Poll: The Legend of Zelda....Why do you love or hate it?

[badmunky64]

I Have always been a rampant Zelda fan. Watching my dad defeat Ganon's temple at the age of 5 (to my father's regret) is what made me into the gamer I am today. Along with Mario and Super Smash Bros, The Legend of Zelda I what compels most Nintendo fans to buy the next system again and again. I love the series for still being a shining example for how to make a game right and I know others love the series for various reasons.

However, There are also plenty of people who don't share my enthusiasm and generally criticize the series for always having the same plot every game, "SAVE THE PRINCESS". Personally I find it strange when the plot for every FPS out there is "SHOOT STUFF". [See it's 1 less word than Zelda!]

Yet in honor of the series for enriching gamers lives for 25 years, I'd like to ask the gaming community what makes them either play or avoid The Legend of Zelda.

 

[MorsePacific]

To be quite honest, I've never beaten a Legend of Zelda game. I've always thought they were good, but something about them never really held my attention.

 

[Sudenak]

What makes me play Zelda is the combination of puzzles and exploration. The battles are usually a bit awkward and clunky, but there's a tiny click of satisfaction upon figuring out whatever the puzzle wanted you to do.

The best examples are Majora's Mask and Wind Waker. Majora's Mask had some awesome puzzles, and an overall dark storyline. Wind Waker had wonderful exploration, challenging puzzles, and is probably the only Zelda game where the battles flowed smoothly.

 

[Kahunaburger]

They're fun, have pretty good puzzles, and good gameplay. They have a tendency to be kind of same-y, but it's not a deal-breaker for me.

 

[fangface]

I love the the zelda games. I will admit that every game feels about the same but Miyamoto said they were going to change up the zelda formula for skyward sword so I am definately looking forward to that.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

While I absolutely love zelda, played ocarina, windwaker, twilight, and adventures of the past, i do think they need to "expand" more into a more modern set


first off, i think they need better customization, i'm not saying at all that they should go into a more rpg based zelda, just more items/customizing of link, so when you do get to the final battle(s) or whatever, you have an abundant amount of ways to go about the battle, and hell, you may need to switch midway through the battle depending on how the fight goes.



I love the games i just think they are staying in the past a little too much with the very basic mechanics, the puzzles are great and everything i just wish they could add more to the customizing/items and maybe add a bit more to the parkour/exploration (hidden paths by climbing up the backside of the castle or something perhaps?



(think assassins creed meets zelda OoT almost, meh or not)

edit: just thought of it but if they don't have more items, then have sweet combinations with the use of the items you have, say you use the hookshot to grapple to something, you can also use your sword at the same time to stab it into the wall/dirt/stone/wood of where you are at and so you can grapple to another spot next (this could be great for secret area hidings towards the ceilings) or you could use the shield as a sled kind of thing when racing down slopes and use your hookshot to grab corners/edges to turn and stuff.

 

[DirgeNovak]

I played through Minish Cap (loved it) and played a bit of Ocarina of Time (pretty good), Link to the Past (meh) and Phantom Hourglass (crap on a cookie).

Mind you, Minish Cap was my first Zelda, and I played OoT/LttP in 2008 for the first time, so nostalgia is not a factor for me. I would like to play Twilight Princess or finish Ocarina, but have no interest in buying either a Wii or 3DS. Too bad.

I love the the zelda games.

*looks at avatar*
SHUT YOUR FACE! I would NEVER have guessed that.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I enjoy it, I just wish they'd focus more on non-OoT versions.

 

[mafiadragon]

However, There are also plenty of people who don't share my enthusiasm and generally criticize the series for always having the same plot every game, "SAVE THE PRINCESS". Personally I find it strange when the plot for every FPS out there is "SHOOT STUFF". [See it's 1 less word than Zelda!]

There is a big difference between plot and game mechanics. "Shoot Stuff" is generally a mechanic of the game, not really the plot. I feel Zelda games have a very boring plot in the sense that the actors are usually all filling the same primary roles, and the plot progression is also usually very similar (go to temple, use items found in temple to beat boss, etc). So yeah, plot in Zelda games usually isn't much to write home about. The mechanics in Zelda, however, are usually very well polished and enjoyable. While you can bet that Ganon is behind the scenes manipulating the forces of evil to gain power/destroy the world some how, and that the Hero of time must acquire the master sword / silver arrows/ whatever else to stop him while exploring temples based on various elements, the journey through these plot points is often a very fun one.

I'm never DYING to play the newest Zelda game, but I have yet to play one that I did not enjoy.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Link's Awakening (acid trip game)

Best. Twist. Ever.

edit: just thought of it but if they don't have more items, then have sweet combinations with the use of the items you have, say you use the hookshot to grapple to something, you can also use your sword at the same time to stab it into the wall/dirt/stone/wood of where you are at and so you can grapple to another spot next (this could be great for secret area hidings towards the ceilings) or you could use the shield as a sled kind of thing when racing down slopes and use your hookshot to grab corners/edges to turn and stuff.

This is a really good idea. Really, if they just implemented all of their items well (I'm looking at you, Level 2 Power Bracelet and Spinner) it would be great.

Hate it.

Zelda is for kids. People shouldn't be enjoying Zelda past about age 15. I was watching my sister play Twilight Princess recently, and I can find things that STILL HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE 19 FUCKING 98. Or 1980 whatever the fuck it was when the NES version came out. It doesn't change. Kids don't like change. It's marketed to a young audience...I outgrew it long ago and now despise it for not growing up with me.

