Zelda is Declining

Let's look at the complaints about Zelda that have been uttered since Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask's 3 Day system makes the game unaccessible and the game is "too hard". Oracle of Seasons and Ages were not made by Nintendo, the boss fights are too difficult, and the combined ending was too convoluted to expect anyone to experience it. Four Swords and by extension The Minish Cap is too easy. Twilight Princess is too much like Ocarina of Time. Phantom Hourglass is too cartoony, stylus controls blow, and the game is again... too easy. Finally we get to Spirit Tracks: Game is too boring, cutscenes too long, and the train travel is stupid as it turns Zelda into an on rails shooter. All of this is said because Ocarina of Time told everyone that "this is what Zelda is suppose to be".

[ChickeyCantor]

He's not bashing the zelda franchise.

[Danteh]

I think most of us grew with Zelda and especially OoT, which marked our "videogame lifes" forever.
The problem I see is exactly that we have outgrown zelda. Recently I played Twilight Princess again, to see if I liked it more now (the first time, a few years ago, disappointed me a lot): I hated it even more.

It's just that instead of being amused, I'm annoyed by the retarded characters, retarded conversations and retarded sense of humor which was funny in OoT and AlttP but not anymore.
It's always the same: an excentric character just waving around making strange noises while Link stares at him saying nothing.

And the combat is not satisfying anymore: what was near-perfection in 1999 now it's boring and easy, just z-target and mash the A button.

God of War currently gives me what zelda did, awesome combat, incredible puzzles and a fascinating story.

I really want Zelda to be even better than GOW, and maybe with motion controls it will be awesome again, but we also need:

-Darker and deeper story
-Fascinating world
-Spoken dialoge (for gods sake)
-Improved combat mechanics
-BRING MAGIC BACK (wtf, where's my Bombos, dins fire, cane of somaria, etc?)
-Different "go to dungeon, get item, go outside again and repeat". I heard this is being changed hopefully

[Udidntlistenpunk]

I had the same complaints you had with OoT...except I had those complaints back in 1997 when Ocarina of Time first came out. Of course, I wasnt a kid anymore in 1997 so I guess its true what people say.

Eventually you do outgrow Nintendo's franchises. They do target a different audience after all.

[Gr81]

God of War? That games not in Zelda's league, sorry.

[Cenobia]

Did you play Darksiders? It's a lot like Zelda but darker.

It's not a perfect game, but it was pretty fun. I really liked the way it ended.

[AWBrawler]

Why would Zelda have to go Darker, wen its Cel shaded adventure outsells God of War 1 and 2 combined? Zelda could use a lil voice acting, but don't go all Emo dark goth. I love my Dark Goth type games,like castlevanina, Lit, and Rapture, but I don't want it in Zelda.

[Darkfocus]

it's not in Zelda's league as a series but the god of war games do easily surpass some of the more recent entries.

on a side note I really hope the make a master quest version of Twilight princess the game would be great if it had a little bit of challenge in it. I haven't played it recently but I'm pretty sure most of the bosses only took away a half a heart per hit :/

[Noble Spartan]

too many zelda trolls. I mean Console version are beast games. all of them were great. GBA and handheld ones were good also but doesn't surpass the 3d ones....

[Gr81]

Surpasses the latest entries? Like what Spirit Tracks? fine I'll give you taht one, but every Console Zelda has been in a whole different league from a 9 hr hack and slasher that is GOW.

A bad Zelda game is still better than 90% of the other games out there. And a phenomonal Zelda game is as the title says. Legendary.

[chidori666]

nice article.

after ocarina of time all zeldas suc* a lot.

[2FootYard]

What the hell you talking about? Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask are better than every game this gen.

[Potty Scotty]

I agree, Ocarina of Time was the best Zelda game off all time and it's all down hill from there.

[smilydude13]

Ocarina of time is overrated. Majora's mask is where it's at.

[Noble Spartan]

Who The F**** is this piece of unknown trash.

