This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'Zelda' on The Great Games Experiment This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'Zelda' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg This Month's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'Zelda' on The Great Games Experiment en-us The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time After a nightmare involving a certain young princess and the evil thief Ganondorf, series hero Link wakes up in his home village tucked away behind the mysterious Lost Woods. The only Kokiri without a fairy, Link soon meets up with his new traveling companion, the winged Navi, and sets out on the adventure of his life. The quest, which inevitably turns into a rescue mission for Princess Zelda, leads players through dark dungeons, picturesque villages, into the heart of a volcano, to the bottom of a lake, through a haunted desert, deep into a magical forest, into a giant tree, the belly of a beast, and even through time.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 10:02:58 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Arguably the finest example of two dimensional gaming goodness, the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the true inspiration behind the masterpieces that are Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. The fine soundtrack is but one of the seminal areas of inspiration;in fact, a majority of the most prominent Zelda themes -such as Zelda's Lullaby and Kakariko Village tunes; even the name entry music-were directly lifted from A link to the past's musical score.

Between the environmentally based dungeons, two distinct realms, hookshot and punt-able chickens, it's clear to see that the original Legend of Zelda merely provided the canvas and a rough sketch of the series whereas A Link to the Past served as a the charcoal and oil paints.

Yes A link to the Past is truly a Bob Ross inspired happy little tree in the corner of the masterwork that is the Legend of Zelda series.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 11:36:44 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Link awoke one day to find himself deep in a strange forest. As he started to walk through the woods, he heard cries for help coming from just up ahead of him. Link hurried toward the voice, only to find a group of monsters surrounding the woman who was screaming. When the monsters saw Link, they immediately fled.

The woman who was being attacked was none other than Impa, nurse to Hyrule's Princess Zelda. Impa said she had come to the forest to search for a singer named Nayru.

As they traveled even deeper into the forest, they found a young woman singing. Invited to sit by the group of animals that listened to the girl's song, Link joined in the circle and let the beautiful song fill his ears and penetrate his heart. This was surely Nayru, the singer Impa was searching for. Just then, Impa erupted in a cackling laugh.

"Nayru! Oracle of Ages! I, Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, shall make you my own!"

The shadow that called itself Veran began swooping about the forest before flying straight into the body of the frightened singer. A blinding light shone forth from Nayru's body.

"Now the power of the Oracle of Ages is mine! I can travel through time at will! Now a new age shall begin -- an age of shadows!" And with that, Veran and Nayru vanished.

Nayru was actually the Oracle of Ages who controlled time in this land of Labrynna. When the oracle was kidnapped, the flow of time in Labrynna was distorted, and strange things began to happen. Before vanishing, Veran said, "When the past changes, so does the present." Her plan was to travel to the past and gather power from the sorrows of the people of Labrynna so that she could create her age of shadows.

Will Link be able to free Nayru from Veran's evil clutches? Such is the quest that Link must now undertake.
(from the Game Boy Color Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages manual)
]]> 10 Feb 2007 01:31:59 The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 08:08:47 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Link, after setting sail for new experiences and adventures, finds himself caught in a squall at sea. Helpless in spite of his valiant efforts to last through the storm, he is overwhelmed by vicious waves and lightning...

Some time later, a gentle girl named Marin discovers him washed up on Toronbo Shores.. the beach of Koholint Island. She finds a way to get him home and takes care of him until he finally awakens. Marin and her father, Tarin, explain to him where he is, and after he sets out to reclaim his sword, he encounters a mysterious owl... The owl cryptically warns Link about the perils this island faces should the Wind Fish be disturbed from his slumber, and thus Link decides he must do something to save them.

This owl guides him throughout the rest of his journey, slowly helping him uncover just what exactly is going on. Link learns that, unfortunately, in order to save the islanders he had grown to love, and to set himself free, he must also end a dream, a romance that he might not want to... To save all those people he had come to know and cherish from the Wind Fish's Nightmares, he would also have to end the illusion that caused them to exist in the first place.

It's a heart wrenching choice to confront, one that Link no doubt regrets with every deep ache of his very soul.. but the only alternative was to let the Nightmare take over and destroy everything.. This was the only fate he could offer them...

A tragic, touching tale that is told in the simplest way, Link's Awakening is a dream that I'll always hold dear to my heart...
]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:34:05 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, an ignorant young Ordonian farm boy named Link must awaken the hero within. When Link and his companions are attacked by a band of Moblins, Link is sucked into the Twilight Realm where he is transformed into a wolf. Link must scour the land in search of his friends and an answer for the ill-fated nation. With the aid of his trusty sword and shield, and a mysterious creature named Midna, only Link has the courage to save Hyrule from the twilight.
]]> 29 Nov 2006 10:30:09 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Though it may be a gaming journalistic cliche by now, it would seem that Wind Waker cannot be addressed without mentioning it's art style. Some would argue that cel-shading simply brought Zelda back to it's light hearted two dimensional roots -come now, turquoise red cape clad pig's hardly scream realism-while others would defend the honor of Ocarina of Time claiming Wind Waker to be saccharine aberration.

