Since the Hero of Time’s foray into the 3D realm, his trusty steed Epona has become an essential icon of the Zelda series. On her own, she may look like any other horse, but true fans understand the tight bond between her and Link. Named after the goddess of horses and fertility in Celtic mythology, Epona embodies more than the necessity for a companion,also serving as an integral character in Link's story.

Epona is a strong, independent horse who doesn’t take well to listening to others. Link’s first encounter with her in Ocarina of Time shows an untamed steed who only listens to our hero after he learns Epona’s Song on the ocarina. After Link’s seven year hibernation, our hero returns to Lon Lon Ranch where they first met, and the two reunite over the calming melody once more.

Ingo, the owner of the ranch, after having tried taming her to give to Ganondorf, is furious when she listens to Link. Ingo then loses a race to Link, and the heroic duo majestically retreats over a closed gate to continue their journey.

The addition of a rideable horse in Ocarina of Time changed the way Zelda games are played permanently. Having a companion gave players someone to lean on when they needed it, and paved the way for an unspoken relationship that would span over several games. Epona may not speak to Link, but just like Agro in Shadow of the Colossus, there is a strong sense of mutual respect for the companion who is always ready to help in battle. Exploration in Ocarina of Time was contingent upon finding secret areas and items, and engaging in mounted bow combat.

Epona joins Link in the direct sequel to OoT, Majora’s Mask, in which the two appear in their younger forms. The two are separated in the beginning of the game following the kidnapping of Epona by the Skull Kid. Skull Kid later tells Link that he got rid of Epona because she wouldn’t listen to anything he said.

Link eventually finds her at Romani Ranch, and he once again uses the power of music to rekindle their relationship. In Majora’s Mask, several barricaded fences block areas of the game off, and can only be accessed by leaping over them with Epona.

In Twilight Princess, players can choose the name of Link’s horse in the beginning, but when the default name is Epona, anyone who has any decency knows to keep it that way. Once again, Link and Epona have an established relationship in the beginning of the game, but Epona runs away when their village is attacked. The two reunite in Kakariko Village, where Link must show once more that only the Hero of Time can tame this beast. Twilight Princess made combat on Epona more immersive by adding one-on-one sword battles to the game, which is essential in beating certain bosses.

In addition to the main-series 3D Zelda games, Epona has made a number of cameo appearances in other games. In Minish Cap, Epona is an NPC who asks Link to buy milk from her. She also makes an appearance in Hyrule Warriors in Link’s animations and can be used as a weapon through DLC. Best of all, Epona moves into town in the new Animal Crossing: New Leaf amiibo update as an adorable, peppy villager.

Throughout the years Epona has been a cornerstone of the Zelda series. Symbolizing camaraderie and loyalty, Epona became a fan favorite for reasons that don’t need explaining. In the upcoming Breath of the Wild, Link can find and tame wild horses that have varied individual stats. Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed that Epona will be in Breath of the Wild, but did not detail how to find her or what her role will be.

We can only hope that she will be a mountable companion, and maintain her status as a legendary steed.

After enduring a slumber last generation, collectathon platformers are undergoing a resurgence, and 2017 is looking to be the renaissance.

The announcement of Yooka-Laylee in April, 2015 struck the internet with a sea of nostalgia, surpassing its Kickstarter Goal of £175,000 within 30 minutes.
Two years later, Playtonic Games' new entry is joining titles like A Hat in Time, Poi, and the newly announced Super Mario Odyssey in making 90’s inspired platformers a hit trend once again.

Playtonic Games is a development team primarily consisting of veteran Rare developers. The creative minds that brought classics such as Donkey Kong Country, and the raunchy Conker’s Bad Fur Day, are releasing their spiritual-successor to Banjo Kazooie on April 11th, 2017.

Yooka-Laylee reached all of its Kickstarter stretch-goals, and was the fastest game to reach $1 million on Kickstarter. The game includes a myriad of features like local co-op, a multiplayer versus mode, mine cart sections, and an old-school N64 shader mode. Their page even promises a “GK Rap” by ex-Rare composer Grant Kirkhope.

At it’s core, though, Yooka-Laylee is all about its gameplay, and of course those sweet, sweet collectibles. Throughout the game players will collect Quills, Pagies, and Play Tonics, but these aren’t just a number count on the screen. Each collectible in Yooka-Laylee serves a purpose. Upgrading stats, gaining new abilities, and expanding and adding worlds are Playtonic Games’ way of showing this is an evolution from the days of Donkey Kong 64 -- minus the rap.

Playtonic Games’ campaign is only one example of the interest gamers have in collectathon platformers. Sony revisited the world of Ratchet and Clank last year, and although the movie could have been better, the remake of the original was the fastest selling game in the series. Recognizing that nostalgia prints money, Sony is also working on a Crash Bandicoot trilogy for the PS4. Although games like Knack and Puppeteer didn’t leave much of an impact, the remastered classics are bringing the genre back into players minds.

Yooka-Laylee is not the only title to find success with indie game fans. Poi is a popular early-access Steam game scheduled to release February 1st. The vibrant journey tells the story of a young boy on a quest to become a master explorer, and focuses on exploration and collection. The game already received a number of awards such as the Humble Bundle Monthly.

A Hat in Time launched a Kickstarter campaign in May 2013, doubling its funding goals within the first two days. The game is scheduled for release sometime this year, and a Beta release is available for backers. Players take the role of Hat Kid, a young traveler who collects fuel for her spaceship to travel through time and race against evil. A Hat in Time draws heavily from titles like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Psychonauts. However, developer Gears for Breakfast plans to innovate the genre with a new combat system and adding in co-op.

What better way to wrap up the year of collectathon platformers by celebrating with a brand new 3D Mario title.

Super Mario Odyssey isn’t releasing until the end of the year, but Nintendo understands its fans’ desires for a true successor to Super Mario 64. Super Mario Sunshine and Galaxy are both amazing games, but each fall short in either execution or content to really emulate the definitive N64 title that changed gaming. Only a few minutes of Mario’s adventures in New York City have been revealed so far, showing a lush world with unique, explorable environments. These trailers show Nintendo is ready to one-up itself in the genre it popularized.

All of these games illustrate the same message -- it’s time for shooters to step aside and let 3D platformers take the crown back. The N64-era of open-world platforming is ready to take back the hearts of gamers from around the world, and hopefully use them to make more games in the wondrous genre of collectathon platformers.

So, there we have it, 11 classic Nintendo games that would be perfect for mobile gaming platforms. We would absolutely love it if these games actually did exist in the mobile gaming world -- here’s to dreaming that one day they will be.

Let’s see in the comments any other classic Nintendo games you’d like to see come to mobile platforms!

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Just like Mario, no list of Nintendo games for mobile platforms would be complete without a Zelda game. Originally a Game Boy game, it would be perfect as it is already used for gaming on the go.

The action -- adventure game focuses on exploration and combat, where the player traverses the overworld of Koholint Island, whilst fighting monsters and exploring underground dungeons. Dungeons become steadily more difficult and feature bosses to defeat. Defeating bosses earns the player one of eight instruments required to complete the game.

The game has an overhead perspective to allow Link to jump and enables side-scrolling. Players can expand abilities with items that are awaiting collection in dungeons. Certain items will unlock previously inaccessible areas and to complete dungeons. Whilst we don’t condone stealing in games (or in real life!) it is fun to steal from the shop and this changes the player’s character name to thief for the rest of the game.

There are also mini quests and side missions, where players can trade too.

It is perfect for mobile and another game that we just want for every device possible. Tap on the screen and Link would walk in that direction. Tapping on enemies, could cause Link to attack that enemy. Tapping and holding Link could charge Link for a super attack.

Punch-Out

When out and about, it’s great to experience the arcade experience right there in your hand. And this is definitely true of this game.

