Grazza

Saw this on Saturday in the Sun and also the Mail. Didn't watch the video, because I don't need to. The pictures are horrible enough. Without exaggeration, it has ruined my weekend to see something as cruel as that. I am SICK of reading about animal cruelty. There have been a few other cases recently, which I won't describe as this is bad enough. Snakes are wild animals and it's OK for them to hunt other wild animals in their native habitats, but to abuse the trust of a domestic animal like a puppy or kitten is disgusting beyond words. If I could get my hands on this little shit I genuinely would beat him to a pulp. It's probably best that I can't because I would end up in prison.

Me. I said I didn't know how they were going to criticise the Tri-Force hunt with a straight face. Just to clarify, I don't think everything that's not a dungeon is a fetch quest. To me, fetch quests are when you have to collect arbitrary things that don't develop the gameplay. You know, the sort of collectathon you'd get in an average-quality PS2 game. Take the one before the 2nd dungeon: there are literally five things scattered about you have to collect just for the sake of it!

Finished the 3rd dungeon last night and have just done the bit afterwards. Very exciting! Is anyone else experiencing a glitch in this game? I suddenly lose control and Link just runs round in circles. It happened at the beginning of Overworld 2, during the 3rd boss and 4x during the bit I've just described. Thought it was going to make the game literally unplayable, but thankfully I fixed it by unplugging the Nunchuk and plugging it back in. Is this a game glitch or do I just need a new Nunchuk? Skyward Sword is a very intense game. The formula for the 3D Zelda games (in terms of villages/hub, overworld, dungeons) seems to have been like this: OOT-TP: gentle, gentle, intense Skyward Sword: gentle, intense, intense They've taken it back to the days of the 2D games, where it was often difficult just to walk round the overworld, as your path was frequently blocked. I can see why some might like this more intense game design, but as @Zell alluded to, it just leaves me mentally exausted for the dungeons, which are actually pretty good in their own right and would probably shine more if they were framed in a more gentle overworld. Looking forward to seeing what new things I can find with my latest items now...

I don't know, haven't got it.

If I recall correctly, it's a noise like sonar that gradually gets more frequent the closer you get to a secret.

I like the difference between horizontal, vertical and thrust, but I don't like having to decide whether to attack from the left or right.

I was enjoying it, Goron 3, but haven't played it since my last post (because I started Skyward Sword). If it helps, I found it much easier to get into than a lot of other RPGs. Can't see myself having many problems with it.

Yeah, I agree. Apart from the sword, wouldn't it be easier and more fun to just point and press a button? Also, I have an issue with this whole "Which way do I attack from?" gameplay. Directional slashes were possible with the analogue stick, eg. press left + b = left slash, so why has Nintendo now decided this is an important element? It is quite possible without motion control but, wisely, it has never been part of Zelda before. It had those statues towards the end, but that was much better than the Dowsing. It is absolutely blatant: point your remote towards the scattered things. Doesn't matter which type of "things" they are, as long as there are things! In my opinion, the worst/most invalid criticism towards Twilight Princess was that it stuck too closely to the OOT formula. The Zelda formula works (or at least it did). The main problem with TP was that it began to devolve Zelda. Skyward Sword takes it even further. Twilight Princess abandoned NPC routines, but at least it still had the Day & Night cycle and a proper overworld. I didn't like the way you could only get to the desert by cannon, but I put it down to technical limitations. They've taken it to the extreme here - the whole game is like that. Think back to Majora's Mask, which had a 3-day NPC routine and a descending moon. Or Wind Waker, which only had a 1-day NPC cycle (on Windfall Island), but also had an 8-day moon cycle. In those games you could also control your shield, which led to Mirror Shield puzzles. Whilst I celebrate certain evolutions, I can't shake the feeling that too much is being left behind. With all that moaning, it sounds like I am not enjoying Skyward Sword, which is not the case - I can't wait to get back to it! It's just that I do have misgivings.

This game is giving me a roller coaster of different feelings - lofty highs, but also deep lows. I'm not sure if the structure is still really a spoiler, but just in case, here's a key:

You were onto that quick, Ike.

Ah, I see. I think I can guess what it is. I was also wondering what the 3rd type would be, then I suddenly realised!

Ronnie's advice was perfect, thanks - I did it first time after that! But thanks anyway. I was making the mistake of trying to move faster than a sword slash, rather than slower. It's sort of a "brick wall" moment, but easy when you know the technique. I'm so glad, because I thought that was going to ruin the game for me. But no, I've gone back to the main place (is the name of it still a spoiler?) and my enjoyment is growing and growing. This is the best Wii game ever made, without a doubt. It's the first Wii game to truly give me that gaming thrill that I love. Super Mario Galaxy 2 sort of did, but this is the real deal. Again, this is the spoiler-free thread, so I'll be careful, but I'll just say that the buildings feature the sort of evolution I wanted in the way they are built and spaced apart.

OK, I take back any praise I had for motion controls. The first boss is terrible! The worst Zelda boss ever. It's not even motion controls, really, just poor game design (how did it get past the testing phase?) I will try Ronnie's advice, but I couldn't even get past the first part.

Sorry, all I can say is that I'm kneeling on the floor (probably not good for my knees, but that's how I play all consoles!) with the sensor bar on top of the TV (if it's even used). Wii sensitivity is on default. I do have to keep recalibrating though. The pointing in this is way inferior to infra-red pointing.

