The original Mega Man series (mostly for NES) produced eight or nine games; the X series (mostly SNES/Playstation) has produced seven so far; and a handful of other Mega-series (like the original Game Boy games) don't exactly come short on sequels. With a record like that, you'd think that Capcom might prefer churning out more titles in an established franchise than making new franchises altogether - and even in the latter case, typically making new franchises very similar to the old. You'd only be partially right.

Mega Man Battle Network is a testament to the spirit of innovation that remains at Capcom. It is to other Mega Man games what Final Fantasy Tactics is to other Final Fantasy games, sharing only names and conceptual elements; it otherwise stands completely on its own. It is new, it is different, and it is great.

However, like most Mega Man games - especially first-in-series games - the story is rather scant. MMBN is introduced with an overview of the 'current' world. Robots have, in a way, overtaken the globe. Almost every device is electronic and semi-sentient. People carry their PETs (Personal Electronic Terminals) wherever they go, and use them to communicate over the Internet. They often use programs called NetNavis to navigate the 'net, and in many cases, electronically fight viruses. Herein lies the plot of MMBN, with the main character (Lan) busting viruses with his NetNavi (MegaMan.EXE) in a time when the power of a secret terrorist organization (the WWW) is coming to light, and viruses are running rampant.

Battle Network's gameplay isn't quite like anything Mega Man's ever seen before. There are two overworlds: the real world, where you control Lan and move from place to place, to "jack in" to electronic devices; this leads to the virtual world where MegaMan.EXE takes the stage. In this second overworld, random battles, not-so-random battles, and puzzles are commonplace. The overworlds are viewed from a fixed overhead 3/4 perspective. The battle screen is set up like a perfect turn-based grid system, with a 3x3 grid for Mega Man, and a 3x3 grid for his enemies; but it is not turn-based. Both computer control over enemies and player control over Mega Man is in real-time, moving from panel to panel and launching attacks against the other side. Though Mega Man can fire his classic buster, and charge it up with the proper upgrades (which are bought or found), he'll probably be more reliant on Battle Chips. These chips execute routines that can attack, defend, heal, or cause any number of alternate effects. Some chips can even alter the battlefield, weakening or destroying panels. At the beginning of a battle and after time delays of no less than ten seconds, you're given the opportunity to download battle chips to Mega Man; the game uses a (somewhat complex, though easily learned) multi-tiered system to determine what chips you can choose. The immense variety of actions and events that can be carried out in battle make it something you just need to experience.

MMBN's graphics range widely, some elements mediocre and some beautiful, but it rarely, if ever, looks "bad." The sound effects leave something to be desired, and though the music themes seem very bland and repetitive, they can (sometimes) grow on you. Summarily, MMBN's presentation could be better, but it could also be worse.

Battle Network has slightly more replay value than you'd expect from a first-of-its-franchise title in today's day and age - enough to keep an interested player coming back for a while, but nothing incredible. Beyond the realm of the standard game, there are a few areas of the Internet that remain unexplored and unconquered. There's also a total of 175 different kinds of battle chips to collect, and netting them all, as is to be expected, unlocks a final, special chip...

Don't come into MMBN expecting another Mega Man title. Come into it expecting something innovative and fun. You'll be pleased.

Progress: Complete

After the first two games of the Mega Man X series, the concept of playing as X's shiny red counterpart, Zero, was introduced. Needless to say, with his dashing good looks and nifty beam saber, playable Zero was a hit. Years later, a game would be released on Game Boy Advance - Mega Man Zero - focused solely on the long-haired blade-wielding Maverick Hunter.

The atmosphere of MMZ is a bit different from the X series, flung further into the future and into very different circumstances. The game combines the side-scrolling goodness of Mega Man with Zero's powers and a number of RPG elements to produce a story-driven, action-packed adventure.

