#you may have been there old man but you don't even remember which zelda is which and how many of them that you've never even played
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
My dad being convinced that there was a non-handheld mainline nintendo console between the SNES and the N64 VS me trying to correct him (He gets unreasonably angry when he's wrong about something because he knows better ofc) (It wasn't the virtual boy either)
#he's also convinced the original Zelda was released on the SNES and that Zelda II was the first one#Also not him talking down to me as if I'm a fucking kid because he thinks he knows more bc he was there for all of it#As if I'm not the biggest nerd in the history of nerds when it comes to nintendo stuff#you may have been there old man but you don't even remember which zelda is which and how many of them that you've never even played
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Apple Merchant [BOTW!Link x Isekai!Reader] (Part 3)
The house does not make a home, but a home can make a man.
The trash pile has grown again. It's spilling out of the bin.
Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Alternate Extras: Embrace
Masterlist
TW: Choosing not to display warnings. Read at your own discretion.
Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise.
---
The house is bigger than you remember it being from the game. For one, there's a sectioned off washroom hidden partially under the loft stairs and a full kitchen area in the left rear of the house. The ceiling is also ridiculously high for a one story (technically two) house, but you let that detail slide. It's to your- Link's, benefit, after all.
Another thing, upgrades are not offered automatically here. Though that should've been obvious in hindsight and you're a bit embarrassed to admit it'd slipped your mind. Most people would decorate and furnish their own homes with either their old furniture or newly bought.
That's what the many, many shops the game never had reason to show were for, after all.
Therein led to your current dilemma.
Practicality or comfort? The large thin rug with dark patterns, or a smaller plush one with elegant designs embroidered at the edges? Red covers? Blue, white, gray? All of them perhaps? Maybe just three?
Does Link prefer cast iron or the wok? Steel forks or maybe chop sticks? A full set of pots and pans, or just two or three good ones for repeated use? Which set of knives? The specialty set or a general use one?
Should the loft have a rug too? Should you get both? Should you get three? What about the washroom?
Towels? A vase...
Dumb idea. No vases.
Should there be two beds? When Link frees Zelda from the castle, surely the poor woman won't be made to live there in that festering monster's nest of a ruin. And having been trapped there for a century as the world outside moved forward (after having been royalty nonetheless), would she even know how to live on her own?
Would it be presumptuous of you to already set up for her arrival before Link even properly remembered who she was? You didn't want to make Link feel obligated to fufill your assumptions like that. He already had so much on his shoulders. He didn't need you to add more.
So, only one bed. Sheets?
"Jus' get them all, ya cluckin' mother cucco." Adino snapped waspishly, thin brows pulled down into a severe looking glare. His arms were crossed as he leaned against the wall closest to the 'Odds and Ends' shop's door, pointedly.
You barely spared him a glance, used to his attitude after having known him for nearly three years. And honestly, it was all for show anyway. Adino loved shopping with you, but the spiteful little shit would never admit it. Even under pain of death.
'Jus' making sure the walkin' rupee bag doesn't fall dead to an ill fated breeze.' He'd snark if ever questioned why he was following you around on his days off.
Lies, of course. The truth is he's lonely. So very lonely and too hurt yet to reach out to anyone else for companionship.
The man he'd called father for 14 years of his short life suddenly throws him out of the only home he'd known with barely the clothes on his back. All after finding out his recently departed wife had been having affairs. And the kicker, the bastard claims he supposedly doesn't even know if Adino's his or not (despite them having the exact same eyes and brows).
It'd been convenient though, you'd give him that. Just washed his hands of the situation entirely. Started fresh with a new wife and got rid of the unnaturally (Adino had parroted coldly, like a curse and a confession breathed in the same breath) effeminate son that may or may not be his.
No stings attached. Just living comfortably on his late wife's family property and shacking up with her younger sister.
And that abandoned son running, running, running across Hyrule. Until he dropped right outside of Hateno, quiet and hurting and nearly driven mad with hateful, writhing loathing.
You pull yourself from those thoughts. It's not your business. Adino may have shared that information with you during his mandatory background check, but that doesn't mean it's any of your business.
Even if the boy is living with you, and has been for the last three years.
(Even if you already ruined that man's fletching business. Even if you never told Adino why that man'd taken a very long walk off a very tall cliff.
Even if Adino knew and left flowers on your desk every year on that day ever since.)
"I'll take them all. As well as the rugs, towels and curtains, please. Oh. And that tapestry. Yes. The one with the apples."
Adino snorted, rolling his eyes, and you smiled. A merchant's got to advertise wherever possible, after all.
The older, greying woman behind the counter nodded, glancing over to two younger women (her granddaughters, twins and five years orphaned. turned 17 last Fall) waiting unobtrusively near the back of the shop. They didn't need any more instruction than that, swiftly gathering your choices and folding them into neatly wrapped bundles.
