(I play a game every Sunday and write what happens inaccurately.
Currently I'm playing through Majora's Mask. See previous parts here.)
(Apologies for no episode last week, was too busy trying to make a game for Nordic Game Jam Online.)
Last time, we spent an hour trying to find a bottle of milk and all we got was this red goop that apparently helped a woman, and then a bunch of monkeys wanted our help.
BUT FIRST, there is a very important matter we need to attend! It's Boat Cruise Time!
Back at the boat cruise shop, there's now no longer just an empty void but
apparently the witch is part-timing as a boat-ticket saleswoman. There's not enough business in being a hard-to-find potion shop in a dangerous swamp these days? What is the world coming to!
And she gives me this!
For Link's budding photographer-hobby which is now sure to be a thing!
Anyways, BOAT TIME
BOAT TIME
And picture taking time!
What a masterpiece.
Here we see a rare specimen, the annoying guard-octorok in its natural habitat: Blocking the way for our hero--
Oh, thanks boat. That's real... You just killed a living creature. For profit. (Or not even because this boat ride was free)
The commercialization of this swamp is becoming a real probl--
Oh what have we here?
There are some big red garden-plant-y things and a big wall or some such?
Am I? Ookay. Sure. I don't know where I am but let's do it!
There's a monkey! Following them has only gone well so far!
So, there's a big gate with two scrubs blocking it, and then two side-paths with lilies. I test the side-paths first but to little avail. One is a dead end with only an empty flower patch and one is this:
Yeah, sorry, buddy. I honestly did not mean to. This one's not on me. I promise.
Ok, it's a little on me. I did want the boat ride. I'm an enabler. I admit it.
So back to talk to the guards.
Okay. Sure. I have official business of some kind, I'm sure!
See? Told you!
Wait, the monkey angered the king? That was fucking quick. I just got here.
Got it. Naturally.
I was very tempted to just go straight to the side-paths but I guess I better check out what all the fuss is with this monkey and the king. Let's answer the question:
What did the monkey do now?
Oh, hello, I'm not interrupting anything, am i?
Wait, he KIDNAPPED THE PRINCESS?!
That's news to me! What else have these monkeys not told me?
Also, look at this spry advisor the king's got:
Ya think? I think she's just playing around in a whale's stomach and doesn't want her father to know. We should just let her be.
...Why not? What's "his current state"? He seems to be doing fine?
All right, what's the monkey gotta say to defend himself?
So you claim you didn't do it? Yeah, yeah, they all say that, kiddo.
A Monster?! Sure you're not overselling yourself a little bit there? You're just a monkey.
And what's the people got to say?
Yep, that seems like case closed for the monkey! Sorry boyo, you're going in the fire!
Guess I better just leave and let justice be served.
But just as I leave, another monkey jumps in front of me.
No? It was pretty cagey. Cages usually don't just have entrances. That's sort of the point.
He explains I can get into the cage from the other side, but it's high up so I neeed...
Riight. I follow you exactly, monkey friend. I need a "bean" from a "bean seller". Wink. I will need some of that for my Party later, so guess I should go find this "bean seller".
He's in the Lower Palace garden, is he? Well, I'll be right over!
STEALTH TIME.
Since, naturally the palace gardens are the side-paths I was not allowed to go down, so now it's time to avoid the guard's extremely narrow line of sight as I duck and weave through bushes.
It takes a little bit but I get the hang of it, and quickly I find a hole in the ground where this boy hangs out:
People have really bad business practices in this world, seriously. No wonder it's all going to shit.
But I guess since he's selling "Magic Beans" he can't exactly do it out in the open. And the Deku people do seem like the types to look the other way regarding that kind of plant-usage sooo I guess it makes sense in this scenario. Anyways, one bean please!
I reverse-stealth out (that means getting caught and spawning at the entrance) and jump over to the flower-patch and plant the bugger
Then I do a bunch of this Deku-flying above the areas I stealthed through before
and then voila! We're in the prison!
As well! Good job m--wait, why did I do this again?
Yeah, I don't know, monkey. Why am I helping you?
Right, that's right. And I apparently just cannot say no when people ask for my help, so here I am!
And then he says that THE ONLY thing that will help is an Instrument that can play VERY LOUDLY
Which... I have! It's an ocarina that somehow becomes a giant trumpet-thing! Waatch this!
Oh, now it's just an ocarina... wait, what? I Was sure that I could make it... How did I...
OH! I remember now!
I just need to be NUTTY LINK! Because NUTTY LINK has all the best instruments! (seriously how does this work?)
Oh, these are Deku Pipes? It's just an Ocarina in my pocket, but okay.
(Also, forgot to mention this, there was a sidenote before about how the Princess had JUST learned how to play the Deku Pipes? And here I just have them because... shrug).
The Monkey is so impressed by my.. ahem... pipes, that he tells me His Story
Yeah, your "plight" is you're in prison and now you're trying to weasel your way out. It ain't gonna work on me!
Aaah, crud. I physically CANNOT say no. So shit, you win this time, Monkey.
Then he wants to teach me a song. That's why I got the pipes out, right?
Well...
Wait, you want me to play quietly anyway?!? Then the Ocarina would've been fine!
I play the song and...
Everyone hears me. Of course. I'm right there!
As the King points, it is very weird that the Monkey knows this song, if it's true that only the Royal Deku Family knows it.
But this series also has a history of being very loose with Secret Songs Only the Royal Family Knows, sooooooo I'm willing to give the monkey a pass on that one. But I'm still keeping an eye on you, monkey!
And voila, I get out scot-free while the monkey gets roasted. Soonish, anyway. It is kinda my fault everyone wants to roast him now, so I better do something about it. To the Woodfall Temple!
I also learned of a shortcut in my exploration, so I take it!
And you can kinda see those wasps there, by the UI? There are two of them, and they shoot electricity. And they, along with this area, makes the game lag like CRAZY. Like, 5 FPS. Soooo I pull out my Big Bubbles and end the lag. By killing them. And it works, somehow.
So I continue to the big temple at the end aand there's an old friend! Actually!
OWL FRIEND! Commence The Owl Jam! (and it does actually play, I'm very happy).
You are definitely invited to our Party!
See, he's even polite! And considerate! Never has there been a kinder owl, I tell thee!
I highly doubt my courage is still a thing in doubt, owl friend. You of all people should know. But please, teach me something useful.
I have.
Okay. A little weird, but okay.
...left proof? Like, what proof? You're aloof like nobody's business, owl friend, that's what I like about you. How am I going to leave proof? Could you be more specific?
Song? What? How about something more.... useful? Like how to play blackjack. I never actually learned that. Or, while you're here, maybe you could post these flyers around. I made them specially for the Par--
Oh ok, that's... huh. That's a big ask! I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of commitment! But... I'm flattered! Nice to know that I got a friend across space and time.
I play the song, and apparently it's fast travel song!
That's gonna be a hell of a party trick!
Anyways, bye owl friend, I got a Temple to Go Conquer! I bounce inside and this is how it looks:
Yep, that looks dangerous all right. (It doesn't really, but if we don't convince everyone it's dangerous then My Courage is not really gonna shine through, is it? So it's Dangerous.)
So we'll see how that goes, next time.
See you then!