Lol, I've got an image of a grimdark version of Zelda. The formula's fine, man. It's a good formula. The games are fun when you're a kid, and fun to reminisce over and occasionally re-play when you grow up. They really aren't trying to be anything else.

 

[Twad]

like it for the dungeons, bosses and, sometimes, the story and characters. Especially TP.

so-so because the overworlds are usually boring, uninteresting, bland, dead. And dont make sense logically.. like, in TP: if there is a huge capital city full of people.. food has to come in, trade goods have to come in. SHow us the trade caravans, show us some farming villages (or the burning remains of these) and as the game progress and we secure the land.. make the caravans bigger and more frequent, the farms active and prospering. Show the nameless people go from being weak, scared and demoralised to being energetic, hopefull and eager. Right now our actions only have minor, cosmetic effect on minor bits of the world. Doesnt have much of an effect other than that.

dislike for any moment where ganondork (stark raving mad, complete idiot, always fails anyways) Zelda (useless princess is useless), tingle (creep) makes an appearance.

also dislike for the fact that we are always alone. It would be fun if (for example) one of the "heroes" in TP actually helped us in combat (not cutscenes. Real combat), or a few hyrule guards could help if they happen to see us fight a monster near them.
Doesnt need to be big, but would help the player realise that he isnt the sole and only individual on the planet actually doing something to solve problems.. while everyone else is just sitting there expecting us to do just that.
And pointing us to the next obvious destination (where we we going anyway) doesnt count as help.
Heck, i would like to see one of these heroes wait for me at the entrance of a dungeon, the area littered with the remains of fallen ennemies. I didnt see of fight there, but at least it would "shows" that the "hero" actually did something worth mentionning to "help".

 

[zfactor]

I just finished OoT for the 100000th time and am halfway through MM for the 99999th time.

 

[yanipheonu]

I dunno. There's just this "Zelda feeling". When I play Ocarina or Wind Waker or Twilight Princess or even see footage of Skyward Sword XD this feeling comes over me. It's partailly nostalgia but it's also the anticipation of going through temples, wandering the overworld, XD it can't be beat.

Also, these days, I don't get nearly as excited for games as I would as a kid, and Zelda is one of teh few series that can evoke a similar feeling to me as I had as a kid. That's priceless!

We've got a lot of great games coming this year, buifor just this reason, Skyward Sword is my most anticipated game this winter.

 

[Zelda_Lover26]

If I had to pick one or two things about the series as a whole, one would be the puzzles, were, upon completeing a rather difficult one, I could go "Look at what I did, I didn't have to consult gamefaqs!" Another would be the characters. From my perspective (which I will not deny to possibly being wrong) each character was fleshed out in some why, even the unimportant mini-game characters, whose mini-game you played only once to get the bigger quiver, or bomb bag or Piece of Heart, or whatever. Each character felt like they belonged in the experience, and weren't just some mindless NPC put in at the last minute (yeah, some of the early zelda games's NPC's were copy paste from previous ones (OoC and Majoras Mask for example) but I'm willing to cut them a little slack. After all, those games were made back when gameing was just starting to become popular). I think my two favorite characters from the series were Illia(Twilight Princess) and Saria (OoC). Not just because of their connection to Link, each was important in an unspacific way. Saria was the Elder of one of the temples you had to go to, Illia helps you find a way to your next temple. Also, Illia's breast are reasonably sized, but I can't say that about Saria, and anyone who has played Ocarina of Time (even a little bit of it) will know full well why.

Oh.... I talked a little to long... didn't I? Darn it, I always do that!

I love the the zelda games.

So am I, but... wow. That avatar you made puts mine to massive shame... you know what? I'm going to go make a better one!

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I love the character Link, he's just awesome.

The worlds nice and imaginative and the weapons he uses are great fun. The bosses are usualy really cool. It even has a bit of a humourus side.


I wasn't to big a fan of Twilight Princess' due to way to many puzzles. Kinda killed the fun of it for me, I know Zelda's always had puzzles, but this felt like way more then usual.

And I just don't like the art style of Toon Link. Would be funny to cosplay as Pegasus and deck out the case of Windwaker to look like Toon World.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

If I had to pick one or two things about the series as a whole, one would be the puzzles, were, upon completeing a rather difficult one, I could go "Look at what I did, I didn't have to consult gamefaqs!" Another would be the characters. From my perspective (which I will not deny to possibly being wrong) each character was fleshed out in some why, even the unimportant mini-game characters, whose mini-game you played only once to get the bigger quiver, or bomb bag or Piece of Heart, or whatever. Each character felt like they belonged in the experience, and weren't just some mindless NPC put in at the last minute (yeah, some of the early zelda games's NPC's were copy paste from previous ones (OoC and Majoras Mask for example) but I'm willing to cut them a little slack. After all, those games were made back when gameing was just starting to become popular). I think my two favorite characters from the series were Illia(Twilight Princess) and Saria (OoC). Not just because of their connection to Link, each was important in an unspacific way. Saria was the Elder of one of the temples you had to go to, Illia helps you find a way to your next temple. Also, Illia's breast are reasonably sized, but I can't say that about Saria, and anyone who has played Ocarina of Time (even a little bit of it) will know full well why.

Oh.... I talked a little to long... didn't I? Darn it, I always do that!

I love the the zelda games.

So am I, but... wow. That avatar you made puts mine to massive shame... you know what? I'm going to go make a better one!

You know, if you'd like. I could draw you a better version of the one you have.