Legend of Zelda?

[woloomo]

I love 3 things in life: food, jazz, and Legend of Zelda. I'm curious about the rest of the community's interest in Zelda in particular!

[Iam9man]

Never liked any Zelda games all that much until I played BOTW. Amazing game 👍

[Guest]

I love Zelda! 

 

I voted for my top 5 in the poll: Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time and Hyrule Warriors.

[Philip027]

I like the early 3D Zeldas.  Majora's Mask is my fav; enjoy me a good "Groundhog Day" mechanic.  Offers loads of opportunities to see NPCs/events at certain places at certain times via unorthodox gameplay that you wouldn't normally come across.

 

Interest in the games has gradually waned as time went on, and bottomed out hard at Breath of the Wild.  I have numerous grievances with that game, lost interest very early on, and unfortunately its widespread success has me thinking it will be quite some time before I ever see another new 3D Zelda in the kind of style I appreciate, if ever again.  (To wit, the next Zelda game announced is explicitly a chronological sequel to BotW, and the Zelda series has rarely billed games as chronological sequels prior to their release; usually their position in the timeline is only strongly hinted at through the course of the gameplay at best, left totally ambiguous at worst, or somewhere in the middle such as by revealing it through extraneous materials such as Hyrule Historia.)  It really bummed me out because that game was pretty much one of the main reasons I purchased a Switch in the first place after all the good stuff I'd been hearing about it.

 

Incidentally, probably the thing I appreciate most about the games is their musical score, which also felt really lacking in Breath of the Wild.  Most of what I heard in that game is just silence and ambience.  It contributed a lot toward it not even feeling like an actual Zelda game to me.

[Guest]

 

[nutterwithasolderingiron]

twilight princess is my favorite. i have a lot of good memories of it. me and a few friends got together for a weekend and decided to marathon it. here is a tip. dont name link "gormless" since it ruins a lot of the heartwarming moments. it was kinda funny because at one point one of my friends said "i think i realised why you like midna so much, she's your ideal woman. short, big butt, red hair, sassy as hell, fine with hair...... dude, she's like a combination of every girl you've dated" 

 

in the temple of time, we also named the statue sven and any time we seen him, we would shout "sven sven he's our guy, if he cant do it, why even try?" 

 

oh and thanks to my friend, the phrase "throw cheese at the monkey" exists

[RosyLeo]

I feel not qualified to answer since I've only played like 4 of these but whatever.

 

I'm waiting for the day Nintendo releases some sort of pack that contains all the games, playable on one console.  I'd break my phone, take off from life for a month and just do that.

 

The Unraveled episode from Polygon in which BDG tries to make sense of the Zelda timeline including every piece of Zelda media is pretty funny.  They also do one trying to cook and taste all the recipes from BotW which is pretty good.

 

 

[Grumpy Alien]

Nope

[Yui-Drakon]

I have played a few of the Legend of Zelda games, and I loved all the ones I've played. Recently played Breath of the Wild and had the greatest time. I don't have one single favorite thing I like the most about the games, the mix of all of the listed features is what makes me enjoy them.

[Blaiddmelyn]

I've played a few Zelda games, though not Breath of the Wild or Majora's Mask (both of which I really want to try). I've not played one I've disliked, but I'll always have an especial fondness for Link's Awakening (one of my earliest memories is my brother playing through it with me); and Oracle of Ages/Seasons (I loved being able to link the two, and how the items/friends you pick up change the layout of the games etc). I'm playing Ocarina of Time atm - I tried a few years ago but somehow made the Water Temple unwinnable (I managed to push a block somewhere that I shouldn't have IIRC, and wasn't smart enough to have a backup file) but cheated this time by using a step-by-step guide just to ensure I didn't do the same thing twice.

[Nima]

love the Zeldaverse.still have the N64 with Ocarina (nostalgia pure) and Majoras Mask, which frustrated the hell out of me... we have Windwaker for the Wii, fun play, I didn't get into the graphics though. And haven't finished twilight princess yet.