You swear this family had to have some sheikah blood in them somewhere. Even if they had pitch black hair and the darkest grey eyes you've ever seen. They were just too quiet and efficient to be normal Hyrulians. (And were little known for their discretion above all else.)
You tipped the women for thier help. They thanked you with a quiet tilt of their perfectly kept heads, before returning to their preferred corner in the far back.
You didn't bother to barter with this woman. You paid full price for everything, and then tipped her too.
Four gold rupees. And a note, which she took with a nod and a knowing glint in her eyes.
(Because they were known for their discretion, and you appreciated that more than anything.
You knew she understood the flowers you left on her desk every year on the same day.
And you knew she'd understand this too.)
You left, but not before catching one of the twins (the one with the blue head cloth and lip rouge) staring longingly after Adino's back as he marched from the store in a dramatic huff. Her sister hiding a probable grin behind her red painted hand.
'Interesting. But not my problem.'
---
Link looked up the curved path to Hateno's guarded gate as he sheathed his guardian sword, the black mist of two hopelessly mangled bodies blowing away in the strong mountainside winds. Further back still was the semi-conscious groan of a young woman surrounded by fallen mushrooms.
Link ignored her slowly rising form, having checked her vitals earlier before being ambushed by a pair of bokoblins. He knew she'd be fine, and honestly, if she was sneaking around monster infested forests for mushrooms (Link could still hear the snorting of the beasts further past the treeline) then she must be able to take a hit or two and come out okay.
She must have had the same thoughts because she merely dusted herself off, picked up her fallen produce and made for the trees once more. Barely sparing Link a backwards wave before disappearing into the thick underbrush.
Link blinked after her. And sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
So. That happened.
Link let it roll off his back easily enough. He had more important issues to deal with. Such as was it appropriate for him to just show up at your (and now his) doorstep fresh from the road and smelling every bit of it.
He discreetly sniffed under his arm and grimaced.
Surely you'd understand. You and him were connected after all, and you knew his name and knew he'd be coming to Hateno. A little roadside reek shouldn't be a big surprise.
Yet. He couldn't shake the self-consciousness. The irrational fear that you'd look at him and expect more than what you got.
Like that old man who was actually a dead person. Like that Impa woman, and everyone in that little village she lived in.
For how quickly he'd steamrolled through the untamed wilds of Hyrule just to meet you, he was oddly reluctant to continue now that he was at your metaphoric (and soon literal) doorstep.
He glanced down at himself, taking himself in with a critical eye.
The Sheikah armor he wore (it had been under 10,000 rupees, he checked) was covered in dust, grim and the unflattering stains of sweat, dried bloody drool (from that unfortunate incident with the bokoblin horse), grass and meat grease. His hair was so filthy it was nearly brown despite that equally unfortunate incident with the octorok having put him in the water several times (strong inconsistent winds make aiming bows hard, he'd discovered).
Hopefully you wouldn't be disgusted. He hoped you understood that he wasn't- well-
He wasn't who he used to be. Apparently.
"Link." A flat voice called out, and Link nearly jumped to attention at the unexpected interruption. He nearly reached for his sword too, before he stopped himself.
When Link looked up and met dark gray eyes, his heart started to tightened.
'Is that you, AM?' His eyes asked earnestly, wide and round with quiet searching. For recognition. For understanding. For anything at all.
Instead he got a slow, dispassionate blink and confusion as the woman spoke into the silence between them. "AM instructed me to lead you home, Master Link."
Link pointed to himself. "Master?" He rasped out quietly, voice rough and unpleasant even to his own ears. Nothing to say for the pain it caused at the base of his throat.
Without missing a beat the young woman nodded once, the blue bandana holding her dark hair back catching slightly in the wind. Blue painted lips barely moving as she said. "Yes. I will explain more once we arrive at your home."
Link nodded, still uncertain but trusting enough of this strange woman who knew the name (Alis? Nickname? Title, perhaps?) of his sheikah slate partner.
Tomorrow, he would be given a small journal detailing many of the dangers and wonders of this beautiful, wild world he now lived in. And he wouldn't be so trusting anymore.
And he'd have bananas, apparently. So many bananas.
But that's for tomorrow. Today?
Today was the first time he walked across the old, but sturdy footbridge. The first time he glanced over at the shrine glowing faintly to his left, peeking from behind a small cluster of buildings.
It was the first day he stood on the threshold of his (and your) new home. The first time since awakening he felt the beginning of heartbreak as he realized you were not there to greet him. That you would not be living with him. Ever.
('For now,' He thought in quiet defiance.)
And the first time since he opened his eyes in that dark, eerily glowing shrine he felt loved. When his eyes adjusted to the darker light of the house and found a home waiting for him.
Not just an empty building with four walls and a bed, but a rug with pretty dark patterns under a heavy wooden table. A bowl of apples at its center, with thick candles at either side. An intricately sewn tablecloth just slightly hanging over the sides in delicate little weaves.
