For today’s video, I thought I’d try something new, throw an idea at the wall and see it works out. Having gotten all five of the Zelda Amiibos that came out this past Friday making an unboxing video felt like a fun idea. It was a surprising amount of work to put together. After setting up a shooting area, placing a makeshift tripod, and moving a few tables everything was ready to go. This was my first attempt ever at something like this, I was fairly nervous which upon reviewing the footage it shows all too embarrassingly.
Besides stepping a bit out of my comfort zone I also tried my hand at producing a full 4K video. This was accomplished with an iPhone 7 Plus which was easy to place, adjust, and just start recording, I was impressed, to say the least. The problem came after recording the footage, moving the video off of the iPhone was a big chore since the file size of the video was so big. But after a few tries, I was able to rip it out of my iPhone using a file management tool.
They are easily the coolest looking Amiibos to date in my opinion
Editing Is a Big Time Sink
Changing up the way that my videos are normally prepared was a bit scary. But this is my first big editing venture, It may not seem earth-shattering but I’m damn proud of this video! We’ve got underlying music, courtesy of Bensound.com who makes awesome royalty-free music; check it out. Filming the video was the easy part, getting the audio and everything to flow in a final version was the tough part. It took a lot of courage for me to do this video. After a full weekend of hard work, I’m glad I made something I can be proud of.
Music used in the video: Jazzy Frenchy – Bensound.com
The Nintendo Switch has had a rocky past, It was under full wraps up until January. We didn’t have anything but rumors, fake images, and design sketches to work with to help get a full idea of what the console was. Nintendo was hell-bent on keeping everything a secret until January when they showed off the console and games. We saw a new Mario, Arms and of course more Zelda. Plus the new Joy-Con controllers, the fact that it could swap from TV to Console and back with little to no effort with just a hint of that Nintendo magic that tugs at all our heartstrings.
From the moment you see the box, you know you’re in for a treat
Spending the Day Waiting
I had pre-ordered mine online through GameStop. I was excited that it made it to my doorstep on launch day. It got here at about 2:00 pm so I was more than ready to tear into it. I had spent the earlier part of the day going to multiple different stores to grab the latest Amiibos that had launched and was lucky enough to get all the news that had come out. Also, Best-Buy may have been sold out of Nintendo Switches but they had one last Zelda: Master Edition, and I just couldn’t pass up that chance since I had been unable to secure a pre-order.
From what I could gather Best Buy had sold out of switches in a matter of minutes of opening, Toys R Us sold out in about an hour after opening and Meijers had people waiting out front but had only gotten about 5 in total. Which does sound like a typical Nintendo launch where they keep things scare and demand high.
It’s always great when you’re able to get all the Amiibos on there launch day!
Nintendo Switch Makes a Strong First Impression
After a quick lunch, I return home to find the UPS driver delivering a package. Rushing through the whole meet and greet I run inside and tear open the box. Upon first glance, I’m surprised to find just how small the actual box is, it reminds me of a 3DS box due to its slim figure and length. You open the box and get hit with instructions on how to set it up. But we’re here to see the console, I was surprised to find out just how small the screen on the console was; this includes the Joy-Cons.
The Joy-Cons are a tad small but feel comfortable in your hand
They’re a lot smaller than I was picturing when viewing them online. But once you pick them up they feel fantastic, even in my big hands. I can see using one of the Joy-Cons by itself to play two-player games. Holding one in each hand feels great, like having a Wii-Mote in each hand with full motion control. I hope Nintendo takes advantage of this cause the possibilities could be cool.
Setting Up The Nintendo Switch Is Easy
Setting up the Switch is as easy as turning on the console itself. Since it doesn’t need to be connected to a TV to turn on or be viewed, it’s able to walk you through the setup process as soon as you hit the power button on the top left. It boils down to plug-in power adaptor into the switches cradle, plugs in an HDMI, and slides the switch into the cradle and boom you’re all ready to start playing some games. My Joy-Cons came connected to the Switch out of the box, which was a nice touch. The music, sound effects, graphics all have that Nintendo magic that makes you feel like your playing with something special and we haven’t even loaded up a game yet.