Yeah, I don't really get that. Upgrading is a nice idea, but why punish us for using the shield? Think back to what happened if you tried to block a boss attack with your shield in OOT, WW, TP... You'd get knocked off your feet! Thus, you couldn't just rely on it anyway. So, Nintendo has introduced a mechanic that simply makes us dodge small enemies as though they're bosses! Rather than developing the shield as an item, it makes it redundant.

I hope so. The 3DS remake is great, but I do miss rumble, and a proper controller just fits in my hands much better. I feel I have much more control over the game with the GC pad than the 3DS. One thing though: I sincerely hope a Wii U version is locked at 1080p and 60fps.

It might have been because I was playing it at 50hz. I've switched to 60hz and it seems a lot clearer. Liking this game more and more every minute.

Mine never turned up, so I just bought the non-bundle version today and used the MotionPlus I got with Wii Sports Resort. I really like the controls at the moment! "Intuitive" is a word that's overused when it comes to motion controls, but I think it's a good way to describe the sword movement, at least. It was a very good idea to stick to 8-way directions. I'm not saying I want it to stay, or that I'll like it for other things, but it seems to suit this game well enough so far. The music is also very nice. OK, I couldn't hum any of it yet (apart from the theme tune), but it is a pleasure to hear the real instruments. There are also a few touches here and there from Wind Waker, so already I think they've "remembered" a few things they seemed to forget in Twilight Princess. My only negative opinion so far is related to the graphics. I don't know if it's the low processing power of the Wii, the lack of HD or something else, but it just looks a bit too "soft" for me. Not a huge deal, but I don't think it's going to go down as one of the best Zelda styles.

Hand on heart, I've enjoyed Nintendo's 2011 more than any year since the GameCube, and this is purely because of the 3DS. I don't understand the negativity towards this handheld, I honestly just don't get it. OK, it's not perfect. From the day it was unveiled at E3 2010, I've said it should have had a bigger, higher-res screen, and just one of them. I still stand by that. It just doesn't cut it in the world of 5" smartphones and the PS Vita. But... the games situation? Just don't understand the negativity about that at all! If I think back to March, owning the 3DS felt special. I was taking 3D photos, using StreetPass, using the pedometer. OK, I've got bored with that now, but it had a good innings. Pilotwings Resort is a technical tour-de-force, feeling like you've got your own aircraft, and piloting them round an idyllic island system. I also enjoyed Street Fighter IV and Dead or Alive Dimensions, and am currently enjoying Tales of the Abyss, but if we're sticking to just Nintendo, I think their release schedule was perfectly acceptable. Ocarina of Time was great, a superb job done by Grezzo there. Super Mario 3D Land is good and I'm sure Mario Kart 7 will give the fans what they want. And I can't ignore my personal Game Of The Year: WayForward's Shantae: Risky's Revenge on DSi Ware, which is the most perfect game I've played for half a decade. It's no longer a Nintendo exclusive, but it was made with the DS and its d-pad in mind. It doesn't bother me that I only bought one game on Wii (Skyward Sword, which I haven't started yet), as I don't much enjoy playing on that console. Now, I'm not saying all is well at Nintendo itself. Yeah, I'll be very disappointed if they're not hard at work on more 3DS and Wii U games, but for a year where they launched a very good new handheld, and their home console has outstayed its welcome (with me, personally), there's really not much else I could have asked from them.

This is a nice game. OK, I'm not playing it in 3D, the jaggies are indeed prominent and I think the the graphics are a little too "soft" for the lower resolution of the 3DS (compared to the PS2). However, that's all part and parcel of a port. The first village is lovely - the charm is up there with my favourites like Dragon Quest. I'm also very impressed with the voice actress for Tear. She has a perfect tone to her voice.

Yeah, that's a good point. You only have to run up the stairs and bash Ganondorf! Didn't know there were changes to the Mirror Shield though.

It's funny, I really enjoyed Worlds 1-8, but now I'm totally done with this game. The post-game stuff is just too difficult for me to be bothered with. I'm sure it's just me, but I feel I've spent enough time over the years failing at Mario levels for me to not have any tolerance for it at all. Oh well, I'll probably still buy the next one.

I can imagine it's much easier to forget whether you completed the GC version than the N64 original. After all, it was free, and you'd probably completed the original, so you may not place as much importance on doing so with the port. Unless I've totally misunderstood.

I've no idea what this game is like, but the free orchestral CD is STUNNING. Sorry to shout, but it is stunning. My pre-order (haha) of Skyward Sword has still not turned up. It's testament to how good the music is that I can listen to it on YouTube and that wipes all my annoyance away. The Twilight Princess and Wind Waker symphonies in particular are just so beautiful and sweeping. The former reminds me of running through Hyrule Field, then I get shivers down my spine when Ganondorf "appears". The latter takes me from Outset Island and then out to the Great Sea, before ending in a celebration of that brilliant game. So pleased Nintendo put full effort into orchestrating all this.

Probably why there have been no reviews yet. I must admit, it was making me suspicious. Oh well, I was going to buy it anyway. Only ordered this yesterday from GAME and it arrived today. Going to save it until I've played Skyward Sword though.