There is a difference, obviously, between playing a video game for the first time and the hundredth. A first play through has the joys and despairs of exploration, unlocking the game’s story, and getting lost. But after you’ve played a game before, starting up a new file instead has anticipation of your favorite parts, dread of those few levels or dungeons you remember disliking, and wondering how many of your least-favorite side quests you can skip and still consider your adventure complete. If there are any surprises, they are likely on the smaller scale, unless it has been a truly long time since you loaded up whatever game you are playing.
For me, though, there is nothing more fun than managing to combine the two. Pairing one player, who has been through a game before, with someone who has never experienced it, or who might have only played the beginning but never even made it to the middle, let alone the end. There is just something so fun about being the veteran player showing the ropes to a rookie, knowing when to watch their face for a reaction, laughing as they reach a frustrating side quest, or being stunned when the newbie pulls off something I could never do. I love every second of these adventures, and that love is what brings me to today’s memory, my most recent Zelda related memory.
Over the past few months, my wife and I have been playing Ocarina of Time on our YouTube channel. As my first Zelda game, not to mention the one I’ve played most, I knew most of the twists and turns she was to encounter on her very first journey through the two eras of the game. I waited with glee for her to meet the Gorons and see Darunia‘s majestic dance. I shuddered as she entered Jabu-Jabu’s Belly, knowing that she would dislike it as much as I do. I was even merciful and took the controls when a frustrating mini game or side quest came along.
As my wife went in almost completely blind (she did know the big twist at the end, but that did not stop me from using a ridiculous muffled voice whenever Sheik came on screen), I got the chance to experience the game I have always called the greatest of all time through her eyes, almost as though I was playing it for the first time all over again. There is a great joy to that, and if you have ever found yourself wondering if you could, in fact, experience your favorite game against for the first time, I truly hope that you are able to convince someone to play it with you.
For me, this will not be the last time I play a game, particularly a Zelda title, again for what will be far from my first journey, but which is the first adventure for the person I am playing it with. Not only does my wife still have a few titles in the series left to experience (Zelda games are her favorites, but she came to the party rather late), but there is someone new coming along who I certainly hope to show these amazing games to for the very first time, after she has a few years to develop hand-eye coordination and the ability to read.
Yes, my daughter, the first child for both my wife and I, is coming soon after this article’s publish date, and we could not be more excited! We both cannot wait to share our love of so many things with her (don’t worry, she already has a onesie with Navi saying “Hey! Listen!” on it), and playing games with her for the very first time is certainly on that list.
But those are all memories yet to come. I might not be sharing my old ones here in the Realm of Memories columns for a little while as I build new ones with her, but there will always be more to create and share with you, my fellow lovers of the Zelda franchise. In the meantime, I truly hope that all of your memories are happy ones, and that, just every once in a while, you are able to grab a loved one, convince them to play a game that is old for you and new for them, and travel back through the river of time to an adventure you’ve been on before, but you just had to journey on for the first time again!