He felt loved when he walked around the front room, boot-heavy steps thumping softly on polished hardwood floors, slowly taking in the space (the blue woman waiting patiently at the door). The small wooden sculptures upon carefully arranged tables, cute and quirky banners and tapestries brightening up the dimly lit room (one was slightly lower than the rest, another was slightly off-center, and Link felt warm at the imperfections). Sunflowers, a bird, a rock formation, an apple tree, a cat with a bell.
A sword and shield rack. Two armor stands. A few weapon's plaque hanging above them.
The food in the kitchen pantry. Completely unnecessary, but for the way it made Link feel. The way it made his throat tighten and itch. The thought that this was put here because it was meant to be his home.
And so much more. So many things he couldn't even remember the uses for. So many bits and pieces that slot together into the jumbled mess that is a home. It was more than he had the heart to acknowledge without weeping.
Noticing his brewing turmoil, the blue woman spoke. "Perhaps a bath and bed before we speak of business. AM said you may be tired when you arrived."
Link nodded, unwilling to speak and risk his voice breaking entirely. Instead he allowed himself to be led to the washroom, holding back tears when he found bottles of sweet smelling soaps and hair cleansers on a small table beside a stool above a drain. A tub beside it all, shaped like a bowl but with a drain at the bottom and a water spout at the rim.
He looked to the blue woman, overwhelmed and dazed by the strength of his emotions.
Something in her softened at his lost expression. "Let me bath you, Master Link." She said, keeping her voice even, though her dark eyes were gentle. "Just until you learn how to do it yourself."
Link nodded. Quiet and trusting in his vulnerability.
She helped him undress. She made him sit on the stool as she gathered what she needed.
Her hands were so, so gentle as they brought a warm, wet towel over his dirtied, battered skin.
He nearly fell into a doze twice as she washed his hair three times until the suds came off white. He was only minimally aware of the strong (deceptively strong) hands that helped him into the tub. He nearly slumped into the side of the bowl, body completely lax within the warm, welcoming water.
He opened his eyes from one blink to the next and blankets (thick and soft, smelling of fresh soaps and linen) were being drawn over his shoulders. The pillow beneath him gave under the weight of his head, as did the mattress he laid upon.
Every part of him felt warm and soft and safe. He smelt like flowers and sweet nuts, his skin felt clean and supple under the tender caress of his nightclothes. The further dimming lights eased him further down into slumber.
"Rest well, Master Link. I will guard you as you sleep."
Link couldn't even bring himself to respond, lost as he was to the call to nothingness.
He was lost not long after.
"One day." The blue woman said softly, sitting beside the unconscious man with an amused smile. "I will teach you to identify sleeping oils before they reach you. But not tonight. For tonight you sleep. Tomorrow, you will learn to be wary."
She wiped her delicate finger tips across his relaxed forehead, a slight sheen left in their wake.
"Sweet dreams, Courageous One."
---
Link,
I apologize that I could not be there to greet you properly. However, after careful consideration I decided it would be safest for our paths to remain separate at this time.
Herein this text, you will find all relevant information I've amassed over the years regarding our world and the dangers within it. Including, but not limited to, the continued threat of the Yiga clan.
May you never have to make use of the less savory of this knowledge.
Yours truly,
AM
---
To the shadows I return.
417 notes
·
View notes
Note
Ngl I was going to ask about Breath of the Wild but I’d thought you’d get a million of those asks lol. I was also torn between asking about Wind Waker, so whichever one you want to answer more is chill!!
haha yea I thought I'd get a million asks too! Somehow even now this remains the only botw ask, I guess people just figured it must've been sent already 😅
Now to actually share my thoughts on botw... Man I hope people don't get mad at me.
I did not like it!. The first play through I had was mildly exciting simply due to there being a whole unknown world to see, but after a while that gimmick wore off. I knew that if I made my way to the cool looking mountain or interesting abandoned building I'd just find a bokoblin and/or a chest with a gem. Whats the point of a gorgeous expansive world when all I find is the same...! 😫
Oh wow! A town with a whole new atmosphere and culture I sure wonder what I'll get up to h- Ok they have the same shops with slightly different items. Ok cool. There's like a few small quests for more inventory filler I don't really need. Cool cool.
I understand that the game is really fun for some people, they'll do quests just to get to play more of the game. They want all that extra stuff to upgrade armour and really get into the nitty gritty mechanics of the game... But I did not. It was not for me.
