I ordered this off a rather nice new website for ordering games at long last this week and got it yesterday. I’ve been waiting for it for several years and finally have started playing, and it’s brilliant. I wrote this e-mail to a friend about it and so I thought I’d use it as a blog entry as it’s quite nice.

So, I’m writing to you to get first impressions before we see each other at school and have a long conversation, probably in English. I’ve named Link Xyrael and Epona Athena - the goddess of war and wisdom is appropriate as it’s another classical allusion as Epona is, raising the status of the character It took me about forty minutes of scouring the net etc. to choose that one, as I knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t pick something nice. The cat is so cute!

Now, there are a few points so far that have frustrated me. Again, we have the usual annoying follower of Midna. I don’t like the servant idea at all. Also the fact that the enemy is that King of Shadows is cheesy and not Zelda. The series can get away with being a little cliched because it does it so well, but if he doesn’t turn out to be Ganon I’ll be dissapointed. I think it can be fairly said that the final battle on Wind Waker is the best Zelda boss battle ever, and I hope that this will live up to that.

There are many good points. I like the blending of Wind Waker style graphics with Ocarina realism - the curls and twists of Wind Waker work well but they are incorporated into the really nice colours. Now, it may just be that I’m using a pretty rubbish screen but right now, Wind Waker impressed me more by the beginning of the game for pure wow factor. Also, as per usual with me, I’m really pleased they’ve kept the old music but improved on it. For example, when I stepped inside Link’s house, it was great to hear the usual theme. The light spirits are a nice idea and the bit when you get dressed in the kokiri (SP?) tunic is very nice. /If only they’d mentioned the hero of time/, as the right theme was playing. I was very excited.

The whole shadow world idea is overall quite nice. I’m not keen on the ever visible blue earring, but the challenges that can be overcome as a wolf are fun. Here’s my prediction for the rest of the game: blast back twilight a bit further to reveal a dungeon, hack through as Link, switch back to wolf and blast twilight back a bit more etc. And the thing to collect, as in every RPG, will be the thing Midna is looking for (which I don’t really know about yet). And heh, I actually read the instruction manual before playing.

One thing that I’m extremely worried about is the lack thus far of a special item; e.g. Wind Waker, Ocarina, Harp of Ages etc. Something tells me it’s inside the first dungeon, that Dark Temple which I’ve just entered (I’m at grandparents now, don’t reveal beyond that point please!). I’m hoping that this will surface. So, what are your thoughts?