Mega Man Zero takes place over a century after the X saga. In the game's introduction, a group of reploid soldiers and a reploid scientist run through a swamp being pursued by gun-toting robots with less-than-friendly intents. The scientist, a female reploid named Ceil, and the last remaining soldiers stumble upon a laboratory hidden in the swamp, and enter to find - much to their surprise - Zero, the legendary heroic reploid. Zero is inactive, slumped over and supported by a few cables in the decrepit laboratory room, but protected by a forcefield; so Ceil sacrifices her accompanying cyber-elf, Passy, to destroy the seal and resurrect Zero. Zero proceeds to blast through the enemy forces in the lab and take Ceil back to the reploid base in safety. Here we discover that MMZ is set in a world dominated by the forces of Neo Arcadia, a safe haven for humans, but headed by an unlikely leader - X - who strives to hunt down and destroy all reploids, believing them to be Maverick and ill-boding for the remnants of humanity. The game's missions are story-driven, some of them tying in with one another to a degree (i.e. one mission, to gain control of a factory, is followed by a mission to defuse a hostile situation in that same factory). Every mission has a purpose in the resistance effort against Neo Arcadia, in which Zero is the reploids' last and most promising hope.

As previously mentioned, Mega Man Zero is mission based. Unlike the Mega Man and MMX games, MMZ's stages are laid out by means of a comparatively non-linear mission selection system. After an introductory mission or two, the player is presented with a handful of missions to select from. Completing a mission will replace it with another choice, and so on until all the missions are depleted and it's time to take on the final stages of the game. It is possible to fail a mission, in which case you may either restart from your last save and keep trying, or move on and never return to it. Several missions, as mentioned in the factory example above, take place in the same enviroments - and many of these environments are directly linked to the game's reploid base "overworld" of sorts, meaning you can return to defeat enemies and get items you've missed, but not to replay mission content.

Besides the story-driven mission-based play, another key difference between MMZ and the other games of the series is the weapon system. Zero begins with one weapon (his Zero Buster, which is more like a handgun than a gun-hand), quickly gains a second in the introductory stage (his Zero Saber beam sword), and later on in the game gains two more (an extending spear of sorts and a shield which doubles as a boomerang disc). Each of these weapons can be leveled up - using them to hack away at enemies gains weapon experience, and with new weapon levels come new abilities, like charging up the Z-Buster further or an aerial spin attack for the Z-Saber. There are also no heart tanks or subtanks in Mega Man Zero - but in their place are cyber-elves, which are found scattered around the game's stages (there are over 70 of them in all). Cyber-elves, like Passy in the intro sequence, sacrifice themselves to execute special abilities. Some elves' effects are temporary, like restoring some health or paralyzing enemies; but some are permanent, including increased health in the forms of a larger energy bar and subtanks. Others have more impressive effects, like the ability to remove spike traps from the game.

There are other features too, like elemental chips which give charged weapons an extra effect, and energen crystals which are largely used to feed immature cyber-elves to bring out their powerful potential. Outside of the weapons, elves, and missions, though, MMZ plays mostly similar to the Mega Man X games. Zero can charge his weapons, he can dash, he can slide along walls, he can kick off walls, and every mission has a boss to face.

The gameplay graphics of Mega Man Zero are something of a combination between Mega Man X and Metroid Fusion. Zero runs, shoots, and slices smoothly; enemies are well-animated, and destructive effects (like slashing an enemy in two and watching both halves briefly drift apart before exploding) are finely executed. Character portraits in text boxes and hand-drawn stills are done in an anime-influenced style, and look very nice. Sound effects are well done, and though the soundtrack is a bit limited (there are more missions than there are music tracks), the tracks are pleasing to the ear.

Aside from collecting all the elves, which can net you a final, secret elf, there is a rather large (if you're interested) element of replay in the ranking system. When completing missions, the player is scored based on time, damage taken, number of enemies killed, number of cyber-elves in effect, and so on to attain a certain number of points for that mission, and over the course of the game these points are averaged for an overall ranking (S, A, B, C, D, F). It'll take more than a bit of work to get a high average ranking, as the rank qualifiers are strict. It's an extra challenge, but easy to ignore if all you're concerned with is collecting all the elves, a more immediately rewarding goal.

Mega Man Zero is a remarkable blend of story-driven missions and intense side-scrolling action. Fighting bosses and enemies is a joy, as is simply roaming through the base, jumping off walls and otherwise abusing Zero's fantastic powers. Perhaps the only complaint one could lodge on this game is that it's short, offering only a few hours' worth of play to complete a first time; but those few hours are filled with action. While it may break some time-honored Mega Man traditions, it's often for the better.

