I think it all comes down to how frequently games in a series are released. If there was a Zelda game released every two or three years, I wouldn't be nearly as picky. You're right, Skyward Sword was a great game, yet I was massively disappointed by it because I had to wait five years to get it. If it had released earlier in the Wii's life I wouldn't have had nearly as much of a problem with it. But Zelda games are so few and far between that you've got a certain expectation when one finally comes around, and if it's lacking in any way it's just a massive half-decade-in-the-making bummer.
For me Pikmin is the same. Pikmin 3 is a great game, but there are aspects of it that really bum me out, seeing as it took nine years to get here. Same with Valve games, as someone said above: you expect more when the release schedule is so thin.
Currently playing:
Bloodbath Paddy Wagon Ultra 9
