The Order of the Triforce

[Dju]

Breathe in, Link.
Breathe in strong and deep; let the free air fill your lungs at last.
For this breeze that surrounds you now has travelled long and far to reach you. It has crossed the turmoil of the seas, ventured through the canyons, slithered through the forests and washed over the fields just to be here – with you.
It is the breath of Hyrule.
It is the Breath of the Wild and it brings with it all that this world has to offer. It is calling for you.
Breathe in, Link.

-Members-

Dju
PFA

How come we don’t have a Legend of Zelda Club yet? Obviously there is a solid amount of fans here! How about we unite and geek out together? There is just so much to talk about, especially considering Nintendo’s big announcement at E3 (Breath of the Wild). Obviously the company is a bit concerned about the fan’s reaction, so I wanted to ask you guys what are your thoughts on it.


Nintendo seems to be worried that people might not take it as a “genuine Zelda game”, but honestly? I think it’s 100% Zelda. Shigeru Miyamoto said that his intent for creating Hyrule in the first place was to give gamers the opportunity to be immersed on a world full of adventure, and I believe Breath of the Wild will take it to the next level. I’m really, really looking forward to it. And besides, I think it’s waaay more Zelda than Hyrule Warriors. I love this game’s graphics, but it’s just…you know : Fight fight fight. Slash slash slash.

Co-op now and then, good for inviting friends over.

But it is certainly not the usual Zelda formula (end of the world plot+ character development + dungeon venturing+ healthy feeling of individuality). But it adds to the franchise so I am content.


Thoughts?



OH OH OH.

Also, if you’re feeling like it – wanna share your personal top favorite Zelda games list? I’m curious. It can be as long as you want. Or short. I dunno, go wild. I wanna hear your opinion, opinions are good. Let’s get sharin’! :3

SPOILER: Click to show

My favorite Zelda games are the ones I consider to have the most interesting plot lines. I know many gamers out there would murder me for saying this, but one of the most important aspects of any game to me is the story it tells rather than the controls it offers. I just feel truly immersed when I get to play in a world with characters I care for and environments that spark my curiosity, and that is the true Zelda experience for me. I just love that adorable storyline of young countryside boy with a fine sense of justice is chosen by the universe to save the world. I love it, I truly do. It’s cliché as crazy, but it gets me every time.


4 – Ocarina of Time

I remember when I first rented Ocarina of Time and got into someone else's save file because I was too young to read and accidentally ended up in the Town Square of the future filled with zombies. I panicked so bad. Holy cow.

But I’ll also never forget getting truly, honestly lost in the…Lost Woods? Yeah, congrats Nintendo. You tricked the 5 year old real nice there. I did love it, though! I really enjoyed myself there.


Now that I am 20 I can properly play the game in my 3DS. I still feel like a five year old, though.

And yeah, I am also still afraid of the redeads. Can’t get over that.


3 – Skyward Sword

Somethin’ real special about this one, no? I really love the world building. It just feels like you’re truly a part of it! Link simply belongs to it – you have your job, your friends, neighbors…I know it’s a small thing, but I find it so meaningful. And you get to fly, for Sheik’s sake.

Also, of all the games, I think this is the one where Link and Zelda are the closest to one another. The was a lot of Zelda in Spirit Tracks, but their relationship in that game is not nearly as heartbreaking as in Skyward Sword. I’m not counting the games where she can’t remember she’s Zelda, though. XD

In this story, Link isn’t trying to help her because some higher force told him to (okay, it sorta did) but he truly honestly cares for her because they’ve known each other since ever!

Dangit, I think these versions of Link and Zelda obviously love each other and they probably were planning out a life together if things haven’t gone kaput. Her father was clearly hoping for a union becauseLinkissimplythebestboyintownobviously.
HE CRIED FOR HER, I’LL NEVER GET OVER IT.


*ahem* sorry, got a bit emotional back there.


2 – Majora’s Mask

This game.

This game was my first game ever.

My brother got tired of his Nintendo 64 and gave it to me, but I was sooo young. I couldn’t read properly, much less in English – so it was a real adventure! Somehow I managed to figure out the entire routine of each and every villager in Clocktown, Anju’s mystery marriage, Alien shooting and massive rock explosion techniques.

Fun fact, though – since I couldn’t progress on the story properly, I kept rewinding time and I actually played around the world making up stories as I went. XD

Nowadays, just like Ocarina of Time, I actually figured it own with my 3DS.



1 – Twilight Princess


THE ULTIMATE ZELDA EXPERIENCE.

…


On humble my opinion.

For me, it is the perfect blend of the feeling of wonder offered by Ocarina of Time and the frightening, twisted aesthetic of Majora’s Mask.

Just like in Skyward Sword, Link has his life pretty much figured out in the beginning of the game. He’s the village’s patriarch’s favorite, he’s got a childhood crush that obviously likes him back, he’s admired by the village children, he’s beloved by the adults…he’s got a house, got a job, got a horse. Everything is so dandy and sweet and then BOOOM.

