{"id":1022,"date":"2012-03-21T10:00:49","date_gmt":"2012-03-21T17:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/islemaster.wordpress.com\/?p=1022"},"modified":"2014-03-17T00:46:59","modified_gmt":"2014-03-17T07:46:59","slug":"wind-waker-and-epic-mickey-a-critical-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wind-waker-and-epic-mickey-a-critical-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"Wind Waker and Epic Mickey: A Critical Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker<\/em>
\nand
\nEpic Mickey<\/em><\/p>\n

A critical comparison demonstrating the usefulness
\nof Janet Murray\u2019s pleasures of digital interactive media.<\/p>\n

\n

\n

Bradley C. Buchanan
\nETC Fundamentals: Video Game Report
\nNovember 4, 2011<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As video games develop into a dominant media form, it is helpful to have tools with which to analyze and compare them to one another.\u00a0 One of the traditional tools for analyzing media is Aristotle\u2019s Poetics<\/em>, which describes the elements of drama.\u00a0 While this tool is helpful for analyzing interactive media, it is not complete.\u00a0 A more recent measure that can supplement Poetics<\/em> is Murray\u2019s interactive pleasures.\u00a0 To demonstrate the usefulness of this newer tool, here is a critical comparison of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker<\/em> and Epic Mickey<\/em>.\u00a0 Aristotle\u2019s standards suggest that Epic Mickey<\/em> is a superior artistic work, but Murray\u2019s work explains why Wind Waker<\/em> is a better game.<\/p>\n

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker<\/em><\/a> is a third-person action-adventure game released for the Nintendo GameCube in December 2002.\u00a0 It was developed by Nintendo EAD and directed by Eiji Aonuma.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em><\/a> is also a third-person action-adventure game released for the Nintendo Wii in November 2010.\u00a0 It was developed by Junction Point Studios and designed by Warren Spector.<\/p>\n

At first glance, these two releases have much in common.\u00a0 Both are 3D action-adventure games with platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving elements.\u00a0 They each last about twenty hours[i]<\/a>.\u00a0 Each game embraces a cartoony art style.\u00a0 Both games tell a story about uncovering past events, and reconciling them in the present.\u00a0 One might argue that Epic Mickey<\/em> owes everything to the Zelda franchise; it even includes a direct reference to the first Zelda game[ii]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yet these two games present different experiences, and they succeed in different ways.\u00a0 A deeper examination will reveal those differences and explain why Wind Waker<\/em>, in spite of being an older game and inferior according to Poetics<\/em>, is more successful than Epic Mickey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Aristotle\u2019s Poetics<\/em><\/h3>\n

In his work Poetics<\/em> Aristotle presents six elements of drama, which he ranks from most important to least important.\u00a0 One modern translation of these elements lists them thus:\u00a0 Plot, character, theme, diction, music, and spectacle.\u00a0 Plot is judged most important, and spectacle the least.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em> fares well by Aristotle\u2019s standards.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> does not, nearly reversing the elements in order of importance.<\/p>\n

Plot<\/h3>\n

The plot of a work describes the sequence of events that take place, and the cause-and-effect relationships between those events that create meaning for the audience.\u00a0 Both Wind Waker<\/em> and Epic Mickey<\/em> feature prominent, complex plots.<\/p>\n

In Wind Waker<\/em>, a young man (Link) is thrust into adventure when his sister (Aryll) is kidnapped by a giant bird.\u00a0 He acquires passage across the Great Ocean on a pirate ship and attempts a rescue, but fails because a powerful wizard (Ganon) stands in his way.\u00a0 Link meets a talking boat who helps him retrieve a magical sword to defeat Ganon.\u00a0 In their second confrontation, several revelations occur \u2013 the talking boat is an ancient king of a kingdom frozen in time, the pirate leader is a reincarnated princess of that same kingdom (Zelda), and Link and Ganon are destined enemies.\u00a0 Aryll is rescued, but the quest to defeat Ganon continues with a search for a mystical artifact and awakening two sages to restore the sword\u2019s power.\u00a0 In the end, Link and Zelda defeat Ganon, and the king wishes that his old, flawed kingdom would be destroyed, so that Link and Zelda can have a hopeful future on the Great Ocean.<\/p>\n

