By Request! Zelda Impressions!

[somoflange]

I REALLY like this game, but I have to say it's getting a lot of perfect scores I personally don't think it deserves. (I'd rank it in the high 80's from what I've seen so far)

I just now finished the first dungeon, so it's early, and probably too early to tell, but here are my impressions:

Swinging the wiimote gets old fast, especially since it isn't actually tracking your movements or anything. I'd like the ability to remap controls to buttons if desired.

Thank god there's a volume control on the wiimote. The slashing is tinny and sounds awful after about 2 hours of gameplay.

The targeting is I think the wii's strongest point.  I LOVE targeting by pointing instead of using a joystick. I can't wait to see this used in a proper FPS.

As far as the game itself, it's kinda ugly in places. I wish they'd spent a little more time cleaning up the textures for the Wii. There are areas where it's obvious a lot of time was spent making it look awesome on the wii, and then there are other times it doesn't even look Gamecube quality. What happened here?

But bad points aside the game is a lot of fun. I'm pretty hooked. I'd recommend it, but it's nowhere near perfect.

/prepares to be tarred and feathered

[The Grue]

No tar and feathers from me,  but I do disagree with you on the swinging the wiimote.  For some reason I just prefer it to mashing buttons.  Sure, it isn't 1 to 1, but it pulls me into the game just a little more than simply button mashing.  In fact, I was kind of mad that some of the special attacks you can learn require button presses.

[Destructor]

I find the swinging the Wiimote thing to be perfect for immersion factors. It feels silly at first but then becomes completely natural as time goes on.

This game deserves the very high scores the reviewers have been giving it IMHO.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

I love swinging the Wiimote but I HATE the speaker in it.  Well, I should say I hated it on the default volume setting everything from Midna laughing to the sword swinging sounded like crap.  I turned the volume to the lowest setting and it doesnt seem to reverb as much and makes the sound less tinny.  Thank god.

[Andrew Mallon]

The latest issue of EGM has their review for the Wii version of Zelda. 3 tens--a perfect score.

I have about 28 hours on my save file and I just finished the third dungeon. I'm still enjoying the game quite a bit, but at this point I think it's starting to drag a bit. There's a lot of build up in the game so far, but not a lot happens. I thought the bit

Spoiler for Hiden:

after the third dungeon where you meet Zant was somewhat anticlimactic. I just spent the last 25 hours collecting the three pieces of the Fused Shadow armor and he just waves his hand and says "What, those old relics." I figured something big was going to happen.

I'm also finding the game to be a mixed bag graphically. The character designs and animations are good, but all the textures are really blurry. I just got a shipping notice for my component cables, so hopefully that will improve things quite a bit.

[Kevin Grey]

Not reading your spoiler (or any others) but I've heard repeatedly that the end of the third dungeon is basically when things kick in to high gear. 

[WinoMcCougarstein]

Not reading your spoiler (or any others) but I've heard repeatedly that the end of the third dungeon is basically when things kick in to high gear. 

I LOVED the third dungeon personally and have felt the game is getting better and better from that point.

[metallicorphan]

12 hours into the game,loving it...zoras domain at the mo...i like it how it has familair ,places,and characters that are from all the other zelda games...zoras domain,goron death mountain...kareoke village or whatever its called

hyrule field is kind of a wierd one in this game,its big,but it isnt all in one part....cool

[Andrew Mallon]

Not reading your spoiler (or any others) but I've heard repeatedly that the end of the third dungeon is basically when things kick in to high gear. 

You heard right. If I had played just ten minutes longer last night, all my doubts would've been put to rest. The first three dungeons felt kind of like Zelda's greatest hits. The new area I'm at feels much more original. Hopefully the rest of the game is like that.

[Torfish]

Man, I love this game.  At first the graphics are disappointing, definitely nothing special.  About the first two hours is nothing speical as well.  After all that, the game and graphics get better and better.  There are some surprising cut scenes that are awesome!  The controls are so easy, much easier than a normal controller.

Spoiler for Hiden:

The part where you are going through Hyrule Castle and meeting Zelda was awesome.  Very climatic when meeting her.  Good stuff.  I think I've not reached the third dungeon yet.  I'm a wolf roaming the forest that is past my old town. I just got past fighting three monsters in the forest where I had to get them inside my circle. 

[Starshifter]

I just got a shipping notice for my component cables, so hopefully that will improve things quite a bit.

It will.  Believe me it will. 

[Destructor]

Not reading your spoiler (or any others) but I've heard repeatedly that the end of the third dungeon is basically when things kick in to high gear. 

You heard right. If I had played just ten minutes longer last night, all my doubts would've been put to rest. The first three dungeons felt kind of like Zelda's greatest hits. The new area I'm at feels much more original. Hopefully the rest of the game is like that.