This game involves boxer Little Mac fighting his way through the ranks of the Boxing Association. He fights fictional opponents, but his dream is to fight a highly skilled boxer.

Little Mac has a limited repertoire of attacks in comparison and only include left and right jabs, body blows and an uppercut. However, he is able to defend attacks by dodging, ducking and blocking blows. Sadly, Little Mac can be knocked out, but can regain health by standing up.

Players fail the game if Little Mac is unable to stand, or even if he’s knocked out on three consecutive times. Keep Little Mac winning to ensure success in the world rankings.

This game would be great for mobile, as it’s another game that can be picked up and put down easily and has much more game play than an idle game. Use swipe on the screen to dodge left or right, or swipe up to perform a punch. Or even use combo moves including swipes and taps to perform special actions.

Pilot Wings

A perfect game for mobile devices originally developed for the SNES, all about flight simulation.

There are a few flight simulation games out there, such as Pocket Planes but a Nintendo version would be so much more awesome.  

The objective of the game is to pass all the training areas and earn licences based on the difficulty of the level. Players need to complete tasks within a specified time limit, for example flying through floating markers. Points are awarded for the accuracy of the mission and time it took to complete. With success, the player completes the missions and earns the pilots wings.

This would be a great twist on flight mobile games and adding something completely different. The tilts on the phone would be used to move the plane left and right, with forwards and backwards tilting to be used to take off and land.

Wave Race

A game for the N64 and a successor to F-Zero and is all about jet-skis.

The objective of the game is to beat other racers, whilst successfully manoeuvring the jet-ski around various buoys. There are two different types of buoy, which determine whether they must be passed on the left or right side. Gain speed by passing the buoy correctly and maintaining this allows players to maintain power without any misses.

Players can actually be disqualified from races by leaving the course or the water or missing five buoys in a row.

Honestly, this game for mobile would be addictive as players try to navigate the courses. Tilt the screen to move left and right, but also forward to accelerate and move sharply to avoid those buoys. Tap the screen to perform jumps, or if already in the air, to perform a trick.

1080 Snowboarding

In the upcoming winter months, we consider winter sports, so how about a mobile game where players can control a snowboarder?

Players control a snowboarder using a variety of button combinations, to allow jumps and tricks. It is a third person perspective game, to race or train their snowboarder, or even perform tricks. Players in race mode need to beat the other snowboarders and the difficulty of this can be increased or decreased. Choose the best snowboarder that is suitable for the terrain in order to progress. The tricks mode provides the opportunity to accrue points by making the snowboarder perform tricks. Perfect these and the player will progress.

This is ideal for mobile gaming, with its mixture of gaming styles and training mode keeps players’ interest. The tilt function of the phone would be used not only to turn left or right, but tilt forward to go faster. Players could tap the screen to perform jumps.

F-Zero

A Nintendo racing game for the mobile market would be a great idea, after all there was a Game Boy version!

In the game, players control a vehicle with the overall objective of beating the other vehicle, whilst avoiding obstacles. Memorising the game track is important to progression in the game. The F-Zero vehicles are designed to hover and ride at high speeds. There are a number of different vehicles, rated A-E, for the body, boost, grip and weight of the vehicle.

As such, this would be a great mobile game, as races would be conducted in short time frames, which is perfect for mobile gaming. The tilt function of the phone would be used, in a left and right direction to steer the vehicle. Keep your finger on the screen to accelerate and take your finger off to decelerate.

Viewtiful Joe

The side-scrolling beat ‘em up game is an interesting choice for a mobile game, as it’s more simplistic in movement, yet players require a degree of dexterity in combat.

Joe can move left, right, up and down on a fixed 2D path, within a platforming style. Combat consists of fighting multiple enemies simultaneously and Joe can punch, kick and dodge these enemies. Dodging enemies dazes them, which is a great opportunity to then fight back.

The VFX (Viewtiful FX) gauge within the game allows players to attribute super hero powers to Joe for a short period of time, and they also make him immune from attacks.

There is an element of a time management game already within this game, as the VFX Power attacks and coins that allow players to purchase more superior abilities. It would be easy to tap and click on enemies to cause damage, such as a kick or a punch, or perform special actions. Characters would move automatically.

Super Monkey Ball

Controlling a monkey in a transparent ball on a variety of maze like platforms would surely be a great choice for mobile gaming.

One level, for example involved rolling along a raised platform with no sides that got progressively narrower, just for that extra layer of difficulty. Therefore, there is a rhythmic aspect to the game.

As the game is timed, it makes it a really great choice for a mobile device, for quick but fun game play. The phone itself would be used to roll the ball accordingly (with the gyroscope), just like the analog stick in the original game. The most subtle movements of the game would have a direct consequence to the game and hand-eye coordination would be much needed. 

Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat

Whilst this game may get a few strange looks on the train, as players tap the on-screen bongo drums to control Donkey Kong’s movements, the game would still work great for mobile devices.

Players needed to get as many points (or beats) as possible in order to progress through the game. Beats are obtained by grabbing bananas and players can complete combo moves in order to really rack up the points. Keep up with the beat in order to keep running.

This game would work great for mobile gaming, a fun little game to play for 5 minutes, as the game works well as an endless runner, with the game progressing in difficulty. Tapping on the screen when required will cause Donkey Kong to jump or perform an attack, in addition to keeping up with the beat.

Super Mario 64

The infamous platformer for the N64, where Mario explored Princess Peach’s castle to save her from Bowser would be an interesting choice, as there are a great deal of missions to choose from.

In the game, the player is free to navigate Mario within the open-world of the environment and discover it without time limits. Mario meets enemies, friends and puzzles along the way. Stars are collected through completing tasks and it’s the stars that unlock parts of the castle.

Mario is able to walk, jump, swim and more by using the game’s controls and the swipe ability for mobile devices would be ideal to continue this.

Mario 64 would work so well for mobile devices -- we think most people want Mario games for every device they have! This could work as an endless runner, with the ability to switch the camera, between the view of behind or sideways to Mario. Players could tap or swipe their phones to perform attacks, jumps, or dodges. 

Pikmin

A game originally for the GameCube, back in 2001 this real time strategy game would be a great game for mobile devices.

Captain Olimar crash lands on a mysterious planet and befriends creatures he calls Pikmin. Olimar utilises their abilities to collect the missing parts of his spaceship he lost during the crash. The player has 30 days to recover the pieces and repair the ship and if they fail, Olimar dies from oxygen poisoning. Each of the three kinds of Pikmin has different abilities, such as surviving in water; however, only 100 Pikmin can be on the ground at any one time. The Pikmin protect Olimar from the world’s predators.

If the game was a side scrolling, strategy puzzle and adventure game, with touch screen controls, it would be perfect for mobiles. Players could tap which Pikmin they want to use, then tap to assign them to the direction they need to go in, or which enemy they need to attack.

With the upcoming Super Mario Run now being available for iOS and Android, it has now made GameSkinny consider what other classic Nintendo games would be awesome for iPhone and Android phones.

With Nintendo being synonymous with handheld gaming, owing to the Game Boy device and more recently the DS/3DS, it seems natural that their classic games are available on the go for your phone.

So, what games would we choose to have on our mobile devices, well we’ve handpicked 11 best games that would be awesome for our iPhone or Android phone. In no particular order, here’s the list:

Egyptianruin, Owner of Cute 'N Kitschy

This week's creator spotlight goes to Egyptianruin, owner of Cute 'N Kitschy, an Etsy store filled with small items, often geek related. While there are more than just video game pieces in the shop, the work presented and the vast selection are what drew me to Egyptianruin's work. The items are handmade and range in size from smaller than a quarter to the size of the palm of their hand. The following selections are just a few of the products offered, so take a look at the shop for the full collection. 

