Nintendo fanboys have had their collective Mario panties all in a bunch lately thanks to a game review that didn't say, "ZOMG ZELDA BEST GAME EVAR!" It seems that if you have one honest opinion about a game -- specifically a Nintendo fanboy's golden cow -- then you are subject to Internet wrath that has always been feared among a throng of gaming journos.
GameSpot has actually sunk to the low levels of gaming blogs and responded to the criticism by saying, "Hey, you suck!"
It's Zelda, people.
Since I know people are upset about the review (which is odd considering how few people have played this game at the moment), I figured I'd share some opinions based on playing through the first five hours or so of the game.
It's the same damn game we've all been playing for the last 15-odd years. Hey, guess what? You get to go into dungeons...and find items...and put together pieces of heart to make new heart containers. I haven't gotten very far into it, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Triforce is in the mix at some point.
More crybaby tactics after the jump.
There's a difference between tradition and ossification, and Nintendo's been content to let this series stay the same for too damn long. What's more, in a lot of ways it's actually getting to be pretty annoying. The helper characters, in particular, seem to be intended to be cute, but they wind up being maddeningly insufferable. In a lot of ways, Midna, the helper character from Twilight Princess, is even worse than Tingle from Wind Waker. And I don't know whose idea it was to make the first dungeon in the game feature a large number of monkeys that follow you around making incessent monkey noises, but they should be shot. Most annoying. sound. ever. When you have the pointer active, it also makes a shimmering sound as you move the Wiimote around. It never ever stops making this sound, and it got so damn annoying that I simply turned the pointer off completely.
Since every game in this series is more or less the same, outside of minor details, choosing among them is more or less a matter of deciding which style suits you best. Wind Waker had, at the very least, a graphical sensibility that was unique, whereas Twilight Princess just seems...generic. For a game that plays up its theoretically realistic graphical style, it also has to do a bit better job of representing the world; it's fine that the Wii isn't as powerful as a 360 or a PS3, but at the very least it should be capable of matching the best-looking games on the GameCube.
From top to bottom, Twilight Princess is a game that was transparently designed for the GameCube and hacked to work on the Wii. The controls feel kind of shoddy in a lot of ways. I guess what disappoints me most about this game is the lack of ambition and innovation. The Wii has some promising ideas behind it, but if they're content to have their flagship title be Just Another Zelda Game(TM) then they're getting off on the wrong foot.
I guess if you like the Zelda formula, then you'll like this game. Speaking for myself, though, I can't imagine how anyone really gets excited for them anymore; the recycling of game mechanics ventured into self-parody territory years ago. I really think the series needs to take a cue from Resident Evil 4 and reinvent itself completely. Heck, even the Final Fantasy games manage to make some big changes to the series' conventions with each installation. As it is, everything about Twilight Princess, and pretty much every game in the series aside from The Adventure of Link, smacks of Nintendo being content to play it safe with their big-money series. Give me something new!
Agree, disagree? Debate it to death!
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Contest:
12:34 PM on 11.20.2006
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That said, he's passing judgment on repeated exerience, which is an easily flawed approach. Damn True Crime for continuing subpar system. Praise Zelda for providing mroe content on a proven and good system.
Sadly, its something that GameSpot sort of heralded as a tenant some 5 years ago, and have stood behind in their ratings ever since.
While innovation is key to this industry, and will ultimately move it forward, innovation and change for change's sake doesn't necessarily make for good gameplay.
I don't want Link to hide behind a tree and gain health.
I was having a conversation with somebody at work about the whole Nunchuk thing, questioning whether or not it's really even necessarily. Wii games should be Wii games, not some shoddy GameCube ports. I'm not saying that Twilight Princess is bad (as the reviews have been quite good), but it's really not the sort of game that I intend to purchase Wii for. More developers should create games from the ground up for Wii, rather than porting non-Wii games or adapting GameCube game series to Wii.
BTW the last Zelda game I played through completion was Link's Awakening for Gameboy. I'm not a huge fan, but I speak out for common sense's sake.