Also ouugh the puzzles...! My favourite part of Zelda games is the puzzle solving, but these were in no way satisfying and often more fun to just break. Why would I bother even trying to get into the devs heads when A) I could just break it and B) I have too many options to consider! I can't possibly get a clean eureka moment when everything from monster guts to just climbing could be the solution...! Where's the engaging simplicity of knowing exactly what you have and following the devs' clues to reach the solution!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa--
I also disliked the story, all the interesting bits in it happened a 100 years ago and I feel like I arrived late with a starbucks. I also will not get over the weird ending cutscene!! After countless fascinating memories of Zelda having very complex emotions at Link... What do you mean you're just going to have a vaguely romantic "Do you still remember me?" YEAH I DO, I thought u disliked me! Which is a fascinating story direction I would've loved continued but OK! I guess we're ignoring that! Women cant be angry that makes them less cute and marketable, I guess!!!!
I... Sorry this is so ranty, I've been holding it in a long time. I think there's a lot to love in botw and I wish I wasn't so sour about it. Other people's love and excitement for it is wonderful and I hope they keep making the art they love. If its your first game in the series and got you into it, that's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm just a grumpy old man waving at cloud /ref.
Honestly I think botw could've been wonderful if it was a new IP. It feels all the Zelda stuff was sort of glued onto a concept that wasn't prepared to carry that mantle. It would've been better off with a new exciting world and cast of characters. It still wouldn't be a game I much care for, but the freedom that could've granted the developers would've been a treat to see.
It's worth adding that even though I dislike botw, I want to treat the characters of that game with respect and care in my comic. I may not love them in game but I can see the passion others have and I am committed to make something worth their time. Your special guys are safe with me. I have 0 desire to dunk on them, and instead wish to honour the love you all have. In a way I'm learning to love them myself through that.
74 notes
·
View notes
Note
Vergil is very much top tier choice 👌😌 When I first played DMC I loved him more than Dante 😅
I have a long complicated relationship with video games giving my bringing up and my family not being exactly the most "supportive" of people - video games were seen as satanic and me and my brother would had to had the fact he'd went out of his whole ass way to smuggle a whole ps2 and a n64 that was on life support with us when we came to the US and later snuck in other consoles into our house where we could only play them for a certain amount of time at night, get them out of a box we had at the top shelf of our closet, door shut with four blankets shoved underneath the bottom and we would play them when are parents and grandparents were asleep and we could only play them TV on silent to avoid getting caught and my key first two video games I have core memory of watching him play are The legend of zelda: ocarina of time and of course devil may cry 3.
I remembered the first thing I ever saw of devil may cry was that menu screen in 3, you know the one with both Dante and Vergil at the sides FUCKING IMMEDIATELY attention was drawn the first moments I saw pretty fictional man on screen I was hooked- I bothered my brother non stop that I wanted to play and got so angry to find out you couldn't play pretty blue man until after you beat the game, because I was 7, and I wanted to play him NOW 🤬😅 and don't get me started on how fucking cool I found his dorky getup with his anime ass coat and literally everything else on him is fucking snakeskin and I found Yamato so fucking cool that yes, I tried to mimick literally everything ge fucking did with it and almost busted my ass several god damn times doing so its a fucking miracle I didn't wake anyone up the several times I jumped from the top bunk and busted my head on my brother's dresser - several times 😭 we would've have been fucking dead if our parents ever found out
Also I knew only handful of words in english but due to upbringing ~choices~ from my parents I couldn't read it and my brother could and since we couldn't listen to sound we only had the tiny english subtitles and my brother (though in retrospect very badly) lol explaining the plot to me, a 7 year old, who still didn't know a god damn thing that was happening but pretty man so yay 🥰
Flash to me making my brother beat the game for me just to play Vergil because kid me really hated playing as Dante and his gameplay being way to complicated for a 7 year old trans boy's brain (still is lol), then finally being able to do so playing as Vergil and sucking very terribly, then a couple years later finally discovering what the english voices sounded like, a whole ass experience, because I actually didn't like dan!vergil for a very long time and liked my childhood imaged headcanon version I had in my head by just going off subtitles but eventually it grew on me and now I couldn't imagine anyone else besides Dan voicing Vergil (but still fun to think about 😅)
And now here we are 16-17ish years later in from 3's release and me and my brother playing it and I'm still a faithful Vergil main, I still stuck at playing as Dante, I still adore Vergil's face and his character and his arc and literally find everything about him so cool just like I did as a kid :)
I can't put into words just how much of an important game devil may cry 3 is to me and my childhood and besides ocarina of time which is special for the same, given I played it at the same time I watched my brother/played 3, but different reasons why that game also stuck with me - literally no other games has had as much of a emotional response from me - even dmc 5 which I quite literally had an out of body experience when it was announced at e3 2018 - and I've come to accept there most likely will never be again and honestly I fine with it.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
If LU was an anime (VA headcanons)
Okay so! A while back I uploaded a video (which you can find here) giving the LU boys voice actors. And in the description of said video, I promised that I was going to post a list of explanations for my voices and link it. Which I am only doing now.
