So, who doesn't give a crap about Zelda?

[Greyfox]

I only remember and wish to only remember Zelda on the snes..cute game at the time and not so heavy on the RPG elements , but after that, I found myself skipping any Zelda coverage from magazines past and present, boring ...boring, I think only the U.S. liked this so much that Nintendo continued to make them..a bit like Modern Warfare, bringing a game out every year or so....I've not interest in what Zelda is or what new games they plan to bring out...so it gets a Snooze-fest from me.

[C=Style]

I think when they are at their best they are some of the best games ever made, or at least best games I've played. They are a bit slow to get going, though Zelda games never show their hand till quite a few hours into the quest.

[famicom69]

lol at all the Zelda hate. Won't have a bad word said about Link's Awakening.

[Misa]

I adore Zelda, mainly because of childhood nostalgia. I don't really mind that other people don't like it, as it does have it's flaws and I'm not stupid enough to be blinded by fandom. It does follow the same formulae a lot of the time, so if you aren't enjoying it then that's fair enough. I didn't like Twilight Princess that much to be honest, but apart from that I'm admittedly a bit of a fangirl and I do collect Zelda stuff - which led me to the Retro Gamer mag in the first place!

[necronom]

There isn't really an option for me.

I've owned or played on (for a reasonable amount of time) about 12 different platforms. AFAIK there has never been a Zelda game released on any of them. So, unless you happen to have bought one of a very small number of systems, you won't have ever seen one.

I played The Speris Legacy on the Amiga, and quite liked it, but I can't comment on the actual Zelda games. I'm not really interested in them being in the mag, though I will read the articles (I read every article of every mag).

[Rayne]

The Zelda games are undeniably fantastic. I love Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker & the two GBC games.

I don't however, get excited over new ones. I thought Twilight Princess was really boring and Skyward Sword just looks dull

[FatTrucker]

The one's I've played have been pretty enjoyable. TBH most RPG's follow the 'do A to access B then C will tell you where D is' method of delivering a story and it has to be said the story in the Zelda games is always pure Nintendo™ twee, not really something you can engage with on any level once you've got hair on your balls.

That said OoT on the N64 was an enjoyable game in its own right despite the plot. As games they're generally well designed and enjoyable to play, with plenty to do and find. No-one could ever accuse them of being gritty, groundbreaking, featuring engaging plots, or offering any significant degree of cognitive taxation, but then Zelda games have always been designed primarily with exploration and discovery in mind rather than being action based free roam affairs. They're designed for a gamer of any age to be able to play and progress while still finding some value in the gameplay.

[Joey]

The only one i have played and enjoyed, and completed is Links Awakening.

LTTP was ok but never held my attention.

[Rev. Stuart Campbell]

You realise ofcourse that you're points could be applied to any game....

Really? So you hate the hackneyed woodland-elf setting and boringly linear hand-holding gameplay of, say, Bangai-O Spirits, Pac-Man, Rebelstar, Sensible World Of Soccer, Boulder Dash, Sim City 3000, Super Smash TV, Wario Ware, Dance Dance Revolution, Pinball Fantasies, Qix and Super Street Fighter IV?

Also I can't vote in your current system - I'd don't think they are over-rated nor do I think they are
Best game evarrrrr - I'd like to vote as 'excellent game'

Man, you must be a real pain in the backside to be around when there's a general election. Even members of a party don't tend to absolutely agree with 100% of its manifesto. Pick the closest one, Princess Hoity. (Which in your case is clearly the second answer, as "good" encompasses a huge range of things, in this context anything up to but short of "best games ever".)

The Zelda games are undeniably fantastic.

There seem to be quite a few people denying just that.

[Nemesis]

Never been interested in the character or the games tbh.

[C=Style]

it has to be said the story in the Zelda games is always pure Nintendo™ twee, not really something you can engage with on any level once you've got hair on your balls.

I totally disagree, the ending of OoT was more emotional for me than just about any game I've played this gen. Just because you think it looks like a kiddies game does not mean that emotion cannot be carried through the storyline and adults cannot engage with it. Majoras Mask sure as hell isn't "twee" either.

No-one could ever accuse them of offering any significant degree of cognitive taxation

I personally find the dungeons in Zelda games very taxing (Wind Waker aside) as I'm sure most gamers with hair on their balls do, you can be stuck for hours not sure what to do and eventually you will realise you were overlooking something and all the puzzle pieces come into place which leads to a really satisfying moment.

[Fightersmegamix]

I've enjoyed all the core zelda games, it's one of my favourite series.

A lot of negativity in the forum the last few months. Gears of war, resident evil - are we going to go through every well known franchise and talk about how we don't like them

[1980-20..]

Ive always liked Zelda from the snes onward but i am struggling with the wii version oh and Majoras Mask was bit of a pain in the bum.

[FatTrucker]

it has to be said the story in the Zelda games is always pure Nintendo™ twee, not really something you can engage with on any level once you've got hair on your balls.

I totally disagree, the ending of OoT was more emotional for me than just about any game I've played this gen. Just because you think it looks like a kiddies game does not mean that emotion cannot be carried through the storyline and adults cannot engage with it. Majoras Mask sure as hell isn't "twee" either.

I don't agree, the way a story is delivered is everything and I find it impossible to engage emotionally with a cartoon elf with a fairy that all speak in squeaks and hoots. Obviously the way you engage is different for everyone, but for me I just can't take a game seriously when I'm playing an asexual cartoon character, dressed like a cross between Robin Hood and Noddy.

No-one could ever accuse them of offering any significant degree of cognitive taxation

I personally find the dungeons in Zelda games very taxing (Wind Waker aside) as I'm sure most gamers with hair on their balls do, you can be stuck for hours not sure what to do and eventually you will realise you were overlooking something and all the puzzle pieces come into place which leads to a really satisfying moment.

They aren't cognitively taxing in the slightest, sometimes something can be a little obscure leading to wandering about or backtracking later until what you're supposed to do becomes apparent, but in terms of the mechanics the puzzles are all very logical and simple.

Like I said, it doesn't stop me from enjoying the games in the slightest, I thought LTTP and OoT in particular were great, but I never really felt any empathy with them and never felt taxed in working out what to do. Sometimes having to wait until later to be able to do what I had figured out was needed but never in any doubt about how it was going to work.

[martin8777]

Never played any of the Zelda games, never had any Nintendo consoles growing up and don't fancy playing them now.

Give me Wonder boy in Monster world any day!