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The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary.

DLaicH

Member
I love the Zelda series for many things, but my favorite thing is its diversity. The fact that Zelda's fan base disagrees so strongly on which entries are the "best" or the "worst" is a testament to the fact that there's something for everyone in the series. It is a series that relentlessly reinvents itself while being conservative in other aspects of design. These characteristics work together to make each new entry of the series simultaneously the most mind-blowing awesome Zelda game to some fans, and the most disappointing and dull Zelda game to other fans. I think it's great to have that level of difference in opinion.

this is what to me what video game should be. love love zelda. my favorite game ever oot. i recorded credit scene with camcorder lol because i was so proud.

This is adorable.
 

Pinky

Banned
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I'll never forget Nintendo's E3 Digital Event in 2014. When Aonuma said "And here is what the new Legend of Zelda looks like" and snapped his finger, I about collapsed when I saw this scene pop up on screen. I'm so freakin' hyped!
 

Zalman

Member
I'll never forget Nintendo's E3 Digital Event in 2014. When Aonuma said "And here is what the new Legend of Zelda looks like" and snapped his finger, I about collapsed when I saw this scene pop up on screen. I'm so freakin' hyped!
Great moment. The entire event was really put together well and showed the benefits of a pre-recorded video.
 
I'll never forget Nintendo's E3 Digital Event in 2014. When Aonuma said "And here is what the new Legend of Zelda looks like" and snapped his finger, I about collapsed when I saw this scene pop up on screen. I'm so freakin' hyped!

I think that was the best game announcement of all time. They announced Zelda U's exsistence with the Wind Waker HD and then when it was officially unveiled they just threw us into this amazing world. So good.
 

Code_Link

Member
No matter how many great games I get to play, Zelda is the franchise that I love the most. There's just something magical about it whether you get it or not. Happy anniversary!
 

Eolz

Member
Incredibly influential franchise still to this day, for kids and game designers alike (and everyone in between). Lasted this long for a lot of reasons.

Can't wait for some other franchises birthdays this year, but today is for one that gave me some of my favorite gaming memories. Memorable music, unique artstyles, keeps reinventing itself while not going too far, excellent games every time (if you don't count the CDi ones obviously), etc: I hope they continue like this for the next decades. Don't take too many risks yet keep being modern and influential for generations to come.
 
Funny thing is, after all that backlash they haven't talked about it since. Who knows, at this point it could be scrapped.

I hope not, Blastball was a lot of fun and it sucks that people believe something shouldn't even exist because it isn't what they wanted at that specific point in time. I agree a new Metroid should have taken priority over a spinoff but I'll gladly buy Federation Force.

You should really play something before judging it. The reaction to Federation Force is more disgusting than how the game was announced.
 

JC Lately

Member
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.
 
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.

I enjoyed it but I didn't love it. Its easily my least favourite Zelda game but thats hardly an insult, its better than a hell of a lot of other stuff.
 
The last 10 years of the series have been disappointing in my opinion, especially compared to the 90's and early 00's where we had Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, which are absolute top tier gaming experiences.

After that period Zelda was comfortably my favourite series but it's back in 2nd behind Mario platformers now. No home console Zelda has come close to the quality of the Galaxy games and even 3D World for a while now.
 

jett

D-Member
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.

Zelda 2 was great. I managed to get to the Great Palace in my childhood but honestly I'm not sure how. Zelda and Zelda 2 might have been a bit obscure and obtuse in terms of presenting their objectives and goals, but man that is a heck of a lot better than what the franchise has become.
 

Andyliini

Member
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.

I have grown to like it. The game is still very challenging, and teeth-grinding, even though I have completed it many times already. Still, I always use a guide or at least a map for dungeons when I play the game. Oh, and I still can't defeat the final boss without the corner trick.
 

RedShift

Member
Probably my favourite game series ever.

I played Link's Awakening a couple of weeks ago for the first time.

