Shantae
Shantae is a little like EarthBound: a modest cult favorite wherein said cult demonstrates a disproportionately obsessive love for the game given its original impact and scope. Of course, as with EarthBound, that fervor is fueled by the fact that the game’s creators seem to like stringing us along. Just put Shantae Advance on DSiWare and be done with it, WayForward. Honestly.
With today’s entry in hand, the GameSpite Quarterly #1 Game Boy retrospective is officially over. I still have some more Game Boy writing queued up for 1UP, but it’s of a different nature. (It’s not just reprints, for starters.) I still have a few GSQ1 articles to post, of course, but this is it for the main topic. It’s kind of a relief! But it also means I have to start writing new stuff for the site now. It was kind of nice to coast, there.
Also today, I’ve cleaned up and modernized the Zelda Oracles article from way back when the games were new. That was eight years ago. It’s really depressing to think about, but: it does mean I have an excuse for the substandard quality of the writing therein; it was eight years ago. It’s nice to see sometimes that I really have improved as a writer. On the other hand, it’s also nice to look back and see I was making fun of people for attributing everything ever created by Nintendo to Shigeru Miyamoto way back then — although any cheer is somewhat offset by the realization that people are still acting like the man is the only person at Nintendo capable of making good things. Stop it, Internet! Miyamoto is super great, but give other people a little credit, why don’t ya. Sheesh.
Just wanted to say thank you for these they have all been a great read, was soo glad when I finally got the book in the mail, the effort that has been put into it is amazing and its a book I’m gonna keep a hold of for a long time to come. Really looking forward to Quarterly 2 when it comes out as well.
I can’t recall — are the bonus articles going up too?
The non-Game Boy articles will go up next week. Bonus content has been posted throughout these updates.
Ah, the non-GB stuff was what I meant. Thanks.
Nice reviews. Though, and I’m not sure what was amended, but I’m in slight disagreement over the “twist” at the end of the Oracle games being the most disappointing part. I found the dance minigame(s) more irritating. (Not to mention that the cool novelty of the likes of the switch hook and the magnetic gloves more than made up for the former.)
This really was a great issue. Well-written with a great selection of Gameboy games to cover. It really was a joy reading the articles. I look forward to the next Quarterly!
“feculent licensed mediocrity.”?
Man, ’01 JP was an angry guy.
I liked Seasons OK, but I couldn’t stand Ages. To this day it’s still the only (real) Zelda game I haven’t finished. And I unfortunately sold the carts back in my poor-college-student days, so I can’t even cheese the passwords to see the ending. Oh well. I’m sure Nintendo will remake these one day, and maybe the’ll fix Ages enough that I’ll give them another shot.
“I’m sure Nintendo will remake these one day, and maybe the’ll fix Ages enough that I’ll give them another shot.”
They haven’t remade any of the other Zeldas with the exception of Link’s Awakening. I don’t like your chances.
I see people all over the place prefer Seasons to Ages, but it’s the other way around for me. I’ve beaten Ages three times, and Seasons once, and have no desire to revisit Seasons. I prefer the much more difficult puzzles of Ages to the heavier emphasis on fighting Seasons has. (Granted, it has been maybe three years since I’ve played either one, so my tastes may have changed.)
Regardless, great stuff. Looking forward to GSQ2!
TFrog – congrats on wrapping up this quarterly’s online publication, since I know you worked hard on it. I got way too excited about the most recent podcast and the past week of writings.
But I don’t think that the Game Boy is wrapped up until you finish Mythri :) The big 6-parter awaits and I won’t rest until I read it — or Mythri comes out (not!)
Inspired blog post: http://www.malcognition.com/blog/2009/otaku-overly-thoughtful-about-cracked-out-universes/