#man i thought the king of hyrule was still clinging to the past too and only recently found oit that thats not the case

[waywardsalt]

man i understand jack shit about whatever subtext or depth or whatever there was to wind waker

[dullweapons-a]

So i did talk about the change from Ayrin to Ray over HERE but i realize ray’s development doesn’t just stop there . . ? in my long google doc that’s a wip about his events through all the games , he did a lot & a lot changed with him ( built hyrule castle , he learned his sexuality during the hyrulean civil war , he tried to take the triforce when the sacred realm was discovered to wish for his mortality & was a bi pirate for a bit ! ) .

but i realized when he tried to save himself -- by exploding himself & the gate of time , he suffered : he lost his eye . so . . . he should have MORE damage the second time he exploded -- trying to save the knights in the citadel during the calamity . 

THE EVENTS & IT’S AFTERMATH ;    ( it’s a long one i’m blue now )

THE EVENTS ;

with the king of hyrule dead, zelda , link & the champions trying to fight the beast -- the knights of hyrule were without a leader. stepping up ray named himself the next in command. most of the knights were too frazzled to fight or they understood ray was probably the best person . he decided that the Citadel was their best shot at this because of placement . there he would make his last stand against the hordes of guardians in Akkala along with the rest of the army . if they could not stop the calamity at least he could buy the people some time to escape before escaping themselves .

one by one he watched his fellow men in arms fall , their blood staining the ground . the life gone from their eyes . their soul . . . now given to protect the land they loved . hot tears burned his face as he hit back the blasts from guardians –– screaming back at the men to run & bar the doors to the citadel . so long as he stood he would not let the mechanical beasts past this bridge !  despite his best efforts the demon tired after days of battling them , let his guard down. multiple guardians surrounded him , all attacking at once . 

he couldn’t run . he couldn’t fight them . ray dropped his sword & built up his magic as much as he could . 

–– he exploded .

himself, some of the guardians, and the bridge to the citadel were broken . he hoped that it would buy the knights inside enough time to save themselves . 

that was one hundred years ago. fifty of those he spent in a deep slumber, revered back to his weapon form : a rusty battle axe that laid somewhere by the ruins of what he tried so hard to protect . some bokoblin used him as a weapon to terrorize poor survivors of the war . . . soon enough he awoke , frazzled & confused -- still believing to be in the middle of the calamity . not knowing so long had passed he rushed inside the citadel ; only to find it silent . 

he ran through the dusty halls looking for someone -- anyone . screaming out all the names he remembered & begging for answers back . soon enough he found them , but not how he wanted to . holding onto one another in frozen fear forever as skeletons . some clinging to letters addressed to their families . others recording their last moments hoping someone would find them . 

this was there final resting place & ray couldn’t even join them . 

he stayed for weeks, mourning the loss of his brothers in arms . soon he realized his own issues . his right side of his body wasn’t working like it used to . not wanting to think about it he recalled what he had told dawn -- to wait for him in hateno if this calamity did happen as princess zelda feared . the journey to her was long & tiring . but , after weeks of travel he made it back to her -- only to get an earful for making her wait as well as a tearful reunion .

THE AFTERMATH ; 

ray didn’t realize at first but now half his face was missing . well ray likes to round down & say 1 / 4 -- mostly to tease dawn

his right hand can’t grip a sword nor anything tightly enough . he’ll drop anything with weight if he tries to hold it ( even a cup ) . it enrages him to no end but he simply started training with his left as if it wasn’t a serious issue .

he spaces out every now & then , seemingly lost in thought . dawn will ask where he goes but he doesn’t notice he even does it . 

walks with a touch of a limp . he’s not in a lot of pain but it’s a low constant one in his right hip & knee . he never can get conformable , even in the softest of beds . 

slight memory issues !  sometimes it’s little things like forgetting where he placed something or the date -- but every now & then he will think its a different era completely & even speak a different version of hylian .  ( this is a less ‘ i exploded ‘ thing & more of a C- PTSD thing )

seems more chill at times ..........but really he’s in a state of shock . emotionally paralyzed by shame, guilt & self-blame . yeah ray had gone to war but never did he cause the death of the whole army . 

even after exploding ray is still the same mother fucker who will go hunt lynels for fun - hell he thinks its more of a challenge now that he can’t use his right hand . ray is VERY good at hiding his feelings anyway . he holds a poker face 24 / 7 anyway . dawn ( & lovers ) are really the only ones to see past this . 

nightmares worsen . the man barley sleeps now unless dawn forces him too . before he would awake with a quick heart rate & a jolt -- now he wakes up screaming in a cold sweat .

