Blog Posts

"The weather, Mr. Frodo! It's unnatural!"

2/24/2017

Yesterday it was almost seventy, and today it is just barely above freezing, with overcast skies and a rain that searches for the center of your bones. A changing climate is truly an interesting thing.

Anyway. With Breath of the Wild about a week away, I've been hurrying along in my Twilight Princess play-through, attempting to finish before the release date; I'm currently in the Temple of Time, with only a little to go! All the articles up to Snowpeak have thus far been polished up, with nicer pictures, new details, and better wording (at least in my opinion). I've even written a new article on "A Bathhouse in Hyrule" on the bathhouse near Zora's Domain from Twilight Princess. I didn't want to put it in the Twilight Princess category with the "serious" articles, however, so I placed it in the "Random Articles" category. So, I hope that makes sense. I am also wanting to write a short article on The Cave of Ordeals near the Arbiter's Grounds, and someone has asked that I do a tiny writing on the final boss fight's location from Skyward Sword. It seems as though there's always something to do, though I'm certainly not complaining.

When Breath of the Wild comes out, I'm incredibly uncertain of how I will cover it effectively. I've read that there are far more than one-hundred shrines within the world, as well as many dungeons and temples, so I obviously would be buried with work covering each and every shrine. While I think, at this point, that would be an impossibility, I guess we'll see what transpires.

As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated, and if you, too, think there should exist an article on something not yet covered, please feel free to send me a message letting me know. I also like riddles, so let 'em fly.

One day warm, and one day cold,

Talbot

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Little Update

1/22/2017

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Good morning,

As I am currently playing through Twilight Princess HD, which has thus far impressed me greatly, I decided to take it upon myself to take as many screenshots as I can during my play-through. I've gathered about one hundred images thus far, and now I am putting them to use. I have been looking back over my old Twilight Princess articles from a few years ago, and I am now updating all the images found there; and, as I discover new things, I am also re-writing much of the articles themselves. While not much is changing in the way of content, I am altering some of the writing, and adding in quite a bit of information concerning the new images. This play-through is proving to be incredibly worthy of my time, and the game itself is an absolute joy to play.

Stay warm, wherever you are,

Talbot

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Terminating with Termina

12/3/2016

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With the semi-final literary polish put on my article: On Spider Houses and Greed within The Legend of Zelda, I have just about finished with everything I have planned concerning Termina and the story of Majora's Mask. The one thing that remains to be done is a playthrough of Majora's Mask 3D, and a documentation of major architectural and design changes in the updated game. Once that is finished (I have just rescued Epona and am off to Great Bay!), I will post a pretty informal enumeration of changes in the Majora's Mask category, with any pictures I can find. (Finding adequate pictures from games has long been a challenge for me, and any assistance in that area that anyone can render would be greatly appreciated.)

And, at this point now, I am rather at a loss as to my direction. As I see it, there are two pretty obvious choices I can make, though they are starkly different: I can choose to find another Zelda game worthy of exploration and analysis (though many of the earlier games would be almost impossible to analyze meaningfully), or I can simply sit back and wait for Breath of the Wild. In my opinion, analyzing the major console games was always going to be the purpose of this website, simply because I connect more with those games - they are generally richer, more thoughtful, and more well-conceived than many of the handheld games, which are more geared toward informal, on-the-go play; because of this, they almost all lack depth or substance. Perhaps that is a controversial statement (one could argue that A Link Between Worlds breaks with that trend), but it is, generally speaking, how I feel.

If anyone has comments on this, or suggestions as to where to go from here, please do let me know. I am also not opposed to revisiting the games I've already covered - especially if I have missed something critical or interesting.

My best on this cold day,

Talbot

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On Zelda: Breath of the Wild

6/15/2016

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“We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.”

- Albert Camus

After having had the blissful opportunity to peer however briefly into the window of a new Zelda experience, the above quote - which speaks about anticipation - struck me as a perfect truth. What I saw was beautiful and expansive, and it awoke my imagination from its slumber. Even now I am longing to head out into the wild with nothing but a hardened ax, some home-spun clothes, and mountains in the distance. But it appears that I will need to wait until next year to do so. But, with patience, the apple will eventually fall into your hand.

