The Legend of Zelda - Top 5 Dungeons

Dungeon crawls have long been the fascination of gamers the world over, with their labyrinthine structures to explore, filled with hordes of monsters and treasure alike.  And one series in particular, The Legend of Zelda series, has made dungeons an iconic staple to its masterful franchise.  In the spirit of October and all things creepy crawly, here are my personal Top 5 favorite dungeons of The Legend of Zelda series.

-1- Forest Temple (Ocarina of Time)

The Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time is perhaps one of the most atmospheric and fully realized Zelda dungeons in the series.  The first dungeon as Link enters the adult timeline in this game, Link finds himself pushing deeper into the Lost Woods than ever before, only to discover this long forgotten mansion with a haunting melody.  The evidence of this ruined state is everywhere, from the overgrowth that has taken over inside to the wandering spirits and undead that roam its dusty halls.  Dark deeds seem to have taken place here as the Poe Sisters hide and play tricks on Link.  From carefully hidden keys to twisted hallways and mocking portraits, this temple tests the player's careful perception to unlock its many mysteries.  Upon defeating the Poe Sisters and unraveling the last of the secrets, Link is finally able to reach the depths of the estate, where his skills are put to the test in most epic fashion as he faces Phantom Ganon.  This boss once again requires the player to use their keen wits to identify the target as he gallops forward across many portraits, making fantastic use of the 3D space for a thrilling and fitting final fight to this dungeon.

Throwback Thursday - Borderlands (series)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  While this blog is rated E for everyone's safe and enjoyable viewing, I should mention this week's throwback is rated M for Mature.  Parental discretion is advised for playing this game series.

Speaking of which, accepting the mission this week: The game of tons of loot and psychos to boot that is the Borderlands series.

Released in the US on October 20th, 2009, Borderlands was a unique fusion of the action first-person shooter (FPS) genre combined with rogue-like, RPG elements.  The main gameplay loop would be to kill bad guys for experience and gain new skills / abilities, all the while finding an increasing variety and rarity of loot, from guns to shields to grenades and more.  It's a simple, but addictive and satisfying cycle.  And the variety of weapon types and attributes keep the experience fresh and encourage plenty of experimentation.  In fact, the game boasts its use of a "procedural content creation system" could generate over millions of varied weapons.  There is a good chance players would never be able to see every piece of gear there is to be found in the game.

Tabletop Tuesday - Letters From Whitechapel

Welcome to another spooky edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck, and more of the Tabletop world.

This week's grim game...the game of wretched pawns and escapes by dawn that is Letters from Whitechapel.

Players: 2-6*
Time: 90-120 minutes
Genre: Asymmetric Cooperative / Strategy

A Lesson in Boomerangs

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Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Poised to strike this week: The game of smashing pots and dual hook-shots that is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Released in the US on November 19th, 2006, Twilight Princess was a strong launch game for the hotly anticipated Nintendo Wii, and fitting swan song for the closing act of the Nintendo GameCube.  In this Zelda adventure, the land of Hyrule becomes threatened to be cast into a parallel realm of shadows by the King of Shadows.  Upon entering the Twilight realm, Link is transformed into a wolf and is hostilely imprisoned.  Teaming up with a mysterious and impish character by the name of Midna, they break free and set to restore the Light to the land of Hyrule.  This particular entry in the Zelda series is heralded for its darker tones in storytelling and grittier, more realistic approach to art direction.  It also features some of the largest and interesting dungeons of the series.  While they may not be the most difficult of dungeons, they all feature unique and compelling narrative elements, as was a conscious design decision when the developers were creating these massive labyrinths.  And sure enough, it paid off in that aspect.  Who could forget the memorable moments of walking on the ceilings of the Goron Mines through use of magnetic plates and the iron boots, or searching the chilly halls of Snowpeak Ruins for fresh ingredients and a warm meal for the sick Yeti.  These little bits of narrative touches help to build a more fully realized world and unforgettable experience.

Tabletop Tuesday - Clue

Welcome to another edition of Tabletop Tuesday - Your weekly exploration into games of dice, cards, luck, and more of the Tabletop world.

For the month of October, we'll be covering many a variety of spooky and ominous board games.  This week's game...the game of suspects and candle sticks that is Clue.

Players: 3-6
Time: 45-60 minutes
Genre: Strategy / Family Game

A Ledge Too High

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