It definitely is, IMHO. Just beat the 6th dungeon and moving on, and the whole game while filled with originality mixed with old Zelda classic conventions.

[metallicorphan]

i need help with zelda


i have a guide as well ,but i find it so vague,in fact it has to be one of the worse written(official players guide,from future press)..this whole dungeon has been a nightmare with this guide,i usually only go to the guide when i get stuck...but i feel as though this book has made the journey twice as long in this temple

Spoiler for Hiden:

i am in the lakebed temple....i have the boss key,but i cant find where the bosses room entrance is

the guide says after you get the bosses key get to the bosses room from the central chamber(is that the one with the revolving stairs?)......anyway,i have had a look everywhere(on B1,underwater with iron boots on,bosses crib is on B2) but cant see the door..anyone got any ideas?

thanks

[Andrew Mallon]

i need help with zelda


i have a guide as well ,but i find it so vague,in fact it has to be one of the worse written(official players guide,from future press)..this whole dungeon has been a nightmare with this guide,i usually only go to the guide when i get stuck...but i feel as though this book has made the journey twice as long in this temple

Spoiler for Hiden:

i am in the lakebed temple....i have the boss key,but i cant find where the bosses room entrance is

the guide says after you get the bosses key get to the bosses room from the central chamber(is that the one with the revolving stairs?)......anyway,i have had a look everywhere(on B1,underwater with iron boots on,bosses crib is on B2) but cant see the door..anyone got any ideas?

thanks

Spoiler for Hiden:

The door is in the middle pillar that is surrounded by water. Jump into the pool and swim to the ledge. Hop on the  ledge and walk around the pillar until you come to the door.

[metallicorphan]

Spoiler for Hiden:

i think i must of messed up the water height,as i walked round the pillar..(little bastard pirahnas in the water)..and all i found was a big chest with 20 rupees in it....i'm gonna have to go mess about

thanks for the info

[metallicorphan]

desert question

Spoiler for Hiden:

i have just entered the desert,and i am at the bridge that covers the cave of ordeals...and Midna asks to warp the bridge to its original place(west of castle town)...but there is no portal to warp it there...am i meant to do it then...or wait to do it later?...have i missed something?...is there a way to 'get' a portal there?

thanks

[metallicorphan]

think i will start the game again...been on 4 zelda websites and no one knows why i cant warp it...pain in the ass

[JCC]

Don't restart.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I was lost on this one too. It doesn't go to the (missing) bridge west of town. It's a bridge that's out in the NW portion of the map, where there is a portal. I still don't know how to fix the bridge west of town, but it's not with that one.

[Andrew Mallon]

I just got a shipping notice for my component cables, so hopefully that will improve things quite a bit.

It will.  Believe me it will. 

My cables arrived yesterday. You weren't kidding. It's like playing a totally different game. :icon_eek: There's so much detail lost over composite cables. I went to some of my old saves just to see the different environments and the water temple was especially amazing. I had no idea the water temple was shrouded in mist. Over composite it just looks like a blurry mess in the background.

I may start over just to see the entire game the way it should be played.

[Chaz]

Good to hear the component cables make such a difference.  I've had mine on order for about two weeks now, and I've kind of been holding off on really digging into Zelda until I get them.  I played up to (I'm pretty sure) just before the first temple, and the blurriness of everything is my main complaint.

Thankfully, my cables should be delivered today, so I can really sink my teeth into Zelda.  Of course, I also want to mess about with Elebits as well...

[Destructor]

Spoiler for Hiden:

I still don't know how to fix the bridge west of town, but it's not with that one.

Go visit the shop run by that kid at the second town on the SW part of the map. You'll solve that one with enough cash.

[JCC]

Heh I am always in Kakariko village at night and that little bastard's store is always closed. No wonder I haven't seen that yet!

[metallicorphan]

Don't restart.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I was lost on this one too. It doesn't go to the (missing) bridge west of town. It's a bridge that's out in the NW portion of the map, where there is a portal. I still don't know how to fix the bridge west of town, but it's not with that one.

thanks JCC....i must a been running around that field for an hour

Spoiler for Hiden:

just did the snowpeak ruins..and beat that no armed bitch at snowboarding for a piece of heart..took me 45 mins,lol


and yeah i just paid for that bridge to be rebuilt,then you have to take the htspring water to the goran...and THEN..they want 2k of you to set up shop in castle town....damn cheapskates

[metallicorphan]

finally beat zelda:twilight princess today........47hrs in all,LOL....so,i guess i got my money's worth