Zelda OFT - 99% Metacritic
Zelda MM - 95% Metacritic
Zelda Wind Waker - 96% Metacritic
Zelda TP -95% Metacritic

Declineing hey? Zelda have always produce high quality games, A francise thats so prestigious and flawless, that puts many this gen games to shame. I mean Twilight Princess was amazing!

Looking forward to next installment. Zelda destorys PS3.

[tunaks1]

whats up with all these useless Zelda articles?

[fatstarr]

it sounds like people just complaining.
imo you cant satisfy anyone.
make a game to hard and innovative or too easy and mainstream. wow

[ZoidsRaven]

Hey guys, let's b!tch about how long Link's ears are. 7_7

I can't wait to see LegendZelda's next POS article...... Nevermind, we all know it's the old FallOut > Zelda articles.
My, my, I thought these sites had some real Zelda fans on them. What's next, "Link needs to look like Cloud Strife"? I've said it once and I'll say it again, some Zelda fans you guys are.

Keep talking about Zelda's problems and how it needs to change all you want, but if it changes like how Resident Evil did, don't come crying to us true Zelda fans..... What's that? You would like it if it changed like RE did?

Well excuse me, princess. 7_7

[Noble Spartan]

agree, some zelda fans they are. each zelda is always innovative and groundbreaking..hopefully we have new one announce this year!

[Alcon Caper]

Sounds like someone's sad to grow up. :(

I am too...

[LoaMcLoa]

End of the discussion >:D

[EvilTwin]

"Before Ocarina of Time, we saw Nintendo constantly innovating the series by trying new things. From The Adventure of Link's RPG like system, Link's Awakening epic story, and then the perfect mix of everything in A Link to the Past. Each game felt new, it felt fresh, and each signified a change in the series."
-------------------------

Every game felt new because they were still trying to define Zelda. "Would Zelda work as a sidescroller? Lets find out!"

(And it's kinda foolish to go into Link's Awakening; it was made for Gameboy, so they HAD to change things up for that format.)

The article compares it to Metroid, but I'm not seeing the point. The perspective changed in Metroid (which in turn changed the gameplay somewhat), but you were still exploring, re-traversing, finding energy tanks/missile expansions, etc. Those series conventions didn't go anywhere.

And neither have Zelda's. Once you establish a franchise and a style of gameplay, that becomes your template. Zelda was defined long ago.

Nintendo isn't going to rip up that template with every iteration, and nor should they. That would be stupid.

And comparing LoZ to COD? C'mon. There have been a grand total of 4 Zeldas in third-person 3D in the last 12 years (we may be able to add one at year's end, hopefully). Of those 4, there have been 3 different graphical styles (only Majora's Mask recycled graphics), and 2 significant plot departures (MM and WW) in significantly different overworlds. That's how you provide variation on a theme.

OTOH, COD has had, what, 7 games in 7 years (since Big Red One was separately developed by Treyarch)? And of them, COD4 was the only real bold change of pace (with the new setting and RPG-lite unlockables).

All IMHO, of course.

[eagle21]

Zelda is the best franchise on the face of the planet. :)

Before I clicked on the article I knew it was Zelda Informer, this site sucks donkey. They have to use wack titles to get hits all at the expense of their obviously favorite franchise. They should change their name to "ToughZeldaLove.com" .....lol

[asdr3wsfas]

You are ignoring a large number of people that includes myself and many older gamers who haven't enjoyed zelda since OOT. The series is still very strong but even my zelda loving friends hate spirit tracks. It may not be in decline to most people, but there is a significant number of gamers who think it peaked at Link to the Past.

[mint royale]

You peaked before your first word. Zelda is still the number 1 franchise in videogames. Zelda wii best come out this year!

[eagle21]

These are quotes from the article...

"When talking about Zelda possibly being in decline we do have to do a little work. When it comes to pure sales figures, Zelda has basically never been better. The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and A Link to the Past combined sales estimates to roughly 15.5 million copies sold. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and the Oracle series sold 14.92 million copies or so. Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Link's Crossbow Training sold, so far, roughly 18.09 million copies. Zelda is doing better than ever. Twilight Princess has sold in excess of 7 million copies, making it the 2nd best selling game in franchise history next to Ocarina of Time. In short, sales wise, Zelda has peaked yet again."

