Last Generation Gamer: NBA Jam

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

Today I'm going to talk about what I consider to be the greatest sports video game of all time. Now, first off, I do not play a whole lot of video games. When it comes to non sports games, I played stuff like Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario Brothers and fighting games(i.e., Streetfighter, Tyson's Punchout and Tekken).But, I used to play mainly sports games when I played video games. Tecmo Bowl was the very first football video game I played and fell in love with. Then, Madden came out and that was the greatest thing ever. I'm not a hockey or soccer fan, but I played a ton of Blades of Steel and Fifa on any system I could. I'm not a golfer, but I love me some Wii golf. I played a lot of baseball games on various systems. I loved all the EA baseball games that were released for the Xbox and PlayStation. I was a huge fan of early baseball games like RBI Baseball and the Ken Griffey Jr baseball game for the Nintendo.

Then, I found basketball video games and college football. First of all, this was the hardest part when I was debating the best sports game of all time in my head the other day. I loved, and was pretty damn good at, NCAA Football for the PlayStation and the Xbox. That was my jam. I figured that game out pretty early on and I was dominant. Just ask our editor RD about my acumen at NCAA Football (Ed note: Ty has a cheat code). He has thrown more than one controller at me during games. NCAA Football was the best, until they discontinued the making of the game. That broke my heart. I've heard rumors that they may bring it back, and I hope they do, but I deeply miss that game. That was the one game I would buy on the day it came out. NCAA Football was so much more important to me than games like Halo or World of Warcraft, or whatever other shooter or strategy games that came out that my friends played.

NCAA Football was great, but not the best. I have, for the most part  liked every basketball video game I have played. I love basketball, so it's a natural fit for me. I played a ton of Bird vs. Magic whenever I could get on the Nintendo at home. I adored the game Double Dribble. As I got older I got really into the Streetball series of games they made. RD and I had crazy, epic battles, that where even, at those Streetball games. Those games were a ton of fun. I play, very occasionally, maybe once or twice a year, the NBA2K games. Those are fun, but they are a bit harder than some of the other games I mentioned. But, the game that I keep going back to and continue to play, wherever I can find it, be it my Xbox or my iPhone, is NBA Jam.

NBA Jam is the greatest sports video game that has ever existed. NBA Jam was a genius moment by the creators of that game. I love that it is a 2 on 2 battle with the best players on each team, except for the Bulls. Michael Jordan wouldn't appear on the game because he had his own game, but that is negligent, because NBA Jam still ruled. I remember when it first came out, I was always, and only, the Supersonics. I found out that I could play a video game with my favorite team, with my two favorite players, and I was immediately hooked. The fact that I could be Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp was heaven to me. I would run up and down the court with Payton, freeing space for Kemp, throw Kemp an alley oop, and he would do the most fantastical slam dunk that I could ever dream up. Kemp would grab the ball, put it between his legs, go around his back, put it through his legs and jam it home. And I would do that 50 times a game.

I was pretty damn good with Kemp, Payton and the Sonics, especially when Kemp would catch fire. Everyone that has played the game knows what catching fire means. You make three shots in a row, without the other team making a basket, you are on fire. Being on fire meant that you could make a jumper from almost anywhere on the floor, or if you chose to dunk, you could do things like multiple flips and jump so much higher than anyone trying to defend you. When I would catch fire, I jacked up so many threes from near half court, and they were all cash. When I chose to dunk, it was the best. Catching fire on NBA Jam is the best power up or boost that any video game has ever created.

I played NBA Jam a lot in the 90's on Super Nintendo. When I wasn't the Sonics, I would pick other teams with one small, fast guard and one big leaper that was just as good at blocking shots as they were at dunking. The Magic were great for this with Penny Hardaway and Shaq. You could run with the Knicks with Ewing and John Starks. The Houston Rockets, with Kenny Smith and Hakeem Olajuwon was nearly unstoppable. The 90's era NBA was great for NBA Jam. The teams worked perfectly.

