Chris’ Top Ten Zelda Games
When people think about the Legend of Zelda, they automatically think about Ocarina of Time, admittedly, it is one of THE greatest games in the world, but there are other Zelda games in the series and they all have a lot to offer and maybe more than Ocarina of Time. I was watching a video about some other guy’s top ten Zelda game’s and it got me thinking, what are my top ten? Well some in the top five may not surprise you and some might do. If my friends and fellow readers know me well, I am a HUGE Zelda fan; it is my favourite gaming franchise. It always allowed me to go back and collect more things other than thinking ‘I have completed the storyline….now what…’. So, I am going to go into what my favourite ten are and why they strike me in that way! Skyward Strike…NOW!
10. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Gameboy/GameBoyColour)
So we have started with the first portable Zelda game. This game was a wild card for me for a while, it never really captivated me enough to WANT to finish the game, and however as time moved on and I started to understand the mechanics of games and the storylines of them, this then started creeping up towards me. The story is a great one, if any. Link is stranded on an island and the only way that he can leave there is to awaken the sleeping fish. Sounds a little bizarre but what the hell! This game is also great with the ways it sneaked in the Mario characters, e.g. Goomba’s, Chain Chomp and Shy Guys amongst the few. The gameplay itself was not amazing, but it had that air where you would want to overcome what you have lost or died against and then beat the crap out of them with your sword of the item you finally figured out was the answer all along -_-. Other than that this game is a great one, with an interesting story and oh, it got a re-release on the Game Boy Colour ☺ Sweet!
9. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)
DS games aren’t the greatest in the world, they have completely renovated the way people play games and their lifestyles, but they could never match up to the games on the home consoles. However that changed with the first Zelda game released for the portable system. Phantom Hourglass takes on the graphics of its brother, The Wind Waker, and continues the story from it. It also changed the way that we could play the Zelda games. Swipe the stylus to swing your sword and you can then flip you map out, write on it (that’s right, write on it!) so that you do not forget what it is you had to do next. Ok, you also get to draw out your own route on the sea as you sail along the sea once again to reach your destinations, that’s pretty epic, but what of the story?
Tetra get’s kidnapped by the main antagonist, Bellum (sound’s a bit like a Pok’emon…) and Link gets washed up on a new island, nothing new. Link then has to forge the Phantom Sword to defeat Bellum and so he sails the Great Sea again in search for the pieces to forge the sword. The story itself is great, it really captivates and there is stillroom for a bit of comedy as the game goes on. Another feature added to this game was the online mode. I myself have not played on this, but from what I have read, it seems to be a bit too simple. I have not played it so I won’t go into any more details over it. Either way, this is still a great Zelda game, and one you should look out for!
8. The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap (Gameboy Advance)
The first Zelda game to be released in Europe over North America! Minish Cap was indeed a game that was interesting in both story and new items. The graphics followed it’s previous counter-part, Four Swords and brings in a whole new world, where Link meets a mysterious hat named Ezlo. There is also a new race to speak to, called the Picori, a little sounding like the Kokori. Either way, the story follows Vaati (previously in Four Swords) who petrifies Zelda, Link must rescue her but he cannot do it alone, he needs the help of Ezlo and the power to transform into the Picori, in other words become really really small! Link was chosen to do this because he is a child and only children can see the Picori. The game brought with it a whole new load of weapons on top of previous favourites. We also saw the return on Tingle in the game and a load of new collectibles, such as Kinstones and figurines. This was released before the Nintendo DS was released, which may be a reason to why this game was not as popular as it should or could have been. Other than that this game is a must have for true Zelda fan boys and girls and truly an extraordinary game!
7. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (Gameboy Advance)
I have this game at this number for a simple reason; multiplayer. This was perhaps the most fun I had with a Zelda game, whiles amongst other people! It gave us more reasons to play with each other on our Game Boy Advances and to mess around. It was also a great game to pass the time, as you could also play on your own, however you had to play with multiplayer if you wanted to collect everything! Vaati is the antagonist of this game, as you need to use the four sword to destroy him. The concept of the game is also fun, needing your friends to jump across or to be thrown across to get to a switch; these helped bring players closer to the Zelda franchise!
6. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo Wii/GameCube)
The beginning of re-inventing the way we all play the Legend of Zelda games starts right here! Twilight Princess brought about a new way to play the Zelda games, using the Wii Remote to slash and hack you way through the games story! Of course there are a lot of people that believe that this game did not do what it said on the tin, being the darkest Zelda game out there. Some say it tried to hard and some say that it definitely is but what do we all know? Of course it is dark, there are hardly many colours used in this game!
The story was good itself! Many people look at a game for a new story or for a better way to play the game or just for a new feel. This game did both of those, being the most beautiful Zelda game of the time and then allows us to have a closer and better feel to riding Epona! There was however a new feature in this game, which included a brand new friend called Midna.
Link was able to transform into a wolf, which gave him the power to howl music notes out, being that games musical instrument. Zelda games have a thing with music, there is a musical instrument in all of them, it just depends whether or not you have noticed them or not!
So in this Zelda game, Link works on a farm, which is then attacked by monsters that take away a few of the children that work there. Link follows and ends up being dragged into the Twilight realm, where he is turned into a wolf. He is then imprisoned but then freed by Midna, who takes him to see Princess Zelda. It is there that you learn of the antagonist, Zant, who has taken over the twilight realm. It is Link’s job to defeat Zant and free the twilight realm and to save Hyrule at the same time.
The great thing with this game is that it did have an amazing twist, and perhaps the greatest boss battle out of all the Zelda games! It was constantly being sold as the Wii console was brought, and helped put Zelda back into the Market, with a nice, fresh and dark tale to go along with it!
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
This is perhaps the oldest classic out of the entire Zelda series. Of course there are two before this game and to be fair, without them this game would not have existed, but this was a great turning point for the Zelda series, and it also put the franchise back on the map for gamers!
The game kicks us off with Link in bed (which seems to happen a lot!) and is then awoken by the sound of Zelda calling him for help. Of course there is a storm going on at the same time and that can only mean that things are not going to end nicely. The basic concept of this game is that you have to rescue Zelda and the sages before Ganon truly becomes the King of Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. Boasting the new features of the time, A Link to the Past has two parallel worlds, the light and dark. The light world is Hyrule where Link has grown up with his Uncle, and then the Dark World is what the Sacred Realm used to be before Ganon had acquired the Triforce!
This game brought about with it a few new items such as the hookshot and Pegasus boots and continued the top down scrolling screen from the original Zelda. It has a great place in the Zelda history, where it is constantly voted as one of the greatest Zelda games out there. This, I agree. Although it is a bit old, it never gets boring, and it is definitely one that every Zelda fan should acquire, considering is has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console and the GBA!
4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (Nintendo 64)
One of the last games to be released onto the Nintendo 64 and it also one of the greatest. Majora’s Mask is a difficult game to grasp but at the same time one of the most captivating of it’s kind. You have three days, just three to save Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule, from destruction; by the Moon falling onto the land. Doesn’t sound too bad, however you need to travel across Termina, find the four giants and possibly collect every single mask in the game.
Speaking of the Masks, it is perhaps my favourite side mission out of any game! Collecting the masks meant you could show off your reward for helping out a specific character and this then led to getting a bigger and more badass mask at the end, which spawns my favourite Zelda character, Fierce Deity Link. Down side to this mask is that you can only use it during boss battles, but still, it does kick ass! You can also transform into a few of the other races that Termina brings with it including the Deku, Zora and Goron. They all have their own special abilities which help you progress through the game as well as their own variation of a musical instrument!
None of the Zelda games prior to this had the dark feeling this brings with it. The atmosphere whiles playing the game helps bring you into this world that is about to be wiped out, and you are the only one who can save it. But you must go through many tasks before you can fully save it, and they aren’t easy.
Just think, Link only went and came to this place all because he was looking for Navi, or was he? Either way Skull Kid or in actual case the Majora’s Mask ruined this and sent Link spiraling into another adventure before he knew it!