These choices, bar a few, are my own personal opinion, so I'd love to hear your thoughts about them! I spent far to long working and watching anime for this but I am pretty happy with the end result, bar one (glares at Four). So I hope you enjoy! And prepare yourself. Cause this is LONG.
Legend - Vic Mignoga (Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
So fun fact. Back when I first discovered LU, I almost immediately imaged Leg with this voice. He had strong Ed vibes for me and when I started making this list, he was the only one I immediately knew was perfect. At least to me. It just has that quality; the snark with the capability of being genuine and emotional (I do apologise if the voice clips I included in the video made you sad. That's a hazard of FMA). I didn't consider anyone else for Legend, even though I did briefly consider Vic Mignoga for Warriors (more on that later).
Sky - Aleks Le (Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer)
Man, I considered a fair few KnY voices for this list, including the voice of Tanjiro for Wild and the voice of Giyu for Twilight. But this is the one that stuck. I was struck between Sky having a youthful, soft voice or an older, soft voice (I knew his voice had to be soft. I mean. It's Sky.)
I watched the dub of Demon Slayer solely for this and it never would've occurred to me to consider Zenitsu's voice for Sky. But as the show progressed and I heard it when he wasn't... you know... begging some poor lass to marry him, I realised he actually has quite a soft voice. And when I heard it get all serious I thought "Yep. That works." And thus I placed Aleks Le as the Chosen Hero. You could argue that his voice is a bit too youthful for him but I still think it works.
Wind - Amanda Miller (Boruto from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations)
Ugh. Ugh. *increasing sounds of disgust*. I hate this.
But let's start from the beginning. Right off the bat, I was 99.9% sure Wind would be voiced by a woman. Okay so he's not 10 (that will make more sense in a second), but he's still pretty young and I imagine him with quite a youthful voice. For him, I considered Sarah Natochenny, the current voice of Ash Ketchum in Pokémon, and also Colleen Clickenbeard's voice for Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece. But these two voices shared the same problem. They were too raspy. I just cannot see Wind with a raspy voice. I guess if you really, really, really focus on it it could work but I just could get it to work for me hfff.
And then... ugh. I spoke to a mate about. He doesn't know about LU so I just told him I was making voice headcanons and couldn't think of a good one for a 14 year old boy. And he said "have you heard Boruto's English voice?" And I think my response was something along the lines of, "Ben, I have standards." But he insisted it would probably work so I watched a clip of Boruto on YouTube and much to my horror, it did seem to work. But there was problem. None of the clips had lines I could picture Wind saying. And because of that I was struggling to actually give Wind the voice. But something told me that it was the right one so... I... *shudders*... watched Boruto. I watched I think 5 full episodes before I had no more braincells and skipped thorough a bunch more and sure enough, I could finally see Wind with that voice. I think it fits him great and it honestly might be my favourite choice just because I had to watch that nightmare.
Hyrule - Justin Briner (Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia)
Ah. This one is much more pleasant. First of all, I never realised this at first but Midoriya and Hyrule are kind of similar. For one thing, they do kinda look alike. And for another they have the same "I will never give up" kinda thing going on.
Roolie is another one I knew would have a soft voice. I think Justin Briner was always down as a choice for him, except for when I briefly considered him for Four (more on that later *big sigh*). This is another anime I watched the dub for solely for this and there were a ton of lines right from the get go I could instantly imagine Roolie saying. So yeah. Aside from the tiny moment I almost assigned Justin Briner to Four, this was a pretty easy one. Midoriya has a soft voice that I could easily imagine Hyrule having. And when he got angry and his voice got harsher, I could also easily see Roolie like that too. Fun fact: there's another BNHA voice on this list... heh.
Wild - Michael Sinternklaas (Dagger from Black Butler)
AW YEAH. YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BRITISH BOI.
Ahem. Anyway. Yes Wild is British. Everyone rejoice. I was unsure of how people would react to this but I think this is the only voice on the list everyone agreed on. Which I'm happy about.
As I mentioned, I considered the English voice of Tanjiro (Zach Aguilar) for Wild. There were issues with this; mainly that it was too soft, too young, and made him sound too similar to Sky. Now here's the thing. I WANTED to give Wild a English accent. I am almost certain he would have one, like most people. However the only anime I could think of with decent English accents was Black Butler (and yes I know his final voice is from it, bear with me) and there was a problem with that. Most of the voices from Black Butler are ridiculously posh. Now you may be thinking "But Kai, Zelda has a posh English accent" and to that I would say "Ah yes but she's a princess and Wild is not". And now you might be thinking "But Kai, he's a knight an probably spent a lot of time in a place with posh English accents". To which I would say "But he wasn't always". Two words. Hateno Village.
Let me explain.
