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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 4:44:50 GMT -5
Zeldalike Games:
Sidescrollers:
Adventure Island IV
Battle of Olympus
Dragon View/Super Drakken
Gargoyle's Quest
Gargoyle's Quest II
Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition
Holy Umbrella: Dondera´s Wild!!
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
Monster World IV
Ori and the Blind Forest
Shaman King Master of Spirits
Shantae
Super Adventure Island II
Tomba!/Tombi!
Wonder Boy in Monster World III/The Dynastic Hero
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Dragon's Curse (Original)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Dragon's Curse (Fan Remake)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Dragon's Curse (Official Remake)
Top Down & Isometric:
Alcahest
Alundra
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Brain Lord (SNES, 1994)
Crusader of Centy/Soleil
Crystallis/God Slayer
Daikatana
Final Fantasy Adventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu
Gauntlet IV (Quest Mode) - Small hub area rather than an overworld
Golden Axe Warrior
Golvellius: Valley of Doom
Golvellius II (Shin Maou Golvellius)
Gunple: Gunman's Proof/Ganpuru
Illusion of Gaia/Illusion of Time
King Colossus
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole
Light Crusader
Magic Knight Rayearth
Mantra
Neutopia
Rolan's Curse II
Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu 2
Seiken Densetsu 3
Soul Blazer
Super Cooks - Sidescroller hybrid
Sylvan Tale
Terranigma
Ys I & II Chronicles
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
3D:
Alundra 2 (PS1) - Hub map w/ a Clash at Demonhead-style world structure
Banjo-Tooie (N64, 2000) - Collectathon w/ a hub area that eventually connects all levels
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Beyond Good & Evil
Brave Fencer Musashi
Darksiders II
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
Mystical Ninja II Starring Goemon/Goemon's Great Adventure
Okami
Shadow Man
Threads of Fate
It's the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series this weekend and I thought about doing a ranking of everyone's favourite Zelda games, but I changed my mind. I thought it would be nice for everyone to be able to join in and discuss not just games in the Zelda series but Zeldalike games also. What do you look for in this kind of game? Do you have any favourites you'd like to share? etc.
Personally I have a great fondness for exploration in video games and feel the genre is at its best when worlds are thoughtfully interconnected and have interesting ways to engage with the world to find secrets. I also really value a sense of grand adventure which is kind of an intangible quality that's difficult to put my finger on, but tends to be elevated by presentation and soundtrack.
I will pick a couple of Zelda games to talk about initially starting with my favourite 3D entry:
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker A game where the sense of adventure really shines imo. The soundtrack is powerful, yet playful and compliments the cartoonish art style. Travelling on the seas gives a feeling of escapism like pretty much nothing else for me. Perhaps not the strongest dungeons in the series or most interesting to explore, but it's the one I connected with the most.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past My first Zelda game and my first adventure game. I really hadn't experienced anything like this from a video game before so there's probably some bias there. That said I find the game excels in exploration in terms of a 2D setting. It is exploration that is rewarded also, with some items even being optional. Being able to shift between two worlds was a really interesting way to gain access to new areas.
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Post by 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 on Feb 17, 2021 9:30:38 GMT -5
I'm definitely going to go overboard and talk about every Zelda game now. But I'll single out my top five.
PERSONAL TOP 5 (in no part. order, but sorta): -Ocarina of Time: Talked about it before, but bottom line: the dungeons are amazing, and the overworld, while it's not that good, still has a lot of fun moments. My pick for the best Zelda game. -Breath of the Wild: I'm sure people have heard enough praise for this game by now. -A Link to the Past: Challenging dungeons that have a good balance between maze-iness and action, and a very clever dual-world structure. -Skyward Sword: The overworld contains more action than ever, meaning it never got boring to me. The dungeons are also top-notch, and the Wiimote plus makes this one completely unique. -A Link Between Worlds: It's a bit too easy on normal and the dungeons feel a little simpler compared to aLttP, but I still love this one. The freedom here is great (though each area is still more or less linear), and the dual world mechanic is once again brilliant, this time with the added benefit of the wall-merging mechanic.