Such a good game, definitely one of the best in the series. Only having two buttons for items is a pain after later titles, but apart from that it stands up really well.
 

Pinky

Banned
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.

I love Zelda II. It is the odd duck in the series, but it really did bring some cool concepts into the Zelda universe(side-scrolling, building Link's strengths via EXP points, towns with NPCs and cool secrets).

I think the challenge is pretty high up on the difficulty scale, but completeing the game is so rewarding. I had trouble with the game when I was a kid, but, having gone back to it as an adult, I can play through the game in about 4-5 hours. Watching some really good speed runs of the game also provided me with some really good tips and strategies. Those Iron Knuckles run in fear when I come their way now. ;)
 

linkboy

Member
30 years, wow.

I still remember getting the first game for Christmas back in 1987. This series is the reason why play video games.

My son turned 5 this past December and he loves Zelda. It's funny watching him enjoy the games like I did when I was his age.

Here's to my favorite game series. Thanks for the fun times, and I'm looking towards more in the future.
 
Probably my favourite game series ever.

I played Link's Awakening a couple of weeks ago for the first time.

Such a good game, definitely one of the best in the series. Only having two buttons for items is a pain after later titles, but apart from that it stands up really well.

I remember ordering Link's Awakening on ebay maybe about 12 years ago and being so excited for it arrive that I got a nose bleed! I've maybe had like 5 in my life aha. I just couldn't wait to play it and it certainly lived up to my excitement.
 

Ascenion

Member
I'm hoping Zelda U comes with another anniversary orchestra CD, or at least a reprint of the one from Skyward Sword. I missed my opportunity in 2011.
 

Guerrilla

Member
No worries Nintendo got Samus covered.
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This is a thread of positivity, why do you have to kill my buzz man....


But back OT. Nintendo should do something like for the mario anniv. We need a year of Link or something. Zelda can never get enough love. Playing minish cap for the first time right now and you would think after playing through 9 zelda games I should get some franchise fatigue, but no sir....
 

10k

Banned
My favourite game series of all time. That blend of combat, traversal, exploration, puzzle solving, story, progress and progression.
 

AdanVC

Member
Best gaming series of all time. It's incredible how this series has stayed relevant and unique through 3 decades (excluding some meh spin-offs and DS games here and there) I simply cannot wait for Zelda U. It's aiming to be the biggest Zelda game ever and the most beautiful as well.
 

heringer

Member
Finished A Link Between Worlds yesterday. Great, great game. One of my favorites in the series, even if it's so ugly.
 
Time to pull out my Hyrule Historia and read through it again.

Zelda is my most favorite game series of all time.
I distinctively remember playing each of the games for the first time.

