hmm...actually hadn't considered the fairness between the review style and the GotY awards.  I suppose yer right that if you compare it to the current gaming industry for the review it should be up for GotY awards as well.  I don't think it'll win any personally (other than 3DS specific awards) but it should be in contention.  

Seeing and reading this makes me sad i never got into Zelda. I played The Legend of Zelda but couldn't like it no matter what, even though my friends were ranting about it.....but the gold coloured cartridge was dope !!

Honestly you should be happy it even got that score. To me it is a VERY good game but highly overrated. Yes at the TIME it was out it offered a vast open 3D world (outside of Mario 64) with some good action and good story, but it has not aged very well, although Master Quest was well done. For the sake of comparisson a game I would put up there with OOT in current day is Nier. I know I will get massive Nintendo fan hate but these 2 titles are comparable. Downside to Nier is the fetch quests really because the story is superb and the action good (music takes the cake hands down). OOT's downside is how much it has aged and is by no means timeless when compared to other 3D environment games. I replayed it a few times in the past year and the last time I forced myself to finish it again just because (new PC so wanted to have the save data). I think that 9.5 is nostalgic value and there is nothing really wrong with that. I truly feel that Majora's Mask should have gotten some sort of revival because the masks were awesome, the story was unique and the gameplay elements and the ocarina usage was cleverly done. At current day I personally give OOT about an 8.5 to an 8.8, and the reason is because it is easy for a 3D environment game to not age well, whereas 2D games are easier to age (case in point Castlevania SOTN). Again, I commend Nintendo for making one of the best games ever, but as time has passed I feel that it is becomming overrated and people need to take off those goggles and be open to try other games in similar genres and realize what true gems they are instead of living in the 90's. This way I discovered such great games as Demon's Souls, Valkyria Chronicles, TWEWY, Nier, Valkyrie Profile, Order of Ecclesia, Farenheit (Indigo Prophecy).

On on closing note YOU should be happy this game got scored higher than MOST games out there, and many developers would KILL to have a 9.5 rating on a CURRENT GEN game, and believe me there are many great games deserving of those scores but over stupid graphics, or other fanboy goggle technicalities that IGN and other sites tend to wear, they do not get the scores they deserve. InFamous 1 got on several sites HIGHER scores than InFamous 2 which was a VASTLY SUPERIOR game. So again, be happy that such an old game got such a high score, because only a handful deserve it.

I suggest you try, Nier, Demon's Souls, Valkyria Chronicles1 and 2, TWEWY, Valkyrie Profile 1 AND 2, KZ3, the Witcher 2, Bioshock 1, Dead Nation, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, Folklore, Muramasa, Bayonetta, Dead Space 1 but especially Dead Space 2, Castlevania Order of Ecclesia, God Eater Burst, Zenonia series, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Dungeon Siege 3, Super Street Fighter 4, Mortal Kombat, MvC3, Resistance 1, 2 and Retribution, Monster Hunter series, Pokemon Black/White (I can't stand this series anymore but I understand that Millions love it), Lost Odyssey (arguably one of the best JRPG's this gen, amazing music and story), Yakuza 3 and 4, Two Worlds 2, Trine, etc,etc,etc,etc. So for you to say nowadays games aren't that good, you should seriously dig a little deep because I have names MANY games who MANY would say are between VERY good and AMAZING games all in a matter of about a min or so. Furthermore many of the stories are not cliche. Lost Odyssey with the thousand year dream alone puts Zelda and many of MY personal favorite games' storyline to shame. Yakuza is a very good view at the japanese gangster life with a pretty crazy story and crazier gameplay. Valkyria Chronicles aside from great gameplay has a very deep and personal story to tell on the casualties of war without resorting to blood and gore. Dead Space takes the crown in survival horror and really blows your mind with all the crazy stuff that Isaac confronts to the point of total insanity. TWEWY...anything I say has already been said by the millions of DS owners. Nier is a gem that may start off slow but has a deep story with the relationship between a father and his dying daughter (unless you got japanese version of Replicant in which case it's the brother), along with the relationship with Kaine and the child. Bioshock is deep in gameplay and deeper in story with Andrew Ryan portraying a sort of evil version of Howard Hughes (check his story in wiki if u don't know). Heavy Rain with a kidnapper that kills children and you are at the center of the drama being the father, a reporter, a private investigator, and an FBI agent trying to find the guy. And I barely touched the tip of the iceberg on any of these, but if you'd like, I can go deeper.

Funny how you name the exact same games that I always hear about that I have played, and got bored of quite fast. My expectations this gen have become too high because many games feel very underwhelming, with a slap of graphics to cover the horrendous nature of it. The only new game I've played and enjoyed on a console very much was MH3, and that's pretty much it. Those games you've mentioned do not fit what I like, because IVE BEEN THERE DONE THAT. Understand that I do not follow what sheep always like, because I like what I like. Simple as that.

Many of those stories are very much similar to movies and books plots, and they always have characters which are the usual cliche... I don't want to explain further on this, go to TV tropes, and read about that stuff, thousands, and I mean thousands of these cliche's in games. When you're giving me a list of games, the first thing you would ask me, if you were in person, is what kind of genres do I like/enjoy. For example, Heavy rain is not the kinda game I would play at all, because I don't feel like its a game, just a long cinamatic.  Bioshock I have played, and got bored of quite fast, and that's especially after finishing the game so damn fast I couldn't believe it wasnt mentioned in reviews.

Tbh I just hope that the next gen doesn't disappoint and doesn't fill the market with 100 shooter type games and starts putting a more serious effort.

Added: I have played some of those games that you have mentioned and finished them 100% (mursmasa as an example), but they just don't have that lasting appeal, or replay value, that would make me want to play it after 2 years of purchase. THat's  a kinda game I try to find and play (Diablo 2, and Unreal tournament are among the few games that I still play up till this day, despite owning them since 2000-2001).

I love OoT and I think I would like the 3DS version but I dunno a 9.5

You can easily emulate weaker hardware on more powerful hardware.. While I do believe multiple enemies can attack you in assassins creed, I've only played the first one so I'm not entirely sure.

That doesn't make it good AI though.

An example of good AI is the enemies in killzone 2, they don't just follow the usual fps enemy script. They adapt compared to you. You can't pull that AI off in the same way with weak hardware.

I'm not saying that all new games have great AI, i'm just saying the hardware gives them the opportunity to have create better AI. It's still completely up to the individual developer to actually do it.

Another example is the friendly AI in uncharted. One of the things that really stood out to me in the first uncharted, was how the AI partner adapted to the enviroment and to both you and the enemies, picking up weapons, moving from cover to cover, not getting in your way and actually giving you the feeling they were competent and helping you. :P

Ofcourse the more powerful hardware allows dynamic systems which allows for more immersion, but that's partially besides the point i'm trying to make here, since we all know that.. It's that the more powerful hardware is a tool to allow the developer to make a better game in all aspects.

I was just like to say that Star Wars DID re-release with new scenes and people DID hate it for that....with that said, I believe it should have gotten a 10. If they reviewed the original one today, it probably wouldn't get a 10. But with the updated version, it has the best graphics on 3DS so far, and improved gameplay/controls (water temple and iron boots), so it really should have gotten a 10.

9.5 It is a great score indded guys!

lol 9.5 is a great score, I don't think the game deserves more than that. What about Gamespot and their standardized 8.5 Nintendo score?