Bun-Bun Fun: A Bunny Link to the Past

Joat · July 5, 2018, 5:27pm

I’ve decided to stop doing the alt text. It was a nice idea in theory, but I realized that anyone using a screen reader or with an internet connection such that they’d have images disabled would be unlikely to be on this site in the first place, let alone click on a screenshot LP. And yes, putting alt text in is a rather small time investment per image, but that adds up rather quickly.

Anyway, onward!

The Swamp of Evil – No entrance, no escape.

Nothing can hide from the bunny.

Bug: How about it?

Eh. Sure, why not? Not much else to use them for.

Bug: Heh heh. Thank you. As a matter of fact, monster magic is making it rain in this swamp. If you can move the air with more force than them, the rain may stop!

With all the rupees I have, I could probably afford to hire the uncreatively-named Shiftry’s Team, but I think I have an idea of my own to try, first.

…Yes, I know that joke came out of the blue. But I shall note, when I was initially doing this LP, I was doing it concurrently with a Red Rescue Team LP.

Sadly nothing special beyond the bombable wall.

Why are you here? You have wings and can fly away, and if you desire to heal others, well, I am probably the first benevolent being to visit this swamp in… ever, pretty much. Except debatably that one insect guy.

HM, I WONDER WHAT MAGIC SPELL I SHOULD USE.

Oh, I get it now. The dungeon requires the Ether spell to enter because it prefers a cold meal.

What is that stuff on the wall, anyway? Mold? Slime? Abstract surrealist art?

The walls have eyes.

Which look really bored.

For dry, laser-spewing eyes…

There goes the property value.

Neither of these walls are bombable, those mean architects. Fortunately, I’ve started checking the walls with my sword before bombing them (breakable walls make a different sound when poked), so I did not waste any bombs.

Oh no, spiiikes. yawns

I wonder how it must feel to stand on the spikes with this cane active. Is it reduced to a pins-and-needles sensation? Is it still uncomfortable to be walking on a shifting, uneven surface with one’s bare paws?

…Well, they tried to make this a threat.

I’ve heard of foreboding lighting, but…

It will be very helpful if you make proper use of it! What a mysterious cane!

Sadly, while it’s useful for solving puzzles, it’s not as useful in combat as you would think a cane that creates blocks of explodium would be.

Fun fact: If you sprinkle magic dust on one of these bouncing orb-skull things, then you get a fairy. Quite useful for if one is low on health.

…Uh?

I wonder if I should go for the eyes…

Yes, I think I shall.

This is probably the first time I’ve decided that bombs are the way to go in a fight, in this game.

Maiden: Link, because of you, I can escape from the clutches of the evil monsters. Thank you! Ganon captured us because he couldn’t break the seal of the wise me with his power alone. And then, using the wizard Aghanim as his pawn, he drew us to the Dark World.

Wait… So, kid-friendly Nintendo has created a game where some creepy robed adult abducts seven little girls and brings them to a place called the Dark World. Okay, then.

Maiden: It was foretold that you would come to our rescue, but no one could have guessed what he would do to us all!

I would prefer no further elaboration on that.

Maiden: After cracking the seal with our powers, he sealed us inside of these crystals. He then gave us to his loyal monsters. But Ganon didn’t plan on you getting this far.

I imagine Ganon is probably rather peeved at Agahnim for not killing Link when he had the chance served up to him on a silver platter.

Maiden: You’ve shown that your strength comes from the courage inside your heart! Now, Princess Zelda is waiting for you inside of Turtle Rock. Please hurry!

Turtle Rock sounds like a really slow heavy metal genre.

Maiden: May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce!

They have all opened and closed in the same way. Are the seven descendants of the wise men secretly a hive mind? Or perhaps they just rehearsed this.

…Oh good heavens, this whole game is a stage play! It was a conspiracy with Super Mario Bros. 3 all along!

Joat · July 10, 2018, 1:55am

Before I progress the plot any further, first, a few errands.

First stop, more grave robbing!

And it gets me a super-rare magical item instead of, say, criminal charges. Not that the law is very good at catching me anyway, mind.

And now, I have a happy inventory screen!