  • I played Zelda I and II on my cousin's NES and remember being not really that interested in it.
  • Years later I bought Zelda LttP on a flea market for 10 DM (~5€/$ nowadays), rushed to my house, went to my room and played it for HOURS that day. I know I made it up to Death Mountain that day. I was so happy.
  • Then Link's Awakening came out. At that time I was a full-blown addict for video games, and I'm not even kidding with that. I was 8 years old and my SNES and GameBoy dictated all of my free-time. Then we went on a family vacation for two weeks together with a friend's family. 1000 km from home. I wasn't allowed to bring my Game Boy with me, but my friend was allowed to. And he had Link's Awakening already. I was literally crying when my parents forbid me even to LOOK at how he was playing the game. A few days before we drove home though I was allowed to buy the game for myself. When we were home I played the game pretty much non-stop. "NIE OHNE KONDOM! GIB MIR DEINEN SAFT, ICH GEB DIR MEINEN!" Best German translation ever.
  • Then I read all the Club Nintendo and TOTAL! magazines I could get my hands on because HOLY SHIT ZELDA 64 OH MY GOD THAT LOOKS SO AWESOME I CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY IT! It got delayed SEVERAL times and it changed a lot from its first showing to the final game. Then came that magical Christmas Eve of 1998. My parents were already annoyed I talked about nothing else but Zelda OoT. I would've been brutally happy if I got only the game and nothing else. That game was my Holy Grail. But when it came to opening presents (we opened our presents on the night of Dec 24th as opposed to Dec 25th, just for reference) I was super dissapointed that Zelda OoT was not among it. There was a nice Mario board game though, but that just wasn't enough. I mean, I was 12 and a Nintendo fanboy par excellance nad I was totally pissed, without showing it. I was actually close to tears because I didn't get the game (ha, childhood). Then my dad told me to pass him that Mario board game because he "wanted to take a closer look" and when I moved the game there was Zelda OoT behind it and I FREAKED FUCK OUT! I hugged my dad, crying tears of joy (the first time I remember that I cried due to being happy, too). Best christmas ever. OoT is still my most played Zelda game to date, and my second favorite, too.
  • Two years later Zelda Majora's Mask came along. This time I didn't get it for christmas though, I simply got it on release day. My dad bought it for me while I was at school and...I simply got it. Nothing special. "Here's your game, son, have fun" (and I did). Nowadays Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game of all time. And it hurts me a bit that I can't say more about it.
  • Wind Waker. Holy shit, was I pissed when the first teaser was released. Like, really upset. I was furious. I didn't like the cartoon/anime look AT ALL. Where was the realistic style from the Spaceworld demo?! Still being a die hard Nintendo fanboy at the time I hated the fact that people always were of the opinion that "Nintendo = kiddy" and Wind Waker's look didn't help that at all. Luckily all of that changed once the game came close to release. The game looked (and still looks) damn fine and is probably one of the best aged games of all time.
  • The Oracle games. I LOOOOOOOVE Oracle of Ages and I find Oracle of Seasons pretty decent. My first experience with Ages was that I borrowed a Game Boy Color and the game from a friend and played through it. Loved it. Seasons came waaay later (via emulation) and I didn't like it as much. Nowadays I own both titles in their cartridge forms and digitally via 3DS's Virtual Console.
  • Minish Cap. Awesome. All around awesome. Beautiful graphics, beautiful soundtrack, very nice story actually. Thinking about it now I reeaaally don't know why this game wasn't more popular. It's really good. I should play it again.
  • Twilight Princess. This game has the BEST ART STYLE IN ANY ZELDA GAME and you know it. It's soooooo beautiful. The trailer at E3 2004 was epic. It's still the best crowd reaction to anything, ever. Not even EVO Moment 37 can beat that. FF7R or Shenmue can't beat that. No reaction to any of the DLC Smash characters can beat that. And the game was awesome. People were quick in judging it as a bad game for uncomprehensible reasons. Midna is an awesome character. The game's story is really fine. The presentation is phenomenal. The only bad thing is that the superior GameCube version doesn't have a 16:9 mode, but oh well. The Wii U remaster will fix that.
  • Phantom Hourglass. Ok, here we go: This game is shit. I hate it. It's the worst Zelda game ever made. People say Zelda II is bad, but they're wrong (Zelda II is awesome, shut up). Phantom Hourglass has stupid mechanics, stupid controls, okay graphics, a forgetable soundtrack. It doesn't have anything redeemable. It's a bad Zelda game. And I hate it. If you want to hate any Zelda game without being judged for it by anyone, it's this one.
  • Spirit Tracks. The only Zelda game I haven't played, EVER. I own it, but have never played it. I heard it's waaaaaaay better than Phantom Hourglass, though. (which is not a hard thing to do, honestly).
  • Skyward Sword. It's awesome and you know it. It's beautiful. The story is HOLY SHIT AWESOME! Most beautiful Zelda in the series. Second funniest Link in the series. Most annoying helper character in the series. This game's got it all. I actually love that every area is basically its own dungeon. The actual dungeons themselves are beautiful. I will always fondly remember the Ancient Cistern. Probably the most beautiful dungeon in Zelda history. I know that people like to say that the controls suck, but honestly, it's more likely that those people suck at using the controls. I never had even one problem with the controls. They're awesome and they work. If they don't work for you, you should probably point to the Sensor Bar once in a while (to re-calibrate the Wiimote's fix point) and never swing your whole arm. Just flick with your wrist. But enough of that. Skyward Sword is an awesome Zelda game. It's everything that Nintendo promised it to be. And for that I like it very much.
  • A Link Between Worlds. GREAT game. It's not in my top 3 (of even my top 5) but it's really really great for what it is. Bought it at launch on the eShop, let it download over night, played it all day when I woke up. And I mean all day. Took me 50 or so hours to get through the game. Totally took me back to the SNES days in a very good way. Very nice art style, very good soundtrack (although that should be a given since most songs are reused LttP tracks) and the mechanics simply work. A fond memory (that I initially forgot).
  • Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures: I never got around to playing the original Four Swords until it was made available for free (and for a limited time only, wtf) for DSi and 3DS. And when I played it...it was okay. It was obviously a multiplayer game and it certainly plays like one. It's nothing special, though.
    Four Swords Adventures is basically the same, but on the big screen. It's really not relevant in the overall series. It's multiplayer focus makes it...mediocre at best (still not as bad as Phantom Hourglass).
  • Link's Crossbow Training: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
  • Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland: The weirdest thing in the entire series. It's not a bad game, but it's very confusing. I like its quirkiness (and that it has Tingle as the hero) but having to pay for EVERYTHING is a bit...stupid. I needed a walkthrough to play through it, because I kept spending too much money and got stuck as a result. If you have a DS or 3DS, get it. Import it if you must. It's really good. (It was only released in Japan and Europe).
  • Tri Force Heroes: I still don't own it, and I'm really not interested in it.
  • Zelda U: I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT!!!

