MetalKingShield

This looks amazing. That's pixel art done properly.

I always used to prefer the original. Then, when DX became available to play on a better screen (3DS), that became my favourite; but assuming all these are played on an equal screen, I think the monochrome version edges it.

The remake was good but didn't quite hit all the notes. I preferred the d-pad control and tile-based map of the original.

Would love to see Final Fight 4 by LIzardcube!

I'm not sure what they want to know, but I really enjoyed the first five games, particularly the 5th. Nexus wasn't so good.

The Untold games were enjoyable enough, but they weren't as good as the originals. I felt the post-game was unbalanced, as the little tricks and strategies were no longer sufficient for the super bosses. Most of all I disliked the Grimoires, which felt necessary, but were too tedious and random to obtain.

If they made a proper 6th game I would like them to just carry on from what V was like.

Excellent review.

These games do have more story than they're given credit for, I feel. Whilst the player characters aren't integral, the narration does explain what's happening at key points in the game. You have to interpret a lot of it yourself, without a doubt, but there's definitely a plot that develops as you go.

The one thing I really want to know about these remasters is probably the hardest thing to know - do you get more skill points? It's probably impossible to know unless you've retired and levelled-up your characters again (even then it'd be difficult to know), but the skill points were just a bit too mean in the originals. The skill trees are presented differently, at least.

The issue with limited wallet size and rupees eventually becoming unnecessary was a very, very minor problem that didn't really need fixing. Like so many things about the modern Zeldas, they've over-corrected and ended up with something worse.

Weapon degradation, crafting materials and cooking have simply made the games become more fussy (add stamina to that list). Nintendo used to be able to spot the ideas that didn't work and discard them, but it's not been so good at this since Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. Even though they at first appear to be very different styles, they both have a focus on combat, materials and, with BotW/TotK, breakable weapons. To me, it feels like they don't want the player to be at ease. You never have the satisfaction of knowing you possess some really good gear that's going to last you through your battles.

Zelda is now much more influenced by action games and RPGs than it used to be, which is odd, because its brilliance was that it knew how to avoid the excesses of both.

Dragon Quest Monsters is a very good rival to Pokemon, in my opinion, so I hope it really takes off now. It's not so much about getting attached to any one monster, but it works better as an RPG.

I'm still not 100% sure on what this game's stance actually is, and I suspect you actually have to play it yourself to be sure. Perhaps there's a twist, but if it really is a criticism of "pandemic deniers" and people "not wearing masks", then it's rather tone deaf. Regardless, I'm never going to criticise someone for bringing up a subject matter.

Let me just say two things - people talk about "facts", but really there are no such things as facts. The sky is blue, yes, because I can see it myself. Almost every other "fact" has been brought to you by some sort of authority, so don't be so quick to accept them.

Secondly, I don't like division, and actually didn't see much of it myself. The way I see it, the last three years have seen us utterly failed by the authorities, as we each tried to work out the truth and how much danger each of us was really in. I didn't try to push my views on anyone else and I don't know anyone who tried to push their views on me. Don't let them divide us.

I really think they should have made a separate Wind Waker series years ago. It's such a shame - everything about WW was perfect Zelda, and they never quite hit that high again. Big, but not open world, charming, and it had absolutely everything essential to the Zelda gameplay. It suited being in a world that was a little bit more technologically advanced as well, so you had things like railways and manor houses, but it didn't have the over-the-top sci-fi of Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. I enjoyed Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, but that style of game deserves more entries on better hardware.

Using it once more made sense, but a rethink is needed for the next Zelda. I'd like to see a much more imaginative landscape - something that didn't have so many mountains. Imagine something like a dry-land Wind Waker with a railway system, huge mansions, stately homes and estates etc.

Dragon Quest III on Switch. I've not been able to get through it before, but it's a really good game. Looking forward to the HD-2D version.

What took me by surprise was how much bigger BotW was than the last great Zelda (let's say Twilight Princess). Skyward Sword was such an odd game, it's almost as though they overcorrected. I think this shows they were simply copying the open world formula (or applying Zelda to it) rather than thinking how much bigger Zelda actually needed to be.

Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild might seem like opposites, but they have a similar feel in certain ways. Hidemaro Fujibayashi makes more intense, less charming games than his predecessors. To me, Eiji Aonuma was a genius as a director, but seems almost too nice as a producer to reign in his successor. You hear about Miyamoto upending the table, and that's what we need now. Why keep things that don't work, such as the stamina meter, cooking or weapon durability?

