Entertainment.
February 03, 2006, 01:44 pmI've been playing the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask lately and it's really fun, but can be really frustrating. I guess since there are fewer dungeons, they make them more difficult. I still have a rough time with the the Jabu-Jabu dungeon and the water-level-changing dungeon in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I've heard people talk about videogames as isolating and encouraging anti-social behavior, and that definitely happens. But I think there can be some really wonderful moments when you're playing a game and figuring out the rules and how things work and solving puzzles that feels like an close relationship between the player and a small group of very passionate people. They've laid out all the pieces and planned surprises and jokes, and then you get to pick them up.
When I'm playing Zelda games, I often ask myself, “What would Miyamoto do?” No, seriously. When I'm walking around in a level, something will catch my eye and I'll think, “This is here for a reason. Someone put this here intentionally. Everything here has a purpose.” And then you equip the Lens of Truth and discover a hidden passageway or climbable surface.
(And yes, I know that Majora's Mask was directed by Eiji Aonuma and Miyamoto produced it, but it was still very much like Miyamoto's games, and I feel was heavily influenced his Animal Forest/communication game style.)