I love Zelda. It's simply awesome. My most favorite game series of all time.
I had a lot of fun with it and will always have a fun time with it.
The day the Zelda series dies is the day I will quit gaming forever (hopefully not).

Happy Birthday, Legend of Zelda.
 

Gnilres

Member
Best game series of all time.

No other game release feels so much like an EVENT to me like Zelda.

Zelda Wii U cannot come fast enough.
 
Quick show of hands: who actually enjoyed The Adventure of Link?

I couldn't make heads or tails out of the original game when I was a kid and never beat It until I was an adult armed with suspend points and GameFaqs. But Zelda 2, man I devoured that game. I wouldn't be the Zelda fan I am today if not for that game.

Yup. Third favourite zelda game for me. I barely ever play Zelda 1 these days, but I still play Zelda 2 every couple of years. Fantastic game.

Time to pull out my Hyrule Historia and read through it again.

Zelda is my most favorite game series of all time.
I distinctively remember playing each of the games for the first time.

No ALBW?
 

-Horizon-

Member
Funny thing is, after all that backlash they haven't talked about it since. Who knows, at this point it could be scrapped.

I'd feel bad for the team who made it then. They made a game -> audience basically gives them the middle finger at reveal -> all that work they put in down the drain
:/
 

Xaero Gravity

NEXT LEVEL lame™
So many good memories with this series. From my childhood all the way up to me as an adult. It's because of that I find it so depressing that Skyward Sword and A Link Between Worlds were such massive disappointments for me, so I hope the Wii U release doesn't follow suit. The last thing I want is for my favorite series of all time to become one I avoid on a consistent basis.

I know I'm in the minority when it comes to SS and ALBW, but I found that they did so much wrong that it completely negated anything good they had.
 

forrest

formerly nacire
It's often hard to pick favorites in different media, but The Legend of Zelda is my favorite video game franchise. Looking forward to what the future has in store for the series!

Happy Anniversary!

 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
I hope the next Zelda anniversary is called 'The Year of Tingle' since the series and he will be of the same age.
 
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