Lens of Truth

Totally agree about more Majora! But it seems very unlikely, given Nintendo's reluctance to develop their backstories. They like to keep things vague.

I've got a good feeling about this one:) .. which is born out of desperation as much as anything.. but I'm sure it won't be as bad as the hi-def travesty! If it turns out to be as dodgy, glitchy and unintuitive as most 3D Sonics, then it’ll be an excruciating wait until Prime3... *long sigh*

Concerning the end sequence:

Well said!

Surely it doesn't benefit nintendo to release only 1 okish nes game this week - even in terms of their anal 'staggered release' policy!?? I'm not too keen to shell out another 40 at the mo on some lame ephemeral party game.. Guess I'll just start TP again

Something else has to come through shortly. I've been looking forward to the new vc content all week. We're long overdue another n64 title. Come on ninty, pull your fingers out of your arseholes..

KingOfHyrule has some fair points there, and I'm sure most of us have had similar feelings. I too hope the future of the Wii isn't in naff party games and crap like Sponge Bob. Nintendo need to step it up a notch - and not just with Mario and chums either! Innovation is supposed to be the Wii's middle name.. so let's see some! Yes, it's only been out a month. Things will improve. So far I've been very contented with WiiSports, Red Steel and, of course, Zelda. On the graphics front, I'm pleased that games now run in widescreen as standard, but other than that there haven't been any significant improvements on the capabilities of the cube. There isn't a single game (except perhaps TP in parts) that rivals, let alone betters, Resi4. I really don't think people should worry so much though - the lack of care and effort that has been put into most third party titles is not an indication of what the system is capable of

You know, there's plenty of stuff to keep you occupied in this games aside from the main quest. LOADS of heart pieces to find.. Hyrule Field has a lot more lying under the surface than in any previous 3d Zelda. I mean, let's face it, all the bland piddling little islands in WW were a bit lame. I started off feeling a bit cynical about TP too, but so many of the areas (if not all..) are just a joy to revisit and explore every nook and cranny! Play Ocarina now and you'll be surprised at how barren the gameworld seems in comparison (albeit, with that incomparable 'classic' feel). I think the reason why some people are disillusioned with TP is that it manifestly doesn't take Zelda to the next level.. it does, however, rejig and rehash everything (or nearly) that has defined 3d Zelda's over the years very successfully. That's not to say that it doesn't bring it's own character to bear on the series as well, cos it does.. (namely Midna:) ) I do agree with motion2000 though on his point about the plot being a bit vague and vacuous in parts..

Hold the trigger to stay locked on. The Z-targeting does seem a little twitchy in TP tho..

I think people are becomming jaded having played Zelda to death over the years. WW was clearly a rushed job (missing at least 3 dungeons!!) but still had many great moments. For me part of the problem with TP is quite the opposite - there are far too many obviously scripted events crammed in and not enough of a natural sense of exploration (cf OOT). The dungeons were good, sometimes inspired (totally agree about snow mansion Fierce Link!).. the last few were a little underwhelming from a hardcore Zelda-nut's perspective, but I don't think that's really the issue. Plus, you can take as long as you see fit between the dungeons;while it may not rival the side-quest heavy MM, there are certainly plenty of things to keep you busy as long as you don't wish to storm ahead. So, a solid and interesting Zelda game certainly. BUT: is it going to change your life, or even the way you look at Zelda games?? In a word no. The real thing Nintendo have to address in Zelda is the limited feeling of immersion and interactivity.. something the wiimote was made for surely..

To my eyes this is one of the better looking launch titles. It is a bit rough around the edges.. but a lot of thought has gone into making it an atmospheric experience. So far I've enjoyed it a lot, even though the control setup is slightly mad - and not exactly the ideal introduction to the wiimote's capabilities (roll-on Galaxy!). What I will say for the control method is that it definately increases the feeling of tension!

Well, having just reached the Sacred Grove I'm really beginning to fall in love with this game!! I wasn't so taken at first - the graphics required some getting used to for me, seeming slightly twitchy and awkward (I even found myself wishing for something more stylised in the vein of WW or Okami).. The smeary composite image didn't help matters.. But then I began to really appreciate the care and artistry of the game, the character and beauty in the design. Yes, it's a shame that a lot of the textures are very low quality, but more often than not everything seems to come together to create scenes of breathtaking imagination. I suppose you could say that graphically TP is more than the sum of its parts! There is just the right combination of the new and the familiar as well. So many nice touches for fans of Ocarina especially. They seem to have taken all the best aspects of each of the 3D Zeldas - the epic quality of OOT, the dark, surreality of MM, and the slickness and refined mechanics of WW. Without dishing out any spoilers, there are certain moments in this game that put to shame anything else being done in gaming today. It's so weird when you're playing a game and you can actually feel it working its magic on you!! Can't wait to see what's to come...!

1. Yes, you will notice a huge improvement. If your tv is not HD but has component inputs then it will run in 'progressive scan'. This is what I use for dvds and it looks fantastic - better colour, contrast, sharpness etc. I'm in the same situation myself and I can't wait for the component cables on fri (fingers crossed!). Honestly, if you have a good prog scan SD tv then the difference between that and an HD set running the Wii will be minimal. 2. Not sure about the Y, Pb and Pr thing.. prob some techno-babble you shouldn't concern yourself with. Sounds like your set is compatible to me..

