Light Temple Fanmail Follow-Up

It was only a couple of days ago when I posted my long-running preoccupation with the obscure details of Ocarina of Time, and even in that short time I’ve gotten some really interesting messages. Most people wrote to me to say they liked my ideas or just really enjoyed the deep dive into Legend of Zelda nerdery, but two replies in particular really caught my attention. They’re great messages in and of themselves, but furthermore they open the door to more thoughts of mine on this subject, which I never found a place for in the original article. Today we’ll be looking at those messages and discussing the topics they address.

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.

10 Features Missing from Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Well, it’s been a year since the release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the latest iteration of one of Nintendo’s many wildly popular game series. It was a breath of fresh air when the original Animal Crossing debuted back in 2001, and with each successive release, the games have integrated new ideas and taken different approaches to its unique life sim. New Leaf is easily the most revolutionary of the series to date, as it offers player far more control than any of its predecessors. It is without question the most customizable and engaging entry thus far, and even includes free monthly DLC. Many fans have hailed it as not only the best in the series, but one that will be difficult to top when Nintendo inevitably releases another.

I won’t exactly say that feedback on the game is wrong per se, as I’m an avid New Leaf player myself. It’s definitely my favorite Animal Crossing game, but I’m not going to go so far as to say it’s perfect. As much as I love it, I also can’t seem to stop thinking about several details that the game seems to have missed – things that would’ve been easy to include and wouldn’t have broken the way it functions. I think about these things all the time as I play, and today, I’ve decided to share them with you guys as well.

Baker Cat Android Game

Project Length: 5 Weeks (5/4/13 – 6/1/13)
Team: Loud Cat (4 Members)
My Roles: Concept art, Game Mechanics, Character Development, Artwork (Environment, Weapons, Interface)
End Product: Full Game (Android)

In late spring 2013, I became a member of Team Loud Cat, which to date has been my most successful team. With little more intent than the decision to make a mobile game, we centered on the idea of a chaotic top-down shooter that broke the mold of fighter jets and roaming tanks. After quickly agreeing that junk food vs. veggies could have mass appeal, we settled on a cat as the protagonist, at least partly to honor our team name. Zach Allen, our programmer, nicknamed the project Baker Cat vs. The Veggies.

Original Game: Shape’Scape

Project Length: 20 Weeks (10/16/12 – 3/12/13)
Team: Rotten Ideas (5 Members)
My Roles: Concept art, Story, Level Design, Character Development, Set Pieces, NPCs, Easter Eggs
End Product: Game Demo

In the winter of 2012/13, I was part of a game design team called Rotten Ideas. Over the course of 20 weeks, we developed Shape’Scape, a multi-character puzzle-platformer. I was responsible for the story, character designs, facial expressions, NPCs, set piece assets, and about 30-40% of the level design. I also participated in the overall concepting of the game, but that was a shared process amongst the entire team.

Lego Portal 2 Board Game Manual

Read manual as a PDF.

In early 2013, I found myself in what should’ve been a great class with one of the worst teachers I’ve ever had. The class intended for students to create a project to expand and sharpen their skills, and my plan was to get some level design practice by building mock-up Portal 2 stages utilizing a deleted element. I’d obtained an early promotional DVD for the game that showcased new features for the sequel, including one that’d been cut from the final release: The Pneumatic Diversity Vent.

I felt this was an ideal project for me because working within the boundaries of an existing game would helped me focus on my goal more precisely. I wouldn’t be distracted by having to come up with the ins and outs of an original story, setting, location, or mechanic, before finally scrambling to make a level or two at the end of my 6-week time frame; instead, I could hit the ground running and experiment with test chambers making use of the Diversity Vent immediately. In addition, I’d learned during a previous class that these sort of exercises make really good portfolio pieces to show potential employers, because it demonstrates that you can be incorporated into an existing project. The ultimate deliverable would be a design document, which would not only detail my design process and how to put the levels into practice, but would show off my documentation skills.

However, my teacher was a bit of an egotist, and forced several of us to change our products to suit his own personal tastes. He insisted that a design document wasn’t good enough, and that if I didn’t build something that was actually playable, he wouldn’t pass me. Considering that he was the one holding all the cards, there wasn’t much I could do but cave – but I was still determined to still get a good document out of it!

Relapse Game Design Document

Read document as PDF.

In the fall of 2012, I worked on a team of six to develop a mock-up FPS for the Xbox 360 over the course of five weeks. My team, known as HotKeys, developed a game called Relapse, revolving around a zombie-like virus having broken out in a military facility. It is up to Sgt. Jax, a soldier and engineer, and Dr. Mirez, a doctor and medical researcher, to put a stop to the outbreak before the infected make it outside of the base.

Sonic the Hedgehog Full Series Analysis

I realize that style is a very subjective topic, but I do believe that after having spent 20 of my 27 years of life following Sonic the Hedgehog, I have some degree of intuition on what helps and hurts the series. (Then again, my rampant textwalls in my other sections probably illustrated that a long time ago.)

Sonic the Hedgehog Full Series Analysis

Sonic the Hedgehog Full Series Analysis

Gameplay is more important than any other aspect of the finished product. If there’s no gameplay, you really can’t call it a game, and you should’ve just written a book for your story. However, I think gameplay can really only fairly be discussed in relation to its goals, so I’ve decided to break this down into more finely tuned segments.