Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Shadow Fox

The general consensus seems to be that this is the best Zelda ever made.

That's the consensus after every new Zelda release. Wind Waker...Twilight Princess...

How can one even make that reflection? OoT was never put on the "best game ever" pedestal until a few years down the road. And it wasn't reviewers who elevated the game to legendary status, it was the thousands of gamers who were blown away by it. I'm always wary of new games that get labeled "best ever" because they are surrounded in hype and haven't had the chance to stand the test of time. Anyone who makes that claim is bandwagoning or doing it for attention.

From just a philosophical standpoint, you really cannot innovate or evolve very far beyond the 3D framework that OoT laid down. That's the reality of going from 2D to 3D and then making 3D sequels. Which is why Majora's Mask was a real winner for being so fucking deviant. I appreciate the game tenfold because I played Wind Waker and Twilight Princess and saw how derivative they are.

I'm excited to get my hands on Skyward Sword, to say the least. But I'm expecting a "classic Zelda experience" as per the Ars Technica review BaBsie linked to. It may be the most polished, most complete, most expansive, or most dressed up Zelda game ever. And on that criteria it might be the best Zelda game. But best Zelda game ever would have to be the game that really changed my life, paved nostalgia, and impacted gaming forever. Right?

[Blix]

It's so nice to see other people REALLY liked Majora's Mask a lot. It tried something different and something that has never even been attempted after that. Being able to see how different factor's could change a character's story was amazing. Leaving that goron outside the inn because (for some reason) you have the same name as him and entered the inn in his place was fun. Seeing how Kafei and his fiancé could be reunited before the wedding and finding out every other "what if" scenario in the game was an amazing way of keeping you interested in the story.


Edit: Anyone knows what the limited edition of the strategy guide will bring? It costs $40 and I'm wondering if it has some extra sound track or something that'll be worth the price.

[Ginkasa]

If its like previous guides it comes in this really nice hardcover binding with gold leaf pages plus maybe a cloth map or something. They look really great, but I wouldn't buy one.

[Shadow Fox]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

That's the consensus after every new Zelda release. Wind Waker...Twilight Princess...

That's the first time I've ever heard such a claim.

Ocarina of Time has been, and always was regarded as the best in the series since it's inception almost 13 years ago.

How can one even make that reflection? OoT was never put on the "best game ever" pedestal until a few years down the road.

What is your source for THIS information, because it differs drastically from reality.

And it wasn't reviewers who elevated the game to legendary status

So the DOZENS of perfect scores the game got back then should be ignored?

But best Zelda game ever would have to be the game that really changed my life, paved nostalgia, and impacted gaming forever. Right?

Or, just be a really damn-good Zelda game, in which you've had more fun than any other Zelda.

C'mon guy.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Shadow Fox

What is your source for THIS information, because it differs drastically from reality.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Le...ion_and_legacy

Ocarina of Time was released to universal acclaim and commercial success. In 1998, it sold 2.5 million copies despite being released only 39 days before the end of the year. In Japan, it sold 820,000 copies in 1998, becoming the tenth-best-selling game of that year. During its lifetime, Ocarina of Time sold 1.14 million copies in Japan, becoming the 134th-best-selling game of all time, and sold 7.6 million copies worldwide. On its initial N64 release, Ocarina of Time received perfect review scores from gaming publications such as Famitsu, Edge, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GameSpot, and IGN. As of September 2011, the review aggregator websites Game Rankings and Metacritic both rank the original Nintendo 64 version as the highest reviewed game of all time, with average scores of 97.48% from Game Rankings and 99/100 from Metacritic. The reviews praised multiple aspects of the game, particularly its level design, gameplay mechanics and sound. Former GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann wrote that Ocarina of Time is "a game that can't be called anything other than flawless", and IGN called it "the new benchmark for interactive entertainment" that could "shape the action RPG genre for years to come". GameTrailers' editors called it a "walking patent office" due to the number of features that became "industry standard". After publication, Ocarina of Time was featured on a number of compiled lists of best or most influential games, including those of Electronic Gaming Monthly, IGN, and Nintendo Power. In June 2009, it was voted as the best game ever in GameFAQs' reader poll. Ocarina of Time has consistently been placed at number one in Edge magazine's "top 100 games" lists: a staff-voted list in January 2000, a staff- and reader-voted list in July 2007, and a list of "The 100 Best Games to Play Today" in March 2009. In May, 2011, IGN held a tournament style competition voted on by fans celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Legend of Zelda's release, with Ocarina of Time being voted the greatest Zelda game of all time, beating Majora's Mask in the final round. It beat The Adventure of Link in Round 1, Phantom Hourglass in Round 2, and The Wind Waker in Round 3.

