Is Zelda perfect the way it is?

I would say that, so far, the only Zelda game that was absolutely PERFECT in my opinion is The Wind Waker. The overall atmosphere, the characters, the dungeons, everything. Sure, it had its flaws, but I'd choose it over any other game anyday. My favorite part was the Earth Temple.

Majora's Mask was just plain awesome, too. Not a PERFECT game, but close. Very close. Many people complain about the three-day system. It's because its realistic four-dimensional universe is too complex for their poor little brains. The animations and controls, like in TWW, were smooth, and that's a plus.

Ocarina of Time was a great game, but not perfect. It was often slow and a bit clunky, but the story and characters more than makes up for it. Besides, it was Nintendo's first shot at a 3D Zelda game.

The Oracles, although diehard Zelda fans don't seem to like them, I actually enjoyed very much. Right after finishing LA for the umpteenth time, it was so cool to walk around in a slightly more realistic portable world with smoother animations and a bit more detailed sprites. I liked them, for some reason. In fact, Oracle of Seasons is one of my favorites. Link's Awakening was the perfect portable, though. It's unexplainable. It was just so awesome, in a portable Zelda world. The great story was a plus, too. I almost cried at the end. (Marin... I kinda... :embrsd: )

Spoiler (Highlight to read):

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I JUST COULDN'T SEE HER DIE!!!

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A Link to the Past was damn near perfect, too. It had a few downsides, though. Sometimes, the Dark World dungeons got a little frustrating, and sometimes there wasn't much to do. Plus, the world was small. But it was my first 2D Zelda I actually took seriously (then beat a few weeks later), and it was an amazing experience, like most other Zelda games.

The Minish Cap? Go to the disappointments thread. But, overall, Zelda is gaming's best series, and I have faith. Faith that Twilight Princess will finally get Zelda's reputation back and be even closer to the perfect Zelda game. But we can only hope....

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Damn. Who chose the last one?

Originally Posted by Sage of Lightning

Damn. Who chose the last one?

ps2 or xbox fan probaly.

Although it is imosible to make anything absoulotly perfect Zelda comes within an inch.

I think the OoT engine has been perfected by what we have seen from E3, of course the game isnt on shelves yet, but I personally think that certain zelda engine has been perfected.

Of course, there is always room for some more engines, a 3D zelda engine that focus' more on puzzles than combat and vice-versa, Sure its hard to imagine simply because zelda has always been about puzzle solving and sword play. But zelda will change over time.

The OoT engine plays great, but I we will see a new zelda engine with the revolution

Probably the only flaw I can think of is variety of the dungeons. In OoT it was amazing how much of it was just find key open door. Sure each dungeon had its own theme, eg: water temple, gotta raise and lower the water levels, spirit temple, gotta use light and mirrors to solve puzzles. But I'd like to see them really shake up the problem solving elements a bit, and keep keys and locks to an absolute minimum. They did this better in Wind Waker, so I think they're on their way.

I think the most perfect game was TWW. First of all, it was huge, and sailing in your boat was cool and relaxing. At the same time, the hugeness was the biggest weakness of TWW. It just took so much time to travel between different islands! Even with the warp song, it just took too long, somtimes.

Second, for me, the sidequests are what makes a Zelda game better than any other RPG/action-adventure game. Just on Windfall island, there was so much to do! The sidequest part is where MM gets near the perfectness of TWW.

And third, the dungeons were great. You had to use other creatures to make it to the boss, and the puzzles were surprising. I had a hard time beating some of the dungeons. You're right, Thorn, OoT was just grabbing keys, open doors, going to every room you hadn't been before, and opening every treasure chest you saw on the map. Then, it was heading for the boss, and beating him/her. A bit straight-forward, don't you think?

Well the Zelda series is the only series so far that has
the atmosphere I look for in a game. Thats the reason why
I play it. The atmosphere. Thats probably why my favourite
game of all time is probably Majoras Mask...because of
Clock Town, and the atmosphere of Clocktown.
So thats the reason why I think its perfect. But it does
have some of its flaws...mostly in its graphics department
and all the glitches.