Regardless of your artistic preferences though, it cannot be denied that Wind Waker is a great game with quite a few flaws.

After all, it's universally accepted that Wind Waker is far too easy, features quite a lot of tedious sailing toward the end of the game, and is on the short side for a Zelda game due the painfully obvious scrapping of two dungeons.

For all of that, Wind Waker is still quite compelling oozing style and charm: a Zelda slightly worse than it's predecessors is still better than 90% of 3D games out there.

In fact, the core gameplay is of such quality that if the previously mentioned flaws were somehow remedied in, oh say; a Wiimake, Windwaker would probably stand a chance at being the best game in The Legend of Zelda series.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 12:55:42 Tales of Hyrule Tales of Hyrule is a 2D Zelda-themed MMORPG.
Create your own destiny as you start off outside the small town of Finewood. It's up to you to save Hyrule.
Based off the Mirage engine, ToH is a pretty advanced game, considering it's roots. It's constantly being updated by adding new playable areas, and coding new things.
]]> 18 Apr 2007 11:58:16 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures Cooperate, Compete, Conquer! The mission seems simple in this four-player competitive Zelda game: collect more Force than fellow players. But as players explore a massive world that spans both the Nintendo GameCube and the Game Boy Advance, they must team up to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. However, cooperative gameplay can be a daunting task when each person is looking out for number one! Pick up and carry rival players, use the boomerang to steal items, and prepare for heated competition with the countless items and enemies that define the Zelda series.
]]> 04 Feb 2007 11:30:30 The Avenge This really simple game based on a few warriors, wizards, archers, and paladins set out to avenge there alleged kings death, King Ferdinand of Seria. Your the main character and you set out to accomplish quests to complete the tasks at hand. This game is a bit like the classic Zelda games, gameplay wise. Its all 2D and midi music, which adds to the classic environment. Come join us in the world of Severty.
]]> 25 Feb 2007 10:46:35 Serenade of Apostasy Serenade of Apostasy was inspired by the excellent Legend of Zelda series, especially The Minish Cap and Ocarina of Time, and aims to be a game that builds upon the unique gameplay and story style that the series has. Serenade follows a young man from a small village in a world that is on the edge fo destruction. To keep balance in the world, an alternate dimension exists that provides the opposite of the happiness this world enjoys. But that world has been torn apart as, defying it's own properties, it's king has died. The king's daughter is sent to Terrana to seek a hero who can vanquish the darkness that is spreading over Terrana and unite the two worlds to create a world that is in itself balanced and equal.
]]> 29 Dec 2006 08:27:06 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask After the astonishing success of Ocarina of Time, gamers were hungry for more Zelda. A mere sequel could never top the original. So instead of simply trying to just stack some new content and features on the Ocarina of Time formula, Nintendo decided to take the series sideways, and tried something slightly different.

In this game you once again play as Link, more specifically the younger Link from Ocarina of Time. After being robbed of his Ocarina by a Skull Kid wearing a strange mask he finds himself transformed into a Deku Scrub in the strange parallel universe of Termina.

This is only the beginning, as Link finds himself being recruited by a mysterious traveling mask salesman forced to try and find a way to recover the strange mask and stop the moon from crashing into Termina, which is set to happen in three days from Link's arrival. The player once again has access to many songs for the Ocarina, including songs to manipulate time which enable the player to re-live the 3 days leading up to the destruction of Termina until the player has all the tools required to save it.

This games sets itself apart from earlier Zelda titles by introducing a large amount of side-quests involving NPCs with very specific schedules in the three days leading up to its destruction. Many of these people have problems and of course it's up to the player to help Link solve them.
Many of these quests are optional but you will find some that are required in order to advance the plot of the game.

Finally, the many masks in this game add a large number of shapes and abilities to Link's arsenal.
]]> 19 Jan 2007 04:04:41 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons When Link awoke, he found himself in a forest he had never seen. Confused, he looked around blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings. He heard pleasant music and laughing voices echoing from deep within the woods. Link followed the inviting voices until he came upon a traveling troupe of actors. He was immediately struck by the beauty of a young woman who was dancing about in circles. When the girl noticed Link, she smiled brightly and called to him.

"Welcome to Holodrum. I am Din, the dancer," she said with glee. "Would you like to dance with me? Don't be shy. It will be more fun if we dance together." She took him by the hand, and he reluctantly began to dance. Unfortunately, this blissful moment did not last long. The sky suddenly went dark, and there was a loud crash of thunder, followed by a resounding, thunderous voice.

"I've found you, Din! You can't deceive me by disguising yourself as a dancer. I am Onox, General of Darkness! Now reveal yourself, Oracle of Seasons!"

Link was blown back by the tornado as he struggled against its awesome force, and Din was swept away in the wind...
(from the Oracle of Seasons manual)
]]> 10 Feb 2007 11:35:09 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap When the sorcerer Vaati turns Princess Zelda to stone, Link embarks on a quest that will take him to places he's never imagined. Using the power of a mystical hat called the Minish Cap, the Hylian hero will shrink down for a massive quest... on a microscopic scale!
]]> 01 Dec 2006 08:09:05 Link's Pro Skater Link, of Legend of Zelda fame, skateboards in this fan-made game. The gameplay is linear and simple to understand the first time you see it. The object is to skate across the level three times and survive. Hitting an obstacle will have you restart. Collect rupees and pull off tricks to gain points.