Progress: Complete

After the phenomenal success of GoldenEye 007, Rare announced that it was making another game based on the same engine; however, it would not be another Bond title. Rather, it would be an original creation of Rare, and in addition to the classic GoldenEye thrills would sport a slew of new things to do. This game was Perfect Dark.

Perfect Dark follows the first assignment of novice - yet very skilled - Carrington Institute agent Joanna Dark. Joanna earned the nickname 'perfect' through her excellent training exploits, and the game will make you live up to these expectations in conflict with the ominous Datadyne corporation, along with whoever's backing it...

Perfect Dark's story is fairly deep for a shooter. What begins as a simple response to a distress signal raised from within Datadyne becomes a very involved plot, the scale of which far exceeds a simple fight between the Carrington Institute and Datadyne. Between in-game events, pre- and post-mission cinemas, and supplemental information available from the Institute, it's apparent that a great deal of thought and care (and more than a little humor) went into the development of PD's storyline.

To live up to gamers' expectations after GoldenEye, Perfect Dark would have to deliver a lot. Like its 007 predecessor, PD has three difficulty levels for each of its 17 missions: Agent, Special Agent, and Perfect Agent. Higher difficulties offer more and more challenging objectives (as well as more and more difficult enemies). The gadgets from GoldenEye have been significantly upgraded - rather than being a rare occurrance, Joanna will routinely need to use special visors, camera spies, door decoders, and several other espionage devices to infiltrate enemy compounds. Perfect Dark's "Combat Simulator" multiplayer is also leaps and bounds ahead of GoldenEye, the most notable addition that of simulants, or artificial-intelligence bots. Games can have up to four human players as well as up to eight simulants playing at once. There are also more arenas (as well as a few remakes of classic GoldenEye arenas), more play modes (including King of the Hill and a modified Capture the Flag), and more options (specific weapons, simulant AI, and a number of others) to make designing the perfect match just as much fun as playing it. Plus, characters from multiplayer (both their appearance and their statistics) can be saved for later use.

Of course, all these play modes would be worthless without the game's real shining point: weapons. There are 34 weapons in Perfect Dark, all of which have secondary functions, as well as eight single-function unlockable guns which are resurrections of classic GoldenEye arms. The basics are covered - pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, knives, mines, a laser - along with a sundry assortment of more interesting choices: a tranquilizer, a crossbow, a fly-by-wire missile launcher, an x-ray sniper rifle, even a gun with a cloaking function. This massive arsenal keeps the game fresh no matter how you play it.

Perfect Dark's graphics are a step up from GoldenEye's, but are not without fault - undoubtedly the biggest failure of the game is that having too many humans and simulants in a multiplayer match will slow it down tremendously. On a lighter note, though, the sound effects are well done, and the soundtrack is nicely diverse and well-composed.

With unlockable cheats, Combat Simulator challenges, character stats and rankings, three solo mission difficulties, bonus solo missions, multiplayer co-operative missions (play missions with a friend by your side), and counter-operative missions (a friend controls random enemies), Perfect Dark is an immense game. PD has more than enough replay value to last anyone a considerable deal of time.

Occasional framerate woes aside, Perfect Dark is spectacular; otherwise, it's unstoppable. The promise of new ways to play never fails to please. But make sure you have a RAM expansion pack for the N64 - without it, most of PD's features won't function at all.

Progress: Complete

Robotech's concept is one that video game fans long have fancied: giant robots blowing stuff up. The multiplatform game Robotech: Battlecry has arguably brought gamers closer to this dream than ever before.

Robotech: Battlecry is a mission-oriented game divided into five chapters. Each mission requires the fulfillment of a different objective, and most of them require different skills from other missions to be successful. In all, there are 46 missions in the game, an astounding number for mission-based games.

Battlecry is based off of part of the Robotech anime series. I have never seen it, and have no idea what the series as a whole is like, so I couldn't tell you where precisely it happens; but personally, I'm curious to find out, after playing this game.

