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[Septimius]

Well, damn.

I got my brand new 42" ST30 Panasonic Plasma all set up, connected the component cables, switched to game mode annnnnd... it looks awful. Link is unrecognizable, it's difficult to make out a door versus a splotch on the wall, and there are noticeable vertical lines whenever I'm in a darker area. I spent a solid hour fiddling with the settings, set sharpness to 0, and it doesn't look any better.

Putting the Wii and TV in 4:3 mode helps a tiny bit, but man is it weird to be playing a letterboxed game inside of a bigger TV. If I can't solve this, I may just have to hook up my CRT again to play my Wii.

The game is wonderful, though.

I've played this game both on a 40" LCD, and a 32" LED, and both look pretty wonderful.

 

[JimboJones]

You can rotate while swinging...

Yeah but he kinda goes all over the place if your in midswing, only when coming to a stand still then aiming do I know i am going to land in the place I want him to go.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

You people complaining about Fi wait till batteries in your Wiimotes start running out.

Since I'm using rechargables and MotionPlus eats batteries for breakfast I get to enjoy it and by enjoy I mean "I know already, I can see the red blinking, why is it this one of those bits of dialogue where holding A will not speed it up and the text dis...plays...rea..ly...slo..wly...?" This game is PEGI 12+, ESRB T (or was it E10+) yet at times like that (and others) it feels like it is designed for someone younger.

 

[Red UFO]

I have a 32" 720p LCD, and it looks glorious. Hell, all Wii games do.

 

[JumpingTheGun]

Does anyone else here have difficulty swinging the bug catching net? Its stiff, somewhat unresponsive and a bit retarded. Ive managed to catch a couple butterflies but its been pure luck. And Blue Birds? Fuck that. I can tell Im really going to have to stock up on rupees to buy bugs and materials from the secret shops.

 

[Bisnic]

You guys saying this game look "glorious" on your LCD probably dont give a crap about aliasing or have some great TV (i wish i had) that give some AA.

 

[Alexios]

BTW why would you set your Wii/TV to 4:3 mode? The game's widescreen only (er, if it's like the demo, I haven't actually tested the full game in that way, so maybe not) so setting to 4:3 would just make the Wii waste some of its resolution output into rendering black bars. Just set your Wii and TV to widescreen even if you're using a 4:3 TV. Better to have the TV do the black bars than the Wii itself. Unless the game does have a 4:3 mode in which case you can ignore this. And yeah it's one of the most aliased Wii games sadly. On an SDTV at least. Not bad enough to detract from the experience though, the art shines through. I imagine it's a pain on HDTVs though. Are there even any just EDTV displays to get Wii's actual max possible native resolution without going to a HD set that is over that? My impressions, wrongly in the reviews thread:

About the only genuinely bad thing I've seen so far is the scenes where

Spoiler

Fi

is

Spoiler

singing

. They just look really cheap, no good characterisation/animation to be seen there, contrary to most other cut scenes. It's hardly an issue but the camera does focus on them much.

The pointer I still wish used the sensor bar but meh, whatever, it's a non issue in the end. The combat and the various items are all a joy to use. Even bug catching is fun in this game. It's been fairly easy so far but it's also been a joy to see through.

The intro was excellent imo. Quick, with some purely optional tutorials and enough hints of action at the same time it was setting the mood for what's to come. I'm not really seeing how it could be any more straightforward without just dropping you in a dungeon as soon as the game starts with no explanation whatsoever. it's nothing like TP.

I like all the dungeons and puzzles so far, some are inventive enough to think other developers would just pad them into whole Portal style adventure/puzzle games, yet Nintendo keeps coming up with new stuff around every corner. It also packs a lot more variety than the map suggested (too much brown was my fear).

I even liked the first

Spoiler

Silent Realm

trial, though perhaps later ones might feel like a chore if they're too hard. It's like they've used Super Mario Galaxy style challenges.

Oh, and I love how as you go through an area you keep altering the layout making shortcuts for yourself to make future runs much speedier, you don't have to go through the same environmental challenges every time you visit the area and you make even more shortcuts as you go with tools you get later.