Figure 1: Wind Waker<\/em>‘s interest curve<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nWind Waker<\/em> has an imperfect interest curve, with a large jump in intensity near the center of the game when Old Hyrule is introduced, followed by a decline back to an ordinary interest level until the end of the game.\u00a0 The last third of the game has many goals that can be completed in any order \u2013 the sequence shown in Figure 1 is one possible experience.\u00a0 This leads to an unpredictable interest curve and one of the weakest elements of this game.\u00a0 Making this section shorter might have resulted in a stronger interest curve overall, but at the cost of some player agency.<\/p>\n

The story of Epic Mickey<\/em>:\u00a0 Before he was famous, Mickey Mouse accidentally created a monster (the Blot) that terrorized a world designed for forgotten Disney characters.\u00a0 Years later, he is kidnapped by the Blot and trapped in this world (Wasteland) where he must come to terms with the damage he\u2019s caused, reconcile with the residents if he can, and find a way to escape.\u00a0 Mickey travels around Wasteland searching for rocket parts to help him escape.\u00a0 When his task is almost complete, there is a confrontation between him and his brother Oswald where it is revealed that Oswald\u2019s girlfriend was martyred to seal the Blot away many years ago.\u00a0 After this confrontation the blot is released again, and Mickey and Oswald must work together to defeat the Blot once and for all.\u00a0 In the end, Mickey returns home.<\/p>\n

Figure 2: Epic Mickey<\/em>‘s interest curve<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nEpic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s interest curve is closer to ideal than Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s.\u00a0 It begins with a strong hook, followed by a climbing oscillation to a dramatic conclusion.\u00a0 Because of this, the game does a good job of creating anticipation for the next scene at all times.<\/p>\n

Both games tell two stories; one story consists of events that happened a long time ago, and the other of events the player enacts.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> tells the story of the fall of Hyrule in the past, and also the present story of Link\u2019s quest to rescue Aryll, and how in the process he saves the Great Sea from evil.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em> tells the story of the original Blot disaster and the price Oswald and Ortensia paid to save Wasteland, and also the story of Mickey being trapped in Wasteland, and how in his efforts to escape he learns to take responsibility for his actions and defeats the Blot.\u00a0 Both games have a strong ending because they wrap up two stories in one denouement.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s plot is richer than Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s in several ways.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em> does a better job of presenting multiple perspectives on its core conflict.\u00a0 The player hears commentary on the situation from Mickey, Oswald, and a number of other prominent residents of Wasteland, and they express different valid opinions throughout.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s central conflict is more black-and-white, with little room for sympathy with the evil Ganon.<\/p>\n

Character<\/h3>\n

Both Wind Waker<\/em> and Epic Mickey<\/em> present strong primary and secondary characters.\u00a0 Main characters in both games have multiple defining characteristics and complex motivations.<\/p>\n

In Wind Waker<\/em> the protagonist is Link.\u00a0 This character is mostly a blank slate for the player, but he does have some core characteristics.\u00a0 Courage is Link\u2019s primary attribute.\u00a0 The gameplay is designed to make Link a generous and helpful character.\u00a0 He is intelligent and emotionally open \u2013 deception is rarely an option for the player.\u00a0 Like Link, Mickey is a courageous character.\u00a0 He demonstrates a generosity to the point of sacrifice when he gives up his heart to save his friends.\u00a0 However, Mickey is more complex than Link, concealing his role in the devastation of Wasteland for most of the game, and more readily showing emotions like anxiety or skepticism.<\/p>\n

The antagonist of Wind Waker<\/em> is Ganon.\u00a0 He is defined by a thirst for power, and is also cunning, hiding his advantage until the right moment.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s antagonist is not as subtle; the Blot mirrors Ganon\u2019s thirst for power but not his intelligence, behaving somewhat like a natural disaster.<\/p>\n

Both games feature secondary characters in peril.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> features kidnappings prominently as first Tetra and then Aryll are kidnapped by the giant bird.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em> follows suit at the end of its plot, when the Blot takes Gus and Oswald.\u00a0 However, Epic Mickey<\/em> also features a distressed character in its past plot: Ortensia, Oswald\u2019s girlfriend.\u00a0 In both games, these secondary characters keep the stakes high and encourage the player to continue.<\/p>\n