Animal Cross New Leaf Charm Bracelet

Animal Crossing New Leaf has a large fan following. This small charm bracelet is customizable, with the purchaser choosing which characters to include. 

White Xbox 360 Controller Pendant

For the Xbox lovers, this white acrylic pendant is perfect. Modeled after the Xbox 360 controller, it is super recognizable, with all the pieces amazingly crafted.

Sans and Papyrus Undertale Earrings

Sans and Papyrus from indie game Undertale have a wide fan following. These earrings are super cute. Great as a present for the Undertale obsessed in your life or for yourself, show your appreciation of the skeleton brothers.

N64 Controller Pendant

Ahhh, the N64. An iconic, classic piece of gaming history. Wear the retro controller in a variety of colors, such as gray, blue and red. Again, perfectly constructed at such a small size, the craftsmanship is astounding.

With such mastery over the creation of tiny, geeky items, it is no wonder Egyptianruin has a successful Etsy shop. Check out the other items listed, purchase some custom items, and let her know we sent you.

Annoyed with the blurriness you get when playing Nintendo 64 games? The guys over at My Life In Gaming have talked about a solution of sorts.

Games nowadays generally have decent image quality. This is thanks to a technique called antialiasing. Antialiasing is used to diminish jagged lines or "jaggies" that are prevalent in older titles -- such as those on Nintendo 64, whose graphics typically show up as what MLIG's Coury describes as a "generous smear":

"Scan line separation on a high quality CRT may help smooth over the flaws, but if you're playing your N64 on an HDTV, it's actually pretty tough to get some decent results. Even with RGB mods and high quality video scans."

While an Ultra HDMI cable does a good job of approximating a clean, pixelated look, the crew over at AssemblerGames.com, has discovered that sometimes all it takes is a GameShark to remove antialiasing on 3D graphics.

The GameShark can be used to change certain values that are written to the VI, or the Video Interface register, in turn disabling certain graphical functions, such as antialiasing.

Antialiasing and other video filters are applied to 3D graphics in N64 games, giving it the look of a smear. GameShark codes remove some of these filters. The Ultra HDMI cable is incapable of doing this. The HDMI cable can, however, reverse secondary blur through a process known as deconvolution, shown below.

Here's a comparison of what the Ultra HDMI does compared to a GameShark:

The GameShark deals primarily with antialiasing, while the Ultra HDMI does a good job of removing secondary blur from 3D graphics.

In the end, it boils down to personal preference: how do you like your 3D graphics on N64? As they're originally presented, or cleaned up a bit? And if you do want the graphics cleaned up, how do you want them cleaned up? Blurriness removed? Jaggies gone? The choice is yours.

Legend has it that the world's greatest swordsman spent thousands of hours in training before ever picking up a practice blade. He would place tiny grains of rice through a narrow opening in a glass bottle with fine chopsticks. When questioned about this unorthodox method of mastering the sword the swordsman said:

"The human body is the most delicate and powerful instrument in the universe. If one can even gain a novice comprehension of this truth, he can easily learn how to play with a stick."

Meet Terry Garrett, a master in every sense of the word. For five years, he has been training to complete a monstrous task, the beat arguably one of the greatest games of our time without ever seeing the game; to clarify, Terry is blind. You've heard of "blindfolded runs" in which people complete a game blindfolded. They usually play the game repeatedly beforehand to gain a certain degree of muscle memory from the times they played it with sight.

Terry has never been able to see any aspect of the game. He embarked on this journey quite literally in the dark. Terry uses surround sound speakers to immerse himself into the virtual world using sound waves instead of light waves. Sound effects produced by enemies enable Terry to gauge distance, depth, direction, and identification of the enemy.

So how does he overcome obstacles, puzzles, and challenges that don't emit a sound? Well that's easy, he just creates the sound by using items in the game (like the hookshot) to echolocate his environment. This allows him to navigate any virtual terrain, obstacle, or puzzle.

Forget about "speed run world records", what Terry was able to accomplish in five years is an unrepeatable feat of greatness. It's a De Vinci, a Van Gogh, a timeless masterpiece that serves as a monument to the greatness human kind is capable of.

Terry possess an incredible amount of dedication, tenacity, patience, skill and talent. This disability does not define him, he makes the rules of the world bend to the whims of his beautiful talents.

Shadows of the Empire - Skyhook Battle

Now look! This may be a bit of a niche choice, but this mission was the closest thing to the feeling of excitement during the Death Star battle in Return of the Jedi. The dog-fighting, the massive scale of the Skyhook, and the tunnel assault to blow up the reactor had our hearts racing to the very end. 

While the main story of the game was a bit flat, the situations presented to the player offered wonderful Star Wars moments with wonderful replay ability. Escaping from Hoth, riding the train on Ord Mantel, inflitrating Xizor's Palace, and the final space battle rounded out a great Star Wars experience that graced the Nintendo 64 in 1996. 

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast - Retrieving your Lightsaber

Kyle Katarn is one of the more tragic characters in the now "Legends" Star Wars story. Always struggling between the light and dark side, the protagonist of Jedi Outcast has forsaken the force and the ways of the Jedi to further his life. However, the player soon finds Katarn in a quest that requires his reconnection with the force. 

Going through Luke Skywalker's trial to redeem your lightsaber is a critical moment for Katarn and a great moment for the story of Star Wars. Gameplay wise, acquiring your lightsaber and your connection to The Force turns you back into the master of combat you expect from a Jedi making for some great encounters in later missions. 

Knights of the Old Republic - Crafting your Lightsaber

An elegant weapon for a more civilized age, building a lightsaber is one of the initiatory moments in a Jedi's training and players waiting an entire act to be able to do so was torture. From the outset, the player knows the protagonist is strong in the force, yet we are not permitted to its use for the first several hours of gameplay.

Arriving at the Jedi temple after many hours finally gave players the opportunity to do what every Star Wars fan has ached to do since childhood: Become a Jedi and craft a lightsaber. An excellent moment that feels completely earned after the harrowing survival of the first chapter.    

Star Wars Battlefront 2 - Hero Assault on Mos Eisley

Who said anything about this list being only story elements? The Hero Assault mode in Star Wars Battlefront 2 offered some of the most fun battles in any Star Wars game that has been released. Players joined either the lights side or the dark side and had a sample of the many characters that occupied those roles throughout the saga.

Then, as you would expect, you do battle even if the various match-ups and situations are a little outside of canon. Clashing with General Grievous as Princess Leia while your friends are screaming at an enemy Boba Fett over Xbox Live was great fun and a great platform for enjoying the Star Wars experience. 

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords - Kreia's Lessons

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords is like a fine wine. It gets better as it ages. Living in the shadow of its critically acclaimed predecessor Knights of the Old Republic, all eyes were on its sequel. While it was not a success critically, Knights of the Old Republic 2 offered one of the greatest Star Wars characters to grace the universe: Kreia. 

Outside of the novels, Kreia was one of the first characters to preach the morally grey area that is The Force to a large audience. Her approach to breaking down the binary assumptions of the light and dark side are some of the most compelling conversations in gaming and gives Kreia a permanent position on anyone's favorite Star Wars characters. 

Star Wars: Republic Commando - Introductions

Before television offered us a deeper insight into the training of clone troopers in The Clone Wars episode Clone Cadets, we had the excellent introductory mission within Star Wars: Republic Commando that finally shed a light on the intensity of clone training and the bond of brotherhood within the horde of soldiers. 

Learning the origins of your squad while simultaneously building a bond before the true game even begins was a very impressive design and story choice that continued to grow throughout the game until its climactic ending.

Although unlikely, maybe an invigorated Star Wars universe can lead to a well-deserved sequel to this excellent squad based first person shooter. 

The force is strong with us. The time is almost here. We have a hard time even saying it without bursting with excitement: we get to see more Star Wars films. While most of the various games and other Star Wars media have been dismissed as "Legends" from our new Disney overlords, Star Wars has had many wonderful video game stories and experiences that will not leave the minds of fans even if they are no longer canon.