I'm just where I have to start returning to previously visited areas for story purposes and it really doesn't feel like backtracking, with the shortcuts in place and the new abilities and tools you reach the newly accessible areas in no time at all, while there were new enemy types to fight even where I had gone through before. Oh, and an awesome boss. If that's how the rest of the backtracking is, it's like faulting Metroid style games if they make you go 5 rooms back or whatever after defeating a boss to then go through a previously blocked path that leads to yet new areas and bosses.

All in all so far there's been seemingly no boring downtime or even slowdown like in TP. It's very condsensed Zelda. You have side quests that might take some time with the whole day/night switch but it's a choice. And yes, it's obviously a light hearted fairy tale you can have your kids play/watch too, not something like DarkSiders or even Skyrim. That's not a flaw either in my book but I guess your opinion may vary.

 

[ttocs]

Does anyone else here have difficulty swinging the bug catching net? Its stiff, somewhat unresponsive and a bit retarded. Ive managed to catch a couple butterflies but its been pure luck. And Blue Birds? Fuck that. I can tell Im really going to have to stock up on rupees to buy bugs and materials from the secret shops.

I've yet to master swinging the bug net. Anything caught so far has been dumb luck.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I tend to use the bug catcher net by holding the wii remote vertically and slamming it down when I want to catch something

 

[volmer]

Picked it up Saturday and have put in ~12 hours so far. I thought the first few hours were incredible; bright, colorful, sets the mood, very good pacing, but I was still having trouble with the controls. Now that I'm further in the game, I find the controls perfect--slicing and dicing everything, but the pacing leaves something to be desired, probably because of

Spoiler

the dungeon-like structure of the surface areas

and all the vegetation that begs to be cut.

Spoiler

I also find it curious how, at least at the point where I'm at, one is constantly on the heels of Zelda, where in older games you'd be given intermediate goals, like rescuing the Goron tribe.

Graphically, I think the game is absolutely outstanding. Anyone claiming otherwise must be both technically and artistically inept? Loving the music too--nice and clean, and with some oomph to it without becoming bombastic (Monster Hunter Tri, I'm looking at you.)

Back to Skyloft.

 

[hirokazu]

Does anyone else here have difficulty swinging the bug catching net? Its stiff, somewhat unresponsive and a bit retarded. Ive managed to catch a couple butterflies but its been pure luck. And Blue Birds? Fuck that. I can tell Im really going to have to stock up on rupees to buy bugs and materials from the secret shops.

I had immense trouble with this, until somebody said that you had to also turn/twist the Wii remote so that the opening will "catch" the bug in the direction you swing. It works as advertised if you do that.

EDIT: Wait, secret shops? What is this? Sounds spoilerish! :0

 

[Septimius]

You guys saying this game look "glorious" on your LCD probably dont give a crap about aliasing or have some great TV (i wish i had) that give some AA.

That would be a fucking horrible TV.

It doesn't look glorious. It looks pretty damn good. It's not a hi-res high fidelity "OH MY GOD IT'S SO CRISP AND AWESOME". The depth after-effect they've thrown on is kind of silly, but I can see why they did it. That aside, the game looks crisp enough. Good job for the Wii.

And it is a pretty game, no matter the technical limitations. They use colors well and paint pretty vistas.

 

[ASIS]

Does anyone else here have difficulty swinging the bug catching net? Its stiff, somewhat unresponsive and a bit retarded. Ive managed to catch a couple butterflies but its been pure luck. And Blue Birds? Fuck that. I can tell Im really going to have to stock up on rupees to buy bugs and materials from the secret shops.

Lock on, position your net accordingly, move slowly (very slowly), and then swing.


That said, you NEED to upgrade it, it will make your life so much easier.

 

[JumpingTheGun]

I tend to use the bug catcher net by holding the wii remote vertically and slamming it down when I want to catch something

Thats what Ive been doing too and still zippo. Ive got the swordplay down, but bug catching is a bit of a pain to get the hang of successfully.

 

[Metroid Killer]

You guys saying this game look "glorious" on your LCD probably dont give a crap about aliasing or have some great TV (i wish i had) that give some AA.

Now I can't speak for Skyward as I haven't played it on my LCD HDTV yet. Now I'm not a huge tech savvy guy, but I understand most of it, and I have never been able to identify myself with people claiming that Wii games look like shit being forced into their eyesight. Niether is my TV that great, it's old and was a cheap model back when I bought it (5 years or older).