Spoiler for Hiden:

the end of dungeon bad guys were easier than i thought they would be,the earlier ones were harder than the later ones...but some were really clever(fighting that dragon in the sky for one)....zant,was funny...reminded me of mel gibson in south park,jumping about the place like the crazy mo-fo he is,LOL....ganondorf first 3 attacks were easy enough,but his fourth and final one,one on one...was a bitch,took a while for that one,and i used up 2 faires while fighting him..i had 19 hearts and 4 pieces,which meant that i missed a piece..and i made sure i helped that bug freak and got all them

the ending,before the credits was a little shallow,but made up for it during the end credits...someone said you can carry on after it finishes and collect the things you missed,i suppose he was bullshitting,as for me it was stuck on the triforce with the words 'the end'...until eventually going back to the start screen of link on his horse

great game,bit of a bitch at times,but there you have it............made me wanna play wind waker now,i loved that one as well

[JCC]

Adding more fuel to the gamespot review fire. The wii review got an 8.8. The cube version got an 8.9. Both are by the same author. The cube review says the Wii version is a bit better. Huh?

Wii review.

Cube review.

EDIT: Not that I worry that much about score, but with one dungeon left for me, I can't believe anyone wouldn't score this game higher than they scored Wind Waker (also by the same reviewer).

[semiconscious]

Not reading your spoiler (or any others) but I've heard repeatedly that the end of the third dungeon is basically when things kick in to high gear. 

You heard right. If I had played just ten minutes longer last night, all my doubts would've been put to rest. The first three dungeons felt kind of like Zelda's greatest hits. The new area I'm at feels much more original. Hopefully the rest of the game is like that.

happy to hear this, as, having just finished the second dungeon, i'm feeling weirdly underwhelmed. the gameplay (cube) / dungeon design / graphics are fine, but the story & characters feel very 'mechanical' so far, & haven't quite sucked me in yet (of course, having already played 2 zeldas this year & 7 over the last 3, this might just be due to a little zelda fatigue? - also, even tho i never intended to, it's hard not to compare wolf-link to amaterasu, with (for me) wolf-link coming up short so far). don't get me wrong, i am enjoying it, but am really looking forward to things taking off a bit...

[Knightshade Dragon]

44 hours.  Game complete.  Pretty awesome game. 

[JCC]

I finished this today. I absolutely loved it. I had actually put off starting the last dungeon for a few days because I didn't want it to end. Now that it's over, I just want to start over again right away and go through every nook and cranny. I know (and to some extent understand why) people have complained about the low res terrain, but I thought this was a beautiful game. It was probably the most fun filled, no filler Zelda ever. I don't know if that makes it the best, since it doesn't have the same mind blowing impact that the first game, LttP, and Ocarina had, but I certainly wouldn't take umbrage with someone who does call it the best Zelda ever.

I don't want to sound like some dork who obsesses over review scores (although I guess I am in this case) but for gamespot to give it an 8.8 is ridiculous. It's head and shoulders better than Wind Waker which they scored higher. It's absolutely the best game I played this year (a list that includes Oblivion, God of War, Okami, and plenty of others).

[Kobra]

I couldn't resist cracking this one open before wrapping it. 

So far it feels ok, but hasn't grabbed me, but I am early in it - maybe 2 hours ish?  Seems fun enough, but not mindblowing.  The graphics are serviceable, bland landscapes, but everything else seems good enough, not the maximum the cube can do - I saw that with The Third Age on it.  Anyway, I think I will play this one through as long as it doesn't get worse. Heh.

[Destructor]

44 hours.  Game complete.  Pretty awesome game. 

Pretty much where I ended off as well when I finished it.

All I have to say is this - Gamespot aren't gamers anymore. Or at least that reviewer isn't. I don't care it's only 480p/w and doesn't have 'amazing lifelike next-gen graphics'. All I know is that I've played and beaten yet another masterpiece that will go down in the annuals of gaming history.

[Knightshade Dragon]

I couldn't resist cracking this one open before wrapping it. 

So far it feels ok, but hasn't grabbed me, but I am early in it - maybe 2 hours ish?  Seems fun enough, but not mindblowing.  The graphics are serviceable, bland landscapes, but everything else seems good enough, not the maximum the cube can do - I saw that with The Third Age on it.  Anyway, I think I will play this one through as long as it doesn't get worse. Heh.

Yea, you'll have to get about 6 hours in before it'll really take off.  Once it does, hold on because you won't let go for another 40.

[lex]

just finished the second dungeon....I especially loved:

Spoiler for Hiden:

the Prey style wall walking.  I think they pulled it off better in this game though

[Kobra]

I couldn't resist cracking this one open before wrapping it. 

So far it feels ok, but hasn't grabbed me, but I am early in it - maybe 2 hours ish?  Seems fun enough, but not mindblowing.  The graphics are serviceable, bland landscapes, but everything else seems good enough, not the maximum the cube can do - I saw that with The Third Age on it.  Anyway, I think I will play this one through as long as it doesn't get worse. Heh.