Ah yes, this. Time to wow the world with fashion!

Er, I mean anti-fashion!

Being invisible causes me to pass through the bumper mechanism, because, uh… physics?

Oh well! Heart piece get!

Good sir, I think your aim could use some work.

Bomb Salesbug: have a new Super Bomb in stock for only 100 Rupees! Please buy it too, mister!

It…

It’s PIIIIINK!

I waaaant it!

Bomb Salesbug: Please don’t forget it.

Don’t worry. I get the feeling I’ll never forget this momentous occasion.

I got my own little pet boooomb!

There is no way in which this could possibly be a bad idea.

Ah yes, this place! At long last, we get to tear down this wall!

Woo!

Sure, why not?

Uh…

No comment.

Fairy: What an honest little creature! I will give you something better in return.

Your sword is at maximum strength! It radiates with uncompromising beauty and power!

Well, that’s… anticlimactic, admittedly. Though, I suppose I’d have a hard time with where to go for the design of the fourth sword, too. And, to be fair, this sword does look quite nice! The white-and-gold theme is simple, yet effective.

Oh, if only he could see me now…

I admittedly do not recall how to get the final tunic, so let’s see if this works.

Aw yeah, things are about to get…

…

He is still wearing his tunic after throwing it into the pool.

I’d make a quantum mechanics joke, except we are actively observing both tunics. So, yeah…

Oh well. ‘Twas a slim hope. But now, on to the most important thing!

Fairy: You are an honest person. I like you. I will give you something important… These are the Silver Arrows. To give Ganon his last moment, you definitely need them!

…Wait, does this mean Ganon is a werewolf? Is he going to try to bite me? Or take off his shirt and romance me?

Fairy: I know I don’t quite have the figure of a faerie. Ganon’s cruel power is to blame! You must defeat Ganon!

Why did he just make you fat instead of, y’know, killing you?

These are the Silver Arrows you need to defeat Ganon!

Anyway, to the plotmobile!

…Kinda hit the nail on the head with this dungeon name.

And you need to, in the light world, guess the order to pound these stakes in through trial-and-error, because, uh… game design?

HMMM, I WONDER…

EXTREME ACUPUNCTUUUUURE!

I think Link has been eaten more often than most people have eaten.

Even Zelda is speechless.

The game poses an interesting question… mark.

And the answer is magical explodium blocks that turn into moving platforms when exposed to punctuation.

Whatever works, I suppose.

Evil rolling pins! My arch-nemesis!

When it comes to staring contests, this door fights dirty.

The only winning move here is not to play.

Oh look, it’s a… pogo… ball… cactus… thing.

Get back heeeere!

Oh hey, it’s the Bow-Wow Bros.!

I decided to break some floor tiles with my sword this time so they don’t feel quite so bad about themselves.

Ooh, issa tunnel!

Weeeee-ow! Weeeee-ow! Weeeee-ow!

Seriously, those thumps make it sound PAINFUL! It’s a good thing that fur makes good padding.

Is the lava truly menacing if one cannot fall into it and is clearly too high up to be much affected by ambient heat?

I wonder…

Nope, but that would have been a rather interesting easter egg.

couldn’t block!

Ooh, shiny! And pink!

Even putting aside my bias toward pink stuff, I prefer this design to the old one. I agree, Ryusuta; the size of the old Mirror Shield was simply absurd and also would have hidden far too much of the adorable.

Though, I am a bit disappointed that I don’t get to use that “Tower Shield Proficiency feat” joke I had lined up.

You don’t scare me, rolling pins! I…

Wait, why am I even bothering?

Take that, skull thing!

Nice touch, I must say.

This door is locked by the key one needs to get to this door in the first place.

Turtle Rock contains a rock turtle. Interesting.

Also, no prizes for guessing the weakness of the two colored heads. The red one breathes lines of fire, the blue one breathes lines of slick ice flooring.

Not one head down, fairly good aim, and I need to restock magical power. They certainly expect the player to come prepared, huh?

Then again, given how many rupees the game throws at the player, not much excuse not to be prepared, so fair enough.

I managed to kill the other head with my last sliver of magical power.

Too bad I had to use a potion to restore health.

