In the Presence of Perfection-Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has done it again! The Switch console redeems and improves upon everything that was wrong with the WiiU, while enhancing what gamers loved about the original Wii (motion controllers) and the 3ds (portable handheld). The result, a new versatility to the way we play games at home and on the go. The $299 price point is standard Nintendo and while additional accessories such as Amiibos, additional joy cons, memory card, etc. are fun for Nintendo enthusiasts, they are not required.

The Switch is playable right out of the box using the tablet style gamepad with removable joy cons, which are smaller but similar to the original Wiimotes that made the Wii console so popular. By removing the joy cons, putting them in each hand (or the provided grip), then inserting the Switch tablet onto the docking station, you can enjoy games on your TV in the traditional fashion. Since my family and I are often on the go we love that the Switch is portable like a 3ds but with all the features and perks of a full console. The Switch is pretty amazing even with the lack of games available on Day One. While lack of games might be a big deal to some, it wasn't for me. Why? Because one of the games that happens to be available is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You may have heard of it. 😉

Everyone knows that my husband and I are generally pretty frugal but we are frivolous when it comes to things like games and books. So the fact that we were picking up the Nintendo Switch on release day is probably no surprise to anyone who knows us. We also picked up two games: Zelda and 1-2 Switch (more on this game in another post). The console only has 32 gigs so I knew digital downloads wouldn't give me much room for games without inserting a memory card so I was glad the games were on cartridges (smaller than a 3ds game cartridge) and not disks which scratch too easily. 

After making our purchase I noticed the store associate taking out a larger box for another customer that I originally mistook as a game promotion poster for Breath of the Wild. It was in fact a Special Edition of the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Special Edition with game, Sheikah Slate Switch case, coin, 24 song soundtrack, and Hyrule map

I left the store and began having serious remorse about not picking it up when I had the chance. Yes, it was $99 but as a Zelda fan since 1986 I knew I had to have it for the Sheikah Slate case alone, not to mention the perks of getting a Hyrule map, coin, and Breath of the Wild soundtrack. I waited a couple of days so by the time I talked myself into buying it, the Special Edition was sold out just about everywhere. After some perseverance we were finally able to find one and my awesome husband bought it for me.

I won't get into tech talk like Cel shading, controls, graphics, and all that stuff because I would reveal myself as a phony to all the tech people who actually understand what that means to the design of a game.  While I appreciate the technical aspects of the game, I'll leave writing about it to the ones who know how. I just want to talk about the way Breath of the Wild makes me feel and it makes me feel wonderful. It is gorgeous and nostalgic but totally new and in a league of its own.

It starts out with Link waking up in blue liquid where he has been asleep for 100 years. He does not remember who he is but finds a mysterious tablet called a Sheikah Slate. He hears a voice(Princess Zelda?) telling him the Sheikah Slate will guide him after his long slumber. The Sheikah Slate reminds me of an ancient relic from Egypt (or some other ancient advanced civilization) and we don't know where it comes from, why it is important, or what it actually does...YET. We soon learn it is a key, a map, a source of instant travel, and likely much more. The first quest of the game is to collect the Spirit Orbs from 4 Shrines and bring them to the Old Man (every Zelda game has one) in exchange for a parasail. With the high cliffs and deep valleys of Hyrule, it is obvious this will be a valuable item as the journey and travel gets more intense. That is the beauty of the Zelda series, the game unravels. As Link learns his purpose and how to survive the long quest ahead, we learn along with him, discovering all the dangers and treasures Hyrule has to offer on our own terms and at our own pace. I'm planning on taking my time with the BOTW so my completion review might be months away but I promise it will include the heroic story about how I saved Hyrule and defeated Calamity Ganon. 😉

In conclusion, Breath of the Wild appeals to everything I love about the Zelda series while giving our hero, Link, more abilities than ever. He climbs trees and cliffs, hunts and forages, and cooks up new recipes and elixirs to help him on his way. It is an immersive and beautiful game with all of the joys and frustrations of a tried and true RPG and no two gaming experience is exactly alike. It is hard for me in general to give a 10/10 score but honestly, I don't know what else I could give this game...Breath of the Wild is perfect and it was well worth the wait.