With new Star Wars stories on the horizon via new films, games, books, comics, and more, this is a very unique chance to reflect on which experiences offered stellar Star Wars moments that were outside of the main film saga. Here are our six choices. 

We are now on week 6 of the Legend of Zelda Rewind Review, and that means we are visiting one of the most overlooked - and recently remastered - Legend of Zelda titles ever: Majora's Mask.

Okay, admittedly, Majora's Mask has been receiving a lot of attention lately. In fact, thanks to the remake more people than ever have been paying attention to Majora's Mask than ever before. That is why - after much debate - I have decided to not review the 3DS version as the reviews I have read cover just about anything that I could say. However, I do plan on tackling one question that I'm certain will be on some people's minds: which is better?

As with all Rewind Reviews, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask will undergo a review process through the eyes of a modern critic. No nostalgia glasses, no excuses, no rationalizing hardware limitations, and no sparing myself from angry fans and readers. Nothing will excuse this game from anything that we - as modern gamers - would expect to see in the genre today.

With that said, let's travel back to the dawn of the first day, and stop Majora's nefarious plans in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 64 and 3DS.

The Plot

Majora's Mask continues the tradition of story-driven gameplay that has been around since Link's Awakening. Acting as a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask follows the tale of the very same Link who vanquished Ganondorf with the aid of the Seven Sages. After being sent back to his own time, Link has been on a quest to find his best friend - Navi - who was taken away after his adventure in Ocarina of Time was complete.

Already, we have Link's motive for going on this quest, and it is a believable one at that. Although not all players will sympathize with Link's kinship that annoying fairy, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the young Link would want to have his friend back considering everyone else he ever cared about is now a sage.

As for the Quest in Majora's Mask itself, Link is thrust into the adventure as a result of - to quote the Happy Mask Salesman - meeting a terrible fate. After the Skull Kid steals the Ocarina of Time, and Epona, Link pursues him into the land of Termina. There, Link is bound to his adventure for multiple reasons, namely: he needs Epona back, he has been turned into a Deku scrub, and the Ocarina of Time is in the hands of a malevolent being. All of this makes for a compelling story, one that I would consider among the best in the series yet.

Afer being turned into a Deku Scrub, Link's adventures in Termina begin on a very hopeless note for the once great hero of Hyrule

If this introduction synopsis is not enough to convince you, then I suggest you play the game to meet the many quirky and three-dimensional characters. Since the game has an actual relationship with time, many of the characters change over the course of the three days. Main, secondary, and side characters alike all have some form of character development, and many of them are flawed characters as well. It makes for not only a compelling story of a doomed land but also a very fleshed out world as well.

Gameplay

Note: For the sake of saving both my time and the time of readers, assume that anything unsaid in this section for Majora's Mask is the same as Ocarina of Time. This is because Majora's Mask runs off of the same engine as Ocarina of Time. If you would like to recap what was said, you can find the Ocarina of Time Rewind Review here.

The Beautiful:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a unique title in the Legend of Zelda series. The reason for this is the fact that it is the only Legend of Zelda title to incorporate an actual sense of time. This means that everything in the world is active, even if you are not. As such, an idle Link can actually result in the end of the world. While this is often seen as the most infuriating part of Majora's Mask, I find it is the game's most charming feature.

Time stops for no man, including Link. Every moment wasted is time that cannot be reclaimed until Link restarts time, erasing his efforts from history.

The reason for this is simple: a sense of difficulty and urgency. As a result of the 3-day mechanic, players are forced to always be taking action. While Majora's Mask could have simply gone with a "the world ends in 3 days" storyline, the game's developers instead decided to make the game end in 3 days.

This beauty of game design also extends into the world itself. As a result of the 3-Day structure, NPC characters are interacting with the world at the same time you are. This can result in some things such as seeing relationships bloom, chaos come from misconduct, or even watching every character's individual reaction to the end of the world. It is a truly wonderful mechanic that must be experienced in order to appreciate.

Clock Town is a busy place filled with characters from all walks of life. They will go about their own business. Just like other areas in the game, these NPCs will follow their duties with or without Link's involvement.

The other major feature of Majora's Mask are the in-game masks Link can acquire - in particular the transformation masks. These masks do a number of things ranging from causing Link's face to explode to helping Link run at two times his regular speed. The three transformation masks - Deku, Zora, and Goron - also provide an interesting gameplay change since Legend of Zelda titles rarely let players control anyone other than Link. This feature could have landed in "the good" on the grounds that they are technically just extra items, however, it deserves to be in "the beautiful" simply because the developers put in the effort to ensure that each Link plays differently with a set of weaknesses and advantages each.

The nightmare-inducing transformation sequences in Majora's Mask are both memorable, and effective in visualizing Link's pain during the process

The game is also sports an impressive, unique enemy count of 81 (86 if you count varieties). This is a very slight improvement over Majora's Mask's predecessor. However, considering the fact that all enemies in this game are encountered as Young Link as opposed to being divided between the two Links in Ocarina of Time, this is actually a great leap in variety for a Legend of Zelda game.

The Good:

The Bomber's Notebook is an interesting feature in Majora's Mask. Unlike other Legend of Zelda titles, the Bomber's Notebook keeps track of what side quests Link has completed or reset due to his time traveling. This is a very useful feature as it makes sure players know which characters will give them masks, what heart pieces they have acquired, and which characters must be talked to if the player ran out of time before completing the side quest chain.

The Bomber's Notebook updates each time Link finishes part of a subquest, keeping track of everything from events to rewards

Also, since Majora's Mask does not have an equipment submenu like Ocarina of Time did, the game does not suffer from the flaws originating from said submenu. Instead, items are linearly upgraded in a similar fashion to Link to the Past. The item screen also does not have a surplus of unnecessary items since many of them are reused in later temples, and the elemental arrows have been buffed up a bit to make them useful throughout the game.

The Subjective

The magic meter returns in Majora's Mask, but this time it feels a bit "cleaner" so to speak. Since the game does not have a wide variety of spells like Ocarina of Time, the few abilities Link does have are balanced by the use of the meter. These abilities include: elemental arrows, the Goron Roll, the Zora Barrier, and the Deku Bubble Shot.

The Zora Electric Barrier is great for killing weaker enemies in your path while swimming, but little else...

While the abilities are necessary at times, they are typically used to make certain sections such as bosses or puzzles easier. The Zora and Goron abilities are useful for cutting down travel time on land or in the water, while the Deku Bubble Shot is pretty much nothing more than an arrow substitute.

As such the magic meter doesn't act like a hindering feature, but rather a source of ammunition for certain abilities - as it should.

The Goron Roll is both fun and practical as it can be used to quickly cover ground or used in the Goron racing mini-game on Snowhead.

However, with that said many of the magic meter reliant abilities are rendered useless as the game progresses. With the exception of the Goron Roll, the magic meter abilities find limited use since there are few times you will run out of arrows or in open areas while underwater. As such, this feature gets placed in "the subjective" as your opinion on the magic meter can fluctuate depending on how much or how little you rely on the special abilities of each mask.

Personally, I think it's one of the most practical uses of the magic meter to date. However, I do have my grievances on the Goron roll being virtually useless without having any magic. I can understand not having the ability to damage enemies without the spiked hide ability, but does it have to slow down so much?

The Bad

If I had one complaint to make about Majora's Mask, it's that it is very short. The game only has 4 major temples, each one possible to complete within 1 1/2 in-game days if you know what you are doing. This makes Majora's Mask perhaps the shortest Legend of Zelda game in history, making it feel more like a Metroid game in terms of gameplay length and execution.

