The Legend of Zelda

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.

The tough question to answer is whether these ported titles are a "good" or "bad" thing. Pretty much all of these titles are still good games in the sense that what made them enjoyable at first remains enjoyable at a later date. But does the production of these games preclude production of new games and the possibility of creating new paradigms in games based in 2-dimensional graphics?

Game Description: Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a retelling of the venerable series' first game with a quest for up to four players—all on one cartridge. The game is a mix of action and puzzles where Link must travel between the Light and Dark worlds to rescue Princess Zelda. In the multiplayer game, Four Swords, between two to four players take on the roles of young adventurers who answer a challenge from the Triforce. They must brave the dangers of multiple dungeons in a quest to find the Master Sword. Their strength will be tested by fierce monsters, their wisdom tested by complex puzzles, and their courage tested by having to cooperate with each other to overcome obstacles.

Well, it sure doesn't look that way at first, does it? To be blunt, the aesthetics of The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker are awe-inspiring. The decision to go with a cel-shaded style was widely and roundly derided by a videogame community increasingly enamored of 'realistic' graphics, but it winds up making this title truly special.

Game Description: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker returns you to the world of Hyrule as you travel the waves to tame the winds! Brilliant combat, fantastic facial expressions and beautiful oceans will immerse you in the land of Hyrule as you face Gannon!

As a child, I was scared of a lot of things. I'm sure if I were 11 years old and playing The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the manic look on a moblin's face would haunt my nights. Some of the bosses are positively menacing. Even the thunderstorms in the game would make me think about how scary storm winds and lighting really are. That's if I was 11 years old.

With his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell created a sort of guide by which just about every myth, legend, or story could be rationalized and even certain patterns among them could be revealed. Almost everything ranging from Homer's The Odyssey to George Lucas' moneymaking machine Star Wars to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings would, when broken down, most likely expose common elements that would transcend the cultural barriers separating them.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Game Description: For anyone who enjoyed playing the original Zelda game on the Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask should come as a pleasant surprise. This game again features Link, the young elf who has been the star of every Zelda game so far. This time, however, he has to stop the moon from crashing into the land of Hyrule. Link must travel back in time 72 hours to avert the disaster; otherwise Hyrule will be destroyed. There are four dungeons to explore, with many other places to visit. In addition, Link can use over 20 masks to gain even more abilities!

Writing a review for a game in Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series is different than writing a review for other games, because Nintendo's work allows discussion of higher level elements such as form and structure rather than implementation. The camera for example, which has been the bane of most other third-person games, Majora's Mask somehow improves from Ocarina of Time.