But hey, now I have magical power to break the game with!

Thankfully, the developers had the forethought to not put the heart container in a wall in this case.

I wonder if Zelda will open with something unique.

Huh. I’m surprised. I even had a “DAGNABBIT!” all lined up and everything. Also, I think Zelda’s the only one who has a different wardrobe team.

Zelda: I felt this from the first time we met. … … …

You mean when I got curb-stomped in a rather embarrassing fashion?

Zelda: I haven’t forgotten all you’ve done for me, Link…

She makes it seem like I did more than one thing to help her, specifically, before now.

Zelda: All this time you’ve worn a monster’s form because you wanted to help me.

I know what she means, but my first thought when I saw this line was, “No, he’s wearing a monster’s form because Agahnim cursed him with it.” And because Ryusuta correctly thinks it’s adorable.

Zelda: I will never forget that. You’re truly as gentle-natured as you appear in that form. It actually suits you, in a way…

And because he is far more able to defend himself than one would think, just like real bunnies.

Zelda: Anyway, Ganon is waiting inside his tower to pass through the gate linking the two worlds. Once Ganon enters the Light World, it is unlikely that anyone can stop him.

Including me? Is he somehow more powerful in the Light World than the Dark World he already rules?

Zelda: But if he stays in the closed space of this world, you can find him wherever he runs.

Admittedly, the Light World access would give him twice as much space, but only twice as much, unless we’re assuming that the Light World has more to it than shown on the map and the Dark World does not.

Zelda: Now, go to the Tower of Ganon! We will use our combined powers to break the barrier. Let’s return peace to the country without fail… … … …

Proof that crystals beat disco barriers every time!

Zelda: May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce.

DAGNABBIT!

Joat · July 16, 2018, 11:21pm

It is time.

Funnily enough, when initially doing this LP, this was sort of an epic moment not just within the game, but for me. This was about the farthest I have ever gotten in this game before I got distracted by something shiny, and this would be my first time actually completing this game, modded or no.

That barrier is deader than disco.

Who are these statues supposed to impress? I doubt he actually figured anyone would get this far and, if so, that those who visit would care. Maybe he just really likes looking at statues of himself. While standing near the entrance. Even though he probably rarely if ever really exits this tower.

The Triforce has taken on a lot of colors, hasn’t it?

The previous room had a key atop a tall object that needed to be rammed into to knock said key down. This has these. I suppose I would expect nothing less from Final Exam Tower.

Not that it is a bad thing, mind – The final dungeon should use all of the skills and powers one has accumulated over the game. That said, I will fatigue both you and I if I point out every question on this exam, so I shall refrain from doing so unless it is of particular interest.

…I may be here a while.

Finding the right switch makes things explode though, so yay!

As well as giving me more tools to create my own.

Funnily enough, I remember these invisible walkways, but I could have sworn I remembered them coming into play far earlier in the game.

Ha! Your feeble attempts to make tile attack rooms more challenging are no match for…

…Well, crap.

I have no shame.

I do not remember lighting a light source to reveal the path, though.

Ah yes, the boss rush.

Fortunately, these ones are pansies, only requiring one shot per.

Okay, actually, it’s probably just a matter of having better gear now.

I may as well, since I had to use a potion.

I have you in my clutches once again, bouncy skull thing…

These things are much less threatening once one realizes that their shots are blockable with the mirror shield.

Ah, so that’s where it is!

Now you feel more like a tortoise than a hare!

But those aren’t as adorable…

Okay, I imagine someone will post an image link in the comments to prove me wrong, on that count. Or draw something themselves, if they cannot find anything.

It looks decently well, though I think white would have worked better than yellow. That said, white is the default color, so it seems Ryusuta felt differently and, admittedly, since she saw the white version on Bunny Link, I suppose that qualifies as knowing something about the situation I don’t.

I should probably be scared by this.

But I’m not.

Also, you may notice that Link now seems somewhat discolored. The lighter pink areas of his body are now more yellow-ish. This seems to be triggered by opening the map screen, I think, and seems to be fixed by Link entering or exiting a building (but not going between rooms in a dungeon), leading me to believe that it corrects itself upon entering a room with a different palette. I think Ryusuta fixed this in a later update, though.