MIDDLE ONES (in no part. order): -Twilight Princess: It has some pacing issues, but it's a worthy follow-up to OoT. -Majora's Mask: Probably the most mixed bag entry. Very original elements and one of the best overworlds, but two forgettable dungeons followed by two dungeons I downright dislike. -Oracle of Ages: More memorable overworld than LA and OoS pushes this one over the top. Dungeons are really great too of course. -Oracle of Seasons: Not as good as Ages, but it's similar enough that it's still pretty great. The seasons-changing overworld sounds more interesting than the past/present things from Ages (which has been done before in OoT and aLttP), but Ages just nails it. -Minish Cap: Feels a bit slight (especially dungeon-wise), but I had a blast with it anyway. -Spirit Tracks: Probably the most underrated one. The DS games have their flaws, but they improved a lot from PH to this one. The central dungeon here is actually done really well (in contrast to PH where it was a bit meh), and Zelda's role is by far the best in the series.
PERSONAL BOTTOM 5, BUT STILL GOOD: (in no part. order): -Zelda 1: Great game that holds up really well. Just not one of my favorites (replay coming soon, though). -Zelda II: The difficulty, magic system, unique side-scrolling gameplay and RPG elements are all things I'd like to see return to the series some time. Has some pacing issues and it-was-made-in-the-80's type problems. -Link's Awakening: Great game, but the constant item-switching and confusingly designed overworld drag the game down a bit. It feels like they didn't keep the GB's limitations in mind when they made it, which is very un-Nintendo. I need to play the remake. -Wind Waker: My least favorite of the 3D Zeldas so far. It's still quality Zelda stuff, but it's probably the only Zelda besides PH where I find both the overworld and dungeons underwhelming. The sailing just doesn't live up to its full potential, so I'd like to see it revisited some time (we've got fully open-world Zeldas now, so now is as good as time as any). -Phantom Hourglass: Probably my least favorite Zelda game. Not bad, of course, but I feel ST just has the better everything.
I honestly can't think of that many Zelda-likes I've played. I guess I'd say Wonder Boy in Monster World would be the best one I've played. That game's awesome, but not the most Zelda-ish you can get. The most Zelda-ish Zelda-like I've played has been Mystic Quest/Final Fantasy Adventure for the GB. It's fine, but I didn't finish it. The dungeons definitely aren't that good in that game. Faxanadu is pretty damn good, as I've just found out, but it also lacks that Zelda polish.
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Post by spanky on Feb 17, 2021 11:22:38 GMT -5
Here's my favorite Zeldas off the top of my head. This list is colored by the fact I tend to like the exploration parts between the dungeons moreso than the dungeons themselves... and my retro bias.
Breath of the Wild - This is basically a very Nintendo take on a modern open world action RPG like Skyrim, but with Nintendo levels of polish and fun. They knocked it out of the park. It feels like it is simultaneously is looking back to the original game while looking forward to where the series should go. Easily my favorite Zelda game.
Majora's Mask - While I'll admit my playthroughs usually peter out in one of the later dungeons, this is a game that completely wins me over with it's original ideas and atmosphere.
Legend of Zelda - I have a huge soft spot for inscrutable 8-bit stuff. I love how the game just throws you into this huge world and says "OK, figure it out buddy." Even playing it today, there's a real thrill when you bomb a wall or burn a bush and it reveals a secret .
Link to the Past - The Zelda "formula" really settles in here. And while I would tire of this formula later on, I really enjoy it here. I love the aesthetics too.
Adventure of Link - Yeah, it's the black sheep. It focuses on platforming and combat. It has experience points for goodness sake! I don't care! The exploration is still there and it's fun to play.
My go-to controversial gaming opinion is that Ocarina isn't even a top 5 Zelda game. Still a great game at any rate. My least favorite Zelda game, not counting stuff like Spirit Tracks or the CD-i games is probably Skyward Sword which I found to be a completely dreadful experience.
