The Legend of Zelda Series

[talonmalon333]

Uh, all I can really think of is that I'd put Four Swords Adventure and ALTTP a little higher. Otherwise, I really like your list.

I'm assuming TP, too? I kind of remember you favoring that one.

[Avaitor]

Uh, all I can really think of is that I'd put Four Swords Adventure and ALTTP a little higher. Otherwise, I really like your list.

I'm assuming TP, too? I kind of remember you favoring that one.

It's one of my very favorites, yes, but TP is fine where it is.

[Foggle]

I'd move the Oracles above Link's Awakening and swap Wind Waker and TP. Awesome list otherwise!

[Nel_Annette]

Not really a list guy, but I'd definitely move the Oracles to the top, FSA much higher, and Skyward Sword would fall right down with the DS titles and Zelda II.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Good list. Honestly, I'm just glad the the next 3DS Zelda won't be like the DS titles (since those bombed) as Nintendo promised. I can only hope we finally get a top-down Zelda for the system. It's been too long.

[talonmalon333]

This article isn't exactly the newest of news, but for some reason it's been revived lately and discussed. It is rumored ideas about Zelda Wii U.

http://wiiudaily.com/2012/09/wii-u-zelda-game-coming-2014/

If you're curious what I think, I'll just cope and paste what I said elsewhere to here.

I'm not saying this stuff won't happen. We just shouldn't be so sure that it will. Not to mention, that's not really new news.

But for the sake of discussion, let's talk as if this is indeed factual. As for the graphics idea, not sure. I think Skyward Sword looked quite good. I just can't help but question Nintendo, because the majority of people really didn't like that look. I'm mixed on the gameplay ideas as well. "It'll be the most innovative game ever"? Wasn't Skyward Sword also supposed to be the most innovative game ever? Sometimes, I don't think Nintendo will ever learn. Not every Zelda has to be the most innovative game ever. Honestly, you can take that entire article, change a few words here and there, and it'll be almost the exact same as one of those pre-release Skyward Sword articles. Just read this last paragraph and imagine Skyward Sword instead of Zelda Wii U, and imagine Wii instead of Wii U.

The Wii U Zelda game will redefine gaming with its features and innovation, and will offer things that only the Wii U can do. ?It?ll have some revolutionizing gameplay. It has stuff that would never be possible on any other console, and it?s not just one cool feature, it?s one cool feature after another. Each dungeon will offer a different gameplay experience with the tablet controller. It?ll be the most innovative game ever, they got stuff that will be copied by others for years.?

All said and done, the ideas and thoughts posted here sound okay. You just can't help but think that it's so typical.

[Spark Of Spirit]

It will be interesting when the next Zelda comes out because then Skyward Sword will be the best Zelda ever.

[talonmalon333]

It will be interesting when the next Zelda comes out because then Skyward Sword will be the best Zelda ever.

What?

[Spark Of Spirit]

It will be interesting when the next Zelda comes out because then Skyward Sword will be the best Zelda ever.

What?

The Zelda cycle.

[talonmalon333]

It will be interesting when the next Zelda comes out because then Skyward Sword will be the best Zelda ever.

What?

The Zelda cycle.

How is that even relevant to what I said?

[Spark Of Spirit]

You were talking about the next Zelda.

My reaction is that the most interesting part of the next Zelda will be finding out how Skyward Sword is the best Zelda game due to the Zelda cycle.

[talonmalon333]

I'd like to take this moment to kindly call bullshit on the Zelda cycle theory.

I know there's the whole "Zelda fans constantly change their minds the horror! Skyward Sword is so good don't you people see you're wrong because it's just a phase!" idea. That certain people within the Zelda fanbase will complain about certain things makes sense... but that's because they are just people with their own opinions. I haven't come across a single person who shifts back and forth between their opinions on a whim like implied by the Zelda cycle. I imagine there are a few, but that's nothing really. Yes, some people prefer one thing over the other, but it doesn't randomly change with the times. They just get vocal about something they don't like. The people who were pissed about Wind Waker's graphics got vocal when they say it was cartoony, and vice versa for Twilight Princess. Same could be said about the sailing and wolf stuff in them. But those people didn't randomly change their minds afterwards; they were separate people within one group. Many of them still exist today, and those who changed their mind simply let it go. Nothing to do with some made-up cycle.

