2023

Game: Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (Philips, CD-i)

Compiler: Jackster

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Jackster's Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (CD-i) maps.

 

When the land of Gamelon was attacked by Ganon's forces, King Harkinian of Hyrule travelled there to help his ally, Duke Onkled.  But a month passed without hearing from the King, so Princess Zelda sent the hero, Link, to find him, but he also went missing.  So, with Impa's accompaniment, Zelda ventures off to Gamelon to find them both, in her first (though non-canonical) leading role in the series that bears her name.

 

As discussed when Jackster received the Maps Of The Month honour back in December 2020, the CD-i was released at an interesting time in video gaming when optical disc technology was transforming digital media.  The massive increase in storage capacity meant so much more could be done with games, and that usually meant voice acting and full-motion video.  A licensing deal between Nintendo and Philips resulted in some interesting (and infamous) games on the CD-i, which showcase these new features.  Two of them, Link: The Faces Of Evil and Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon, came out on the same day, and we've already recognized one of them here, so it's time to honour more of Jackster's work.

 

Much has been said about how bad these games are, so kudos to Jackster for pushing through to bring us these maps, both unmarked and marked.  With the unmarked maps, we can appreciate the graphics of these colourful backgrounds that resemble paintings, rather than tiles bound to grids.  They really are gorgeous in their own way.  And with the marked maps, we can figure out how to get through these games, if we ever dare to see what the fuss is about.  The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is great, but a truly hardcore Zelda fan can say they managed to save the land of Gamelon.

 

So to recognize even more effort of enduring the infamous CD-i Zelda games, Jackster's Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon (CD-i) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for May 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, N64)

Compiler: VGCartography

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to VGCartography's Super Mario 64 (N64) maps.

 

Princess Peach has invited Mario to her castle for some cake.  But Bowser, the King of the Koopas, is up to no good again and has invaded the castle and used the castle's 120 Power Stars to imprison the princess and her servants.  By jumping into magical paintings, Mario can access the worlds where the Power Stars are kept and, by retrieving enough of them, he can open up more areas of the castle, to go to more worlds and find more Stars and, eventually, make his way to a final confrontation with Bowser.

 

Compared to the 16-bit era, the Nintendo 64 was a major technological leap, and its flagship title, Super Mario 64, is an iconic game that pioneered much about 3D platforming, and 3D games in general, especially on consoles.  Besides proving that 3D games can be accessible and intuitive, it is a solid game in its own right, still quite playable over 26 years later.

 

VGCartography, one of the regular mappers who isn't fazed by the third dimension, has dissected all of Peach's Castle, and all the worlds within the paintings.  From Bob-Omb Battlefield to Rainbow Ride, every crucial detail is here on these maps - all the Red Coins and Power Stars are indicated, as well as the enemy placements.  For the Stars that aren't obvious how to get from their in-game titles, helpful tips explain further.  Some maps, like Tiny-Huge Island and Tick Tock Clock, have multiple perspectives to display everything in a 2D map.  Thankfully, VGCartography has been able to do a "super" job all around!

 

So to recognize the effort put into mapping the first 3D Mario adventure, VGCartography's Super Mario 64 (N64) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for April 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Sega, Genesis)

Compiler: John Brain

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps.

 

While Mickey and Donald prepare for a magic act, Donald stumbles and clumsily discovers a strange box.  Thinking it could be useful in their show, Donald steps inside, but disappears, as does Mickey when he investigates.  The two of them are taken to another world within the box, and a shadowy figure tells them they can only escape if they find and defeat him.  '90s licensed character platforming ensues...

 

John Brain's maps of "World Of Illusion" include the different paths that Mickey and Donald each take.  For some inexplicable reason, they part ways and then reunite in each of the game's five stages.  In the fifth stage, for example, Donald explores an area inspired by the Queen of Hearts' garden from Alice In Wonderland (1951), while Mickey enters a mirror, perhaps inspired by the Mickey Mouse short, "Thru The Mirror" (1936).  There are also areas seen only in a two-player game.  So this whole game, however you play it, is fully mapped for you to enjoy.

 

With the Walt Disney Company celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, plus Walt Disney World ending its 50th-anniversary celebrations this month, what better time to celebrate the world of Disney games?  The series of "Illusion" games by Sega includes this adventure, originally available on only the Genesis, but now also on the Genesis Mini.


So to recognize the effort put into mapping this Disney classic, John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for March 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Nintendo, Wii)

Compiler: G.E.R.

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps.

 

Planet Popstar seems to have its fair share of visitors.  This time, it's Magalor, an alien whose dimension-hopping spaceship has crash-landed.  Kirby offers to help fix Magalor's ship, so along with King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee, they set off to recover all of the parts and energy spheres that are now scattered across the planet.

 

This adventure takes Kirby and his friends across Popstar and then Halcandra, through seven worlds named with alliterative titles (where the first letters appear to spell out a word).  Besides 38 stages of platforming fun, there are also seven challenges based around specific Copy Abilities, the boss rush area known as "The Arena", and a couple of mini-games.  It definitely follows the classic formula for a Kirby platforming adventure - but that's not a bad thing.  It plays great and looks just as good.


Though for something different, Kirby's Epic Yarn was released a year earlier on the Wii, and G.E.R. has recently mapped all of that, as well.  G.E.R. has actually mapped numerous Kirby games, and we appreciate that this love for the series brings us so many beautiful and colourful Kirby game maps, including these ones!


So to recognize the effort put into mapping a gorgeous Kirby adventure worth revisiting, G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for February 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Willow (Capcom, NES)

Compiler: KingKuros

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps.

 

Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar is an evil sorceress who intends to rule the world.  Though she wields powerful magic and commands a vast army, a prophecy predicts her downfall.  One of those who could bring an end to her reign is Willow Ufgood, a farmer of the tribe of Nelwyns.  So Willow leaves his family and friends - but meets new companions like the Daikini warrior, Madmartigan, and the tiny Brownies, Franjean and Rool - as he ventures off on this perilous journey to save the world from Bavmorda's tyranny.

 

Unlike the film that this game is loosely based on, Willow's companions show up only briefly.  Willow usually travels alone in this adventure in the vein of The Legend Of Zelda.  In this vast world - with many similar-looking areas - he could certainly use the help of someone like KingKuros, who has mapped out the world in its entirety.  From the village of Nelwyn to Tir Asleen and Nockmaar Castle and, yes, even the many vast caves in between, Willow might just succeed, or at least not get lost.


So to recognize the effort put into mapping this classic fantasy world, KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for January 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

 

Congratulations and thanks to the Mapmakers of 2023!