Majora’s Mask is a classic Zelda game, one of the most important milestones of its career.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)
Determining what the greatest game in the world is a hard one. Many people would usually vote because of biased opinion, which gaming usually conveys. Lots of people would think Call of Duty is the best because; it is great for it’s multiplayer, or Halo because it brings us together to kill Aliens and fellow Spartans. Either way, we all know that this game is one of the greatest!
Ocarina of Time lands number three in my list because, despite its general awesomeness, it just doesn’t cut out to make those special top two places in my list. Admittedly it is the game that got me into the series, as it did for many people. The graphics at the time were spectacular and it was amazing to see the Zelda franchise move into this area of 3D world gaming, since most of the games had stuck to the side scrolling, screen switching phase, this moved the game into the free roam world. Did you know it was also the first game to feature any playable way of riding a horse, whiles doing what you want. Bet you did not know that! Either way, playing this game is nostalgic to any Zelda fan, but it is not always their favourite.
The graphics, of course, at the time where astounding, portraying a beautiful land known as Hyrule, galloping or running along it’s scenery, taking in the different sights and lands that you could experience to the finest detail, until the one known as Ganondorf destroys that beauty and turn’s the land upside down! Of course now it does not look anything like I just described, but that is, what I can guess, what most people would have thought during the times of this games release.
A particular thing I love about this game is all the little things you can do on the side of the main quest. Granted, there may not be a lot, but nonetheless they were fun and brought about an extra need, instead of having to save Hyrule. Perhaps one of the best mini games that the game had was fishing. Now fishing seems to be a big part of later Zelda games, Ocarina brought about a new way in which you could fish and enjoy yourself…until the biggest fish gets caught…and then runs off…bugger.
The main quest itself is not too straight forward, nor is it a walk in the park (unless you have completed it fifty million times by now!). The Master Quest version of this game on the Gamecube and 3DS allows us to relive all of Ocarina’s glory, with a few twists and turns here and there. Not as great as the original, as everything is pretty much twisted around, but not a big flop!
Ocarina of Time is obviously one of the greatest, that’s why it makes number three for me, but it was not THE greatest Zelda game for me. Now to Number Two…
2. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo Wii)
Now this game was not on everyone’s good list. Many reasons that sprouted were because of the graphics, the controls never responded correctly etc. I personally believe that these were all great within the game. This is not because I’m an avid Zelda fan and I believe that everything they do makes it AMAZING. I sincerely think that utilizing the graphics in an art style form, with that mixture of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, I believe that it brought about a sense of purpose, and that was to Prologue the entire Zelda franchise! The graphics were fun and bubbly, they may have not been that dark and twisty edge that Twilight Princess brought about without but whiles on the island of Skyloft (Link and Zelda’s home) it gave a sense of security. Admittedly when you travel to below the clouds on the ‘land’ the colours are still there but you feel as if you are not safe anymore, which in a sense is a good thing because there are pretty much monsters everywhere…
The story depicts Link and Zelda as the chosen people, who will lead the land below the skies to peace and away from the evil known as Demise. The biggest and greatest thing that this brought to the Zelda franchise was emotions and a heart felt story. Link expresses a lot of emotion during this game and quiet frankly, it gives the player that feeling as though they MUST accomplish this for Link’s sake! Zelda meant a lot more to this game than just the princess who has been captured. She mattered to Link. They have this connection where you can tell there is a love story going on, but at the same time Demise was close to being free and it was not time for all the lovey stuff.
The controls can take time to get used to though. With this game you have to be patient with how the controls work and this is meant for 1:1 gaming. Either way you cannot just push aside how epic and truly magnificent the gameplay is for this game, as you get to literally move Link’s sword where you want and think strategically about where you have to hit you foes, as they all need to be hit somewhere important, apart from the obviously slash and hack!
There are bits on the side that you can do with this game as well, such as bug collecting, collecting random objects to upgrade your weapons, which increase the power, speed, or the type of thing that that weapon brings to the game!
This is not a bad game, it is literally one of the best that the Zelda franchise has to offer and by far the most moving and emotional of the entire series! However, it did not make it to number one for me, this little one did!
1. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GameCube)
I may get absolutely killed by saying this but it is my favourite of the Zelda games. I had never been as excited for any other game than this! I had to wait 3 MONTHS before I could play this game, because it came out before my birthday. Since I got it I never came out of my room!
I’m not sure entirely why but I loved the graphics. They went extremely well with the story and the music is utterly magnificent, it literally brings a joy to my heart when I hear the music from this game! The gameplay itself was good, even though it was the standard hack and slash.
The thing about this game was that it felt alive! There was a lot to explore amongst the Great Sea, and there were also a lot of characters to develop through. Music wise it brought about a new instrument, the Baton, that controls the wind, which works in your favour throughout the game. Back to the graphics, there were a lot of talks about how these would affect how people would perceive the game. Of course it was a risky decision for Nintendo to move into this direction but it did not disappoint…well to certain people. Some thought it looked too childish and that it was not as good as Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask. However you have others such as myself that believe this game was a very very very…important milestone for Zelda! It sprouted those wings of a new timeline, years after the events of Ocarina the sea demolishes Hyrule to keep it safe. Sounding so tragic, but finding Hyrule during the game, under the sea, is one of my proudest moments in video gaming history!
Every Zelda game has its music and this one does not disappoint! This soundtrack is a little lighter hearted, bringing about a nice sense of enjoyment whilst playing through the game whilst still maintaining that edge that something serious is going down!
That brings me to the main story. You start off pretty much the same as in all Zelda games. Asleep, lazy and then you get woken up! This time by your sister. You continue your normal adventures on Outset Island until your sister gets kidnapped. Then it’s on! However you cannot go for your sister unless Tetra allows you to travel with her on her pirate ship! As you continue your journey things start to unravel and come clearer to the person playing the game and to Link!
In contrast to Ocarina, you can see the scenery is much more colourful and yet as beautiful as the land of Hyrule was delivered to us. Of course everywhere you look the sea pretty much gets caught in your eye, but it’s the people, the islands and the story that really captivate what Wind Waker is all about. Simply just walking around, slashing at pigs and then running away from them is fun! You also have mini side quests such as the post delivery and collecting figurines (which is my favourite of them all!)
What Can We Expect from Future Zelda Games?
One thing for sure, Zelda is going to be sticking around! There are rumours that they should be rebooting the entire series, which in my point of view, is an outrage, as they have worked on this series for twenty-five years and it would be a waste to just let it all go like that! But on the other hand we have two more Zelda games heading our way, one for the 3DS and one for the Wii U. No details have yet been released for either of these, which make the anticipation all the more exciting! Majora’s Mask looks very much like it will get a remake for the 3DS but that looks very far off, as they want an original game for the 3DS, not just remakes. What can we expect? Only time can tell and hopefully Nintendo, Shigeru and co get something spectacular together!
Cameron’s list of the 5 reasons he’s Excited and Worried about the Wii U
Sometimes we have some great console launches like the Wii and the Super Nintendo, then we have the 3DS… anyways it’s time to put together a list about why I’m excited and worried about the Wii U. Enjoy.
Ghost Recon Online: Class Overview Trailer
Ubisoft’s popular Tom Clancy franchise is getting ever closer to release into the Free 2 Play genre. Today they released their latest trailer.
Ghost Recon Online is currently accepting applications for the beta, but before you jump the gun, why not check out their latest trailer which showcases the different classes that are available to use. Each class, be that Assault, Specialist or Recon offer a wide variety of customisable options and perks.
Ghost Recon Online is currently scheduled for a release later this year on the PC, with a WiiU version potentially in the works.
Aliens: Colonial Marines ‘Contact’ Trailer sets the mood
Games are coming ever closer to achieving visually and emotionally what cinema has provided us over the years, with developers now using pre-rendered trailers to convey the mood they are aiming to provide with their latest and greatest. While you may have your opinions on gameplay vs. cinematic trailers, you can’t deny that they don’t get you excited.
Dead Island impressed everyone last year with the slow moving emotional story told in reverse, and now it looks like Gearbox wants some of the limelight with their latest Aliens: Colonial Marines ’Contact’ Trailer. Set to a fantastic track from the Moon soundtrack, follow the trail of the acidic alien blood as it moves from floor to floor, each providing you an idea of the various moods and gameplay scenarios that you will be encountering later this year in up to four player co-op.