The Joy-Cons slide and snap right into the provided holder with ease
Nintendo Switch – You’re Here For Zelda
I didn’t feel like 1-2 Switch was worth a full 60 dollar price tag and still hold strong it should have been a pack-in like Wii-Sports was for the Wii. But I digress, anyway the game I did get my hands on was Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Now I’ll probably do a full write up for Zelda in a bit after I’ve had more time to play it. But after about seven hours or so I’m still in the starting area, haven’t collected a single rupee, and could not have a bigger smile on my face.
This game is crazy, it throws everything you know about Zelda out the window. It doesn’t make sense if you look at it purely from the Zelda template that we’re all used to. You’re thrown into a big open world and told to just explore. There is guidance in the way of waypoints and a general direction but you’re mainly left to your own devices.
Zelda Has Changed For the Better
Do you want to climb a mountain, kill baddies and collect weapons, just run around and search for chests? You can do all this and more in about 5 minutes of launching the game. It won’t stop you or warn you about dangers you’re just going to have to explore, test things out, and learn the hard way. Weapons and shields break surprisingly fast, you’re going to fill out your inventory and be deciding what to drop to pick up something with a bigger number that does more damage. You’re going to be cooking food to get stat boosts and refill health. While also taking super cool screenshots or your journeys.
The Nintendo Switch has a robust image editor
Taking images on the Nintendo Switch is surprisingly easy as it has a button dedicated to it. The main gripe I have with it is that currently, you can only upload them to Facebook and Twitter. Which is a real drag, taking out a Micro-SD to move images is just a chore. I hope in a future update they add more options for moving images around.
Did you get a Switch on launch day? Did you play a game other than Zelda? Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on the console. I’d love to hear your take on this new step forward for Nintendo!
Coming from the last episode this one was cathartic in a certain way. I turned the tables on my biggest opponent yet. I jump right into the fight that gave me so trouble last time. This time I’m ready to be able to topple the big guy. Now there were about 4 or 5 fights before this one with recordings that I’ll never show. I wanted to start the episode with a victory, this, in turn, allowed me to march forward and let no one stop me from returning to the shrine.
It’s the small victories that feel special
Taking some time off-screen to practice, upgrade my character, as well as level up, gives me the needed skills to beat this big roadblock. Utilizing dodging, Kai Blasts, and well time strikes I take him down in little to no time. This is cause for a great celebration and I maybe scream just a tad too much but screw it; it felt amazing!
Conquering The Town on Fire
Moving on forward past the defeated roadblock, I am finally able to see the rest of the town on fire. Moving around my newly opened part of the town I dash across rooftops, defeat some ground riddled enemies and scout out a pretty interesting shortcut. Dropping down a water barrel allows for a quick way back to the shrine for which I am well acquainted.
Kicking a water container to extinguish the blaze below and open a shortcut
The only problem is that between the shortcut and the shrine is another miniboss guarding the way. Now the first one was an ax wielder, this one has two blades. I decide to clear out a little more houses so I don’t have to on the way back. Then I dive headfirst into the second miniboss to open the way since they don’t respawn like a normal enemy.
Sometimes You Gotta Stumble to Get Back Up
Two swords are always more terrifying than just one
Rushing right past the miniboss as he spawns in I sprint back to the safety of the shrine. This is so if I die I can reclaim all my Amrita without worry. After fighting the one with the ax, I’m just not ready for this one’s speed. He’s far faster than what I have been used to just far and I take misjudge the distance causing me to die. Reclaiming my Amrita as soon as I spawn I level up a bit and charge right back into battle with the two-bladed giant. This time I’m more prepared and more powerful, allowing me to take my time and take him down. Thankfully I get enough Amrita for another level up before I try to get that dastardly door open so I can face the level’s final boss.
Opening a door can be just as fulfilling as toppling a boss in NIOH
Hey, if you’re playing NIOH let me know in the comments below or on my video up above.