Overall, my impression of the game is highly, highly favorable. The pastoral art style is akin to that of Skyward Sword, which I highly enjoyed, and the updated graphics and vast landscapes simply add to the enchanting nature of it all. The survival aspect to the game will be a radical change in the erstwhile formula, and that, along with customizable weapons and outfits, will be intensely interesting to watch with a historical lens. In addition, the continuation of the stamina bar and the introduction of both climbing and jumping mechanics excites me to no end; there were so many places in previous Zelda titles that I longed to explore, but found myself trapped within the narrow confines of a pathway or temple passage. But, this game promises complete and perfect accessibility, which may prove as wonderful as it is rare. As I was watching the several hours of game play that has been uploaded thus far, I got strong reminders of my journeys across Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time, and this sense of adventure is something I have missed greatly in past titles.

While certain things like health bars and voice acting (by far the most out-there, for me) are minor, I am not quite sure how to feel about them; they lend a mainstream RPG feel to the atmosphere of the game, which isn't what Zelda has always been about. The subtle way in which enemies would act or change fighting style based on their health is apparently going to become much more overt. Concerning my bigger hang-ups, I am not sold on the technological aspects of the game that have been shown to us; while magic has always been present, and technology has become more and more prominent in recent games (think back to Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks, and Skyward Sword), there has always been favor shown toward magic and the inexplicable. If this truly is the first Zelda title to place technology at the fore, I am highly skeptical of it. The last thing I want is a game that borders on science fiction. That isn't in the spirit of The Legend of Zelda.

The biggest potential issue I can foresee, though, is tied into the biggest strength of the game: the open, non-linear world. While this is liberating, exciting, and adventure-friendly, it also means that plot (by nature a linear storytelling device) may be put on the back-burner. I absolutely do not want that to happen, as in the first two titles in the series. Plot has been hugely important in recent games, and has opened up new histories and myths in each age of the Zelda world. A non-linear world hints at more episodic storytelling (or perhaps the story will continue the same for everyone, but in different locations), which is by nature more fragmented and less cohesive. Yet, by this same token, it may allow the developers to introduce vast amounts of lore passively, through the environment, villagers (and other NPCs), and built constructs. I hope they take the opportunity to create a rich in-game world that pulses with cultural life, so that we can start to fill in the gaps within our current knowledge of the series.

Finally, I am also going to open a thread in the forum about this new game, so that people can discuss what they think of it. Hope to see you there!

In anticipation,

Talbot

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On Writing Process

4/16/2016

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"Perhaps you are beginning to see how essential a part of reading it is to be perplexed and know it. Wonder is the beginning of wisdom in learning from books as well as nature."

- Mortimer J. Adler, How to Read a Book

The first time I ever sat down to write anything concerning Zelda, I did so in a completely natural state (rather, a state not overly-burdened by forethought); there was no preparation, little training (but in general principles of grammar, rhetoric, and logic), and no formula. It is safe to say that my process has grown since then, but I cannot ever recall having constructed general outlines or comprehensive checklists to guide my writing. I also do not know if this has been for good or ill; clearly, many of my articles relate to one another in style and material, but not always are their structures alike, nor do they all cover the same ground. Yet, there are certain aspects that seem to be perennial in my writing, and hopefully I can expound upon them here.

My first article concerned the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time, and was written in the summer of 2013, scarcely a few months after I had returned from abroad, and during a period in which my life was in almost complete disarray. I like to think that my writing gave some sort of shape, some order, to the complexity of that time. But why did I choose the Water Temple? Was the palliative nature of water an unconscious desire of my stressed and uncertain mind? This is an excellent question, because not even I know the answer; I can speculate, but sadly this is outside my knowledge. What I do remember is, as I was propped up in bed on a late summer's day, I reflected on the meaning of the name of the temple, and its primarily elemental nature. What did the creators intend when they created a sanctuary which embodied and housed one element above all the others? And, intended meaning or not, I forged ahead.