Its foolish to say any game is perfect. Although Zelda is close, its possibilities are endless and it will live on for a long time, the Zelda games are excellent.

Originally Posted by Thorn

Probably the only flaw I can think of is variety of the dungeons. In OoT it was amazing how much of it was just find key open door. Sure each dungeon had its own theme, eg: water temple, gotta raise and lower the water levels, spirit temple, gotta use light and mirrors to solve puzzles. But I'd like to see them really shake up the problem solving elements a bit, and keep keys and locks to an absolute minimum. They did this better in Wind Waker, so I think they're on their way.

Actually, that was only the majority of the dungeons. I'd say more so in A Link to the Past. In Ocarina of Time, the dungeons have themes: example; Fire Temple=rescue the Gorons from Volvagia and find the legendary Megaton Hammer. Forest Temple=hunt down the Poe sisters and defeat them to activate the elevator down to Phantom Ganon.

However, it did get a tad bit boring in other dungeons... maybe... nah. They actually make you THINK, unlike The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap, where your small key count rarely ever goes above 1. I enjoy thinking, unlike many people, and I enjoy figuring out dungeons, which is why (as repetitive as it may get) A Link to the Past is so much dang fun! They're saying the dungeons in Twilight Princess will be extremely complex. A plus, wouldn't you say?

I would say that, so far, the only Zelda game that was absolutely PERFECT in my opinion is The Wind Waker. The overall atmosphere, the characters, the dungeons, everything. Sure, it had its flaws, but I'd choose it over any other game anyday.

By definition, if something has flaws of any kind, then it's not perfect.

LttP is the only Zelda game I can think of that doesn't have any glaring flaws, but it still has them, and it still could have been a better game.

Perfection is impossible to achieve - it is an ideal, a goal, an incentive, but not something anyone can actually reach.

Absolutely. There is no more you need to add to it. This new game completes it all. Now maybe the next Zelda game after Twilight Princess will be better in ways we didn't think.

Yes, the Zelda series is awesome, but there's always a little pothole somewhere in everything. The increasingly easy and short recent games is just not cutting it. Luckily, TP is going to save us probably.

Originally Posted by lord-of-shadow

By definition, if something has flaws of any kind, then it's not perfect.

LttP is the only Zelda game I can think of that doesn't have any glaring flaws, but it still has them, and it still could have been a better game.

Perfection is impossible to achieve - it is an ideal, a goal, an incentive, but not something anyone can actually reach.

True. But they're barely noticeable, and you have to get really into the game and play it a lot to realize it's not 100% perfect. Then again--nothing is.

tWW's flaws were glaringly obvious. It was a great game, but it is simply incorrect to call it perfect.

Originally Posted by lord-of-shadow

tWW's flaws were glaringly obvious. It was a great game, but it is simply incorrect to call it perfect.

Merely a difference of opinion. We're both devoted and experienced Zelda fans, so I guess we just don't agree.

So you're saying that tWW had no noticable flaws, and was a perfect game? You liked how enemies hardly did any damage whatsoever? You liked how there were only a few difficult puzzles in the entire game? You liked how it was easy all the way through? You liked every moment of sailing across that needlessly big sea? You liked the way that island designs and themes were reused continually? You liked the way that the islands were space dout predictably (one per square)? You liked how there were only a few dungeons? You liked how, instead of making fire and ice/water Temples as they had planned, they just made those two littles island where you got the Power Bracelet and Iron Boots? You liked the way that we never got to go around Greatfish Isle? You liked how there was no dungeon for the third pearl? You liked how tedious constantly changing wind direction was, when they could have done it differently? You liked the lack of polish in the latter dungeons? You liked how they had you Triforce hunting and dealing with Tingle's greed, to artificially increase the length of the game?

I loved the Wind Waker. The Wind Waker was a great game. But only a fool calls it perfect.

As I said before, you'll notice its disguised flaws if you play it often and take it seriously.

There is no such thing as perfect, but Zelda is dang close. If the storyboard artists would ever release an official timeline...we wouldn't have as much fun!!!

Great series, I own every game and special edition (that means I have 3 copies of OoT, one on N64 and 2 on Gamecube). Including the original NES games. I don't count the CD-i games, those suck.