I feel like a lot of people hear the words 'English accent' and immediately think of an accent like Zelda's (and no, I am not saying everyone does and I'm also not implying that there aren't people out there who aren't British and know that there are multiple accents). Anyway, English accents are different depending on the place. And, since one can assume Wild is from Hateno Village, I would imagine their accent is different to that of those born in Castle Town. So that's why I was reluctant to give Wild a voice from Black Butler. Because all the voices that weren't insanely fancy were either far too old or did not have the right vibe.
Then one day, taking a break from this, I was watching season 3 of Black Butler (one of the only anime I watch dubbed) and I heard two voices that I suddenly thought, hang on just a second. One of those was the voice of Ronald Knox, who's a grim reaper. And the other, of course, was Dagger. I was leaning towards Dagger and what sold me was one scene in particular, which I chose as the final voice clip for Wild (you cannot tell me that is not exactly something he would say). And that was it. But Wild's was easily one of the most frustrating (not the most *glares at Four again*).
Time - David Matranga (The Father from Wolf Children)
Another tough one and also one I heavily considered for Twilight (for obvious reasons). Time's was kind of tricky because I knew I wanted it to be deep but there's such of variety of deep voices. At one point I even considered dumping the deep voice idea because it was so hard. It was a this time I thought of the voice of space cowboy extraordinaire, Spike Spiegel. But my brain said "hell no". There were other voices I considered for him, loads of which I cannot find the notes for and another one which will likely appear in part two as another character (no spoilers), but when I was picking a voice for Twi, some of the lines the father said just kept ringing big old Time vibes with me. So in the end, I decided to for it. Like I said, I imagine time with a deep voice and while to father's might be a bit more... gravelly (?) than I imagined, I think it fits him pretty well. It's serious and mature but still a certain kindness I'd imagine Time's voice to have.
Warriors - Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach)
Don't lie. You knew Johnny Yong Bosch was gonna be on here and not just because I put his name (albeit spelled incorrectly) in the thumbnail. When I started making this, I knew I wanted to fit JYB into it. In my mind, LU would be an amazing anime and almost all amazing anime have Johnny Yong Bosch in it.
Now, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out whether he would be better for Wars or Twi. At one point I was convinced he would be best for Twi and that's when I briefly thought about Vic Mignoga for Warriors (his voice for Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club. Don't tell me Tamaki and Wars aren't at least a tiny bit similar). But I could bear to part with Vic for Legend so I decided heck it, Johnny is Warriors and I'll find someone else for Twi later. As for the voice in particular, the two voices I considered for Twi definitely did not fit Wars. And then I remembered Bleach and immediately I thought "Yep. That's the one". I imagine Warriors having an authoritative voice, not too deep and very... uh... I don't know the right word. Clean sounding? Anyway, Ichigo just seemed to fit nicely and thus it was so.
Four - Micah Solusod (Yukine from Noragamai)
Ugh. UGH. Okay. This is my least favourite. Four was, excuse my French, A FUCKING NIGHTMARES. There was not ONE SINGLE VOICE that seemed to work for him at all. I watched a bit of the Noragmai dub because I was thinking about Yato's voice for someone (I can't remember who. It might have been Wild) and I heard Yukine's and decided to put it into reserve. As in, my last resort. And I had to use it. Oh my god Four. I love you but your voice is literally a nightmare. Is it high? Is it low? Is it young sounding? Surprisingly grown up sounding? I DON'T FREAKING KNOW.
I mentioned earlier that I considered Justin Briner for him. I was thinking about his voice for Luck from Black Clover, which may have honestly worked a bit better, but I was pretty attached to Justin as Roolie by this point. So I had to whip out Micah.
Let me be clear. No, I do not think this works well at all. I appreciate the people who tried to see that good in it, but I honestly just don't think it works. The only reason I went for it is because Yukine's voice switches between older sounding and younger sounding throughout the show and since I could decide what Four's would sound like I said to myself "Fine. Four can be the same", found some clips, slapped it together and never looked back.
I am still looking for another voice for Four and if I find a decent one, I will include it in part two.
And last but not least...
Twilight - Aaron Mitchell Dismuke (Tamaki Amajiki - My Hero Academia)
Told ya there was another BHNA voice.
So Twi was another tricky one. As I mentioned, I was seriously considering Johnny Yong Bosch for him. More specifically, his voices for Giyu Tomioka from Demon Slayer and Kiba from Wolf's Rain (for obvious reasons). I did almost go for Kiba but something was stopping me. I'm honestly not sure what.
So I was talking to a mate (and by that I mean I rambled. A lot) about VA's and at one point he suggested Aaron Mitchell Dismuke but not for Twilight. I can't actually remember who he suggested it for but anyway, that didn't work out. But when I was looking through his work, I saw that we played Amajiki and I was curious. I listened to him and I liked it.
Okay to be fair I wanted a country accent for Twi. Of course I did. But I could not a find a decent one. They few I found were absolutely terrible. So I gave up on that and decided that was Amajiki. And that was that.