When I went to high school and college, I lost touch with the game. The NBA went through a lull in the early 2000's, and the game wouldn't have been as fun. This also coincided with the 3 or 4 years I stopped watching the NBA because it just wasn't that good. But, as recent as 5 or 6 years ago, I rediscovered NBA Jam while searching for old school games on my iPhone, and I instantly fell back in love. I was also getting heavily back into the NBA at this time as well, so it was kismet. I downloaded the game and I've been playing it ever since. It's really cool with the updated teams and rosters. Now, the best teams are the Warriors, Thunder, Cavs, the Heat and the Spurs. You can run with Curry and Thompson, shoot the lights out from three, especially when you catch fire. The Cavs have LeBron, and he is the greatest player on Earth. Put him with Kyrie Irving and you get that great dual threat of an awesome dunker and blocker with the quick footed, decent enough shooting guard. The Heat have Dwayne Wade and Bosh, pre injury. That gives you two very good shooters, one great defender and Wade gets to the basket with ease on the game. The Spurs have any number of players you could imagine. You can run with Duncan and Parker or LMA and Kawhi or Ginobli and Duncan, basically, the Spurs are really great in the newer NBA Jam. My team is the Thunder. As I said above, I was a Sonics fan, so when they moved to OKC, I followed them. Now, I can play NBA Jam and run with Durant and Westbrook. Durant has a great jump, good for blocking shots and dunking. He can also shoot from outside. Kevin Durant may be the best all around player not named LeBron on the game. Then, you get the fastest player in the NBA, Russell Westbrook, who is also a very good defender in the game. I love running with the Thunder and I have won many virtual titles with them.

What it all comes down to, NBA Jam was the perfect creation for all NBA fans out there. The game isn't that hard to figure out and you don't have to worry about a 5 man team. You get to choose just your two favorite players from your team. It's a perfect sports world. The graphics and the gameplay, as far as sports games goes, is second to none. NBA Jam is at the top of the mountain as far as sports video games, or for that matter, just video games goes. NBA Jam is the best and I'm so glad that they keep making it and keep updating it. I love this game and I will always love this game. Thank you for all the fun you have provided me NBA Jam.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When he could not be the Sonics, Ty would settle for playing as Bill Clinton. Make sure you follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Last Generation Gamer: The unappreciated feminism of Final Fantasy VII

Game does not work, time to blow the dust out.

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

Video games come under a lot of fire for being generally misogynistic. These accusations are usually dead on. People like Anita Sarkeesian have been pointing out the male gaze inserted in our popular culture. The girl as a prize, Mario saving the princess again, Ms Pac Man not having the right to keep her maiden name, there are way too many examples of men ruling the video gaming world. Horrid events like gamergate continue to show the communication hold that misogynists have on the industry. Things are slowly getting better with games giving us FemShep, Samus Aran, and Lara Croft as solid protagonists who happen to be female. Unfortunately these heroes have a few of their own issues related to misogyny. You can win Samus in swimsuit in the many Metroid games, Lara Croft has her iconic assets, and FemShep gets the most idiotic formal outfit (without all the mods or DLC)imaginable in a great game like Mass Effect 3. These heroes are still strong protagonists and these unfortunate additions do not alter their story arcs, yet it still holds the empowerment back.

The Final Fantasy series has always had some issues with damsels in distress and the woman as the prize. Great games like Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy X have incredibly powerful women who heavily rely on the weaker men in the game to save the day. Final Fantasy X-2 has only women as playable characters, yet there is still the eye rolling hot bath scene mid way through a game about the end of the world. Plus Yuna's main goal in X-2 is to find a boy.

Final Fantasy VII (Playstation 1997) was a groundbreaking game in the popular series due to the inclusion of 3D graphics and full motion video cut scenes. The in game story was massive and required 30 or more hours to complete. The characters all had very in depth backstories that were unnecessary to complete, but brought a richness to the entire game.

When exploring the full depth of these backstories, the hidden feminism comes to the forefront of Final Fantasy VII's story. The three playable female characters, Aeris, Yuffie, and Tifa, all have their own agency and do not rely on the men to be the hero. In the standalone world of Final Fantasy VII (I am only talking about the original game, not any of the extra games or movies associated with original Square-Enix release) the female protagonists are fiercely independent and vital to defeating the conflict. These powerful women seemed out of place since there was never a "wait for the man to show me how moment" from any of these characters. During my first play through I never thought about the feminism, yet as the years go on, and I remember how great Final Fantasy VII is, the feminism seems quite clear. 

The game begins and ends with Aeris (or Aerith) Gainsbourough's face. She suffers her horrible fate at the midpoint of the game, and never acts as the damsel in distress. Aeris goes to her fate thinking she can win, and the hero fails in his rescue. Yuffie is the daughter of nobility and runs from her duties. When you visit Yuffie's father, she stands on her own to prove her worth as a warrior and leader. Both of these women do not need the men to save them. Both control their own destiny.

