A look back at my convoluted relationship with The Legend of Zelda

Welp, I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve just passed my second month in self-isolation. Like many gamers on lockdown, I’ve got a ton of time on my hands and an entire library of video games just begging to fill the empty void of my existence. A lot of these games have never even been played, and since I have a perfect opportunity to dive into these untouched treasures, I’ve naturally decided to completely ignore them and replay an old favorite from the beginning.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is not only one of my favorite LoZ games, but I also consider it one of the definitive games in the series – which is why I was shocked to find I haven’t touched it in over 12 years. This discovery also led to the revelation that I have completely failed to play either of the series’ mainline successors, Skyward Sword or Breath of the Wild, even though I own both of them. I just couldn’t believe it; how could I have spent THIS much time away from a franchise I love, let alone a game I consider one of the greatest of all time??

I’ve puzzled over this conundrum for days, and I think I finally have the answer. This is going to be a VERY long story, so get a drink and strap in.

The Sonic Movie: Leedzie’s Sneak Peek

As part of the final round of promotions prior to the Sonic the Hedgehog movie’s release, the official Sonic movie mascot is touring the country for photo shoots. Coincidentally, one of these shoots was literally right across the street from my day job! A landmark in this area, known as “The Halo,” is essentially an enormous golden ring – the perfect place for the mascot to produce some movie hype! (Or at least it would’ve been, if it wasn’t February in Michigan and the ring wasn’t half-covered in snow.) I had every intention of turning up to observe the event and witness a little piece of Sonic history for myself, but naturally I had to work on the morning in question. Knowing that this shoot was going on RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET and not being able to watch was killing me, a fact about which my co-workers soon learned more than they ever cared to know.

Luckily, not all hope was lost: There would be more mascots stops this weekend, all of which were open to the public! One such appearance was at a theater in our area, so I decided to stop by and see if I could get a photo of my own. I happened to be off work that day, and a hug from Sonic is something I’ve wanted since I was a wee tiny Leedzie!

Little did I realize I was about to get MUCH more than I bargained for – including an advanced viewing!

Father’s Day: Blood vs. Programming

Father’s Day is often characterized by imagery of backyard barbecues, early morning fishing, and two little kids hugging their daddy from either side. Candies, golfing equipment, barcaloungers, and ties that will never, ever be worn to work make for popular gifts. Department stores slap the phrase “#1 Dad” on just about anything that can be imagined, guaranteeing that you can remind your father of his status no matter what his interests are.

I, however, did not engage in any of those things Sunday. I bought my father a card, as I do every year, but that was the extent of our activities for the day. My relationship with my father has always been very… iffy. Between his intimidating, military presence and my meek and people-pleasing childhood outlook, we never really had a strong foundation to start out on. He came off as cold, judgemental, and clearly favoring my brother. I couldn’t make him laugh when I tried to entertain him, but boy did he laugh anytime I was embarrassed. Rather than telling me he loved me, the phrase I heard at the end of every conversation was, “Keep your grades up.” As for video games, I never felt so much disapproval as when I dared to bring games to his house, and he and his wife called my decision to study game design “stupid” two days before my first class. As of an argument over a series of lies he’s been telling for the last four years, my father and I rarely speak anymore.

Which is why I chose to spend the holiday with this guy — and learned a few things about myself.

(Warning: Major spoilers ahead.)

Jazwares releases Classic Amy and Metal Sonic anyway after cancelling them

Collecting Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise is an interesting hobby because I find that, for whatever reason, there are some characters that just remain rare no matter how popular they get with the fans. Certain characters can have appeared in multiple games and have a strong following among players, comic readers, TV show audiences, and yet for some reason Sega shrugs its shoulders and designs another Sonic figure in a slightly different pose.

Of course, it’s hard to say whether or not all of this is directly Sega’s fault; last fall Jazwares, the toy company that’s been producing the bulk of Sonic’s American product line for the last few years, announced that they were cancelling production of the Metal Sonic and Classic Amy plushies that had been spotted floating around their booths at toy fairs. This came as a major disappointment to the Sonic fandom, as these two characters (Metal Sonic in particular) had been highly anticipated for months. Sonic Stadium marked the occasion with a particularly emotional lament over the issue last September.

Which is why I’m still trying to figure out how the hell I’ve come to own these.