Theme<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s best for a work to have a meaningful theme, and for all elements of that work to support the theme.\u00a0 Video games often have trouble with this.<\/p>\n

Wind Waker<\/em> has a number of themes.\u00a0 The strongest of these are probably courage and freedom.\u00a0 Although these are not the most powerful themes, they are well supported within the game.\u00a0 The setting (the open ocean) and key plot points and objectives (freeing imprisoned characters) reinforce the freedom theme nicely, while the many challenges that Link faces remind the player that this is a game about courage.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s central theme can be described as \u201cliving with the past and accepting responsibility for one\u2019s actions.\u201d\u00a0 There are subplots of self-sacrifice and forgiveness, but responsibility is the theme most directly reinforced by the game\u2019s mechanics.\u00a0 These are more specific and powerful themes than Wind Waker<\/em> wields.<\/p>\n

Diction<\/h3>\n

Both Wind <\/em>Waker and Epic Mickey<\/em> use written text, with the one exception that Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s prologue and epilogue are narrated with voiceover.\u00a0 Within this context, both games do a good job of giving different voices to different characters.<\/p>\n

In keeping with Zelda tradition, the protagonist of Wind Waker<\/em> is mute.\u00a0 Other characters are all given distinct speech styles.\u00a0 Their tone varies with the character\u2019s personality, status, and the message they are trying to convey.\u00a0 Characters joke, speak ironically, and express intense emotion.\u00a0 There is not much in the way of verse, though the game\u2019s opening is notable for relating its backstory in the style of a medieval fable, with stained-glass illustration and music in a late-Renaissance style.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em> also has a wide variety of voices, and benefits from having a rich Disney history to pull from and established characters with established voices that it can use.\u00a0 The tone shifts between serious and comical.\u00a0 However, the game does not exhibit irony, sarcasm, or metaphor to the same degree that Wind Waker<\/em> does.\u00a0 The game is also guilty of assigning the same voice to a group of characters \u2013 all of the gremlins, and most of the residents of OsTown, speak the same way.<\/p>\n

Music<\/h3>\n

One of my favorite characteristics of the Zelda franchise is that it has wonderful music, which is often a story element and is imbued with magical power within the world.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> is no exception.\u00a0 In particular, the score of Wind Waker<\/em> is captivating because it successfully evokes the Great Ocean setting. \u00a0One thing that Wind Waker<\/em> does magnificently with its music is that combat music is partially composed by the player.\u00a0 Attacks are accompanied by orchestra hits in specific chords and rhythms, and certain attack combinations produce musical resolution.\u00a0 This is a truly great accomplishment of dynamic music.\u00a0 Finally, in the visit to Old Hyrule in the center of the game, it\u2019s the fragmented music that tells the player that they are in a timeless space.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s music is somewhat less memorable, on the whole.\u00a0 It has a more whimsical tone than Wind Waker<\/em> does.\u00a0 It avoids synthesized music in favor of an orchestral score.\u00a0 In doing so it feels much like a Disney game, but less like a video game.\u00a0 Almost all of the music in the game does reinforce a sense of uneasiness.\u00a0 It\u2019s possible that this discomfort is meant to specifically support the game\u2019s theme of taking responsibility, like a nagging guilt that the player cannot escape.<\/p>\n

Spectacle<\/h3>\n

Wind Waker<\/em> is visually striking.\u00a0 The aesthetic design is a topic of debate among fans of the series, as many wanted a grittier, realistic style.\u00a0 However, the more cartoony choice is a good match to the narrative.\u00a0 Zelda is always an iconic hero\u2019s journey with exaggerated characters, and the cartoony style lends itself to this.\u00a0 The game also has the most unified aesthetic of any Zelda to date.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth noting that the cartoony style did not prevent the game from feeling \u201cdark.\u201d\u00a0 A sense of genuine peril is maintained, and the colors palette and visual effects allow the developers to create frightening and alien environments.<\/p>\n