I do think bits and pieces of BotW and TotK have the Zelda magic, but it's overshadowed by the rest of the game. At the end of the day, we're probably never going to have a 3D Zelda as "small" as Twilight Princess again, and perhaps that is not a bad thing, but I do hope the way forward is compromise. The current open world style is simply too extreme compared to what the series used to be.

@johnvboy - Yes, I resonate towards the one I tend to agree with. The difference is, I've never criticised the positive reviews or those who love the game - I simply criticise the new style itself. You seem to be annoyed with the one you disagree with, whereas I don't.

@johnvboy - Yes, of course because I agree with the general sentiment. Far braver to speak against the consensus than copy what everyone else is saying.

You don't really have any basis for saying it's attention seeking. He has explained what he thought were shortcomings. It wasn't even just nostalgia - he was explaining issues with the game in front of him, regardless of whether or not it's called "Zelda". He's criticising the open world genre in general, and what this series has taken from it. For all that this new style of Zelda has stripped back, it's also added an awful lot of unnecessary stuff.

The GFinity review was brilliant, I think. I haven't read a review by Josh Brown before but he perfectly sees and explains the problems with this new modern style. The 6/10 echoes my general thoughts on Breath of the Wild, which I considered something like a 7/10. You have to acknowledge the quality, yes, but is it really "good" if you don't enjoy it?

Personally, I'd be fine with an LCD screen. The original Switch IPS screen was absolutely fantastic, in my opinion, and I've been happy with it all this time. I used to be really fussy about screens too, with the blur of the original Game Boy and the low-res of the DS, but a top quality IPS genuinely is good enough, I think.

For me, the ideal Pikmin would be where you only control one spaceman (let's say Olimar), so you don't have to keep switching between characters. Lots of Pikmin varieties are good, but there should only be one playable character. I also enjoy strategy more than action, and it should be easier to get through the whole game without losing any Pikmin. A time limit could work (like Majora's Mask), but the way they've done it so far I've found it took away more than it added.

The only one I really enjoyed was Pikmin 2 (although not perfect) and part of me wonders whether this was really just a franchise for GameCube and NIntendo's resources would be better off elsewhere. The survey is a great idea though and I hope they do it for other franchises.

Not yet, no. Breath of the Wild was enough of that style for me. It may well be a better game, but I'm sure it will still feel quite similar. For a while I was open minded about it, but it's still going to have an emphasis on creativity, cooking, survival etc. The trailer was good, yes, and the game may well be full of bosses and dungeons, but if I'm honest even fighting Ganon in BotW just didn't resonate with me. Normally I can vaguely remember how you beat the bosses in Zelda games, but the only memory I have of that is consuming lots of health replenishment and slogging it out until I won.

Never say never though. I look forward to seeing how it's received. I'm sure it will be raved about at first, but it truly takes time to get a real picture of a game.

Hmm... I'm interested, but I'm not sure how excited I am. I'm a massive fan of the original arcade game - it's literally the first coin-op I was ever excited about - but the sequels never quite capture the essence of it. I like the look of this a bit more than Double Dragon 4 or Neon, but I still hope one day someone makes something that truly feels like an enhanced version of the original.

You know how some puzzle games can get into your head a bit too much? This is one of them! I played the DS version and, oh man, I couldn't stop dreaming about it.

First was A Link to the Past. Favourite was Wind Waker because you could power it up.

My take on it is that too much has been thrown away, for no good reason. Zelda has always developed game by game, trying things that worked and things that didn't, until we eventually had masterpieces like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker.

For various reasons, there was a slight drop off in quality with Twilight Princess. The Wii threw a spanner in the works and, though it was a very good game, we suddenly had no Magic Meter, shield control or Mirror Shield (the first two of which were present in the early demo versions when it was GC-only).

The slightly disappointed reaction to Twilight Princess, in my opinion led to a massive overreaction and many claims that Zelda needed to be more "fresh", when the truth is that TP just hadn't kept to the ultra-high standards of previous games. Skyward Sword followed, which had its moments but arguably was an even bigger fall from the series' heyday. Again, there was an (in my opinion) misguided call for freshness, when really it was the drop in quality that needed to be addressed.

Breath of the Wild was, in many ways, absolutely stunning and at first looked like the solution to most of the complaints. However, it soon became clear that too much had been lost compared to what had been gained.

It was overly massive, with little consideration given to the balance between optional exploration and mandatory tasks. There was an emphasis on survival and cooking, rather than simply getting better tunics, for example. The rune abilities opened up an un-Zelda-like level of creativity, rather than granting the satisfaction of getting a new item such as the Hookshot or Lens of Truth at well-paced intervals.

