Something New Is Coming...

... When i'm not such a failure xD.

We here at The Arkhive (By that i mean me, with some assistance from Steve) are working on something a little different because we know how much we've sucked at updating over the last few months (not Mike... Mike's been awesome like that). We'd already have something to show you now, but there was some technical issues which caused delays, but rest assured there is some new stuff in the works and i swear i'm trying to get back to updating here.

3D Time and the Links that clever title understand.

Scoot posted this on http://www.nationalgamingleague.com.au/tgp/ but I thought it definately deserved to be here. So here it is. Can't wait til I can afford a 3DS and This game...The only reason I think I'm getting one.

From Hyrule to Termina, The Great Sea and even the twilight realm, Link has come a long way since he first made the transition into the third dimension back on the Nintendo 64 and yet The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still considered a highlight in the history of gaming. After 13 years Ocarina of Time is back and it’s shinier than ever, but can Link now lead the charge into the era of 3D gaming? Ocarina of Time 3D brings with it not a port of the original, but a complete upgrade from the ground up. New visuals, new controls, new features and 2 extra modes (Master Quest and Boss Rush) just in case you haven’t had enough adventuring.

Now with more than 3 pixels for a nose

As soon as you start the game up you’ll see the extent of the graphical upgrade, as the recognisable logo appears in great detail, floating over images of Hyrule, Link and Epona in the background. The upgrades haven’t just been given to main characters and objects though as a quick wander around Kokiri Forest will reveal… Every surface in Ocarina from the giant bosses, down to the weeds growing off dungeon walls has been rebuilt and textured in detail that never would have been possible on the 64. It’s also obvious that the game was specifically built for 3D as well, with added vegetation and detail giving more depth to the world. Often when older games are updated for modern audiences, there isn’t enough effort put into fixing the graphics, so any new players who pick it up can be turned off by the games looks, but that isn’t the case with OoT3D… It easily rivals every current 3DS title in the looks department.

Familiar, and yet pants browning on a whole new level

In many Zelda games since the 64, one of the key aspects has always been music. The music of the game has to fill out the wonderful land of the game, not be so repetitive you get sick of it before you’ve finished the game AND be something you can play on the ocarina. When it comes to the music in Ocarina of Time 3D there hasn’t been much change from the original, but that’s a good thing. I’ve played through the original Ocarina multiple times and even now playing through OoT3D i still haven’t got sick of the music. It now plays louder and with a clarity beyond the original, but beyond that it’s still the same. The cheery tune as you run the length of Hyrule Field, the tune of the Lost Woods that will no doubt become burned into your brain for months to come and the creepy sound effects as you explore Dodongo’s Cavern.

Sadly the ocarina controls are slightly different

Another thing that has remained the same for the most part is the actual gameplay. You’re not going to find any amazing new gadgets that will reshape the game or anything, just your faithful slingshot, fairy bow and boomerang. The thing that has changed from the original though is how you use all these items. Gone are the days of C-buttons, now being replaced with some squares on the touch screen. Changing your setup is as simple as opening your inventory, tapping the item you want, then the button to assign to. You’ll have 4 item slots (X, Y and two touch buttons labelled I & II) plus the Ocarina now gets it’s own dedicated touch button, allowing you to explore more without having to open your inventory to switch equipment as much. There is also a Gear screen which allows you to change shields and tunics with a quick tap, although your selection of boots have been moved to your inventory, allowing you to assign them to a button and equip or unequip them with the touch of a button. The move of all the buttons to the touch screen also means the game screen is virtually HUD-free with the exception of a semi-transparent A button and mini map, allowing a clear and more open view of your surroundings. All item’s that would normally be fired from first person view (slingshot, bow, hookshot, etc.) can now also be aimed with the 3DS’s gyroscope, allowing you to move the console itself to aim. The entire game also seems to be quicker as a result of the upgrade… I’m not sure if this is an intentional design, or just a side-effect of improved framerates.

