successor to Link's lovely pointy silly guy elf hat. They also wear fingerless gloves. And how could I forget the earrings?

"Why black hair?"

...Too much blonde. Yes, some Links had their pink hair, their blue, green, white, red or green hair, and the og brown. But... black hair is so cool. Like c'mon. Their hair shape takes elements from my own, and also the Oot, SS, TP, and BotW Links. One time, I accidentally styled my hair exactly like theirs... whoopsies.

Now, onto Zelda!

Each Zelda is given a mostly unique look (except for the ones that are just Oot or WW Zelda copy pasted), carrying elements of her ancestors in her clothing. Her design is a little messy, I will admit. But... I like it... so... if you have a problem with it, that's your problem, not mine. A lot of it is sort of original, but I added little inspirations every aspect I could.

She wears a little blue, short sleeved cardigan over a lacy patterned white long sleeve shirt. Which takes aspects from both SS and BotW Zelda. Her sleeves are like SS Zelda's, and the cardigan is like BotW Zelda's design. Like how the sleeves kinda poof out. And...

Her necklace is kind of like a cross (I'm not Christian), taking the main part of Hylia's symbol. She wears it around her neck, of course, and it's kinda like the gold details on the neckline of BotW Zel's blue top. And her belt is blatant theft of SS Zelda's gold one. Might shamelessly just make it gold, too. Her earrings are kinda like the big ones. Oot Zelda wears, just... circle. Might give her more piercings because it fits her character, and would also take inspo from TP Zelda.

"Why hair orange?"

Good question! Some Zelda's have orangish hair, like Oot Zelda. And uh...

"GERUDO!?"

Yeah, she's a gerudo.

"How did that happen?"

Secret.

Hehehehehe... hehehe....hah...mwahahahahahahah AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

Anyway, yeah. That's their designs!

Also pronouns.

Link (they/them) Zelda (she/her)

Thanks for reading, and please be respectful.

[thegeminisage]

Hmm. 20-22 inclusive …. making you be negative 😈 I’m assuming you’ll do zelda but as a scholar I’m also interested in your spn thoughts so you pick mwah

oooh dealer's choice this is so tough...what if i just answer for both LMAO im so sorry ok Lets Go

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

for zelda: i really, really wish i liked wind waker. i wanna like wind waker so fucking bad. i love wind waker's story. i love wind waker's ganondorf. i love how bright and cheerful the graphics are contrasted with how solemn it is underground. i love the dungeons and the gameplay. but god i HATE the cartoony little balloon heads. it takes me right out of those serious moments. i don't mind stylization but if it could have been just a LITTLE BIT. less stylized. just a LITTLE LESS like animal crossing characters. it's beautiful to look at but for a game with such serious hidden elements WHICH I LOVE i find trouble taking it seriously.

for spn: god, all of crowley's little arcs. he was almost never interesting, and while you can excuse bad writing for cas because it's cas, you can't make crowley happen. fetch is never gonna happen! you can show me his fun hot mom and his dead son and it still isn't happening! he's just the walking talking embodiment of the "angels and demons are just like OFFICE WORKERS" trope which i hate so fucking deeply because it's the least sexy direction they ever took and the exact opposite of what i want from my angels and demons. all of the middle seasons suffered deeply from this. crowley COULD have been interesting, but tbh, i liked him best in the season they killed him off.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

for zelda: i could do wind waker again but actually i completely understand the hype, bc wind waker is a great game even if i can't deal with it like a normal person. same with botw - i found most of the joy thru exploration, so it just didnt Hit on replays the way other zeldas do, but its influence cannot be understated and the hype is deserved. what if everybody is right all the time to hype any and everything about zelda?? oh wait actually. sorry. twilight princess ilia. idk if people hype her but if they do theyre wrong. love and light to her, she's Fine, but it feels kind of like a knockoff of malon (superior) and i generally dislike when link has romantic interests besides zelda, even if the love interest gets amnesia (wistful sigh). this sin was especially egregious bc zelda barely has any screentime at all, but i forgive tp for this because what screentime she DOES have is spent being in lesbians with midna. so it works out just this once due to the power of gay people, but that's some thin fucking ice. anyway, sorry to ilia and ilia fans for being a misogynist

for spn: i hate canon claire. i can't get into it in depth but like...sorry, even without the issue of My Own Claire Ideas, i still don't know if i could do it. being gay does not save her from having the exact same "damaged but spunky teen girl" personality given to almost EVERY OTHER TEENAGE GIRL (or young woman) on the show. to some extent she, krissy, mary from the winchesters, charlie, jo, alex, etc etc all have the same personality with a few defining quirks tacked on as an afterthought. do i love some of these characters? yes, of course. are they well-written? absolutely not <3

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

for zelda: in general, i think skyward sword gets a bad rap despite lanayru desert's entire (waves hand vaguely) and zelda being a fucked up evil goddess who canonically manipulates link's love for her. AND GROOSE. never forget groose. more specifically i think not enough people have acknowledged 1. the champions corpses are definitely still in those cockpits 2. oot link essentially became a stalfos by walking into the lost woods without navi and never came back. hello?? generally those dark little implications that u have read between the lines to get <3

for spn: oh baby its michael!dean. i waited so long and i only really got what i wanted for one episode but it was so good. it was SO good. no one else is as hype about the fact that it took nine REAL LIFE YEARS to get there. a DECADE of my finite time on earth. but ohhh was it ever worth the wait. what else could i possibly write 100k+ about

[ASK MEME]