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Post by shelverton on Feb 17, 2021 12:09:29 GMT -5
My favorite Zelda games tend to be the top down ones, excluding the DS games (at least Phantom Hourglass which is hands down the worst DS game I own.)
A Link to the Past is, to me, one of the finest video games I’ve ever played and I still enjoy playing it to this day. I was SHOCKED to find A Link Between Worlds almost as good, so many years later. It reminded me of why I love video games at all. Finally I am a huge fan of Minish Cap. Yes, it’s easy. Yes, it’s short. But there is absolutely no filler here. You leave it wanting more which can’t be said of many other games IMO.
I can’t leave this thread without mentioning Landstalker which I played only a year after A Link to the Past, back in the day. I wouldn’t say it’s as good as ALTTP but it’s the most immersive Zelda-like I’ve ever played. It took me at least a year to finish because the dungeons were extremely large and almost too challenging for me. But I pushed through. I have no idea how it’s aged though.
Final Fantasy Adventure/Mystic Quest is another favorite of mine. I played it just before Link’s Awakening came out in Scandinavia in, what, 1993? I think I have even fonder memories of this game that LA.... two spectacular games though!
Finally, I just picked up Blossom Tales on the Switch which looks very much like a pretty decent if simple Zelda clone. Looking forward to that one!
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Post by dsparil on Feb 17, 2021 14:11:56 GMT -5
I haven't played Triforce Heroes, Four Swords or Four Swords Adventure so I have no thoughts on them.
Top Skyward Sword - This is always going to be my favorite unless they bring back the fine grained sword fighting. I like the overworld as dungeon design too.
Wind Waker - I go back and forth about whether the HD version is better than the original because it isn't as clear cut as it seems. The new sailcloth inadvertently makes sailing more boring even as it makes moving from place to place faster.
Twilight Princess - Possibly the one I've played the most time-wise between two or three replays for the original, Wii and HD versions. HD is clearly the winner here. The only downside is that the beginning is overly confusing to get through. I can see why they wanted to give extra focus to the starting village, but what you need to do isn't communicated clearly.
Majora's Mask - Love the masks and the overall design. The Bunny Hood is the greatest item in Zelda history! It can be a bit confusing, but the 3DS version makes it easier to follow.
Link's Awakening - The Switch version is a nice update that makes it so much less annoying to play. I've always loved it, but not having to constantly switch items is a much bigger improvement than you'd think.
Breath of the Wild - It's changed the game so much in terms of exploration that it makes every other "open world" game complete garbage in that regard even now. I hope that the sequel brings back real dungeons because then it'd be perfect.
The Rest A Link Between Worlds - I think this one is a little overrated, but it's still fun with some good gameplay in general. It is however undeniably the absolute easiest game in the entire series on the regular difficulty. It's a shame that Hero Mode requires an unlock because it's less extreme in this one as it only increases damage but keeps hearts around unlike the HM in other games that have it.
Ocarina of Time - I remain spiteful for the Water Temple to this day, and it would be my most hated game in the series if it wasn't for the 3DS version letting you map the stupid boots to a button. I do think that it ironically had the effect of making Nintendo pay more attention to water themed dungeon in future games and those tend to be some of the nicer ones.
Minish Cap - It's been ten or so years since I last played it, so it's a point for me that I remember liking it more than I actually like it now.
Adventure of Link - This was the first one I played so I have a soft spot for it.
A Link to the Past - I'm too burned out on it at this point. It's a classic, but I find no enjoyment in it anymore. I've probably finished this the most number of times, but TP is longer so I've spent more total time on it.
Spirit Tracks - The best thing about it is that it's better than Phantom Hourglass. I like the train, but the narrative strains at it's inclusion.
Original - For whatever reason, I don't like the original game all that much. I do think almost all of my opinions about the series stem directly from playing II before the first.
