27 replies to this topic

[Mendon]

Today marks the 25th Anniversary of Link & Hyrule as on Feb. 21 1986, The Legend of Zelda made its appearance on store shelves.

Would have been nice if Nintendo had celebrated the anniversary in some way, maybe similar to the Super Mario All Star's release or something, but hey... I can't have everything.

1up has several good stories celebrating the Anniversary and you can read them HERE

Just curious if you are still a big Zelda fan, are you looking forward to Skyward Sword, what is your favorite & least favorite Zelda title, and will you dig out any of the Zelda games and give them a replay in honor of the anniversary.



For myself....

I'm still a big Zelda fan and really enjoyed the last Wii/GameCube game Twilight Princess.

Not sure yet on how I feel about Skyward Sword as it appears that SS is a motion-control intensive game, a genre I'm not yet a 100% fan of. Maybe I'll find SS as enjoyable as I did Red Steel 2 or maybe I'll totally dislike it; time will tell.

My favorite title in the series is the original Legend of Zelda, just because I was totally blown away by the game. I had never imagined a game like Zelda on the NES and was totally absorbed/fixated on completing the game. My least favorite is either Wind Waker (because of sailing required in the game) and Spirit Tracks (not sure why but I never got really involved in the game).

And finally, I've decided to fire up Four Swords in honor of the 25th Anniversary.


Mendon

Edited by Mendon, Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:56 AM.

[Mendon]

Another question..... has anyone ever seen one of these Ocarina of Time Special Editions? I had never heard/seen this before until reading about it in one of the 1up stories.

According to the picture text, "One of the best Zelda games around got a very limited special-edition version at retail. It came in a nifty wooden-looking box which contained the game and a snazzy T-shirt baring its logo. Some versions also included a keen gold pin of a sword and shield, branded simply with the word "Zelda."

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[Rex Dart]

R.I.P. Link of Hyrule, 1986-1992
Your 2D adventures will be remembered fondly.

[the.golden.ax]

Finally! He is old enough to wear big boy pants. No one likes a man bulge in green tights.

AX

[Emehr]

I don't think there's a Zelda game I don't like. They all have something new to offer and are great examples of excellent game design. The original Legend of Zelda will always be my favorite for its core game play mechanics, minimalist user interface, and fantastic design.

Rex Dart, on Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:27 AM, said:

R.I.P. Link of Hyrule, 1986-1992
Your 2D adventures will be remembered fondly.

The GameBoy/Advance Zeldas are 2D and while the DS Zeldas are rendered in 3D much of the game play is 2D in nature.

[Brian O]

[rockman_x_2002]

Brian O, on Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:22 PM, said:

Image Snipped...

That's got to be one of the coolest wallscrolls I've ever seen! I wish I had one in print!

[the.golden.ax]

DAMN!

AX

[Rex Dart]

Emehr, on Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:15 PM, said:

I don't think there's a Zelda game I don't like. They all have something new to offer and are great examples of excellent game design. The original Legend of Zelda will always be my favorite for its core game play mechanics, minimalist user interface, and fantastic design.

Rex Dart, on Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:27 AM, said:

R.I.P. Link of Hyrule, 1986-1992
Your 2D adventures will be remembered fondly.

The GameBoy/Advance Zeldas are 2D and while the DS Zeldas are rendered in 3D much of the game play is 2D in nature.

Yeah, I omitted those for a reason.

[toptenmaterial]

Awesome thread! Glad you guys noticed this! I am waiting for the GBA versions of Zelda 1 and Link to the Past to arrive in the mail.

[Vic George 2K3]

That picture is so Alex Ross.

[toptenmaterial]

I think Zelda is as important in ushering in the era of "post-crash" gaming as Super Mario Bros.

[Brian O]

Zelda is one of my favorite games. I still play the original Legend of Zelda from time to time. Currently playing the second quest. Forgot where everything is, and I'm trying not to cheat by looking on the Internet. Man, this quest is a bitch.

For anyone who likes the original Zelda for the NES, there's an alternate version you can play -- Zelda Outlands. It's pretty difficult, but very cool. The NES rom is available, and I believe I've also seen it available in cart form, but can't seem to find it for sale online now.

-B

[NE146]

Emehr, on Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:15 PM, said:

The GameBoy/Advance Zeldas are 2D and while the DS Zeldas are rendered in 3D much of the game play is 2D in nature.

Yeah but after finishing both of them, I think of the DS Zeldas as a the "Zelda Touch" series and I'm really not a huge fan of them. I prefer a proper overworld that you can explore rather than the little series of areas linked by a boat/train. Hopefully they're done with the whole touchscreen control thing.. but probably not.

