Entertainment/Gaming Consoles

vsp · 06-29-2003, 03:33 PM

I rented Zelda... and I have to say that I'm not overly impressed. It's not a terrible game by any means... but if it didn't have the Zelda name attached to it (if it starred Kukla, Fran and Ollie instead of Link, Zelda and Ganon), I can't imagine that it would have the "best game ever" hype that it does, or that it would be more than a moderate hit for the system.

The controls are funky, to say the least. Some of the elements (like swinging on ropes/grappling hooks) are well done, while some are just strange. Whoever heard of a 3D platform-scrolling adventure WITHOUT AN INDEPENDENT JUMP BUTTON? I've spent as much time watching Link plummet (and often wondering WHY he jumped when he did) as I have getting him to go where I want him to. Getting the camera to behave can be a chore, as well.

Some of the puzzles are aggravating as hell. I can honestly say that without online (FAQ) assistance, I would have taken the game back without ever having cleared one of the first dungeons (the Dragon Roost), because there were several points in it that I wouldn't have figured out on my own.

The _very first puzzle_ was one of them; I spent an hour trying to figure out why there was nothing in the room that might generate a key, and no way to progress beyond that point without one. The answer? There _wasn't_ anything in the room with a key... until you lit a pair of bonfires at one end of the room, at which point a chest with a key would magically warp itself into existence. Say WHAT? MAJOR point deduction in my book. Some puzzles that followed were clever, and some too clever by half.

The plot has the common RPG flaw of stopping dead at many points until you talk to just the right person, or visit just the right location... but it's often devoid of visual clues or hints to point you in the right direction when you're stuck.

All in all, I'll keep at it until the rental period's up, but this one's not joining my collection until it drops to the $20 mark or less. That way, if I end up smashing the disc, I won't feel so bad about it.

06-29-2003, 03:33 PM	#11
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	I rented Zelda... and I have to say that I'm not overly impressed. It's not a terrible game by any means... but if it didn't have the Zelda name attached to it (if it starred Kukla, Fran and Ollie instead of Link, Zelda and Ganon), I can't imagine that it would have the "best game ever" hype that it does, or that it would be more than a moderate hit for the system. The controls are funky, to say the least. Some of the elements (like swinging on ropes/grappling hooks) are well done, while some are just strange. Whoever heard of a 3D platform-scrolling adventure WITHOUT AN INDEPENDENT JUMP BUTTON? I've spent as much time watching Link plummet (and often wondering WHY he jumped when he did) as I have getting him to go where I want him to. Getting the camera to behave can be a chore, as well. Some of the puzzles are aggravating as hell. I can honestly say that without online (FAQ) assistance, I would have taken the game back without ever having cleared one of the first dungeons (the Dragon Roost), because there were several points in it that I wouldn't have figured out on my own. The _very first puzzle_ was one of them; I spent an hour trying to figure out why there was nothing in the room that might generate a key, and no way to progress beyond that point without one. The answer? There _wasn't_ anything in the room with a key... until you lit a pair of bonfires at one end of the room, at which point a chest with a key would magically warp itself into existence. Say WHAT? MAJOR point deduction in my book. Some puzzles that followed were clever, and some too clever by half. The plot has the common RPG flaw of stopping dead at many points until you talk to just the right person, or visit just the right location... but it's often devoid of visual clues or hints to point you in the right direction when you're stuck. All in all, I'll keep at it until the rental period's up, but this one's not joining my collection until it drops to the $20 mark or less. That way, if I end up smashing the disc, I won't feel so bad about it.

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