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DAWN ; 

dawn is so happy to finally see ray again -- but seeing him as a shell of his former self was heartbreaking . she is always with him , afraid he’ll fall apart when she’s not looking ( in the fifty years between their reunion & the start of botw ray never worsens but she still fears it ) . dawn kinda started to baby him , much to ray’s dismay . 

softly she tries to ask him to seek repairs . fixing his weapon form will heal him just as it’s done for her . as always ray refuses -- taking this as penance for his sins  ( he even says this pain makes him feel more human ) but since he refuses repairs dawn has been researching a way to transfer ray into a new weapon completely . so far all she knows is that it will require a new master to be banded too . knowing ray killed their former master , she doesn’t think this will go over well .

AND FOR CURRENT BOTW THREADS ?

everything stays the same since personality wise nothing changed too much ( i mean he’s a bit chiller but that poker face is still there baby ) . he just might be a touch weaker & walk with a bit of a limp !

[navii-blaze]

Of Bloodied Armor and Swords

This was made for the weekly writing prompt for the Linked Universe discord, which centers on the theme of aftermath.  Needless to say, I instantly thought of an aftermath of a war, and with that the Hero of Warriors. Or the non-canon Link from Hyrule Warriors.... Anyways, everyone in this fic belongs to @linkeduniverse, @jojo56830, and Nintendo. 

The smell of sweat and blood remained in the air as the last breaths and words of dying armies were heard.  Too many of his comrades and friends had died here, all for what?  The sake of avenging the death of a useless tyrant?  Even his closest friend, the daughter of the dead king, had seen this choice to be unnecessary.  Yet it wasn’t her call.  The old men of the High Council, too stubborn and opinionated to look past their own noses were in favor of this battle.  For if it meant proclaiming their strength by slaughtering hundreds of rebels, and hundreds of soldiers, then they would by all means proceed forward.  

The hero stood alone in the midst of it all, his recognized green tunic stained with his and the enemy's blood.  But there was no victory to either side, the corpses of both armies laid side by side, a gruesome reminder of how there is no difference between one another after death.  And yet he stood, during battle his rage had taken hold of him.  He had let his sword decide who did and who didn’t deserve to live, and for a horrific price.  His sword, once crafted by a skilled blacksmith, now coated in blood and discarded to the ground, out of sheer terror of what it had done.  Or rather, what he had done with it. 

 The princess, who hadn’t joined the battle, watched from her window weeping as the infantry carried off the last of the living.  But to her dismay, the companion that she had cherished throughout the years in combat and friendship, was nowhere to be seen.  When the last of the survivors ceased from her view, she hastily threw on a traveling cloak and barged through doors towards the infirmity wing.  

When she arrived, her hopes of finding the hero became dreary.  Every cot had a wounded soldier, and some were started to pile in groups on the floor.  The frantic princess asked around, going to nurses, patients, and servants to see if they had any knowledge of Link’s whereabouts.  But no one had seen her treasured friend, or heard of his current status.  One dying man said that he had glimpsed the green-clad warrior while fighting as the first wave, and that there would be a high possibility if he was still there.  Taking the nearest horse available, the princess set out to where the heat of conflict was.  

No sooner had she passed where the rebel leader was killed, her gaze was set upon a lone knight standing in the midst of what was a bloodbath.  Cautiously she approached the survivor, their identity hidden by dented armor and scarlet-stained clothes.  She unclasped the sheath to her sword, and drew it out only half way.  

“Who are you?” no answer or sign of awareness that she was even there was given.  Furthering risking her safety, she continued to walk towards the mysterious figure, and stopped when she faced him only a couple feet away. 

“If you can’t tell me who you are, then can you tell me if you’re injured?” enemy or not, she knew that no man or woman should be neglected of help.  Yet once again, the knight didn’t respond.  Tightening her grip on the handle of her sword, Zelda spoke once more, “Please, the cavalry will be here any minute to capture alive rebels as prisoners, I can help you if you-”

“I’m sorry.” the gruff and broken voice of the soldier startled her, yet it wasn’t the fact that he had finally spoken that had alarmed her.  But rather the fact that she recognized him.

“...Link?” at the sound of his name the knight stiffened, and appeared as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.  His breathing now rasp and irregular and he trembled slightly.

“Princess I.. I’m so sorry.”

“Link the battle is over, we can go home-”

“No,” he brought his shaking hands up as if to show them off, “this isn’t right..”

