Tuesday 15 January, 2008

GAMELOG ENTRY #2:

GAMEPLAY
As I continued playing, I got much more comfortable with the controls. Making my character move across the game field became much easier, and I began to lose less hearts than I did when I began playing. Even though this is a new system for me, it felt as if I had been playing it for a long period of time. I am very satisfied with the way the game is similar in many aspects to its prior versions. Besides having the sword (which is a must), in the time that I played I encountered the boomerang.
I was excited to see that all of these original elements were still present in this game (because I'm sure that other familiar objects will appear as I continue the game). It gave me a type of familiarity with the story, as well as with the fighting and the stragedy parts of the game.

DESIGN
The design of the game was unique in its own way, and I was pleased with it. Even though the graphics are not as complex and three-dimentional as the ones on other versions of The Legend of Zelda, it has a "cute factor" that makes me like its two-dimentionality. As you play the game you see the field from a third person POV, even though you are the character in the story. But this factor lets you see the world around you from above.
Also, I liked the fact that I was able to move through the game freely. Even though there are things which you need to do in order to continue the game, you are still able to take some time looking at all of the extra aspects of the game that are there. One things that I particularly enjoyed was the fact that you can draw the path in which the boomerang will travel. This also shows a type of freedom for the player. Not only will you be able to shoot the boomerang, but you can tell it exactly where you want it to go.
Another aspect of the game that I haven't seen on other systems is the incorporation of voice (or sound) in the game. I was lost for a while whenever I was told to "call out" to another character in the game, and to blow out the candles to open the doors. Then I realized that I actually had to call out to this person and blow these candles into the microphone of the DS. I had never seen this type of character-game interaction, then again I havent played many of the systems that are out there. But for me this was the first time that I've had to do this, and I think it is a little extra effort put in the design both of the game as well as the system and I really enjoyed it.

(Nicolas Kent - Grader)

Please put spaces between paragraphs, it makes these easier to read.

Good design section. I'd like to see a little more detail in the gameplay sections, though. What are some of the similar elements that the game shares with older zelda games? I haven't played this Zelda, but in many Zelda games you spend a great deal of time swording things to death; how does the sword in zelda games work in comparison to other games. How do the designers keep this repetitive action from getting boring, or does it get boring? Does the use of touchscreen change the balance of weapons and tool in comparison to other Zelda games? You mentioned the touchscreen made the boomerang more interesting; is there anything it makes more difficult?