Wrestling and video games go together pretty perfectly, so it perhaps shouldn't be a surprise when some of the world's most famous wrestling superstars have some strong opinions. However, if there's one wrestler that fans might be surprised to hear talk about video games, it's the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Hall of Fame member is now known for hosting the WWE podcast Broken Skull Sessions where he chats with a different guest every week about the wrestling industry. Due to air on 6th May, the next episode features the two-time Intercontinental Championships winner and six-time Tag Team Championships winner Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes is a known video game fan, The Legend of Zelda series, in particular, being one of his favourites. His pro-wrestling boots had the Triforce symbol on them, and he once went on record saying that A Link to the Past was his favourite Zelda game. But in an "extra" clip for Steve Austin's podcast, which dropped yesterday, Rhodes was asked by Austin what his favourite Zelda game was, and he gave a different response.
"Ocarina of Time, hands down." Shocking, defying all expectations. Perhaps Rhodes has had a change of heart in the 13 years since his interview with ESP. But what's more surprising is Steve Austin's response. The legend shakes his head, looks at him, and says, "No, dude, Breath of the Wild."
Hold on; we need a second — Steve Austin enjoys Breath of the Wild? That's a bit of a shock, but it's better than being taken out by one of his Stun Guns. Not that we disagree, of course. Both Rhodes and Austin have picked excellent games, but it's news to us that one of the most influential wrestlers of all time enjoys a bit of apocalyptic scenery and survival with Link. Perhaps he's snuck a few sessions of Zelda in with his kids?
You can watch the full "30-Second Shot Clock" game below, where Rhodes is quizzed on his favourite theme parks, burgers, and his favourite wrestling arena.
Do you agree with Stone Cold Steve Austin? Are you even brave enough to disagree? Share your thoughts with us.
[source videogameschronicle.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 63
Removed - unconstructive feedback
I’m stunned that Steve played it. In fact I won’t believe it until I see it.
And that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold said so!
Also, I'm surprised to find out Steve Austin, played video games. Unless that was just a question for the show. Still cool nonetheless.
@blindsquarel Pretty sure they keep making these articles, because you keep clicking on them.
@Ag_Awesome
That was me as well, didn't know he played anything, but never would of guessed Zelda. LoL
If he says it then it is.
We need ultimate warrior and jake the snake to comment.
this is false Super Mario Bros is the best Zelda game 🙄
@Jeremazing
Well........... yeah, but point still stands.
If ya’ll wanna see me wreck this stone pebblet, gimme a hell yeah!
Of course I’m brave enough to disagree. I wouldn’t even call Breath of the Wild a Zelda game, let alone the best one.
I think that overall, BOTW is the best Zelda game. But it's not much of a Zelda game. If I'm going classic, then I think that MM is the better game.
"AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE, CAUSE STONE COLD SAID SO!!"
Alright since the comment got removed I will repost the first part.
There is no “best Zelda game”. Everything is subjective at the end of the day. Even stuff we say is objectively better, that is still subjective. My personal favorite is majora, but I can see why some don’t like the game. Same with every other Zelda game that is proclaimed to be the best.
The second part of the comment was about the type of article.
Sorry Stone Cold I can't agree. I liked BOTW but the main "dungeons" were pretty uninspiring and the weapon degradation system made exploration feel kind of pointless outside of doing shrines to level up your health or stamina. Nothing more disappointing than climbing up this big mountain just to find a sword that will break in 5 swings. Ocarina is still the king for me.
Still looking forward to BOTW2 though!
"Stun Guns"? Really? But I totally agree with Stone Cold, and that's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so! Gimme a HELL YEAH!
And that's the bottom line cause Stone Cold says so!!!
He's right, even though Majora's Mask is also an acceptable answer.
Uuh, yeah, not gonna argue with Stone Cold on that one.
"HWUHT"
He's right though, it's the peak of the series from a gameplay perspective
Zelda OoT For The Win !!!
Breath of the wilds popularity wasn't necessarily because its best zelda game, but because Nintendo changed its genre to suit a wider audience. Most of the people saying it's amazing have probably never played any previous zelda games.
With this new open world western action RPG design it will be hard for nintendo to go back to the original style gameplay and still sell the numbers BoTW has
I love stone cold but to be truthfully honest he probably only knows it from his grandkids/children/family
i don't really know if that's a bold opinion, but i also don't really know if i want to get hit by a stone cold stunner
@ALinkttPresent I see where you are coming from, but to me it is one. Mainly because I got that magical feeling when I first played it - and that only happens when I play new Zelda games.
Not even in my top 3...
I'd say BoTW is my fourth fav Zelda game. First being Twilight Princess, close second being Majora's Mask and third being Ocarina of Time.
He was one of my favorites, if not my #1 favorite. I think this just solidified it for him 🙂
Saw this yesterday and chuckled when Stone Cold said "No dude, Breath of the Wild". Agreed 100%. I would've agreed with Cody as a kid though.