Of course I don't have a PS3 or 360 at hand to see the difference on my own TV, that probably softens the bad look somewhat.

 

[JumpingTheGun]

Lock on, position your net accordingly, move slowly (very slowly), and then swing.


That said, you NEED to upgrade it, it will make your life so much easier.

Ahhhh...when does the upgrade become available?

 

[Nicktendo86]

Okay so now I'm about 13 hours in and have just finished the third dungeon and the

Spoiler

imprisoned fight

and am loving the game. Must say I loved the third dungeon, that for me is when the game really feels like it has started and the boss was a great use of the controls

Spoiler

aiming in certain directions to hit the eyes in the crab claws felt really... right

It has that classic 'just let me play to the next dungeon' feeling.

Sad to see a few complaints from fellow Panny plasma owners, I have a 50" and the game looks great on it imo... it has that annoying vertical line issue from the Winder Waker but I can look past it now.

 

[ASIS]

Ahhhh...when does the upgrade become available?

I don't remember

Check in the bazaar, the gear shop should tell you the requirments+costs as well.

 

[plank]

can anybody tell me how to ride the friggin bird? i can't gain any altitude

 

[Bisnic]

That would be a fucking horrible TV.

It doesn't look glorious. It looks pretty damn good. It's not a hi-res high fidelity "OH MY GOD IT'S SO CRISP AND AWESOME". The depth after-effect they've thrown on is kind of silly, but I can see why they did it. That aside, the game looks crisp enough. Good job for the Wii.

And it is a pretty game, no matter the technical limitations. They use colors well and paint pretty vistas.

It DOES look good. I don't care about its low res textures(im still playing WoW!). But the jaggies kinda ruin it.

After playing almost only PC games for the last year, all with glorious AA, it does show a lot when playing Zelda sadly.

 

[hirokazu]

That would be a fucking horrible TV.

It doesn't look glorious. It looks pretty damn good. It's not a hi-res high fidelity "OH MY GOD IT'S SO CRISP AND AWESOME". The depth after-effect they've thrown on is kind of silly, but I can see why they did it. That aside, the game looks crisp enough. Good job for the Wii.

And it is a pretty game, no matter the technical limitations. They use colors well and paint pretty vistas.

The jaggies are pretty shitty, but the games looks pretty good once you get over how crappy games look in SD on modern TVs. I'm not too fussed by low-res textures - the art style of this game makes me completely forget about it. But that dithering effect! Oh god, I can't get over it, every time I see that dithering, I'm all "Fuuuuuuuu..."

 

[KarmaCow]

Yay, the game should arrive today. Too bad I wont get a chance to play it until Wednesday.

 

[Nicktendo86]

can anybody tell me how to ride the friggin bird? i can't gain any altitude

Hold the controller up and then flap as if you were waving at someone in front of you in a vertical line, takes a little getting used to but is easy.

 

[Neoriceisgood]

15 hours in and finally finished the entire 3rd dungeon, I'm so damn slow hahahah.


Can anyone tell me where the bamboo cutting place is?

 

[ttocs]

can anybody tell me how to ride the friggin bird? i can't gain any altitude

I had the same issue until I realized you had to wave the wii remote to gain altitude. Act like your controller is the bird and bring it up and down and the bird will flap it's wings. Once you realize that, it will make sense. I must have missed that in the tutorial.

 

[Alexios]

Spoiler

Birds - spoiled because nothing hints at being able to do this, but I thought I'd try it, and it worked, which was cool -

are the easiest to catch for me, outside things you can catch without the net that is. Just gotta approach them at the lowest possible speed with lock on and "strike" when in range.

 

[Septimius]

I'm sure the only thing that will happen now is that I'll start up the game and be like "aww" since I will notice the jaggies once again.

Is my avatar too vague, btw? DO PEOPLE GET THAT I'M A ZELDA FAN BY HAVING A BOSS FROM LINK'S AWAKENING?!

15 hours in and finally finished the entire 3rd dungeon, I'm so damn slow hahahah.


Can anyone tell me where the bamboo cutting place is?

Very close to the second column of light.

