Grazza

Wow, that's a good point. I hadn't thought about the music. Another good point. The Wind Waker set on the 25th anniversary CD is amazing.

A few things I'd like them to change: * Pictobox can hold more pictures * Sculptor makes your sculptures instantly * Certain characters do not disappear at certain points (so it's easier to get their Pictograph)

That's a brilliant idea. It'd be great to have an A.I. companion getting into position and helping you with Mirror Shield puzzles etc.

Better still, Player 1 on the Pro Controller and Player 2 on the GamePad!

I like TP; its heart was in the right place. At least it had big fields to gallop across, gorgeous sunsets and good versions of Lake Hylia, Kakariko Village and Gerudo Desert. What I felt was missing were very specific things like NPC routines, Fire Arrows, Power Gauntlets, shield control and the Mirror Shield. I know for a fact that shield control was taken out. I can't say the same about the Mirror Shield, although I always thought the Spinner was suspicious... The four things from Skyward Sword I most want them to avoid are these: 1) Obstacle course overworlds. Really disliked Lanaryu Desert and Eldin Volcano. With all the narrow paths, it was so hard to get anywhere. 2) Motion controls. 3) Linearity. I don't want Zelda HD to be as difficult as the NES original, but Skyward Sword felt like "Go here, go there, Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3" to me. 4) Trials. These were just terrible. That's all for now. The only other thing I'll say is that they should go back to what they were thinking with Wind Waker, and improve the series in accordance with what they were planning at the time. Whether it's your favourite game or not, Wind Waker was the last time the series made a generational jump successfully. Now they have the opportunity to do it again...

I think he might possibly mean like how in Super Mario Galaxy, someone could help you collect the Star Bits. In Zelda, the main player could use the GamePad and someone else could use a Wii remote for pointing at something or other. Either that or Player 2 draws on the GamePad whilst the main player uses (shudder) the Wii remote and nunchuk.

I don't understand why it's not cel-shaded either. My only explanation is that cel-shading was a good way of making something look cartoony when they were limited to Dreamcast/PS2/GC/Xbox type tech, whereas newer consoles offer much more sophisticated lighting and shading, making it hard to resist using that instead. All I know is that I like cel-shading and I like what I see here. Either way, I'm keeping my GameCube.

The only thing I don't like about the controls is a funny thing, actually. I don't mind holding a button to run - the thing I'm not keen on is the combination of left-right sections, yet it's not locked to a fixed plane. In other words, this is a true 3D game that sometimes looks like a 2.5D one. In Super Mario Sunshine you've got a C-stick, so you can line up your long jumps better, but in this, you just have to be really, really accurate with your angles. It's a tiny complaint, and not even really a complaint considering it's not designed for dual-analogue hardware. You're right, I've 4-starred it now (just need to complete it with Luigi) and this game isn't that hard. But I still say Super Mario Galaxy 2's Star 242 is most definitely the hardest moment in a 3D Mario.

That's right, Wind Waker Link has a circular/spherical head, whereas Link from Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks has an oval head (not to be confused with the WW screenshot on page 4, as that's simply squashed to 16:9). WW and PH Link is meant to be the same one though, @Rummy.

Well, I for one hope they keep the colours and lighting exactly as they are. It looks spectacular. I would never have believed my favourite game could be improved so deftly.

It's all to do with screens, I suppose. They know every 3DS owner has the same screen, whereas they think some Wii U owners are still using 50hz screens (which might be the case, but I don't understand why we can't have a 50/60hz switch).

I wonder if they're saving that for when it's lower price? With the right games (Wind Waker HD, 3D Mario), they can probably sell more Wii Us at full price. Then, when they can eventually make a price cut without taking a loss, they could bring out Wii Sports U.

I'm in too good a mood to complain about much, but no 60hz is a big deal (in context, obviously). The Virtual Console is not about nostalgia. We say (quite rightly) that Super Metroid, Super Mario World, Link to the Past etc are great games in their own right, so let's finally have the proper versions! Or just put them on the 3DS.

The 3D bits look absolutely fantastic. Really looks like he's on a window ledge with trees outside!

I know where you're coming from, @Dcubed, in fact I greatly admire you for thinking that. It's like a spoilt kid who begs his parents for his Christmas presents early, right? They give him them 10 days early and it turns out they planned loads of good stuff for him all along. If only he'd waited to get it in due time... ...But the reality is that companies have to offer customers things they'll want. I don't think it's a moral issue, it's just that if you don't see something you want, you don't spend. No apologies were necessary - Nintendo didn't do anything wrong - but you can't fake excitement and I think until now a lot of people weren't feeling it. Now we've seen what we've seen, I hope the Wii U has the success it will surely deserve.

