Topic: StarTropics or Neutopia?

Which is better? I thought that were both pretty similar (as they are both kind of Zelda clones) and I wanted to know your opinions on which one is better (and why, if applicable).

Star Tropics deviates from Zelda a lot more than Neutopia, though both are readily comparable to Zelda 1. It's also significantly harder, but in that flawed old school way. I want to like it. It has a lot of charm. But it is just too frustrating.

Neutopia, however, nails the challenge factor. It's not too easy and not too hard. You'll struggle at points, but it won't be against the limitations of the game. It'll be because it's well designed and always fair. Neutopia II is also great.

Star Tropics isn't an awful series, but it is in need of modernizing. Neutopia stands the test of time and is most worthy of any Zelda fan's Wii points. It's the closest to the traditional Zelda as you'll get.

I haven't played Neutopia I & II but I have beaten StarTropics and just downloaded StarTropics II.

StarTropics is not a Zelda clone. It's pretty different to me. And it's hard... but it was fun to play through.
Figuring out the puzzles in the dungeons and how to defeat the cruel bosses really got me thinking.
The controls and graphics aren't great but the setting was quite unique to the rest that is mostly fantasy.

Not bad for 500 points. I really liked it that much, I couldn't wait to get my hands on StarTropics II.

Neutopia is fantastic.

I should try that series out some time.

I'd like to hear a little more feedback from those who've played both Neutopias and are fairly "hardcore" old-school Zelda fans. I'm thinking of playing through them both, as i'll need a Zelda-esque once i finish Majora's Mask (which i'm currently playing; it's the only Zelda i've never played all the way through (heh, not counting the CDi games)).

I fit that criteria. What other feedback did you want, specifically? The best review I can give the games is that they are the closest to the original Zelda that any other game has come, including other Zelda sequels. It's a bit easier than Zelda 1, but not significantly. The overworld of Neutopia 2 is broken up into sections that you can get to via a hub castle that has tunnels, but while that may sound less adventurous, I see it as no different from using the flute in Zelda 1.

To put it another way, if they made a Neutopia 3, I'd be much more excited about that than a new Zelda, and this comes from someone who thought the first two Zeldas were near perfect.

I have not played Neutopia before but I have to say it sounds really interesting! I might give the first one a download now! I have played StarTropics and I really enjoy it! I would definitely recommend that game to anyone!

@Adam:
Thanks! That's actually exactly the kind of perspective i was looking for. I love all the Zelda games, but the 2 NES games hold a special place for me -- and i am among that rare group that absolutely loved Adventure of Link. Think i'll definitely pick up the first Neutopia and see how i like it. Is the second one in the same style as the first (the original top-down LoZ style), or does it mix things up at all a la AoL?

It annoys me that the end of Neutopia 2 promised a sequel, and it never released.

I've played and beaten both Neutopia's and both StarTropics games. I like them both, but overall much prefer StarTropics for its cool settings, silly story, and different gameplay from Zelda (I'm a huge Zelda series fan, but not fanatical about the original because it needed the refining the series got).

My favorite original Zelda clone is Golden Axe Warrior, though. It should theoretically hit VC eventually, but I played it on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Great game, imo.

Ah, another member of the Zelda II society! Welcome!

And no, Neutopia 2 is a very straightforward sequel. They segmented the over world a bit more like I said. They added 8-directional movement (or was that in the first one? I forget. I don't think so). They also added two or three new weapons in the same vein as that fire rod thingy from the first one -- a weapon that, depending on how much health you have will behave differently, a really neat concept, I thought.

Neutopia 2 is even closer to Neutopia 1 than any Zelda is to the original. The differences do improve the game slightly, but it is in many ways more of the same -- not that that is a bad thing when the original was so good. Oh, and the environments are much more varied and interesting.

Golden Axe Warrior? Never heard of it, but watching on Youtube now, and it looks great! Any other Zelda clones you know of? I wish there were more games like this. I've always been surprised it didn't become its own specific genre.

All hail The Adventure of Link! I still (of course) have my original cart, the label of which in in French and English, as it was sold out everywhere around here for the Christmas following release, so my friend's uncle, who lived in Canada at the time, found a bunch at a store up there and sent them down this way for a bunch of the parents who wanted to shut us all up. Sweet.

Think i'll get started on Neutopia after work tonight (i can take a Majora break). Just realized that i actually had downloaded it a whiles back but hadn't played it so it suffered deletion for space reasons before the SD-fix, so yay, no additional points expended until time for Neu2!

Just for the record, I also like The Adventure of Link. Sure, it was in part a blatant Castlevania ripoff (those darned floating heads!), but it was a GOOD one! I've beaten it at least twice, I think.

Warioswoods posted in one of the Zelda threads a timeline of release dates that suggests Zelda 2 is not a Castlevania rip-off as most (including myself) would assume.

According to GameFAQs game release date data:
Castlevania: May 1987.
Zelda II: September 1988.
That was the North American release info. It gets weird for Europe.
Castlevania: December 1988 (DAMN, that's a long wait, though much less than for, say...SMRPG or StarTropics 2 )
Zelda II: September 1988 (same month? Really? )
So yeah, it looks like Zelda II IS a Castlevania ripoff after all.

Really? That makes me think of NEUTOPIA 3 (WiiWare). Would that be a good idea to please fans?

Now that Hudson has done remakes for Adventure Island, Star Soldier, Alien Crush and Military Madness I think Neutopia 3 would be a good end to the trilogy. Going off-topic, I wonder why there's no new Bonk announced for WiiWare?!

Stuff, why are you going by localization release dates? You do realize these games weren't made in America, right?

September 26, 1986: Castlevania
January 14, 1987: Zelda 2

Unless you think Zelda 2 was made in 3 1/2 months, I don't think it's a rip-off.

I think he means Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, not the first one.
It's clear Castlevania II (and similiar games since '87) were influenced by Zelda II.

Got it backwards SKTTR. It was hypothesized that Zelda II was a rip-off of Castlevania, not the other way around.

Of course, I wouldn't care either way. Originality is overrated. If a game is good, I look forward to playing all the rip-offs I can find. Here's hoping Golden Axe Warrior comes to VC!

I don't think you could say Castlevania II was hugely influenced by Zelda II anyway. Maybe a bit, but the core game play carries over directly from the original Castlevania, which came before Zelda II. Plus, Castlevania II has a seamless world from what I've played and isn't broken into levels on a world map like Zelda II.