At first, and many times after that, I was not even principally concerned with architecture, the stated purpose of my writings; I was more interested in theme, an interest which should be more than self-evident in light of nearly everything I have yet written. Indeed, themes are written into architecture itself, and through analysis of the latter do we proceed to understand the former. Without one or the other, our experience would be undoubtedly diminished. So, chief among all things, theme sits the throne. But what else attends it? What are its hand-maidens?

Usually, my second period of thought is spent on those that built a given temple, why they built it, and how it was constructed. Context is not always necessary in art, but in historical analysis, it is imperative. The Zora quite evidently thought something important enough to warrant the creation of a multi-storied complex beneath a lake bed, and it is our job to strive to understand their intentions. And this is not to say that we always find our answers; indeed, a large part of any Zelda experience is a healthy dose of the unknown, and rarely are answers freely given. Rather, through dialogue and plot, we must actively dig for information. Once the culture, history, and purposes have been contemplated (insofar as it is possible - places like Snowpeak Ruins are, for better or for worse, completely shrouded in mystery), the actual structure itself should be ready to yield its secrets; only through a thematic lens, and after a thorough cultural reading, are we able to truly view a temple. Of course, it is possible to simply look at a building, but what a deeply unjust way of approaching any piece of art! Art is communication, and so it seems logical to say that, as with a good book, there are manifold layers of meaning behind any given work, and our personal readings can be vastly enriched by having a fair amount of background knowledge and an inquisitive eye.

As we walk down hallways, up staircases, through doorways, and across open floors, what then do we see? What things present themselves to us? What do the designs tell us about natural environment, culture, or history? Are there real-world influences at work here, or are the motifs elaborate creations that exist solely within the in-game universe? Here, it proves useful to have a few books on hand, for even if one vaguely recognizes something that exists here on earth, one may not know exactly what it is, or the precise people or culture that made it, or to what end. And without this correct cultural placement, deriving meaning therefore becomes misguided at best, and misleading at worst. Yet, when done correctly, atop the layer of meaning already constructed from the cultural symbols of the in-game universe, another entire system of belief can be inserted into the analysis - this time, one of the real world. And this augments our understanding of a building immeasurably.

In writing, these are the stars to which I align my sails. Theme comes first, in order to set a mood and invoke an appropriate sense of the symbolic, which is then bolstered by the in-universe history, culture, and intentions of a given people; reflecting all of these aspects of analysis is, of course, the architecture itself: how the internal (in-game) and external designs and symbols shape our experience of a given structure. This list is not in any way exhaustive. I am positive that myriad other things shape my writing of an article, not least among them music, characters, dialogue, landscape, or the reasons for being in a temple in the first place. But, insofar as I know, I have listed the major conscious influences here, and hope that such an enumeration proves useful to someone, in some place, in some way.

Thoughtfully,

Talbot

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Near-Spring Nights

3/7/2016

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"One is always at home in one's past . . ."

- Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory

I sat down tonight, fully prepared to work at my analysis of the thematic elements at play within Majora's Mask (with the eventual hope that this will help me understand my experience with the game, and, therefore, better know it), but then the feel of the air sundered my intentions and sent me back, briefly, to a warm summer night before the rain. It was that heavy air that attends a storm, in which one can almost feel the energy of the air, and the wetness of the clouds above. And, in that split moment of memory, I went down a very different path into the past, and have been treading it, to various degrees, for the past couple of hours. The power of memory is ineffable, and I fear I hold little sway over where my mind takes me, though I often thank it for stirring together so nicely my past and present. Now, I do so wish we had that rain . . .

Without saying too much more, I plan on finishing and publishing my thematic analysis within the month, and I am getting excellent assistance from two of my friends, who have been pushing me to play this game for a combined many years. Well, I have played it, and now all that remains is the sense-making of it all. This is to say: expect something soon, and I hope it proves worth the wait.

