Are Link and Samus plain stupid or just forgetful?

[squballs1234]

This is something that I find weird in Metroid and Zelda games. In Metroid Samus can gather up somewhere around 300 missile slots in her arm cannon, a few dozen energy tanks and super bombs, power-ups like guns and visors, and then she loses them all by the next game. I know Nintendo needs to do this to keep the games from being broken easy at the beginning but realistically how can Samus possible lose all the upgrades to a suit she wears as a second skin?
The same goes for Link from the Zelda series. Yes there are more than one "Links" in the series since there's no set timeline, but Ocarina of Time and Major's Mask are supposed to be sequels. So how does Young Link from Hyrule head off to Termina and forget his bomb bag, sling-shot, lens of truth, boomerang and ETC. How could he think of leaving those in Hyrule and go off to a new and dangerous land?
I know I'm knit-picking but its a little annoying if your that kind of person, what do you guys think about this mental issue these game characters seem to be infected with? Also leave some comments on why you think i'm wrong or dumb if that's the case.

 

[mad825]

*shrugs*

I called the writers stupid, not the actual characters...Personally, I would prefer if those games got rebooted and were "westernised" to a considerable degree.

 

[Zorg Machine]

This is something that I find weird in Metroid and Zelda games. In Metroid Samus can gather up somewhere around 300 missile slots in her arm cannon, a few dozen energy tanks and super bombs, power-ups like guns and visors, and then she loses them all by the next game. I know Nintendo needs to do this to keep the games from being broken easy at the beginning but realistically how can Samus possible lose all the upgrades to a suit she wears as a second skin?
The same goes for Link from the Zelda series. Yes there are more than one "Links" in the series since there's no set timeline, but Ocarina of Time and Major's Mask are supposed to be sequels. So how does Young Link from Hyrule head off to Termina and forget his bomb bag, sling-shot, lens of truth, boomerang and ETC. How could he think of leaving those in Hyrule and go off to a new and dangerous land?
I know I'm knit-picking but its a little annoying if your that kind of person, what do you guys think about this mental issue these game characters seem to be infected with? Also leave some comments on why you think i'm wrong or dumb if that's the case.

Do you think Samus spaceship gets renovated for free? She picks up heaps of ancient, ultra powerful tech as well as incredibly modern upgrades every game...could you resist selling it all?

seriously, she is probably the richest person in the universe by now.

As for Link I could make up a convincing story of how his magic was drained after the fairies didn't need him/were too far away and a heart gripping story of selling the jewels in the boomerang to feed epona...but instead I'm going with, he gambled it away or sold it to pay for his cocaine and whoring (he is a celebrity in hyrule after all)

 

[Lilani]

I think it's a bit silly to point out only Samus and Link. Isn't this what happens to just about every single character who gains skills as the game goes on that gets a sequel?

And the answer is simple. Ever noticed that the Mario games have no problem carrying over the same setpieces from game to game? But, at the same time, he doesn't face the same problem as other franchise characters? That's because Mario doesn't retain any skills or items he gathers. They are gained in the levels, and left behind in the levels.

Samus and Link, on the other hand, face a different problem. It's all about resetting the difficulty curve. The game designers essentially have two options in doing this: either they retain the original weapons from the previous game and contrive a new set of weapons for every single game, while somehow still retaining some sort of difficulty curve, or they just act like the skills you earned in the last game didn't happen, which allows them to reset that difficulty curve.

The point of games Metroid and Zelda like that is to start with almost nothing and end with a lot--to build yourself up to face increasingly hard adversities until you defeat the most difficult one of all. Or as game designers know it, a difficulty curve. But if you start the game with a lot, what kind of curve is that?

You're starting at the top of the graph, not the bottom. So you either start there and go down (which is actually a pretty good idea for a game, one I think Yahtzee once talked about) or you find some way to raise the roof of the graph and make things exponentially harder. Which could lead to some very ridiculous results (also known as Dragonball Z syndrome).

And the reason they get away with it is because the games don't make a fully arched storyline. Today, games like that are story and character packed enough to make it to where tacking on sequels like they have with this is very, very hard to get away with. Both Link and Samus being silent protagonists helps, too--the world can change around them and they can forget all sorts of things, but they never have to explain or address this outside of their own minds. Essentially, the writers can just ignore them and the condition they're in.

 

[Akytalusia]

i've allways wondered that myself. maybe after each game, they just feel like their adventures are over and pwn all that bling so they can finaly retire. oops. silly, silly heroes.

 

[Kikyoo]

Have you played Other M? How can, in the face of that, you say Samus is anything but a giant Moron with a gun for a hand? And link?

"EXCUSE ME princess!"
need I say more?

