#029 - "I, Error" (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link)

10/08/19 • 93 min

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The eyes of Ganon are everywhere and we're going to talk about The Adventure of Link anyway! Featuring Ryan from Gameswithcoffee and Katy aka Absolutekaty, we talk about bragging rights and the first time we played Zelda II, and how that affected our perspective on the game, no shame and save states, why Zelda II is Ryan and Katy's favorite, the enjoyable action of the combat, the most unique traits in the game and what caught on in the rest of the series, some tawdry tart, the Peter Pan origins of Dark Link, the worst Zelda (by popular vote), a word for people wanting to play Zelda II for the first time, fair and unfair game design, Zelda II's difficulty difference from other NES hard games, patience and RPG elements, fan expectations and criticism, The Battle of Olympus and Faxanadu, what we would fix in Zelda II, and the abuse of the term "black sheep".
Website: thewellredmage.com/2019/09/07/zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link-1987-nes/
Patreon: patreon.com/thewellredmage
Guests: @AbsoluteKaty @GameswCoffee

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Previous Episode

#028 - "Perpendicular Perspectives" (Chrono Cross)

The epic conclusion of our Chrono mini-series is finally here, featuring Gareth from 16-Bit Dad Blog and a discussion on Chrono Cross, which is NOT a sequel to Chrono Trigger (according to its developers). Together, we unpack such ideas as how to set yourself up for disappointment in a follow-up game, comparisons with Trigger and the effects of meddling with the timeline, the handling of time and dimensions, eras and worlds, a new layer of strategy and tactics required to master this battle system, what happened to the cast of the previous game, the unresolved but retconned tale of Magus/Guile, tendencies toward backloading and frontloading exposition, Cross's handling and dismissal of central themes and message, less straightforward storytelling and tonal shifts, differences in development between Trigger and Cross, the pros and cons of such a large cast of recruitable characters, our favorite characters and settings, elements and summons, and a word on the difference between preference and intrinsic quality, psychology, favoritism, definitive reality, our senses, a theory on function, purpose, and intent, and how civilization cultivates critical methodology for analyzing merits and flaws in works of art and entertainment.
Website: thewellredmage.com
Patreon: patreon.com/thewellredmage
Guest: @16bitdadblog

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Next Episode

#030 - "Explain It To Me Like I'm Forza" (Forza Horizon 4)

It's time to put the Slipstream Mage in the driver's seat and talk about Forza Horizon 4! We're discussing juggling multiple games and forgetting where you've left off, how to pronounce "Forza" and what the word means in Italian, the TWRM GOTY Forza vs Journey controversy, the appeal of racing games, immersion, the sense of speed, and wish fulfillment, the importance of finely tuned mechanics, controls, and physics for racing game quality, the question of transferrable skills between real driving and game driving, differences between the Forza Horizon games and their settings, the open-world racing game structure, arcade and simulation gameplay, comparing Forza Horizon with other racing franchises, mixing Forza and Crazy Taxi, what Forza could learn from its peers, innovation and the future of the franchise, multiplayer woes, skill-based rankings, a sportsmanship grade, the Regalia and flying cars, and why you should try Forza for yourself: spoilers, it's about freedom.
Links: https://thewellredmage.com/author/jtorto/
https://thewellredmage.com/2019/07/22/twrmgoty2012-nominees-and-voting/
Patreon: patreon.com/thewellredmage
Guest: @JTorto40

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