Recently pushed from its March release, Aliens: Colonial Marines is currently aiming for a summer release for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, with a WiiU version reportedly in the works.
Nintendo Promises Wii-U to be Launched by the End of the Year, Bringing Customers Closer to the Nintendo Network
With Microsoft and Sony sailing ahead of Nintendo with their online infrastructures and downloadable options, it seems that Nintendo have finally got the point and started to think about what they need to do to push them back to the front. The new Nintendo Network logo was spotted on the Japanese ‘Theatrhythm’ cover. Satoru Iwata unveiled the ‘Nintendo Network’ in an investor presentation yesterday and said that this will have “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content,” for both the 3DS and Wii U. Users will be allowed to have their own multiple accounts on the Wii U system, which stops users having their content stamped onto the one system.
It will also entail digital sales of retail 3DS games, “This concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure,” Iwata said. “We will prepare the same infrastructure for the Wii U. However, we have not decided the concrete timing of when we will start it.”
With that on our minds, we have also been told that the WiiU will be released at some time near the end of this year. Games being released on launch day are currently unknown, but this does help push Nintendo further up the front seat, even with the possible future unveiling of the PS4 and Xbox 720. Nintendo seem to have things right this time, the only thing left to reveal is the price, and if they can make sure that the pricing is good on this system and bring about Mario and Zelda as launch titles, this could be the greatest launch they have had. It will also push away the troubles they had with the launch of the 3DS!
Cameron’s list of the 5 first and third party characters most likely to be in SSB4 (playable characters)
Man I wish I could find a better title for this. Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t you looking forward to see who’s playable in the next installment of the Smash Bros series? Yeah I thought so, and even though the game isn’t in development until Kid Icarus Uprising comes out that won’t stop me from making a list of the characters who have the best chance to get in. For the record I don’t expect all of the 3rd party characters to get in, this is just their chance of getting of being put in the game. This list is made up of facts and a little bit of fan demand so it’s not a personal list of characters I would like to see, just the ones who have the best chance. Enjoy.
Review – [Revisited] Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda franchise is big to Nintendo. With the Italian plumber by the elves side, they are an unbeatable combination. Legend of Zelda had a few break through titles as well as those that are hardly spoken of, but are unbelievable in their own way. With Skyward Swords on it’s way for the Wii and Wii U, we want to look back at the previous anticipated title; Twilight Princess. Many fans were expecting this game to arrive before the end of the GameCube’s life. It did make it onto the GameCube but also snuck it’s way onto the Wii, taking advantage on the Wii’s features at the time. The Wii version gives you a greater experience compared to the GameCube game, but was it worth the wait?
When it comes to new games we want a good solid story. It needs to be original and captivate the audience and gamers straight away until the very end. As per Zelda game starts, Link is somewhat small in a village or town. In OOT he was a mysterious boy who pretty much lived in his tree. Wind Waker showed us he was a boy who lived on an island with his grandma and sister. And so with continuing these, a rather peculiar beginning, Link works on a farm in Twilight Princess.
And so that is where the story of Twilight Princess goes. You meet the mysterious Midna but also the Princess Zelda, which confused me as I thought she would be captured. The main villain was Zant…wait…he’s not?!?! But I thought that he would be? Oh no he’s not! Nintendo had done it again. Kept the dark secret of who the villain is in the game and waiting until near the end to come out with him…or her. It’s pretty obvious whom it is if you have played the previous Zelda games, but incase you do not know; it’s Ganondorf (Ganon). He is pretty much linked with the major titles of Zelda. You work out that everything that has been done during the game was his doing, and not Zant. Well isn’t that annoying?
Moving away from the story we have a look at the graphics. This game looks completely upgraded from the cel shaded Wind Waker and hits the adult’s attention more than the latter did. The Wind Waker was a great game in it’s own respect but it seemed more of a child’s game when you looked at it. Twilight Princess has the more realistic view on it, looking something that might have come from The Lord of the Rings. Shigeru Miyamoto had said he got influence from the latter and other sources, so it is not as surprising when we look at the graphics that way. Throughout the game the graphics maintained perfection for the world of Hyrule. The Battle scenes with Bosses and the final battle were also brilliant.