Thankfully "chest hair" wasn't on the list of things to be made 3D

Gamers who never played Ocarina of Time on the 64 will definitely be able to pick up OoT3D and still feel what everyone felt when playing the original, without the drawback of dated graphics and controls, but that’s not to say this will be the same old thing for veteran players. Upon completing the game you’ll unlock the Master Quest mode, which some might be familiar with from the special edition of Wind Waker on the Gamecube. Master Quest makes some simple but crucial changes to the game… Firstly, the entire game is mirrored, every dungeon, every environment, even Link starts swinging with his right hand… Secondly, all damage is doubled, this means even those lowly enemies you’d normally run straight past can now take a nice chunk of Link’s hearts if you’re not careful… Finally, every dungeon in the game has been altered, the rooms and layout remain the same, but everything else was open season. Memorised those enemy locations? Chances are there will be completely different enemies. Know the dungeon layout like the back of your hand? You’ll now need to take an entirely new route. Got those chests memorised? Think again. As a veteran player, i can clear Dodongo’s Cavern in under half an hour, but on Master Quest i found myself stumbling around in there for well over an hour and a half. Master Quest brings everyone back into the word of Hyrule, then punishes those who think they know all of it’s secrets.

HI-HO EPONA, AWAAAAAAAAY

Overall Ocarina of Time 3D brings back everything from the original but expands upon it in several key ways that make the entire experience smoother and more enjoyable. Link has stood the test of time well (Yeah, i went there) and shows that a great RPG never goes out of style. New and old players alike will definitely find something here and i get the feeling Ocarina of Time will survive one more generation, being called one of the best games ever created… Oh, and Navi is still a pain in the ass.

Good

• Great use of 3D
• Same epic journey, spectacular new sights
• Updated controls (particularly gyroscope aiming) make gameplay smoother

Bad

• Some framerate issues during one particular boss fight (pretty sure that was present in the original too)
• Moving the console to aim can ruin the 3D effect
• Still no option to mute Navi

Well...This is awkward...

So how long has it been ey? Since E3...Hawkward indeed.
I can't really say why there has been a delay in posts. I mean, I have university to keep my lonesome occupied and Scoot has...Nothing? And for Stevo well I assume he is dead now. (Sorry buddy but you have to face the facts you are dead).

Oh well, I will try and keep the posts alive during my midyear break. Other than that I can only say sorry and I think I will get some posts up about some books I'm reading.

Bye I guess.

My name is Mikey and I said I would call you after...I lied.

Almost Time

E3 kicks off shortly with Microsoft's press conference beginning in a little over an hour... I'll throw things up in a mass post at the end of each press conference, but for up to the second news check out my twitter at www.twitter.com/scoot338 or head over to the special E3 section that's been set up at The Gamers Pad

The Previous Post Stole My Best Joke

E3 approaches... Less than 3 days remain till E3 2011 kicks off with Microsoft's press conference and it's gonna be a big year. Nintendo will reveal their new console, Microsoft may or may not have word on a new console but they always have more Halo news anyway and Sony... Well Sony can say they're back online. I'll likely be staying up late each night to hear the latest news and bring it to you here if you actually have a life and/or job that requires you sleep on occasion. Yes, i am back and i plan on bringing news with me. As to what i've been doing lately... Not much. A heap of gaming, a bit of travelling (i went to a concert in Brisbane, plus a trip to Sydney to catch Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy), some studying and the occasional report for another site. I might see who is staying up for E3's opening night and see if we can organise some sort of live chat/tweet session.

A lot of my time recently has also been spent on Minecraft... I'll throw up a gallery of stuff i've built soon-ish and provide details if anyone wants to check that out.

E = MC 3.

So that was a pretty lame title...But I tried and I think that's what counts...?

So everyone else pumped for E3 in the next few days? I know I am. I think it will be sweet, and I can't wait to see the next console that Nintendo are announcing! Hope it's sexy and as cheap as the Wii which I highly doubt but it's worth a shot.

What else is there? OHHH TOTALLY WANT MORE SKYRIM INFO!

Really hope we get some juicy information on that front. Would be awesome.

Hmm that's all I've got to say really. So I hope you enjoy that.

My name is Mikey and HOLD THE FORWARD LINE!

Guess where I might be?

Have you figured it out?
I am at uni...But what class?
NO YOU IDIOT! I'M NOT IN CRITICAL REASONING! I'M IN MY CREATIVE WRITING CLASS!

Gosh you're such an idiot audience.

Any how here I am, in this class. Just sort of existing.
I have a story to workshop and I will get to that I'm sure. But you know, lazy.

I had a strange dream last night. It consisted of Scoot asking me how I wanted my Zombie Avatar to look for the forums of this website.
Why Zombie? I'll never know, but that is what he asked me.
It was strange none the less.

So yeah I'm pretty keen to get the Zelda Occarina of Time 3Ds special edition...Comes with an actual Occarina! Plus some music sheets to play some songs...
I don't have a 3DS (Yet) but by gosh do I want to get the game just for the Occarina.
I think I might.