BOTW is beyond awesome though! They put so much attention to the details, the game physics are so beautifully calculated! the way the water moves when you tromp through it,  that random barrel which tumbles down the hill and bobs along with the current of the river, the response of the wildlife when you get too close, or the draft, that makes the kite tougher to steer, the raindrops on the slippery surfaces (I did wish Link had his Ocarina on several occasions climbing and at night) the recipes! so original and fun. I'm waiting to get the expansion pack until this winter so I don't go zombie while its still nice outside 😂

[Philip027]

I have to wonder whether anyone here has the same opinion of BOTW as I do.  I haven't found many around the internet who do; most of the people who have any criticisms whatsoever about the game either tend to think that they're minor enough such as not to detract any enjoyment, or simply think the game is still a good game but just isn't a fitting Zelda game specifically.  I've gone a step beyond even that though; I think the game is just plain bad in general, not just a bad Zelda game >_> It's an unpopular opinion, to say the least.

 

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we have Windwaker for the Wii, fun play, I didn't get into the graphics though.

It's funny to me that Wind Waker got all the "Cel-da" jokes and whatnot at the time due to its cel-shading art style, yet even though the same thing was employed for Breath of the Wild, nobody seems to knock that game for the same reason >_>  Skyward Sword as well, but that game has its critics for sure, so chances are there's someone out there that has taken shots at its graphical style too.

[Blaiddmelyn]

4 hours ago, Philip027 said:

I have to wonder whether anyone here has the same opinion of BOTW as I do.  I haven't found many around the internet who do; most of the people who have any criticisms whatsoever about the game either tend to think that they're minor enough such as not to detract any enjoyment, or simply think the game is still a good game but just isn't a fitting Zelda game specifically.  I've gone a step beyond even that though; I think the game is just plain bad in general, not just a bad Zelda game >_> It's an unpopular opinion, to say the least.

 

It's funny to me that Wind Waker got all the "Cel-da" jokes and whatnot at the time due to its cel-shading art style, yet even though the same thing was employed for Breath of the Wild, nobody seems to knock that game for the same reason >_>  Skyward Sword as well, but that game has its critics for sure, so chances are there's someone out there that has taken shots at its graphical style too.

Tbf, if you want to see if people here have the same opinion, perhaps elaborate on what you disliked about BotW? I've not played it so I have no opinion either way, but just saying it's bad doesn't tell me much about your opinion of it (I'd be interested to know as when I eventually get a Switch, I am planning on trying BotW).

[Guest]

@Philip027 I don't like BOTW very much either. It's a dead world with hardly any music or people. The shrines are all super short and there's not much challenge or variety.

 

Stuff like weapons breaking, not being able to climb in the rain, getting hit by lightning and dying...none of it's interesting or fun for me. It just feels like a chore to play sometimes and it's in my bottom three Zeldas (with the NES games). 

[Philip027]

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Tbf, if you want to see if people here have the same opinion, perhaps elaborate on what you disliked about BotW? I've not played it so I have no opinion either way, but just saying it's bad doesn't tell me much about your opinion of it (I'd be interested to know as when I eventually get a Switch, I am planning on trying BotW).

Post above this one pretty much covers it.  Especially with the weapon fragility.  If I had to pick my single biggest gripe with the game, it would probably be that.

 

I will add to it with a couple things:

 

1) Irregular difficulty level.  The game doesn't seem to know how difficult it wants to be.  At least from the limited time I was playing it, most stuff either did scratch damage to you, or killed you (or dropped you to a single HP) with a single hit.  It rarely felt like there was anything inbetween; maybe that changes later on in the game but it lost my interest before getting to that point.  It wasn't a matter of being Beef Gated either; these one-shotty enemies were placed in areas you were fully expected to traverse, so it's not like the game was punishing you for going off the intended track; you were supposed to deal with them somehow.

 

2) You rarely feel rewarded for taking part in combat.  This kinda goes off the weapon fragility point -- about the only thing that results from combat is you breaking more of your weaponry, and replacing it with whatever junk the enemies drop.  Woo.  It got to the point where I was actively trying to avoid fighting random mooks because it was just too much of a pain in the ass and a drain on resources.  I don't want to feel like that in a Zelda game.  I'm supposed to be the badass hero of destiny here; let me feel like one, dammit.