"The decline must be that the games are far worse in quality right? Review scores say otherwise, as the series consistently scores 90/100 or above on almost every release. So, what's wrong with Zelda then? What needs to be fixed? The issue that appears to be the problem is... us. We need to change. Zelda Wii is promising some big innovations and changing up the formula, great. That's "what we want," even though we have been given "what we wanted" before, only to complain about it. We essentially want Zelda to be a grown up game, we want Zelda to, in essence, stop being Zelda.This doesn't mean Zelda can't ever, as they say, "do it again." It can, the question is if Nintendo is even interested in doing that. It's hard to innovate a series that guarantees millions of sales just by existing. It puts expectations on a game, often times unreal expectations (Twilight Princess hype, anyone?). So is Zelda really declining? Hardly. Zelda is what it always has been and that is the problem for us more veteran gamers. It's not that Zelda has declined or changed, it's that we have changed and are upset since the series didn't change when we did. Zelda Wii will go a long way in telling us what direction Nintendo plans to take the series. While they still want to introduce new gamers, they seem to realize there are a lot of current and former Zelda players that are just waiting for that next big thing, the next Ocarina of Time impact on the gaming industry. But as it stands, most feel that Nintendo wants to make Zelda accessible for kids rather than provide that innovating and epic experience we want."

"Zelda is a fantastic franchise and one of the greatest, if not the greatest gaming experiences in the business. It's in the top 10 in overall sales in the history of games. People still love the series, we still love it, and new fans seem to be showing up daily. Zelda is better than it has ever been, we have just lost our appreciation for it. Maybe to those that feel it's declining need to take a break. Stop watching the Zelda News like a hawk, and stop debating about this game or that. Go enjoy your other experiences in gaming and life... and when Zelda Wii hits, take it at face value and don't base it on what others are saying. Run away and see if the new Zelda brings you back home again. If not? Zelda simply isn't for you anymore. You will be missed, but in the end everyone will be happy."

There, the essence of the article...but you just paid attention to the title that gets hits...that was my reason for the first comment. The industry, fans, and consumers obviously STILL love Zelda. If Zelda is declining, then the whole industry is too as far as I'm concerned.

Bring on Zelda Wii at E3. Can't wait. :)

[asdr3wsfas]

Read my comment critically:

"The series is still very strong but even my zelda loving friends hate spirit tracks."

Did I say it was weak? I am saying that some (no quantity specified) zelda fans stopped playing. That is all I am saying and until you read my comment more precisely you will never understand it.

Do I even need to mention spirit tracks? My friends who still love zelda hate that game. Still sells well but you can tell the same reception isn't there. It's a zelda without an overworld with trains.

This site can't separate their emotions from a claim I expressly limited. You're arguing that some people like myself and my friends are getting tired of zelda. How do you argue we don't exist? Do I need to find you some spirit tracks reviews or user responses?

[eagle21]

I just wanted people to understand that this "ZeldaInformer" site loves Zelda so much, they only write Zelda articles..lol

But they admit to paying too much attention to every little detail about Zelda in their life.

I personally didn't even get into Zelda until 2005. I played Ocarina for the first time and it was my first Zelda game I even played. It's #1 on my all-time game list. Even though I had a NES in 1989, I never played a Zelda game until 2005..lol

But now I'm like the biggest Zelda fan. I just beat the original Legend Of Zelda on the virtual console and loved it. So I'm lucky in the sense that I have all these classic and new Zelda's to play for the first time. But to say that Zelda is in any way in decline is false in the industry sense of sales/reviews. Is that a personal opinion, maybe so. :)

[EvilTwin]

bob has a point; a certain part of the LoZ fanbase definitely seems to think Zelda has calcified somewhat.

I think that's inevitable. If you have a successful franchise that gets sequels, it's impossible for each installment to reinvent the wheel every time.

Raupet makes a good point below -- Zelda is caught in a catch 22. Fanboys decried Windwaker as "Celda." So Nintendo gives them Twilight Princess, which in turn generates a chorus of "it's too much like Ocarina!"