Oracle of Ages/Seasons - These were so unmemorable to me that I've forgotten everything about them.
Phantom Hourglass - I'd say this is the only game in the series that arguable is a bad game. The Temple of the Ocean King is so ill conceived and a tedious mess that it saps the game of any fun.
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Post by spanky on Feb 17, 2021 15:20:27 GMT -5
I completely forgot about Link Between Worlds! Probably my second or third favorite game in the series now that I think about it.
I've had the pleasure of playing Four Swords with 3 other friends and I am telling you, it might be the most chaotic fun I've ever had playing a video game.
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Feb 17, 2021 17:42:00 GMT -5
I feel like I should play through ALBW and BotW before making that list, but for now I can say it's Link's Awakening for 2D and probably Twilight Princess for 3D.
I first learned of Zelda via the NES games but Zelda 3 and LA are what got me into the games/universe and the first ones I owned myself. After that I skipped the N64 and no one I hung out with during those years had one either, then the GC as well as I wasn't as into games in general for a few years, before getting back into them via retro games. It's only in recent years that I've played through the 3D games, up until TP.
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Post by Snake on Feb 17, 2021 21:03:07 GMT -5
Favorite Zelda Games:
A Link to the Past/Triforce of the Gods - What a complete improvement on the 1st game's formula. Lush, beautiful, interactive. Fantastic soundtrack. A game that continues to reward you the more you push for exploration.
Zelda 2:Adventure of Link - The one game in the series I replay the most. Where you can get by on raw skill instead of constantly leveling up. I really enjoyed the format of this game.
Breath of the Wild - So massively impressive in every sense. Similar to Zelda 2, you can get through much of the game and take on tough enemies if your skills are that good. You can finish this game in just about any order, on any whim. And yet all the cut-scenes are made to account that you would be doing things in any sequence. If I really think about it, I would score Breath of the Wild and A Link to the Past as perfect 10/10 timeless classics.
Zelda-like analogues:
Battle of Olympus - This one basically plays like Zelda 2:Adventure of Link, but with no magic spells, no experience, and adding money across a Greek mythology retelling of Orpheus journeying to Hades to bring back Eurydice. Hard as nails, way more difficult than Adventure of Link. This was "that" game for me, that I had to rent several times from the local video store, before finally completing. Catchy soundtrack.
Crystalis/Godslayer: Sonata of the Faraway Sky - I wish SNK had bothered to make a follow-up to this game, but they were really into full-blown arcade action by the time they were focusing on Neo Geo software. More plot driven than early Zelda games, but being able to save and load progress nearly anywhere is a great feature. A bit of a nod reference to Psycho Soldier. Interestingly, like Battle of Olympus, there is a point where you need to ride dolphin to get around.
Terranigma - More action than puzzles, following Quintet's theme of gradually "rescuing the world." But shit, talk about an end-game bittersweet twist.
Monster Hunter World - Plays a lot like Breath of Wild, but more weapons (that dont' break on you), lots of item farming... but most importantly, incredible fights against visually impressive monsters. There's a smart balance in challenge to play solo, but so much fun to play with friends and randoms in a teamwork effort.
