Nintendo has stated time and again that there will be no voice acting in Zelda.  Or at least if there ever is, Link will never utter more than a grunt.  But is this an outdated view on things?  Read on the discover one staff member’s opinion.

With the Nintendo Direct last Thursday, Nintendo brought forth a great deal of news. Iwata announced that this year is being put forth as the "Year of Luigi," with a series of games involving the often-overshadowed Mario brother coming to be released this year. Nintendo also discussed a great deal more regarding the near future of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

It would seem that a chunk of E3 broke off and rolled down the hill to meet us a bit early this year. Among the slew of first and second party title announcements that where revealed to us during this January's Nintendo Direct was not one, but two distinct Zelda titles. While the prospect of a new, original Zelda title for the Wii U that will supposedly be a "newborn" Zelda experience is certainly an exciting one, there is no doubt the fans responded a bit more fervently to the breathtaking visuals from the stills shown from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker remake in HD for the Wii U. In a situation analogous to the paring of the Ocarina of Time remake and Skyward Sword, it would seem that this Wind Waker remake will serve as buffer between now and the distant, but impending new Zelda title for the Wii U.

Well, I was going to post an editorial praising Zelda for its artistic prowess as a video game, and how it may someday lead video games into acquiring the status of an art form; if not for the notably infelicitous negative spotlight The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has been receiving since its debut at E3 months ago. It is understandable that many may have been disappointed at the moment of the game’s reveal (myself included), but it is clear that sense then, much of the fan base has not attempted to partake in the notion that SS will be a game worth pursuing. Quite frankly, this is a closed, and narrow-minded trend of thought, which, coming from the fan base itself, is a bit of a disappointment. 

With the current difficulty of boss battles, particularly in the Legend of Zelda series, slipping, gamers across the globe are beginning to think games are becoming a tad too mainstream.  Although other arguments can be employed to show the truth behind the statement, it is of my opinion that one of the major components of a game's difficulty, and ultimately its fun value, is the difficulty of boss battles.  For those of you that have played The Legend of Zelda a Link to the Past, think back to how you felt after defeating Ganon, Moldorn, and Trinexx.  It was a feeling of accomplishment, yet without major frustration.  This, is what makes the perfect boss battle.

With the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in 2003 (2002 for the Japanese), overwhelming amounts of controversy flooded into the Zelda series, and a divergence amongst fans of the saga came to be. This came to be as there were many things done differently in The Wind Waker than in previous Legend of Zelda games. The ideas of extensive sea travel, a Zelda game without the land of Hyrule being the extent of the world, and the most controversial of all: having a Zelda game with cel-shaded graphics set in motion possibly the single largest divisions of Zelda fans to date.  This month, I'd like to take a closer look at the situation of Wind Waker.

With so many Zelda games out, which were the most influential? Majora's Mask? Ocarina of Time? All great choices, but I'm speaking from an innovationary standpoint. Technology and novelty-wise, the games for the Wii and DS were certainly top dollar.

 

Ocarina of Time was truly a masterpiece, but what's beyond it? There must be another game that comes as close to if not surpassing the greatness of Ocarina of Time.  Today, I implore you to take a closer examination of a game living in the shadow of Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask.

Why is it after all these years The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is still considered the best Legend of Zelda game, let alone the best game, of all time?  In this premiere editorial I take a look back at the circumstances surrounding this very fact, and if it’s at all possible to trump Ocarina of Time.