No, I bought Ni No Kuni. I know it seems odd, but I built up PS2 and Xbox collections before I actually bought those consoles too. Really waiting to see the right HDTV offer before I buy a PS3 (I know I'm fussy, but I'll know it's right when I see it). PS3s aren't expensive, so when I get the HDTV I'll get everything - PS3, Wii U etc.

Yeah, you and @Oxigen_Waste were very welcoming with your PS3 suggestions, even if it annoyed @Retro_Link. (I'll post in the PlayStation thread when I say what else I've got.)

When I first heard they were thinking about changing the formula and making it not necessarily single-player, I was dubious. Then I saw the Wind Waker HD screenshots and it reassured me that they're back on the right track with Zelda. I just think they have to be very careful with any changes. A lot of people say Zelda is too samey, but I think the exact opposite. The problem is that they've forgotten what they've achieved in the past. It's no coincidence that Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker are two of the most popular Zeldas - the two that have been deemed worthy of remakes, in fact. Since Wind Waker was first released, it was noted how similar it was to OOT. Both have Power Gauntlets, Hookshot, Fire/Ice Arrows, the Mirror Shield, exploration, Day & Night cycles... All of these things became regulars for a reason. Twilight Princess forgot a little bit of the formula and then Skyward Sword forgot even more. For me, Zelda is about exploration. I just hope they avoid making the overworld feel like dungeons - Lanaryu Desert in Skyward Sword was probably Zelda's low-point to me, as it was a real pain just to get anywhere. The solution is not to make the overworld feel like a dungeon, but to have the dungeons fit into the overworld better, so that they seem like real castles, mansions etc. But I'm optimistic for now. Wind Waker HD is probably the best visual style I've ever seen. I feel like the colours and lighting are just right. Now, I wonder if they could make a new, cartoony version of Adult Link, with similar looks and proportions to OOT's (which I always thought was the best) and I think there is a real potential for this next one to be the best ever.

I feel like I'm the only person who loves the lighting exactly as it is. Yeah, I did know some people in real life who played OOT, MM and TP but refused to play Wind Waker. Their loss. On the other hand, I know others in real life who love it and think it is the best Zelda, or even the only one they really like. Yeah, I always thought the intention of a Link to the Past remake was to make it similar to the "3D Classics" range (ie. a 3DS game). Majora's Mask was natural/expected precisely because they'd upgraded the OOT/MM engine for OOT 3D (again, on 3DS). I wouldn't be against an MM remake on Wii U but it'd seem weird without doing OOT as well. Do 'em both, I say! Ocarina of Time HD!

I think I could have completed the game with the ones I found in my house, but it would have been more difficult. The game does let you compensate - let's say none of your Denpa Men have an ice attack; you can just equip an Ice Bracelet - but there are times when you actually do need the inherent ability, especially with Water and Light.

I've ordered it, so no going back now. PS3 here we come.

It's a good point, but I assume we're all putting this stuff on social networks? One of the biggest problems was that the Wii U wasn't trending on them at all, resulting in no awareness of it. Some of my mates have already "liked" the news about Wind Waker HD, even though they probably don't know what Nintendo Direct is.

I agree that 50hz in 2013 is pretty pants. I'll have to think twice about building up a big SNES collection if they're not 60hz. Yeah... to be honest, everything on Wii put me in a bad mood because of the blurry graphics (Wii on my widescreen TV was always far blurrier than my GameCube in 4:3). It wasn't my favourite thing in the broadcast, but I'm willing to give it a go. (Plus, I love sauropods!)

I just don't think it follows that new games are better than remakes. Ocarina of Time 3D is one of the best things I've played on the 3DS, and not for lack of other games. It's quite sensible to pick the best games from your back catalogue and remake them, giving them better graphics and tweaking them to perfection.

I completely agree, Retro Link. I'm not a fan of secrecy unless it's genuinely needed to protect a company. There's no point in using it just to make waits seem less long. If you look at the 3DS, I know people have been waiting quite a long time for Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion etc, but how bad is that really? In my opinion, it's far better to know they're coming (and to see early builds) because it makes you relax and gives you confidence about a machine's future. By the way, I think GameCube titles simply might not come to Virtual Console (because of the lack of analogue triggers). Instead, they might just opt to remake their best games, as quite a lot of the big ones did use them (although not Wind Waker, ironically). That said, the fact they didn't announce N64 either (which the Wii U should be well capable of) gives hope. I feel so much happier and more confident about Nintendo today.