 

[Kifimbo]

15 hours in and finally finished the entire 3rd dungeon, I'm so damn slow hahahah.


Can anyone tell me where the bamboo cutting place is?

Spoiler

Search for an island with a small tower.

 

[Dysun]

I'm only about 4-5 hours in, but I really dislike the bird flying controls.

 

[Kai Dracon]

So, after 25 hours of playtime I can't resist:



Has "Gamespot" even played the game?

90% of pro reviews at least go on about nothing but how this Zelda is full of new ideas and some even ram home how little some stereotypical elements are ever used, to the point of giving some spoilers to emphasize that.

I can't shake the feeling that, due to the magic of perspective, some people are being annoyed by the returning needles in an otherwise very different haystack. "There's still boss keys! Zelda hasn't changed at ALL."

Honestly, I sometimes get baffled by the "Zelda has to change it's so old!" crowd, in that they seem to be unhappy until Zelda is no longer Zelda.

It'd be as if people were griping that the new Mario games, which are being lauded to hell and back even by picky fans, were just old and regressive because they like, brought back flagpoles and stuff - how boring! Mario should be totally new and different and get rid of the dead weight of its past!

No matter what people pick on, some game franchises are going to retain elements that you know, make them the games they are. The affection of sheer boredom some fans make out of the series that they supposedly adore, almost comes across as manufactured to me at times.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

can anybody tell me how to ride the friggin bird? i can't gain any altitude

For future reference pressing 2 brings up instructions (for whatever you're doing). I also found the increase altitude only by waving up to be poorly explained by the tutorial race thing (I thought that it was only for the boost) but the on screen instructions did thier job when I reviewed them later (my altitude was so low I couldn't see the bird).

 

[Septimius]

So far, all controls, flying or otherwise have been totally OK. What really annoys me is rolling bombs etc. I'm sitting on a couch, and I have to like lean off the edge to have room to fling the remote like that.

 

[Red UFO]

So far, all controls, flying or otherwise have been totally OK. What really annoys me is rolling bombs etc. I'm sitting on a couch, and I have to like lean off the edge to have room to fling the remote like that.

I just put it between my legs, not to the side of me, much more comfortable.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

So far, all controls, flying or otherwise have been totally OK. What really annoys me is rolling bombs etc. I'm sitting on a couch, and I have to like lean off the edge to have room to fling the remote like that.

Just have the wiimote pointing down

I simply change my grip on it.

 

[BlueMagic]

Can anyone tell me where the bamboo cutting place is?

Spoiler

Go from Skyloft to the Eldin Volcano entrance but keep going in that direction and you should find the little island.

 

[The Xtortionist]

I just put it between my legs, not to the side of me, much more comfortable.

 

[plank]

OK I got it thanks. I was confused in it telling me to tilt the controller up and down as appose to pivot the controller up and down in diving to gain speed. didn't realize it was telling me to just flap.

 

[Septimius]

http://k.minus.com/ibpSpiKlAf3hp8.gif[/MG][/QUOTE]

Haha.

I also really hate having that guy at the bamboo place tell me how stubby my sword is every time I get less that 20 cuts. Love the music of that place, though.

Oh, and I came up with an ingenious thing to try - it's not a story spoiler, but one of those things you have to figure out, so I'm spoiler-marking it. It's something you can do in Skyloft: [spoiler]I figured I'd sleep until night to see where Beedle goes. That was fun :>[/spoiler]

 

[ASIS]

So far, all controls, flying or otherwise have been totally OK. What really annoys me is rolling bombs etc. I'm sitting on a couch, and I have to like lean off the edge to have room to fling the remote like that.

yeah, there are no shortcuts with rolling. You have to execute an accurate rolling motion.

 

[Metroid Killer]

I can't shake the feeling that, due to the magic of perspective, some people are being annoyed by the returning needles in an otherwise very different haystack. "There's still boss keys! Zelda hasn't changed at ALL."

Honestly, I sometimes get baffled by the "Zelda has to change it's so old!" crowd, in that they seem to be unhappy until Zelda is no longer Zelda.

I think Jocchan said it best like this

Even if Nintendo made the next Zelda into a racing game and completely deleted any series staples, people would still bitch because one of the racers is wearing green clothes...

