Day 66, Game 66 - Link's Crossbow Training

Inspiration sometimes comes in the most unlikely times and unexpected moments. Tonight was one of those moments in time, for sure, where inspiration popped out of thin air.

I was having a twitter conversation with an awesome gamer lady, Elaine, who hosts the fantastic Hell Yeah Podcast that I recently became a big fan of after it was highly recommended to me (thanks, Pizza Guy!). Anyway, she had mentioned how she felt like a "bad bitch" when using the bow in the new Tomb Raider game (and yes, that's her quote, not mine). I was curious if it was the character or actually the weapon, because I have been struggling to find a game that utilizes the bow successfully as a weapon. Every game seems to make it feel forced and efficient as a weapon itself, like it was in Far Cry 3.

If it wasn't for the hunting side quests that forced you to use the bow, I never had that thing equipped. Ever. And honestly, I used my knife to shank those tigers and komodo dragons instead of the bow, which technically counted still, somehow.

She suggested the bow in Crysis 3 was good, but honestly, that game was so uninteresting, uninspired and complicated that there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy the weapon in the short amount of time that I played it. The commercials made it look cool, and the brief time I had with it, I was able to feel the potential in it being not only a viable, but a go-to weapon. But again, I had no fun with the game itself, much less any weapons.

I jokingly tossed out Link's Crossbow Training, and while a crossbow technically isn't the type of bow I was referring to, but still, it worked and felt better than any crappy bow in recent games. I don't know what it is, but there is a certain feeling to having a bow seem like a proper weapon in a game. It's hard to explain, but I know I haven't found one in a long, long time.

So, of course, I immediately wanted to play Link's Crossbow Training for tonight's blog entry. It seemed like the only appropriate thing to do, really. Plus, I could say I beat the game for the blog, which is cool, since it only takes an hour or so to get through the nine levels. It's just weird that this is the first Zelda game I've played for the blog. Who saw that coming?

A lot of people have probably forgotten about this game, most likely because they never played it. It was basically the Legend of Zelda Battle Quest mini-game attraction in the NintendoLand game for the Wii U - just way ahead of it's time. It was originally a spin-off game of the Twilight Princess, until it got demoted to pack-in mini game, despite the game obviously taking place in the same world as Twilight Princess did. And the best thing about the game? It came with the infamous Wii Zapper - for free! Or did you get the game for free when you bought the Wii Zapper? You tell me!

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Ahh, the Wii Zapper. What a great yet horrible plastic peripheral. The concept of it alone is what originally got me so excited for it, with the promise of being able to use it efficiently for all future shooters coming to the Wii. Aside from the Resident Evil on-rails shooter Umbrella Chronicles, I don't ever remember using the damn thing ever.

The design of it is great, with the remote locking in perfectly, the nunchuck fitting nice and securely and even having the chords as concealed and tidy as possible. Sadly, the trigger didn't work well and the overall shape of the Zapper was an ergonomic nightmare. It was clear that using the controller without the shell was much easier and effective.

I liked playing it again tonight, though. It was and still is a fun little game. But with the NintendoLand game, it's hard to ever go back and play it again after tonight. But don't worry, the Wii Zapper will find a nice resting spot next to my two Wii Wheels and Fitness Board, tucked in the far depths of my gaming cabinet.

Thanks again for the inspiration, Elaine! And yes, I will be writing about Tomb Raider soon, and hopefully, I will feel like a bad bitch as well when using the bow.

Which reminds me, dear readers. Are there any games you can think of that utilize the bow as a great weapon? Let me know!

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