Cursed into a friggin’ wolf.

Hunted by the people he loves.

Got his friends kidnapped.

Got imprisoned.

Definitely the most unlucky of Links, I’d say.

It makes me care about the characters, it makes me want to fight for them and explore that gorgeous world Nintendo cooked up.

And they set the mood just right, didn't they?

In the beginning of the game, you have no companion. It takes a considerable time to find Midna, and that makes you feel so…lonely. So very lonely. But that’s good – because Link is indeed alone. He’s in trouble and cursed and has no one to talk to, it makes you relate.

And I will never forget that rainy town square before the final showdown in the end of the game. So theatrical.

Twilight Princess is my absolute favorite.

[PFA]

Wait, we DON'T have a Zelda fanclub? *checks*

...we apparently had one a looong time ago, but it is quite old. Either way, sign me up!

(Favorite Zelda game is probably Wind Waker, if largely for the nostalgia) (oh the nostalgia)

[Draco]

I have to go with Wind Waker as my favorite. Mostly since it was the first one I really played and finished (next is Ocarina of Time, Link to the Past, and Link Between Worlds). Basically my list are the ones I really played a lot of and finished XD

But I love Zelda XD Great game series.

[Coaster]

*slams Hylian mints package on the table, scattering them everywhere* SIGN ME UP

The first ones I actually played were the GameBoy Color ones, actually, but to this day, I still haven't beaten any of those... 8D; First one I actually beat was Wind Waker and it's one of my favorites, but by far Twilight Princess is my favorite, possibly in part because I played it on GameCube rather than Wii. Beat Ocarina of Time sometime in high school, played and beat the DS ones which were kind of meh in my opinion, went through Skyward Sword when it came out and it was nice but not super thrilling, and finally got and played through Majora's Mask in mid-university, and again it was kind of just okay, but the two N64 titles still have some fond memories because I had a few friends who were obsessed with them.

Re-deads still scare me. Wallmasters still absolutely terrify the living daylights out of me.

[Deleted]

Wind Waker's my favorite. It fleshed out Ganon's personality and made him more than a one-dimensional "BWAHAHAHA, I'M EVIL!" villain. Plus, I love the art style =D However, Ghirahim's my favorite villain. I love how he can go from being hilarious ("This news just FILLS my heart with rainbows!") to terrifying ("I'll make the affair so excruciating you'll deafen yourself with the shrill sound of your own screams."). I've never disliked a console Zelda, but I haven't really enjoyed any of the handheld Zeldas (aside from the Ocarina and Majora's Mask remasters) since Minish Cap.

I was never scared by Redeads or Wallmasters, but the Dead Hand from OoT is FREAKING HORRIFYING. D= Also Seahats from Wind Waker unnerve me for some reason despite how doofy they look. Gyorg from Majora's Mask kind of triggers that primal "oh god there's something in the water and it wants to eat me" fear.

[Jae]

Ooh I just found this thread after ordering Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora's Mask 3D for myself ^_^ I played both before on the N64 (and later GCN) but I'm interested in seeing the updated graphics and what all else they changed - I know a lot of changes happened in MM.

Majora's Mask is probably my favorite Zelda game, but even saying that makes me feel bad because I love all of them tbh. I've never disliked a Zelda game and they all have a special place in my heart.

That being said, I just love how Majora's Mask is so dark and different and yet it's still clearly a Zelda game. I loved getting to know the rituals and lives of the side characters, and all of their little quests like shooting aliens, assembling the frog choir, and the Goddess-forsaken Anju and Kafei quest. I loved being able to actually play as the different races. I loved how you could actually see the world change as you did some quests and ignored others - this was something that was lacking in Ocarina of Time (I was so sad when Zora's Domain didn't unfreeze after I cleared the Water Temple for example) I loved how the game touches on sensitive subjects like death, mortality, cheating in relationships (that's what Anju's mother tells Anju on the second night), and actions having consequences. Most of all I loved the music and the atmosphere. Normally I wouldn't combine those two points, but they just complemented each other so well in MM. The music kinda speeding up and going off key on the last day in Clock Town really accentuated the urgency, and the Song of Healing and its associated cutscenes makes me crey evertim, etc...

Joining the I-hated-the-redeads-and-actually-still-kinda-do club >_>

[PFA]

I can't think of a Zelda enemy that ever really scared me, lol. I think Majora's Mask still holds the exclusive title of being the only video game to ever make me cry though, so uh, there's that. (I got stuck at the beginning of the game and wasn't able to rewind time, so child!me was freaking out that I had forever doomed Termina Town. But then the game restarted me at my last save or w/e and I felt kind of silly, lol.)

There are a lot of Zelda games I started playing as a kid and never finished (Majora's Mask included), I should get around to that one of these days. >_> <_<