In terms of spectacle, Epic Mickey<\/em> disappoints.\u00a0 The game\u2019s final visuals don\u2019t live up to the strange, dark, and whimsical concept art.\u00a0 Although its world is richly detailed and the game is running on newer hardware, it doesn\u2019t look half as good as Wind Waker<\/em>.\u00a0 One reason for this is the camera\/environment relationship.\u00a0 The camera does a poor job of directing the eye to points of interest in Epic Mickey<\/em>.\u00a0 The environments, though full of interesting landmarks, are rarely designed with cinematic framing in mind.\u00a0 There are almost no vista moments, where one rounds a corner and sees a spectacular new landscape.\u00a0 Instead, environments feel arbitrary, inorganic, and often claustrophobic.\u00a0 This is an ironic failure for a game set in an upside-down Disneyland.\u00a0 The theme park is designed to create these vista moments, but Epic Mickey<\/em> seems to avoid them.\u00a0 This is a shame; frequent vistas of a devastated Wasteland would powerfully reinforce the theme of Mickey\u2019s culpability.<\/p>\n

Murray\u2019s Interactive Pleasures<\/h3>\n

In Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace<\/em>, Janet Murray describes three pleasures that are dominant in digital interactive media:\u00a0 Immersion, agency, and transformation.\u00a0 These pleasures are similar to Aristotle\u2019s elements of drama, but they reveal something new about interactive experiences.\u00a0 According to Aristotle\u2019s criteria, Epic Mickey<\/em> is a superior work because it has a stronger plot, characters, and theme.\u00a0 Murray\u2019s interactive pleasures will turn the tables, and demonstrate that Wind Waker<\/em> uses the strengths of its medium more effectively than Epic Mickey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Immersion<\/h3>\n

Murray describes the power of virtual worlds that are real in effect, if not in fact, as immersion.\u00a0 She explains that one of the strongest factors in creating immersion is a consistency of imagination.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> demonstrates a much higher immersion factor than Epic Mickey<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The immersion factor in Wind Waker<\/em> is sky-high.\u00a0 A major reason for this is the sheer quantity of interactive elements in the world.\u00a0 Though it may seem odd to fill the virtual world with pointless objects like breakable pots, throwable rocks, and cuttable grass, it\u2019s these small details that make the Great Ocean seem like a real place.\u00a0 Everywhere the player goes, the world is ready to respond to their presence.\u00a0 Signposts can be chopped up into pieces.\u00a0 Trees can be bumped, causing leaves to fall.\u00a0 Neutral characters will glance at Link if he walks near, and cower if he brandishes his sword.\u00a0 There\u2019s no dramatic reason for these interactions, but it keeps the internal logic of the world consistent with the player\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n

The world design creates a playground for the player\u2019s imagination.\u00a0 Players are encouraged to challenge themselves to reach high rooftops and distant landmarks.\u00a0 The ocean theme of the world means there are very few arbitrary walls – one can jump out of the boat and swim at any time. \u00a0In addition, the menu screens are all appropriately themed to the world as if the character is examining his inventory, not the player.\u00a0 These elements produce such a strong consistency of imagination that it\u2019s hard to not actively create belief while playing Wind Waker<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em> fails to create the same sense of immersion.\u00a0 Like Wind Waker<\/em> it contains breakable containers that serve no dramatic purpose, but they are few and far between.\u00a0 Worse, these containers often take different shapes that suggest different interactions, but the only allowed interaction is to smash them with a \u201cspin move.\u201d\u00a0 Already there is a lack of interactive imagination.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s strongest attempt to create this immersion lies in its paint\/thinner system.\u00a0 In the game, Mickey carries a magic paintbrush that can be used to erase or restore characters, objects, and parts of the landscape.\u00a0 This system, used for combat and puzzle-solving, can also be applied in hundreds of nonessential places throughout the game; indeed, nearly every scene can be repainted bright and colorful, or thinned dull and dreary.\u00a0 Though this system is as ubiquitous as Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s mundane objects, it falls flat for three reasons.\u00a0 First, it always feels planned.\u00a0 Erased objects are always visible in a semitransparent form.\u00a0 This makes it obvious that the developers planned for the player\u2019s specific action, and removes the feeling of freedom.\u00a0 Second, the paint\/thinner cuts the player\u2019s interaction options to one, and breaks the consistency of imagination.\u00a0 While the mundane mechanics of Wind Waker<\/em> enrich the experience because they are consistent with the player\u2019s expectations, painting in Epic Mickey<\/em> might color an object, or create a whole new object, or trigger some arbitrary world event.\u00a0 Finally, the painting\/thinning interaction is not as viscerally satisfying as it should be.\u00a0 A chunk of the game world appears or disappears, with a barely noticeable sound effect.\u00a0 Compare that to the satisfying, audible slice<\/em> of cutting grass in Wind Waker<\/em>.\u00a0 Painting as an independent action is not as satisfying as it should be.<\/p>\n

