Zelda.in

Another lovely Tuesday has arrived and I find myself pondering what the general consensus was from our fan base on the top 5 Zelda games in the entire franchise. As a staff we have done such a list back in 2010, but who really cares what we think? It's all about what you think! That being said, I am required to answer this question myself before I can fairly ask it, so for my first time ever I will reveal, publicly, my final (until more games come out) top 5 Zelda games list. Check that out after the jump!...

Here's a topic that doesn't get thrown around a lot: which game in The Legend of Zelda series do you like least? The answer I usually get when I ask people this is "Four Swords," which I suppose isn't all that surprising given that most people 1) haven't played it and 2) don't even see it as a true Zelda game anyway. As it turns out, my least favorite is A Link to the Past. (And I actually quite liked Four Swords, especially the 25th anniversary edition.) Now, don't get me wrong, I still think A Link to the Past was pretty darn good. I just didn't find it to be nearly as fun as the other Zelda games. For instance, while it had a decent overworld, a good item palette, and lots of secrets to find, I found the dungeons to be boring and repetitive - especially the "key hidden under a jar" trick, which got old real quick. In a game where so much time is spent trekking through dungeons, this was a real problem for me. We've hedged a lot of criticism at the series in the last week or so, but now it's your turn!...

Unless you're a diehard Tales fan, I doubt you've even heard of Tales of Hearts. That's because it was a 2008 DS mothership title in the acclaimed Tales RPG franchise that never made it outside of Japan. Well, whatever the case, it just became relevant again - Namco Bandai has filed an additional trademark for the game in the States. Woo hoo - the game's actually had a trademark since 2008. It's actually a bigger deal than you might think. That's because the new trademark is designed specifically to protect downloadable video games. Given that nothing about Tales of Hearts was ever downloadable, it seems like a strange choice to make...unless Namco Bandai's looking to digital distribution as a potential gateway for the game's localization. We already know the 3DS will eventually offer full game downloads for retail games... could it be? With the upcoming localizations of such RPGs as Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story, this got me thinking: could digital distribution be the answer to the problem of costly international releases? I'll admit I don't know enough about the business side of such things to say, but I'm sure there are at least a few of you among...

Yesterday marked the end of the Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary year. It's been a wild ride, hasn't it? Skyward Sword was definitely the high note and the best way possible to send off the past two-and-a-half decades of Zelda. But now that those reflections on the series' history are behind us, it's time to take a look at the future. New The Legend of Zelda games are coming, and since they'll be the first new series titles on 3DS and Wii U, that means a new chapter for the franchise. Let's talk about what we want for Hyrule's future on both platforms....

Last year saw a decent drought in terms of new Nintendo games leading up to the holiday season. Sure, we had Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 3D to tide new 3DS owners over until Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 came along, but there's no real comparison between early-life ports and brand-new software. This year we're seeing something quite different: a steady stream of compelling new content coming from both Nintendo and third-parties. Suffice to say that this year is going to be one crazy year for Nintendo fans - possibly the most solid lineup of titles we've seen in years. What do you think of the games coming out in 2012? Is Nintendo living up to their promise of avoiding software droughts? Hop inside for a more detailed look at what we're looking forward to in 2012, and share your thoughts in the comments!...

I've bought and played at least one game out of each of the five generations of Pokémon main series titles, and while I'm not as addicted and obsessed as I once was - I still haven't completed the vast majority of Black & White's extra post-game content - I'm really impressed with how well the series has held up over its sixteen-year history. Sure, now that the series includes 649 different Pokémon species it's hard for new monsters to give off the same sense of wonder as the older expansions, but I still don't feel that we should fault the games for that. There were some features from each generation that really stood out to me, and I'll discuss them in brief after the jump. But what I'd really like to know is this: Which Pokémon generation did you like best? Share your thoughts in the comments!...

You'd expect a headline like that from a Zelda site, wouldn't you? Turns out it's actually prompted by the opinion of a sports columnist over at The Voice - because sports go with The Legend of Zelda like Kafei goes with Anju. (And you thought it was our bias talking!) From the author's praise for the series' deep story and characters to his blatant shunning of more modern phenomena like Call of Duty and Skyrim, it all sounds very much like one of the near-essays we sometimes stumble across in the comments sections. Yesterday I asked you all to put on your critics' hats and sound off on some of the issues present in Skyward Sword - with which I'll join my own thoughts in my upcoming article series, "Trouble in Skyloft: The Flaws of Skyward Sword" - but today I want to focus on the positives. Why do you love The Legend of Zelda? And, should you be like many of our fans inclined to believe it's the "greatest video game series of all time," what do you think sets it apart from the rest of the pack?...

This blurb is technically "outside Nintendo," since it addresses a rumor about the next-gen Xbox locking out secondhand software, but given that Nintendo's prepping their own next-gen system for launch, I figure it's still a relevant issue. What? You haven't heard? Apparently Microsoft's next home console is going to implement a feature that will reject software that's been played on another system. The measure's aimed at disrupting used game sales in order to maximize the money flowing into publishers' pockets. Pipe dream? Maybe. But the fact that such a measure is even being talked about makes it relevant to gaming across the board - that developers are getting behind the idea does so to an even greater extent. Jameson Durall, a design director from Volition, Inc., the developers behind Saints Row, says it'd be a great step forward for the gaming business: "Personally I think this would be a fantastic change for our business and even though the consumers would be up in arms about it at first... they will grow to understand why and that it won't kill them." Jump inside for more quotes from Mr. Durall and share your thoughts in the comments section!...

Besides the initial lack of interesting questions this week, a quick appeal to our Facebook audience has landed this as my favorite installment yet. There's some Zelda of course - but not too much Skyward Sword, some Nintendo and best of all, some completely random questions. As always, be sure to send your questions to dathenboccabella@gmail.com or @dathboc - don't hold off or be shy, send us anything that's on your mind. Now, let's get into this....

Now that the first Nintendo 3DS eShop demo download is due for release, it's time to address the elephant in the room: why hasn't Nintendo released any first-party demo downloads? While I'll agree that there's definitely more of an incentive to push third-party content with free trial software because of the difficult track record most non-Nintendo franchises have on Nintendo systems, the same struggle really applies to any game that doesn't have Mario or Zelda tacked onto the title. I've included a screenshot of Kid Icarus: Uprising at left because I think the game is a key example of the type of software that could use a demo promotion. Kid Icarus was never a popular franchise and hasn't proven to have the pre-order pull one would hope for from a series comeback. With terrible voice acting, all-over-the-place trailers, and general obscurity compared to bigger 3DS titles like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Resident Evil: Revelations, I feel like a game with a lot of real potential might wind up getting overlooked. What do you guys think? Should Nintendo start releasing eShop demos for their own games as well as the third-party demos already announced? Do you think...