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[shadyspace]

I can't wait for Giantbombs review.

5/5 is guaranteed.

 

[walking fiend]

only if it sells a bajillion copies.

it will sell a lot.

 

[Koodo]

Is the Music CD just based on Skyward Sword or does it include tracks from other games?

 

[Reticent Rhino]

I can't wait for Giantbombs review.

Patrick Klepek is doing the review, though I'm sure Jeff will play it and state his opinions on it since he's a VGA judge.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

 

[Kard8p3]

Is the Music CD just based on Skyward Sword or does it include tracks from other games?

It music from the 25th anniversary symphony concert.

 

[Koodo]

It music from the 25th anniversary symphony concert.

omg

 

[ThaiGrocer]

omg

The oprah in me feels the same way. Wait.

 

[Talladega Knight]

it will sell a lot.

i hope so. it already has one guaranteed sell day 1

 

[daebo]

Patrick Klepek is doing the review, though I'm sure Jeff will play it and state his opinions on it since he's a VGA judge.

Oh, that sucks. I think would be a great full circle type of action if Jeff reviewed it considering what happened before.

 

[Red]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

What is Mario Galaxy a rehash of

And did miss 8.8

 

[AniHawk]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

i didn't get it with smg2, which was literally an expansion pack.

 

[Gravijah]

What is Mario Galaxy a rehash of

super mario bros

 

[AniHawk]

super mario bros

and that is just a rehash of mario bros, which is just a rehash of jumping on platforms in real life.

 

[Talladega Knight]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

they're never the same game, just more awesomeness.

they're like jolly ranchers. they may look the same, but they all taste ever so wonderfully different (except grape. grape must be those crappy cd-i games).

 

[Koodo]

and that is just a rehash of mario bros, which is just a rehash of jumping on platforms in real life.

You jump on turtles in real life?


Monster.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

You said it bro. Screw repetition. I'm gonna take my money that I had reserved for Skyward Sword and put it down for Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin's Creed.

 

[JimmyRustler]

What is Mario Galaxy a rehash of

And did miss 8.8

It's just a different setting but still the same game. Jump in the world, reach the end, get the star --> next star. Get enough stars, get to the next world. And so on. Actually it's even less than Mario 64 because there you had some freedom to search stars on your own in each world. In Mario Galaxy you only have one to get when you enter a level.

 

[Jocchan]

omg, the main Zelda theme orchestrated is glorious.

Yes. Yes, it is.

 

[JimmyRustler]

You said it bro. Screw repetition. I'm gonna take my money that I had reserved for Skyward Sword and put it down for Modern Warfare 3 and Assassin's Creed.

I didn't say that MW and AC aren't repetetive, only that the magazines DO blaim them for being so but not Mario or Zelda. It makes no sense.

 

[Criminal Upper]

GameInformer probably thinks it will sell well.

 

[Neoriceisgood]

It's just a different setting but still the same game. Jump in the world, reach the end, get the star --> next star. Get enough stars, get to the next world. And so on. Actually it's even less than Mario 64 because there you had some freedom to search stars on your own in each world. In Mario Galaxy you only have one to get when you enter a level.

That's a very limited view on what makes a game the same or different, guy.

 

[marc^o^]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

Have you missed the part where it says this game is fully played using motion controls, like... no other game of this kind on the market?

Not to mention the game design, which is said to be more inventive than most big productions released in years.

 

[Yoshichan]

I'm looking at my newly achieved Wii... and I'm fading away...

I want this... game... right. .. now... ........

 

[the thoroughbred]

To be fair, FFX ultimately didn't make the case for voice acting. That accolade goes to XII...flawless.

But, ultimately I agree with you. I think too many people get too hung up on the perceived "tradition" of the Zelda series, which is what keeps it from ever truly evolving. The hatred of voice acting is part of that. I don't think a lack of voice acting has any more to do with tradition than just the simple fact that the series dates back to a time before voice acting in games was possible. I don't think voice acting would hurt the "essence of Zelda" in the slightest. 3D and orchestrated soundtracks didn't.

Frankly, I have yet to hear an argument against voice acting that didn't sound like my grandaddy bitching about the superiority of typewriters.

But that's just it. Typewriters are quite cool, and there will always be admirers of such mechanical tools. Let Zelda be the typewriter. And if there is a demand for EAD to create a Macbook Pro or a thinkpad, let them create a new IP.

I can't stand modern Disney it's shit, compared to the old Dumbo's, Fantasia's and Alice in Wonderland. It just doesn't have the same feel as the old.

