Away Game Special: Where Stereotypical Librarians Reign

Say what you will about Majora's Mask, but the Bomber's Notebook is an excellent way to keep track of side quests. Playing Skyward Sword in snatches definitely makes remembering side quests rather difficult. Putting little dialogue boxes over characters' heads does work as a good reminder, but having to rove around looking for characters with said bubbles over their heads is almost as bad as roving around talking with everyone you meet.

Anyway, the whole reason why side quests were emphasized in my most recent (and last for the time being, alas) Skyward Sword play through, is because all that's left of the main game (as far as I know) is the final silent realm, the last dungeon, and the final boss. Those last two points are pretty moot as Zelda's final dungeons are always just bigger dungeons, and Zelda's final bosses are always (especially in Twilight Princess) epic challenges that dare you to push your skills beyond what you've done before. But that silent realm bit before them.

The silent realm, for all the flack it's gotten, is something I kind of admire. There's not much in Zelda games that can put you on edge like a 3-D stealth/collect section, and this is both good and bad. It's good because it evokes such a visceral reaction. And it's bad for the same reason, but also because it does so in such a way as to deter players (at least those playing over large spans of time) from progressing in the game.

If I was just playing through Skyward Sword on my own, the silent realms would be sections that might give some grief, but would be worked through relatively quickly. But playing with another person, these parts of the game just aren't the sort of thing that you want to charge into when your time with that other person is already short.

What I'm getting at here, in my own roundabout way, is that I hope Zelda on the Wii U doesn't have this sort of stealth/collect mechanic - especially if they succeed in integrating/creating some sort of multiplayer story mode. If they do, such sections would have incredible potential to take the manic, raw energy of a four player New Super Mario Bros. Wii session to all new heights.