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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds |OT| All in all you're just another Link in the wall

Neiteio

Member
Twilight Princess didn't feel like a "complete experience?" I'm... truly baffled!
TP was missing "soul," as John TV said. Bland characters, bland environments, muddied further by muddy textures and a dark realism the system simply couldn't pull off. No real sense of urgency. What was even at stake? The people in Hyrule Castle Town didn't seem too concerned about the force field over Hyrule Castle, for example. The final battle, while fun, literally transpires in a random flat corner of Hyrule Field. The game has FANTASTIC dungeons... but the splintered and largely linear overworld, coupled with the tedium of the intro and various bug hunts, dragged things down. I liked the game quite a bit, overall, but it furthered my disenchantment with the series, where each new game feels more like a chore you're obligated to undertake as a fan of past installments. Thankfully, ALBW looks to buck that trend with legitimately refreshing gameplay and pacing.

Yea but who listens to Neiteio :p
Yeah, that guy's a jerk!
 

PK Gaming

Member
I think this is a smart way to approach this game. I think anyone who loved ALTTP is going to automatically enjoy this game like 20% more no matter what, thanks to the familiarity of the world and especially (especially!) the music.

Zelda is a long-running series (I think this is the 17th game?), so everyone's ideas of what make a Zelda game good are naturally going to be different. They really, really nailed the pacing of this one (everything moves at a really fast clip, and thanks to this, even if you have to go all the way across the overworld to look for something, it's never a drag - which is important, IMO), and the game rarely ever attempts to hold your hand. Sometimes there are little pedestals with icons on them that hint at what items to use -- I'd rather those weren't there, but I think they saw it as a trade-off for being so non-linear (if you don't have all the items with you, you might get stuck wondering what to do forever), but apart from that, the game doesn't really try to help you at all, which is a big, BIG step up from Skyward Sword.

It's a little weird to compare this to Majora's Mask, so I'm kinda nervous that some people are freaking out (in a good way) about my saying this is my fav Zelda since MM. :) Every Zelda since MM has been really good but was lacking in one way or another; Wind Waker was amazing in a lot of ways, but it felt unfinished to me (really needed those two extra dungeons and a way less shitty sailing system). Twilight Princess, I just couldn't really get into...felt like it was lacking a soul somehow. To this day it's the only mainline Zelda I haven't finished - I don't dislike it, I just didn't feel that childlike enthusiasm I feel from Zelda games when I was playing it. Kind of a weird anomaly, I guess. Skyward Sword felt like a return to form for me, but the constant hand-holding really hurt my experience, and I felt like the overworld lacked variety. They were at least clever in how they brought you back to areas you'd already been to, but I'd have much preferred entirely new areas with different visual themes. (If Dark Souls can have over a dozen really distinct areas, why can't Zelda? Hopefully Aonuma is asking the same question right now with Zelda U...)

On the handheld side, I've pretty much loved almost every one apart from Spirit Tracks (didn't even bother playing this as it looked pretty lame; will give it a go someday, tho). LInk's Awakening, the two Oracle games, and especially Minish Cap were all really great IMO.

Anyway, went off on a tangent there, but bringing it back to Majora's Mask - that game felt really complete to me, and had no major flaws. Great world, great dungeons (not enough of them, but it felt OK given the unique gameplay systems), great story, great music, etc. A Link Between Worlds also feels complete to me. Would've been nice had the overall game flow not mirrored ALTTP quite so much, and yes, maybe the dungeons could've been a little longer (or just higher in number), but on the whole, it felt very complete and very satisfying. Definitely a big step in the right direction for the series.

I'll shut up now. Hope you guys enjoy the game as much as I did! Five more days! :)
This post did a better job at hyping me than the innumerable amounts of 9.5-/10 reviews.
 

Rich!

Member
Good point! I'm kidding Neiteio. Sort of.

I guess I'm one of the lucky few who finds most of the main Zelda games to be phenomenal and TP and SS are no fucking exception. SS is by far the strongest entry to me when it comes to narrative and emotion, and it had killer dungeons and bosses as well. I love how much stuff it explained too.

Majora's Mask is actually the one that I can't get into. I love the atmosphere and the dungeons were okay, but after finally finishing it a couple of years ago, I still found myself not liking the time mechanic; I don't like to be in a hurry in these games. That wasn't the sole reason I didn't love the game or anything, but while people love the story in that game I feel like it's just sort of utterly pointless. I didn't get into the skull kid or Majora plot and I had no connection to Termina so I didn't really care what happened to it. :p

I find it hard to understand why people refuse to play MM because of the "time limit"

You have the ocarina of time. You have the song of double time, song of time and the reverse song of time. Time limit? What time limit?

