...and Twilight Princess pulls ahead of the pack.

[Kitsune]

I started off a little skeptical of the Wii's flagship, not even sure that it was going to surpass Wind Waker (number three on my list, behind Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past), but after the third dungeon the story became fucked up in a way that utterly impressed me and the fighting system gained several improvements that made combat much more enjoyable, thanks to Pious Augustus showing up to teach Link how to murder.  Unless they somehow manage to fuck it up at a later point, Twilight Princess is taking the crown as best Zelda evar in my book.  It's a very slow starter, though; the first few hours of play really don't stand out or show the game in its best light, which explains why it got some less than perfect scores in early reviews.  I think as more people actually play all the way through the game, its reputation will experience a significant upswing.

[Yoru]

(blah blah stuff) ... made combat much more enjoyable, thanks to Pious Augustus showing up to teach Link how to murder.

Wait, what? As in Eternal Darkness? This is some sort of metaphor I'm not getting, right? I'm pretty f'n confused.

[Strazos]

Hey...at least that comment tipped me off to a game I need to check out eventually.

[HaemishM]

Somewhere around the 4th hour, when you get into the first dungeon (Forest Temple) it gets good. If it gets really better after that, it'll be a fantastic game.

[Yoru]

Hey...at least that comment tipped me off to a game I need to check out eventually.

You never played/watched someone play Eternal Darkness (Gamecube)? Go search your Gamestop's used bin.

No, not later, NOW!

[Kitsune]

Anyone who's played Eternal Darkness (and yes, if you haven't, you should) and lays eyes on the character I'm talking about will make the same connection, I guarantee.  It's not actually Pious, but the family resemblance is undeniable.

[Strazos]

No GC/Wii.

[Sky]

Even I have a GC ;)

[Strazos]

Buddy had a GC. We used it almost exclusively for Smash Bros. We played a few other games as well, but mostly for Smash Bros.

I plan to get a Wii eventually though. At that point I can go back and pick up cheap GC gems such as this.

[Roac]

Somewhere around the 4th hour, when you get into the first dungeon (Forest Temple) it gets good. If it gets really better after that, it'll be a fantastic game.

Yes, I'm past the first dungeon, and it was great fun.  It's surprising how much content they packed into it, since my first take when I got the map was that it was terribly small.  If the later dungeons scale as dramatically as they did with the original Zelda (and we know there are dungeons with multiple floors in this game), they could be incredibly large and complex.  I'm collecting tears for the next light-person-thing now - it's much more interesting than the first one (just walk down the path).  Also, I badly want to skewer that pixie.  Eee hee. 

As for Eternal Darkness - awesome GC title.  Very Poe, very dark.  If you have a Wii or GC and haven't played it, it's definately worth picking up.

[Triforcer]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-11-27-wii-ps3-war_x.htm


WHERE IS YOUR HDTV GOD NOW, SCHILD?!?? 

[Triforcer]

On a serious note, I've just completed the first dungeon and am playing to hope things get a bit better.  I think my problem lies in the fact that the game, so far, feels too linear.  In OOT (and link to the past), after getting out of the forest, even though I couldn't get in every single location of the game I could still ride around and at least see a lot of stuff.  So far, TP is giving me too much of the "you can only go this area, where you get item X, and item X enables you to open this section of the map, where you get item Y to get in area Z".  I didn't get Zelda to play a railed corridor shooter. 

Also, Hyrule field (at least the Faron and Eldin portions) seem EMPTY.  Where are the huts with funny little men who will later give me side quests and games?  Where are the conspicuous boulders hiding holes for me to fall into?  And the map, overall, does seem terribly terribly small.  Also, the color palette is getting to me.  I saw Kakariko Village and thought I was back in the first area of RE4.

Maybe its just that I'm like 6 hours into a 70 hour game.  Supposedly there are tons of sidequests and things to do which are really what make a game for me. 

[HaemishM]

I wonder if some of the linearity is a reaction to people bitching about the sailboat sections of Wind Waker.

[Strazos]

Link - The Captain Ron of Hyrule?

[ahoythematey]

I guess I am the only person that liked Wind Waker's sailing.

Captain Ron is still the shit.

[Kitsune]

Freedom is coming, fear not.  The opening of the game has a fair bit of railroading, but it broadens as you go.

[geldonyetich]

Me, I saw Wind Waker's sailing as more of an additional aspects of the game.  If you wanted the land combat, you've got the land combat on the individual islands and dungeons.  Granted, Wind Waker did expect you to do quite a bit of sailing, including pulling up lots of triforce shards.

[Yegolev]

The sailing in Wind Waker is the best loading screen ever devised in a game.

[voodoolily]

I liked the sailing. What's the difference between whoring for heart pieces on land and doing it in a boat, really?

TP does feel a little locked-in presently, but I have no doubt that the myriad side quests typical of Zelda games will make themselves available once the story really gets going. Still collecting tears in Hylia, and lord knows I hate a Zelda water dungeon, but then I 'spect it'll really get goooooood.

[schild]

The sailing in Wind Waker is the best loading screen ever devised in a game.

THUG2.

[Yegolev]

You'll not get me to play a skateboard game.  I remember that Simpsons game.  I'll just take your word for it.

[Kitsune]

Here we go, snapped a picture. 

Pious Augustus:



Separated at birth:

[schild]