I think I tend to get annoyed by it from coming across these hardcore Skyward Sword fans crying that everyone is trying to bully them, claiming that the only reason we haven't been enlightened on how "revolutionary and magnificent" the game supposedly is, is because we're apparently in some dumb fanboy phase, going through the motions of the Zelda cycle. Trust me, it makes discussion on the topic painful cause it's their only card.

Yes, many of us have had a mixed response to Skyward Sword, moreso than for the other previous 3D games... But it's not because of some random phase. It's completely a reaction to some weird and questionable design choices. Skyward Sword has gotten less love because Nintendo managed to do more to piss people off this time. One simply cannot take things like its extreme linearity, holding the players by the hand to the point of insulting their intelligence, the constant fetchquests and recycling of old areas, as well as other minor things, and say "Oh they are just going through a phase. There's nothing to complain about". And in the end, I can assure you that Skyward Sword will never be seen as the best Zelda ever by the large group in the fanbase.

I also say this as someone who hasn't ever been effected by the whole Zelda cycle idea. I have loved Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask since I was a young child (I'm also one of the people who was a Majora's Mask fan before it was "cool"). Just the same, I adored Wind Waker and Twilight Princess even if they had a few pacing issues. I think Skyward Sword was also a damn fine game despite being heavily flawed (flaws I am quite capable of looking past for the most part, but I wouldn't question anyone who disliked the game because of them).

... So yeah, that's it for my rant. As you can tell, I am quite firm with this belief. It's nothing at all against what you said, so no worries. But anyway, you've heard my thoughts now, so I'd be interested in hearing yours if you wish.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I believe Desensitized is referring to how Zelda fans (and many Nintendo fans in general), will find every reason they can to nitpick and complain about the newest game coming out and then talk about how great the previous installment was despite most of them probably complaining about that game when it was first coming out as well and overrating the game that came before it. Or at least that's what I think he's referring to, as that's what I usually tend to notice with each new major release in the Zelda franchise.

Another example is when a lot of people used to complain about Majora's Mask not being nearly as good as Ocarina of Time, but then when people look back on both games a lot of people see MM as the better game. I'm actually not one of those people, though I do like both games, but I'm just pointing it out that a lot of people have since changed their minds on the matter.

[talonmalon333]

I believe Desensitized is referring to how Zelda fans (and many Nintendo fans in general), will find every reason they can to nitpick and complain about the newest game coming out and then talk about how great the previous installment was despite most of them probably complaining about that game when it was first coming out as well and overrating the game that came before it. Or at least that's what I think he's referring to, as that's what I usually tend to notice with each new major release in the Zelda franchise.

Another example is when a lot of people used to complain about Majora's Mask not being nearly as good as Ocarina of Time, but then when people look back on both games a lot of people see MM as the better game. I'm actually not one of those people, though I do like both games, but I'm just pointing it out that a lot of people have since changed their minds on the matter.

True. I just think that the whole Zelda cycle is an exaggeration, and that it's really nothing more than certain sub-divisions of the fanbase who get vocal about things they dislike in the games, rather than people constantly changing their opinions.

You can consider this as my tl;dr version of my above rant.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I was actually writing that post of mine before you posted your response to Desen, but you had already made that post by the time I posted my response up so I hadn't read your post yet.

It may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but I have noticed that pattern among the fan base as well, though to be fair I'm considerably more distant from the core Zelda fan base than you are so you probably know better in that regard.

As for me, I'm way behind on the Zelda games, anyways, and I really need to get around to playing Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword one of these days. I also want to try Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. I know that neither of those games are liked by anyone on this particular board, but they have gotten generally positive reception and I find that I can disagree with you guys about the games that I like in at least a few instances, anyways, so I still feel compelled to try both of those titles, especially since I really enjoyed The Wind Waker's story and want to see the continuation of it.