Song of reversed time gives you what, 9 hours? If you can't finish a dungeon in that time then...I don't know.
 
My in-depth, intelligent analysis;

Ocarina of Time is a lot of fun. Ocarina of Time 3D is more fun. Wind Waker is very fun. Twilight Princess is fun. Skyward Sword is quite a bit of fun.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Since Nintendo most likely won't put A Link to the Past on the 3DS/WiiU eShop before release of A Link Between Worlds, I'll bite the bullet and let you guys know just how well ALBW stacks up with zero ALttP-nostalgic memories clouding my judgement, and I will even take it a step further and make sure to play ALttP on Wii right after completing ALBW, just so I can let you know which one is the better game today (in my opinion of course). Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to start playing until December 5th (stupid college classes), but I'm pretty darn excited to experience my first 2D Zelda!
 
SS is the best of the 3D ones, and even that only adds up to an 8/10 on the Anihawk scale. The rest are too ugly, too tedious, too sidequesty, and too dated, in that order
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
My in-depth, intelligent analysis;

Ocarina of Time is a lot of fun. Ocarina of Time 3D is more fun. Wind Waker is very fun. Twilight Princess is fun. Skyward Sword is quite a bit of fun.

Your analysis implies that people who play Zelda can have fun therefore you may be prosecuted for heresy.
 

D-e-f-

Banned
Good point! I'm kidding Neiteio. Sort of.

I guess I'm one of the lucky few who finds most of the main Zelda games to be phenomenal and TP and SS are no fucking exception. SS is by far the strongest entry to me when it comes to narrative and emotion, and it had killer dungeons and bosses as well. I love how much stuff it explained too.

Majora's Mask is actually the one that I can't get into. I love the atmosphere and the dungeons were okay, but after finally finishing it a couple of years ago, I still found myself not liking the time mechanic; I don't like to be in a hurry in these games. That wasn't the sole reason I didn't love the game or anything, but while people love the story in that game I feel like it's just sort of utterly pointless. I didn't get into the skull kid or Majora plot and I had no connection to Termina so I didn't really care what happened to it. :p

I'm with you on the first part. But on the second you lose me again. I finally got around to finishing Majora's Mask from top to bottom for the first time this year (100%!) and even though almost everything was spoiled for me over the years, I still found it a magnificent entry in the series and very affecting. They really need to throw out that damn 3DS remaster soon! Smooth framerate and improved UI? Hells yea! Do it!
 

Neiteio

Member
A question: Should we consider ALBW a "2D" installment (given it largely plays out in the 2D style of gameplay, whether from an overhead viewpoint or from a side-on view when wall-merging), or should we consider ALBW a "3D" installment (given it is literally composed of 3D polygons and incorporates depth to a greater degree than the layered dungeons of ALttP)?
 
SS is the best of the 3D ones, and even that only adds up to an 8/10 on the Anihawk scale. The rest are too ugly, too tedious, too sidequesty, and too dated, in that order

My god Viewtiful, my god no! M-my god he crashed the car! He crashed the car! There's bits everywhere! His opinion crashed the car!
The Ocarina 3DS remake really helps how dated it is

A question: Should we consider ALBW a "2D" installment (given it largely plays out in the 2D style of gameplay, whether from an overhead viewpoint or from a side-on view when wall-merging), or should we consider ALBW a "3D" installment (given it is literally composed of 3D polygons and incorporates depth to a greater degree than the layered dungeons of ALttP)?

I think the distinction is pretty clear, but I know what you mean. "Top-down" and "Console" seem to work thus far.
 
It was missing "soul," as John TV said. Bland characters, bland environments, muddied further by muddy textures and a dark realism the system simply couldn't pull off. No real sense of urgency. What was even at stake? The people in Hyrule Castle Town didn't seem too concerned about the force field over Hyrule Castle, for example. The final battle, while fun, literally transpires in a random flat corner of Hyrule Field. The game has FANTASTIC dungeons... but the splintered and largely linear overworld, coupled with the tedium of the intro and various bug hunts, dragged things down.