Bosses in Majora's Mask are among some of the more difficult and unique in the series thanks to the reliance on masks, but since there are only four dungeons their great designs are pretty short lived...

I understand that this was a result of adding in the 3-day system, as well as the wide variety of sub-quests, but surely something could have been done to extend the main quest a little bit. Considering the fact that the game is so great, and has so much potential, it's a little disappointing that it has so little content. If this game was released nowadays, it could be almost considered an expansion pack or DLC for Ocarina of Time.

The Presentation

The 3DS version of Majora's Mask adds some relatively small changes and fixes when it comes to the bigger picture. These changes don't really affect the gameplay that much unless you really have a hard time figuring out where you are in relation to the ground as Deku Link, you can't read an analog clock, or you just can't fathom a 3D Legend of Zelda that has no fishing. That is why I have decided to focus solely on Majora's Mask's presentation to determine which game is better.

In my opinion, the only thing Majora's Mask 3D has over the original Nintendo 64 title is a higher frame rate. While the former title also has better graphics, they're not exactly aesthetically better. Call me out on nostalgia if you really want to, but there's something about the lower polygon Nintendo 64 models that adds something to the eerie nature of Majora's Mask that the remastered version just can't accomplish.

I think the evidence for this is best seen in the image of the moon (provided above) which just seems to be trying too hard to look creepy when compared to the original.

The 3DS version is also a lot more colorful, rounder, and better lit when compared to the N64's edgier and darker graphics. This is evident in the design of Majora's Mask itself which looks much rounder, softer, and overall less threatening than it did in the N64 version. In the end, all of this is purely subjective, so I would recommend the following: if you want a polished and "better looking" game, get the 3DS version. If you want a game that is much more eerie, and you don't mind a lower framerate, get the N64 version via emulator or cartridge (if you can find it).

Sound design is equal between both games - as always - and so basically you're competing for graphics alone.

Speaking of which... music. This game's music is perfect for the quirky, somber, and overall creepy world of Termina. Every song helps immerse the player in ways that no other Legend of Zelda title has ever done. I believe the best evidence of this is the Clock Town theme that actually changes with the passing of each day. The soundtrack becomes progressively more urgent as the days pass by, and so it also helps make the player more panic-stricken when their last moments are coming to a close. This is especially effective on the first 3-Day cycle the player experiences as it makes you feel frantic since you do not know what to expect as the world shakes and the timer ticks down.

You can listen to the soundtrack for yourself below:

The Verdict: 

Majora's Mask is not for the feint of heart. If you collapse from stress, or you don't like time management, then this is not the game for you. Otherwise, Majora's Mask is among the top 5 must-play games in the series. The story, gameplay, and overall environment that the game immerses you in is one that must be experienced. The only flaw of the game is that it is relatively short, but since the price of the game is much lower than at release it's perhaps the best bargain Legend of Zelda I can recommend.

As such, Majora's Mask gets a 10/10 from Rewind Reviews. I know, many are surprised that this game bested Ocarina of Time by 3 whole points, but from a purely non-nostalgic point of view Majora's Mask is virtually superior in every way possible with the exception of Ocarina of Time. The story is better, the world is extremely immersive, and it is truly the most unique Legend of Zelda in the entire series. It is a game that deserves more attention than its prequel does, and it is a shame that it did not get as much attention back in the day as it does now.

Oh yeah, and for those still wondering what my personal choice between the 3DS and N64 versions is: I would pick the original. As I said, it just has some quality of eerieness that the polished and more colorful version cannot accomplish. I concede that they are both equally great in different ways, but I'll let you - the players - decide which is your favorite.

With that, I bring Week 6 of my Legend of Zelda Rewind Review to a close. What do you guys think about Majora's Mask? Does it deserve to get a 10/10 compared to my lower Ocarina of Time score? Would you recommend the N64 or 3DS version to your friends? Leave your opinions in the comments section below!

Also, be sure to check back on this article or the GameSkinny front page for future reviews, as well as swords and sorcery action as we make our way from the original 1986 release of The Legend of Zelda on the NES to the 2013 release of A Link Between Worlds on the 3DS!

Reviews in this Series:

• The Legend of Zelda (NES)
• The Adventure of Link (NES)
• A Link to the Past (SNES/GBA)
• Link's Awakening/Link's Awakening DX (GB/GBC)
• Ocarina of Time/OoT 3DS (N64/3DS)
• Majora's Mask/MM 3DS (N64/3DS)
• Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons (GBC)
• Four Swords (GBA)
• The Wind Waker (GC)
• Four Swords Adventures (GC)
• The Minish Cap (GBA)
• Twilight Princess (GC/Wii)
• Phantom Hourglass (DS)
• Spirit Tracks (DS)
• Skyward Sword (Wii)
• A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
• Tri Force Heroes (3DS)

Week 5 of the Legend of Zelda Rewind Review has come upon us. At this point in the series and we leave the Gameboy and SNES behind as we venture into the 3rd dimension with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was first released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64. Since then it has had a consistent track record of being released on just about every single Nintendo home console compatible with a 3D environment. The game was also remastered for the Nintendo 3DS, bringing the game into the realm of portable gaming for the first time. With so many re-releases - more than the fan-claimed superior A Link to the Past - it raises the question of: why does this game do so well?

As with all Rewind Reviews, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will undergo a review process through the eyes of a modern critic. No nostalgia glasses, no excuses, no rationalizing hardware limitations, and no sparing myself from angry fans and readers. 

Nothing will excuse this game from anything that we - as modern gamers - would expect to see in the genre today. So without further ado, let's get told off by Mido, and travel through time in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS (wow...).

The Plot

Like its predecessor, Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time once more has the benefit of having an onboard dedicated writer. Since this is also the first time that The Legend of Zelda has been on a 3D console, it also has the added benefit of increased detailing on character models and environments. As such, Ocarina of Time is essentially set up to be the first properly story-driven Zelda title. And it succeeds.

In this game, Link is presented as the unwilling hero. Being nothing more than a young Hylian boy living as an orphan among the Kokiri tribe who takes one too many naps. This changes when Link is called to action by the Great Deku Tree after he has been infected by Ganondorf with the parasitic arachnid - Gohma. Killing the arachnid is not enough, however, and the Deku Tree begins to decay after presenting Link with the prophecy of the Triforce.

Filled with despair, Link runs away (in an in-game cinematic) from the Deku Tree before promptly being blamed for the death, and banished from his home, by the Kokiri's self-proclaimed boss - Mido. With nowhere left to call home, Link sets out for Hyrule Castle on behalf of the Great Deku Tree in the hopes of finding out what happened to the guardian of the Kokiri tribe.

Over the course of his adventure, the Ocarina of Time Link (who is the first confirmed separate "Link" in the series at this point) meets various people from the four main factions: Hylians, Gerudo, Humans, Gorons, and Zoras. The game sports a wide range of unique models, and each character is memorable in their own right. Like Link's Awakening, many of the side-character NPCs are memorable as well, such as the beggar of Hyrule town, or the infamous Biggoron of Death Mountain Crater. Each character is also lovable in their own right, and it comes to no surprise that - to this day - fan-art is still being created for this game.

This image features almost every character model from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's N64 version (the Adult Link model is from OoT 3DS), except for the bulk of Ocarina of Time's Temple bosses

The only fault I could place upon Ocarina of Time's story is that it starts the trend of incredibly linear plots and dungeons. However, most of these complaints will be covered in the "Gameplay" section of this review as the story is virtually unharmed by the gameplay itself.

The Gameplay

The Beautiful:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time does not stray too far from the core gameplay mechanics of the mainstream of Zelda titles. Each dungeon is still navigated by defeating enemies, using found items, and finding keys. There are also numerous hidden walls and holes that can be accessed only by using bombs, and later equipment. Essentially, Ocarina of Time successfully turns A Link to the Past into a 3D game. However, there are also a number of features that Ocarina of Time adds to the series as a whole. The first additions have to do with the 3D environment itself.

