This is already the fifth post on A Link Between Worlds in seven months, which means two things are true. One, blog readers have already heard multiple takes on this game and likely don't need another overview from me. Two, blog readers have more than likely already played this game, since roughly 98% of blog readers are the blog's own content creators.
I'll cut to the chase. I liked this game a ton and I just finished it off after delaying the final dungeon for a few days in order to get all of my weapons upgraded and find all of those pieces of heart. I've said it before, but one mark of a great, engrossing game is its ability to pull me in and make me spend as much time with it as possible. This was one such game, but then, so many Legend of Zelda games from this millennium fall into that same category for me.
Playing this game also made me nostalgic for A Link to the Past. I will also add this much - Link to the Past remains criminally underrated by most of my friends. (And, as we've already covered, that likely means you, dear reader!) I understand that Ocarina of Time was absolutely incredible, and I'm not trying to take anything away from it, but I think so many of my peers overrate it specifically because it was their entry point into the Zelda series; there's one person I know who first played Ocarina long after its heyday, and it was met with less than praise and accolades. For what it's worth, A Link to the Past was my own entry point to the series, so there's a chance I'm a bit too high on it. Still, compare that game to the rest of what was out there in 1991, and then compare Ocarina to the rest of what was out there in 1998, and I think you could objectively say that Link to the Past was the more impressive game relative to its time. I'm not saying it was the better game overall - you could also probably argue that the original Legend of Zelda was even more impressive for 1986, and that game is borderline unplayable - but for me it's a shame that so many friends of mine either have no interest in it or played it without being very impressed. Oh well.
I wanted to end this post with a ranked list of every Zelda game I've beaten, but I'm way, way too internally conflicted to sort through that mess right now. Consider this an open invitation for someone else to do so in the comments.
For me, Ocarina of Time does everything right. It has just the right difficulty, just the right length, just the right story, etc, etc. And yes, because it represents my introduction to the series I use it as the yard stick to which I compare everything else. I don't deny that I might be biased, but ther aren't many games in 1998 that are even close. Maybe Mario 64. Maybe. I've played roughly half of A Link to the Past and in 2014, I don't think I will ever like it as much as you do. A Link Between Worlds is such an awesome game, it's just a little too short and a little too easy. That's the same feeling I got from A Link to the Past. Still, I understand its importance and don't begrudge anyone their opinion of its superiority. Anyway, my list (containing only the entries I've beaten plus A Link to the Past for the sake of the argument):
ReplyDelete1. Ocarina of Time
2. Windwaker
3. Twilight Princess
4. A Link Between Worlds
5. Skyward Sword
6. A Link to the Past
7. Spirit Tracks
8. Majora's Mask
9. Phantom Hour Glass
Sounds good to me! There are currently three released full Zelda games I have yet to play and will leave unranked- Zelda 2: Adventures of Link, Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword. I'll consider Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons as one game even though Ages was probably just slightly better. That leaves 11 total Zelda games to rank. Let's go!
ReplyDelete11. The Legend of Zelda- I think I'm mostly planning to rank these games by how much fun I had while I played them, and not by their general importance or any sort of critical acclaim. I'm still confused by that old Game Informer article that ranked this as the best game of all time; I could see it near the top of the list of "most important" games maybe, but it's really just not fun to play through anymore.
10. A Link to the Past- I guess I'm one of the underraters, because while this game was by all means playable and a huge step up over the original Legend of Zelda, I felt like I was mostly going through the motions. I've always felt like the mark of a good Zelda game is that there's something interesting to do in every area or screen, and I personally felt like Link to the Past was lacking big time in that department. I can go back and give this another shot though.
9. Spirit Tracks- The problem with ranking Zelda games is that so few of them are bad; I've ranked Spirit Tracks third to last but I honestly consider it a great, fun game. It just is notably lacking in freedom of movement as Link needs to ride trains to get from area to area. Everything else was great though.
8. Phantom Hourglass: The boat worked better than Spirit Track's train, even if the central dungeon in this game was more of a pain in the ass than Spirit Track's central dungeon.
7. Oracle of Ages/Seasons: This was really my entry point to the Zelda series so I worry I may overrate it like you said- after all, no one really talks about these games much anymore. So the 7 spot feels right.
6. Minish Cap: The other Capcom Zelda game has no real downsides aside from maybe too much Tingle, even if it never quite blew me away.
5. Link's Awakening: I just played this last summer for the first time and loved it. For me it was easily the most fun of the old-school pre-Ocarina Zelda titles.
4. Wind Waker: This could get bumped up a little higher but in the interest of logging quickly I just plowed through it and never really stopped to explore or just have fun sailing, which I've been told repeatedly is the whole point of the game.