I think we're just at a disconnect then overall. I thought the characters were fine, Midna was fantastic, and what you call "muddy textures and dark realism" I found to be very exceptionally atmospheric. What was at stake? More or less the same thing that is at stake in every Zelda, and that's Ganon's domination. What was at stake in Majora's Mask? Some new place called Termina, which I have no emotional connection to, is going to be destroyed by a moon with a face on it. :p

To each his own about the environments too. People frequently hate on Hyrule's overworld, but the snowy mountains, Zora's domain, the Twilight Realm, Lake Hylia, City in the Sky, etc. were drop dead gorgeous to me.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
A question: Should we consider ALBW a "2D" installment (given it largely plays out in the 2D style of gameplay, whether from an overhead viewpoint or from a side-on view when wall-merging), or should we consider ALBW a "3D" installment (given it is literally composed of 3D polygons and incorporates depth to a greater degree than the layered dungeons of ALttP)?

We consider NSMBU a 2D installment alongside Other M, so I don't see why we wouldn't consider ALBW the same.
 

Joqu

Member
Ocarina of Time < Majora's Mask < Wind Waker < Twilight Princess < Skyward Sword < Majora's Mask

This is the true ranking of 3D Zelda games
 
Never played the OG LTTP (not on the 3DS or Wii U VC + I don't have a classic controller) but I'm looking to get this. Should I wait to finish the original first or will it not really matter?
 
Ocarina of Time < Majora's Mask < Wind Waker < Twilight Princess < Skyward Sword < Majora's Mask

This is the true ranking of 3D Zelda games

If you see it through the lens of truth it will show this order:

Majoras Mask>Twilight Princess>WindWaker=Ocarina of Time>>>>>>>>>>>Skyward Sword>>Spirit Tracks>>>>Phantom Hourglass.
 

zroid

Banned
My in-depth, intelligent analysis;

Ocarina of Time is a lot of fun. Ocarina of Time 3D is more fun. Wind Waker is very fun. Twilight Princess is fun. Skyward Sword is quite a bit of fun.

VipEtl.jpg
 
Never played the OG LTTP (not on the 3DS or Wii U VC + I don't have a classic controller) but I'm looking to get this. Should I wait to finish the original first or will it not really matter?

I think you can play with either. You might find it "fresher" if you don't. Keep in mind it uses the same overworld, so your exploration might be less exciting (though from what I understand, much of the overworld has changed). The opinions seem to differ between those complaining it's too "samey", and those revelling in the nostalgic familiarity.

But absolute contention defines pretty much every Zelda release.
 
Anybody else gonna show up at Nintendo World this Thursday evening? They're selling it early at 8pm that night to midnight, and they're offering a special gift to purchasers for this game as well as Super Mario 3D World and that 3DS Mario Party thingie. I'm hoping it's the treasure chest that Europe is getting...

Plus they'll have the 3DS XL there for folks that want that and didn't get a preorder in.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Ocarina of Time is truly one of the most overrated games of all-time. It might have been great/revolutionary when released, but every single 3D Zelda since has been better. WindWaker, Skyward Sword, and Majora's Mask are all better games while offering their own unique spins to the series, and Twilight Princess is a better Ocarina of Time is almost every single way.
 
I'm with you on the first part. But on the second you lose me again. I finally got around to finishing Majora's Mask from top to bottom for the first time this year (100%!) and even though almost everything was spoiled for me over the years, I still found it a magnificent entry in the series and very affecting. They really need to throw out that damn 3DS remaster soon! Smooth framerate and improved UI? Hells yea! Do it!

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Majora's Mask. It's pretty fun for the most part, some of the dungeons were great, I like the gameplay especially with the mask transformation mechanics, the atmosphere and music is stunning, and so on. The time mechanic, while I wasn't a fan of it, didn't work for me; I just didn't care for it and I didn't really enjoy keeping up with it or setting the time back and such. So sure, there were things I didn't like, but I like the game overall. I just feel like there's a huge gap between my enjoyment of the game and that of others.

Link's Awakening was the other Zelda I recently finished that gets so much praise, and I actually ended up agreeing with said praise.
 

D-e-f-

Banned
We consider NSMBU a 2D installment alongside Other M, so I don't see why we wouldn't consider ALBW the same.

Who in their right mind can consider Metroid: Other M a 2D installment when you move around in three dimensional space form all sorts of angles and even go into first person regularly?!
 

Mr-Joker

Banned
I find it hard to understand why people refuse to play MM because of the "time limit"

You have the ocarina of time. You have the song of double time, song of time and the reverse song of time. Time limit? What time limit?

Song of reversed time gives you what, 9 hours? If you can't finish a dungeon in that time then...I don't know.

I guess it's because the game does a poor job about telling you about the song of double time and the reverse song of time.

You get hints about those songs when you talk to the Scarecrow but they never outright tell you.
 

Skiesofwonder

Walruses, camels, bears, rabbits, tigers and badgers.
Who in their right mind can consider Metroid: Other M a 2D installment when you move around in three dimensional space form all sorts of angles and even go into first person regularly?!