Mastering the fairly difficult combat had much more importance placed on it than other ways of progression, such as levelling-up your weapons. Sure, I could beat a Lynel, but what was the intended challenge of it? Doing it without needing a health replenishment, or two, or three? How many of my own weapons was I meant to destroy in the process? I could do it, but it wasn't enjoyable.

The core thing to me is that the more Zelda becomes sandbox, the less it appears "designed". I'm not asking for a completely linear game, but I would like a more designed adventure, with moments of magic and charm like the series had not so long ago.

A clear font and general clarity of graphics is greatly overlooked in modern games. Ever since we had HD screens, a lot of developers have strayed from the general rules of presentation that old games had, such as sprite size and a clear font. It's great that we can have more detailed visuals, but general clarity should remain a high priority.

They do look very good. I notice they've actually improved some really subtle things, such as the skill trees, which are much more like the ones from the "Untold" games. I really, really hope they give you more skill points than the original games, as there were some builds where you couldn't max out all the skills you needed. I know you're not meant to be able to learn every skill, but it literally did need one or two more points for each character. Other than that, I much preferred how the originals were balanced and I'm looking forward to these remakes.

I know they're not indie, but I'd love to see a Lizardcube version of Golden Axe or a new Final Fight.

It would also be nice to see something new from WayForward, especially if they go back to the Risky's Revenge/Pirate's Curse tone and style.

I bought a Split Pad Pro just to combat Drift. It's good - does what I wanted - but is a bit more bulky and cumbersome than I'd like. The model on the right does look more like what I'm after. I wonder what it's called (just Joy-Cons?)

I don't think anyone in Zelda games should have voice acting. The grunts and groans in the earlier 3D games were better because it allowed Nintendo to set the exact aural tone it wanted, and that translated internationally. The more cinematic Zelda becomes and the more it tries to be "credible" in certain ways (other than as a top class game), the more it loses its magic.

I thought it was an excellent trailer and it has made me interested in the game. Rationally, I know there'll be things I don't like, such as the breakable weapons and just the general open world/sandbox nature of it, however thematically it was so good it's hard to resist.

There seem to be a few of us who feel too old for this new direction of Zelda, and that these games are just too complicated somehow - not in terms of difficult puzzles, just in terms of how big and complex they've become. That's a genuine concern for some of us. However, it's made me want to buy it, so it's done its job.

@PKDuckman - thanks very much. I really like Warriors of Fate and Knights of Valour does look very similar. Looking forward to these.

Does anyone know which ones are beat 'em ups? The Switch is already the best machine I've ever owned for that genre.

Mainly the Korok seeds for me, and I didn't buy the DLC. I don't think I did all the side quests either, but not quite sure.

Nice to see a company rewarded for bringing us these classics. I'd love to also have the Asterix and X-Men arcade games from 1992.

@Ade117 - I've only played the DS remakes of III and IV, but FF III was very good indeed. I'd say I preferred it to any 2D Dragon Quest, and I'm more of a Dragon Quest fan. I couldn't get on with FF IV, but that was only because of the timed battles.

But these do look very good. A bit pricey at first, yes, but you can understand them trying to get maximum price first of all. I'm a real fan of remasters in general because a lot of modern games are forgetting the gameplay structures that worked in the past. Not everyone wants them, but they work for me.

It does look very good, definitely some of the better pixel art I've seen recently.

These modern platformers succeed or fail on the gameplay. I've played a lot that have good graphics, but the controls and core gameplay mechanics can be more irritating than satisfying after a while. This looks like you have to do a lot of mental juggling, as you throw Mjolnir and then carry out platforming as it's moving, but hopefully it'll hit just the right note.

I love all three of these games, but the reality is that a lot of us have already played them. Personally, I think £14.99 each is the right sort of price.

Dragon Quest VIII, on PS2, is as good as any piece of software that has ever been created (and well deserves an HD version). It's not just a game, it's got soul.

Second, I'd put DQ XI, which is still a 10/10 game, it just doesn't have quite the same spirit.

Dragon Quest IX was a very addictive experience at the time (Saturday nights exploring Grottoes) and if I was to recommend a 2D one, it'd be V. Despite this being my favourite series, I wouldn't massively recommend playing them all, but I think VIII and XI are so good you know whether you want more just by them.

Overwhelmingly, it reminded me of Breath of the Wild, and made me realise I've had as much of that as I wanted.

On paper, Breath of the Wild could have been my favourite Zelda. It had everything I wanted (and, admittedly, had asked for on forums) - a bigger map, more exploration and perhaps the best graphical style used so far. For a while, I thought it was amazing.

But then I realised an open world game is just not Zelda. It wasn't a good Zelda and, I'm not saying this to be controversial, but I don't even think it was a good "game" outright. A great piece of software, yes, but not really a game.

