General Zelda Which Game Had the Best Use of Items?

[Justac00lguy]

Items have always been a staple feature in the Zelda series, in fact there are a "must" among genres of its kind. The way the items work and how they are featured are probably what makes Zelda unique in this aspect. There are usually a set amount of items that are mandatory for Link to obtain. The main set are usually obtained in a set order, more so with the linear direction the series has taken, it's usually the odd item here and there that are not necessarily compulsory.

The game has featured a lot of items throughout the 16 games, but this thread isn't just for you to choose which item set had the best items but also for how useful you thought they were. So what game would you say, made the best use of Items?

 

[Snow Queen]

Link's Awakening.

 

[Musicfan]

A link to past as far as I know all the items were useful.

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

I said Ocarina of Time in the poll because of the way you had some child/adult exclusive items, and all the items were pretty important throughout the game.

I might also argue The Wind Waker, though. That game had pretty much equal use of all its items as well.

 

[JuicieJ]

I'm gonna have to go with The Wind Waker on this one. I complain about the game a lot, I know, but there are actually a number of things the game got right, and item use was definitely one of them. Items are frequently used, both new and previously-obtained, inside and outside of the dungeons, and even though they're not always used in the most creative of ways, they flow seamlessly with the rest of the game design, and that's the mark of true craftsmanship.

 

[DarkestLink]

MM or TP for me. They both had flops, but masks were pretty neat and neither had this rule on "using the item this many times"...they just used them when they used them and whatever seemed like the most fun.

 

[Zorth]

TP probably had the worst and best at the same time, awesome that there were so many items you used in the game but sucked that you had zero use for them once you completed the game. The one game which I enjoyed using items the most though would probably be MM, both because of the masks and just normal items.

 

[DarkestLink]

But yet you say it's not only your least favourite, but the objectively worst Zelda game?

I honestly disagree with him overall, but just because tWW's his least favorite game doesn't mean he has to despise every aspect of it.

 

[JuicieJ]

But yet you say it's not only your least favourite, but the objectively worst Zelda game?

What's your point? Just because I think it's the weakest in the series doesn't mean I think everything about it is bad, nor does it even mean I think it's a remotely bad game. I've said this countless times: there are no bad Zelda games (aside from the CD-i's). There just has to be a best and worst of everything. And, in all reality, The Wind Waker got more things right than it did wrong. The things it got wrong just happen to be horrendously bad and are a huge part of the experience (sailing, difficulty level), so they significantly drag the game down more than the flaws of any other Zelda game.

 

[Ventus]

But yet you say it's not only your least favourite, but the objectively worst Zelda game?

And? JJ can say something is the worst whatever, but that doesn't mean every aspect of it is horrible. Like, that doesn't even make sense!
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I'm with JJ. TWW - or at least what I remember of it - definitely had the best use of items. Sure, they weren't my favorite items but they were put to so many great uses (imo, Wind Temple being the pinnacle).

 

[Red Link]

Hmmm, this is hard to decide, but I would say Zelda Four Swords. You had to make great use of items with puzzles while cooperating with your friend. I though Four Swords had a great use of items because you can only hold one item and sometimes you have to switch and give up the previous item. There were lots of puzzles I faced with these items. Plus you have to be very smart with them in the Hero's Trial.

 

[JuicieJ]

No no, he has a list of favourites and a list of best. It's not about tWW being his least favourite, but he thinks it's genuinely the worst. I'm not sure my least favourite Zelda games are the best at anything, but to him WW has the best use of items. It's not that I think he despises every aspect of it, but for something to be the best that isn't just a gimmick for that game, eh, seems odd.

I don't see how believing a game is the worst in a series should prevent me from thinking one particular aspect about it is the best. The logic there is non-existent.

 

[HyruleHistory10]

I think A Link to the past had a lot of Useful items... but I am going to say that The Hyrule Fantasy (a.k.a. The original for those that do not know) Used the items the BEST. The reason is you NEEDED the items the candle and meat were just as important as the sword or bombs. So my vote goes for the classic.

 

[MW7]

I'll go with Majora's Mask. I really liked how the game revolved around the bow, and the elemental arrows were extremely useful in this game as opposed to them being almost an afterthought in Ocarina of Time. The game could have used some masks much better, but I found myself using the majority of them often. The dungeons also built off one another fairly well IMO like how the Great Bay Temple required regular use of both the fire and ice arrows. Also the Stone Tower Temple required you to use all sorts of items and masks as kind of a final test. However, the moon was the actual final challenge, and that required you to think about which masks you valued most which was an interesting dynamic. The game's reliance on acquiring items to progress through the game just like in the original Zelda was something I liked as well. I'm not a fan of the requirement of having to finish a dungeon to move onto the next which is the norm in most Zelda games. Finally I think Majora's Mask had the coolest item of all Zelda games- the Bombers' Notebook.

 

[linkypete]

I loved Skyward Sword's unique items like the beetle and the whip, and I loved how useful they were. The upgrade system also made it all even better.