My favorite Zelda is Zelda DX followed by SNES Zelda.

It's funny to me how well Capcom-developed Oracle of Ages/Seasons looks on the surface, but the games just pale in comparison to the original GB Zelda. Ditto for Minnish Cap.

[Rex Dart]

NE146, on Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:00 AM, said:

Yeah but after finishing both of them, I think of the DS Zeldas as a the "Zelda Touch" series and I'm really not a huge fan of them. I prefer a proper overworld that you can explore rather than the little series of areas linked by a boat/train. Hopefully they're done with the whole touchscreen control thing.. but probably not.

My favorite Zelda is Zelda DX followed by SNES Zelda.

It's funny to me how well Capcom-developed Oracle of Ages/Seasons looks on the surface, but the games just pale in comparison to the original GB Zelda. Ditto for Minnish Cap.

Hallelujah and amen. Awakening/DX & LTTP. The Oracle games were pretty on the surface, but I'll be damned if they weren't just a mish-mash of re-used sprites from DX.

[Lord Helmet]

NE146, on Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:00 AM, said:

My favorite Zelda is Zelda DX followed by SNES Zelda.

Mine too, though I'd probably flip flop them. SNES Zelda is definitely in my top five games of all time.

[thegamezmaster]

Didn't realize Link was that old. Seems like yesterday I was playing it for the first time at CES before it was released to the public. Even had Howard Phillips teaching me how to play! Still have the Press Kit they were giving out with tons of pics too!

[Vic George 2K3]

List of characters in the picture:

Row 1:
Farore (Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons)
Nayru (Oracle of Ages)
Din (Oracle of Seasons)

Row 2:
Rauru w/ Kaepora Gaebora (Ocarina of Time)
Impa (Ocarina of Time)
Saria (Ocarina of Time)
King of Hyrule (Zelda series)
Nabooru (Ocarina of Time)
Ruto (Ocarina of Time)
Darunia (Ocarina of Time)

Row 3:
Link (Zelda series)
Zelda (Zelda series)
Ganondorf (Zelda series)

Row 4:
Wind Fish (Link’s Awakening)
Great Fairy w/ Fairy Queen (The Wind Waker)
Great Fairy (Twilight Princess)
Skyward Sword girl (Skyward Sword)
Ciela (Phantom Hourglass)
Navi (Ocarina of Time)
Tatl (Majora’s Mask)
Tael (Majora’s Mask)
Great Fairy (Ocarina of Time)
Valoo (The Wind Waker)

Row 5:
Great Deku Tree w/ little Deku tree (Ocarina of Time)
Fado (The Wind Waker)
Makar (The Wind Waker)
Medli (The Wind Waker)
Laruto (The Wind Waker)
Jabun (The Wind Waker)

Row 6:
Renado (Twilight Princess)
Rusl (Twilight Princess)
Ashei (Twilight Princess)
Shad (Twilight Princess)
Auru (Twilight Princess)
Tarin (Link’s Awakening)
Marin (Link’s Awakening)
Ilia w/ Epona (Twilight Princess)
Talon (Ocarina of Time)
Ingo (Ocarina of Time)

Row 7:
Anju (Majora’s Mask)
Kafei (Majora’s Mask)
Linebeck (Phantom Hourglass)
Aryll (The Wind Waker)
Gonzo (The Wind Waker)
Senza (The Wind Waker)
Nudge (The Wind Waker)

Row 7.2:
Tingle (Majora’s Mask)
Romani and Cremia (Majora’s Mask)
Niko (The Wind Waker)
Mako (The Wind Waker)
Zuko (The Wind Waker)
Link’s Grandma (The Wind Waker)

Row 8:
Tijo (Majora’s Mask)
Toto (Majora’s Mask)
Evan (Majora’s Mask)
Lulu (Majora’s Mask)
Ralph (Oracle of Ages)
Maple (Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons)
Darmani the Third (Majora’s Mask)

Row 9:
Japas (Majora’s Mask)
Mikau (Majora’s Mask)
Skull Kid (Ocarina of Time)
Mido (Ocarina of Time)
Deku Royal Family (Majora’s Mask)
Goron Elder w/ Goron Baby (Majora’s Mask)

Row 10:
The King of Red Lions (The Wind Waker)
Byrne (Spirit Tracks)
Anjean (Spirit Tracks)
Midna (Twilight Princess)
Oshus (Phantom Hourglass)
Sahasrahla (A Link to the Past)
Ezlo (The Minish Cap)

