Oracle of Ages, Part 4: Spirit's Grave
Sorry this took me so long. I got some new games for Christmas, and wanted to play through some of them before classes started up again. Tales of the Abyss in particular is eating up an unreasonable amount of my time. I fear I may be becoming obsessed.
Anyway. Zelda! We're finally at the first dungeon, so let's get on with it. This might be a somewhat short episode, as it's not a particularly long dungeon.
Rather unimaginative dungeon name.
For some reason, I feel like I'm being watched.
Gels. Not particularly menacing. They sloop up from the floor then just sort of slowly bounce towards you.
When you hit them with your sword, they turn into two mini-gels (I suspect there's an official name for them, but damn if I remember right now.) The mini-gels can't do anything but cling to you and slow you down.
I am victorious!
Solving a very difficult block puzzle.
Another very difficult block puzzle. These colored blocks will come back in later dungeons with a vengance. For now, they're just showing the player how it works, basically. I'm not going through the door that was opened quite yet, though...
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH
The maps becomes more useful in more complicated dungeons. Then again, the layouts of this game's dungeons are practically engraved in my memory, so I doubt I'll really need the dungeon maps much at all. I still have to get them though. MUST GET EVERYTHING. RARR.
Moving on...
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH
It makes a distinctive little noise when you're in a room with a key. The compass is pretty useful, but again, I probably don't really need it.
Hmm.
When in doubt, set it on fire.
Ta-da!
A snake Rope. These guys meander around aimlessly until you get in their line of sight, at which point they come charging at you at high speed. They only charge in straight lines, and it only takes one hit to kill them, so they're not much of a threat, unless maybe a bunch are swarming you all at once.
Anyway, defeated the ropes, pressed the switch. POOF.
Magically appearing treasure chest. The more I think about the concept, the weirder it gets.
Rings can have all sorts of different effects, but you can't use them right away. You have to go get them appraised at a certain shop that I think I forgot to show you. It costs money and is kind of a pain.
In case you don't want to wait until I get it appraised to know, this ring is a Discovery Ring. If you have it equipped, it makes a sound when you're in a screen that has soil where you can bury Gasha Seeds. It's a little bit useful.
Did I mention that I have to re-solve that colored block puzzle every time I want to go through these doors? Because I do.
I suspect there were some enemies in this room, but it looks like I defeated them before taking a screenshot. Oh well.
A conspicuous red square, and a statue that won't wake up and kill me even if I touch it. You'd think that would be the norm for statues, but no.
Ghost Ghini that I have to kill.
Kill enemy; key drops down. I guess... the fury of our battle shook the roof and knocked it down? I don't know! The ways these keys appear just make no sense! It makes opening a treasure chest to find a single key seem normal.
Back through this room one last time. How convenient; a door on which to use the key I just found.
Bats Keese. I'm so scared. Those things are so much more annoying in the 3-D games. Here they barely even register as a threat.
Yay.
There are a lot of blocks in this game, guys. You can barely walk down a passage without having to shove some inexplicable blocks aside.
Like I said. Blocks.
Press switch; treasure appears. Is it bad that this is starting to seem normal?
Press other switch; moving platform appears. (Number of times I've accidentally typed "sqitch" instead of "switch" tonight: 4.)
All that for a key. What's the point in locking doors if any oaf who can press a switch can get a way to open them?
I have a feeling that block puzzles feature heavily in Link's nightmares.
I guess switches that make chests magically appear are just an everyday mechanism in Link's world? Perhaps I'm simply not open-minded enough to see the benefits of such a setup.
Will do.
Dungeon Designer's Handbook, Rule 158: All moving platforms must be garishly colored.
Gasp! Small bushes! My enternal nemeses!
I was perhaps a little overenthusiastic in eradicating the leafy menace. Now, whatever could be behind this door?
Oh, nothing at all. Phew -
AAAAAAAH!
First miniboss! Yay. These guys should be easy. The little ones go away when you swipe them with your sword. The big, worried-looking one just needs to be thwacked a few times.
But if you don't get rid of the little ones, they rape you cling to you and slow you down, making it easier for the big one to bump into you and hurt you.
I took a little more damage than I'd have liked here. This guy shouldn't have been able to do anything to me. I guess my miniboss-defeating skills are a little rusty.
And of course it explodes. What else would a defeated enemy do?
Minibosses always leave a fairy behind to heal you when you beat them. How nice.
When I was younger, I always though the fairies looked more like bugs. Well, they do have little antennae...
Minibosses also leave behind a warp point to the entrance of the dungeon.
I think there were some Moblins in here. I killed them, of course.
BLOCKS
Stalfos. Oh no.
More Stalfos. I'm so scared.
Gee, whatever might need to be done here.
I'm so smrt.
I spy treasure.
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH :D
Basically, it makes him stronger, so he can push and pick up more things. Mostly pots, for now.