Tifa Lockhart is the true feminist hero of Final Fantasy VII. On the  surface Tifa seems like every other video game woman. She has the halter top and she seems to pine for the hero's affection. Once you play through the game Tifa is not defined, or made stronger, by Cloud. She is her own person, with her own dreams. Tifa may want something more from Cloud, but his obliviousness does not make her follow him like a puppy. Tifa is responsible for bringing Cloud back into the fight. Cloud is Tifa's damsel in distress.

Final Fantasy VII still has some unfortunate parts of the game. There is the outdated and uncomfortable time spent on the Don Corneo quest, and the costume choice for Tifa. With the upcoming remake for the Playstation 4 some of the games warts may, or may not, be wiped away. Even with the problems, Final Fantasy VII still managed to put in the game three female characters who were not in distress, did not need the male hero, and could be counted on as the leaders. Square-Enix may not have wanted to create feminist icons in Final Fantasy VII, but the gaming community is lucky to have Aeris, Yuffie, and Tifa in our history.

Special thanks should go out to my good friend Wikipedia and www.feministfrequency.com for providing insight and facts.

RD Kulik

RD is the head editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He still gets mad when blocky Sephiroth stabs blocky Aeris with a blocky sword. Think RD is crazy? Come tell us why.

Last Generation Gamer: The Beautiful Loneliness of Skyrim

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

So you know there are SPOILERS of the plot to Skyrim in this article.

When Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, 2011) begins you are not alone.  The first person view all the Elder Scroll games start with show the back of a horse drawn cart with prisoners being escorted through a rough mountain road. Through the dialogue of others it quickly becomes clear that you are a prisoner going to execution with your fellow cart travelers.  Although you are with others, you are not part of their group.  One man is a horse thief who will not factor into the plot.  The other two men are rebels who are fighting the empire (one of the men is the leader of the Stormcloaks, I assumed the reader knew this but I did not want to leave important info out).  You are not a thief (yet, if you want) or part of the rebellion (again yet, if you want).  You have no identity. You are alone.

I purchased Skyrim in 2015 to see all the fuss.  It has been heralded as one of the greatest video games ever made.  I played Oblivion (not yet finished, but still loving the game) and I purchased Skyrim on a Gamestop buy two get one free deal.  My plan was to finish Oblivion, but one day I decided to pop Skyrim into the X-Box 360 to see if it lived up to the hype.  It begins like most other games, a big event facilitates you taking control, then a simple dungeon so you can learn all the basic controls.  Once you complete the first dungeon, the world opens up.

It is the most magnificent first look at the open world in any game I have ever seen.  Cyrodill in Oblivion looks majestic, mostly green, and bright.  Skyrim feels, rocky, cold and isolated. I can remember going north in Oblivion through the Jerrall mountains and seeing the wasteland beyond the horizon I could not cross  The first unassisted view of Skyrim makes you feel alone in that challenging wasteland. There is a rough, partially snow covered, stone road. Once you look around you see snow dusted trees and massive mountians all around you. This is the land of dragons, there is no doubt.  I feared any creature early on in the game because I thought anything that could thrive in this environment is going to be tough. 

I want to take a quick detour and elaborate on why my visceral reaction was so strong.  My parents grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan right near the shores of Lake Superior. When I was young my parents would take myself along with my brothers for vacations in the U.P.. On the way to my parents homeland, the highway stops about a hundred miles out.  The rest of the trip is a two lane road through dense woods and quaint towns.  We mainly went up there in the summer, but on a few occasions we ventured there in the winter(once for a cousins wedding the first week of October, I slid my Dad's car off the road because it had snowed a few feet the night before).  It was bleak, desolate, and cold in the U.P. those winters.  I was truly surprised that anyone lived there year round (like my grandparents).  My first look at Skyrim reminded me of the U.P..  The first person I talked with in Skyrim sounded like a retaliative. This was going to cause a little bit of extra immersion during my gaming sessions.

I do not want to make it sound like Skyrim's grays and desolation make it unattractive, it is gorgeous. The first time you trek up the Throat of the World, and take some time to look out over the expanse, it is breathtaking.  When I approached Solitude and saw the grand tower built on top of a natural rock bridge formation above me, I simply stopped and stared at my television for a few minutes. Walking through the quiet snow packed plains in the middle of the night on my way to Solitude was strangely tranquil.   I have spent over half my time in Skyrim just staring.  There have been other games with beautiful vistas, but none of them have put me in a state of awe like Skyrim.

