This is how Zelda works

A lot of you know that I'm a fan of the Legend of Zelda series.  I first really got introduced to the series with Ocarina of Time in 1998 (I liked video games, but I didn't really think that I was good at them until I started helping my brother solve the various puzzles).  Since then, I've never really been able to shake my love for the series, and I've also recently gotten involved in Zeldathon, a newish annual Zelda marathon for charity (which is awesome and when we next hold it, you all should donate and watch and cheer us on, etc.).

Many of my friends like video games, too, and we'll recommend games to each other.  If I think a friend might like the series, and s/he hasn't yet played it, I'll recommend Zelda.  Usually, though, these friends have already played Zelda, and many who haven't ... still haven't (boo!).  Finally, I got one of my friends to start playing Zelda, specifically Twilight Princess, the latest console game (until the newer one is released by the end of this year, yessss).  My friend, KJ (KeyboardJockey--she and KosherBeef are my officially nicknamed friends), just started playing the other day.  Meanwhile, I lent my copy of the game to my best friend and her brother, and so even though I was suddenly eager to go back to TP and work on my complete game file, I couldn't (wah!).  So I decided, finally, to play Wind Waker.*

Here's what happened last night:

(Approximately 1:30 am--IM to KJ, who was online but away and non-responsive)

Me: BTW, don't play Zelda on work nights.
Me: Because then it'll be 1:30, and you won't have gone to bed.
Me: Even though you have to bring your car in around 7:30 and not be late for 9:30 lab meeting.
Me: All because you opened up a new dungeon, and you thought, "I'll just have a look inside."  And then, "I'll just go till the next warp jar."  And then, "Well, I'll just get the boss key; it can't take THAT long."  And then suddenly you've beaten the boss, you're back on the generic town island, and some guy is asking you to play a game where you have to catch three pigs in 2 minutes.
Me: You have been warned.

Here's what happened this evening:

(Approximately 8:00 pm--IM conversation with KJ)

KJ: its funny how I saw your message about wind waker
Me: Oh, the one I left last night?
KJ: bc an hour later I saw it bc I was just debating whether to go to the next dungeon or not

And that's how Zelda works.

* The story behind my relationship with Wind Waker is a long one, chronology-wise.  I was one of those people who was super excited when I saw the E3 video of a GameCube Link and Ganondorf battling each other.  And I was one of those people who saw the cel-shading and thought, "Okay, Nintendo, this is called a step BACKWARDS, graphics-wise."  And I was one of those people who thought, "Look, I have a hard time finding Link attractive when he's not an adult and not even the least realistic looking."

I heard it was good, but the lack of super-realistic graphics and Hot Link made it difficult for me to feel excited about the prospect of SAILING, so I passed.  I also didn't want to spend money on a new game console since I was only going to be buying it for, you know, ONE GAME.**  I did try it when I was in high school; I borrowed my friend's GameCube and his copy of the game and got to the Tower of the Gods (somehow, though, I don't remember ... playing through the first two dungeons; I remember the first boss, but not the dungeon).  But I didn't really ... like it, so I gave up on playing, eventually returned the console, and didn't really think about it much.

Then, I got a Wii,** and I decided to borrow some GameCube games from my cousin, specifically Wind Waker.  I'm a Zelda fan--I should play it.  But it sat on my bookshelf for a good year and a half.  And now I'm finally playing it.  And I really LIKE it, EXCEPT for the sailing (and I have a major complaint about part of the plot, but it's a spoiler, so shhhhhh, I can't say).

** Okay, so I bought a Wii specifically because I wanted to play Twilight Princess using the Wiimote.  I'd already PLAYED Twilight Princess (on a friend's GameCube, and I enjoyed it because I'm a purist and right-handed Link is bullshit).  While I did have the money and don't feel as if I've wasted it (although I have wasted my life with it, thanks to Harvest Moon), yes, I did buy a console, specifically to play ONE game that I'd already played.  JUDGE ME.