The Legend of Zelda

I've been playing The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for forever—well, sort of. I got stuck and put the game down for a while, maybe a couple of months. But when I picked Phantom Hourglass back up again, I couldn't get unstuck. And I didn't even know why I was stuck in the first place.

While thoroughly engaging and lore-filled, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is not the "tight and classy" Wii primer that Gene Park implies. Poor presentation and technical flaws mar this latest addition to the Zelda family.

Even before a new installment in Nintendo's fabled The Legend of Zelda series hits shelves, it has the uncanny ability to ignite heated, passionate discussion on its untested merits. At the same time, it often summons cool, breezy reflections on the overall series and its special qualities. And what happens afterward? More of the same thing really. But there was one significant outcome after the release GameCube's Wind Waker and the Nintendo 64's Majora's Mask—Twilight Princess.

Game Description: The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess brings you back to the land of Hyrule, as you uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows. Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and As he does, he'll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he'll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna's magic to bring light to the land. Revisit classic and new characters—Link, Zelda, Midna and many others.

Game Description: The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap takes young Link into an all-new adventure where he'll explore Hyrule and battle evil on the microscopic level. An ancient magical sword releases the evil mage Vaati and he causes trouble all over Hyrule. Link has been sent to restore the sword and seal Vaati inside it—but it can only be done by visiting the Minish people and getting their help. Link will have to shrink to do that—and the strange Minish Cap will be his guide in this new mirco-world.

I have a confession to make: I don't think I "get" The Legend of Zelda anymore. Having played most of the titles in the series through to completion, I feel a little immune to seeing the their immense charms recycled yet again for a new generation of gamers, as they are in The Minish Cap.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Fantasy Violence

Yes, I know it's a multiplayer game. No, I didn't play it with anyone else. I've finished just about every Zelda game out there, so I figured I'd give this one a whirl too, "connectivity" be damned. If you can handle a review written from this perspective, then please read on. If you can't, then please hit the back button on your browser now.

Game Description:  The Legend continues on Nintendo GameCube in an all-new epic adventure for one to four players. Fusing cooperative and competitive action, Four Swords Adventures features a unique gameplay system that incorporates both the television and the Game Boy Advance. When you enter a building or dive into a cave, your character switches from the TV to the Game Boy Advance. When you emerge, the frantic action shifts back to the big screen. To thwart Vaati's nefarious forces, you'll have to master new skills and techniques never before seen in the Legend of Zelda series.