Yea, you'll have to get about 6 hours in before it'll really take off.  Once it does, hold on because you won't let go for another 40.

Seems to really be improving.  Last night I put a full hour additional into it, and it is getting much better, leading me along as I go, steadily increasing in interest.   

I still have this gay wooden sword though, I think that is weighing on my enjoyment.. I want some COLD STEEL.

[JCC]

I still have this gay wooden sword though, I think that is weighing on my enjoyment.. I want some COLD STEEL.

You're barely into the game. Don't worry.

[semiconscious]

finished the third dungeon, & i'm still having a hell of a hard time getting into this game. the dungeons/puzzles are all fine-to-great, & the bosses have been very cool, but, overall, the game just continues to feel soulless, partly because of the character art (really don't like it) & the lack of memorable minor characters, but mostly because of the over-all lack of warmth/humor (monkeys excepted). if i didn't know the director was the same guy (eiji aonuma) who did majora's mask & wind waker, i never would've guessed - twilight princess, to me, feels so lifeless/personality-less compared to those games...

i'm just really surprised by how 'empty' this game continues to feel (especially the wolf sections) - maybe it really is zelda fatigue on my part?...

[Kobra]

finished the third dungeon, & i'm still having a hell of a hard time getting into this game. the dungeons/puzzles are all fine-to-great, & the bosses have been very cool, but, overall, the game just continues to feel soulless, partly because of the character art (really don't like it) & the lack of memorable minor characters, but mostly because of the over-all lack of warmth/humor (monkeys excepted). if i didn't know the director was the same guy (eiji aonuma) who did majora's mask & wind waker, i never would've guessed - twilight princess, to me, feels so lifeless/personality-less compared to those games...

i'm just really surprised by how 'empty' this game continues to feel (especially the wolf sections) - maybe it really is zelda fatigue on my part?...

As JCC says, I am still "Really early" into the game, but so far it feels a bit soulless like you mention above.. I can't put my finger on it, but overall it just feels fairly processional and bland.

But again, I am so early into the game, I am NOT going to let that weigh on me, and will continue to see how it goes.. If by, say, 6-7 hours my impression hasn't changed, I won't play it any longer.  I still have faith it will pull through for me.

[gellar]

Ugh... I really want this game, but can't find a Wii and don't really feel like buying a whole new console just for one game.

But the GC version doesn't have widescreen, which is just unacceptable.

Dammit.

gellar

[Destructor]

But the GC version doesn't have widescreen, which is just unacceptable.

And it's also backwards. 

but mostly because of the over-all lack of warmth/humor (monkeys excepted).

This game is a LOT darker than previous Zelda titles. And I don't mean just the Twilight Realm, either. 
It's something I like, actually. The series was a bit too 'happy' for my tastes as of late.

[Andrew Mallon]

finished the third dungeon, & i'm still having a hell of a hard time getting into this game. the dungeons/puzzles are all fine-to-great, & the bosses have been very cool, but, overall, the game just continues to feel soulless, partly because of the character art (really don't like it) & the lack of memorable minor characters, but mostly because of the over-all lack of warmth/humor (monkeys excepted). if i didn't know the director was the same guy (eiji aonuma) who did majora's mask & wind waker, i never would've guessed - twilight princess, to me, feels so lifeless/personality-less compared to those games...

i'm just really surprised by how 'empty' this game continues to feel (especially the wolf sections) - maybe it really is zelda fatigue on my part?...

Stick with it if you can until the fourth dungeon. I'm finding the fourth (and the surrounding environments) to be much more inventive and than the first three dungeons. If you still don't like it at that point, then the game probably just doesn't "click" with you.

[semiconscious]

Stick with it if you can until the fourth dungeon. I'm finding the fourth (and the surrounding environments) to be much more inventive and than the first three dungeons. If you still don't like it at that point, then the game probably just doesn't "click" with you.

just finished the sixth dungeon, & they do indeed get better, & are nicely done & great fun (really loved the fifth one - very cool), but my over-all feelings about the game remain, & i'm pretty much resigned at this point to simply going along for the ride, enjoying what's to be enjoyed (there's lots), & periodically being totally blown away by some genuinely inspired bits (the 'hidden village' sequence? - ingenious!)...

so,... despite the fact that i'm still not crazy about the story, don't like the (human) character graphics, don't like link's friends (except maybe for that very twisted little shop-owner dude), don't like the wolf, &, truth to tell, don't really like link (i miss the hyper-caffeinated versions of yore - this link's so... 'mellow'...), i'm having a more than good enough time as is. it's an undeniably great experience, & i think the problems i have with it say as much about me, maybe, & my own expectations as they do the game...