Can't win.

On the whole, I don't see the overall Zelda series "declining" as a viable franchise, but I think you could apply that characterization to the console 3D installments being able to truly innovate (you can only make the jump to 3D once). Even though we've seen several different stylistic takes on the OoT blueprint...it's still a 12-year old blueprint.

However, it's kinda funny people apply this standard to Zelda, but don't mind playing FPS games that have had precious little innovation since the great late 90's PC shooters.

[ChickeyCantor]

" You are ignoring a large number of people that includes myself and many older gamers who haven't enjoyed zelda since OOT. "

To be fair oobob, to many OOT was the first zelda game.
And to be honest, while it was great for its time, i think WW and TP beat the crap out of OOT.
Even Majora's mask is better in many aspect.

Even though i like LTTP over OOT.

And i like zelda spirit tracks =(.
Ah you cant win 'm all.

[asdr3wsfas]

You may be right, but spirit tracks sold 2 mil and is evidence of further progression away from what zelda once was. The break happened at OOT.

I played old zelda and it had nothing to do with puzzles. It was about killing and exploring. No overworld and puzzle mania/story hurt this. In original zelda everyone tried to keep full life cause they loved *shooting the sword beam* The boomerang was integral to combat in that game. Now they're all tools to solve puzzles. You actually died to enemies sometimes in the old titles. After OOT it kept going away from the zelda I knew and I stopped.

People may like new zelda but this is why some say it's in decline. It's no longer zelda and it hasn't been for a long time. No overworld and puzzle fixation - what's that have in common with Zelda I, II, or link to the past? Nothing. There are "puzzles" there, but not really. Not like the water temple. It's more a trick to explore - blow the flute to find dungeon 4! Explore the walls with bombs to find new areas! The puzzles in new zelda are contrived and not about exploring, more get this to go here. Which is great for a puzzle game. But that's not the zelda I played when I was little.

So keep that in mind when we complain. We don't think it's bad now - it's just not Zelda, or at least the zelda we played. I still buy the games hoping they hit that sweet spot I once knew, but after OOT I haven't made it far. If you like it though, enjoy. But don't brush us off - there are a lot of people who started in old zelda and miss that. There are new people who like new zelda better. But spirit tracks shoudl scare you. No overworld? Just trains from one puzzle to another? Now that is unlike any zelda I ever heard of.

[ChickeyCantor]

I'm still waiting for a 2D zelda game for the Wii.
Yes im that naive.

Although Oobob,
Im not sure what you are trying to say.
I played Zelda since the first iteration, but cant really put my mind on what you mean by " they hit that sweet spot I once knew".
It doesn't look like the Zelda games have huge differences, at their core they are still the same. If you look at Spirit tracks, sure no real overworld, but what about all those other games?

Spirit tracks: I must say the puzzles are harder in this game.
I enjoyed battling every boss and the last one was as fun as usual.
We can all have our opinion, but i can not say Zelda has changed.

" No overworld? Just trains from one puzzle to another?"
Not really you still travel from one point to another to connect and solve A to B to process to C.
You are not just going from temple to temple.
If you put it like that the walking mechanism in an overworld is no different.

They did say they will do more with the overworld this time around so who knows what they bring.

@Evil below,
I recently played OOT again, didn't die either.
I think its just the epicnes of then thats burned into our brain.

[EvilTwin]

Ah, that's a good point, bob.

Zelda really DID go more puzzle-oriented with the 3D installments. There's never really any risk of dying in the temples until you reach a boss fight (and in TP, I didn't die once in any of them, they were just too easy).

I can definitely see how making the water temple into a stress test is kinda divisive.

[eagle21]

Ocarina Of Time: 99 Metacritic... #1 Game Of All-Time still to this day on updated lists. It's "The Godfather" of 3D videogames. :)

Windwaker: 96 Metacritic...Destructoid just did a piece in 2009 with fans agreeing it's just as good as Ocarina or even the BEST.

