The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Hype Thread (HYPE: AAAAE) (HYPE MET!!!!) (97 on Metacritic)

@charizard1605:

And yet your desire to separate console from handheld falls flat when Zelda, Zelda 2 and Link to the Past all have more in common with handheld entries over Ocarina of Time and everything that followed it. A result of technological limitations, but the point stands.

Now if you want to separate them based on 2D and 3D I get that. There's where the differences are best showcased.

Ehhh, not really. At the time when the NES and SNES games came out, there was either no concurrent handheld game, or, if I am to be generous, the one that did exist was hugely different (and indeed, at the time branded a spin off) than the main series. The general definition does hold- the console games are the big, breathtaking, ambitious games, the handheld games are the smaller, experimental, quirky games. I love both, and I'd be very sad if the handheld style games were to die out (which it seems like they won't). But the sparseness of the big ambitious console style games does piss me off a lot.

The sparseness is actually the best thing that happens to Nintendo's best franchises. They've been able to stand the test of time, because you can actually miss them sometimes. 5 or 6 year cycles make them feel like an event, especially when the game is special.

Rockstar knows that to a point. We probably won't be saying GTA6 until at the earliest 2019, a full 6 years after GTAV went on to sell buckets.

Nintendo's bigger problem is that they need to start filling up their roster with newer ips, characters, game concepts in the triple A space so Mario, Zelda, and dear god pls Metroid can get proper space between releases for some ambitious productions so those ips don't become stale, and to keep a healthy string of interesting Nintendo games year to year, added bonus it would allow the Mario, Zelda, Metroid cats to do other things, besides the same ol franchise, but pfft that's just crazy talk.

@jg4xchamp: Well, the guys behind Mario Kart and Animal Crossing already got to do new IPs with ARMS and Splatoon respectively, Aonuma has been told to do a new IP since 2006 (but had sworn to himself he wouldn't until he achieved... something? That he has with BotW, or he thinks he has, which is the same thing), and Retro is apparently working on a new IP.

Would love it if EPD1 would get to do a new IP too, but I suppose Nintendo is more protective about Mario.

@charizard1605:

Have to disagree with you again, boss.

Personally, I view Majora's Mask as "smaller, experimental, quirky" compared to its predecessor. And its contemporary handheld counterpart, the Oracles duology, would better fit the "big, breathtaking, ambitious" description, as it was a pair of games that connected to one another in either order for a grand adventure.

And as breathtaking as the world of Wind Waker was, the game was sparse on actual content (dungeons). I'd make comparisons to Phantom Hourglass in this case, but I never got past the first hour I was so uninterested.

Be the Zelda on a console or handheld, they freely dabble in either of the two categories you've chosen. Hence, they should all be included in any discussion. Spin-off nonsense would be Four Swords, Crossbow Training or Triforce Heroes (among more obvious side games, like Hyrule Warriors).

Credit for someone else making the first great 3d Zelda, since that jabroni couldn't do it as the game director?

We're gonna have to agree to disagree here lol, I think Majora's Mask, while obviously experimental, was hugely ambitious too. Oracle games (each individually) felt more experimental by comparison.

But eh. As I said, agree to disagree.

Wind Wak-

Ah f*ck it

Wind Waker is not a great game, in any fucking capacity. Neither its core mechanics nor its level design warrant such baffling praise. It's an enjoyable game in its own right, I'm not exactly gonna blab it up about that game, but come on. It's such a fucking downgrade from Ocarina of Time, it's not even funny. It's easier, it nerfs the iron knuckle into that jabroni dark nut, the dungeons are not even debatable as being up to snuff, much less that it's also half the game Ocarina is if we want to be shitty "Ocarina was longer, ergo better" about it.

Now you want to argue Majora's Mask or TP? eh, maybe on a different day, I'd agree. But Wind Waker? Jeff G longest con fam, Jeff G's longest con.

@charizard1605:

No problem, boss. We both get what the series is to ourselves and that's all that matters. Except the best one is Link's Awakening and any other answer is 100% wrong.