From the calm before the storm,

Talbot

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The Pilgrim's Lack of Progress

1/13/2016

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"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."

- Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living

This quote has been in my head constantly for the past four or five years, ever since I stumbled upon it. Yet, even while recognizing its inherent truth, I find it hard to implement its wisdom in my life. The materialism and engaged action of the West battles the impermanence and non-attachment of the Dharma, and I always seem to fall somewhere in the middle, with little achieved in either direction. It is common knowledge that spiritual development nearly always attends the falling off of worldly, materialistic concerns, but beginning on that path is the sticky wicket, so to say. Were it easy to shift our cultural backgrounds and spiritual temperaments, though, perhaps the joy would be taken from the journey.

What this all means to say is that my writing has been overshadowed, as is normal, by confusion and the rearrangement of life. Like clockwork, the world shifts, and my personal life continues to adapt around change, though mostly beneficial change. Friends moving away, weddings, a new profession, loss and gain. Where is writing to fit?

The first article in the Majora's Mask series of this blog was, more or less, just released, and I have mixed feelings about it. As it turns out, Majora's Mask is an incredibly difficult game to analyze, to comprehend, and to feel. Writing about it, then, seems almost impossible. There are several aspects of that article I am likely to change before the year is out, though exactly what I change remains to be seen. I will continue to tweak my writing style throughout the following articles (of which there will likely be six or seven, if I follow my current plan), and, as always, I welcome comments or suggestions. Courtesy of a modern age, my email is always open.

Best,

Talbot

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All Hallows' Eve

10/31/2015

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Readers,

I have just finished up my editing, formatting, and reviewing process. Additionally, there are several new riddles up in all three tiers, and several changes in quite a few articles. There were definitely changes to be made in my earlier articles, and I think I was successful in both updating and augmenting them. To be sure, these articles will never be fully written, as I learn new things each year. Hopefully, they will only continue to grow in length, insight, and readability.

After some thought, I have indeed decided upon Majora's Mask as the next game I wish to cover. I played it a few years ago, but, in the midst of Great Bay Temple, my disc told me that the game had been corrupted, and that I had lost all of my save data. So, to this day, I regret to announce that I have never actually completed a game I know I will love. To remedy this, I will begin within the next few weeks, and hopefully have the first article up before the end of December. That may seem quite a while, but the exigencies of daily survival seem to always be in the way.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.

Most hallowed of evenings,

Talbot

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The Fall of Fall

9/14/2015

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"There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person."

- G.K. Chesterton

As the weather cools, I find myself more and more drawn into philosophy and literature, and while you might think that this would prepare me more for the creation of insightful blog posts, I am sad to report that this pursuit sometimes gets lost in the mix. Also, I have been student teaching for several weeks, and my energy levels are, by necessity, bolstered by unwanted, though lovely, naps. That said, my plan for the next few months is as follows:

1. Contemplate my course of action for this blog. (I need to determine the game I wish to do next.)
2. Fix formatting, structural, and aesthetic issues concerning both this blog and my tumblr.
3. Revisit older articles to improve grammar, wording, and literary artistry.

Thus far, I have edited both the Introduction and Appreciation, as well as the Great Deku Tree and the Forest Temple, which were some of my earliest works. I hope to continue on in this vein for a while, and make everything the best it can be, at this point in my life.

Implicit in all of this is one thing: my request to you, as readers, for your continued input. If there are things you would like changed, either format or content, please feel free to let me know. Also, if you catch an error here or there, do tell me; there are few things more irksome to me than a misplaced comma or double-spaces after periods.

Well, I have rambled on for far too long now, so I wish you all a very fond goodnight.

Peace and Meaning,

Talbot

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"The weather, Mr. Frodo! It's unnatural!"

Little Update

Terminating with Termina

Recommended Readings

On Zelda: Breath of the Wild

On Writing Process

Near-Spring Nights

The Pilgrim's Lack of Progress

All Hallows' Eve

The Fall of Fall

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