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Which Pre-SS Zelda Has the Best Combat?

Joined
Aug 7, 2008
It's looking like Skyward Sword is going to take the best Zelda combat award by a long shot, but if we consider only games before skyward sword, which game has the best combat.

In my opinion, the combat in most of the 3D titles is too easy, especially WW and TP, and the combat in AoL bordered on too hard. I think the 2D Zelda's have a more consistent difficulty level, but are not as interesting since many lack the combos and easy access to alternate items while fighting. Personally, I have mixed feelings on combat in the DS titles. At times, I really enjoy it. At other times, it is really annoying.

All things considered, I'm going to claim Minish Cap has the best combat since it mixes the balance I think all the 2D games share with the special sword moves that appear in some of the 3D titles.

2nd place for me is OoT. While it is perhaps the most balanced of the 3D games in terms of combat, I still feel like it is a bit too easy; however, I love using deku nuts and hookshots on enemies. (I wager that most younger players will remember OoT combat being pretty challenging, but older players who started in 2D will not, but this is just a hypothesis. It's not that 3D combat is inherently easier, but all of the 3D games have made it much easier to gain health, and enemies do less damage. When you are used to rooms of Blue Darknuts and bubbles and only a one use medicine...)

Anyway, what do you all think?
 

Ronin

There you are! You monsters!
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Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
Alrest
I actually liked Majora's Mask the most in terms of combat. It may have been made easier with all the masks and even transformations, but the enemies varied enough where it could be very tricky at parts, such as fighting Great Bay Temple's Miniboss. That was the most frustrating battle on there, even more than Gyorg. Although it seemed to offset the game's usual pace, it provided plenty of challenge that harder gamers enjoy.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'll have to say tWW simply because of how fun it was. easy to use items. critical attacks and one of the best things ever stealing your enemies weapons.

oh and AoL if you put the time in to get good at the combat. tbh apart from iron knuckles and those moblins who through boomerangs the enemies aren't that hard (however platforming in this game was soo GGGGRRRRRR).
 

Ventus

Mad haters lmao
Joined
May 26, 2010
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Akkala
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Hylian Champion
I'd say the best combat was OoT/MM. Simple, but not too easy to the point of boredom. Almost every enemy had different ways of defeating it; some ways didn't work as well as others. For example, the penultimate boss of OoT can be made so much harder if you do a spin attack against its light orb, thereby making it travel a LOT faster than it would against a normal slice. Likewise, 3HCs are made somewhat harder because the combat isn't too easy – enemies have apparent weakpoints but they guard them well enough to keep them from being one shotted in any scenario.

As for the 2D series, Minish Cap wins because of the aforementioned sword skills. The Roll Attack was perhaps one of my most favored skills; I eliminated Darknuts and bosses alike with that one move. Items also devied it up – the more the merrier as they say!
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Location
Canada, Alberta
Adventure of Link for sure.

It had four different ways to attack and Defend. Attack From up, Attack from the bottom, Defend from up, and Defend from the bottom. These four different things were all skills you needed to master. It was fun fighting Iron Knuckles and stalfos' and many other monsters. Every monster fought differently and you needed to learn strategies for each monster than you faced. It was fun and the bosses were all challenging and fun. This is why I love Zelda II and I hope Skyward Sword will surpass the sword fighting in AoL as it seems it will.

As always to my fellow gamers! GAME ON!!
 

MW7

Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Location
Ohio
I have to say Adventure of Link as well. I feel like Skyward Sword is borrowing the idea of being able to place your sword strikes but is moving the idea to 3d. So 13 years after OOT basically moved ALLTP to 3d, we finally get the challenging combat system of AOL moved to 3d with SS.
 
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
I'll have to say tWW simply because of how fun it was. easy to use items. critical attacks and one of the best things ever stealing your enemies weapons.

oh and AoL if you put the time in to get good at the combat. tbh apart from iron knuckles and those moblins who through boomerangs the enemies aren't that hard (however platforming in this game was soo GGGGRRRRRR).

I definitely agree that WW combat was fun and a lot of that had to do with stealing enemy weapons. I also agree with everyone who loves the AoL combat. I do think that it has some great sword play if you are patient with the learning curve. The only reason I think it falls behind some of the other 2D games in combat is that you ONLY have a your sword. That is one reason I think the SS combat will be so good. It will mix the sword play from AoL with the use of items and movement that makes the 3D games so fun, and hopefully it will have the same balance as the 2D games.
 

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