The other part of Skyrim the game that makes Skyrim the territory so overwhelming is the loneliness. The majority of your journey can be done all alone.  There are plenty of opportunities to pick up people who will help you on your quests, but they are not required.  A novice player, like myself, will not even know how to bring an ally around.  When Lydia was assigned as my Housecarl in Whiterun, I unintentionally had her stay put.  I did not find her again until I bought a house in Whiterun.  Once I had her join me, she was killed within the next hour because of my exploring.  Most of the game I have been alone, and Skyrim makes you feel isolated.  There is a quest option to join the Imperial Army and bring down the rebellion.  There is an alternative quest option to join the Stormcloaks and bring Skyrim independence.  Both of these quests may bring you new friends, but neither is necessary. The introduction of teammates may seem anti isolationist, but the ambiance of Skyrim will always make you feel alone.  The low tones of the noises in dungeons,  the ambient noise of the outdoors, the sudden break of silence due to a wolf, all of these atmospheric touches make Skyrim a jumpy place. Feeling like you are a lone soul in this beautiful and dangerous vista is Skyrim's crowing achievement.

I have not finished the main quest of Skyrim. I absolutely adore this game and do plan on completing the main storyline, and then dive into some of the DLC (I hear you can ride a dragon, that in it self will be worth the effort). While the quest may not be completed, I do get the urge to load Skyrim up and just walk around for a while.  Most of the time I tell myself that I need to do some character development, but the real reason is I just would like to enjoy the views in quiet solitude.

RD Kulik

RD Kulik is the Head Editor of Seed Sing.  Thanks to reading a random book in Skyrim he knows how Oblivion ends.  That will not stop him from completing the game, it just might have to wait a few hundred hours until the last dragon soul of Skyrim has been absorbed.

Last Generation Gamer: Bioshock and Objectivism

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

I want to begin this reflection of Bioshock with a small discussion on privilege and maturity.  I studied political science at a small school that was 90%+ white.  Many of my classmates came from wealthy families. It was during these years I picked up Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I immediately decided to be an objectivist, and later a Libertarian (ed note: here is an explanation of Objectivism.)  In 1996 I supported the candidacy of Libertarian Harry Browne.  When I was released into the real world, my view of Objectivism was becoming more critical. I felt like my white maleness was a prerequisite to embracing the objectivist philosophy. During that period of my life I believed that we could do without government interference because I turned out ok.  When I started to take a more critical look at why society may need course corrections, I realized that Objectivism worked only for those who are white men with the means to gain capital. Shortly after this revelation I decided to give up on Objectivism and decided Marxism was the new go to political philosophy.  I did not stay a Marxists very long, I exited before I could even support a presidential candidate. It always struck me as odd that in my twenties I could strongly be associated with two diametrically opposed political philosophies.  It was hard for me to articulate why I embraced these ideas.

In 2014 I picked up a used copy of Bioshock (released in 2007) for my X-box 360. I had a vague idea that the game was tied to the ideas of Ayn Rand, but I mostly thought it was a brainless art-deco styled first person shooter. Within the first ten minutes I was all in.  The only action I had been able to do in the game was swim to the lighthouse. No wrenches or plasmids, just exciting first person swimming. I became hooked when I stopped to read the banner in the lighthouse -

NO GODS OR KINGS

ONLY MAN

That was awesome. I used to strongly believe that.  I thought if this game stinks, I will get my money's worth by replaying that one scene a few hundred times.  The game play itself was ok, not great, in my opinion.  I did not care that much for the photo taking (I got sick of that in Dark Cloud 2).  I have also never been a huge fan of first person shooters (mainly because I am not very good at them).  The story of the game is what made me move on.

I am shocked today with how many people do not think of Bioshock as a critique of objectivism.  In researching this article I found entire college theses on the subject. Outside of the art-deco design of Rapture (which is incredible), the freshman level philosophy class was the highlight of the game.   Since I had a fairly good understanding of objectivism it felt like Bioshock was making damn well sure I knew that Ayn Rand was completely wrong.  

Rapture is a disaster of mans' hubris.  Freedom is the father of  chaos. That seems to be the fable Bioshock is trying to impart on the player. What we the player sees is the end of Rapture.  To build this grand underwater city must have taken the work of many dedicated geniuses (and whole bunch of crazy people).  Objectivist principles built Rapture, and these same principles quickly destroyed it. That is the reality of objectivist (and libertarian) philosophy.  Unfettered ambition and skill will bring anarchy if it is not reigned in.  That is the moral of Bioshock.