Oh God! And I thought Link couldn't get any sexier!!

Those new screens are a bit pointless surely Incidently, do we have any idea when this will be out yet? Hope it makes xmas next year.

The images in the last big scan of the town etc look especially interesting

I can't believe we don't get this til Feb 07! Oh well, Zelda, Red Steel and Monkey Ball will have to do til the new year..

This is my first attempt at a post, so bear with me.. While reading many of the opinions put forth on this forum it has struck me that there’s a certain tension accompanying the release of the Wii that hasn’t been generated for any previous Nintendo console. Often viewpoints seem to swing wildly and hysterically between the extremes of euphoric praise and knee-jerk scepticism. I have to say that my own reactions to the various developments over the past few months have shared something of this schizoid character.. so I thought it would be a good idea to get off my chest some of the more confusing aspects of Nintendo’s Wii ‘strategy’.. I think first of all, the big N have been incredibly misleading in some of their self-generated hype. All the coquettish talk of megaton announcements and further revolutionary secrets and so on has only served to undermine the appearance of the final product. When the new controller was first revealed I was ecstatic. It seemed to point to what I had always wished for in gaming – greater interactivity and immersion, the next level of depth if you like. But as things went on Nintendo grew more and more obfuscatory about the nature of the console (supposedly holding back elements so new that, if revealed, would be quickly taken up by competitors). With hindsight we can now say that this was slightly absurd. On the game front, I absolutely can’t wait for Zelda, Metoid and, perhaps most of all, Mario Galaxy. Other games such as Excite Truck and Monkey Ball look ‘fun’. And, having accepted that the mind-boggling revolution is going to be a gentler, less involved process than I thought, I’m quite happy about the unpretentious, accessible emphasis of the Wii. However, I still can’t shake the idea that it’s not just third party developers who’ve been cautiously feeling their way with the system (hence the extremely underwhelming graphics of certain titles) – Nintendo themselves seem to have been very unsure of how far to go with it. The afterthought of Twilight Princess becoming a Wii title (indeed its flagship title!) is just one example. Who knows what wonders the Wii will produce further into its lifespan.. but the fact remains that its launch and pre-release hype has been a bit of a fudge. The last thing I want to see though is for a system with such potential to be used only for its novelty appeal. A few less of the hastily thrown together fischer price mini-game things wouldn’t go amiss. I have to say also that the whole ‘Mii’ thing is just a bit patronisingly simple as well. I’m not complaining that it’s there, I just hope that these sort of incidental gimmicks don’t become the point of the whole venture. Then of course there’s the whole graphics fiasco. I’m not going to rehearse the tired arguments on this subject. Suffice to say that when I first saw 360 titles like Perfect Dark and Kameo I didn’t think they were a significant step up. What has always impressed me about Nintendo’s ability to design graphics is the level of fluidity and integration that they achieve. Take a game that many on this forum have a low opinion of, like Mario Sunshine - having played it again recently I was still impressed by the quality of the animation and effects, the transitions between the different elements, and, like I say, a level of fluidity that even the better designed games on other consoles don’t often match. This goes hand in hand with the intuitiveness of the control too, so this can only be a good thing for Wii. The first party games so far look gorgeous, even with the inevitable gamecubiness of cross-overs like TP. Everyone has been a bit concerned over the Wii. We’re all salivating over the prospect of a new more responsive control system. Only a fool wouldn’t be looking forward to the chance of getting to grips with a new tailor-made Mario. And there are plenty of interesting looking third party titles such as Red Steel and Elebits. But still something’s missing. I think, all things considered, it will take Nintendo (and perhaps ourselves) a little while to grow into the Wii..

Pleeeease be Goldeneye and Perfect Dark! Hmm, not likely. How about Castle of Illusion? Lylat Wars?

By 'graphics fiasco' I meant some of the absurd responses of fans to the Wii's supposed lack of power. The graphics of most of Nintendo's games for Wii have impressed me so far. Certainly some lesser developers haven't given their games much spit and pollish, but I would guess that's because of taking time to get used to creating games for a unique contol system. The way Nintendo themselves seem to treat graphics is as an integral part of the whole experience of a game. I honestly don't think polygon pushing is really that significant anymore.. but anway, I promised myself I wouldn't go into all that stuff.. You're right Hellfire not to shut-up and PC-out. Forums in general can become incredibley anal whenever a contentious topic is raised.. the whole point is to discuss your views, surely.. why not let things get a bit heated occassionally?

Yes. Totally agree with the DS comparison. I think it would take the weight off some of the more non-comittal third party projects if they just stuck with the classic control scheme. Not all will be capable of taking advantage of the wii mote convincingly.. Smash Brothers uses the traditional contol though doesn't it?

Scores sound good to me! I've no doubt that TP will be better than WW.. review scores are very imprecise things..

Thanks cube game! I know I was a bit long winded. Sorry about that. Just need to get it out, if you know what I mean.