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The Legend of Zelda. A magical series spanning back to the early days of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Link has had countless adventures in Hyrule and beyond, and some of my most memorable adventures have been with him (sniff). Popping Ocarina of Time's cartridge into my Nintendo 64 and proceeding to play was the most enjoyable and satisfactory moment I ever had in a game. It was pure joy. I couldn't believe that something like that could be done in a game. Which is why I am highly anticipating Link's new adventure coming to the Gamecube in February.
One of the most controversial aspects of the new game is it's visual style. It is completely cel-shaded, which means it looks like a cartoon. When I first saw screens of this over a year ago, I was outraged with the bold new direction Nintendo was taking. I believed that they were taking away my most beloved series (more sniffles) and smashing it against the cliffs of insanity*. But alas, I got over it and embraced the new design. And I can honestly say that I am happy Nintendo didn't use "regular graphics." The cel-shading is very cool and allows Link and the other characters to show a wider array of emotion and facial expression,, and adds beautiful special affects. Trust me, I've seen plenty of screen shots and a few clips of actual gameplay. Many think it stupid, but I think it wonderful.
The control scheme in The Legend of Zelda is very similar to that of it's N64 counterparts. This is very good, as those two games (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask) controlled wonderfully and many games have been based and/or influenced by this setup. (Some that come to mind are the Harry Potter games coming out recently on most platforms and that Indiana Jones game for N64, plus other rpg's and Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet). Many of Link's weapons return, namely the new and improved hookshot. The shield he wields is from the original NES game. But one of the most important aspects of gameplay is the wind. This is sposed to be a very crucial feature, as it will help you solve puzzles and locate items. But it has also been determined to be a big feature because the title of the game has to do with wind. Here are the three speculated titles:
The Legend of Zelda: Baton of Wind
The Legend of Zelda: Wand of Wind
The Legend of Zelda: Staff of Wind
In Japanese: Zelda no Densetsu: Kaxe no Takutu
As it stands, Zelda seems to be M.I.A. this time. It all starts with your grandma and sister Grandma gives you the famous green duds for your birthday. Sometime after that you see a huge bird drop off a girl in a forest a ways off. As your off investigating the bird kidnaps your sister and the adventure begins. The game probably won't release until February, but there has been speculation it could come before Christmas. This is highly unlikely though. But, at least you'll have Metroid Prime.
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