The city of Rapture shows hopeful ideas, and it is populated with degradation.  Here is where Objectivism and Marxism share a similar influence.  Both philosophies believe in an Utopian idea for society.  Marxism was born out of uncontrolled capitalism, and Objectivism was born out of spreading communism.  Both philosophies want to unshackle mankind and allow us to reach our greatest potential.  Both philosophies forget to factor in greed and ambition. Objectivists will tell you the greatest of us will have charity.  Some of these supermen may have charity, but the majority will want more capital.  History has proven that nations have ascended, and fallen, due to a few individuals and their quest for more. Rapture did not fail because of the ideas used to create her.  Rapture failed because of the people who built her and wanted more.

The next time you decide to discuss politics in an unknown group and someone starts preaching the tenets of Objectivism (or Marxism), ask them if they have solved the problem of the individual.  When they tell you that Objectivism celebrates the individual and gives us freedom, smile at them and hand them a copy of Bioshock. Say to your new friend "Would you kindly play this game." That person may not immediately see the folly of Ayn Rand's ideas, but they will at least get to play an exciting game with a killer story.

RD Kulik

RD Kulik is the creator and Head Editor for Seed Sing.  He one time harvested the ADAM from a little sister and spent the next three days feeling guilty (actually he still feels guilty)

Last Generation Gamer: Mass Effect - Renegade Edition.

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

I picked up the first Mass Effect game in the summer of 2012, five years after it was released.  The only information I had on the game is that it was a space adventure and a lot of people were not happy with the end of the third game.  I thought, hey I like space games and I like video game controversy let’s give Mass Effect a shot.

I am not going to go into an in depth review on the Mass Effect series today.  If you have not played this game, go play it right now. These three games are beyond awesome. Like many people I am partial to Mass Effect 2.  Unlike many people I did not absolutely hate the ending (I hated it a lot less when I downloaded the free extended ending from X-box live). If you are new to the game, choose to be the female Commander Shepard.  Once a movie is made out of Mass Effect the producers would be dumb not to make Shepard a woman.  She far and away has one of the greatest action hero arcs ever put into the zeitgeist.

Now that you have played the game (hopefully as FemShep), go and start over on Mass Effect.  We are going to choose all the renegade options.  Early in the series the renegade Shepard seems to be a stuck up militaristic xenophobe. The best way to play as a true renegade is to speed through the game, no side missions (that is the reason you should go full renegade on a second play through, you will need the advantages of a fully equipped and better experienced crew). Once you get to Virmire, the renegade Shepard becomes a full blown jerk. Wrex will draw his weapon on you once the discussion of Saren’s genophage research becomes personal.  You will gun down your ship mate, and then tell the salarians to dump him in the ocean.  That is when you become a cold hearted snake.  What makes that moment great is that the rest of your crew is still fully behind you.  It helps that Ashley is also a xenophobe, but the rest of your crew really does not have a good excuse to back you up.  I guess they could justify your actions by saying Wrex was unstable, but the dumping in the ocean line, cold.  On the second play through, your renegade Shepard can still complete the romance option, and can even cause the first incarnation of Saren to commit suicide.  One less fight, way to go jerk Shepard.

Mass Effect 2 is where renegade Shepard moves from being a jerk, and starts to become a sociopath.  A speed run through of the game is vital to make renegade Shepard truly shine. You need to skip all the loyalty missions to make sure that your crew is not safe (on a third play through there are some epic renegade options to explore in the loyalty missions).  The only loyalty mission worth exploring is the one on Omega to kill the Asari Justicar Samara’s daughter (Morinth).  This mission uses all the skeeviness of Renegade Shepard and allows you to have your allied killed by a dangerous psychopath.  Morinth will even join your party and disguise herself as Samara.  The extra great bonus of gaining Samara is that after the game you can load your last save and have Morinth sex you to death.  I am not kidding.

If you played Mass Effect 2 as a true renegade, and gained Morinth, the ending will be very lonely.  Nearly everyone will have been killed, including Garrus (the subject of a future Last Generation Gamer).  The only people left on the Normandy will be you, Joker, and Morinth. 

Your actions as a pure renegade Shepard make Mass Effect 3 a very different game.  There is no Garrus on Palavan (you uncaring jerk).  There is no Talia to help liberate Rannoch (thanks to your lack of safety upgrades on the Normandy).  Grunt, Miranda, Mordin, Legion, Thane, Jacob, Ashley/Kaiden – all gone.  Your play through of Mass Effect 3 will only consist of Shepard, Liara, Vega, EDI, and maybe Ashley/Kaiden.  The true renegade Shepard will tell Ashley/Kaiden to stay with the alliance and not join the Normandy.  This may be the most humane thing renegade Shepard does, especially since most people who have served on the Normandy ended up dead.