Twilight: 95 metacritic. Some fans think it's THE best Zelda ever made while some fans think it's too much like Ocarina to best Ocarina.

the handheld Zelda's cater to the "new generation" more than the console versions. They score great, but not on the same level. No one disputes that Link's Awakening (Game Boy) is still the best handheld Zelda.

A Link To The Past still scores top 5 on all-time lists. No true Zelda fan says anything bad about that game.

CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG ZELDA FANS? It's the fans that buy the games and it's the fans who discuss the game. Outsiders who never even played a Zelda will look at this with a "maybe I should just skip Zelda" and that is the biggest mistake on gaming earth. Zelda games are among the best games you need to play before you die. :)

[asdr3wsfas]

Basically my point is old zelda focused on combat and exploring. The puzzles there revolved entirely around these objectives. Kill gandolf with the silver arrow. Got a raft - now you can explore more places! Got a bomb or torch? You can explore and find new stuff! Some of it (master sword) makes you better at combat!

New zelda has puzzles for puzzles' sake. The water temple is the best example. You solve puzzles to progress in the same area, not explore new ones. The items are made to solve puzzles, not expand your combat. To some extent that's cause the boomerang and stuff are hard to control in 3d. But even when you aim the bow you stop and pick them off. In old zelda you fought, shot the bow, kept fighting, etcetc.

Basically they looked at the puzzle elements and said "this is zelda." When it wasn't - we solved the puzzles to explore more of the world or expand the combat options. Now we solve puzzles to beat the water temple. There's nothing new in that temple and most times you can see what you need to get to. The puzzle is there to progress, not find another area of the world and kill everything in it.

Remember how you could push rocks with the strength items in the first zelda and go to entirely new places? Now you push a rock to go a little futher in the dungeon. In the early zelda it promised another part of the world you could explore, like the raft or flute or bomb or torch. Now it just promises more puzzles at every step in a strict order you can't deviate from.

It's puzzles for their own sake, not to explore. That's what zelda was - a huge world you could run around in. Some guy said here's your sword, kid, go make something of it. I tried twilight princess and quit a couple hours in cause I still couldn't go explore (I was getting the sword and shield). I was solving puzzles to progress, not for the promise of adventure!

That's what zelda was. You're a mythic elf like kid in a fantasy world. Go forth and conquer. Now it's go save this kid, get turned into a wolf, sing to get a hawk to help you get your sword, get the sword to save the village, etcetc. I want to be an adventurer, not lead by the hand by the game designer. Remember in old zelda where you could do stuff out of order somewhat? Or find items in many orders depending on where you wanted to go? Now you can't. You need the item to go to the next area. There is no adventure or exploration, just hand holding and puzzles. Spirit tracks is the best example - no overworld, just a train to more puzzles.

[ChickeyCantor]

" Now you can't. You need the item to go to the next area."

Actually, there was little freedom in that. All zelda games have temples or parts where a certain item was needed.

I seriously do remember that much freedom in zelda games.

But hey sure, I cant really get the feeling back for ya =P

[asdr3wsfas]

In NES zelda the first couple dungeons didn't even require items from other dungeons and were just further away. You could actually beat them out of order. The torch opened up dungeon 7 (?) by burning a bush and it was one of the first items out there. I found dungeon 7 early in the game and it shocked me. I haven't felt that thrill of discovery in zelda for years. Now I know that the game designers basically hold my hand to the next temple.

In new zelda it is linear to a fault. NES zelda gave you some choices. There are dungeons you can just walk into out of order and beat.

The magic is still there, I just play Link to the Past when I want it. You can't even compare the puzzles or hampered progress in that game to OOT or later. It feels like a completely different title.

If you enjoy zelda great, I'm just saying this is why I don't anymore. Puzzle games are fun but I want old zelda. It's like saying 3d mario just lost the magic. It didn't - 3d mario is a totally different game (however I do like SMG much much better than 3d zelda).

[Mahr]

"In new zelda it is linear to a fault. NES zelda gave you some choices. There are dungeons you can just walk into out of order and beat."