I have to wonder why he's always able to push blocks, even without the power bracelet, but never able to lift them. Hm.
My item screen looks a little less bare.
Showin' off my new super-strength.
I can't remember which ring this is. L-1 Power Ring, maybe? Not sure.
At this point, you may have an urge to pick up that pot and break it! Who wouldn't? Destruction of property is just too much fun! But you must resist this urge. It's a test of your willpower.
Aha, switch! Press switch, door opens. I think I'm getting the hang of this.
Huh? It closed again :(
Luckily, I am ingenious enough to think up a solution to this conundrum.
True story: even knowing that I will need it, I almost invariably break the pot as soon as I come into this room, forcing me to leave and reenter to get it back. My pot-smashing instincts are just too great, I guess.
When Link was younger and less well-equipped, this may have proved a problem for him. BUT NOT ANYMORE. AHAHAH!
I feel so strong. Pots can also be used as weapons, though I almost always miss when trying to throw them at things. Not that I care. Breaking pots is reward enough on its own.
W00t!
That room conveniently connects back to the beginning of the dungeon.
Vwoop.
No enemies in this room, la-di-da
GAH!
WALLMASTERS >:[ If they catch you, they'll take you back to the beginning of the dungeon. Here in Spirit's Grave, it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience if you get caught, but in later dungeons, they can be an incredible pain in the ass.
They're not too hard to evade as long as you keep moving. I could kill them, but more would come, so there's no point.
What a suspiciously ornate door.
Boss key lets us in.
And here's the first boss of the game! Hm, he looks kind of silly, doesn't he?
He's a pushover, too.
Just slash at him until his body disappears, and then...
Hm, that's not a very good shot.
Ah, there we go. You pick up his head, and a little spirit flies out. That's the true form of the boss. He's actually kind of adorable.
Then you just chuck the head at him a couple times. Alternately, you can throw the head away from the spirit, then hit the spirit with your sword as it heads back to the head. I find the first way easier, though.
Looks like this is when I beat him.
Woo!
Yesssssss. Bosses always leave heart containers behind. Very considerate of them.
Mysterious music starts up.
Yes! It's the first MacGuffin Triforce Shard Instrument of the Sirens Essence of Nature Time!
How poetic. How... meaningless. They try to make it seem like these essences all have different functions, but it's not like they do anything, so... At least the Instruments of the Sirens in Link's Awakening each had a distinct sound.
And we're warped back outside. End of the first dungeon. Woohoo!
The Maku Tree's music plays as some leaves flutter down.
Why, yes I can! Next time.
Anyway. Zelda! We're finally at the first dungeon, so let's get on with it. This might be a somewhat short episode, as it's not a particularly long dungeon.
Rather unimaginative dungeon name.
For some reason, I feel like I'm being watched.
Gels. Not particularly menacing. They sloop up from the floor then just sort of slowly bounce towards you.
When you hit them with your sword, they turn into two mini-gels (I suspect there's an official name for them, but damn if I remember right now.) The mini-gels can't do anything but cling to you and slow you down.
I am victorious!
Solving a very difficult block puzzle.
Another very difficult block puzzle. These colored blocks will come back in later dungeons with a vengance. For now, they're just showing the player how it works, basically. I'm not going through the door that was opened quite yet, though...
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH
The maps becomes more useful in more complicated dungeons. Then again, the layouts of this game's dungeons are practically engraved in my memory, so I doubt I'll really need the dungeon maps much at all. I still have to get them though. MUST GET EVERYTHING. RARR.
Moving on...
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH
It makes a distinctive little noise when you're in a room with a key. The compass is pretty useful, but again, I probably don't really need it.
Hmm.
When in doubt, set it on fire.
Ta-da!
A snake Rope. These guys meander around aimlessly until you get in their line of sight, at which point they come charging at you at high speed. They only charge in straight lines, and it only takes one hit to kill them, so they're not much of a threat, unless maybe a bunch are swarming you all at once.
Anyway, defeated the ropes, pressed the switch. POOF.
Magically appearing treasure chest. The more I think about the concept, the weirder it gets.
Rings can have all sorts of different effects, but you can't use them right away. You have to go get them appraised at a certain shop that I think I forgot to show you. It costs money and is kind of a pain.
In case you don't want to wait until I get it appraised to know, this ring is a Discovery Ring. If you have it equipped, it makes a sound when you're in a screen that has soil where you can bury Gasha Seeds. It's a little bit useful.
Did I mention that I have to re-solve that colored block puzzle every time I want to go through these doors? Because I do.
I suspect there were some enemies in this room, but it looks like I defeated them before taking a screenshot. Oh well.
A conspicuous red square, and a statue that won't wake up and kill me even if I touch it. You'd think that would be the norm for statues, but no.
Ghost Ghini that I have to kill.
