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Too Old to Play Zelda?

S

Sideli

Guest
Pretty sure the only things you can really grow out of are hanging out in school playgrounds and being in relationships with 12 year olds.
 
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Location
Illinois
I'm 22 and I still love Zelda, including Wind Waker. My dad doesn't play the games, but he loves watching me play them, and will ask me "How is Link doing?" and talk about the progress I'm making in the game. XD Even my grandfather plays Zelda! So no, you're never too old for Zelda.
 
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
I dont think you can be to play Zelda or gaming in general, i was in grade 2 when the original LOZ came out,
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Location
NORTHEN IRELAND
The simple fact is if you enjoy playing Zelda the play it.
Do not listen to others who say oh thats a childish game.
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I bet a lot of people who say that would actually enjoy it if they tried it.
I grew up in the seventies and eighties when graphics in games where no big deal.
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and i get far more enjoyment from games like Zelda that have no violence.
Now games are so much about graphics and violence which is very sad.
 

Sarianae

Infinite Dreamer
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Location
Storybrooke, Maine
Honestly, the very concept of being "too old for something" doesn't make much sense if you are to analyze it. Consider it rather like this: age is a concept invented by humans meant to measure the amount of years an individual has spent on the earth. With this in mind, by saying you are "too old for something," you are actually saying this:

"The amount of years you've spent on the earth at this point, exceeds the maximum acceptable amount of years allowed for harboring interest in this subject matter."

The reason why this is nonsensical is that interest is not enslaved to age, and need not be. Why should something you like suddenly be deemed an unacceptable interest due to your having been alive for "longer than what's considered acceptable?" The answer is that it shouldn't, because your interests aren't required to bend to your age. Having been alive for a longer amount of time than the person next to you is not, in itself, what's going to dictate differentiations in tastes, preferences, and interests between the two of you. In fact, there is an important distinction to be made here: while being "too old" seems to refer to the literal "amount of time" spent alive, what they probably mean to refer to is the natural change that can accompany that passage of time as a result of new experiences. Basically, I believe the initial concept of being "too old for something" comes from the idea that time gradually evolves your interests as a result of new knowledge influencing the direction of your thoughts. While I think this statement is valid, I think it causes people to jump to a false assumption that "phases of interest" necessarily MUST occur based on greater amounts of "wisdom" having been imparted to you over greater numbers of years. Basically, people seem to believe that you are obliged to "phase out" of an interest after having gained a certain amount of knowledge about the world. The problem with this assumption is that whatever "new knowledge" you gain overtime, easily can have absolutely nothing to do with any particular interest of yours, therefore needing not necessarily effect them at all. I realize that talking like this might be getting a little confusing, so here's an example to illustrate: The Wind Waker seems to be the main game being referenced here, so let's take that fellow game of ours. Let's say that at 15, you enjoyed the game due to your appreciation for the illustrative and expressive art style, charmingly cheerful atmosphere, and pleasurable and imaginative gameplay. Now then, say that in the six years following that, you have gained experiences about the world that have caused you to develop an interest in politics, avoid elevators because they make you uneasy, exercise weekly, and follow a diet. Well, let me ask this: is the addition of your interest in politics suddenly logically going to make you decide to backlash on The Wind Waker's art style? Is your fear of elevators going to make you dislike the laid-back atmosphere of the game? Is exercising and going on a diet going to lead to you to conclude that the gameplay isn't imaginative anymore? Well, compare these questions to this question: Is eating corn going to make you suddenly decide that you don't like wearing socks? Although I can't rule out the entire possibility of your brain finding a logical connection to connect one statement to the other, my point is that there's most probably not going to be any connection at all. If the new knowledge gained in those latest years has no connection to your appreciation of the game, why should there be any reason to alter your opinion of it into one of dislike, just because you are older?

Now, it's always possible for something to occur to trigger a change in your interests. I could be a meat lover at 15, but then suddenly become disgusted with it after gaining new knowledge of how certain animals are treated for slaughter, converting myself into a vegetarian in the subsequent years. Not only that, it's even possible for your interests to change on a simple whim; one day you might decide pineapple is your favorite fruit, and yet on another day lose interest in that in favor of grapefruit instead. However, such factors are independent of age; if in such a situation, you suddenly did drop interest in The Wind Waker, it wouldn't have had anything to do with how old you were anyway.

To sum up, you are going to like whatever you are going to like, whenever you are going to like it, and you do have the freedom to do so, so why force yourself to deny an interest of yours for the sake of obeying completely artificial, self-proclaimed, misplaced age restrictions?

There is no need. Your interests will come naturally to you, irrelevant as to the number that states the length of time that you've been alive. So, you should feel free to like what you do, and not allow unfounded pressures to get to you.
 

Mune

I hate everyone equally.
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Location
Sweden
I have had thoughts about being too old to play Pokémon when I was about 11. But I don't think that there's ever a limit really, you can play games as much as you'd like, no matter how old you are.

When you're a child, it's easy to think "I'm going to stop gaming when I'm an adult, because no adults game". But the adults today didn't grow up in the same gaming generation as we did, I think that in about 7 years tons of adults will be gaming.
 
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Location
WI
Nope... Zelda is a Monomyth (Heroes Journey) tale.. these types of stories are nearly impossible NOT to appeal to everyone.. that is why the formula is one of the most copied formula in literature.

Anyone who says Zelda is just for kids or Adults do not really understand the mythos.
 

PK Love Omega

PK Flash's Good Twin
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Location
In a forest
Using my extensive knowledge, when you are four you are too old to play Zelda. Then you play Call of Duty for the rest of your life until you hit a hundred, and then you play Brain Draining with Fat Albert where you learn about the guns and plots (Do they have them?) until you die.

Information collected by being with kids on the playground for one minute.

But of course, there are a few people, like Me, Josie, Donkey Kong that don't listen to these rules, and actually play games other than CoD
 

Shadsie

Sage of Tales
I am 32. I have no children, so I do not have them as an "excuse" to enjoy "childish" things. However, I do have the excuse of "I'm trying to become a YA/Fantasy writer." But, think about it.... how old are the creators of Nintendo's games? Last I read, Miyamoto was in his 50s and he retains enough of a childlike spirit make the games what they are. No one rags on him about his sense of fun.

I say like what you like. Frankly, to me, the mark of a true adult is one who is comfortable doing just that. People who "try too hard to "be mature" strike me as very immature - like teenagers trying to follow all the "right" things or children who learn what "adult words" are for the first time and pepper every sentence with swears.

In other words, a grown man who's comfortable with tuning in to laugh at Spongebob's intentionally-mature behind the lines jokes that go over the head of its main audience will strike me as more truly mature than the person who "never watches animation because it's for babies." So on, and so forth. Same with the adults who enjoy Mario Bros. and Zelda over their teen's obession with blood, gore and guts games.

And, actually, I've explored this before in essay-form, Zelda *is* a surprisingly dark series. It's the subtle darkness that lurks in fairy tales rather than blood gore and guts, but it's there - very much so.
 

CCG <3 Zelda

CrazyControllerGuy
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
Location
Hyrule
I didn't think that was even possible! If it's a good game, it's a good game! Nobody's too old for a good game! I would say this applies to Zelda, but I don't really view Zelda as a children's franchise. It has some really dark moments, especially in games like MM and TP
 

Vanessa28

Angel of Darkness
Staff member
ZD Legend
Administrator
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Location
Yahtzee, Supernatural
Gender
Angel of Darkness
I am almost 40!! I LOVE playing LoZ or Mario so am I childish and immature? I don't think so. You are as old as you feel and who says videogames are only for the youth? Heck we "oldies" Can play it too
 

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