Battlecry manages the spectacular feat of combining flat-out explosive (literally) gameplay with an intriguing plot. It all begins with the eerie arrival of a large spaceship, the SDF-1, on Earth. The ship helps feed the world's technological hunger; for a while, at least. Eventually, the Zentraedi, an alien race who apparently created the SDF-1 (I think, can't remember precisely), arrive and demand its return. When Earth refuses, they go to war. This sets the stage for a long and immersive battle as you, Jack Archer, a pilot in the Robotech Defense Force, wage war against the belligerent Zentraedi. Throughout the course of the game, you'll fight swarms of Zentraedi ships and battle pods, as well as distinguished commanders and warriors. There are even a few plot twists along the way. Some people don't like the ending of the game, but personally, I think it was done extraordinarily well.

The most notable thing about Battlecry's gameplay is the transformation. Change or Die, as the game's manual says. Your Robotech fighter has three transformation modes. Battloid, essentially a giant humanoid robot, can fire an auto-aiming gun (which it can also use to eliminate incoming missiles) and snipe. It is fairly nimble, if a bit slow compared to other modes. The Fighter mode is a jet plane; it can fly extremely fast, can fire powerful seeking missiles, and has a gun (though you'll have to do your own aiming this time). The fighter can also leave decoys, which attract enemy missiles away from you or other nearby targets. The third mode, Guardian, is half-Fighter and half-Battloid; it can hover in place, fire light missiles (seeking), and use an auto-aiming gun. It can also pick items up, which will be necessary in a few missions. Throughout the game, you'll need to master these three modes to maximize your robot-blasting potential. The Zentraedi will throw tons of enemies at you, in a wide variety of forms, so you'll need to know how to destroy each one best. There are also a number of different level environments in Battlecry: skies above a city, out in open space, in a debris field outside the Earth's atmosphere, within a city (you can even make the buildings fall down by shooting at them); the level variety never fails to please. There's also a multiplayer mode, but personally, I don't think much of it. Initially, the controls are incredibly confusing, but once you've gotten used to them, you'll be an alien-blasting machine in no time.

Battlecry's graphics are cel-shaded, part of a growing trend in the game industry. Some people don't care for it, but I thought it helped the game look very good - especially noticeable in the fires and smoke is a different look than the norm. The music is highly enjoyable; there are a number of tracks in the game that I hum quite often, even without thinking about it. The sound effects are good, and suit the game well. There's even voice acting, which sounds great, but suffers from a small flaw in the game - sometimes the voices are significantly behind the subtitles on the screen, and often, the background music will be so loud and the voice-over so quiet that you can't hear what they're saying at all. A minor flaw, though it does get irritating at times.

Battlecry has Easy, Medium, and Hard difficult settings for every mission. There are dozens of medals you can earn (and re-earn) to unlock multiplayer arenas, new fighters, and new paint jobs for your robot. The challenges some of the medals pose are actually quite fun. And it'll probably take a while to complete the game in the first place, considering it's 46 missions long, and many of them can be quite difficult.

There are a few flaws in Battlecry - sometimes the auto-transform reaction to a collision harms more than it helps, and the aforementioned voice-over issue is sometimes annoying - but nothing so great as to subtract from the overall experience of the game. An interesting story, exciting challenges, and of course... giant exploding robots. While it may not have received as much attention as other recent games, Robotech: Battlecry definitely deserves a look.

Progress: Complete

Racing games have come into two different subdivisions over the years - straight-out racing simulations, and combat racers. Some of (if not the) first combat racers were on the SNES, including the first Mario Kart game, and Rock 'N' Roll Racing. (Interesting side-note - as it turns out, Rock 'N' Roll Racing was made by the company that would later become Blizzard Entertainment)

Rock 'N' Roll Racing puts you in a futuristic universe, where you must travel from planet to planet in a premise similar to F-Zero. However, unlike the aforementioned game, you'll have missiles, traps, and boosters to help you get ahead - whether it's by pushing yourself up, or pushing your opponents down.

The plot of Rock 'N' Roll Racing is, as I said, similar to F-Zero's; you're in a futuristic universe, and you jump from planet to planet winning races and collecting money in a racing circuit. A very basic story, if it's a story at all, but why do you need one anyway?