Kill enemy; key drops down. I guess... the fury of our battle shook the roof and knocked it down? I don't know! The ways these keys appear just make no sense! It makes opening a treasure chest to find a single key seem normal.
Back through this room one last time. How convenient; a door on which to use the key I just found.
Bats Keese. I'm so scared. Those things are so much more annoying in the 3-D games. Here they barely even register as a threat.
Yay.
There are a lot of blocks in this game, guys. You can barely walk down a passage without having to shove some inexplicable blocks aside.
Like I said. Blocks.
Press switch; treasure appears. Is it bad that this is starting to seem normal?
Press other switch; moving platform appears. (Number of times I've accidentally typed "sqitch" instead of "switch" tonight: 4.)
All that for a key. What's the point in locking doors if any oaf who can press a switch can get a way to open them?
I have a feeling that block puzzles feature heavily in Link's nightmares.
I guess switches that make chests magically appear are just an everyday mechanism in Link's world? Perhaps I'm simply not open-minded enough to see the benefits of such a setup.
Will do.
Dungeon Designer's Handbook, Rule 158: All moving platforms must be garishly colored.
Gasp! Small bushes! My enternal nemeses!
I was perhaps a little overenthusiastic in eradicating the leafy menace. Now, whatever could be behind this door?
Oh, nothing at all. Phew -
AAAAAAAH!
First miniboss! Yay. These guys should be easy. The little ones go away when you swipe them with your sword. The big, worried-looking one just needs to be thwacked a few times.
But if you don't get rid of the little ones, they rape you cling to you and slow you down, making it easier for the big one to bump into you and hurt you.
I took a little more damage than I'd have liked here. This guy shouldn't have been able to do anything to me. I guess my miniboss-defeating skills are a little rusty.
And of course it explodes. What else would a defeated enemy do?
Minibosses always leave a fairy behind to heal you when you beat them. How nice.
When I was younger, I always though the fairies looked more like bugs. Well, they do have little antennae...
Minibosses also leave behind a warp point to the entrance of the dungeon.
I think there were some Moblins in here. I killed them, of course.
BLOCKS
Stalfos. Oh no.
More Stalfos. I'm so scared.
Gee, whatever might need to be done here.
I'm so smrt.
I spy treasure.
DA-NA-NA-NAAAH :D
Basically, it makes him stronger, so he can push and pick up more things. Mostly pots, for now.
I have to wonder why he's always able to push blocks, even without the power bracelet, but never able to lift them. Hm.
My item screen looks a little less bare.
Showin' off my new super-strength.
I can't remember which ring this is. L-1 Power Ring, maybe? Not sure.
At this point, you may have an urge to pick up that pot and break it! Who wouldn't? Destruction of property is just too much fun! But you must resist this urge. It's a test of your willpower.
Aha, switch! Press switch, door opens. I think I'm getting the hang of this.
Huh? It closed again :(
Luckily, I am ingenious enough to think up a solution to this conundrum.
True story: even knowing that I will need it, I almost invariably break the pot as soon as I come into this room, forcing me to leave and reenter to get it back. My pot-smashing instincts are just too great, I guess.
When Link was younger and less well-equipped, this may have proved a problem for him. BUT NOT ANYMORE. AHAHAH!
I feel so strong. Pots can also be used as weapons, though I almost always miss when trying to throw them at things. Not that I care. Breaking pots is reward enough on its own.
W00t!
That room conveniently connects back to the beginning of the dungeon.
Vwoop.
No enemies in this room, la-di-da
GAH!
WALLMASTERS >:[ If they catch you, they'll take you back to the beginning of the dungeon. Here in Spirit's Grave, it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience if you get caught, but in later dungeons, they can be an incredible pain in the ass.
They're not too hard to evade as long as you keep moving. I could kill them, but more would come, so there's no point.
What a suspiciously ornate door.
Boss key lets us in.
And here's the first boss of the game! Hm, he looks kind of silly, doesn't he?
He's a pushover, too.
Just slash at him until his body disappears, and then...
Hm, that's not a very good shot.
Ah, there we go. You pick up his head, and a little spirit flies out. That's the true form of the boss. He's actually kind of adorable.
Then you just chuck the head at him a couple times. Alternately, you can throw the head away from the spirit, then hit the spirit with your sword as it heads back to the head. I find the first way easier, though.
Looks like this is when I beat him.
Woo!
Yesssssss. Bosses always leave heart containers behind. Very considerate of them.
Mysterious music starts up.
Yes! It's the first MacGuffin Triforce Shard Instrument of the Sirens Essence of Nature Time!
How poetic. How... meaningless. They try to make it seem like these essences all have different functions, but it's not like they do anything, so... At least the Instruments of the Sirens in Link's Awakening each had a distinct sound.
And we're warped back outside. End of the first dungeon. Woohoo!
The Maku Tree's music plays as some leaves flutter down.
Why, yes I can! Next time.