If you have been reading along with this challenge it should come as no surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is my favorite game of all time. While I think that Breathe of the Wild is the Zelda game I would recommend most, that’s largely due to the open world elements that really wasn’t important or possible in the 90’s. Ocarina of Time was my “Favorite Classic Game.” Instead, I’ll list my top ten games of all time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Resident Evil 4
Mass Effect 2
Bioshock
The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild
Star Wars: KOTOR
GTA: 4
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Batman: Arkham City
That marks the end of my 30 Day Video Game Challenge. Thank you for your support.
I couldn’t figure out what exactly makes a game classic. According to Wikipedia, classic means ” an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class.” That kinda clears it up but not really. So I decided that I will limit the time frame to at LEAST a game that was released 20 years ago.
I think this has to go to The Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time. I’ve noticed that I’ve picked the Zelda series A LOT during this challenge I just can’t help it. Zelda is just such as magnificent series. Ocarina of Time is among the best in the series. The game was the fifth in the series and the first to have 3D graphics. The switch from 2D to 3D had a profound effect on gameplay. The graphics were obviously an upgrade, as the cutscenes and the size and detail of the world.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. In 2012, Rockstar Game’s Vice President, Dan Houser stated that if “Anyone who makes 3-D games who says they’ve not borrowed something from Mario or Zelda [on the Nintendo 64] is lying.” It’s nearly impossible for me to think out a game that had more impact and was enjoyable 20 years ago than Ocarina of Time.
Wind Waker was the tenth game in the Zelda series. Published on the GameCube in 2002, the game is set on a series of islands. Link attempts to save his sister from Ganon. He sails the seas on his talking boat King of Red Lions. The game incorporated a way to manipulate the wind, that was controlled by a conductor’s baton. The original concept for the game was a more “realistic” style. Nintendo showed a brief clip of Link fighting Ganondorf during Space World, a video game trade show. This video was well received.
The Zelda Space World Video
The Nintendo team wasn’t happy with the style of this game. Designer Yoshiki Haruhana created a cartoonish young link. Instead of the traditional 3D graphics, the next Zelda game was going to be cell shaded. In 2001, Nintendo presented the new look to an audience during Space World. Many fans, myself included, were very disappointed that the next Zelda game wouldn’t be realistic. Some critics even called it “Celda”. However, as is the case with almost all Nintendo games it was a breath of fresh air.
Wii U Wind Waker trailer
The games visuals were stunning. It truly felt like you playing a cartoon. With many critics comparing the game to the animation of Disney and Hayao Miyazaki movies. The art style of the game made it unique. Of course the game was more than the visually pleasing. It had amazing gameplay, responsive control system, a great story and puzzles. A game that was once considered to be divisive, became a classic. The game was then later re-released in high definition. According to Keza MacDonald, The Wind Waker HD was “near-universally hailed as a masterpiece.”
Well there are a lot games that can be suggested for this challenge, however, you can only pick on right. Since the list of games I would recommend, I decided to narrow the games I considered to worthy of recommendation. First the game should have received a perfect score from Famitsu, GameSpot and IGN. Famitsu uses four reviewers to score a game from 0-10. Due to the larger number of reviewers I think it’s the standard. However, it seems to have a bias in favor of Japanese developers, so I will use GameSpot and IGN to back the score up. Finally, I will focus on games in the last decade.
Anyway, the game I choose isn’t surprising and many have played it (11.68 Million). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that is considered the best-designed game of 2017 and one of the best ever. I have always loved Zelda games, but this one is the best, I’ve played. Personally, I have had difficulties finishing open-world games. The non-linear play allows the gamer to have an unprecedented level of freedom. Players can approach a problem in many different ways.
The game uses a “chemistry engine” that is described as ” the physical properties of most objects and governs how they interact with the player and one another.” For example, ” players may take advantage of the game’s dynamic weather by throwing metal objects at enemies during thunderstorms to attract a lightning strike.” This can backfire on the player as well as I found myself begin struck by lightning while wearing metal during a storm.
The addition of hunting, gathering fruit and the ability to cook them is a mini-game in and of itself. The puzzles remain clever and rewarding. The story is imagining and the boss battles fun and challenging. Breath of the Wild is viewed as a “masterpiece,” I think everyone should experience it.
My favorite character from video games is Link. Link is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. He’s a reincarnated version of the same character. He’s a Hylian, who travels through Hyrule, defeating forces of evil and saving princess Zelda. Link doesn’t speak, though he does make audible sounds. According to the creator of Link, Shigeru Miyamoto “He tried to make people identify with Link and have the opportunity to be heroes like the character“.
I think he was successful, and that is part of the reason why I love Link. Miyamoto said, “Link’s name comes from the fact that originally, the fragments of the Triforce were supposed to be electronic chips. The game was to be set in both the past and the future and as the main character would travel between both and be the link between them, they called him Link.” He is “renowned for his swordsmanship and fighting skill, such as his boomerang accuracy”. He often starts off as an ordinary boy, before gaining power. Ultimately, Link doesn’t have the most dynamic personality, but you can sense his desire to save the world. You can respect his courage in attempting to do so.