A fairly creative puzzle.

For a somewhat useful reward. Well, not for me at this time, having no empty bottle and barely any health down, but for others, perhaps

A decently challenging room, perhaps, but just imagine how silly it would look in real life….

Ah yes, these things…

…Just got iced.

The Wizzrobes are not an issue, but clearing this room by trial and error is, sadly. At the time, I didn’t know about revealing the path with Ether.

Or I could just bomb-boost over this invisible gap.

I am awesome bun.

They’re just jealous because I have skin.

Also, I have lucky rupees!

Well, that’s inconvenient.

Here’s hoping I can get a repeat one-try wonder performance…

Easy mode activated!

Weeee…

There are a number of chests like this in this dungeon. One even had a green rupee. Ganon, you are a dark lord; have bigger treasure hauls for the sake of your own dignity, if nothing else.

Aaand here we are!

…Oh. It’s you…

Aghanim: I’m very happy to see you again, but you’d better believe me that we will not have a third meeting!

A lovely choice of wording, because whether he wins or loses, he is not incorrect.

Aghanim: Reverse the spell? HA! So long as the Dark Lord rules, my magic will NEVER die!

Oddly specific counter-spell. I could understand if killing you reversed it, but him? And if he’s the source of your power, why are you the one who has this job? Couldn’t anyone have done it?

Actually, if you’re doing the self-duplication thing, wouldn’t this count as the second, third, and fourth encounter?

Well, that was… not exactly three times harder.

Seriously, only one time did any of them use the blast I can’t deflect back.

And a pig ghost flies out of the body, which is sadly obscured by my massive life bar, and then it turns into a bat and flies away. Because pig ghosts will do that.

…How? I could understand if it were a Slayer song I was playing on the thing, but I doubt my ~~ocarina~~ flute-playing was loud enough to hear across the dimensional gap.

Well, that bat definitely had its daily spinach…

And so, I arrive on the scene. This is it. Time for the final battle!

But first, I’ll go ahead and wimp out and refill my potion stock.

After that, though, we end this once and for all!

…By which I mean the bunnification. Aw…

Joat · July 26, 2018, 10:22pm

Sorry for being so delayed, but I am back!

And now, it is time.

Big pink bunny, thank you!

Ganon: It’s unbelievable that you defeated my alter ego, Aghanim the Dark Priest, twice!

But now, we meet for the third time! Or fifth. Depends on how you look at it.

Wait, if that was your alter ego, doesn’t that mean you could, in fact, exit the Dark World this whole time?

Ganon: But you see now that the spell over you will never be broken!

I know he means that he will win, but if he does win, will Link be in any position to care whether his body is changed back or not?

Ganon: I will destroy you and make my wish to conquer both Light and Dark Worlds come true without delay!

Except, y’know, the massive delay I caused at the beginning of the game.

I know spears are generally considered good throwing weapons, but giving it a spin is a good way to hit your opponent with the handle instead of the pointy bits.

And with a single stomp, the room starts falling to pieces, because the mighty ruler of all of the Dark World can’t afford a decent architect.

Ganon: En Garde!

When I have spent so long wiping the floor with the monsters of the Dark World, is “of Darkness” supposed to make things more intimidating at this point?

Oh. As in, literally, of darkness.

I hit him so hard with my sword he, uh… froze, somehow?

Oh well, silver arrow time!

I am awesome bun.

This has been quite a journey. But now, here I am, where I have never ventured before. Or, well, hadn’t at the time of the original gameplay.

Uh…

Okay, admittedly, nice twist, but why were people so often calling it the Golden Power up to this point, then?

Triforce: … … …

Not gonna explain it, Triforce? I see how it is…

Triforce: The Triforce will grant the wishes in the heart and mind of the person who touches it.

The Triforce also speaks about itself in the third person, for whatever reason.

Triforce: The stronger the wish, the more powerful the Triforce’s expression of that wish.

If your wish does not come fully true, touch the Triforce once more, this time with feeling.

Triforce: Ganon’s wish was to conquer the world. That wish changed the Golden Land to the Dark World.

The Triforce has a sense of literalist humor.