3. A Link Between Worlds- This was just awesome but doesn't make it into the top two due to its real lack of challenge; I think I died maybe once or twice early on and then never again. I mentioned this to Keith before but to me it feels like the perfect Zelda for someone new to the series to start with.
2. Twilight Princess: When Twilight Princess really gets cooking, it's incredible. It might have the best second half of any Zelda game. I just can't forgive how slow and hand-holdy it is at the start.
1. Ocarina of Time: I said it all in my Ocarina post; I think it's the best of all time.
I was looking up 1998 in gaming too just to see what the scene was when Ocarina was released. It looks like even though Mario 64 had already been released in 1996, 1998 was a huge year for platforming with Crash Bandicoot 3, Spyro, and Banjo Kazooie all released in the same year- was that platforming's last year as a legitimate non-Mario genre? Also the one game I'd put up from that year anywhere close to Ocarina would be the original Metal Gear Solid.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so hard for me to rate these. Like, if we start with the simple assumption that Ocarina is #1, I immediately want to take Majora's Mask and say, look at how much cooler and darker and more sophisticated this story and environment were - clearly it's a better game! But then, I don't really think that, so Majora's Mask remains beneath Ocarina. But then what does its unique dark vibe amount to? If it can't beat Ocarina, it tumbles down the list! So by not being #1 overall I end up not having it in the top 5 or 6. I dunno, maybe this doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing with Zelda games is that we tend to remember the flaws, frustrations, and "lackingness" (the "wait, did I even play that?" syndrome you can get from the earlier ones) more than we remember the highlights - because frankly, most games are streamlined, excellent, and unforgettable.
Anyway, fuck it. Here we go. (I haven't yet played Skyward Sword, either Oracle game, Minish Cap, or Four Swords.)
1. Twilight Princess
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Wind Waker
4. Link Between Worlds
5. Link to the Past
6. Majora's Mask
7. Spirit Tracks
8. Phantom Hourglass
9. Link's Awakening
10. Legend of Zelda
11. Adventure of Link
Speaking of which - when are we all going to play Four Swords? It's four-man co-op over the Internet, right?
ReplyDeleteI have it on 3DS. Is that what you are talking about? I'm in. I encourage you both to play Skyward Sword. It's really good. Just make sure you have 50 hours to spare.
ReplyDeleteGot to add my 2 Ruppies:
ReplyDeleteI haven't played a lot of LoZ, but if I had to rank the ones I've beaten, it would be:
1. Skyward Sword
Sorry for all the haters out there.
Man, that's just straight up embarassing. Also embarassing: Webber's still un-edited post on Link Between Worlds.
DeleteAlso, good to see you back on the Blog B-Town!
Prepare yourself! Trevor is weighing in...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stan that it's really hard to rate these. Mostly because my memory is so faded on how each game exactly played out. With the exception of the side-scrolling Zelda game, the two for Gameboy Color, and the other two for the DS, I present my rankings:
1. Majora's Mask -- I've always enjoyed this title, but I replayed a bit of it over Christmas this past year and it's just gotten better with time. No, we're not in Hyrule and, no, Link is a child throughout the game (not a badass adult), but the story is so mysterious and compelling it just hooks you. And the fact that you only have three days to save the world from the moon crashing in. So cool! Oh, and, of course, we have the Hero's Mask that makes Link look ridiculously awesome. Plus each town you visit represents the five stages of grief coming to terms with the moon crashing into the world. Mind blown...
2. Ocarina of Time -- This would normally be my number one choice. There is no other Zelda game that I've beaten more. It's an amazing title not just for this franchise, but in the video game industry in general.
3. A Link to the Past -- Have a lot of great memories playing this over a my neighbor's house as a kid.
4. Wind Waker -- When I found out how the storyline tied into the main canon of series it blew my mind. Plus sailing in the open sandbox world was cool. Something that Skyward Sword tried to duplicate in the air and failed horribly.
5. A Link Between Two Worlds -- Builds of my deep love I have for A Link to the Past. Plus I loved the soundtrack.
6. Twilight Princess -- I think I need to revisit this game because I don't seem to be impressed by it as much as everyone else.
7. Minish Cap -- Actually... I really don't remember anything from this game, but I think I fairly enjoyed it. And, agreed with Sweeney, perhaps too much Tingle.
8. Link's Awakening -- The first Zelda game I ever played.
9. Four Swords -- Just hack-n-slash fun. Nothing else to it.
10. Skyward Sword -- This game was a huge letdown for me. Let's hope the next main console installment doesn't suck as hard.
11. The Legend of Zelda -- Come on... most NES titles are pretty grueling to get through. And this game is no different in my book.