Rock 'N' Roll Racing is all about gameplay. First, you must choose a racer, each of whom has different advantages and disadvantages in Speed, Acceleration, Jumping, and Cornering. In single-player mode, you'll win money from winning races (and getting money powerups during the race). Use your money to buy new cars, or to outfit your existing one, with stronger armor (for more health, to sustain more shots); a better engine (for top speed and acceleration); shock absorbers (for jumping); better tires (for better handling); and increase your capacity for missile weapons, traps, and boosters (which are different for each car). There will be a series of races on a series of planets (you must earn a certain number of points from winning on a planet to get to the next planet), each more difficult than the one before it - because your opponents will upgrade too. There are also two ways to play two-player: cooperative in the story mode, or Versus, where points and money don't matter, because you can go to any planet and buy any car (fully upgraded) at any time.

RNRR has fine graphics - not the best, but they work. The (lyric-less) music tracks are very nice; songs like ''Born to be Wild'' and the Peter Gunn theme, with excellent sound quality. Sound effects (i.e. explosions, shooting) work very well, and the announcer, Larry, isn't too annoying either.

Rock 'N' Roll Racing will keep you busy for a little (not necessarily for a long time, though), for the thrill of getting a car-stomping power machine, and more importantly, blowing up your opponents. There's also a secret or two in the game, but not much really.

I don't like most racing games, but I like this. It's flat-out car-exploding fun, though the game experience is a little short-lived. I'd say it's at least worth a try to anyone who can find it.

Progress: Complete

Oh c'mon, you know what SimCity is, right? Build a city. A simulated city, that is. SimCity is the game that started the Sim series - SimTower, SimEarth, SimLife, SimCopter, SimAnt, The Sims, everything started with SimCity.

Someone had the idea, somewhere along the line, to make an SNES version of SimCity: and despite what you normally expect from such ports, I personally find it more fun than the PC version.

Storyline? What storyline? You're the mayor, you design a city. The only character here is Dr. Wright, who gives you advice on how to play the game - I wish he'd shut up about pollution already. The people need jobs, industry provides jobs... but anyway. Dr. Wright is annoying sometimes, but at times can also be helpful, as a guide to your mayoring ventures.

In the gameplay department, we have the simple concept of building a city. Place Residential, Commercial, and Industrial zones; power plants (coal or nuclear); transportation (roads or railroads); set up a power grid; keep your simcitizens safe with fire and police departments; keep your simcitizens happy with things like football stadiums, and the best addition to the SNES version of this game: gifts. By meeting certain requirements, you'll be given the option to place Gift structures, from windmills to large parks, from amusement parks to casinos. These gifts will increase your population, and probably amuse you as well. Oh, and watch out for disasters - no one likes being swept up by a tornado, or stepped on by a giant monster (the monster in SimCity SNES is, in fact, Bowser of Mario fame).

The graphics are bright, crisp, and well-polished. Not too many sound effects, but those that are in here fit their bills fine, like chugging train noises and the sound of a plane taking off. The music is good, and a few tracks have the innate ability to get stuck in my head in no time at all.

I couldn't tell you how long I played this game; making and watching a city doesn't take too long really, but sometimes you gotta trash it and start over, which obviously takes longer. Building a Megalopolis of 500,000 people isn't about waiting for people to come to your city (well, you have to, but that's not the point) - it's about planning your city's placement well. Tip: don't worry too much about Commercial zones.

SimCity for the SNES is a just plain nice game to play. If you like Sim games, heck, even if you don't, you'll probably enjoy the SNES rendition.

Progress: Complete

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega's speedy blue mascot, was a viable force on the Sega Genesis with a number of high-speed platformers. Sonic Team has compiled a number of these games into one for the Gamecube, to relive (or experience for the first time) Sonic's classic adventures. All the games are direct ports, meaning there have been no modifications to the originals whatsoever.

2D sidescrolling Sonic games, which make up the majority of SMC, are sonic-speed pursuits through varied terrain and enemies to make headway against the evil Dr. Robotnik (aka ''Eggman''). It's a simplistic formula, and one that's been duplicated a number of times.