This game is not affiliated, financed or endorsed by Nintendo in any way. It is freeware and shall not be profited from.
]]> 29 Dec 2006 05:13:24 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Link's first adventure on the Nintendo DS begins in 2007.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 02:12:29 Zelda's Adventure Zelda's Adventure is a video game developed by Viridis and released for the Philips CD-i in 1994. It is a semi-sequel to Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, both released on the same day a year before. Zelda's Adventure was developed by a different company, and this shows through heavily in the game's design. All three CD-i Zelda games were the product of a compromise between Philips and Nintendo after the two companies failed to release a CD-based add-on for the SNES.

Tolemac is in the middle of the Age of Darkness, as Ganon (spelled here as Gannon) has kidnapped Link, and unleashed his rule over the land of Tolemac (Camelot spelled backwards). Princess Zelda sets out to save the young adventurer and learns from the astronomer Gaspra that she must first collect seven celestial signs before she can conquer the dark king and bring Hyrule to an "Age of Lightness".

The story is told mostly through live-action FMV scenes filmed in Los Angeles on blue screen.

Unlike the previous two CD-i Zelda games, which take the side-scrolling view from Zelda II, Zelda's Adventure is played with the same top-down view found in The Legend of Zelda. Playing as Princess Zelda, the aim is to fight through the Seven Shrines of the Underworld to collect the celestial signs, and bring the land of Tolemac to an Age of Lightness.

(Quoted from Wikipedia)
]]> 17 Jun 2007 04:31:28 Dink Smallwood Dink Smallwood is a humorous zelda-like isometric adventure/RPG produced and published by Robinson Technologies in 1997.

One of the unique features of Dink is its abilities to run Dink Modules (DMOD's) for unlimited adventure. Dink Edit is included with the game so you can make your own.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 03:38:57 Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon is a video game developed by Animation Magic and released for the Philips CD-i in 1993, on the same day as Link: The Faces of Evil. A follow-up to both games, Zelda's Adventure, arrived in 1994. All three CD-i Zelda games were the product of a compromise between Philips and Nintendo after the two companies failed to release a CD-based add-on for the SNES. Because this game has next to no connection with Nintendo, few "Zelda" fans consider this a true Zelda game, and Nintendo does not officially recognize the game as part of the Zelda series.

The story begins with the King of Hyrule going off to fight Ganon. He tells Princess Zelda to send Link to help him if he does not return after a month. An entire month passes without word from the King. As instructed, Zelda sends Link to find him, but he doesn't return either. Zelda then decides to venture forth herself to search for Link and her father.

The story is largely told through animated FMVs, in an attempt to make best use of the CD-ROM format. Sample videos can be watched on YouTube. Many backgrounds were taken from the Zelda cartoon and used as backdrops in the game. The cutscenes are notorious for having bad animation, acting, and scripting.

The Wand of Gamelon was the first Zelda game where the player plays as the eponymous princess. It is played using the side-scrolling view introduced in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. For a variety of reasons, it is generally accepted that this game does not play as tightly as Zelda II. These range from the quality of the CD-i controller, to the speed of the gameplay and the jerkiness of the character animations. The button mappings have been criticised as being illogical, for example having to crouch to open the inventory screen. Another problem fans saw was the ease a player has in killing Ganon, the final boss, with only one hit with the Wand of Gamelon, making him the weakest incarnation of Ganon in any Zelda game.

(Quoted from Wikipedia)
]]> 17 Jun 2007 04:16:03 Link: Faces of Evil Link: The Faces Of Evil is a video game developed by Animation Magic and released for the Philips CD-i in 1993, on the same day as Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. A follow-up to both games, Zelda's Adventure, arrived in 1994. All three CD-i Zelda games were the product of a compromise between Philips and Nintendo after the two companies failed to release a CD-based add-on for the SNES. Because this game has next to no connection with Nintendo, few "Zelda" fans consider this a true Zelda game, and Nintendo does not officially recognize the game as part of the Zelda series.

Link, feeling increasingly useless in the now-safe land of Hyrule, has no idea that the far away island of Koridai has been taken over by his old nemesis, Ganon. A mysterious wizard visits Link on a flying carpet to inform the hero of the dire situation. Only Link, with the aid of the Book of Koridai, can defeat Ganon. After being refused a kiss from Princess Zelda, Link then flies away with the man on the flying carpet and moves towards a populated island of stone statues in the shape of diabolical faces known as the "Faces Of Evil".

The story is largely told through animated FMVs, in an attempt to make best use of the CD-ROM format. Sample videos can be watched on YouTube. Many backgrounds were taken from the Zelda cartoon and used as backdrops in the game. The cutscenes are notorious for having bad animation, acting, and scripting.

(Quoted from Wikipedia)
]]> 17 Jun 2007 04:23:31