Dear Readers,

Welcome back everyone, hope you enjoyed your slight vacation from my magnum opus of a show, but it's back, and you better get used to it! It's time to look at the best of the best from all different types of various platformers. Get ready, and you better have your blade sharpened, because this time we are discussing one of the most iconic weapons in all of video games! This is…

Today, we will be handling a specific type of weapon. A weapon that has been used in tons of games since the dawn of time… ok maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it sounds epic so I'm gonna keep it. It's a weapon that has great strength. It's a weapon that takes a ton of skill to master. It's a weapon that makes an man or woman look 83% more badass. It is… the mighty sword.

SWORDS

Oh yeah, that's right. Whether it's the platformer, the RPG, the fighter, or the beat 'em up, swords are everywhere in video games. What gamer can't recognize Cloud's Buster Sword, Ike's Ragnell, all of the different Keyblades held by Sora, the Blades of Chaos used by Kratos, and even the Beam Katana used by Travis. So many awesome swords can be named in a snap, but don't leave out platformers. There are quite a few memorable blades to discuss today. So let's get right on it.

The Dagger of Time (Prince of Persia)

Yes, I know, it's technically a knife… but I'm counting it… cause I'm lazy. And cause the dude practically uses it like a sword. So there… moving on. The Prince of Persia series and I have a very complicated history. I thought Sands of Time was pretty good, I highly disliked Warrior Within, and The Two Thrones was average at best. But one thing that constantly kept my interest during all of these games was, simply, the ability of the Dagger of Time. For those who are unaware, this very special dagger has the ability to control time as it is connected to the Sands of Time. The dagger can do a ton of stuff man. It can of course stop time and rewind time, but it can also freeze enemies and allow them to be killed in a one swift attack. It also can affect enemies, dueling out some massive damage. If there is one satisfying thing in Warrior Within, it was the feeling of doing one of the badass ground attacks that killed a ton of enemies. And when you killed those enemies with the dagger, it was so funny to see them sliced in half, like some kind of cartoon. Seriously, this weapon is definitely something any man should be proud to have at his disposal.

The Sword of Fire (Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards)

People who have played Kirby 64 may remember the game for some of the fantastic copy ability combinations. Kirby could turn into a fridge, have a fork, pencil, screw, and a cactus spring out of his body, and his hands could turn into a very spiky snare trap. But one of my personal favorites is the Sword of Fire, which can be unlocked by mixing Cutter and Burning (which really should've been called fire, but whatever). This sword, that is way to big for Kirby's body let alone his hands, can destroy enemies is a burning flash. Plus, he could even throw the sword. I mean, let's be honest, it would make the perfect spear. I mean, I don't know why nobody has mastered a flaming spear as a weapon. The closest I've seen something like that is fire twirling shows they have in Hawaii. Either way, it sucks that you can't float with the sword in hand, but even with the small setback, this is one hell of an epic sword. Only someone as cute as Kirby could possible wield it. Right?

The Ancient Sword (Shadow of the Colossus)

Oh boy, we are dealing with quite the game right here. Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful, brilliant game. In the game, Wander must defeat various Colossi, and to do this, he uses his trusty Ancient Sword. Sure, it may be small, and I would much rather prefer the Queen's Sword or the Idol Sword. But still, The Ancient Sword is pretty important. I mean, it essentially is like a compass for Wander to help find the gigantic creatures. It captures light and shows the light in the direction of the Colossus. Not only that, but the sword also allows Wander to see the weak points of the Colossi so he can defeat it. Plus, as long as Wander is strong, The Ancient Sword become stronger alongside it. Plus, if you mix in a few items like the Cloak of Force, the Mask of Strength, or the Mask of Power, you could make this sword equivalent to the Queen's Sword. How much you wanna bet the sword would get much more credit if it was that powerful. The Ancient Sword isn't just a weapon for Wander, it's a true blue tool.

All of the Various Swords (The Legend of Zelda)

Geez… where do I even begin? At first I wanted to choose one sword, but when I saw the list on Zeldapedia on all of the swords, I just couldn't pick one. Whether it's the Kokiri Sword or the Wooden Sword, to the Master Sword or the Four Sword, swords in the Zelda series play a huge roll in gameplay, and it also helped formed Link's character. Honestly, think about it. Have you ever thought about Link as a character without imagining a sword in his hand? Exactly. Let's go through some of the most memorable ones for me. Of course, there's the Master Sword. Link is usually using this sword to take down Ganon, his arch rival, considering it is the only sword that can handle his dark powers. Then there are some other swords like the Goddess Sword from Skyward Sword, and then the Phantom Sword from Phantom Hourglass. And then there are some swords that are different from any of the others like the Razor Sword from Majora's Mask, and the Great Fairy Sword. One of the funniest memories I've had with a sword was when I bought the Giant's Knife and broke it in like the first 15 minutes I had it. I was like… what? What happened? Was that important? Can I get a new one? WHERE'S THE BLADE? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! So, as you can see, if you want awesome swords, go to The Legend of Zelda. It has exactly what you need.

So, that does it for this episode. Leave your favorite swords in video games in the comments below, as well as some topics you'd like me to cover in the next couple of episodes. Cause trust me, The Perfect Platformer is back, and back with a vengeance. Also, sorry for the lack of blogs lately. I've been busy with High School and stuff. But I will get back on schedule soon.

Get ready for some awesome new episodes of THE PERFECT PLATFORMER!

- Larry :)