Agency<\/h3>\n

Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s immersion and its agency are closely tied, because its consistency of imagination is demonstrated through predictable reactions to player input.\u00a0 On a small scale, every single interaction produces a sense of agency because there is always a logical reaction.\u00a0 Even something as absurd as striking one\u2019s sword repeatedly against a wall produces the correct response:\u00a0 A jarring
\nclang,\u201d a recoil animation, the physical effect of being pushed back from the wall and a stun as the player\u2019s control is suspended for a moment.\u00a0 The effect is even greater with sensible actions.\u00a0 The game develops the player\u2019s confidence that each intentional action will be met with a reasonable reaction.\u00a0 Many of the game\u2019s core puzzles depend on this principle, presenting the player with a brand-new situation and depending on their trust that the world will respond to them.<\/p>\n

Wind Waker <\/em>is highly dependent on spatial navigation as a pleasure.\u00a0 Major events in the game are built around \u201cdungeons.\u201d\u00a0 Here, a dungeon is a nonlinear spatial puzzle gated with keys, combat, and logical challenges.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While in a dungeon the player is forming a mental map of the physical space and a corresponding map of the puzzle space, seeking the sequence of interactions necessary to solve the puzzle.\u00a0 This dungeon pattern is repeated throughout the Zelda series, and fans describe dungeon navigation as a primary pleasure of the Zelda experience.<\/p>\n

The game succeeds on a story level, but in a limited way.\u00a0 The player has no control over the story; they can change the sequence of events, but will always reach the same conclusion.\u00a0 However, the game is careful not to take action on behalf of the player; the story simply does not advance until the player plays along.\u00a0 This is also Link can be named by the player, and why he has no dialogue.\u00a0 This nonintrusive attitude toward the protagonist\u2019s actions creates a feeling of narrative agency where there is little.\u00a0 Although the plot is predetermined, the player can always say, \u201cI got myself into this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s takes the opposite stance on player agency.\u00a0 As discussed regarding immersion, the small interactions of the virtual world fail to create the logical reactions that build up a strong sense of agency.\u00a0 There is some attempt at this, but it is not up to Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s standards.<\/p>\n

In Epic Mickey<\/em>, the pleasure of spatial navigation is nearly abandoned.\u00a0 The dungeon concept of Zelda is replaced by something more akin to a gauntlet: A one-way linear sequence of encapsulated puzzles and combat scenarios.\u00a0 Consequently the player does very little mental mapping, and is denied the pleasure of navigation.\u00a0 The one-way structure supports the game\u2019s theme of living with one\u2019s mistakes, but it is easy to imagine how this theme could have been upheld by a more open environment.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Epic Mickey<\/em> tackles narrative agency on a level that Wind Waker<\/em> never does.\u00a0 Although the largest story arc is fixed, the player is given control over various subplots.\u00a0 They can ignore these subplots, or resolve them in different ways.\u00a0 The game\u2019s cinematic ending is then customized to create a cumulative acknowledgement of the player\u2019s decisions.\u00a0 These subplots can also hide entire quest chains mid-game, so the player has considerable control over their own experience.\u00a0 Thus, Epic Mickey<\/em> has less mechanical agency than Wind Waker<\/em>, but more narrative agency.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Epic Mickey<\/em> also makes the mistake of acting on behalf of the player.\u00a0 On some level this is acceptable because Mickey is an established character, but sometimes key decisions are made without player input.\u00a0 The most glaring example takes place at the climax of the story, where Mickey willingly gives up his heart to save Gus and Oswald.\u00a0 Here, even the non-choice between \u201cyes\u201d and \u201cuh-huh\u201d would have been preferable if only to make the player physically responsible for the response[iii]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Transformation<\/h3>\n

Wind Waker<\/em> is an adolescent power fantasy.\u00a0 Much of the player\u2019s time is spent in combat or avoiding dangerous traps.\u00a0 The other major activity in the game is sailing, an extrinsic fantasy that lends some charm to the experience.\u00a0 This is transformation as masquerade; the enchantment of being somebody else.\u00a0 Wind Waker<\/em> does this well, even if the mask is just another archetypal hero.<\/p>\n

