Greetings and salutations everyone!
For as long as I have been playing video games, there have always been a couple series that have always stood out to me. Having grown up with the SNES and later to actually fully understanding gameplay with the N64, I have been obsessed with a couple games that would be ranging across Pokemon, Kirby, Metroid, and most notably: The Legend of Zelda.
Across the years, I have played and beaten every Legend of Zelda game I have come across, save for the CD-i games such as the Faces of Evil, The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure. Below are the many games I have played and beaten:
- The Legend of Zelda
- The Adventures of Link
- A Link to the Past
- Link's Awakening
- Ocarina of Time
- Majoras Mask (FAVORITE!)
- Oracle of Ages (Seasons more recently as well!)
- Four Swords & Four Swords Adventure
- Wind Waker
- Minish Cap
- Twilight Princess
- Link's Crossbow Training
- Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks
- Skyward Sword
As you would see, I have played essentially all of the main titles save for A Link Between Worlds, partially because I haven't had the time to go and buy the game, but I know I'll love it because it is set in the world of A Link to the Past, and I'm very excited for it.
But as much as I'd love to explain why I love the entire Legend of Zelda series, I have more to talk about and some hype to share about the upcoming title:
Zelda Wii U (Name in progress)
Back in 2011 at E3, there was a tech demo showcasing the Zelda HD Experience, which was a pretty cool video in terms of trying to showcase the game in an HD manner. This mainly served as a video that we could watch and you can find it below as well:
As cool as it was to see this all those years ago, it could not prepare me for what I would later see and find throughout the recent months, as we finally have something of a tangible title to work with, and what will later be released into 2016.
Zelda Wii U was officially announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation in 2013, where Eiji Aonuma, a major supervisor and director of the franchise, stated that this game will challenge what was expected of older Zelda titles, challenging the idea of which the players had to go to dungeons in a set order, or that it will have a single player experience. Although this isn't much to work on, and the only real information we have about the assets of the game were showcased in later Nintendo Directs and E3 presentations, it's still looking incredible and I've been excited as ever for the ever approaching release.
In one regards, it looks to be a HUGE open world environment by Zelda standards, where there will be large boss monsters and unique ways to tackle objectives. Link seems to have a whole new arsenal of weapons and equipment and it will only increase as the game is going further into development. The Sword and Bow aspects of the game while riding Epona has only been made easier, where we can focus on the surroundings and the like without having to focus too much other than to steer and make sure things go as planned.
The fact that we can jump off of Epona and shoot an enemy from in the air is incredible!
You can find the various videos showcasing what we know about the game so far below:
Although it is not too much to work off of, it's still an upcoming release that I am looking forward to so much.
It is worth noting though that production for the game has been pushed further and further back as the development progresses. As opposed to a lot of members of the gaming community, I am all for this shift because it means that they are most likely hard at work in regards to the project, and the more time it takes, I can assume the higher the quality and the more aspects of gameplay that can be added in entirely. We're looking at a 2016 release, but it can really take as much time as it needs to produce the best work I would want. I was already waiting a while for Twilight Princess, so I can still wait a long amount of time to play Zelda Wii U as well! Who knows? Maybe I'll have a chance to play A Link Between Worlds in the mean time!
Although I cannot review this game to a large extent, I'll still do one for this game, and then my favorite Zelda Game!
General Rundown - Zelda Wii U
Gameplay: 9/10 (speculative)
Graphics: 9/10
Trailer Wow Factor: 9001/10
Boss Monsters: 1/?? (only cause we've seen one)
Environment: 8/10
Overall: 9/10 (For now. I have high hopes for this game!)
General Rundown: The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask
Gameplay: 7/10 (just like Ocarina of Time)
Uniqueness: 8/10 (3 Days + Masks = Cool)
Story: Cry/10 (there is a really dark story around the game)
Scariness when you're about 6 years old: 666/10 (this game was hella scary as a child)
Quality of Remake: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 (This game is a nostalgia trip and a half, and the remake does it justice)
-Nicholas "TAE"