 

2b) You rarely feel rewarded in general.  Finding some spiffy new weapon or tool in previous Zelda games was usually a cause for celebration because it usually became a permanent part of your arsenal and would never be worn down or destroyed.  Here, it's hard for me to get excited over finding some fancy new axe in a chest or something because I know if I try to use it, it's only a matter of time before it gets worn down and breaks.  A very, very short time, at that.  So what ends up happening is that I tend to keep it in my inventory forever and never use it, as a precious resource to be conserved.  Way to kill the intended joy of finding a fancy new axe or whatever.

[Skycaptain]

Nope, not into games 

[Zagadka]

After the NES,  I never had a Nintendo console until I got a Switch last year, so I missed almost everything on that list (though i did complete Ocarina on a friend's system and BotW recently)

 

When i was a kid, i really enjoyed them. I'm more of an RPG fan than an action fan, though, so... I really liked BotW, aside from the durability system.

[OmegaTheMetamorphicDreamer]

1) Yes.

2) A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, and Breath of the Wild.

3) Exploring is the best part by far.

[R_1]

I have played A Link To The Past, and Minish Cap. By far, I would prefer Minish Cap even though it has it big fault. Minish Cap would be pretty much golden with longer dungeons, and some of it few fault taken away. The music and atmosphere was honestly the biggest selling point of Minish Cap.

[Guest]

I love Zelda! A Link To The Past is one of the best games I've ever played! 

[Anonymous Axolotl]

I agree with pretty much all of your points, @Philip027. BotW either completely took away or heavily watered down what I felt made the core of a Zelda game: story, progression, and dungeons. I want to add on a few of my points, though I'm not sure if you'd agree.

 

The story in BotW felt incredibly weak to me, and they seemingly tossed out the past 30+ years of lore with no explanation. I didn't feel like I had any incentive to save Hyrule, either. Everything was just gone and waking up as Link with no memories... how are you supposed to care about saving this world? It's sort of ironic because nature-reclaimed, ancient yet advanced technology filled, post-apocalyptic settings are incredibly specific, but also happen to be one of, if not my favorite, sci-fi/fantasy settings. Yet out of all of the versions of Hyrule or other worlds throughout all of the games, this one is near the bottom in terms of ones I could care about. You don't develop a connection/personal drive to help save the world until you've started to reclaim your memories. It felt like weak writing to me.

 

In terms of progression, after you leave the Great Plateau, there isn't exactly... progression. Yeah, you find new areas, but you don't become a better, stronger adventurer. What I loved in previous games is adding on skills, abilities, knowledge, tools, etc the more and more you explored and played. With BotW, when you boil things down, it's the exact same for each region you go to: you have to use the abilities you were given at the beginning, just in a different environment. Rinse and repeat. No actual growth or expansion of your tools and knowledge on how to use them. I remember coming across the spinner tracks near Kakariko village in TP for the first time and wondering what in the world they were for and where they went. Later, once I had the spinner, I returned and had this wonderful feeling of, "oh, I figured it out! I've progressed where I couldn't before!" The same goes for the hookshot in OoT, the whip in SS, etc. That's the sort of stuff I miss. That's the sort of "progression" that BotW is devoid of. Coming across new areas is fun and all, but having to work to find a way to get them is what's rewarding.

 

Expansive dungeons and getting an item or ability that allows you to continue through them further is another thing I miss. It felt like a staple to the series. If Nintendo decides to strictly continue and make future games with the style of game that BotW was, I can't tell anymore what would be "definitively Zelda" since the traits I felt make a Zelda game a Zelda game are no longer there or heavily changed. The shrines in BotW were an interesting concept, but much too brief. I get it that when combined, there are a ton of puzzles, but when they are spread out, it feels very short and unsatisfying. I wish they could have at least unlocked some challenge once you complete them all where you can replay all of the shrines randomly back to back, or a set number of them back to back, while being timed or something.

 

Anyway, those are just my thoughts.

[Strifed]

I've only played BOTW and loved it!!!! I'm really excited about the sequel.

What I loved the most was exploring~ then combat.

also Link is cute  especially with his braids and in a ponytail  

 

edit: I forgot to mention I really love the music in BOTW! I have so many playlists with the exploring music... It's just so relaxing honestly.

[Philip027]

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The story in BotW felt incredibly weak to me, and they seemingly tossed out the past 30+ years of lore with no explanation.

You mean huge spider mechs and laser beams aren't totally a Zelda thing? 

