Zelda needs to go back to its roots, not really change at all. This was the problem from the beginning, since Zelda left 2D it became the subject of all kinds of gimmicks.

I want New Zelda 1.

Yeah.  I always figured if somebody wanted to play a Zelda game, but didn't want to play a Zelda game, they'd shut up and play Okami or Beyond Good and Evil.

Whoa.  Really?  I haven't played Spirit Tracks yet, but... better than Link's Awakening?  No way.  I won't believe it unless you say "Yes Rubang, I believe that Spirit Tracks is better than Link's Awakening."  You can copy and paste it from that quote if you need to.

As much fun as I had with Spirit Tracks, it was in no way a better game than Link's Awakening. To this day it amazes me what they fit on that Game Boy cartridge.

I wouldn't say Zelda is in decline. How many games have had the lasting impact of Ocarina of Time? Zelda Wii is probably going to come out 12 years after Ocarina stood high above the gaming landscape, and we'll have experienced three console Zeldas since then, but Ocarina is the game we'll compare to most, and the same is going to be true of critical reception. The trouble is, Zelda as a franchise has more to live up to than the vast majority of games. Ocarina is the highest rated videogame ever released, and has topped or been near top of the majority of "Best game ever" lists.

It will be incredibly difficult for Nintendo to create another Zelda that has the impact of Ocarina of Time. Videogames are more varied than ever, and Ocarina came out relatively early in the span of 3D gaming. So much of what it did first it did brilliantly; Nintendo essentially perfected the standard Zelda formula in 3D at their first attempt. How do you follow that up? With distinct games like Majora (distinct structurally and thematically) and Wind Waker (distinct aesthetically and thematically), they've divided critics and fans alike as to whether or not these are the definitive Zelda experiences. With Twilight Princess, Nintendo crafted an experience that was very similar to Ocarina, with thematic differences and visual improvements and more complex elements. Though it debuted to strong fan and critical reception, as Edge noted in a recent Zelda interview, the reputation of TP took a post release dive. I think much of that is due to its stature as a Wii launch title-the Wii was something new and very different in console gaming; Twilight Princess was easily the most traditional 3D Zelda following in the long shadow of Ocarina.

With Link's Awakening, Nintendo proved the GameBoy could handle a console like game experience structurally and design wise while remaining different enough to be distinctive. And here is why handheld Zeldas since then haven't matched up to LA, in my opinion; handheld and console development of Zelda titles has never been further apart. The portable games are becoming (especially with the DS iterations of Zelda) more distinct from console experiences. The problem for Zelda is that even as every game has references to other games in the series and triggers memories with every addition to the series (this is the case for long time fans and critics), the Zelda-nostalgia becomes compounded each time. Each new Zelda is a glorious stone that has gathered parts of the magnificent moss of previous games.

With so many great games in the series, and with the series consistently being such a high benchmark in gaming, I think it's more difficult than ever for Zelda to feel distinctive. Zelda (NES), Link to the Past, Ocarina and Twilight Princess are the traditional Zeldas. Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker are the distinctive Zeldas. I think Zelda Wii is going to be Nintendo's best chance to top the impact and legacy of Ocarina. It's going to be the first genuinely big gamer's game and critical darling to utilise Motion Plus, and in that respect, true motion controls. Even if it retains the traditional feel of Ocarina (which I believe it will, if the Master Sword is central to the game) it has a chance to differentiate itself from every other Zelda and every other game released so far in the utilisation of motion controls.


Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks changes to interface and structure were practise. The way we interact with console Zelda is going to see a massive overhaul... The biggest since Ocarina. Added to that Aonuma's promise to shake up the dungeon/field structure of the game... I think we could very well be heading towards the biggest Zelda impact in gaming since Ocarina.

Of course, expectations like this only compound what Nintendo has to do. And this is just my opinion as a long time lover of the Zelda franchise.

I agree with some of his premises, notably that Ocarina of Time has set a standard by which all other Zelda games are judged, making it such that any games that are either too similar to it, or too different from it, make that game "worse" than what OoT had been, placing Zelda in a conundrum it can't really escape from.

Disagree that Nintendo is treating the series like a cash-in, though. I think they understand the weight Zelda Wii will have in helping to define its platform.

Like hell it is.

It seems that its all a matter of taste. For me PH>>>>>OoT.

OT: Id say no. Zelda is all about gameplay, more exactly great exploration and amazing boss-fights, and even tough the series might remain on the same level, and not exceed with some iterations, its deffintaly not in a decline...

I think the new Zelda for Wii being motion-plus exclusive is a good sign at embracing new elements.

It is indeed about taste. A I have said it another it post for me it just isnt that good anymore for others it is AWESOME. I still heart the other Zelda games I have. Minish Cap is one of thoose. I found being able to explore and find hidden areas as a Mini (whatever you want to call it) to be the best part and is what made the game worth playing. I will also say for me Zelda is best as a top down kind of game. (Sorry Zelda two you were fun also though!) Full of areas to explore find hearts, bottles, little vendor guys, etc etc. I am sure most of the Zelda fans would disagree with at least some of what I think Zelda is/should be. Games grow games change. It is no big deal to me as current and future Zelda fans love these games as much as I do the older ones.

I like that Zelda has ONE game in 3d that is similar to Ocarina and people go on and on about how the series needs to change, ignoring the other (6?) games that are all unique.

And I'm sorry, but Twilight Princess is awesome. MM is my fave, and first 3d zelda I played, while I played TP before OoT. While both OoT and TP are fantastic, saying TP sucks when it is in fact an improved OoT is silly.