 Look at all this 3D space to explore!

Thanks to the Nintendo 64's power, character models were given detailed designs that matched their artwork for the first time. The most notable example of this is the model for Link. While previous artwork had depicted Link as a blonde-haired young man, Ocarina of Time is the first game in which he is presented as such in-game. Another change is the dress design of Princess Zelda which has more or less stayed the same ever since this iteration except for some art-style differences.

Another concept that was introduced in Ocarina of Time is the multiple races. Ocarina of Time debuts many of the well-known races in the Legend of Zelda franchise such as the Kokiri, Gorons, Gerudos, Hylians, Deku Scrubs, and Sheikah tribes. It is also the first game to present us with the Zora race in the form that we know them today, trading their green and monster-like appearance from A Link to the Past and earlier games, for the blue sleek, humanoid designs.

Gameplay was also heavily reworked to allow Link to fight in a 3D environment. The first adaptation was the invention of the Z-Targeting system (seen above). By pressing this button, players become locked onto a particular object or enemy, ensuring that the camera is always chasing point of interest until the player rather releases the button, or the object is destroyed.

This also changes up the process of combat since players can no longer swipe their swords at flying enemies, and as such they must rely on other weapons or modes of combat to destroy them. This is perhaps the most innovative part of Ocarina of Time since at this point in the series most enemies could be easily dealt with by a flurry of sword swings. It is for this reason that I would argue that the 3D Zelda series - much like the 3D Metroid series - provides a combat-oriented version of the game, as opposed to a puzzle or adventure focused game.

Ocarina of Time is also the first game to allow players to play the songs on a musical item - as opposed to simply selecting them. It is the first game in which playing music is a key component.

The Good:

Aside from its core gameplay mechanics, Ocarina of Time also has two side quests that can be completed.

The first of these is the House of Skulltula quest which will grant Link various upgrades and items unnecessary for the game's completion. These include: the adult wallet, stone of agony, giant's wallet, bombchus, and finally a piece of heart. To get these items, Link must help release the Spider's Curse from the family living in the House of Skulltula by collecting all 100 Gold Skulltula Tokens by killing Gold Skulltulas hidden all across Hyrule.

 Don't you just want to give him a hug?

This quest is perhaps one of the most underappreciated since the themes of greed leading to the family's curse, as well as the nightmarish design of the cursed family members is one that is often overlooked due to the quest's unnecessary nature.

The other side quest is a trading-sequence quest starting from a simple Cucco egg, to receiving the two-handed Biggoron's Sword. This trading quest is, of course, carried over from Link's Awakening where Link won a Yoshi Doll from the Trendy Game, and traded up to get the Magnifying Lens required to find the true path through the Wind Fish's Egg.

The Biggoron's Sword

While the Biggoron's Sword is not required to complete the game, it does offer an interesting alternative to the Master Sword since Link cannot defend while using it, sacrificing safety for extra damage. It can also be used to defeat Ganon's final form without the need to shoot light arrows. Also, who doesn't want a ridiculously huge 2-handed sword?

Enemy variety has taken a small hit as a result of the transition to 3D, sporting only 80 enemy types, and 9 bosses (11 if you count forms). While this is somewhat disappointing, it should be remembered that many of the enemies in earlier Legend of Zelda titles were simply recolours that did extra damage or moved faster. As such, Ocarina of Time ironically had the highest unique enemy diversity at the time of its release. Bosses are notably the most intimidating in the series thus far as well, with the atmospheric battle with Ganon being the highlight of the game.

Ocarina of Time's decisive battle against Ganon is perhaps one of the most memorable battles in Zelda history

The Bad:

While Ocarina of Time does a number of things well, it does have some minor faults. One of these faults is the lack of difficulty. While the Water Temple has received a notorious status for being one of the most confusing dungeons in the game, if the player has any basic coordination or navigations skills it is actually quite simple to complete while damage is scarcely taken unless you foolishly run around blindly (and even then). In fact, the only temple I had any trouble with was the Spirit Temple, and only because the Iron Gauntlet is a pain in the... lower-rear tunic area. Yes. That.

Another issue is the abundance of "useless" items. While acquiring the magical fire and ice arrows - as well as the numerous Great Fairy spells - is fun and all, the practicality of these items in-game is pretty limited. The only arguably useful spell in the game is the Din's Fire spell which creates a shockwave of fire. This can be used to enter the Shadow Temple without having to shoot numerous fire arrows or using deku sticks, or to damage Dark Link in the Water Temple. However, other than those two uses it is relatively useless. Nayru's Love and Farore's Wind are similarly unnecessary unless you truly believe the game dishes out too much damage, or that dungeons are hard to exit.

Items highlighted by the red box are virtually useless outside of the dungeon they are required or unnecessary, in general

As for the Fire, Ice, and Light arrows: they are debatable. Fire arrows are necessary at least on one or two occasions since you need to light torches, and they are useful for solving puzzles without having to painstakingly run about with a supply of Deku sticks. 

Ice arrows are a bane on your existence as they waste your time both in their acquisition, and their practicality. They are never used for anything, and quite frankly are not worth finding aside for completions' sake. Both arrows in terms of their usefulness in combat is limited to eating away at your precious magic meter. As for the Light Arrows, these are limited to use against Ganondorf since they do not 1-hit enemies like they do in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

As with A Link to the Past, I also have a grievance against the return of the magic meter. While Din's Fire would be overpowered if it were usable continuously, neither the spells nor the magic meter itself need to exist. There is no practical use for it, nor is there any practical use for the spells. As such, I can only conclude that this was a complete waste of effort. It is a mildly appreciated waste of effort, but a waste of effort nonetheless. The only item that requires it and is "useful" is the Lens of Truth, which is only used in one dungeon.

 Din's Fire looks great and all, but does it warrant the return of the magic meter? Could it not have used a timer instead?

Earlier in this review I also mentioned that this game is incredibly linear compared to previous titles. This is both a bad and a good thing. On the lighter side, it means that players can never enter a dungeon without the necessary equipment. However, this also means that the player is simply traveling from point A to point B with little or no derailment along the way. It also makes it incredibly difficult to stray off the path and discover parts of the world that the player would otherwise find if they were left to roam. This is only made worse with the constant droning of Navi the Fairy who constantly reminds Link that he has a "mission" to attend to.

I should also make a slight note that the inability to set the sensitivity of the first-person controls is a pain. Not really game breaking since the game was developed around it, but it wouldn't hurt if you could adjust how fast the camera pans about.

The Ugly:

The first and most notorious fault of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the equipment system. While having interchangeable equipment is certainly an innovative first in the series, it is also one of the crudest designed ones in Ocarina of Time. The reason for this is best illustrated by the equally notorious Water Temple.

In the Water Temple, Link must navigate the bland blue-painted hallways of the Zora's place of worship. To do so, Link must continuously switch between the Iron Boots and his Regular Boots in order to sink or swim around. This would be a fine mechanic for a temple... if not for the fact that Link needs to switch his boots every 5 seconds via the Equipment Menu.

The equipment subscreen

Unlike later additions in the series, Link's Iron Boots do not function in a similar fashion to his items. Instead, players must press the Start Button, navigate to the "Equipment" menu, then return to the game. This process can take upwards of four seconds. While that does not sound like much, it can become increasingly frustrating once you have to take them on and off several times in a row.

As for the Water Temple itself, as I mentioned: it is relatively easy if players have basic navigation know-how. However, the irritating part for players who are completely adept at navigation is the constant need to play Zelda's Lullaby to raise and lower the water level. As such, we are not only spending 8 seconds each time we need to take the Iron Boots on and off, but also about 12 seconds each time we need to change the water level. It is not a matter of difficulty, it is a matter of faulty design. While this does not completely ruin the experience of the game, I can imagine there must have been at least several ways this could have been improved.