Zelda put away her sword and caressed his cheek, “Link listen to me, you’re in a state of shock.  If you come home with me then you can get some help.  You’re Hyrule’s hero, and they need to be able to look up to you-”

“I am no hero.” the princess blanched and took her hand away.

“Link what do you mean?  You just served Hyrule in its moment of peril, what more could you do to deem yourself a hero?  It is because of you we won this battle, bittersweet as it may be.”

“This was no battle, my hands are stained with blood.  Blood of my own, my enemies, my friends... Their deaths were the result of a massacre.  There was no honor in this fight.” he choked up on the last of his words, as tears started to form at the corners of his eyes.  

“Link.”

“A massacre that I-”

“Link please, don’t do this to yourself.”

“That...I..started-” he was quickly cut off by two slender arms wrapping around his torso.  The scent of blood was replaced by a fragrance of lavender, making his senses dull over while the princess pulled him in closer.  

As she comforted her friend, two arms shakily made their way around her and accepted her embrace.  Smiling softly, the princess let him cling onto her, as his body shook from released sobs and tears.  The sound of horses galloping towards them caught her attention.  Not wanting to risk her friend breaking down more than already so, she simply peered over Link’s shoulder and shooed her guards away.  

“Princess?” his voice was nearly inaudible, but that was something Zelda was used to hearing considering his tendency to be quiet.

“What is it my dear friend?” 

“...Thank you.”

...And that’s that. I realize that the ending isn’t very wrapped up but tbh I was doing this kinda in a hurry so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. But anyways, hope you guys liked it.  Feedback is appreciated. Peace out my dudes.

[gamersonthego]

Chase Koeneke’s Top 10 Handheld Games of 2017

2017 represented a big shot in the arm for handheld gaming. As the Vita clings desperately to life support, Nintendo has graced us with the Switch, and with it, a bevy of AAA titles not normally seen in the handheld space. Maybe it’s not fair to pit Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey against something like Iron Marines, but hey, this is the shot across the bow. It’s time to step up your handheld game in 2018.

Honorable Mentions: The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Puyo Puyo Tetris

Personally, I never feel good about double dipping on a game come GOTY list time. I love The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth on the Vita, and Afterbirth+ is even better on the Switch, but it’s pretty much the same game. The same can be said about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Dragon Quest VIII is excellent, but it’s a straight port of a 13-year-old game, and even if it’s one I experienced for the first time in 2017, I can’t in good conscience count it here on this list (though watch me do just that for my #3 game this year). And while Puyo Puyo Tetris got its stateside release this year, I’ve been plugging away at my imported Vita copy for the better part of two years. It’s an essential Switch title, but I didn’t play the game much in 2017 and to put it in a list of my favorite games this year doesn’t really make sense.  

Dishonorable Mention: Fire Emblem Heroes

I think I played more Fire Emblem Heroes than any other game this year. I know I spent more money on it than any other game this year (and probably more than any other game ever). And while I really enjoyed my time with it, its money-sucking greediness became too much for me to bear. I had to quit the game cold turkey and delete it from all my devices. It’s a truly special game, completely marred by bad business tactics, and that is heartbreaking. And while it has been disqualified from this list, its impact deserves some sort of recognition, even if that’s in the form of a warning..

And with that out of the way, let’s get to the top 10!

10. Monument Valley 2 (Mobile)

While it didn’t quite grip me as hard as the first game, Monument Valley 2 still manages to put together stunning visuals with simple, but effective puzzling. And man, it’s really fun to make those kaleidoscope/snowflake things. Make sure you listen to the GOTG episode about the series with Bobby Pease too.

9. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch)

I laughed right along with the rest of you when the images for this leaked out online before E3. This seemed like a bad idea from the start, and I didn’t much trust Ubisoft to execute the idea. But Kingdom Battle is a surprisingly strong strategy game. With simplification where you want it and depth where you need it, there’s a lot to like about the way this game plays. Forcing you to keep a Rabbid in your party at all times and less than interesting puzzles outside of combat keep this from greatness, but this a great foundation to build upon.

8. Iron Marines (Mobile)

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Kingdom Rush and its developer Ironhide Games. And I’ve been waiting for Iron Marines to release for years after playing a demo at PAX East in 2015. Now that it’s here, I can say that yeah, it was worth the wait. It’s the best RTS game on mobile and builds on Ironhide’s strong tower defense roots. And if you need to hear more, I spoke with two of the developers earlier this year for GOTG.