Not even my top 3. Twilight, Skyward, ALttP.,
Not even top 5
MM, Link's Awakening Remake
Not even top 10
Link Between Worlds
Minish Cap
Phantom Hour Glass
The original Legend of Zelda
Wind Waker
I think I'd place it some where between Zelda 2 and OOT. Which are both above the Oracle games and the CD-I titles. Below everything else.
I would like Stone Colds podcast to change formats from 70% wrestling, 25% Ranch/Hunting stories, 5% Broken Skull IPA ads to 80% Video games and 20% Broken Skull IPA ads.
Now I really want to see Steve Austin play BOTW 2.
“Ganon, you come up here with your mealy mouth (WHAT), and those little beady eyes (WHAT), but I’m about to drop you on that stack of dimes you call a neck.”
“And that’s the bottom line, ‘cause Stone Cold said so!”
Can't believe Steve Austin says Breath of the Wild and Sonic in the same video. I know he didn't meant Sonic the Hedgehog but still. I betcha he just can't wait for the Breath of the Wild sequel.
An acceptable choice. Frankly, it's hard to pick just one. All the mainline games bring something to the table. Breath of the Wild is tied with Ocarina for me, even though they're basically opposites. (What Ocarina does well is what Breath doesn't, and viceversa). I'd only place A Link to the Past and Majora's Mask above those.
Stone Cold is the greatest of all time. And knowing that he's familiar with BOTW just makes him even better in my eyes.
“"Stun Guns"? Really?”
@Edu23XWiiU deep cut to his WCW days!
We’re LIVE from the sold out Coliseum Ruins under a blood red moon in downtown Hyrule and folks, we got a slobber knocker of a main event here tonight. Stone Cold is finally gonna get his chance to step into the squared circle against the SADISTIC Purple Lyyynel and... (glass shatters) Bah gawd he’s HERE! Stone Cold! Stone Cold! The Texas Rattlesnake is here. I guess the shop is open and business is about to pick up folks. He ain’t waitin for the main event. Don’t touch your diiials.
And that's the bottom line cos......
I agree with him.
This and the Obi Wan trailer #2 made this a great day 😂👍🏻
I'm surprised he plays anything other than the cougar hunt game he plugs all the time
@NotSoCryptic you rank the oracle games, OOT and BoTW so low? Man I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion but jesus christ dude, that's overly harsh lmao I enjoyed oracle ages, oot and botw a whole lot.
If Ol' Stone Cold actually plays Zelda games, I feel much better about my hobby from the fan side of things... even though Majora's Mask is the actual right answer.
@1UP_MARIO You’ll need a ouija board for Ultimate Warrior.
stone cold plays zelda? and cody too? now i love wrestling more than ever
Maybe Nintendo can pay tribute to that by giving Link the ability to do the Stone Cold Stunner in Breath of the Wild 2.
If we're talking which best OoT formula, I'd say it's a tossup between Ocarina itself and Twilight Princess. My personal favorite is Majora's Mask, but it kind of breaks with the formula that OoT, WW, TP and SS follow.
My favorite top-down Zelda is either Link to the Past or Link Between Worlds. Man Link Between Worlds was so great, I wish they'd make another in that vein.
Respectable choice, I loved the exploration and the music always hits different every time I play. However, Wind Waker has a very special place in my heart.
TBH they're all epic as far as my tastes go, so they get no wrong answers for me. Even lesser known ones like Spirit Tracks has my favorite Zelda and the Oracle series really surprised me.
@Arkay I didn't
Oracle games were just a bit off the beatin path for me.
Keep in mind that these are zelda games, which are better than most. I don't truely start to hate zelda games until you start talking BotW and Spirit Tracks..... then you start getting into the CD-I games, that's when I stop pretending you have a pulse lol.
OOT I dislike, but I do play it still, which is more than I can say for BotW. I played 4 Zelda games before OOT and I just felt like OOT was a mess of a game, it really hasn't aged well. I get why people like it, but its a far cry from best game of all time status or the top 100, especially when so many other games have done that formula better since. Given future gamers aren't going to be playing them in release order, we'll start to see more people look down on the game as more of an education piece than a must play. BotW on the other hand, takes all the things I hate about Ubisoft games then throws in some "not zelda" stuff. I know people love exploration in the series, but that was never the reason I played zelda, even the original back in 87 when I played it. I loved the dungeons and bosses. ALttP just was amazing to a degree that it made it really hard to appreciate OOT. BotW just failed me in every way. After two of the beasts i was out. Third Zelda game I never finished. Other two are the oracle games. Zelda II, I just despise. Maybe I like the oracle games more than II and would place them before botw and after (descdending bad) oot. Just gets really muddy down there as they are games I just do not revisit as often.