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Post by Dracula on a bike on Feb 18, 2021 3:30:51 GMT -5
One Zeldalike game that I played back in the '90s is Mantra (originally released as freeware for MacOS in 1995, later ported to the cross-platform Allegro API and released as open source in 2010). This game bears a fairly obvious resemblance to the original Legend of Zelda, but also includes RPGish elements that appear less often in the Zelda series such as magic points, experience points / levels, and elemental weapons / spells (à la Crystalis).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2021 9:34:10 GMT -5
Dracula on a bike - Why would Dracula need a bike? OK, since others are roughly ranking the Zelda series here goes: Best Wind Waker - as above Link to the Past - Though I have tired of this one, I will still rate it highly due to all the memories. Link's Awakening - Particularly the remake (which is my favourite Zelda). I found it nostalgic and fresh at the same time whilst providing a feeling of escapism. Breath of the Wild - Amazing exploration, puzzles and unique experimental nature of the gameplay make it a standout. Only problem is, the game was so long I became tired of it after I'd found every shrine. Ocarina of Time - People always talk about the water temple being tough but I weirdly waltzed right through it (I only played the game once). I think what must have happened was that I fluked it and managed to do everything in the right order first time or something. Middle Skyward Sword - Had a great time with it, but was definitely it's own thing. When compared to other Zelda games the lack of a proper connected overworld and exploration make it fall short. As a linear action adventure it's a great time. Twilight Princess - Really great dungeons and creative items. Overworld a bit lacking and artstyle too dark for my tastes. Minish Cap - A tad short but I really loved the vibrant colours and nice use of items. I kind of don't want to replay it in case it falls short of my previous experience though. Adventure of Link - Really love the blend of overworld and 2D sections. Liked the challenge. Well, at least until it became a bit much at the end. Least Favourite Spirit Tracks/Phantom Hourglass - Not much to say really. They were nice enough but unmemorable to me. Link Between Worlds - I agree with dsparil that this is overrated. The item rental mechanic meant the game lost a lot of the sense of adventure usually found in the series for me. The dungeons I found a bit plain. I like the soundtrack quite a bit though. Legend of Zelda - Control is stiff and dated to me. Still had some fun with it but vastly improved upon by the other entries to me. Majora's Mask - I just don't remember it too well. Oracle of Ages - It was kind of just another Zelda to me. Nothing unique about it. Oracle of Seasons - Similar to the above but I liked it a tad more.
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Post by chronotigger65 on Feb 18, 2021 22:54:12 GMT -5
I like A Link to the Past the most but dislike Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks and Triforce Hero's cause of their gimmicks.
Zeldalike ones I like are the Startropics series, Illusion of Gaia, Alundra, Secret of Evermore, Terranigma and others.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2021 2:14:28 GMT -5
Thought I'd compare the 3D Zelda games in different categories:
Best Art Style Wind Waker/Breath of the Wild
Best Overworld Breath of the Wild (Ocarina for traditional entries)
Best Dungeons Twilight Princess
Best Items Skyward Sword
Best Boss Battles Skyward Sword
Best Soundtrack Wind Waker
Best Story Wind Waker
Best Puzzles Breath of the Wild
Any other opinions on any of these?
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Feb 20, 2021 6:57:56 GMT -5
Top 30 Zelda-likes (including sidescrollers): Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II/Dragon's Curse (SMS/PCE) Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PC) Dragon's Curse Remake (PC)(Fan Remake) Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole (MD) Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shougun Magginesu/Go for it! Goemon 2: The Strange General McGuinness (SNES, 1993) Secret of Evermore (SNES) (modded) Sylvan Tale (GG) Monster World IV (MD) Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (PC, 2016) Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition (PC)
Gargoyle's Quest (GB) Batman: Arkham Asylum: GOTY Edition (PC, 2010) Gargoyle's Quest II/Makaimura Gaiden: The Demon Darkness (NES, 1992/GB, 1993) Strife: Veteran Edition Final Fantasy Adventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu (GB) Golvellius: Valley of Doom Shaman King: Master of Spirits (GBA, 2004) Crystalis/God Slayer (NES) (w/ mods) Okami (PS2)? Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (PC)
King Colossus (MD) The Guardian Legend (NES) Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES) The Legend of the Mystical Ninja/Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyuushutsu Emaki (SNES, 1991) Wonder Boy in Monster World/Monster World III (MD) Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64) Goemon's Great Adventure/Mystical Ninja 2 Starring Goemon (N64) Adventure Island IV (NES) Tails Adventure (GG) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1)
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Post by Bumpyroad on Feb 20, 2021 7:13:57 GMT -5
31: Golden Axe Warrior
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Post by ommadawnyawn2 on Feb 20, 2021 8:03:11 GMT -5
Would put that one around 67 actually.
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