 

[Peru]

It's just a different setting but still the same game. Jump in the world, reach the end, get the star --> next star. Get enough stars, get to the next world. And so on. Actually it's even less than Mario 64 because there you had some freedom to search stars on your own in each world. In Mario Galaxy you only have one to get when you enter a level.

That's called having levels.

 

[Gravijah]

I didn't say that MW and AC aren't repetetive, only that the magazines DO blaim them for being so but not Mario or Zelda. It makes no sense.

yeah the gaming press never calls mario or zelda repetitive. it really baffles me. i haven't ever once seen them do that!

 

[Lunar15]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

To take your post very seriously, I think it's sort of a long held psychological issue. Since Mario and Zelda were among the first of the "second age" of gaming (read: post atari), a lot of core gamers grew up on those two titles. Being the first experience with gaming for many people, they somewhat defined "taste" for that generation. The pacing, gameplay mechanics, and overall feel of those games were imprinted in the minds of many young gamers, who grew up to become those who write reviews.

So, when a game like Zelda or Mario hits, it's not just simple nostalgia or fond memories that cause them to give a higher score. It's a highly ingrained propensity to love the feel of those types of games. I'm sure many a Nintendo fan has talked about a certain "Nintendo" quality that they found difficult to describe. This probably isn't directly related to Nintendo's objective "quality", but rather to the fact that we are highly attuned to the types of gameplay choices they make. What makes Nintendo so resonant with fans is that they often manage to nail the "feel" of a franchise, even through different iterations.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

It's just a different setting but still the same game.

With different perspective, powerups, etc...

The perspective alone makes it fresh as it defines the meat of the game/genre-----level design.

You're going to have to do better than that.

 

[Lunar15]

yeah the gaming press never calls mario or zelda repetitive. it really baffles me. i haven't ever once seen them do that!

I dunno, I saw several reviewers mention it with Twilight Princess, especially with the Forest-Fire-Water temple pattern. That being said, yes I see it being mentioned far less with these franchises than others.

 

[D-Pad]

they're never the same game, just more awesomeness.

they're like jolly ranchers. they may look the same, but they all taste ever so wonderfully different (except grape. grape must be those crappy cd-i games).

Yep. ... Except, if something so wonderful as grape Jolly Rancher is being equated to the awful cd-i games, then the horribly foul watermelon flavor must be something reallllly bad... Like A Link to the Past.

 

[Dartastic]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/souj/index.html?link=wiibnr
Just in case anyone else has trouble finding it. Skywohr Sword-oh!

Oh my god this sounds glorious.

 

[Pseudo_Sam]

It's just a different setting but still the same game. Jump in the world, reach the end, get the star --> next star. Get enough stars, get to the next world. And so on. Actually it's even less than Mario 64 because there you had some freedom to search stars on your own in each world. In Mario Galaxy you only have one to get when you enter a level.

The fuck? You basically just described the platforming genre. Unless you're expecting Mario to suddenly turn into an RTS or something, I think your expectations are a little off.

That you "jump in the world" is your example of a repetitive Mario staple is absurd and hilarious.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Yep. ... then the horribly foul watermelon flavor

Stopped reading hereRACIST...

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/souj/index.html?link=wiibnr
Just in case anyone else has trouble finding it. Skywohr Sword-oh!

omg

the wind waker sailing theme better be on this bitch.

 

[JoeFu]

Why play games at all? I mean they are all so repetitive with the button presses and stuff.

 

[Magicpaint]

I dunno, I saw several reviewers mention it with Twilight Princess, especially with the Forest-Fire-Water temple pattern. That being said, yes I see it being mentioned far less with these franchises than others.

You do know that was a sarcastic post right?

 

[AniHawk]

omg

the wind waker sailing theme better be on this bitch.

yeah the wind waker medley is one of the eight tracks.

 

[hatchx]

It's just a different setting but still the same game. Jump in the world, reach the end, get the star --> next star. Get enough stars, get to the next world. And so on. Actually it's even less than Mario 64 because there you had some freedom to search stars on your own in each world. In Mario Galaxy you only have one to get when you enter a level.

Silly argument.

The nature of any game is to reach the end. What does it matter if it is a checkered line or a star or an end boss? Just because Mario gets stars to often represent the end of a level or quest does not mean the game is repetitive.

The other thing is, where you might argue COD or Halo or Deus Ex is different in every iteration and therefore deserves high reviews (where Mario does not), you need to remember you are still covering, shooting, and achieving said goal. Mario is jumping, spinning, climbing, whatever.....to reach the same goal.