Row 11:
Happy Mask Salesman (Majora’s Mask)
Bellum (Phantom Hourglass)

Row 12:
Veran (Oracle of Ages)
Zant (Twilight Princess)
Aganhim (A Link to the Past)
Vaati (The Minish Cap)
Onox (Oracle of Seasons)

Row 12.2:
Koume (Ocarina of Time)
The Moon (Majora’s Mask)
Kotake (Ocarina of Time)
Chancellor Cole (Spirit Tracks)

Row 13:
2x Four Giants (Majora’s Mask)
Moon Children with boss masks (Majora’s Mask)
2x Four Giants (Majora’s Mask)

Row 14:
Ganon (Ocarina of Time)
Fierce Deity Link (Majora’s Mask)
Link’s Mother (Ocarina of Time)
Hero’s Shade w/ Golden Wolf form (Twilight Princess)
Dark Link (Zelda series)

[godslabrat]

Mendon, on Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:51 AM, said:

Just curious if you are still a big Zelda fan, are you looking forward to Skyward Sword, what is your favorite & least favorite Zelda title, and will you dig out any of the Zelda games and give them a replay in honor of the anniversary.

I love the Zelda games, they are arguably my favorite franchise. I've fallen behind in recent years, though. I'm just now about to finish Minish Cap. So... while I'm glad to see Skyward Sword on the horizon, it's not going immediately into my "to play" pile.

I'd have to say my favorite is LTTP, and my least favorite (after careful consideration) is Ocarina of Time. The reason for that is the inconsistent challenge level-- I really felt like every puzzle was either so easy it was insulting, or so hard I'd never get it without a walkthrough. Part of this I attribute to Nintendo's original plan to make 64DD expansions... as if the original game didn't have to be a full product (and there were numerous areas and characters that served no function). Also, the lack of the Zelda theme just felt like a gross oversight.

Having said all that, it's still a great game, just my least favorite.

[toptenmaterial]

Brian O, on Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:49 AM, said:

Zelda is one of my favorite games. I still play the original Legend of Zelda from time to time. Currently playing the second quest. Forgot where everything is, and I'm trying not to cheat by looking on the Internet. Man, this quest is a bitch.

For anyone who likes the original Zelda for the NES, there's an alternate version you can play -- Zelda Outlands. It's pretty difficult, but very cool. The NES rom is available, and I believe I've also seen it available in cart form, but can't seem to find it for sale online now.

-B

Interesting about bringing Thunderbird back. The boss fight with him in Adventure of Link is hard as hell! It's also a blast. The controls/combat are awesome in that game across the board and the whole game is totally underrated. Zelda II was such a unique and awesome game. I thought it was considerably darker and scarier than any other Zelda game. It is more in the horror genre than any other title in the series.

[Mendon]

According to THIS STORY on IGN, Nintendo is planning on "something" to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Zelda. Another $30 Limited Edition re-release, perhaps?


Mendon

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[toptenmaterial]

^^ I have a terrible feeling that I'll be buying it!

Looking back, I realized that I have only completed the first 3 Zeldas. It's hard for me to say which one of the 3 is my favorite... but Ocarina just came in the mail, and I'll be damned if I don't beat it this time around!

[Atariboy]

Would be neat if they retooled some of those Japanese Satelliteview Zelda games and released them on a disc.

[DickNixonArisen]

Zelda is the one and only series that I always buy right away, new off the shelf.

1. the Wind Waker
2. Twilight Princess
3. Phantom Hourglass
4. The Legend of Zelda
5. Zelda 2: The adventure of Link
6. Spirit Tracks
7. Ocarina of Time
8. Oracle of Ages
9. Link's Awakening DX
10. Link's Awakening
11. Oracle of Seasons
12. A link to the past
13. Minish Cap
14. Majora's mask
----------------------------
15. CD-I games
16. Scratch-off cards!
17. LCD?

Haven't played the LCD one; don't own the CD-I ones. Must be pretty rare, no? I project that Skyward sword will be in the top five of this list. I know that this list is totally wrong to most people; what's funny is that I grew up with the 2600 and NES, certainly not GC or Wii. I've never really liked ALTTP that much; don't like the feel of combat, am only OK with visual style, don't love story. Don't get me wrong, though, even the 13th worst Zelda for me is leagues above the best non-zelda games.

Incidentally, leave home is my favorite ramones record, and american psycho is my favorite misfits record. I'm not trying to be contrary...

[toptenmaterial]

^^ watch some of the cd-i zelda cut scenes on youtube, so epicly bad it's just awesome. right up there with johnny turbo. avgn does a nice wrap up of it.