And that concludes the Links VA headcanons! I am happy with most of them and once more these are my opinion but I would love to hear your own ideas!
As I have said many times, I am working on a part two and as a sneak peak (sort of) I'll tell you two of the characters that will be featured (excluding Four, if I find him another voice).
Dink (even though he hasn't, technically shown up yet) and Malon (which is proving to be a lot tricker than I thought). There a couple more but my lips are sealed heh.
Oh and speaking of Dink, the voice I considered for Time and then thought it would be better for someone else? Yeah that's the voice that's currently in the lead to be Dink's :)
I hope enjoyed my long winded explanations! And thank you for reading/watching!
#phew#well that was fun#legend's is my favourite I think#closely follow by wild and maybe sky or wars#and like i said im very happy with wind because *ow*#linkeduniverse#linked universe#hehe... part 2...
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
Why I Don't Think NES Games Will Be Cheap in 10 Years
There seems to be a consensus right now that the retrogaming market is in a bubble. I don't necessarily think this is true because that implies things are artificially inflated (instead of just growing over time the way other hobbies do). Though I do concede that prices have certainly shot up more quickly than expected, I think we have years to go before they drop (and that drop will just be a correction if anything).
I'm a collector of several things - comics, toys, collectible card games, etc. There are items that have shot up in value and that manage to hold value over time (i.e. comics) and items that had their time but then fell in popularity (i.e. beanie-babies and possibly Pop figures).
I want to go into reasons that NES games will continue to hold value (from what I can see are the following (and how the relate to NES collecting). I realize that some games are very common and had a very large distribution run and so I'm going to address that at the end.
1) Merit. There's some innate merit to the collectible as an artistic and/or craftsmanship aspect. It's either got great visuals, innate craftsmanship, or tells a narrative. For example: People collect old VHS tapes because of the artwork - not because of the contents or the functionality of the tape. For visual items, they keep their value because of the merit of what they are (i.e. a comic cover can be appreciated visually while the story can still be read for narrative appeal). Sure, there are other ways to get the same effect without the original (i.e. a scan of a cover or a cheaper bound collection of comics). But the original item keeps its value because it’s the first time this came into being.
A lot of NES boxes and labels include fantastic artwork (sometimes fantasy cover art borrowed from novels) - despite the game not having much merit on its own. An example is Gauntlet on NES. Moving on to craftsmanship, sometimes games have amazing pixel artwork or music (such as games from Sunsoft like Batman). And sometimes a game is just really well-made (like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Metroid). People want to own the game - the original vision.
On the flipside, Atari 2600 artwork is also great, but that's a system that has fallen by the wayside (outside of rare carts). People often bring that system up when they predict the future for the NES. But I don't think this is a proper parallel, because the 2600 didn't have the cultural reach that the NES did and the games weren’t the original vision. Let me explain.
The home ports (i.e. Space Invaders) were there on Atari 2600 first and foremost because of the popularity of the arcade cabs. While the artwork is great on the Atari boxes, the cart labels didn’t reflect that art and the games themselves were lackluster as well. So when you factor in the game crash, the lackluster ports, the cultural reach being really that of the arcade instead, you get this situation where the demand just isn't there. That a high value is still there for original Atari 2600 games and rarer landmark games for the system just backs up this hypothesis of why the common bulk of the library is not reflective of the NES.
Basically, being resigned to the dollar bin won’t be so much of a problem with the NES - of course depending on the game. Sure, there's not going to be much of a demand for Blackjack (it will drop from $50 to probably $10) or the sports games as time goes on, but the heavy-hitters are going to keep their price (though it might settle over time). And much like the better Atari 2600 games, the better NES games will also maintain value. There are so many more original (non-port) NES games in the library that the bulk of the set will see a continuing value.
2) Nostalgia. Sometimes we want things that remind us of our childhood (usually between the ages of 7 and 14). This is why people collect Castle Grayskull playsets, old tin toys, or old refrigerator magnets. The previous generations would have wanted western memorabilia (like Roy Rogers toys). This is also why we buy a 1st appearance comic we had as a kid - only now graded and slabbed in plastic enclosement. At this point, it's a useless item from an everyday perspective, but when we gaze on it, it gives us a certain emotional resonance. I know it’s hard for some people to understand, but NES games have this same sentimentality. When you flip through a Zelda instruction booklet, you get that same tingle that reminds you of when you were a kid. It feels great and it’s a reason people collect.
So - besides the gameplay obviously - this is the reason that games like Zelda and Castlevania are still so popular and have snowballed in popularity over the years (as multiple generations have experienced them at different times). The NES Zelda has that cool gold cartridge we remember from our youth. Castlevania has that amazing cover and label artwork that brings us back to when we first played or rented it. These are the highlights for a retrogame collector - even though we may - in practice - play them with flash carts.
