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The Three Most Important Things in a Zelda Game.

AustinFox33

The Last Kilgannon
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Location
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
What do you think are the three most important things in any Zelda game?
I think they are:
1. Gameplay: It doesn't matter how good a game's story is if it is boring to play.
2. Story: Zelda has one of the best repuations for story telling in a game, and they never fail to disappoint.
3. Music: Maybe the best music from any game. Always something new, along with keeping the classics. It always sets the perfect tone for whatever the situation may be.

Agree? Disagree? Thoughts:nerd:
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
I would say that three smaller aspects are the most essential for a Zelda game to be great:

1. Items
2. Dungeons
3. Sidequests

Story and Music are nice, but not essential for me personally to enjoy a Zelda game. I would agree that Zelda music is some of the best around though; Zelda games are among the few games that I don't mute and listen to something else (music or tv) while playing. Also I am one of those people who never really can comprehend why gameplay isn't at the top of every gamers' wish list.
 

Ice Sage

these are words
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Location
Ice Temple
1) Difficult enemies. (How else would it be a good game?)
2) Difficult puzzles. (To confuse each and every single one of us.)
3) A plot. (The game must have an interesting storyline.)
 

Ventus

Mad haters lmao
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May 26, 2010
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Akkala
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Hylian Champion
Gameplay, difficulty and overworld.

Gameplay has to be good, not too easy. Dungeons goes under gameplay; the puzzles in any Zelda game can't be so easy that they can be solved in two seconds worth of thinking. Hidden Skills is where another complaint lies; they break the game. They are amazing concepts and flashy, don't get me wrong, but they don't have any practical use besides making the game 2000000000000x easier (not an exaggeration). HS can exist, they just need to be toned down. Good gameplay means good Zelda game. Partially. The freaking game needs to be replayable. No SS and no TP.

Difficulty – dungeons are also part of difficulty, as I've said they can't be too easy. Another thing is the enemies need to be smart. The best defense is a good offense, or so I learned in World History. If enemies would learn to attack more, which means extensive coding on the game developer's part, then Zelda games would steadily get harder and harder, requiring more tactics than simply breaking through the minor defenses an enemy has.

Overworld – We need chests and enemies to fight. The chests need to be useful. Enemies need to be of the uncommon, but not rare, variety so as to make travel more exciting/thrilling.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Gender
Male
Gameplay. This is a no-brainer. I mean, seriously, what's a good game without good gameplay?

Music. For me, music really enhances the experience of a game. Without it, the game would seem kinda boring for me.

Difficulty. What fun is an easy game? I like to actually have some sort of challenge, whether its a puzzle or a boss fight.
 
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Location
United Kingdom
A large inventory. I love having a lot of different items and would like to see more optional items in future games.

Challenging puzzles. I like puzzles that actually make you stop and think for a few minutes.

A large overworld. I want to have a lot of places to explore, possible with a multiple overworld system like ALttP or OoA.
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
1) Difficult enemies. (How else would it be a good game?)
2) Difficult puzzles. (To confuse each and every single one of us.)
3) A plot. (The game must have an interesting storyline.)

I can't believe I forgot puzzles. Those really are a staple of the series.

As for difficult enemies, I'd like to offer Wind Waker as counterevidence. IMO Wind Waker is completely devoid of difficult enemies and still an excellent game, but of course as I said those are both opinions.
 

Majora's Cat

How about that
Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Location
NJ
Zelda games are nothing without the familiar olden setting and atmosphere that gamers have come to appreciate. The quintessence of the games in the franchise is what makes each installment so enjoyable and identifiable. After all, how can a Zelda game really be considered a Zelda game if it doesn’t sport that traditional charm, riveting Dungeon designs and our beloved silent protagonist? Without those qualities, a Zelda game just wouldn’t be the same. I like to file this all under a single category, as Nintendo’s number one priority (always first and foremost) would have to be including that classic Zelda charm and sticking in all those quirks that make the series so appealing.

Looking at the series in a more simplistic manner, I always felt that one of the series’ greatest strengths was its music. I find myself always thinking this: what would the series ever do without Koji Kondo and Nintendo’s team of talented musicians? From the Song of Storms to the Forest Temple theme, every soundtrack in the franchise has been nearly perfectly crafted to fit each and every scenario and/or location. With a team comprised of composers as prestigious as Koji Kondo, the possibilities are limitless. What’s most impressive is that the Zelda franchise is commonly praised for its beautiful compositions despite the primarily MIDI soundtrack. Maybe this only further suggests that the pieces are so masterful that whether or not the music is orchestrated makes no real difference. On the other hand, the upcoming Skyward Sword is featuring a fully orchestrated soundtrack, which can only mean good tidings for gamers.