Most video game heros are just dumb sadly.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I'm rather sure in Prime samus was attacked, and thus she lost all her powers (meaning she did have them).

as for link, well, I just like to think as each being a different tale told about hero of time that looks like every other hero of time. Either through an alternate history style existence, or a Dark Tower existence of all worlds connected by one thing (that thing being the Hero of time, or the Master sword, or something).

Thats actually how I choose to beleive series videogames work that you lose your powers. Just like the end of the dark tower (which i wont spoil).

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Metroid usually does a good job explaining it, actually.

Except for Other M.

 

[Fasckira]

Two Worlds - I was a kick ass warrior, maxed out in everything.
Two Worlds 2 - I had somehow forgotten all these skills and all my strenght, intelligence, stamina and dexterity. I even had to be told how to perform basic things like run and sneak.

If skills carried over, each game in the series would need to get harder and harder each time. I think you're just being picky, sir!

I quite like the idea Yahtzee had in one of his blog posts, the idea that you start the game with all your skills but progressively lose them.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

I'm rather sure in Prime samus was attacked, and thus she lost all her powers (meaning she did have them).

Indeed she does. In the first she experiences an explosion, in the second she gets attacked by a horde of Ing (I don't know about the third one as I've never played it). So yeah, in the Prime series at least it's kind of explained.

As for the Zelda series, there isn't much I can really say other than that wouldn't be the first time the words 'Legend of Zelda' and 'continuity' haven't really fitted together in the same sentence.

 

[Fbuh]

I think you are delving too deep into this. Each game is supposed to be enjoyed as a different game.

Either that or they both have secret lairs to rival a dragon's hoard.

 

[loc978]

Not so sure about Samus, but in Link's case, he's a different character, at a different point in history... though of the same bloodline... [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110430-Doc-Brown-Explains-Zelda-Chronology-Using-Time-Travelling-DeLorean] for each game.

 

[Scarim Coral]

In the Metroid Prime series it at the start of the game she get bang up really bad that her suit downgrade itself.

For Legend of Zelda each Link is a different Link except for OoT and Winder Waker and Phantom Hourglass. I guess he just dump them since he save the world and all thus no longer needing them I guess?
Unless they made a third game to either one of two game timeline and he just happen to start with the default gears then I would called him stupid.

 

[Zelda_Lover26]

As for the Zelda series, there isn't much I can really say other than that wouldn't be the first time the words 'Legend of Zelda' and 'continuity' haven't really fitted together in the same sentence.

Ha, too true....

Either that or they both have secret lairs to rival a dragon's hoard.

Huh... there's a thought....

You know, sometimes I think about stuff like this too...

Then I shrug my shoulders and say "who cares, lets blast some enemies!"

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Well, Link probably didn't expect to need all that stuff, since Ganondorf had been defeated.

Why drag along a ton of weapons when your just searching for a friend?
Do you have any idea how heavy all that stuff would be?

He brought his sword, just in case.
He even brought the Ocarina of Time for sentimental reasons.
That should be enough.
And it was.

 

[-Dragmire-]

amnesia- it's a game world epidemic.

Samus' ship probably holds her entire arsenal, she just forgets to take it with her.

 

[cuppajoe1687]

This is something that I find weird in Metroid and Zelda games. In Metroid Samus can gather up somewhere around 300 missile slots in her arm cannon, a few dozen energy tanks and super bombs, power-ups like guns and visors, and then she loses them all by the next game. I know Nintendo needs to do this to keep the games from being broken easy at the beginning but realistically how can Samus possible lose all the upgrades to a suit she wears as a second skin?
The same goes for Link from the Zelda series. Yes there are more than one "Links" in the series since there's no set timeline, but Ocarina of Time and Major's Mask are supposed to be sequels. So how does Young Link from Hyrule head off to Termina and forget his bomb bag, sling-shot, lens of truth, boomerang and ETC. How could he think of leaving those in Hyrule and go off to a new and dangerous land?
I know I'm knit-picking but its a little annoying if your that kind of person, what do you guys think about this mental issue these game characters seem to be infected with? Also leave some comments on why you think i'm wrong or dumb if that's the case.

Majoras Mask continues after Link is sent back in time to a point where the only items he has are his sword, shield, ocarina and slingshot; all of which you have at the beginning of Majora (except for the slingshot). Hence he doesn't have the bomb bag or boomerang anymore because at the point he's sent back he hasn't visited dodongo's cavern or Jabu-Jabu.

 

[Lightning Faron]

Samus and link like a challenge so they see how long they can live with
only the new supplies they gather on their adventure. I do the same thing with
Pokemon games, I always transfer my ubers to each game I have but
just don't use them until the main quest is complete.