Despite these games being best-sellers, so many people will hold on to them and will continue soaking up the games from the market. It’s not that the best-selling games are unobtainable at the distribution rates. So of course there’s going to be a ceiling on the value (Zelda may stay at $20-50 for decades). But I’m arguing that there will continue to be a floor and you may even see these games slowly rise in value over time (especially since the games checks several boxes as far as a collectible and is only held back in value by the number of carts out there). Also keep in mind that collectors want better copies of these games - so they may upgrade the gold cart with damage to a pristine one (same with the box).
3) Popularity/Prestige. We tend to hold on to prestige items in our collection. As a collector we might collect rare items just because they're rare. Partially this is to show off and impress people, but most of the time it's because we cherish a thing because other people cherish it (we all start to think a thing is cool and so it becomes cool). Human emotions are pretty complicated and this reason might not seem valid. But it's real. This might also be seen as speculation (assuming you’re going to trade or sell the item later), but I’d argue that emotion plays a part and the majority of people that acquire a rare game once it’s show up in value somewhat aren’t playing the long-game for profit. They’re just hooked themselves.
As far as the NES goes, games like Little Samson and items like the NES World Championship carts certainly fit this line of value. People want them because other people want them. They’re cool.
Little Samson is also really fun and has the other aspects of collecting (which was the catalyst for it shooting up in price), but it's hyped up because of its late-release low print run (and also because it has some historical merit). And because it's a holy grail type of item, people really want it in their collection - even if they're not going for a full NES run.
The NES World Championship cart (involving both the gold and gray carts that are out there) has been an interesting item to see go up in value. If the entire NES library was of common items, there might not be as much of a collector crowd for it. When there’s only a few of a thing, this drives up interest. This is no different than Air Raid for the Atari 2600 - which drew in news reporters just like it did collectors. The championship carts are the equivalent to the first Superman comic for game collectors. It’s both a prestige item and it’s of historical significance to a certain degree. While you see carts going for upwards of $100K at auction in news stories, and it’s hard to imagine that item keeping its value, you’ve also got Action Comics #1 (first Superman) selling for over $3 million. I just don’t see this item going for less than the auction amount.
4) History. A sought-after or expensive comic might be a key issue - meaning that it has significance for the development of a character. And this will probably be the reason it’s went up in price over the years. It might not matter much to consider on its own artwork and story, but as part of a collection, it's a critical find. People tend to hold on to these and they are the linchpin to a collection - filling a gap in a franchise’s story. This is where items like The World Championship Carts and the much-cheaper Tengen games come into play (i.e. the gray Namco Pac-Man vs the black Tengen Pac-Man). There's a story to tell with these items and people want them to feel like they're a part of the history of games.
It’s not enough just to be relevant for the story to preserve or increase the market value of a game. The item must also have a rarity to keep a value (as they usually don’t have the same popularity, nostalgia, or merit to keep a value (outside of the history-seekers). In the case of the Pac-Man cart, the grey one (that’s licensed) goes for $15 while the more-common (unlicensed) black one goes for $10. That’s not really a big difference.
Maybe a better example is the Tengen Tetris (which was pulled when Nintendo did their own deal with the USSR to acquire the rights). The Tengen version looks worse than Nintendo’s, but it has a label referencing the “Soviet Mind Game” and also has 2-player co-op. It was also pulled from store shelves following a lawsuit - so it’s also rare. The Tengen version of Tetris goes for upwards of $60 while the Nintendo version goes for less than $5. I don’t see the value on either version dropping either.
I know for a lot of people it’s hard to imagine that these games will retain value and even go up over time. In the 80’s and 90’s NES cartridges were ubiquitous; they were everywhere. In the early 2000’s - as gamers dropped them to move on to other gaming systems - you couldn’t give them away. Even rare games went for less than $2. Now the games are harder and harder to find at yard sales and they’re commanding a decent price. We live in the digital age. People have access to price guides and auction sites no matter where they are.
To many the increase in game prices appears to be a bubble. And yes, maybe there’s some pricing corrections coming (especially on some of the hotter items that may be overvalued). But the trend for these games will continue to rise and the prices that games go for now will seem like bargains later on. It doesn’t matter that we’re moving to a digital age where the physical media isn’t required. This has happened with comics (they were put into graphic novels or cheaper bound drug store copies) and the prices have only continued to rise (though maybe that’s due to the movies in recent times).
Video games undoubtedly are a collectible now - just like coins, toys, comics, and even old advertising. For example, even the video game advertisements ripped from magazines have value these days. This is also true of strategy guides, instruction booklets, and store demo items. And when you look at collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, the pricing of comics and games seems very modest by comparison. There will certainly be ups and downs, but I don’t believe there will be a pricing crash. You will have people move on with their lives and sell off their collection. But you won’t see the flood of games back into the market that some people think is coming and you will see a steady rise in price over the years and decades that follow.
1 note
·
View note