The most non-Zelda Zelda title

[Spirit]

17 games and counting, not all of them great but when they're good they're amazing. Usually Nintendo are good with keeping the magic alive, but sometimes they fall short, sometimes they put out a game that just doesn't feel right...

Which Zelda games do you think lost a little Zelda magic? Which games just dont feel like Zelda games to you even though they share the name, look and feel?

 

[Musicfan]

Spirt tracks there simply was no over world to explor. You had to go throught a level select mini game to get any where.

 

[Tetra's Wink]

TAOL but maybe that's not fair considering it's only the second one. Though it's definitely my least favourite.

 

[Link Floyd]

I agree with musicfan. The train thing just wasn't....Zelda. And I just felt like there was a lack of exploration.

 

[ReveredPartisan]

Does FSA count? If so, definitely that. Otherwise, again, Spirit Tracks. Loved the game, but it did feel very alien. Generally though, I don't tend to feel that any single one differentiates itself moreso than any others. They're all pretty unique IMO.

Oddly enough, the game that feels the least Zelda-like to me at the moment would be Zelda U. Probably because I just don't know enough about it yet.

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

I'm gonna have to go with Spirit Tracks as well.

If there's one thing that defines a Zelda title, it's the exploration aspect, and Spirit Tracks just didn't have that. The train mechanic made the overworld really restricted, which, while not unheard of in Zelda, every other game that had a restricted overworld at least retained some of the exploration aspects that the series is known for. Spirit Tracks really didn't. Also, the train seems too modern for Zelda games. I know Phantom Hourglass had a Steamboat, but for some reason, that feels more Zelda-like than the Spirit Train did.

Don't get me wrong though, as I love Spirit Tracks, and it's in my top 10 Zelda games for sure. I just feel like it's the most unzeldaish to me (which, btw, increases the overall quality of the game for being unique).

 

[Salem]

Games released after TP.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

I feel like all the games are very Zelda like. Some did lose a little magic but that's ok.

 

[DARK MASTER]

What Zelda games are least like Zelda? I might say Legend of Zelda Match Game and Legend of Zelda Trivia Game.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

What Zelda games are least like Zelda? I might say Legend of Zelda Match Game and Legend of Zelda Trivia Game.

Yay! I'm not the only one who owns the box set

 

[Iridescence]

In some sense, I'd say Twilight Princess. Although it contains the core formula, no other Zelda game has been so self-conscious on pleasing fans.

 

[DarkestLink]

I see no problem with ST. Exploration hasn't been a big part of Zelda for ages and even then it's part of a minority. I'm gonna say AoL.

 

[Mercedes]

Probably Skyward Sword, since Zelda games are meant to be good.

 

[airistra]

I'm gonna go out of the box and say FS/FSA, since you can't really do overworld exploration with them and to go to places, you gotta pick from the world map menu.

 

[onebizarrekai]

Spirit Tracks, not saying I don't like that game (I actually really like it), it's just very different. There's also the Four Swords games, those actually had a lot of potential but ended up being linear levels. And honestly, my final choice would probably be Majora's Mask because it's dark and unlike any other game, which is why I love it.

People keep thinking this 'non-zelda' means in terms of how good the game is on their standard, but I think it should be thought of as which strayed the farthest from the familiar concepts. They pretty much all use the same ideas (travelling around and beating dungeons) but they all do it in their own way. The thing about Zelda is that it constantly tries to implement new things into the games, but people just end up complaining about it.

Also, I'm not gonna pick on Zelda II today because that was the second game in the series. Seriously guys…