All of the games - all 12 of them - in SMC have lackluster attempts at stories. What can you expect? - platformers from this era rarely or never had a story at all. Sonic games were no exception. Basically, the evil guy (usually, if not always, Dr. Robotnik) has kidnapped/enslaved someone and/or a bunch of furry critters, and you need to save it/them and overthrow the evil scientist. Anything divergent from that is, well, easy to figure out and pretty much meaningless anyway.

There are twelve games in Sonic Mega Collection - some of them not precisely Sonic games, but Genesis games (from Sonic Team, to the best of my knowledge) nonetheless:

Sonic the Hedgehog (default) - Sonic's very first adventure. Classic Sonic action. Fairly low-frills compared to the later games. Not much going on here except the essence of Sonic - a slight emphasis on puzzles with a large emphasis on speed and impressive level design.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (default) - Here's Tails! StH2 marked the appearance of Sonic's flying-fox sidekick, Miles ''Tails'' Prower. Aside from that, it's little more than an improved rehash of the first Sonic, albeit with new and different levels and a few new features (most notably, the spindash).

Knuckles in Sonic 2 (unlockable) - This is the effect of using StH2 with the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge: play through the game as Knuckles. More on this later.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (default) - Said by many to be the pinnacle of Sonic games. Sonic 3 brings a new (non-playable) character into view, Knuckles the Echidna; but, more importantly, the stuff in Sonic 3 is far and away an improvement over its predecessors. An important new element is the ability to save your game, unlike previous Sonics. Other new things, like shields, add more depth to the game. Personally, I find Sonic 3 more fun to play than all the other Sonic games. Except, that is...

Sonic 3 & Knuckles (unlockable) - The effect of using StH3 with the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge: it adds the S&K levels to the Sonic 3 storyline, and lets you play as Knuckles. Booyah.

Blue Sphere (unlockable) - The blue sphere minigame from Sonic 3. Simple yet fun.

Sonic & Knuckles (default) - The follow-up to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, S&K is basically its predecessor with different levels and a new playable character (Knuckles). On the Genesis, the S&K cartridge had the ability to ''lock-on'' to StH2 and StH3, and modify the game slightly to accommodate Knuckles. This is taken care of in SMC with new games to unlock; besides that, not much has changed here.

Sonic 3D Blast (default) - An isometric 3/4 viewpoint in a 3D-esque environment. Control is a bit awkward, and a lot of Sonic elements were removed for the sake of the 3D. Gets more than a bit boring, in my opinion.

Sonic Spinball (default) - A lot of people don't like this game, and I know why. Essentially, Sonic's role has been reduced to that of a pinball; you must play pinball to succeed in this game. Not only is it more difficult than it should be, it can get repetitive and annoying.

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (default) - Similar (but not identical to) Tetris, this puzzle game set in the realm of Sonic's villain Dr. Robotnik is quite a bit of fun for quite a while. The basic gameplay and the scenarios the game presents are fairly enjoyable.

Flicky (unlockable) - Apparently, one of Sonic Team's earlier works. It's a very simplistic game you'd expect to encounter in an arcade somewhere; you run and jump around and try to rescue the flicky birds from the evil cat things, then return them to the exit door. Surprisingly fun for such a primitive game.

Ristar (unlockable) - Not at all related to Sonic, Ristar is about an animate star creature (whom you control) who has the ability to stretch his limbs and make use of his massive fists. He defeats enemies, climbs stuff, and so forth in his platform game. Personally, I don't think a whole lot of it, but it's not bad.

From the depths of Flicky to the heights of Sonic 3 & Knuckles (which, I think, looks better than 3D Blast), the graphical elements of all the SMC games maintain, for the most part, crisp and polished graphics. Obviously, they get better chronologically, but there you are. Sound and Music follow very similarly.

SMC's replay isn't strictly limited to the twelve different games you can play, though some might argue that it realistically is. There are some extras on the SMC disc, including art galleries, comic covers, and movie clips; however, they're really not all that exciting. With all the games to play, though, you could be kept busy for a while.

