11-19-2024, 08:31 PM
There's three moments that really stand out for me, and all of them were from Nintendo games.
The first is the realization of the Second Quest, in the original The Legend of Zelda. I think it took me maybe 2 or 3 years to beat the game the first time through, but that crazy-as-hell remapped version drove me certifiably insane! I kept trying, over and over, giving up and then trying again later. I didn't finally complete it until a whopping 15 years had passed, and that was on an emulator with save states!
OK, now for the second memory, which is also an adventure in Hyrule. My favorite game in the series by far is Ocarina of Time on the N64; I have that whole thing practically memorized to the point I don't need strategy guides anymore. But I do recall when I learned of the trading sequence for the Biggoron Sword; talk about a headache but with a phenomenal reward! The only downside is that you can't kill Ganon with it - if you try, his flame barrier reforms and you have to attack his tail again.
Finally, I'm going to the Phendrana Drifts in the original Metroid Prime, on the Gamecube. The fully grown Sheegoth was bad enough early on, but when you go back and have to face that rock and ice creature Thardus...I don't know how many times he killed me, and it completely sent my temper through the roof. The only part harder was the Omega Pirate that feeds on Phazon and keeps turning invisible, a trait later shared by the final incarnation of the title boss itself.
The first is the realization of the Second Quest, in the original The Legend of Zelda. I think it took me maybe 2 or 3 years to beat the game the first time through, but that crazy-as-hell remapped version drove me certifiably insane! I kept trying, over and over, giving up and then trying again later. I didn't finally complete it until a whopping 15 years had passed, and that was on an emulator with save states!
OK, now for the second memory, which is also an adventure in Hyrule. My favorite game in the series by far is Ocarina of Time on the N64; I have that whole thing practically memorized to the point I don't need strategy guides anymore. But I do recall when I learned of the trading sequence for the Biggoron Sword; talk about a headache but with a phenomenal reward! The only downside is that you can't kill Ganon with it - if you try, his flame barrier reforms and you have to attack his tail again.
Finally, I'm going to the Phendrana Drifts in the original Metroid Prime, on the Gamecube. The fully grown Sheegoth was bad enough early on, but when you go back and have to face that rock and ice creature Thardus...I don't know how many times he killed me, and it completely sent my temper through the roof. The only part harder was the Omega Pirate that feeds on Phazon and keeps turning invisible, a trait later shared by the final incarnation of the title boss itself.