[quote=Kill Bones]
No, it's a shitty attitude to blame the game because people are stupid. The first legend of zelda didn't tell you where to go, people managed it just fine. Metroid didn't give you big ass arrows on a mini map so you didn't get lost. This entire generation of games is literally filled to the brim with hand-holding garbage, one game that doesn't walk you across the street like you're five years old is a nice change. I found the proper path within two deaths, and I'm hardly a font of genius ability.
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First of all, congratulations for being superior to everyone who gave up. Yer the best.

With my knowledge of Zelda and Metroid pretty slim, I'd have to go out on a limb and guess that while they didn't tell you the way you needed to go, they didn't have an area right next to the start filled with enemies that were too powerful for a noob to beat. There's a difference between having someone go the wrong way and having someone go a way that they think is right, but are unable to surpass.

Most people should have been able to figure it out, sure, but it still was too easy for people to get confused. Again, a locked door without a key is not the same as a barely-out-of-reach challenge.

It's not easy or hard to figure out, it's just unclear. I'm sure perfectly adequate gamers were turned off by this silly decision and I don't think that it's their fault.

I wish I didn't have to explain why it's bad to be unfriendly to potential players of your favorite game. Besides being elitist and dickish, the whole "you're too dumb to play" idea really only hurts the game you love in the end. I know you like your cool-kids club a whole lot, but video games need players to keep getting made.

[quote=Card]
It's not flawed. You're supposed to be able to get to that area of the game early if you want to kill Pinwheel or get other goodies. The game's supposed to be less linear than other games, even if it does have a bit of linearity to it. Unless you're being not serious, in which case I can give you the super secret answer that I shouldn't tell you: it's so you can get your Mask of the Tryhard early like a pro.
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Bullshit. A noob is not supposed to be able to go that route. They are supposed to go that way, get beat, and look for other ways. It seems simple enough, but it's not. Not everybody is you. As I have pretty much proved with the OP, the whole idea is flawed.