The Remastered Godliness:

Okay, once again I'm adding a new section to this review that I have never used before. Why? Ocarina of Time 3DS fixes just about everything.

Aside from the front-end graphical improvements, the equipment system is completely revamped, and the controls are re-adjusted. The gyro controls (while spawning some initial discomfort) is actually well-received. I cannot imagine going back to the slow controls when I can simply shift about the screen a bit to aim exactly where I want to in a flash.

The HUD has been moved for the most part to the bottom screen, allowing for easy access to your equipment, dungeon map, quest status, and so on. This also consequently allows for the player to have an unobstructed view of this game's beauty, which is a nice touch. The Ocarina is also permanently designated to the touchscreen so that you can use it at any time without having to re-equip it, which is considerably useful since the game hardly has a time where you don't need it.

Even the Water Temple has been fixed as a result of the changes. Since the Iron Boots are now an item as opposed to a piece of equipment, players no longer have to wait through the lag time of switching boots.

Songs are also accessible via a "songs" button, so players who have a hard time remembering the songs will be able to play them at a touch of a button. The Water Temple's redesigned color scheme (right) also makes it easier to navigate for those who have difficulty finding their way about the original blue corridors by adding color-coded hallways to the mix. The higher draw distance helps as well since players can now see all possible entrances at all times. This was impossible on the Nintendo 64 as doing so would further decrease the already choppy-looking 20 frames per second gameplay.

All of this is without mentioning the newly added Master's Quest mode. Originally included on the Gamecube Ocarina of Time Promotion Disk, Master's Quest mode increases the difficulty of the game substantially.

In Master's Quest, every dungeon has been reworked in such a way that players must take advantage of all the game's mechanics. This includes certain mechanics that are never explained in the actual game such as the hookshot's ability to latch onto cows, the scarecrow, and wooden surfaces. Enemy damage output is increased, Link's damage output is decreased, and the encounters of late-game enemies has been spread out to the entire game. If that wasn't enough, the map is also reversed to further disorient long-time players.

If players prefer to have the original N64 appearance with greater difficulty provided by Master's Quest, I recommend picking up the rare Gamecube disk if you ever spot it. Otherwise, I advise picking up the readily available 3DS version. I cannot recommend it any more than I already have.

The Presentation

In the past I have made the claim that unlike old 2D sprite games, early 3D games do not age well. In the case of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, this is also the case. The original Nintendo 64 graphics - while charming - are extremely dated. Grass looks like the result of drinking one too many St. Patty's Day cocktails, and other textures show just how dated the game is. Character models have suffered the least, but that is not saying much as their low-polygon faces are difficult to take seriously. That said, the game doesn't look bad per se, it just looks old. While I would hate to admit it, personally, the game suffers as a result.

However, redemption for Ocarina of Time comes in the form of the 3DS remaster. Everything has been given a fresh new coat of paint, and the 3DS game has been optimized to a constant 30 frames per second, a great improvement over the original Nintendo 64's choppy 20 FPS. Everything just looks better, and it doesn't sacrifice the charm of the original game in the process. The improvements work best to highlight the eerieness of certain settings such as the Shadow Temple, and that just makes the game that much better.

The Shadow Temple is perhaps the greatest example of what the Ocarina of Time 3DS remaster did to improve the immersion of the game

While Ocarina of Time's graphics needed a severe improvement, the soundtrack is timeless. Much like A Link to the Past, many of Ocarina of Time's themes have been reused in future games, and that is by no means a bad thing. Each ocarina song sounds unique despite only using 5 melody tones to play each song, and the background music tracks take after Link's Awakening's use of unique dungeon tracks. This also carries over to each overworld area, providing a truly immersive experience by making each area feel like a different place with a unique atmosphere. You can listen to the soundtrack for yourself in the video below:

The Verdict:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a timeless piece, that much is for certain. If it wasn't, players wouldn't be speaking so fondly of this fan-favorite for so long or at all. It did a great job of introducing The Legend of Zelda to the world of 3D gaming, and it also did a stellar job of creating a standard that future 3D Zelda games would have to live up to.

Everything about this game is great, however, I am divided on what score to give it due to the presence of "bad" and "ugly" factors. Ocarina of Time is unique in the sense that it essentially has 3 versions I had to review: the original, Master's Quest, and 3DS remastered versions of the game.

As a result of the multiple versions, I have decided to split the game into 3 separate final scores:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: 7/10

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master's Quest: 8/10

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS: 10/10

While the original Ocarina of Time was a great experience in the late 1990's, Master's Quest improves the lack of difficulty, while the remaster fixes just about everything else. I definitely recommend The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as a starting point in the series for being not only the most easy-to-access game, but also one of the most player friendly.

With that, I bring Week 5 of my Legend of Zelda Rewind Review to a close. What do you guys think about Ocarina of Time? Is it better, worse, or on-par with A Link to the Past? Do you think it deserves its place as the highest-priority re-release Nintendo title, second only to Super Mario Bros.? Leave your opinions in the comments section below!

Also, be sure to check back on this article or the GameSkinny front page for future reviews, as well as swords and sorcery action as we make our way from the original 1986 release of The Legend of Zelda on the NES to the 2013 release of A Link Between Worlds on the 3DS!

Reviews in this Series:

• The Legend of Zelda (NES)
• The Adventure of Link (NES)
• A Link to the Past (SNES/GBA)
• Link's Awakening/Link's Awakening DX (GB/GBC)
• Ocarina of Time/OoT 3DS (N64/3DS)
• Majora's Mask/MM 3DS (N64/3DS)
• Oracle of Ages/Oracle of Seasons (GBC)
• Four Swords (GBA)
• The Wind Waker (GC)
• Four Swords Adventures (GC)
• The Minish Cap (GBA)
• Twilight Princess (GC/Wii)
• Phantom Hourglass (DS)
• Spirit Tracks (DS)
• Skyward Sword (Wii)
• A Link Between Worlds (3DS)
• Tri Force Heroes (3DS)

We're well into the 8th Generation of gaming. With the high price-tags on consoles today, many have wondered how our prices compare to consoles of the past. Well, it turns out, consoles have always been expensive.

Below is a complete list of major gaming consoles along with their launch year, launch prices (USD), and the gaming generation they belong to. 

Moral of the story? We probably shouldn't be complaining so much about console prices. It seems as though consoles have always had a relatively similar price range, but when considering the adjustment due to inflation, today's consoles are drastically cheaper.

This is especially true when compared to the Phillips CD-i and Neo-Geo, which take the first and second place for most expensive console, respectively.

The cheapest of all, with inflation considered, is the OUYA micro-console. This makes sense, as it has relatively low specs and was designed to run processor-light Android-based games.  

However, when focusing on base-price alone, Ouya ties with the first home console ever released, the Magnavox Odyssey. It's nice to see that $99.99 price point has returned, even if it was attached to a micro-console. Could we see this price re-adopted into traditional home consoles in the future? I sure hope so. 

Christmas comes a few times a year for Nintendo fans, and the jolly giant gave us a little visit today. Okay, it wasn't Santa, it was Satoru Iwata, but he did come bearing gifts, revealing tons of news for upcoming titles. You can either watch the video or read on to see everything you need to know from the April 1st Nintendo Direct: 

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS

• Mewtwo DLC will be available as a free download on April 15th for those who registered both the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game on Club Nintendo before March 31st.  
• Mewtwo DLC will be available for everyone on April 28th. He's $3.99 for either version, or $4.99 to get him on both on 3DS and WiiU. 
• Lucas was announced as DLC and is coming June 2015
• Mii Fighter game-inspired Costumes (Majora's Mask, Cat Mario, Megaman  X's Armor, etc.) offered as DLC starting April 15 for $0.75 for either version or $1.15 for both versions
• Update Ver. 1.0.6 coming April 15th allowing use of DLC, tweaking character balance, and adding sharing functionality of Photos, Mii Fighters, Replays, Custom Stages, and more on Wii U version.
• Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot at smashbros.com will allow fans to suggest characters for future DLC
• Next wave of Amiibo announced, with Dark Pit and Palutena coming in July and Olimar, Bowser Jr., Dr. Mario, Zero Suit Samus, and Ganondorf coming in September

[New] Amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits

• Tap amiibo on WiiU's gamepad to play highlights from select NES and SNES games. Games aren't tied to specific amiibo; the highlights are chosen at random and from random virtual console games. 

