Legend of Zelda
I just got my Wii out of the closet and hooked it up for my 6 year old daughter yesterday so she could play some Super Mario. After she went to bed, I decided to pop in Twilight Princess to play for a bit. 5 hours later I realized it was way past my bedtime and had to turn it off...At one point I was a big fan of the series, but haven't played it in several years (Skyward Sword was the last one I played when it first came out, but never finished it.) I've played several, but not all, of the games, and I'd say Twilight Princess is my favorite. Majora's Mask is a close second, but I was never able to finish that one...it is super complex, like ridiculously so. I also really loved Wind Waker...I think that one might be the one to get my daughter interested in the series, with the "cute" art style.
I'm curious if anyone else here plays these games, what your favorites are, and what your kids (if you have kids) like.
I'm curious if anyone else here plays these games, what your favorites are, and what your kids (if you have kids) like.
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Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are similarly untouchable in my opinion. The first is widely viewed as one of the greatest games of all-time, and Majora's Mask is a perfect example of a sequel that is wild, weird, and not afraid to take risks. I can't speak much to Wind Waker or Twilight Princess, except to say the first looks and sounds beautiful, and the later looks like a great move towards a more modern aesthetic. Obviously Skyward Sword has the gimmick of the Wii controller. I haven't played it, but have heard it's one even people who have never played Zelda love.
In between all this, you've had a couple of great games from Capcom on Game Boy (Oracle of Ages/Seasons), a fantastic Game Boy Advance title (Minish Cap) and a couple DS games that are viewed as black sheep but are no means bad (Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks). Taken together, they represent, even after Mario, Nintendo's best and most important work.
I expect with Breath of the Wild (much like Final Fantasy XV), we will see a move towards a massive open-world (it's all the rage). I doubt it will let anyone down.
It's been nearly 20 years since Ocarina of Time first came out, and it still holds a special place in the hearts of many people who grew up engrossed in that world. We still play the game, we still watch the speedruns, and we will still have the Lost Woods theme running through our heads until the day we die.
Can you hear it?
I really liked Link to the Past, but for some reason I got completely stuck when it switched to the dark world, and I have never been able to finish that game. The first LoZ is entirely too difficult for me. I've never been able to get very far with that one. I did finish the Minish Cap...it's cute and short, but really a fun game. Every time I've tried Ocarina of Time, I lose steam at some point and have never finished it...but I plan on going through the entire game at some point. I do really love Twilight Princess, and am having so much fun replaying it. It's pretty cool running around in the form of a wolf...speaking of which, has anyone played the PS2 (or the Wii port) game Okami? It's basically Zelda in Japan with Link as a wolf. It's pretty great, and the visuals are gorgeous.
I can't think of a soundtrack from Ocarina of Time that I didn't like. I wouldn't even consider myself a huge fan of the franchise, but Ocarina of Time hit the mark for me. One thing I can appreciate is the following of incredibly talented people Ocarina of Time, in particular (out of all the Zelda games), has. One doesn't have to look far on YouTube to find a cover version of their favourite in-game soundtrack.
I remember when I was a kid... I got sick and couldn't go to school thursday and friday. I then went on a Link to the Past gaming spree for four straight days, sitting on the couch in the living room. Never was happier to be sick...
Nintendo puts a lot of thought and effort into their games and systems. Fun.
The thing is, the SNES games hold up. Much like DOS games from the same era, the graphics didn't age because they were cartoonish to begin with. Controls were tight, the music was stellar. It wasn't in a transition period, rather it was living up to the promise of the original NES. The Playstation 2 did the same thing.
Link to the Past was my favorite.
Ocarina of Time was perfect.
Wind Walker was the most fun.
Zelda 2 for being great fun until lil bro and cousin created their characters (?!) - they asked beforehand whether it was okay, and unbeknownst to me they deleted my only character. Zelda 1 for being played sometimes after or before, mostly for the differing interface.
Can't wait to play Link's Awakening again, the scene where the shop keeper zapped me for stealing the shovel traumatized me as a kid
Didn't like the transition to 3D graphics though. I played the Wii Zelda a bit (twilight princess), hadn't had the same feel to it like Link to the Past.
edit: damit, wanted to buy Link to the Past, but it requires a "new" 3DS. I only have an 3DS XL. At least the other one works
Thats so annoying with Nintendo and consoles in general. You want to play game x, you need console y.
The new Zelda (coming march 3rd)
..will require a Nintendo Switch. I'm not interested in any other game for that thing though. Even my 3DS was exclusively* used for Pokemon. Too bad, because I really dig that graphic style.
Not even that mad about the missing SNES games for the older 3DS, I prefer those games on the big screen TV anyway
*started Link's Awakening yesterday.
It's been several years since I've played any of the Zelda games, but I am hooked again. I don't really want to spend $300 on the Switch just to play the new Breath of the Wild, but I am tempted watching videos of it. The game looks beautiful, and, judging from the videos of it, it seems like the series is continuing to grow up a bit.
The only other Zelda game with such a dark tone was Majora's Mask, but you could always go back to the first day and listen to the light, cheery tune of Clock Town, and know that you could always stave off the apocalypse with another playing of the Song of Time. But in Twilight Princess, you could never quite forget that the world was being quite literally enveloped by darkness.
I found the ending pretty frustrating, but that's probably because I didn't have the background in the games to go along with their "No, this is your destiny" approach....
One day I'll have to go back and hit up the others.