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Legend of Zelda

proccoprocco Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 915
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.
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Comments

  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    The Legend of Zelda is, bar-none, the greatest video game series ever made. The two on NES are a bit primitive nowadays, but you have to remember that in the mid-80s, kids spent an entire summer exploring Hyrule. To them, it was as big as Skyrim is to us today. A Link to the Past on SNES and Link's Awakening on Game Boy are both PEERLESS games. Both happen to be my proudest gaming moments. I had to beat both in an age before internet FAQs, with no guides on hand, not even Nintendo Power. It took me a couple YEARS to beat Link's Awakening as a kid, always coming back to it after getting frustrated.

    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.
  • proccoprocco Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 915
    I was a bit of a late comer to LoZ. The first Nintendo I owned was the Game Cube (which, btw, is highly underrated...there were some really great games on that system...Pikmin, for instance), and Wind Waker was my first Zelda game. I scored a Game Cube disc that was a promo from something that has all of the Zelda games up through Majora's Mask on it. Thankfully I hung on to a couple of GC controllers and memory cards so I can play it on the Wii.
    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.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    Both the N64 and Gamecube are highly under-valued. They don't have the massive library of the Playstation from 1 & 2, but they more than make up for it with a half-dozen stone-cold classics each. The Wii I can take or leave. It's essentially a party/family system, and was a great move on Nintendo's part to cater to that audience, but I would have little use for it outside of (shock) the Zelda games.
  • TheElfTheElf Member Posts: 798
    They still haven't topped Link to the Past yet imo.
  • ArctodusArctodus Member Posts: 992
    Link to the Past is the epitome of SNES games, which has many cult classics. It is also by far my favorite.

    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... :smile:
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited January 2017
    Arctodus said:

    Link to the Past is the epitome of SNES games, which has many cult classics. It is also by far my favorite.

    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... :smile:

    I think the SNES is unquestionably the best console system of all-time. The list of absolute all-time greats is staggering. A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy III (VI), Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World 1 & 2, Donkey Kong Country 1 & 2, Secret of Mana, Earthbound, Street Fighter II (before any other system), Super Mario RPG, Super Metroid, Castlevania IV, the Super Star Wars Trilogy, Turtles in Time, Contra III and Super Mario Kart. And those are just the ones that are totally above reproach.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    I don't know if I would say the greatest, but SNES is easily top three consoles.
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    I like the Wii and even the wii-u.

    Nintendo puts a lot of thought and effort into their games and systems. Fun.
  • proccoprocco Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 915

    I like the Wii and even the wii-u.

    Nintendo puts a lot of thought and effort into their games and systems. Fun.

    Agreed. There aren't a ton of games on the Wii that I was (am) super interested in, but the core games for that system are top-notch. Super Mario Galaxy is my second favorite Mario game (Super Mario World is #1 for me and always will be). you have to give Nintendo credit for bringing video games to a much larger audience with the Wii than any "traditional" console could have.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    ThacoBell said:

    I don't know if I would say the greatest, but SNES is easily top three consoles.

    I think the only contenders are the NES, SNES, and Playstation 1 and 2. The NES, for all it's historical importance, has the unfortunate negative of coming out at a time when games hadn't really developed into what they could be. The cheap difficulty and sluggish gameplay of this era brings it down for me. The first Playstation, like the N64, unfortunately existed at a time when the transition from 2D to 3D was taking place, and these titles have NOT aged well (the only thing that has aged worse is possibly FMV games). That leaves the Playstation 2, which has a valid argument.

    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.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    My lineup:

    Link to the Past was my favorite.
    Ocarina of Time was perfect.
    Wind Walker was the most fun.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    *whispers* Sega Genesis bestest console.
  • TarlugnTarlugn Member Posts: 209
    Ocarina of Time for most original form ever of bardic magic: temple teleportation, change night to day (?), create storm, summon mount, time travel. Over a decade since last playthrough, so memories mostly golden, though while listening to OST game over sounds bad.

    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.
  • YamchaYamcha Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2017
    Just discovered they made the gameboy and SNES Zelda available for the 3DS, rather cheap too.

    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 :lol:

    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
    Post edited by Yamcha on
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  • YamchaYamcha Member Posts: 486
    edited January 2017
    @typo_tilly
    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) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw47_q9wbBE

    ..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.

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  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850

    Link's Awakening is great old school play. :D There's also A Link Between Worlds on 3DS. I've only played it for an hour, though. I think some other Zelda Gameboy games are available on 3DS? Oracle of Seasons or some such? *-) Anyways, things to look into! :)

    Absolutely every Zelda game can be played on either the Wii U or 3DS (between the two of them). Many can be played on both, some are obviously exclusive. If I ever buy either one, they will be STRICTLY for Zelda games.
  • proccoprocco Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 915
    I'm really enjoying my replay of Twilight Princess. Running around Hyrule Field on Epona's back trampling monsters and whacking them with the sword is way more fun than it should be. Some of the scenes (particularly the visit to twilit Hyrule Castle to meet Zelda early on) are absolutely gorgeous...even on the lower res Wii version. PMy only complaint so far is the damn monkeys in the forest temple. Their shrieks almost sent me over the edge!
    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.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    I found Twilight Princess oddly claustrophobic. The atmosphere could be oppressive at times, and there was seldom any release. Being stuck as a wolf in a Twilight section gathering those insects was one of the worst parts, but there was something about the darkness in that game that never seemed to let up. Even the music was strangely muted and flat, no matter where you went.

    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.
  • proccoprocco Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 915

    I found Twilight Princess oddly claustrophobic. The atmosphere could be oppressive at times, and there was seldom any release. Being stuck as a wolf in a Twilight section gathering those insects was one of the worst parts, but there was something about the darkness in that game that never seemed to let up. Even the music was strangely muted and flat, no matter where you went.

    It it really claustrophobic...I really hadn't noticed it before, but you're right. I actually like the muffled and distorted sound and look of the twilight sections. And yeah, gathering those bugs is a drag...It's funny, as I'm playing, I keep running into things that I find annoying, but the overall game design is so solid I don't even care that they are irritating. But that goes for all of the really great Nintendo games...you can nit-pick them, but when you get down to it they are untouchable when it comes to quality and straight up fun to play-ness (for lack of a better way to put it). I mean, seriously, what other game lets you play as a wolf, use a boomerang and sling-shot, hit baboons in the butt, sumo wrestle, stomp around in iron boots, go fishing, herd goats, and on and on...and I'm only a little way into the game!
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Nintendo has been in steady decline since the N64. They are far from untouchable.
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  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    I think I've only played windwaker and twilight princess, but I really enjoyed twilight princess.

    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.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Nintendo should focus on handhelds. It seems to be the only thing they can still do better than everyone else.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    I'm looking forward to a return to cartridge based game consoles with the Switch. Disc games have bugged me for the last decade and a half.
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