Goro Goro Goron Grumble
It is now Thursday, meaning I have less than a day to finish this review.
This Goron took time out of his busy day of rolled-up napping to tell Navi to back off.
The Goron race, I recall, is the single greatest minority in all of Hyrule. Living rocks, they are by extension part of the land that Link is trying to save, which is what makes them so likable. They are also the first non-fairy species, as both the Hylian and Kokiri share similar biological traits, to be introduced. However, as the first non-fairy species, they are depicted in a bit of a negative light, as most are incredibly stupid and thick-headed, which is suitable to their appearance. In a sense, I noticed an almost racist treatment of the Goron race, be it in how Darunia questions his current status with the King of Hyrule or the Goron on Death Mountain Trail who speculates he can open Dodongo’s Cavern by running into the rocks blockading the entrance instead of using Bomb Flowers like any sane person.
Yet I liked the Gorons, a lot more than the Hylians anyway. Xenophobic though they may be, at least the Gorons treated Link with some respect, with their belief that maturity and adulthood are not measured in stature, but through bravery.
As for Dodongo’s Cavern itself, I found it to be a bit more challenging than the Great Deku Tree’s indigestion. This was primarily because I lost my shield midway through the dungeon and was too stubborn to exit to obtain another. The boss was relatively easy, but I got injured once during battle, more so than the last. Nonetheless, I felt that this dungeon too was a bit short, as if the Child Arc is nothing but the precursor. A friend of mine pointed out his dislike of the Child Arc, as it seems almost nothing but setting up the events for the Adult Arc rather than introduce its own, which I agree with to some extent. However, that’s nothing new, everyone knows that the Child Arc is but the appetizer to a larger, grander adventure, but I still find subtleties in the earlier stages of Link’s life that give players the kind of motivation they will need in future sections of game play.