7. SteamWorld Dig 2 (Switch/Vita)

I’ll be honest, I had misgivings about SteamWorld Dig 2. I loved the first game for its condensed experience. Hearing that the sequel was going to be much bigger worried me. Was Image & Form about to bite off more than they could chew? Thankfully, my worries were completely unfounded. SteamWorld Dig 2 is fantastic. A solid platformer through and through that lives up to the SteamWorld name. Now we just need a SteamWorld Heist 2 on Switch.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)

I am notorious for my inability to get through Zelda games, and Breath of the Wild is no different. But even in my relatively short time with the new game, I’ve come to realize how special this series really is. There’s a transcendent quality to exploring Hyrule, taking in this massive world that feels so natural and yet is so densely and elegantly packed with life and mystery. I don’t like the weapon degradation and I think the combat is a little too simplistic, but those are small gripes when you consider how this game makes you feel on a moment-to-moment basis. It’s not my favorite Zelda game, but it is the best Zelda game. Maybe one day I’ll finish it.

5. Golf Story (Switch)

I. Love. Mario. Golf. Specifically, I love Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color, which smartly combined RPG mechanics and a thin, but enjoyable story into a golf game. Since the GBC release, Mario Golf has become increasingly generic, dumbing down the RPG mechanics and losing what made it special. Golf Story is the second coming of Mario Golf GBC. The writing is top notch, it brings back the RPG mechanics I’ve been missing and dammit, the golfing is pretty good too. For Sidebar Games’ first release to be so strong out of the gate, I’m just so impressed. Now let’s tackle a baseball RPG please.

4. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

Nintendo really knocked it out of the park this year. First they launch the Switch with the best Zelda game ever and then they follow it up with one of the best Mario games ever. Super Mario Odyssey manages to be a love letter to both 2D and 3D Mario games of old while simultaneously raising the bar of what a Mario game can be. Everything is just so inventive and imaginative. The simple act of moving Mario around the different kingdoms is sublime giving you the freedom to do some spectacular platforming if you dedicate yourself to mastering the controls. And some of the later kingdoms are too good to spoil here. You really need to experience them for yourself.

3. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS)

Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates were my favorite games of their respective years of release and I expected Echoes to be in a similar conversation this year. And it absolutely lived up to those lofty expectations, but not in the way I initially thought. Echoes is way more than a remake of an NES game. It deftly weaves in the story, themes and mechanics of that game into a modern video game, managing to feel faithful to its source material while never being tied down by it. Whereas Awakening and Fates are built from a rich history of mechanics from past Fire Emblem games, Echoes is almost experimental by comparison. Not all of those experiments pay off, but enough of them do that I truly hope the next new Fire Emblem game takes some notes from Echoes (and I hope more Fire Emblem remakes of games that never made it stateside appear in the future. May I suggest The Binding Blade so we can all see what our Smash Bros. friend Roy was up to?)

2. Sonic Mania (Switch)

While I’m a Nintendo kid through and through, I’ve always preferred Sonic to Mario when it mattered. Sonic 2 beats Super Mario World any day. But Sega has continually missed the mark on giving fans the good 2D Sonic follow up we’ve been craving…until now. With the help of Sonic’s most hardcore fans, Sonic Mania is the perfect sprint down memory lane. Remixes of old stages and music, brand new ideas that would feel right at home on the Genesis and some incredible references and callbacks to even the most obscure Sonic games and lore, Mania just nails the Sonic experience from top to bottom. My only complaint is those damn blue sphere bonus stages plucked straight from Sonic 3. Those were terrible then and they’re terrible now.

1. Monster Hunter Stories (3DS)

This one was a surprise to me. I’m not a Monster Hunter fan. I just can’t get into them. But a traditional JRPG using Monster Hunter’s cool creature, armor and weapon designs intrigued me enough to give the demo of Stories a try. Over 100 hours later, and I think it’s fair to say the game hooked me. The combat is the star here. While you fully control your character, your monster partner has a mind of its own. Only by gaining kinship during battle can you call out specific attacks for your monster to do. Whether you or your monster are calling the shots, the action takes place in a rock, paper, scissors style battle, but unlike Pokemon’s type advantages, each monster has certain tendencies, and picking the right move can cause additional damage to the enemy while taking minimal damage in return. But sometimes monsters go against their tendencies, making each fight a unique chess match that stays engaging throughout the experience. Like Dragon Ball Fusions last year, this game came out of nowhere and blew me away. As developers continue to embrace the Switch, this may be one of the last great RPGs for the 3DS.