Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Dawn of the 23rd Day: Top 10 Annoying Enemies in Zelda


10.  Blue/Yellow Chus (lightning variants)

I can't stand lightning enemies that complete stop you in your tracks if you hit them at the wrong time.  This is definitely evident in the electric Chus across various Zelda games.  At least they're kind of cute in Wind Waker.

9.  Miniblins (Wind Waker)

DA DING!  DA DING!  DA DING!  DA DING!

8.  Hard Hat Beetle (A Link to the Past)

If you don't recognize the name, these are the guys that bump you along the stage, even if you hit them back.  And you can't damage them until you get the Magic Hammer, so it's usually just a race to see who can knock each other off of the edge first.  Very annoying gameplay mechanic that I'm happy isn't around anymore.

7.  Tektites (various)

I mostly cannot stand their Ocarina and Majora's Mask variant where they seem to be invincible for a short period after the first hit.  I'm sure it's to make them a little less easy to kill, but I always seem to jump-slash into them at the wrong time, which sends Link flying back.  These are also constantly respawning in the Water Temple, which does not make the trek any easier.

6.  Mini Freezards (various)

An enemy that can freeze you at an inopportune time just by looking at you.  It's always hard to tell if you're safe from their attack or not, so most of the time, you just need to swing away and hope you kill them quickly.

5.  Jellyfish (Ocarina of Time)

Again, being electrocuted for hitting an enemy is annoying.  But when you're in Jabu Jabu's belly, you don't have a way of getting rid of these enemies without the Boomerang.  So until that time comes, you find yourself running past them and trying to ignore them, which makes a lot of the dungeon rooms a lot more stress than they need to be. 

4.  ReDeads and Gibdos (various)

Being frozen in place is not a fun gameplay mechanic, especially when it happens based on proximity.   There are ways around this, such as using bombs from a distance.  But they can also absorb enough hits to almost guarantee you'll be stunned at least once during an encounter.

3.  Keese (Fire and Ice variants)

The Fire Keese burn your shields and the Ice Keese freeze you in place.  And I can never seem to anticipate their distance from me.  Mostly they are an arrow tax, since half of your arrows will miss if shot while Z-Targeting.  And no matter how fast you swing your sword, a couple of hits always seem to sneak through your barrage of swings.  For these reasons, I cannot stand the Keese.

2.  Wall Masters

I simultaneously love these enemies and hate them.  Their design is great and I appreciate the feeling of dread they impose on the player with the threat of sending them back to the beginning of the dungeon.  But at a certain point, they become less of a threat and more annoying.  Waiting for them to drop so you can destroy them and continue on with the room can be a real drag.

1.  Like-Likes

Having an enemy that will eat your shield is obnoxious, especially when half of your attacks bounce off of it like nothing.  They're boring in design and seem like more of an area denial enemy than a true force to be reckoned with.

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