|
|
Post by Sarge on Dec 18, 2020 23:30:55 GMT -5
Most games of that vintage don't have very good stories. Even the Ys games. They look like they do, but they're pretty simple affairs. I would argue that, in the case of both A Link to the Past and Super Metroid, that Nintendo opted for more organic storytelling. Whether you care for that interpretation or not (or agree and don't like it), there is a lot of world-building going on beyond explicit dialogue sequences. Still, yes, the core of the story is effectively "save the princess". If the rest of the game is great, it doesn't matter, honestly. Although I would note that you're actually saving multiple maidens and a princess.  |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Dec 19, 2020 1:26:07 GMT -5
the core of the story is effectively "save the princess" Well, one could argue the ultimate goal wasn't so much about saving Zelda, as it was stopping Ganon and restoring Zelda's father back to being the true king. There's also the bits about Agahnim's ambitions, why there's even a seal that holds Ganon, rescuing the Seven Sages' descendants (the maidens), Sahasrahla's guidance to Link, and the whole alternate timeline lore of the Dark World.
   But yeah, definitely no story here folks.  |
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Dec 19, 2020 2:19:13 GMT -5
Yeah, I was thinking about that. Lots of lore with Ganon and the Dark World.
|
|
|
|
Post by toei on Dec 19, 2020 4:49:14 GMT -5
So roughly as much story as Streets of Rage 3 or any other arcade-style beat-'em-ups, and as generic as it gets. They basically checked the boxes for the basic fantasy cliches in a hurry and made sure not to give any of it the type of detail that might make it more interesting. But then Ex argued that Super Metroid has a story, so whatever. You might as well rave about the twists and turns in Super Mario Bros' narrative at that point. You mean the princess isn't in that castle, either? Damn, bro! Sarge Every Ys game that's had a 16-bit version (3, both 4s, 5) has a pretty decent story, enhanced by the great pacing. The worlds certainly feel more lived-in than Zelda's one-town, no-new-dialogue deal. The first two games are pretty light on that, as you'd expect since they were made in the '80s, but they're still more elaborate. |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Dec 19, 2020 11:19:04 GMT -5
Yep, Super Metroid has no story either. While it may be possible toei is not a fan of the "show don't tell" style of plot portrayal, I'd never accuse him of dissing something simply because it's popular. |
|
|
|
Post by toei on Dec 19, 2020 13:00:48 GMT -5
Yep, Super Metroid has no story either. While it may be possible toei is not a fan of the "show don't tell" style of plot portrayal, I'd never accuse him of dissing something simply because it's popular. -From memory, this is what the game shows rather than tell: You're looking for some alien thing in a base. You find it. You kill it. I think there's some kind of half-assed attempt at a plot twist concerning the nature of said thing. The end. Unless you count the 500 useless updates of 5 more weakass missiles as story elements? I'm starting to wonder. |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Dec 19, 2020 13:46:40 GMT -5
From memory, this is what the game shows rather than tell: You're looking for some alien thing in a base. You find it. You kill it. I think there's some kind of half-assed attempt at a plot twist concerning the nature of said thing. The end. Unless you count the 500 useless updates of 5 more weakass missiles as story elements? I'm starting to wonder.  I love it. Don't ever change toei . |
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Dec 19, 2020 15:36:16 GMT -5
I'm pretty eh on the stories in Ys III and Ys V. I don't think they stood out much at all, honestly - I can't even remember the plot beats in Ys V. Can't say anything about Ys IV, but it did seem decent enough from what I played of both versions, but also not anything earth-shattering. I always thought much of the appeal of the Ys games wasn't so much the core story but the blistering combat and the anime-style sequences when it came to CD-based platforms. This is an excellent idea for a thread, though! Hang on a bit.  |
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Dec 19, 2020 21:51:26 GMT -5
Just for the record, I love ALttP for its overworld exploration, awesome dungeons, and palpable sense of adventure. The story was not something I was ever concerned about while playing the game, it was just base glue to hold the rest together. If I wanted a great story out of a video game, I'd be playing an adventure game, visual novel, or grandiose WRPG. I could probably count on one hand how many Japanese RPGs (no matter the sub-genre) actually have good inspired writing. Very few.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Dec 19, 2020 22:13:51 GMT -5
Yeah, definite agreement there. Especially in that era, storytelling was pretty weak. In a lot of ways, even today, video games fall short on that front.
The Zelda phenomenon also holds true for Castlevania. I really don't much care about any of the lore; just give me another excuse to whip Dracula to death. Not that I don't enjoy games with strong stories, though! I wish there were more that took it more seriously. As it is, virtually none of it holds a candle to even average fiction writers. (And part of that isn't necessarily the fault of the writers - much in video games can get in the way of weaving a truly impressive narrative.)
|
|
I love it. Don't ever change 