Here's a pet peeve of mine; people with a rose-tinting deification of Ocarina of Time. For me, that game, along with Mario 64, will always symbolize a personal low-point for my feeling of connection to videogames as a whole. Of course, I understand why people love both of those games, and it's totally understandable that they'd be a lot of people's favorites, but to unequivocally say that either of those games are "the best" in their respective series is just poppycock.
It's nice to hear that Eiji Aonuma, current overseer of the Legend of Zelda series, seems to agree with me. According to a recent interview (translated from Japanese to Spanish to English, so take it with a grain of salt), Aonuma feels that "If you play Ocarina of Time nowadays, you notice that it’s not that good. Sometimes it doesn’t move as fast as it should, graphics aren’t as beautiful as they should be; there are some confusing parts… Any present Zelda is technically superior."
Hear hear, Aonumu-san. Personally, I feel that every 3D Zelda since OoT has been a big improvement over the series' original outing into the third dimension. I still prefer Zelda in 2D, but if I have to play a "newer" one, I'd rather it be Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, or Twilight Princess.
For more on Aonuma's take on Zelda past and present, and the rumors of an OoT remake, hit the link below.
[via Gonintendo]
Contest:
8:00 PM on 11.22.2009
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I don't know if I could call it the best, but it's still a really fucking fun game.
That said I still don't like Twilight Princess >.<
I still prefer 2D Zelda actually. Wish we could get a consoles 2D Zelda .
I'm honestly a little surprised that this is the kind of stuff that Aonuma is worrying about. How about fixing the problem of using the same items in every game? Or making it so that you don't use an item in one dungeon and then stash it away forever? Or actually make it remotely possible to die again. Seriously, OoT is not the game to look down on in the Zelda franchise. The only real problem with it is Nintendo has been a little reluctant to move away from the formula it created.
The newer ones after it may have some things about them that are technically better, but they don't have MM's ingenuity which the rest of the series lacks.
If you are not saying it in the perspective to draw attention pretending to be different, eh there must be more people there.
Except the FF7 deal is a lot different, people fondly remember that game for it's story/characters which is something that still survives. OoT is remembered for how revolutinary it's gameplay was and it's graphics, two things which have not survived.
It's perfectly legit to still say that FF7 is your favorite FF game if you really loved the story, story isn't something that just gets better every game.
How does the fact that OoTs gameplay innovations have been overused make them any less innovative? If OoT came out now, then sure, they would be less innovative, but it came out when none of that stuff had been done before.
Because we're not talking about when it came out, were talking about now. The point of the article was the guy saying that if it came out now it would be bad, which is true as it is for most generation old games.
Pong was increadibly innovative, by the mindset of this article and topic it is no longer so, same for OoT.
I disagree with the sentiment that it would be considered "bad" if released now. By no means would it be as well received, but it's flaws aside, it's still a great and fun, a fact time will never change.
HEY OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
@ Magnalon- Like I was just "hey oooh-ing" about, I really don't think OoT was "one of a kind"... ever. Everything that's good about the game was done in LttP, but prettier, at a faster pace, and with better music. However, if you think adding a Z axis inherently makes a game better, then I could see how you could disagree with me.
By the way, that's foreshadowing for the the post coming up next. Stay tuned!
As far as Majora's Mask goes, it just didn't have the Zelda-esque "feel" like the rest of the games do. Sure it LOOKED better than OoT, but who cares?
I hold WW and MM on equal grounds to Ocarina. My personal preference swings towards MM, though.
And while Twilight Princess has it's fair share of (deserved) complaints, I still think it's the most polished 3d Zelda we've seen so far. It's not a great innovation, no, but it certainly advanced the conventions of the series.
...unless, of course, I'm just stupid.
“It’s complicated. Past things belong to our memories, and they grow bigger in there. If you play Ocarina of Time nowadays, you notice that it’s not that good. Sometimes it doesn’t move as fast as it should, graphics aren’t as beautiful as they should be; there are some confusing parts… Any present Zelda is technically superior. Everything goes faster, more fluid… but to best Ocarina of Time, a great change –comparable to what happened back then- must be introduced. And that’ll be rather complicated”.