If you owned/played the original Sonics on Genesis, getting SMC isn't recommended unless you want it for a collection or something. But, if you're a relative newcomer to the series, the classic Sonic action is worth it. Especially since you're getting twelve games for the price of less than one.

Progress: Complete

The original StarCraft is still way fun, but why bother playing it when you can play Brood War instead?

Progress: Gave Up

There is only one fundamental difference between Master Quest and the original Ocarina of Time - the dungeons. Master Quest was made and released in Japan not too long after Ocarina, and was simply what it claimed to be: a quest for masters of the game. The sole difference is that the dungeons are 'remixed' in MQ. Otherwise, it is absolutely identical to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Some of Master Quest's changes aren't particularly noticeable, some may actually make the dungeons easier; but for the most part, they make things significantly more difficult. There are a number of instances where more acute observation and ingenuity is required than ever before in Ocarina, and it's impossible to get through Master Quest successfully without remembering old Ocarina tricks and exploiting them to your advantage. Admittedly, it can get frustrating, but it's also a fun challenge.

Master Quest is a classic and highly-appraised game with a few additional dashes of difficulty. Plus, if you got it in the bonus disc from preordering The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, it's free. Hard to argue with that.

Progress: Complete

Following the Nintendo 64's Ocarina of Time, the next installment in the main storyline of the Zelda franchise had a lot to live up to. Through the doubt of hype; through the cynicism towards the game's graphical style; through the criticism of the game's target audience, Link shone through and proved once more why the Zelda series is great.

When screenshots of Wind Waker were first publicly released, it caused quite a stir - the game's graphical style was cel-shaded, or made to look like a cartoon. This received much negativity, as people were concerned and convinced that the game had been designed for a younger audience, and that it wouldn't be enjoyable to play. After its release, however, the majority of these critics have been convinced of the error of their ways, as not only does the game have a fantastic design and an enormous fun-factor, but the graphics in motion are some of the smoothest and most beautiful of any game to date.

The game opens with the telling of a legend about an ancient kingdom, once plagued by a great evil, and saved by a young boy in green - the Hero of Time. The legend goes on to say that the evil returned, though the Hero was gone; and darkness fell over the land. The people prayed for the Hero's return. "What happened to that kingdom? ...None remain who know." It goes on to tell of a particular tradition, on a particular island, to clothe their young boys in green once they reach the age of the legendary hero, in hopes that they too would achieve valorous deeds, despite the fact that the world is now at peace. Here is where the legend ends, and the game begins.

Wind Waker is set on a vast ocean world. You begin on Outset island, one of a total of 49 islands in the game. It is Link's birthday - the day he receives the traditional green Hero's clothes. From an unfortunate accident, Link must coincidentally go rescue a girl stranded in a forest high atop the island; and through another unfortunate coincidence, Link's sister, Aryll, is kidnapped by the gigantic bird that brought the other girl there in the first place. Through attempting to save his sister, aided a band of pirates led by a young girl named Tetra (the girl Link saved from the forest), Link comes upon a series of events leading to a woeful failed rescue and becomes enlisted by the King of Red Lions - a sentient boat - in the quest to kill Ganon, the king of evil, who has returned to the world to wreak certain havoc upon the land. Further exposure of the story would be quite a bit spoiling (for instance, it explains the great ocean), but suffice it to say... on it's own, it's magnificent; to a Zelda fan, it's breathtaking. The storytelling is done well, escalating continually throughout the game, from start to finish.

Wind Waker's gameplay mechanics are based on the foundations set by Ocarina of Time - but improved by leaps and bounds. The X, Y, and Z buttons are used for items, just as the C buttons were in Ocarina; L is used for targeting enemies; B for sword, and A for miscellaneous actions. Additions to the control setup include actions in different situations for the R button (defending with a shield, pushing a block, or setting an object down), a map controlled by the D-pad, and perhaps most importantly... a manual camera control with the C-stick. The items are done well - many classics return improved (the Boomerang can target up to five things at once), and many new items appear (including a Grappling Hook for swinging and climbing). The Wind Waker, the item for which the game is named, is similar to Ocarina's namesake - it controls the forces which will allow Link to progress through the game. The Waker is a conductor's baton, and using it, Link can summon the forces of the winds (more on this later) and also conduct a few other things he'll need in his quest. The dungeons aren't exceptionally numerous - there are only six or seven in the entire game - but they are all done well, a few of them to the point of rivaling any game dungeons that have ever been seen before. Puzzles are well thought-out, and the difficulty scales excellently as the game progresses. The bosses are also a blend of challenge and triumphant fun.

