The week after: Skyward Sword

[Skullwaker]

Hiku said:
Would be a shame if they didn't bring this style back again, because even not having played the game, it is one of the most visually pleasing Zelda games I've seen. And it's not often that the Zelda games have such a distinct unique (at least compared to other Zelda games) art style. I would say besides this one, it's only Wind Waker that comes to mind, and to a degree Majora's Mask due to how they mixed the very colorful themes with a dark overtone.

Why isn't the gratitude system as effective? The main thing that sounds nice about it is that you get to know the NPC's through doing sidequests for them. How des it differ from how you get to know the NPC's in Majora's Mask? Because that was a game where I cared about the characters, and I wanted to save them, not just save the world for the sake of it.

And yeah there have been portions where Zelda has helped out. Usually at the end of the games she helps against Ganon. I'd just like to see the damsel in distress portion of the game be absent for once. It feels like a 80's cliche that's still around with some Nintendo games (look at Peach). And Zelda has shown in recent games that she's very capable of handling herself. And I think rescuing Link for once during a portion of the game would be a positive twist that I think most people would appreciate. At least if you ask me, I've always wanted to play as Zelda. One of the main things that made me interested in trying Hyrule Warriors was because she's playable, and pretty bad ass as well.

In terms of emotional impact of sidequests, I believe Majora's Mask is far superior. For example, I'm going to take the most emotional sidequest of SS and compare it to the most emotional sidequest of MM.

In Skyward Sword, the overall purpose of the gratitude crystals is to (SPOILERS) return them to Batreaux, a monster that lives below Skyloft. He wants the crystals so he can ultimately become human and coexist within the town without everyone hating him for his appearance. Once you collect all of the crystals, he turns into a human and you later see him mingling in the bazaar. It's a really nice sidequest overall and it's satisfying to see your hard work affect someone in a positive way.

Now, with Majora's Mask, the most impactful sidequest in the game is arguably that of Kafei and Anju. Kafei was turned into a child by Skull Kid and ran away, while Anju spends her final moments waiting for him to return. Link then goes through a series of events to reunite them in her home, where they then exchange their Sun and Moon masks, which then merge to form the Couple's Mask and it's given to Link for his efforts. Anju and Kafei, moments before the moon crashes, hug each other and wait for their impending doom. During the ending credits, you can see their wedding if you successfully complete the quest.

There's a pretty big difference there. Obviously, the main cause of this is because Majora's Mask is naturally a more dark and sidequest-driven game, while Skyward Sword is more about the dungeons and is much lighter in tone. They both do a fantastic job of world building, but ultimately MM is just more gripping in its characters and the struggles it puts you through. At least, in my opinion.