Yes, the game was received with warm criticism. It received a ton of awesome reviews, and acclaim. It received way higher scores across the board than this new Zelda title...by far.

But it was described more as innovative and revolutionary when it came out. I didn't see reviewers using hyperbole like "THIS IS THE BEST ZELDA GAME, EVER!" like IGN is doing today for Skyward Sword.

Furthermore, it is clear from the above info that Ocarina of Time has appeared on many "greatest games lists." But look at the dates. OoT came out in 1998. I see 2000....2007...2009...2011. The game wasn't elevated to "best game ever status" until everyone had a chance to play it + a few years down the road.

Which is why it is 100% retarded for a game reviewer to even utter those words. One game review website cannot determine if something is "the best game ever." That is ludicrous. It's not a decision that a game review website can make.

It's a combination of a bunch of reviews, sales, and what the players think. If you told someone back in 1998 that Ocarina of Time would be voted the best Zelda title ever in 2011.....do you think they'd believe you? They might, after beating the game and reflecting on it. That process alone has to push most gamers into the 1999 year.

[Shadow Fox]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Le...ion_and_legacy



Yes, the game was received with warm criticism. It received a ton of awesome reviews, and acclaim. It received way higher scores across the board than this new Zelda title...by far.

But it was described more as innovative and revolutionary when it came out. I didn't see reviewers using hyperbole like "THIS IS THE BEST ZELDA GAME, EVER!" like IGN is doing today for Skyward Sword.

Furthermore, it is clear from the above info that Ocarina of Time has appeared on many "greatest games lists." But look at the dates. OoT came out in 1998. I see 2000....2007...2009...2011. The game wasn't elevated to "best game ever status" until everyone had a chance to play it + a few years down the road.

Which is why it is 100% retarded for a game reviewer to even utter those words. One game review website cannot determine if something is "the best game ever." That is ludicrous. It's not a decision that a game review website can make.

It's a combination of a bunch of reviews, sales, and what the players think. If you told someone back in 1998 that Ocarina of Time would be voted the best Zelda title ever in 2011.....do you think they'd believe you? They might, after beating the game and reflecting on it. That process alone has to push most gamers into the 1999 year.

The problem with this is, there isn't an ACCURATE accountability of all the "best Zelda game ever" claims during the time the game was released, so OF COURSE there will be several during the last decade- because the last ten years have seen a massive boom in internet activity amongst the most casual of people (that, and unique-click-hungry sites like IGN LIVE off of "best of lists", and re-release them as much as possible to furnish flame wars on their own domain, keeping the hits coming).

Truth of the matter is, there has been just as much, if not MORE praising of OoT from its release date going into the 2000's. The PROOF of that though isn't a google away, because most of the press then was in PRINT, ads, and on dedicated gaming shows (and in Nintendo's case, direct mail videotapes).

OoT was HUGE back then- make no mistake about it.

I'm sorry, but a user-generated wiki is NOT always the brass ring, or the unit of measure for such an unmeasurable beast.

And yes, I do agree that GameSpot is shit (until the GiantBomb crew rejoined).

And yes, this is a reply to a VERY OLD post. Get over it.