ATLEAST Mario has little to zero competition out there. Maybe each COD is different enough from the last (they aren't, especially compared to Mario, but your arguments sake) but every other FPS is extremely similar too. Atleast the Mario we get every 2-3 years is a game unlike any other for the 2-3 years prior.


Also, what business is there to go into this thread and say that? If I went into a Halo thread or COD thread and said 'I don't get what is good about this series, they are all the exact same' I'd get chewed out. Mario is classic man. If you don't see the genius or fun in it, I'd question your opinion on video games as a whole.

 

[Criminal Upper]

I don't get it, basically EVERY sequel ever made is the same game, but different levels.

I must be missing something.

 

[Lunar15]

You do know that was a sarcastic post right?

Ah, didn't catch it. I apologize.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

You do know that was a sarcastic post right?

You never know, his post could be sarcastic in reply to a sarcastic initial post leading to a sarchophagus chasm.

 

[JimmyRustler]

To take your post very seriously, I think it's sort of a long held psychological issue. Since Mario and Zelda were among the first of the "second age" of gaming (read: post atari), a lot of core gamers grew up on those two titles. Being the first experience with gaming for many people, they somewhat defined "taste" for that generation. The pacing, gameplay mechanics, and overall feel of those games were imprinted in the minds of many young gamers, who grew up to become those who write reviews.

So, when a game like Zelda or Mario hits, it's not just simple nostalgia or fond memories that cause them to give a higher score. It's a highly ingrained propensity to love the feel of those types of games. I'm sure many a Nintendo fan has talked about a certain "Nintendo" quality that they found difficult to describe. This probably isn't directly related to Nintendo's objective "quality", but rather to the fact that we are highly attuned to the types of gameplay choices they make. What makes Nintendo so resonant with fans is that they often manage to nail the "feel" of a franchise, even through different iterations.

Thanks for honest response. Also agreed that this is probably the reason but still... it's just funny to me. I mean, I understood why Gears3 for example didn't get the best scores because though it was a very good game I was also kind of bored when playing because it was the same thing all over again. But I never read something like this about Zelda and Mario in ANY review.

I remember starting to play New Super Mario Bros on the DS and literally thinking: "What the fuck? This is the same shit I played on GameBoy when I was a kid." And yet this game has 89 in metacritic.

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

You never know, his post could be sarcastic in reply to a sarcastic initial post leading to a sarchophagus chasm.

scannershead.jpg

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

yeah the wind waker medley is one of the eight tracks.

A whole medley?! Perfect.

 

[marc^o^]

Thanks for honest response. Also agreed that this is probably the reason but still... it's just funny to me. I mean, I understood why Gears3 for example didn't get the best scores because though it was a very good game I was kind of bored when playing because it was the same thin all over again. But I never read something like this about Zelda and Mario in ANY review.

I remember starting to play New Super Mario Bros on the DS and literally thinking: "What the fuck? This is the same shit I played on GameBoy when I was a kid." And yet this game has 89 in metacritic.

I can see your point on New Super Mario Bros, but do you feel it's the same case here, with all we know about Zelda SS?

 

[Caelus]

Damn, TWW aged really well.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

I mean, I understood why Gears3 for example didn't get the best scores because though it was a very good game I was kind of bored when playing because it was the same thin all over again. But I never read something like this about Zelda and Mario in ANY review.

Simple(or is it????), one might be seen as a limited genre where repetition is highlighted more.

Platformers and adventure games can have the same template and be much fresher because of the openness of the nature of the games.

 

[JimmyRustler]

The fuck? You basically just described the platforming genre. Unless you're expecting Mario to suddenly turn into an RTS or something, I think your expectations are a little off.

That you "jump in the world" is your example of a repetitive Mario staple is absurd and hilarious.

Then how can you blaim CoD to be repetetive? I mean, it's just a shooter, right?

 

[The Technomancer]

Am I the only one who is baffled about how Zelda (and Mario) games always get this insane scores in reviews?

I mean, don't get me wrong guys, Mario 64 and OoT were both insane games and I enjoyed the hell out of em but ever since I haven't been able to play a single entry of the series. It's ALWAYS the same game, just in another color. I don't get it. Not the people that still enjoy these games, but the super duper magazine which are fast to blaim other games for getting repetitive, yet NEVER mention that Zelda and Mario are THE most repetitive game series on the market.

I'm really baffled, every single time.

Well...do you enjoy any other sequels this gen? Or in general?