In my opinion, the two games that took full advantage of their soundtracks were Majora’s Mask and the Wind Waker. Both boasted beautifully written tunes that would often get lodged in my head for days. Among these are the Ikana Valley, Clock Town, Wind Temple, Molgera’s Theme, etc. The list of stupendous music in these two games in particular is virtually never-ending. Dragon Roost is also one of my all-time favorites. The soft melody is supported by distinct clacking noises and a mild Spanish theme, which makes for an unforgettable tune. Oftentimes in Zelda games, music can be based off of nationalities and cultures in the real world. For instance, Gerudo Valley and the Spirit temple were clearly inspired by Egyptian and Islamic compositions. Not that it’s a bad thing - it’s just the opposite of that. I thoroughly take pleasure in seeing intimations of real world culture in the music and in the architecture of Dungeons and the designs of some areas in overworlds, which brings me to my next point.

Finally, no Zelda game is complete without the brilliant level design. This doesn’t just mean puzzles, gameplay and Dungeon difficulty - it also means architecture, art direction and the like. Why do I value this over story? Simple. The plot of a game isn’t what makes it good. Sure, it would certainly be nice if a Zelda game had a believable storyline to help the gameplay flow more smoothly, but the meat of the Zelda experience lies in the gameplay itself, not how well the gameplay is linked together. Now the two Zelda games that really stand out when it comes to level design are Twilight Princess and the Wind Waker. Having been fortunate enough to play through both games a number of times, I tend to pay attention to the finer details these days. Both games’ Dungeons are always oriented around a circular room and several floors for the player to explore.

It’s become clear to players that Nintendo has ditched the enclosed room concept from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask in favor of larger, more open rooms. Foyers of grandeur await the player as he/she enters Dungeons such as the City in the Sky, Wind Temple, Lakebed Temple, etc. The core Dungeon rooms in more recent console Zeldas indicates that Nintendo is aiming for more epic and larger-than-life Dungeons. There’s no problem with that, of course - it certainly does make the player feel like he/she is involved in a situation of great magnitude. In the N64-era Zeldas, players really didn’t get a sense of the enormity of their circumstances. Link is supposed to save the world, and that didn’t really shine through as brightly in OoT and MM (the Dungeon designs were brilliant nonetheless). It seems as if the significance of what Link’s doing has never been correctly portrayed until later Zelda games, and I’m glad for that.

Getting more on topic now, puzzles can really be what make or break a Zelda game. If Twilight Princess didn’t include the Master Sword puzzle or the Ice Blocks, who knows how much more criticism the game would’ve received? Without a perplexing or puzzle or two thrown in the mix, a Zelda game would be incomplete. The series is principally identified as the puzzle/adventure genre, so of course the puzzles have to be top-notch. And so far, the series’ developers have never let their fans down.

Those three things are what I hold to the highest esteem in a Zelda game, even among all the other notable aspects in these games.
 

OcarinalinkLOZ

Your Link to the Past
Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Location
Hyrule in the winter, Canada in the summer
Majora's Cat beat me to it! Each Zelda game follows a similar formula yet they also stay unique by changes to music, style, items etc...No two Zelda games are the same! Sure, we can see multiple common themes between some games but this doesn't mean Twilight Princess is a clone of Spirit Tracks or something crazy like that. What really makes a Zelda game for me is the ability to maintain the classic feeling and the similaritites while integrating new elements to make the installment unique. So this blend of sorts is what really makes a Zelda game for me. I could get into detail about it but the long and short of it seems a much better way of sparing your poor eyes from hours of reading. Your welcome guys....
 
H

Howling Wind

Guest
I would say the three important things for me are these.

Gameplay: I mean, it has to be fun but challenging. It can't really be a walk in the park because it makes it feel uninspiring.

Design: Not sure why exactly, I guess it adds to gameplay O.O If the design is bad (Like the over world in TP) it's just too straightforward if you can't get lost and there isn't enough side quests and useless things to find just to keep you away from the main quests and make the world feel more real. TP had really well designed dungeons though, I really enjoy them.

Music: People might be wondering why I never included a story. I guess story is only a little important to me. I mean, to be honest its the same thing every game it really has not changed, it just gives you a reason to go out and search for things. It is important enough but it isn't the most important. Music on the other hand gives the game life =D TWW, MM, a lot of Zelda games have epic music and the games wouldn't be the same at all if it was not for those tunes ^^
 

Ronin

There you are! You monsters!
Forum Volunteer
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
Alrest
1. Immersion
2. Character Development
3. An Immaculate Plot - Good beginning, middle, and end.
 

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