In all fairness, one can beat dungeons in new Zeldas out of order as well, provided one is skillful enough. The games just don't actively encourage sequence breaking, so if you're holding the developer's hand, then yes, you're only going go where he wants you to. Tell that hand to buzz off, however, and... oh the places you will go.

Ocarina of Time, for instance, can actually be conquered without beating *any* dungeons if one is so inclined. Lateral thinking FTW!

[Miraak82]

its cause we'll never be able to see it in HD simply put ....... limitations lead too bad imitations. snes to n64 big leap in power , gamecube to wii not so much ... they've done all they could with their technology now its all about gimmicky controls .... I am looking forward to metroid other m though

[Cenobia]

I don't think Zelda is suited for hyperreal anyway. Zelda with Heavy Rain graphics would kind of ruin it for me.

I would like to see a stylized HD Zelda. Maybe something like Wind Waker but a bit more serious. Merging Wind Waker and Majora's Mask would be pretty awesome (changing into different races, etc). I'd really like to see another Zelda depart from the Zelda character as well (I never played Twilight, so that may have).

[lizard81288]

he said MM is too hard, and said the other zelda game wasn't made by nintendo so he's not even going to count it.

OoT and MM are my fav zelda games.

[The Great Melon]

Majora's Mask is also my favorite. It finally gave me the dark Zelda that I so wanted. I think even the Nintendo bosses or was it the makers that said it was also their favorite.

[Redempteur]

wow ..each time i see a zelda mentionned here ( on n4g) that isn't news but an opinion , i already know mostly the contents .

I don't see how you can say that the innovation stopped after ocarina of time when 5 lines below you just tell what each zelda did to innovate ( with succès since you seems to love majora mask for example ).

Anyway weird article ..

[Raupet]

The sad thing is that Zelda, more than other nintendo franchises, is caught in a catch 22. Fans want the same Zelda, but if they get it they moan about it being the same.

Hopefully they'll find a solution to this.

[tunaks1]

Enough is enough. all these Zelda articles arent articles there fans b!tching. Each title introduced something new while keeping what works. If the formula is awesome and doesnt need fixing why butcher it? Zelda is Zelda, its not trying to be GOW or fable, infact it defined these genres. More games should "copy" the Zelda formula. Too many people b!tch about Twilight Princess, too many people keep asking for change in a franchise and when its done they go and piss in their pants(see fans reaction to WW). Too many dumbasses saying Nintendo has changed, then criticise reusing their formulas.

[Gr81]

Was a series that was in decline prior to this gens iteration. Zelda is a series on decline, from a sales perspective. Zelda is not the same phenomenon it had been during the NES era or the N64 Era. Ocarina of Time was the peak of the series, sales shows this. But at the same time, many people who loved the SNES/NES Zelda's were split between loving and hating OoT. Those that loved it became split again with the release of WW, those who loved WW were split again between those who thought TP was the better game, but all this time, those who loved the old school Zelda's were left out to dry. Much like the folks who loved 2-d Mario.

Don't get me wrong, Zelda is my favorite series, OoT to me is still the greatest gaming experience I've ever had. But many series' after the initial jump to 3-d have begun to feel stale as they are just the same game with better resolutions and prettier effects.

I do however, feel that due to the Wii's interface, Zelda has an opportunity to do what Mario Kart Wii did and really resonate with a wider audience than it has been catering to. Which will be good for the series in my opinion.

The article however is very weak though.

[ChickeyCantor]

I wouldn't just say prettier effect.
TP did a far better job at story telling compared to other 3D zelda.
And WW really sets a mood you can't find in other zelda games.

To be fair though, Arius.
You are a Metroid fan. Zelda and Metroid have lots in common when it comes to comparing iterations.
Every zelda or metroid game has their own little things.

I dont think Zelda would be appreciated if they changed gameplay.
Just like Metroid.
But we still love them both xD.

I can't say i ever had the idea I was playing the same game.
To me it always feels like a fresh start.

[Gr81]

To me really doesn't matter in video games. I loved OoT not for the story, but the game and content. Yes I'm a Metroid fan..don't use that against me! And there are similarities between the two series, especially during the SNES and NES era's but later on they've become more and more distinctive, which is a good thing btw.