 

[DonMigs85]

The jaggies are pretty shitty, but the games looks pretty good once you get over how crappy games look in SD on modern TVs. I'm not too fussed by low-res textures - the art style of this game makes me completely forget about it. But that dithering effect! Oh god, I can't get over it, every time I see that dithering, I'm all "Fuuuuuuuu..."

It only seems to affect games on the Mario Sunshine/Wind Waker engine. I guess they run at 18-bit color to boost performance.

 

[Effect]

Has anyone else found or gotten to the

Spoiler

Pumpkin Ranch/Pub

in the sky? Is it me or does the music there sound similar to the music that plays in

Spoiler

Lon Lon Ranch

in OoT? Granted I was pretty sleepy by the time I got to that point. I saved and went to sleep as soon as I got there but I think that is what I remember.

 

[JumpingTheGun]

Spoiler

Birds - spoiled because nothing hints at being able to do this, but I thought I'd try it, and it worked, which was cool -

are the easiest to catch for me, outside things you can catch without the net that is. Just gotta approach them at the lowest possible speed with lock on and "strike" when in range.

So you can hit them with your sword and pick up whatever they leave behind? feathers etc?

 

[hirokazu]

90% of pro reviews at least go on about nothing but how this Zelda is full of new ideas and some even ram home how little some stereotypical elements are ever used, to the point of giving some spoilers to emphasize that.

I can't shake the feeling that, due to the magic of perspective, some people are being annoyed by the returning needles in an otherwise very different haystack. "There's still boss keys! Zelda hasn't changed at ALL."

Honestly, I sometimes get baffled by the "Zelda has to change it's so old!" crowd, in that they seem to be unhappy until Zelda is no longer Zelda.

It'd be as if people were griping that the new Mario games, which are being lauded to hell and back even by picky fans, were just old and regressive because they like, brought back flagpoles and stuff - how boring! Mario should be totally new and different and get rid of the dead weight of its past!

No matter what people pick on, some game franchises are going to retain elements that you know, make them the games they are. The affection of sheer boredom some fans make out of the series that they supposedly adore, almost comes across as manufactured to me at times.

While I don't agree with everything in the Gamespot review, I don't get why some people are so upset about it. There are things that didn't meet the reviewer's expectations, and I think he is entitled to express them.

Personally, I like that the Gamespot review brings up some criticism, it seems more honest and in some parts, more accurate than some of the glowing reviews that are pretty without criticism whatsoever.

Me, I complain about the shortcomings of this game as a huge fan of the series. At the same time, I still absolutely love the game despite my complaints. Some of the earlier reviews led me to believe it is a better game than it is in reality and I have more issue with that as it comes across to me as pandering to Nintendo, the fanbase, or both.

 

[JazzmanZ]

So I just completed the first dungeon and I gotta say this game takes the cake.

A lot of it has been streamlined, and the intro to the first dungeon isn't as holy fucking long as Twilight princesses. Enemies are tougher this time around and I admit to dying by the giant spider enemies and the first dungeon boss (I was literally one hit away from dying)

Also theres a enemy that attacks by shitting on you, what.

 

[hirokazu]

I think Jocchan said it best like this

Even if Nintendo made the next Zelda into a racing game and completely deleted any series staples, people would still bitch because one of the racers is wearing green clothes...

Speaking of which... I want my day and night cycles! Why was this taken out?! Damn you, Nintendo!!! >:0

 

[Reknoc]

Fifth dungeon down. Means I got my last B slot item and I have to say

Spoiler

I'm a little disappointed by how few new items there are, there's basically the beetle and that's it. Still, what it does have is a lot of fun to use.

 

[Yoshichan]

I just reached the part in the story where I said "FUCK ME" out loud.

 

[darkjedi187]

Did anyone

Spoiler

give the love letter to the hand in the toilet?

Wondering if i screwed anything up.

 

[hirokazu]

Also theres a enemy that attacks by shitting on you, what.

There is? Did I totally miss something because I don't remember anything of the sort...?

Also, I think a lot of you guys need to use spoiler tags better. I'm pretty sure the proper way is to allow people to be able to work out what the spoiler is generally about without having to highlight to find out.