With all the bodies you have left behind as renegade Shepard, the galaxy still makes you their most trusted warrior.  Why not?  Your methods may be unfeeling, and dangerous, but you have gotten things done.  The big final question to renegade Shepard is what ending must be chosen.  If you followed my advice, and this is the second play through, all options should be available.  The most obvious choice is to become a reaper (which is a fitting end for renegade Shepard), but I do not think this is the best ending for this play through.   If you downloaded the extended ending there is a fourth answer option to give the Catalyst, keep fighting.  That in my opinion is the true renegade Shepard option (even if the clip says paragon). When you tell the Catalyst that you will keep fighting, it does not end well for our heroes.

I love Mass Effect because of how it made me feel about my ship mates.  I felt responsible not only for all of the galaxy, but for my friend’s less than epic issues (except for Jack, I did not really care that much about her).  Being renegade Shepard actually challenged my sense of morality.  I honestly did not attempt this kind of play through until my fifth time.  I also completely changed my Shepard’s appearance in each game so I would not feel like I was betraying a true hero.  I know that sounds lame, but that is the power of Mass Effect.  The games make you emotional tied to your decisions.

Go out and play these games.  On your third or fourth play through, give renegade Shepard a chance.  It may feel wrong, but you will see a great old game in a new twisted light.  Being renegade Shepard may even make you respect the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy.

RD Kulik

RD Kulik is the creator and Head Editor for Seed Sing.  He loves playing RPGs on his new-old X-Box 360 and is always looking for recommendations. 

Last Generation Gamer: The Legend of Zelda (NES - 1986) - The Greatest Open World Game Ever

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

The Legend of Zelda is the greatest open world game in the history of the entire video game industry.  I know that is a bold statement for a game released nearly 30 years ago (1986 in Japan 1987 in the US).  Since the release of The Legend of Zelda we have experienced some epic Final Fantasy worlds, the Grand Theft Auto series, and the Elder Scroll games to name just a few of the open world games that are currently occupying our consoles.  Legend of Zelda was one of the first open world games to be a commercial success, and it came out decades before the genre was defined.

How is Legend of Zelda even considered an open world game (says the reader I am thinking will have this exact question)?  Go ahead and turn it on, I can wait.  Now that your Wii, DS, Wii U, or (if you are truly hardcore) your Nintendo Entertainment System has loaded the start screen, begin a new game.  The screen should show Link and a cave to the north.  I dare you to go any way except in the cave.  Did the game drag you back to the cave?  No, it let you move to the next screen filled with enemies (either tektites or octoroks).  Your only option is to keep moving, unfortunately since we skipped the cave their is no wooden sword to use and dispatch the enemies.  If you are very good at dodging the monsters, and have a lot of luck, you can make it through every screen on the over world map without ever going into the first cave. Not many of the open world games of today will let you visit every part of the main map when you first start the game. Games like the Elder Scroll series (Skyrim, an upcoming Last Generation Gamer column)  make you play a short introductory quest before you have access to the whole over world.  

It is possible to complete The Legend of Zelda and never grab the wooden sword.  There are rupees hidden under Armos (the statues you touch to wake up) in the over world.  Get some rupees, get some bombs, get two more heart containers, then get the white sword.  The old man who offered you the wooden sword because of the dangers outside is not as helpful as he previously led on.  You actually could complete the game without any sword.  That would require a lot of time, rupees, ,and luck.  The possibility alone makes for many more options of playing through and winning a game that came out nearly 30 years ago.

I thoroughly enjoy the freedom of today's open world games.  The ability to forget about the main story when you see some dingy hole in the ground weirdly appeals to my senses.  I never grouped The Legend of Zelda into the open world category until I started to try different play through on my Wii.  I have yet to attempt to go through the whole game without a sword (I do believe that would be impossible on the second quest).  I do however try each different session by skipping as many of the early dungeons, and leaving them for the end.  Try out your own out of order, or lack of items play through.  I guarantee you will find the excitement and difficulty on par with anything running on your current console.  You may just rediscover the most open world game ever created.

RD Kulik

RD Kulik is the creator and Head Editor for Seed Sing.  He is currently playing through all of the great games (and some mediocre ones) on his new Xbox 360.