Coming from a burning town of horrors this episode was just painful, it felt like I was playing Dark Souls all over again. It was my fault mainly I tried to rush things, not taking the time to slow down and smell the roses. I dove right into every battle headfirst and paid the price over and over again. I start not to bad but it all goes downhill as I gain a tad bit of overconfidence in my sword fighting ability. An enemy I was able to dispatch easily on the first go takes me down with little to no effort on their end.
I feel this screen fits well here
Taking a step back I look through my inventory and decide to trade the sword for a Kusarigama. It’s an awesome weapon in of itself. It’s a chain with a sickle at the end. This is far more useful than a spear as it can cover a wider area although with less damage overall.
It may do less damage but it looks super badass
Banging My Head Against Aforementioned Wall
Alright, all the confidence in the world with using a new weapon doesn’t mean anything if you can’t face your demons. This is where I falter. Over and over, did I mention I hit a brick wall? I feel it’s pretty important here. I decide to tackle the big bad miniboss with my blade as I have more experience with it. It surprisingly goes fairly well until he gets in a lucky strike and takes me down. Undeterred I rush back full speed! Only to immediately die once again before I even get to the miniboss.
That feeling like I’ve been here before
Somehow I manage to make it back to the miniboss without dying. I decide to change things up and take him on with my Kusarigama and it goes well. I watching my Kai, doing Kai blasts when needed and dodging to stay alive. Slowly but surely I take his life down bit by bit. He puts a fight but I get him on the ropes and surely think victories assured. Of course, everything comes to a head when he gets one lucky swing in and drains what’s left of my life. sigh
So Close, So Freaking Close
Look at that life bar, it’s so close yet so far
I rush back with a burning desire to beat this boss. Take the entire fight slow and calculated, dodge when needed, retaliate with some damage, and retreat to recover my health. The problem is none of this matters if I lose all my Kai at the last open and leave myself open enough for him to get a lucky strike in. If I had just had a little more than half health I could have recovered and taken a victory. Alas, it was not meant to be, well get em next time.
After trucking through a number of enemies I start making a beeline through some enemies and march forward to the ominous dark fog that houses a miniboss. Unfortunately, I move a little too fast and take some heavy damage that causes me to die before I even get to the house. But hey at least I gain some familiarity with my blade. Familiarity is a system that allows you to get a stat boost for using specific weapons over time. This is useful if you get a really powerful weapon that you’re able to master.
I look forward to seeing this screen a lot in my future
Round two here we go, this time I make it to the miniboss. This is accomplished by taking it slow and without pulling any enemies my way. I make sure my gears ready, I have everything I need to be equipped, take a deep breathe, and run right into the dark fog. I utilize my ax to help focus on doing damage and retreat when needed to recharge my kai. It takes some back and forth, a few healing items, and some luck but I’m able to drop the hulking monster. Gather some of the new gear it dropped, grab the key to the gate and forward march into a town that’s in the middle of burning. Which is just great.
The bigger they are the harder they fall, as long as it’s not on top of me
The Town on Fire
Thankfully the first you can run to right after viewing the burning town is a shrine to collect yourself at. After a little management its time to jump into the flames feet first and try not to get burned. Taking a side route to get on the roof I find another Kodama and take down an oblivious enemy with my trusty longbow. I stupidly sit on the roof too long and get the attention of another enemy that is just a pain but easily dispatched.
Oh God Not The Face
Falling off the roof I sneak attack a patrolman and manage to just blow the whole ordeal. Taking way to much damage but somehow scrape by with the help of my sword and some stance changes. A little item scavenging and just general discovering the environment brings us a nice ladder you can drop down as a shortcut. Problem is that once you get to it you can’t go back the way you came. Thus you have to push forward. This is where everything goes wrong.
Dark Fog Monsters Vengeance
Welp, this isn’t going to end well
You wouldn’t think that a fight you already managed to win would be that much harder just because of a change of scenery. Instead of inside a house this time you’re on the roof of a house. This limits your movements in a way I was not prepared for, I fail to manage my kai and just get crushed. I think this second one is much tougher than the first which would make sense.