Speaking of bosses, one particular area of vast improvement in Wind Waker is the combat system. Targeting enemies remains from the game's N64 predecessors, and the basics of the sword are the same - but a few twists are added. One of these is the Paree; at certain points in a battle, when an enemy is about to strike, the A-button icon in the upper-left of the screen will flash. At this moment, pressing the A-button will cause Link to Paree the foe's strike, evading damage and dealing a blow to the enemy in one movement. Some heavily-armored enemies must be pareed in order to remove their protective outer casings before they can be struck down. Another very interesting battle twist is the fact that not only can you knock an enemy's weapon away - you can pick it up. Link can swing an enemy's weapon, or throw it, causing a fair bit of damage (some weapons are also used in the game for puzzle purposes). Additionally, battles are slightly more 'realistic' in Wind Waker - if an enemy swings wide at Link and misses, and his weapon hits a fellow enemy nearby, his comrade will take damage.

The final bit of gameplay magic in Wind Waker is literally the biggest - sailing. Wind Waker's world is vast, the great sea divided into a seven-by-seven map grid, with an island on each map square. To get from place to place, Link will use his boat (the King of Red Lions), a wind-catching sail, and the Wind Waker. Adjusting the direction of the wind to go in a needed direction isn't just a good idea; in many cases, it's necessary. The boat can also cruise on its own, independent of a sail, but this is comparatively sluggish. Some say that the sailing is tiresome, but if a player, on his way through a long journey, makes some stops along the way at some of Wind Waker's numerous islands, it doesn't seem like a long journey at all - every island has something different to offer. Sometimes a dungeon, sometimes a small cavern, sometimes a mini-game; regardless, almost every island has something to do, and every island has its rewards. Additionally, a certain Wind Waker spell earned about halfway through the game makes traveling much easier.

As previously mentioned, Wind Waker's graphics have suffered a lot of fire - but for all this, after seeing the game in motion, there doesn't seem to be a thing to worry about. The graphics are so smooth, so detailed, and so well-polished that one would likely have trouble forcing oneself to not become absolutely gleeful at several points due to the game's beauty. Everything, from the interactive elements to the background environments, moves so fluidly and cleanly that it's hard to believe anything could look better. The cartoony look doesn't hurt the game at all - at some points, be they humorous or deeply emotional, the look fits the game better than anything else could. The sound is also top-notch; sound effects, from the very loud to the very subtle, are done quite well. And the soundtrack is magnificent - old tunes remixed, and entirely new ones as well, give every moment in the game a perfect audio environment.

Playing Wind Waker through easily takes up to or upwards of 20 hours. Aside from the standard Zelda fare of replayability - heart containers, magic upgrades, and optional items - there are other things to be found for replay in Wind Waker. Firstly, there are treasure charts which you can find, which show the locations of sunken treasure boxes - one in each square of the map. There are optional enemies to fight (gigantic squid monsters) which can net you prizes; and as previously mentioned, every island has something to do. There's also the Nintendo Club Gallery, where pictures you take with your Picto Box can be turned into figurine statues and stored in the gallery - in all, there are 134 of them to collect (none of which are required to complete the game). And as if that weren't enough, after beating the game, the player has the option of making a new game file dubbed by some as the "second quest" - the game is the same, except Link and his sister wear different clothing, you begin with the Deluxe Picto Box in your inventory, and you can understand the ancient language of Hylian (spoken by some particularly important characters in the game).

Overall, Wind Waker is simply fantastic. It starts out good, and keeps getting better up to the very end. Not only does it have quite a bit of character to stand up on its own, but it also evokes pangs of nostalgia in any Zelda fan for its plot elements. It's a good story, and it's fun to play - it's hard to imagine a better Zelda game.

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