[artisticGryfess]

I have yet to actually play BotW, but honestly? I think I'm gonna really like it. I get what all of you are saying about it being nothing like your standard Legend of Zelda game, and yeah!! It's completely different!! But honestly I just want to explore a pretty post-apocalyptic world and see dragons and get all the horses and it just looks so beautiful. When I do eventually get it, I'm gonna go for Vah Medoh first for the simple reason of: I want to go everywhere. So I'm looking forward to it. It's not a traditional Zelda game, so I'm not gonna play it like one!

 

I've also only played Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, and Twilight Princess all the way through, and I'm partway through Ocarina and the original game, so there's a lot more left for me to play.

 

And for the third question, I answered, all of them its all great and I love it. The puzzles in TP are my favorite by then the combat in SS but the open-worldness and art of BotW but then the story of the whole entire franchise it's all amazing thank you very much

[Internetlionboy]

OMG I LOVE LOZ SO MUCH it's definitely one of my favorite game series of all time along with Persona of course but Nintendo in general has my heart. It's such a huge special interest of mine

 

I haven't got around to finishing Twilight Princess but it's an amazing game and Breath of the Wild is another favorite of mine, too but I love all of the games, though. Gosh my favorite things about the series is definitely the graphics/art and exploring though I love using my brain and solving puzzles 😛 I can never get over how beautiful the series is like it really pops out in Breath of the Wild and ESPECIALLY all the Zelda designs throughout the series like 😍😍😍

[Artila]

I swear that character Vaati in Minish Cap did influence me a lot in my teens and helped me through tough situations. Never really played that game until recently but after getting into the Zelda fandom when OoT 3D came out I quickly discovered him, related a lot to his past and started calling him "fallen fictional soulmate". Actively hunted that official keychain of him.

 

...However my surrounding is annoyed by that character now because I literally fled into his lore and personality whenever I faced stressful times like the escapist that I am ^^;

 

 

Generally spoken I love every Zelda game, currently I FINALLY got my hands onto BoTW. Zelda is my main fandom tbh. I also collected the mangas and apart of Twilight Princess I dig the manga Four Swords version a lot.

[everywhere and nowhere]

Not my kind of game. I don't really like RPGs unless they are adventure-RPGs - traditional "quests" with added RPG mechanics - some randomness, combat, different solutions depending on class... but apart from that, the gameplay is like in classic adventure games.

Stuff such as the classic "Quest for Glory" series, which started the adventure-RPG subgenre. I have played all except part 5, which is unfortunately 3D.

"Heroine's Quest":

"Quest for Infamy":

"Mage's Initiation":

[Cimmerian]

Windwaker and BOTW. The Zelda games never really appealed to me; they seemed just like another fight through all the monsters type of game (sort of like Pokemon to me), and that seemed boring. I played Windwaker when someone I knew rented it back when Blockbuster existed and you could rent games, and remember liking some of the exploration/travels aspects of the game and didn't mind the style they did it in, but I didn't get to play it long enough to evaluate it much beyond that.

 

BOTW has become one of my favorite games though - I love the open-world exploration, puzzles, and how much there was to find and do, as well as the customizable aspects (different horses, clothing etc.). Fighting monsters really wasn't anything I was interested in or bothered with until much later in the game because they're nothing but a nuisance at the beginning until I found much nicer weapons.

[Janus the Fox]

I’ve fallen out of favour with the Zelda franchise a bit.  Played 1, 2, OoT, Windwaker, Minish Cap, Twilight Princess and kind of stopped there but A Link Between World was OK.  I like the puzzles but by the time playing TP, it really started to feel more of the same to me.

[Ippiki-ookami]

I'm a huge fan of the series and I've played every mainline game! I enjoy Zelda for every point listed in the poll.. In terms of gameplay, I enjoy the theme of adventure and solving puzzles using your environment. But there's other elements like the depth and complexity of the story lines which I also greatly enjoy. Not to mention the music! I can literally listen to Zelda music all day

 

On the topic of BOTW, I find it an incredible game but if there was something missing, for me it would be the lack of 'proper' dungeons. But that doesn't take too much away from how great the game is overall. BOTW was definitely a refreshing change but all other games in the series still hold their own. If Nintendo just made another game very similar to BOTW with actual dungeons that would be plenty to look forward to (excited for BOTW2!).