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Topic: Why is Zelda: Link to the Past so highly regarded compared to 3D Zelda games?

Posts 41 to 55 of 55

Eel

Well, I started with Ocarina and I'm a big fan of the 2D games. In fact, I find them more accessible and easier to replay than the 3D games in general.

For example, I could replay ALttP and OoA several times in a year, but TP and SS are more of a once every several years type of deal. The n64 games are a bit in between.

I'm not sure if it was Haru's first, but he seems particularly fond of Twilight Princess.

Edited on by Eel

Bloop.

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ThanosReXXX

@NEStalgia @Yorumi VERY well said, both of you. Few anti-2D Zelda people seem to realize that both the original Zelda on the NES, but even more so LttP on the SNES, really paved the road and set the stage for all those 3D Zelda games that they so cherish and love. LttP is nothing less than a blueprint for OoT, except like you said, @Yorumi, without the bloat, just pure gameplay.

And the only thing that 3D really added, when done right, was scope, and in all other cases, it added depth to the viewpoint, but not necessarily to the story. Ocarina of Time did blow me away back when it was released, and I loved learning and playing all the songs, but it has certainly aged VERY badly. The 3DS remake mostly works because it was retouched and is displayed on a smaller screen, but other than that, it isn't even close to being a match for LttP, which STILL looks and plays wonderful, and has a great atmosphere, the likes of which was seldom seen in games back then, if ever.

The only other games from the same era that could probably compare, were the Final Fantasy games, and some of the other Square games also came pretty close. Other than that, we can definitely say that LttP was unique, both in what it wanted to achieve (and succeeded in), and what it has meant for the series as a whole.

And I also LOVE replaying it, on my SNES Classic Mini...

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noobish_hat

It's not, it's highly regarded compared to the other 2D ones. LttP is basically tied with OoT as everyone's favourite.

noobish_hat

Bass_X0

A Link To The Past and Link's Awakening both had the right ratio of gameplay to story. After Ocarina of Time, the series increased the story far too much and you just don't want to be forced to have to play hide n seek or fetch quests with villagers when you just want to be whacking monsters with a sword.

Edgey, Gumshoe, Godot, Sissel, Larry, then Mia, Franziska, Maggie, Kay and Lynne.

I'm throwing my money at the screen but nothing happens!

bluemage1989

Wind Waker still has the perfect balance in every regard to me. Best Zelda ever.

bluemage1989

Gaisaph

It boils down to either to three things: nostalgia, preference or maybe both. My Cousin grew up playing GameCube games whereas I grew up with the NES. My Cousin preferred 3D where I preferred 2D. Not trying to speak out for everyone who grew up with 3D games liking it more than 2D games obviously.

Gaisaph

Ralizah

@bluemage1989 It's too bad Wind Waker's perfect balance and pacing was ruined by the obnoxious hunt for charts and triforce shards near the end. Really brings the game down in my estimation, which is sad, because it's a game I genuinely love, otherwise.

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

bluemage1989

@Ralizah

It really is but I can see past it simply because everything else is just so stellar. I still remember the back lash when the game was revealed due to it's art style but this art style means it will probably be the Zelda that ages the best.

I really like A Link to the Past as well but Ocarina of Time still has a special place in my collection. It was eye opening at the time and playing it now it still gets me excited. The muggy looking graphics may not be the best by today's standards but like an old photo there's a beauty to it all.

bluemage1989

Grumblevolcano

@Ralizah I think the lack of dungeons hurt Wind Waker too. If the 3rd pearl was in a dungeon and there being less triforce shards overall (say 3-4 rather than 8 for example) with all of the shards also being in dungeons, Wind Waker would've been a lot better. That said, what Wind Waker HD did was a decent alternative.

Edited on by Grumblevolcano

Grumblevolcano

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Ralizah

@bluemage1989 I think you have to grow up with N64 graphics to appreciate them. My first experience with OoT was the 3DS remaster, so when I went back to play the original version, it almost hurt to look at. Have a similar issue with Mario 64.

I still find FF7 charming to look at, though, even with its horrifying Lego people. The difference is that I grew up with it.

Oh, another issue with TWW: babying the wind in the original release was another insanely annoying task. Thankfully, they fixed this with the swift sail on the Wii U remaster.

Definitely agree on the art style, though. TWW will always look good because of how cartoonish it is.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

Eel

I still have a hard time grasping the true form of final fantasy 7, and I grew up with the n64 so I have a high tolerance to ugly.

Edited on by Eel

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Ralizah

@Meowpheel It's interesting how much the character models improved between VII and VIII.

Still, FF7 is the quintessential JRPG blockbuster. The Star Wars of the genre. Even now, with all its limitations, and its length, it's an easy game to replay.

@Grumblevolcano Definitely. If they treated the triforce shards like TP treated all of its various macguffins, it would have been an almost perfect game.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re- Boot Camp (NS)

bluemage1989

@Ralizah

Same goes for the likes of Banjo Kazooie/Perfect Dark/Mario and actually most N64 games if you were there when they came around then you do look back on them nostalgically but you know I think a lot of people play retro games because of the nostalgia factor and that's fine. I think what's great is everyone grew up with there own games and in there own time and that's mean pretty much any era of gaming will have it's fans

FF7 is top three non Nintendo game of all time. Love love love it. Like your star wars comparison as a jrpg fan it is like my star wars of the genre.

bluemage1989

Darknyht

A Link to the Past is highly regarded because it took the basic adventure of the original game and made it into a compelling story with side quests. It did what Zelda II failed to do. Ocarina of Time is a landmark game too, but it essentially gives you the same quest in 3D. The masterpiece of it was that it made action-adventure games work in 3D (much like Mario 64 made platformers work in 3D).

Storywise, there is just more to aLttP than OoT in my opinion. The storage limits of the N64 cart shows more flaws than the SNES one because the size of the game had to increase so much. Muddy textures/low polygon models vs beautiful sprite work is just one example. Granted at the time, it was amazing but the SNES game has aged much better than it's N64 counterpart (which is why one had to be remastered).

The original will always be my favorite, but the SNES/GB entries come in a close second and only Breath of the Wild come near capturing that spirit of adventure of the original for me.

Darknyht

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