Actually, back on (BOTW) topic, after reading a preview and the comments to said preview, I came away more pleased and hopeful than ever. Essentially, that Nintendo has taken many of the concepts typically present in open world survival games and distilled them into simpler forms that keep the fun intact while minimizing tedium.

I've yet to play the game myself, but if this comparison (to Dragon Quest of all things) proves true, I will most certainly be even more thrilled by the game. At least, before playing it and seeing how well it all turns out.

Seems to me like some people think this is just another Zelda but in a big seamless world. Nope, it's not another TP, neither another Skyward Sword.

It may sound dumb but BotW feels like a new franchise... but with Zelda elements. It's that different to me.

Sounds like this is the first good Zelda since OoT. Glad Horizon and Mass Effect are coming out so soon. Kept me from impulsively buying a WiiU or switch

@mems_1224: First good Zelda game since OOT? El oh el.

@Sgt_Crow: well, 3d Zelda game. LBW is legit

Nintendo had to change the formula because it became predictable and was very linear. I'm glad they have looked at how the big western open world games are done and from the previews so far added to it as well. Everyone is completely full of praise for it, I can't wait to get my hands on this game that is for sure, 6 Days seems a long time away.

I was about to step in with a meaningful response to mems post. Then I realized this isn't the lounge.

It's open season and mems is putting in work lol.

Not sure its been said already

But EDGE gave it 10.

Wind Waker is a good game but I feel it does benefit greatly from its excellent use of contextual elements.

The dungeons are my least favorite in the series and yet despite this, the game is fun. It's able to flavor all the minute to minute gameplay with enough game feel to overshadow the less than appealing level design.

It has some of the best sound design and animation in the series and that really helps the gameplay experience for me. It also helps that the quests themselves (outside of the shard hunt... ugh) are great.

From a game design standpoint, I'd rank it among the weakest in the series. Still a good game though.

Nice. Edge are still kinda good iirc.

@funsohng: That's one. Can't wait for more reviews.

Got its first 10! From Edge apparently.

Which is the same score EDGE gave Skyward Sword many years back.

@onesiphorus: Which id agree. Skyward Sword was no doubt a 10.

This is a crazy year for open world games, right? Horizon, Mass Effect, Red Dead, Zelda. And I got the feeling that this one is going to beat all of them to a bloody pulp. I'm super hyped about it so I'm going to have to try and lower hype to manageable levels before I actually play it. I'll just listen to some sweet Zelda melodies to take it down a notch. Actually that won't help at all.

I'll be playing and paying for all of those games. I want to, because I think they will all be excellent games. I will somehow find the time to play all of them thoroughly. But I think this one will do something none of the others do. Some of the qualities of a Zelda game are hardly ever mentioned and now that it is somewhat entering a genre that is suddenly popular (especially this year) I think it will become more obvious than ever before why Zelda is held in high regard. Why people have Zelda tattoo's. Sorry I'm still hyping myself up. Need to settle down a little before March 3rd. I just have a good feeling about this one.

@funsohng: came in to post this!

So who is going to play the Switch version and who is going to play the Wii U version? :)

I will be playing it on Switch!

@jumpaction: Switch. Can't wait to play during commute and with coworkers during breaks.

As ridiculously awesome and critically acclaimed as A Link Between World was, it sold like crap compared to the N64 remakes on the 3DS. It hurts to say it, but I think it may be the last top-down Zelda game we'll ever see.

@Sgt_Crow:

I'm the same. :)

I also travel in March so it's going to be great to play it on the plane!

Im buying both, but the Wii U version is for my nephews and niece. I figured a game like this would be special and last them a long time. Theyve never experienced an open game before and love Tri-Force Heroes.

@iandizion713:

They are in for a real treat. I remember my first experience with a Zelda game. It was playing Ocarina of Time on my friend's Gamecube. I was floored traveling from dungeon to Death Mountain and down to Kakariko Village. It was my first experience with an open world game.

Shit! i just saw the thread lol

I'm hyping it a 10/10!