As for Tears of the Kingdom, I was prepared to be won over if it looked different enough. It's understandable that Nintendo would want to re-use the assets this generation - that's not an issue - but I did hope to see a completely different game. Some sort of crafted adventure that was very definitely not a sandbox. After all, why does it have to be sandbox just because they're re-using the engine?

Remember when you could steal a Darknut's sword in Wind Waker and knock down walls? That was fun but they've taken it too far. Fusing weapons sounds interesting, but the appeal wears off if they're just going to break again.

I join others in hoping that Zelda soon goes back to being a more straightforward, well-planned experience, with proper dungeons and bosses all along the way, and bits of plot each time you beat one. I want the optional exploration to be kept in good proportion to the linear bits, and exciting things like the snowboarding course in Twilight Princess, not just endless mountains to climb. Of course, TotK might be like this, but I'm not convinced so far.

Why on earth I didn't get this on Wii U I don't know, but add me to the list of people who would buy it on Switch!

A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds are great, but I think the best 2D one is Link's Awakening, original or DX. The remake didn't really do it for me - I think it needs d-pad control and the "grid" map system.

Wind Waker is my favourite 3D one as I think it had a magical tone, perfect gameplay and the right balance of linear plot and optional exploration. Ocarina of Time is 2nd, I'd say the 3DS one for now. Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess (GC or Wii U) battle for 3rd place.

If Nintendo would remake Ocarina of Time with visuals as good as Metroid Prime Remastered, that would be one impressive piece of software.

I'm interested to see what it's like, but not excited. As far as I'm aware, we still don't know if it has dungeons or whether or not the weapons are breakable. "Breath of the Wild 2", in its own right, doesn't appeal to me that much.

I really enjoyed the game but find myself still wanting two things from it:

• A museum shop and something to do with the spare fossils (eg. dinosaur models)
• The ability to purchase rare items you've already collected once, such as Pirate Wallpaper.

A demo needs to be long enough to show you what the gameplay of a game actually is, and that's it's good. Dragon Quest XI was amazingly generous, but it's an amazing game, so if you can complete the demo and still not want to play it then it really must not be for you.

Sea of Stars has me wanting the full game. It's not overly generous, but it's done its job so I can't argue with that.

Dragon Quest Treasures and Metroid Dread, on the other hand, actually put me off buying the games. They didn't show me there's anything there that I would particularly like, which is a shame as I love Dragon Quest and 2D Metroid.

Generally, I think demos should be on the long side. If it's a good game, people will want to buy it.

Twilight Princess and Skies of Arcadia, but if I had to pick one then TP. The HD version was good, but imagine it looking at least as good as the Wii U tech demo, with the graphics upgraded as much as Metroid Prime Remastered.

Sea of Stars and Tiny Thor look the best to me.

To me, it is this man's spirit that has really run through all the best Zeldas - Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. I love the running themes he set up through them, as well as the general magical feeling. To me Zelda simply hasn't been the same since he's been more hands-off.

@Not_Soos - Same, I'm just not very interested in it. I used to be obsessed with Zelda, so it feels weird not to want the new one. The other day I watched the 2004 "Twilight Princess" trailer and it reminded me how exciting the whole thing used to be. I was initially impressed with Breath of the Wild, but to me, it's not something to want more of. I didn't like Skyward Sword either and, whilst that was very different to BotW, I haven't liked the ethos of the series for a while.

My favourite might be Twilight Princess Link, but more from the 2004 trailer and the Wii U demo than the GameCube/Wii game that was actually released.

In terms of the best Link from a finished game, I voted for Ocarina of Time (3D). It's hard to explain, but Link in that game just has a weight and balance I don't think they've got quite right for his adult form since.

Personally, the 3DS appeared at the best time of my life. I thought the late '00s and early '10s were great. I liked so many of the games, I can't honestly remember my favourites, but Pilotwings Resort at launch certainly stood out. I also loved getting StreetPasses and often went out walking miles into town just to get them. eShop-wise, I liked Mighty Switch Force and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. They were just great, great days.

Of the really big games, Dragon Quest XI is still my favourite. It's an absolute textbook example of how to properly evolve something for new hardware without changing the formula too much. I also liked Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario Odyssey.

But a lot of my time with Switch has actually been with the smaller releases. I loved Shredder's Revenge, Streets of Rage 4, Fight'N Rage, Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle and so many others.

I would probably say Termina, as you could roll about it as a Goron.

More importantly, I've just re-watched that Legend of Zelda 2004 trailer. They have never again done anything as cool as that, have they?