Transformation as variety does not show up as much in Wind Waker<\/em>.\u00a0 Because of the simplistic nature of its conflict, there is not much variation on its themes.\u00a0 The game can be replayed, but it does not change significantly.\u00a0 The only space that is exhaustively explored is the player\u2019s navigational freedom.\u00a0 Indeed, progress in the game is directly tied to the player\u2019s power to navigate the world.<\/p>\n

As for personal transformation, Wind Waker<\/em> is not likely to enable a life-changing experience for anyone.\u00a0 Its themes are not powerful or direct enough for that.\u00a0 The quality of its immersion might help one overcome a fear of spiders, or encourage one to try sailing, but there is more powerful escapism in it than life-changing meaning.<\/p>\n

Epic Mickey<\/em> also plays to the transformation as masquerade, to the fantasy of being Mickey Mouse.\u00a0 The development team went to great pains to capture Mickey\u2019s animation, in order to help the player feel like they really are the famous character[iv]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In variety, Epic Mickey<\/em> works hard as well.\u00a0 It is specifically designed so that a player cannot complete everything their first time through the game.\u00a0 The designers want players to go back and try different choices, exploring the consequences of other options.<\/p>\n

This identification with Mickey and the focus on consequences gives the game great potential for personal transformation.\u00a0 It is unfortunate that the game\u2019s low immersion and agency detracts from this potential.\u00a0 Learning that one\u2019s actions have consequences for others is a crucial part of growing up, and if this game has successfully taught that to one player, it has succeeded.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n

In the end, Wind Waker<\/em> is the stronger game.\u00a0 Epic Mickey<\/em> should be applauded as a brave experiment in narrative agency dramatic quality, but it fails as interactive media.\u00a0 It is possible to envision Epic Mickey<\/em> with a high degree of immersion or agency by taking a few pages from Wind Waker<\/em>\u2019s book, but as the game shows, one can\u2019t change the past.\u00a0 Murray\u2019s pleasures of interactive media can help to isolate those elements that work from those that don\u2019t.\u00a0 It is up to another game to combine the strengths of these two works and move the medium forward once again, further into dramatic and interactive maturity.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
\n

[i]<\/a> IGN\u2019s review claims that Wind Waker<\/em> has \u201c20+ hours of gameplay and as much as twice that for completionists.\u201d\u00a0 Ign.com, March 21, 2003. http:\/\/cube.ign.com\/articles\/390\/390314p1.html<\/a>.\u00a0 Warren Spector, director of Epic Mickey<\/em>, claims it will take \u201cthree 20-hour playthroughs to see everything.\u201d\u00a0 Wired.com, November 5, 2010. http:\/\/www.wired.com\/gamelife\/2010\/11\/epic-mickey\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[ii]<\/a> One of the pirates on Tortooga says \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous to go alone! Take this,\u201d before handing Mickey an item, a direct reference to the acquisition of the first sword in The Legend of Zelda. http:\/\/www.zeldauniverse.net\/zelda-news\/zelda-reference-found-in-epic-mickey\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[iii]<\/a> See every dialogue option in Super Mario Galaxy 2<\/em> for an example of this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[iv]<\/a> From Epic Mickey<\/em>\u2019s behind-the-scenes content: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wvDCoQL9b2w<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Epic Mickey A critical comparison demonstrating the usefulness of Janet Murray\u2019s pleasures of digital interactive media. Bradley C. Buchanan ETC Fundamentals: Video Game Report November 4, 2011<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[52,60,105,135,23,169,194,200,400,396,395,398,264,394,397,13,399,373,383],"class_list":["post-1022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-game-designer","category-games","tag-analysis","tag-assignment","tag-critical","tag-epic-mickey","tag-etc","tag-hamlet-on-the-holodeck","tag-interactive-pleasures","tag-janet-murray","tag-junction-point","tag-nintendo-ead","tag-played-in-2003","tag-played-in-2011","tag-poetics","tag-released-in-2003","tag-released-in-2010","tag-videogame","tag-warren-spector","tag-wind-waker","tag-zelda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1022"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1145,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions\/1145"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bradleycbuchanan.com\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}