268: Hey, Listen, I Like Navi

[Macgyvercas]

Interesting article. It was rather enlightening to see the other side of the Navi coin.

But I still hate Navi, and I am not ashmaed of myself, and here's why. They give you a huge big 3D world, and your first intinct is to explore every square inch of it. But will Navi shut up while you do that? NO! She keeps telling you to get back on track! Listen Navi, I appriciate that I have a kingdom to save, but these bushes and pots aren't going to loot themselves ya know!

Oh, and by the way...I liked[/i] the Water Temple.

 

[DarkLordofDevon]

I liked Navi too. In a world of chaos and destruction she remained a loyal and trusted companion. And without her we couldn't Z target anyway.

 

[AwesomeNinjaPowers]

Great article.

But it dosen't matter how helpful she is. She's still shrill and annoying

 

[matrix3509]

I loved Navi for every reason you pointed out, plus one extra reason you didn't point out: She has to be the bravest living thing in existence. Screw Link and his Triforce of Courage, not only did she get right up in Ganon's face, hovering around him like a gnat, she had to do it without the Triforce of Courage. I still maintain that this was the reason Link was able to beat Ganon at all, because she distracted him like all gnats do.

 

[Twad]

"So was your mother. Like your mother, Navi is always right - sometimes it just takes a little while to appreciate it."

Oh my god.. that explains so many things..

However, i prefered Midna since she served a similar purpose and was also an interesting character too.

Good article.

 

[Jtar]

I always liked Navi. While annoying at times she always helped me out.

 

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

I am a gamer in the smallest of intersecting minorities.

I love Navi and I love the water temple which I can do in 15 minutes.

Navi is a great freaking help compared to Tatl in Majora's Mask. She's polite and cute. Tatl is rude and cowardly.

The water temple is easy. There is only a single trick to it: USE THE MAP (profane noun deleted), IT'S THERE FOR A REASON!

 

[jessins_3]

I played throuh this game recently in like 3 or 4 sittings, here are my thoughts on Navi; Hey! Listen! every 5 seconds, but I didn't need help with anything so I just ignored her, finally, when I was tired of it I talked to her just so she would shut up, but the Hey!s never stoped, they didn't even delay. One time I actually got kind of stuck so I went to Navi for help, but she said something so stupidly vague that I had already figured out, but had no idea how to do, that I never spoke to her again.

This article has some convincing arguments, but reading it brought back memories of frustration brought on, not by the internet (as some might claim), but by a light that could not be dimmed (because of her epic evasive manuvers).

My brain cringes even as I type this, for it remembers.

On another note, I hadn't actually realized how much the sidekicks get ignored, but I think someone should make a game based on the hardships of being a sidekick, or one in which you play the hero, the clear, undisputed, and obvious hero, but in the end its the side kick who steals the glory, the side kick who gets the girl/guy (depending on gender and sexual orientation) in an attempt to make the player understand those they've hated for so long, to make them feel the pains they've suffered.

The End

 

[Booze Zombie]

Navi is convenient, basically.
"We need this targeting thing... ah-ha! Fairy-laser. Okay and we need a glowing outline for treasure chests and secre- fairy glow!"

Navi isn't some amazing wonderfulness, she's competent game design.
Now that, I can appreciate.

I also don't believe she represents a lack of intelligence on Link's part, but instead enhances his perception of the world, similar to the all-knowing radar/GPS we see in a lot of modern games, it's just she also happened to be a tip-giver as well, for when you saved your game and loaded and forgot where you were.

 

[GameSlave15]

i loved the faries from the n64 tittles and on a side note i had "hey listen" as my text message tone. i never found it annoying and i wished they would return to the series as more that a pointer.

 

[ToonamiTOM]

I was a Navi hater for a long time, but in looking back on OoT I came to the same conclusion, that she was completely helpful and quite endearing.
Not like that ***** Cortana. I love Halo, but what an irritating *****. And don't even get me started on the pure annoying that is Ghost Zelda from Spirit Tracks.
In conclusion. great article.

 

[JediMB]

I found it annoying how often she would remind me of where to go when I was either in the process of getting there or busy doing a side-quest.

She wasn't as bad as the damned owl, though. I'd always accidentally make him repeat the block of text I had just button-mashed myself through.

 

[XelaisPWN]

As entertaining as this article was, I have to wholeheartedly disagree.

First off, check out Wind Waker. See Navi anywhere? No? Any sort of fairy? Didn't think so. However, the Link in that game can still Z-target (or rather "L-target") just fine without her help, as he can in every 3D Zelda game without her, or any sort of other guide(Tatl, Midna, etc.). They're few and far between, but they exist.

And it's a good thing you mentioned the Water Temple, one of the occasions that proves my next point: a lot of what Navi tells you is kind of obvious. She's not so bad on your first playthrough, but after that, you kind of already know what she's gonna say next. In the Water Temple, though, when you probably need her the most, she tells you very little about where you're supposed to go.

I can admit that for a first time player, Navi is a lifesaver. After that, she's just a pain in the ass.

 

[DJDarque]

I never minded Navi. She wasn't nearly as annoying as that god damn owl who would trick you into repeating himself if you weren't careful.

 

[nelsonr100]

"Hey...Listen!" is my text tone

 

[Testsubject909]

I'm neither in the Love her or Hate her camp.

I've learned early in gaming to ignore certain noises or to set them back into background noise. Navi never passed off to me as irritating because I could easily ignore her when I needed to and just focused on the task at hand.

That said though. I do remember her being useful, so +1 for her I guess.

 

[felixader]

While i laugh at the one or other Joke i actually NEVER hated Navi. ^.^

 

[Ravek]

Navi was fine. I missed her in the later games.

That goddamned owl, however! Gah, it was always so annoying. And woe to the player who was bashing buttons to get it to shut up faster, and ended up asking it to repeat everything it said again.

 

[illas]

The point that you make about Navi being the one constant in an ever-changing gameworld is interesting and insightful IMO.

I'd never thought about it before, but simply *knowing* that she will be there if/when you get stuck is made all the more significant by the absence of any other help. Furthermore, I can recall being a bit... disconcerted... in the moments before the penultimate Gannondorf battle simply because she wasn't fluttering around my head; though thankfully, the z-targeting system still worked

 

[ClanCrusher]

I can definitely think of worse sidekicks. I mean seriously, you never had to escort her, you never had to save her, she didn't sit in some room miles away while sending you advice via radio, and she didn't constantly order you around (she just pestered you with advice).

Off the top of my head, I can't think of many sidekicks who can claim the same. So thank you Navi. Thank you for being a great sidekick.