It's more 2D then 3D. Description from Nintendo:


Nintendo said:
While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran&#8217;s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.

I tried to erase Other M from my memory, but I would consider it more a 2D metroid then 3D from what I recall. I guess it would be more accurate to call it a hybrid though.

Sakamoto on the subject:

Sakamoto said:
So for all of these people saying that they really want a 2D Metroid, what I&#8217;d really like to say to them is I think this is your game. I&#8217;d like to see these people play it, and if they still want a purely 2D Metroid game after they&#8217;ve had this experience, then they should certainly let me know, then we&#8217;ll have to think about what to do next
 

Joqu

Member
If you see it through the lens of truth it will show this order:

Majoras Mask>Twilight Princess>WindWaker=Ocarina of Time>>>>>>>>>>>Skyward Sword>>Spirit Tracks>>>>Phantom Hourglass.

If that's truth I would rather live a life of lies.

Link's Awakening will always be the best Zelda game though.
 

Neiteio

Member
What was at stake? More or less the same thing that is at stake in every Zelda, and that's Ganon's domination. What was at stake in Majora's Mask? Some new place called Termina, which I have no emotional connection to, is going to be destroyed by a moon with a face on it. :p
Majora's Mask is the only Zelda game where it feels like something is truly at stake. Each and every NPC has a name and a story, a private tragedy that can be averted. They're fleshed-out characters, not the disposable fodder of other Zelda games. And their personal woes aside, they all share concern about the falling moon. You're constantly reminded about the falling moon -- from the sight of it in the sky wherever you go, to the doomsday clock on the bottom of the screen, to the hellish red glow and gravitational rumbling as the moon fills up the sky on final day, to the ominous tune of a deserted Clock Town's final hours. And visually, it's incredible, from the evil eyes of the titular mask, to the twisted grin of the falling moon, to the neon pink hues of clouds lit up by the heat of the moon as it enters the atmosphere. To me, Majora's Mask is not only the most intense Zelda, and the most emotional, but also the most iconic and profound. Such a brilliant game.
 

scojitsu

Member
Just ordered this and can't wait until Friday.
Never played Link to the Past so it's an entirely new Zelda adventure for me.
 

The Boat

Member
so you completed the game? Are there any death's of friendly NPCs? Simple yes or no answer is enough, thanks!

Sorry, I haven't completed it yet, although I played a lot. I got my review copy pretty late, I'm swamped with exams and my health hasn't been the best, so I haven't had the chance to finish it yet.
 

BY2K

Membero Americo
ALBW probably has the most triumphant version of
the Master Sword scene
in the whole series.

Also, here's Link drawn by Darksiders Lead Artist Joe Mad:

qvZEqod.jpg


We have now come full circle.

EDIT: NO SPOILERS, DAMN IT! There's a spoiler thread for that!
 

Lunar15

Member
Skyward Sword + Dolphin (or homebrew) + Turn off Fi hints and Collectable notifications = Skward Sword is one of the best Zelda games ever made.
 

ASIS

Member
Sorry, I haven't completed it yet, although I played a lot. I got my review copy pretty late, I'm swamped with exams and my health hasn't been the best, so I haven't had the chance to finish it yet.

I wish you the best of health.
 

mjc

Member
I'm going to the Symphony of the Goddesses show this Saturday night...I wonder if they'll have anything from ALBTW. Probably not I suppose.
 
Majora's Mask is the only Zelda game where it feels like something is truly at stake. Each and every NPC has a name and a story, a private tragedy that can be averted. They're fleshed-out characters, not the disposable fodder of other Zelda games. And their personal woes aside, they all share concern about the falling moon. You're constantly reminded about the falling moon -- from the sight of it in the sky wherever you go, to the doomsday clock on the bottom of the screen, to the hellish red glow and gravitational rumbling as the moon fills up the sky on final day, to the ominous tune of a deserted Clock Town's final hours. And visually, it's incredible, from the evil eyes of the titular mask, to the twisted grin of the falling moon, to the neon pink hues of clouds lit up by the heat of the moon as it enters the atmosphere. To me, Majora's Mask is not only the most intense Zelda, and the most emotional, but also the most iconic and profound. Such a brilliant game.

I won't argue your opinion so I'll just say that's a great post that sums up how you felt about it. I wish I had that kind of response to the game myself, but it's alright because there's so many other Zelda games that do do it for me. I do want to replay Majora's Mask just to sort of pay more attention to the aspects that people love about it.
 
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