In other news, I'm me.
Of course BotW is the best Zelda game.
I just can't stand Breath of the Wild
BotW is a good game, it's just not a good Zelda game... or even one at all.
It's a Zelda game in the sense that Mario Party is a Mario game.
It's a Zelda game in terms of brand (so is Link's Crossbow Training or Hyrule Warriors), but it's not a Zelda game in terms of gameplay.
@NotSoCryptic ahh I see your point that you are making. I did/do love BotW but I do see why some won't like it as a Zelda game. Admittedly I did miss the traditional dungeons, shrines were nice but please I need my dungeons hahah.
Also respect for actually taking the time to try and explain your point.
Good day/night to you, my good sir.
To be honest BotW is probably my second least favorite of the 3D ones, only really beating out Skyward Sword (and even then it doesn't beat it as handily as it once did, the HD version elevated my opinion of SS a lot). I do like it quite a bit, played it multiple times, but it just doesn't have that same feel that other Zelda games do.
I find it curious that so many castigate BOTW as not even Zelda? For me it is the most OG Zelda to date. It fits the closest to the original two which I played a ton as a kid. I've played the series since its inception and it is the first one in a long time to capture the magic of "what is over next hill." It is what the series desperately needed after getting stale and becoming more of a linear Metroid. From a game design perspective, it is a masterclass on so many levels, one self explanatory mechanic on top of another and they all blend together seamlessly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of flavors, but some have said it is a game for people who have never played Zelda. I couldn't disagree more.
@SirPrimalform
The “ it’s a good game, but not a good Zelda game” argument is one of the laziest arguments out there. While it does some things worse, such as dungeons, it heavily improves on other aspects, such as exploration. To say that it is like comparing Mario party to Mario or hyrule warriors to mainline Zelda, is just false. These drastically change the style and gameplay, while botw doesn’t. I mean, you could make the argument it is more comparable to the first Zelda than ocarina or majora is. In that case, it is one of the most true Zelda games out there. And this is coming from someone who thinks the game is way overrated. So yes I agree it is not one of the greatest Zelda games, it still stays true to the formula. And I personally think it is a better game than A link to the past and ocarina.
@NintendoJunkie
Completely agree, I feel sometimes people only focus on the dungeons in Zelda. While Botw is one of the worst in that catagory, it blows other Zelda games exploration out of the water.
Which I appreciate. When I play ocarina I find myself blasting through everything but the dungeons, because I find those parts boring and tedious. It is the opposite for botw. I wish people would realize dungeons aren’t the end all, be all of a Zelda game. They are important but don’t single Handedly make a Zelda game. And this is coming from someone who finds botw to be overrated.
I always thought Majora's Mask would forever be nr.1 until Breath of the Wild came along...
I wouldn't disagree unless you're aching for a stunner, lol
@blindsquarel Personally, I feel the same way about the "It's like the first Zelda!" argument. It's lazy and I've heard it a million times.
The first Zelda has actual dungeons and each one of them holds a unique item, not some breakable weapon that can be found in a dozen other places.
The unique items form actual measureable progress: some let you reach areas you could not, hurt enemies that you could not etc.
Yes there were places you could sequence break, but it is by no means an open-world game.
BotW gives you all of the slate runes right at the beginning and doesn't item-gate anything.
As much as I enjoyed the game, it misses every single key Zelda. Metroidvania-like item gating is and has always been part of the Zelda formula. When you take that and replace it with generic loot you have something more like a modern western ARPG.
The "perfect" Zelda game for me would be something that keeps the scale of BotW's world, but applies the Zelda formula to it. More slate runes or other unique items, hide them in the actual dungeons and make them necessary for progression.
@SirPrimalform
Dong get me wrong, I don’t personally think botw is one of the greatest zeldas. But the game does technically have dungeons. Good ones? No, but it does have them. I do think that giving the sheikhs slate abilities as dungeon items would help the unique items of dungeons a good amount. All I am saying is that botw, while different from the rest of the games, still has the feel of a Zelda game.
To each their own, though it certainly made a big impact and rejuvenated Zelda by bringing it back to it's roots.
@JakedaArbok Will be disappointed if this does not become a thing. XD
@blindsquarel Feel is subjective. I certainly don't get a Zelda feeling from BotW and it's not like I haven't played the original. While simplistic, I get a Zelda feel from the first game and recognise the essential elements in a primitive form.
Not so with BotW, but obviously everything anyone here is saying is subjective.
BotW missing elements that even the first game had is a fact - whether or not those elements are important is opinion obviously. I'm personally hoping BotW 2 brings back some of those elements, because my perfect Zelda would probably be the BotW-type landscape with the "essentials" added back in. I doubt everyone who loved BotW would object to bringing those elements back, so it feels like it would be a win-win.
@SonnyBonds didn't know that trivia bro, thank you for enlighten me!
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