Zelda: My favorite Game
Even though I thought the hero’s name was Zelda for a great part of my like
For me Zelda is the best action adventure, family friendly story on the market. However, as I played it at different parts of my life, I will admit I still need to choose my favorite Zelda game. I am torn between Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time as I love them both.
No video game console ever
My mother is a very smart woman. She believed computers were the future and videogames were a waste of money. As I liked board games and cards, having a digital version of Solitaire and Hearts was good enough for me. However, when I visited my neighbor, I had the opportunity to play on her Atari, Nintendo and even Super Nintendo. When I visited her, the problem was she wanted to play hide and seek or something more interesting to her. Maybe it was because I was out of practice and playing against me was no challenge for her. Or the fact that I looked very silly while I moved with the controller in the same directions as Mario or Luigi did, meaning I actually jumped when they jumped.
When I first played Link to the Past, it was wonderful. It had a text story that appeared in little boxes. You could choose what to do with the character, including capturing fairies, talking to ghosts and even saving a princess. However, the information was in English and I wasn’t a keen reader. So I thought the little guy on the screen was a “she” and that her name was Zelda.
Still, when I grew up, I never invested in any video game consoles. I thought it was an unnecessary expense, especially when I learned a way to play old video games on my computer.
Emulators bring old arcades games into my present life
Growing up, I was blessed with great friends. One of them gave me an emulator with all of the Super Nintendo games. For the first time, I had the opportunity to play Zelda Link to the Past, at home and at my own pace. I couldn’t have finished the game without the same friend giving me a copy of a walkthrough. Even with the walkthrough, it wasn’t easy. I enjoyed every second spent on that game. I rescued princess Zelda once and loved playing the game every now and then just to see the multitude hearts I collected on the screen. Many years later, the same friend would give me an emulator for my Samsumg phone. Zelda: Link to the Past was the first game I played on my cellphone.
I played Zelda: Ocarina of Time on my computer. I also downloaded a walkthrough in order to move through the game quicker, and by the time I played this game, I already knew that the hero’s name was Link. However, this game is a vivid experience, meaning the graphics are beautiful. This was my first 3D perspective game. The world created was perfect, the concept was just too good. The story makes you feel like a real hero.
There is something more dynamic about this story as you travel through time, and also meet people in the two different timelines and interact with them. But, I will be sincere, the best two things about this game is that you learn how to play songs with the Ocarina, and you get a horse… A horse name Epona! I believe the name “Epona” is music to my ears. Honestly, I believe you can simply go around the game riding Epona and have a good hour of play.
Link is the cutest elf
I read that the inspiration for this character was Peter Pan and that Navi (the fairy) is a less annoying Tinkerbell. Also, the reason they named the character Link is because he links the past and the present; such a nice concept. Magic, fantasy, adventure, and action are the things I enjoyed the most. So it was natural for me to love The Legend of Zelda and all of its world. However, I can’t deny that there is a personal gravitation to how cute Link is. When we see him as a kid who wants to yield the sword, and make friends, you empathize and like him right away. You feel he is “the one”. So you don’t want to let down the Link in you. You want to be the hero that saves the day.
Around this time, The Fellowship of The Rings was released. Seeing Orlando Bloom as Legolas and seeing him in his elvish costume made me go and play Zelda. They are, by far, two different elves but, for me Legolas was just an extension of a world I like.
Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time
When I learned the mythology of Ocarina of Time I thought, “This is like a better version of Link to the Past”. I discovered I was not the only one who thought that way. Some called the Ocarina of Time a 3D version of Link to the Past. Here, I respectfully disagree. I believe both games stand alone. They both transport you to a different world and are an experience worth spending time on.
I think both games show how the Zelda world works and both are fantastic. They make me think how no idea is 100% original, but how you can make it better through execution and details.
Gaming
In my childhood’s house there was always a board game: Chess. I don’t have the patience to be good at it, but I do remember playing it. Sometimes I played the game as it was, but other times, and this was when I enjoyed myself the most, the queen and king became part of my magic kingdom and they battled against each other in a soap opera manner. Being able to tell stories through games is a privilege and something I am very interested in, because it sets the table for creative minds to expand their imaginations.
The last videogame I played was at my boyfriend’s house. We played Mario Kart. He saw the expression on my face and has promised to buy me a Zelda game. Maybe for the first time and forever after, there will be a video game console in the place I live.