That's my bit done.
I guess I should pay attention to my final tute.

My name is Mikey and I don't like change.

Guess where I am?

So I'm posting my weekly 'Kive update...
Guess where I am then?

THAT'S RIGHT! MY CRITICAL REASONING CLASS!

You are a champion. I like your style.
But why do you do this in class Mikey?
Well I'm glad you asked, my answer is that because I'm so good at not working, while pretending to work, I manage to actually get some work done for another thing. Such as posting updates on the 'Kive.
Couldn't you use this time, if not paying attention to your actual class, to work on your other uni based work?
Well persistent imaginary voice, I don't like to do work that might actually benefit me. So there.

I think I'll be off now. I am out of class and about to head home. Now it just feels dirty to post here while not at class.

Bye!

My name is Mikey and I'm better than most garden plants.

A Post. Deal with it.

Here is a post. I hope you enjoy it. (Side note: This is slightly different form my tumblr version of this post.)

Here I sit, once again at university.

Hooray for not getting shit done.

There has been lots going on for me. I'm not in a class right now, I'm just in the library. Listening to music, posting stuff online, pretending to be vaguely interested in the things the occasional person I know says to me.
You know, socialising when one doesn't really want to socialise.
I'm pretending to essays right now. I say pretending. I'm trying, my brain just doesn't want to let me. I blame it on you. All of you individually.
I have no grounds for this accusation obviously, I just thought it might be nice to include you to my insanity. Well possibly insane to you, to me I suppose it has become my normalized reality.

Oh look a squirrel....

Where was I? Right the popcorn. That's a lie, I wasn't talking about popcorn, I was just testing myself to see that I could write about anything soon as it entered my brain. I wasn't going to edit that idea, I wasn't going to think of something more funny or witty for the post. I just wanted to write the first thing. It was popcorn. I am a bastion of creative thinking. Hooray for broken imagination. Or really good. Depends how you look at it and what your mind can do with popcorn. NOT THAT YOU SICK FUCKS.
Maybe that.
Of course the problem with this is, that while I am writing it, I am the editor and such so that you don't know if I actually have edited it so that what I wrote initially may not have been popcorn.
Live in fear reader. Live in fear.
Okay it was popcorn. I didn't alter anything. BUT I COULD HAVE.

Wow, I get ranty. I mean rant in the sense that I just go on and on, with no real purpose and or structure I just write. I wanted to write a book that incorporated this at some stage. I think I might get back on that track. It was fun to write and sort of just did it's own thing. I don't know what genre the book fell into. It was weird. I mean it actively engaged with the reader and then commented on the fact that engaging with a reader was impossible in real time and that breaking the fourth wall is fun. It was fun to do. It also had some of my short stories in there because well why not?
My observations are in there too. Not all of them, but some. I can always observe more.

Man I wish I was wearing a full silk outfit. It would be just so nice right now. I don't really know why but I like the idea.
Give me something to muse on. Someone. Any one?
Fuck you guys are useless.

See there I go again. I can't break the fourth wall and have reaction/response in real time.

Well I can end this here. I know I can because I am the writer. I decided when I stop. So there.
I shall say good day to you all.


My name is Mikey and I SAID GOOD DAY!

Where oh where is shadow?

Well I don't know what's happened to the others, but I guess I'll have to get onto that.
I'm going to keep going with the blog so GO ME! yay!

I am, as you may have guessed, in a university class right now. Hooray for not doing work while pretending to do work.
I'm in my Philosophy class Mind and World. It's pretty good. Keeps me entertained at the very least.
We are talking about perception in relation to the Identity Theory. If you don't know what that is then congratulations, you are the same level with me.
Wow...It's been a while since I started writing this. I am now three classes further into my day. You know what that means?! If I haven't posted this blog/have written anything for it since I entered that means....I'M LEARNING?! WHAT THE HELL!? I'm focusing attention on my lectures than what ever the hell I want? What is wrong with me?

Oh well, I am here now, waiting for my Critical Reasoning class to start. You know the one...The one with the lecturer who famously coined Cerdibilkity.
I am really lost with this class which isn't a good thing. I am doing poorly in terms of assignments for my other classes but at least I know what is going on. This class I just straight up forget everything we've talked about.
Oh well. (My favourite new phrase it seems).

I guess I should get going. I'll leave a comment if my lecturer gives me any more classic class moments to think about. But otherwise I better just call it a day.

My name is Mikey and all that glitters has a high refractive index.