Now when we look at the controls we can see that this game was perfect on both the GameCube and the Wii. The only difference between the two was that the GameCube world was flipped around. So say if the Goron city was on the right, the GameCube version would be on the left. Moving back to the controls, it was easy to grasp how the Wii worked with the game. To swing your sword you have to swing the Wii remote and so on. To use weapons you have; you had to use the remote in a specific way. An example of this would be when using the bow and arrow. You select that weapon and then you use the Wii remote to pinpoint the direction and place you want to hit. Obviously this takes skill if you are aiming far away but you get a great feeling after accomplishing this. I have not played the GameCube version so I will not be able to compare the game’s control features. However I do believe that they would be similar to The Wind Waker’s control system.
The voice acting is the same as always in this game. I think that Nintendo were right to add no voice acting in this (characters talking wise) and I think this because it would not suit the game. We have all been accustomed to the characters not talking and just reading through text with what they would have said. Also they would have dubbed it when it comes out in countries abroad and that would have cost them a bit of money. So either way this game is perfect without Link or Zelda finally learning to talk. Their voice affects however are the same and slightly better in this game. Link sounds a lot more adult and Ganondorf is pretty much the same evil person we know and love (just kidding!). Either way we love Zelda and that’s how it will stay.
Looking at what Skyward Sword will bring us, it looks promising. But for now we do have a perfect Zelda game, just not to the point where it overtakes Ocarina of Time. No Zelda game will be able to beat that and Nintendo are continuously raising the benchmark for their games. Hopefully they bring out a Zelda title that is both awe-inspiring and life changing as Ocarina of Time had been. So all in all Twilight Princess is a brilliant game by itself and when compared to the other titles, it outshines all but one! Well done to Nintendo for this title and hopefully Skyward Sword proves to be something similar!
GamesCom: Zelda Skyward Sword Gets Release Date + 3DS News
We had a feeling a while back that Link would be appearing in Q4 of this year, due to leaked Zavvi listing… The leak wasn’t far out however… so we assumed sometime in November/December. Now we have finally had the official word from Big N that it will be releasing before Christmas… How does November the 18th sound to you? Many of you may know by now that this year is going to be the last major year for the Wii before the Wii U launches and what a way to end it of with a Zelda title.
We have also received some information about some 3DS. We will be getting Super Mario Land 3D, but also Mario Kart 7, Super Pokemon Rumble and Kirby: Mass Attack before the year is out, no release dates yet however.
If you want to see the rest of Nintendo’s 2011 plans, check out Nintendo’s official European website here.
Metro: Last Light Gameplay Demo Part 3 Available
THQ has released Part 3 of their gameplay videos for Metro Last Light, and has announced that the full 12 Minute video will be available August 23rd. Part 3 is posted below, and incase you missed the first two,click here (Part 1,2 and some details)
Personally, I cannot wait for this sequel as the first one had a very powerful atmosphere with many unique scenarios.
“With the Reich Station now far behind, Artyom and Khan prepare to intercept the train that carries the mysterious Prisoner…”
Super Smash Bros Wii U Will Improve On What Brawl Did
Super Smash Bros Brawl is one of the biggest content driven Smash Bro’s titles by far but the producer is confident that it can be beaten and improved on. ”There are many things that can be improved upon even in Brawl,” said Sakurai. “Also, I think you can base your expectations of the new Smash Bros. once you see how well-made Kid Icarus is. The director of each game is the same, but because I regularly change my team around after projects, we will be able to see how good the team is then.”
Mr Sakurai didn’t mention anything about characters, so are the moment the roster is still in the dark.
“That is completely undecided, but it is true that Nintendo has not created many new characters lately.”
What would you like to see changed in the upcoming Smash Bro’s? What do you think Sakurai and his team could improve upon Brawl?
I guess they have a while since the 3DS and Wii U versions are a few years away.
Source: Now Gamer