Aounuma was just talking about technical quality- he's saying that OoT's graphics suck nowadays, and that he's basically been remaking it over and over again because everyone loves that game. Please, D-Toid, you're a really cool gaming site, but you have got to stop this half-assed "journalism" where you take quotes out of context and then slap your own opinions on them. I really like your site, but this type of bullshit is getting old, fast.
...no shit, Aonuma.
OoT isn't my favorite, I much prefer Wind Waker. But it was an excellent game and I don't really think he should go shitting on people who do prefer OoT over the newer entries.
Indeed it's also kind of troubling when you realize A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess all play the same way. And I don't mean play the same way as Zelda games go I mean they even flow in the same way. In fact the first few steps of Twilight Princess are almost a copy of Ocarina of time.
"Hey a Tree Dungeon in the starting village, Lava filled mine with the Gorons and water based dungeon with the Zora!"
Maybe it's because I'm kind of long in the tooth here but after awhile you start to realize that gameplay innovations are far and in between. But if Ocarina of time was dressed up in new age graphics and released now? (hypothetically assuming it's original n64 iteration was never released) I guarantee you it'd be hailed as a great game.
It's a personal choice. Of course if I play it these days, the only factor remaining is nostalgia. It does play a bit slow. But whatever what is said, I'll stick with Oot as my favorite game. ever.
Without the oot bias, I prefer Minish Cap. The story is so well done, and the gameplay is gold, flawless.
Mirror's Edge > any Legend of Zelda game.
Okay "bad" was the wrong word, it'd still be fun just not revolutionary or great looking anymore.
Also to who it was that said that MM didn't feel like a typical Zelda game, I love it for that, it actually tried to do something new, it felt original. I only hope that the next Zelda game doesn't feel like a typical Zelda game, I'm tired of the Zelda formula.
-Something happens
-Do 3 things
-Something else happens!
-Do 7 more things!
-Fight Gannon or Other Boss
-Fight Gannon again or for the first time.
-Sprinkle Side-quests Throughout
Yeah there's a couple with no Gannon, I know, but that was a long time ago.
Wind Waker is the best 3D Zelda, and A Link to the Past is the best 2D.
...The 2D generation really does represent the most arrogant and stuck-up side of the spectrum. Take, for example, the ridiculous criticism of the XBLA Banjoe Kazooie re-release and contrast that to the 'praise' given to the Megaman 9 re-release... the early 90's and late 80's crowd really does represent the biggest conglomeration of self-absorbed, egotistical jerk-offs on the fucking planet. God...it truly, TRULY disgusts me. Do you dumbasses really think that a Megaman newcomer is going to like Megaman 9? Are you really that stupid?
Anyway...
The reality is that both crowds are idiots for thinking that their experience of 'nostalgia' qualifies Zelda 'X' for being the best out of the series, when in reality just about every Zelda game has been an improvement (in gameplay, not narrative---which the Zelda series has never really been that strong for).
Also, Eiji Aonuma is an idiot for even mentioning graphics...but whatever.
All my favorite Zeldas tend to abandon formula. Link's Awakening and Majora's Mask, for example, take Link out of Hyrule, he's not saving the princess and there's a stronger emphasis on questing than any other games in the series. No Ganon, either.
Minish Cap also moves away from series tropes. Its in Hyrule and you have to save Zelda, but no Ganon, more intricate dungeons and Four Swords elments were meshed in allowing for a different experience.
Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass boldly throw aside overworlds for exploring the ocean. This approach has its own limitations, but its a decent change of pace.
I've not played TP yet, but I find it ironic that after all the clamoring for "grown up" Link, fans defer to a Kid Link game as better. Goes to show you Nintendo fans never put their money where their mouths are. They want GTA, they don't buy it. They want FPS, they don't buy them.
Sometimes I just have to think Nintendo's own worst enemy is its hardcore fanbase. They're fickle as hell.
Mirror's Edge > any Legend of Zelda game."
You best be trollin' nigga, 'else that is the stupidest fucking comparison I've ever heard.
I played OoT first, then MM, then Wind Waker, then LttP.
LttP is still a great game.
In concern of this article, graphically, it's a totally valid statement. Even the most rabid illogical fanboy could not deny that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are miles ahead of OoT in terms of technical achievement. Hate on the (awesome in my opinion) cel-shading style of WW all you want, it still had better visual effects than OoT. As for gameplay, that's a totally objective judgement and I have no right to agree or not.