I think what many old school Zelda fans have issues with 3-d Zelda is that its turned away from an action adventure game and more into a puzzle adventure game. In the NES Zelda, you were always in danger and had to be on your toes, 3-d Zelda's don't really have that same sense of danger. Yes you are always starting fresh, but the template used hasn't been changed since 1998.

WM+ Will give the devs the opportunity to turn this game into a revolutionary step in the series, if used correctly.

[ChickeyCantor]

Im one of those lucky guys who loves 2D and 3D zelda.
All im asking for is a big ass 2D adventure, for the Wii.
If they can pull a New Super Mario Bros Wii, they sure in hell can pull a New Legend of Zelda Wii.

But to me they deliver, i was hating spirit tracks for the stupid over world system as well, but once i played it i loved it till the end.

What can i say, i love the franchise.

[EvilTwin]

It's kinda funny with how demanding the Zelda fanbase is (I certainly know, I'm a part of it).

There was a little division when LoZ:tAoL went sidescrolling, which made it the black sheep of the series.

There was a schism when Zelda went 3D, and more puzzle-focused instead of action-oriented.

Same thing happened with Windwaker's art style, with fans saying it went too far from the Zelda blueprint.

Then the same thing happened again with Twilight Princess adhering too CLOSELY to the OoT blueprint.

The Zelda standard is impossibly high. And if it wasn't, we would get the quality games that we enjoy.

[eagle21]

I love the 3D as well as 2D Zelda's. I'm a veteran Nintendo fan (born in the 80's), but a relatively new Zelda fan (about 5 years now). The games have all held up beautifully. Every time I beat a Zelda (whether 3D or 2D) it replaces a game in my top 10 all-time list..lol

Nintendo will deliver with Zelda Wii. I can feel it. :)

[Gr81]

Zelda Wii will deliver. There was an Iwata asks in which the creators of Zelda showed Aounuma the original Zelda overworld maps and dungeons drawn by hand by Miyamoto and the other original creator. Aounuma has been taking liberties with the series as of late and I think Iwata was trying to get Aonuma to make sure he doesn't stray with this Wii iteration.

I've loved all 3-d Zelda's, but that doesn't mean I haven't been disappointed with the later bit, specifically WW. As for me TP is the superior game..and has the better art style ; )

But the NES Zelda is so classic as is ALttP and OoT is the only 3-d Zelda that has that timeless feel for me. But I'm optimistic that this Wii one will be special as well. Also TP has become like wine to me in that it gets better after each playthrough.

[KnowitAll]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Even the trailer looked sick

[AWBrawler]

As you can see by my avatar, I love cel-shaded games, and WW had that since of exploration I Liked. I loved sailing on the seas just to come across a Kraken like octarock creature, a tornado, or that weird Ghost ship that I could never reach, that I later found out why. WW reminded me of the NES Zelda a lot, and I hope that sense of exploration returns in Zelda Wii. TP though awesome, felt a bit barren and empty at times, though it was fun to scare people as the wolf and watch how Agitha just called you a cute doggie and kept picking flowers.LOL

In the end all the Zelda games were awesome, but if We got one more action and exploration oriented like Oobob says, It would be a dream come true.

[MonopolyRSV]

If they reverted back to a 2d overhead view, they could make so much more content and secrets to explore in a much larger overworld. Can't keep improving the graphics AND content when using the DVD format.

[Quadrix]

This is easily the worst topic I've seen on N4G in awhile.

[AbsoluteZelda]

1. Actually read the article.
2. There has been a Zelda released every year in the past Decade save one year, meaning 9 titles have come out. 9. Someone said call of duty had 7, well Zelda had even more. When I look at Zelda I don't just look at console, I look at handheld as well.

If you guys take the time to read the article, instead of reading the headline and going off, you may be completely suprised. Have a great day!

[Mikeyy]

I still havent Beaten Twilight Princess. Its not that its a bad game, its just I don't play Wii ever. It just sits there, I hate the motion control stuff.

I want another Windwaker. I loved that game.