Game critics are no different than movie critics, deep down they don't want to go against the flow of their own community. So if Gay cowboys on a mountain is said to be The best movie they will all agree, because it is deemed "artistic". Really it is just a tragic love story go read Romeo and Juliet. If everybody says GOW is most innovative game ever so it is the gods gift to gaming you better shut your mouth and except it. But nintendo and their goods are always open to critism because it is a freebie. Nobody will say anything, so it is a good shot to take on a giant. The only difference is I don't get why anybody cares what these people think. Nobody gives a damn what ebert or Roper says, why do people give a damn what anybody on gamespot, or any other site says? You guys give them their power they want to be elitist, the more you ignore them the more they will lose any ability to influence gamers. If every game must have some sort of innovation in it to get 9-10 on a rating scale of 1-10 then how did GTA, FF, HALO sequels get such high scores. Kingdom hearts anyone? IF a site can't stick by their own rating systems why do you even pay them attention any more. I mean go there and check out what they gave Shadow of the Colossus, and Katamari Damacy 8.7s. Now check out the huge 9.7 they gave Grand Theft Auto 3. Now let it sink in about what the people that work there really care about (grappphiiiccccs and vioooooolence)!
Alot of people think that critics are above being graphics violence whores, cause they work for the industry. But that is quite the opposite, they get so desensitized to so many games, that only something that shocks their senses ever registers. A beautiful game doesn't make a great game, nor does a ugly game mean a bad one, but that is what registers for them. Now you can be a fanboy(That is lame) but you can be one, as long as you are not an ignorant sheep. Nintendo fans no matter what you do we will be called fanboys. But if they are going to call you out make sure and voice your opinion with evidence first. When a fanboy makes a obvious but well made point, for some reason the attackers just disappear into the internet shadows.
Forget the review.
Just play your freaking Wii.
Chuck E. Jeezus H. Keerist.
Chuck E. CHEEZUS H. Keerist.
Please pardon the slip-up.
That is all.
Moving on to him saying that the Wii controls seem tacked on. I don't know what game he's playing, but the Wii controls are so fluid and amazing, that I can't imagine even attempting to play it with anything other than a remote+nunchuck. I literally sat staring at my TV after learning all the controls for Zelda on the Wii. Not to mention how fucking hypocritical this guy is. OMG, it's the same plot as the rest, no innovation. OMG, the controllers are too different than the other games. Too much innovation? So, he's bashing Zelda because it's apparently nothing new, and because it's too different. Yeah... that makes sense.
Isn't 8.8 a VERY good score?
What's the problem?
This is the same thing with Dyansty Warriors. They release the same thing over and over again with a minor tweak, more charaters and different lands. But everyone can complain about that can't they? Nobody sent out the fireing squad for Samurai Warrios mediocre reviewer.
This game IS a 10 for the fantic die hard insane Nintendo fans. But you don't need comvincing. This game is an 8.8 for the gamers like me who enjoyed the game but want something new.
PS This game is making me want the Gamecube version, swinging my Wiimote around for 4 hours is starting to hurt and that tiny $2 speaker inside is really, really lame.
A Zelda fan can enjoy the past 4 Zeldas, even pointing out that they are essentially the same game each time, but provides countless hours of enjoyment, but a Halo fan can't do the same?
Games that lather, rinse, repeat the same formula again and again can get increasingly better scores if there is refinement. The FF series gets good reviews when it refines an aspect that is not enjoyed in a previous instalment (think taking out the random battles).
The criticism in the GS review centres on a lack of refinement, whilst the multitude of positive reviews seem to be because it's a new Zelda game. It's all subjective though, guys!
Their reviews for the Wii are pretty bad in General. Red Steel does take getting used to and there are problems, but 5.5? That's way too low.
If anything, the Nintendo fanboys should be happy that he gave a 9 for Value and a 10 for Tilt. Seriously, 8.8 is great. I was a little bummed that SotC got 8.7/9 there, but I played the game and absolutely loved it. Don't act as if the 8.8 will stop you from liking the game, who cares? Why do those Nintendo Fanboys want a high score for the game anyway?
His points, allthough they make a lot of sense are not clearly overblown to add extra insult to zelda. If you happen to catch many of his other reviews of other game sequals, you'll notice that he doesnt make a big deal about it -- it just seems like he was playing the game just so he could find the flaws
Besides, the sound score was well deserved in my opinion -- the music in zelda is great but why do they keep putting in slightly better than Midi quality music