Ocarina of Time was a serotonin bomb to me back in 1998. It matched or even surpassed Jurassic Park as a childhood mindblown event. Everything about it was magical and going from looking at Link in ALTTP to a full 3D world was a defining moment,

I'm pretty sure my original and only gamefile on that N64 cart, has double digit hours just spent finding all assets and little details. I still look at Link's child/adult 3D models and get all excited and happy.

Apparently, Edge reviewed BotW.

10/10!!! Holy Shit

Some of you are always very confused as to why I call Gamespot such a wonderful community and wonder why I love this place so much.

It's because before I was on Gamespot, I was on N4G. Here is the published article relating to the recent issue of Edge magazine. I think the comments there exemplify just how awesome you guys are here.

http://n4g.com/news/2023677/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-gets-first-review-in-edge

That title was taken by Majoras Mask, also known as the far superior version of OoT.

@drrollinstein:

A Link Between Worlds was also the bees knees! That game feels so good to play.

sure, for those with shit taste. i agree

@mems_1224:

I'd argue Majora's Mask was better than Ocarina of Time too. :|

I agree. But he said first good one since OoT.

Yeah, I know I shit on Gamespot a lot, but it could always be much worse. Like every time I dip my toes into Gamefaqs I feel like I stepped into the world of Idicoracy. It's pretty terrible. Makes SW feel like a collection of brilliant polite people.

@ConanTheStoner:

I often find the greater the volume a community holds, the more inclined you are to find spiteful and negative trolls.

I think that's why Gamespot is such a good community. There's a nice number of members, and those that are less interesting to talk to are easier to pick out.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing Breath of the Wild on Friday.

Boys and girls, including today we are less than six days away from release. I'm spending my time playing Dark Souls III and possibly switching to some Witcher III and doing some of the side quests I didn't originally get to completing.

Good games to lead up to the release of the 10/10 GOTG.

@jumpaction:

Yeah true. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the history of SW. But before the site underwent its major change and basically said "fvck you" to the community, this board was insane. Easily the most heavily trafficked gaming board around. Especially between 2004-2009.

You could create a new thread and it would drop off the first page within 30 minutes on a slow day. And during times like E3? Within a couple of minutes. I remember digging multiple pages back just to find threads I posted in earlier the same day. If you responded to a post in the E3 stickies, sometimes 5 pages of comments would have happened by the time you submit your response lol.

There were a ton of jackass trolls for sure, but it wasn't too bad. The rules were far more strict so they had to be clever with their trolling and insults. There were a lot of really cool people too though tbh, lots of fun personalities. Factions were really tight knit and had "leaders" and shit lol. People really took the metagame rules seriously too, so there were a lot of big upsets. Good times.

I know it sounds like a nostalgic "good old days" post, but damn, it really was a lot different.

Hmmm not really. MM is a better game because OOT exists.

OOT is the classic tale. It was the iconic, epic Zelda tale translated amazingly well into 3D. Having that classic, highly desired, full meal out of the way made the awesome, more experimental oddity that was MM the best follow up you could ask for.

@ConanTheStoner: I miss our 500 posts rule

Nah. Or at least I don't agree with the reasoning. OoT paving the way for MM doesn't make it the better game by default. I don't care if MM stands on OoT's shoulders, I still prefer MM.

Back in the day it was the other way around, I thought OoT was the best game of all time. But I'd have a much better time replaying MM these days.

Yeah, 500 post rule or the level 10 rule were good ideas, and sometimes they worked. But sometimes things just slipped through the cracks. I think it's best to just do it on a thread by thread basis.

Then again we're not being flooded with shit posting alt accounts now like we were back then. So yeah, those rules were much more important at the time.

@the_master_race:

Just curious, when did you start visiting SW? It's kinda funny how everyone here has been here for so long, but a lot of us are on relatively new accounts lol.

I've been here since 2004, Doom 3 brought me here.

@ConanTheStoner: I brought that dipshit here :P

Used to agree with 500 posts, but now it's useless.

I used to visit Games Discussion and OT , and was kinda afraid of here, so I just posted there till I reached 500 lol