Triforce: Ganon was building up his power here so he could conquer the Light World and make his wish come completely true. But now, you have totally destroyed Ganon.

Like, totally, dude.

Triforce: His dark world will vanish. And now, if you desire it, you may return to your human form… Or perhaps you’ve found happiness in your new form? That decision is yours alone.

…Does this mean I can’t consult with my attorney first?

Triforce: Take the Triforce and make a wish with your whole heart…

Oh well. Pinkforce get!

Now I’m thinking of a Zelda/LotR crossover.

Oh hey, rescuing the kingdom gave the guards faces and makes them look like actual people!

Wait a sec…

Um… my bad?

I guess we have one more reason to hope Link kept his bunny shape. It’s a lot harder to be mad at that face.

Okay, realistically, given what we see a bit later, chances are that the slain soldiers have been resurrected by the wish.

I love how he’s holding that book and looking at the camera. “Oh hey, you finally saved the world and brought me back to life. What took you so long?”

I guess they made up since last we saw them. Maybe they figured they should stop fighting or the big bunny will come over and set off a bomb in their house again.

…Happy end?

Oh, that wacky thief!

Wait, who owns those chests? I didn’t see them when I was there. Do they belong to the vultures?

I guess my Stockholm syndrome remark was perhaps a bit more on-the-nose than I thought…

Awww, I am quite much the happy we still have bunny link!

Well, mostly, but I’ll bring up the complication at the end.

Don’t worry, uncle. It’s not the size that matters…

I still think they’d have better business if they’d stop trying to kill everyone that comes anywhere near water, especially the water in their own domain.

Does he do anything to assist other than tend the shop?

Kindly refrain from making that face in my direction ever again, thank you.

…Where’s the Hyrule Chocobo? I want my Hyrule chocobo! sulks

Still hasn’t repaired that wall I blew up, I see.

And they stop doing heavy banging on metal to do some heavy metal head-banging.

Do I want to know why that net is a lot yellower than when I had it?

Actually, forget the in-universe reason. How in the world did Nintendo make such a goof? I mean, the palette has white in it, so…

How did he get up there?

“Shh, I’m incognito.”

Aw, it’s a tsundere thief!

And then, Ancient Stone Tablets happened.

And so, the credits roll, and the LP comes to a close, my first one on this site. Now, it is time for my final comments.

This is quite a lovely game, an enjoyable experience from start to finish. A simple change in graphics and text, perhaps, but it was enough to make an old game feel new again. Also, I like playing as fuzzy-wuzzies, so there’s that. Overall, I do feel this is a good-quality hack, and one can tell how much love and effort went into it. Though there are some issues, they are minor ones and I think most if not all have been probably fixed by now.

That said, I do have an issue with one thing related to the new story. Namely, this sequence of events:

Now, we cannot hear what Link said, but it feels pretty clear that Link did not merely mention the curse, but outright demanded the curse be lifted. And then, very soon after, he decides to keep it. Now, I could understand if that first screenshot were from the first encounter with Agahnim. Then, there would have been sufficient time for Link to have since warmed up to the form, but given how quickly Link went from demanding the curse be lifted to requesting to keep the form, well… that ending feels a bit forced. Personally, I would recommend either removing that line or rephrasing it, perhaps to something beginning with “And if you think I shall reverse the spell…” or something akin to that. Though, I dunno, maybe Ryusuta’s changed that line by now as well.

Overall, though, this game left me wishing that there were even more of the game to play and that it were not over yet, which is definitely a good sign. I quite commend Ryusuta for her hard work.

As for my own path from here, I’ll be starting the posting of my next LP soon. Originally, it came out concurrently with this one, but I figured I’d do one-at-a-time at first with this site. As for what the next LP is, I shan’t say yet, but I shall say it’s yet another instance of me playing the game with an unintended protagonist. So join me in the next LP, where I unleash puppy power!

Joat · July 27, 2018, 9:21pm

@moderators I initially refrained from doing this because I thought this being moved to completed LPs would auto-lock it and I wanted to give people time to post if desired, but it turns out the lock is optional and I don’t have to worry about it.

This LP is complete and ready to be moved.