Mario Maker

• Commemorates 30th Anniversary of Mario and launches September 2015.

Yoshi's Woolly World

• Classic and Mellow Mode announced. Classic mode plays normally, Mellow Mode allows Yoshi to fly, which makes the game easier. Players can switch between the two modes during gameplay. 
• Special yarn Yoshi amiibo announced. It allows you to play with Double Yoshi, a second Yoshi that you can use to solve puzzles and progress in game. Will be available in Green, Pink, and Blue.
• Launches Fall 2015 along with Yarn Yoshi amiibo

Splatoon

• Launches May 29th
• Ranked Battle mode announced for online play. Like Turf Wars, but uses specific rule-set and gives players rankings. 
• Battle Dojo mode announced for local play. One player uses the gamepad, and the other uses the TV, competing to pop the most balloons. 
• Inkling amiibo will be launched alongside the game. Gives additional missions based on the amiibo you tap in, and completing these missions gives you special gear. Will be available as pack of 3: Inkling girl, Inkling boy, and Squid, or you can purchase the Inkling boy and girl separately

Code Name: Steam

• Demo available on Nintendo eShop now
• More Marth amiibo will be released in May 2015 (Fire Emblem amiibo compatible with game)
• Update coming that allows players to speed up enemy turns (date will be announced on social media)
• Death Match tournament announced: running from 4/1 to 4/5

Virtual Console

• Nintendo 64 and DS games coming to Wii U with customizable controller options. 
• N64 games will be $9.99 - $11.99 and DS games will be $6.99 - $9.99 OR only $2 if you have them downloaded on Wii 
• Yoshi's Island DS and Super Mario 64 are both available now for $9.99
• Yoshi Touch & Go and Wario Ware Touched! will be available on April 9th for $9.99
• Donkey Kong 64, Mario Kart DS, and Paper Mario are coming April 16th for $9.99

MiiPlaza

• Two new games coming to MiiPlaza on April 16: Ultimate Angler and Battleground Z, available together for $7.99 or separately for $4.99 each
• StreetPass MiiPlaza Premium to launch April 16, which allows players to add Mii's birthdays and store up to 100 Mii's in a VIP room--will cost $4.99.

 [New] Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

• Launching Fall 2015
• New game focusing on decorating aspects of Animal Crossing series
• Design animals' homes based on their requests
• The first game to use amiibo cards, which launch alongside the game. Using new cards will give you new animals for whom you can build a house, and have visit other animals houses
• External NFC reader for 3DS will launch alongside the game

Mario Kart 8

•  DLC Pack 2 available April 23rd for $7.99, includes:
  - 3 Characters: Isabelle, boy and girl Villager, and Dry Bowser
  - 4 Vehicles:  City Tripper, Streetle, +2 unannounced
  - 8 Courses/ 2 Cups:  Crossing Cup and Bell Cup
• New Animal Crossing course from Pack 2 features alternating seasons and a studio-recorded remix of the animal crossing theme
• More Mii Racing suits added with use of Mega Man, Pac-Man, Sonic, Toad, Wario, Villager, Rosalina, Bowser, and Olimar amiibos
• 200cc will become available for free on April 23rd through an update 

 Everything Else:

• There was a segment on indie games coming this summer, including forma.8, Dementium Remastered, Don't Starve: Giant Edition, Affordable Space Adventures, Starwhal, Never Alone, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, Ninja Pizza Girl, Antipole DX, Life of Pixel, Badland: Game of the Year Edition, Slain!, Runbow, Adventures of Pip, Back to Bed, Space Hulk, Race the Sun, Dooors, Dot Arcade, Swords and Soldiers II, Lionel City Builder 3D: Rise of the Rails, Toto Temple Deluxe, The Bridge, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge, Shutshimi, Nova-111, and Windup Knight 2
• Showed a trailer of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover
• Fatal Frame Wii U coming to US later in 2015
• Hal Laboratory bringing new title Box Boy! to Nintendo eShop April 2nd
• Pokémon Rumble World available for free download starting April 8th on Nintendo 3DS
• Puzzle and Dragons Z + Puzzle and Dragons Super Mario Edition will be released in stores on May 22nd, with a demo of Puzzle and Dragons Super Mario Edition available April 30th in the 3DS eShop
• Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains by Atlus coming to the 3DS eShop in May, and the first two episodes of the anime are available in the eshop
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3D trailer shown, coming April 10th 2015
• The Fire Emblem game for Nintendo 3DS will launch in 2016 and a trailer was shown revealing your choice of two paths that will affect gameplay (Hoshido vs. Nohr)

Thanks, Santa! I mean, Iwata!

I know this is an old video and you've all probably seen it before, but there's something so innocent and funny about this kids joy for gaming.

I might be getting a little sappy and nostalgic but can you think of anything that excites you like this now?

After several months of silence regarding if a Limited Edition for the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS would be coming to the US, Nintendo finally announced one, and it looks awesome.

The Limited Edition of the game will come bundled with a gorgeous Skull Kid figure, similar to the Ganondorf figure that came with the Wind Waker Wii U Limited Edition bundle released back in 2013. The Majora's Mask 3DS bundle is already available for pre-order at GameStop and will retail for $49.99, which is only $10 more than the game will be sold for on its own.

The US Finally Enjoys Exclusive Limited Edition Perks

Having a neato Limited Edition in the US is great, but European markets are still getting a few exclusives over us: the EU Limited Edition of Majora's Mask 3DS comes with a steel book, pin badge, and double sided poster.

Nintendo is pretty notorious for releasing uneven amounts and versions of the Limited Edition sets for their games in different regions.

Case and point, while European and Japanese gamers enjoyed some oh-so-sweet Limited Edition options for Hyrule Warriors (with bundles that included a real scarf in Europe and Triforce LCD clock in Japan), Nintendo of America only sold limited copies of the scarf bundle at the Nintendo World Store in New York. To add insult to injury, preordering was not an option.

Having a neato Limited Edition in the US is great, but European markets are still getting a few exclusives over us: the EU Limited Edition of Majora's Mask 3DS comes with a steel book, pin badge, and double sided poster. Sure, it's not a Skull Kid statue, but it's definitely something different, which can be frustrating if you have a "Gotta catch 'em all!" mentality to collecting.

What do you think? Is the US getting the short end of the stick again or do the perks match up to those being offered overseas? Will you be getting the Limited Edition bundle, the regular one, or sitting the release out altogether? Let us know in the comments below.

[UPDATE]:

It looks like the preorders for the Limited Edition have pretty much completely sold out. This includes the GameStop exclusive Ultimate Edition bundle of the game that will retail at $84.98 and comes with the Limited Edition of the game as well as an exclusive stategy guide from Prima. Some retailers such as Best Buy have yet to release word if they'll be allowing preorders or are even selling the Limited Edition, though the listing on their website suggests they will. Stay tuned for more.

It’s that time of year again!  No, not Christmas (…well, I guess that one too…).  I mean it’s time for the December-January wave of Club Nintendo Rewards.  From December 16th, 2014 to January 19th, 2015, Club Nintendo is offering 8 games through its Rewards program.  Each game can be purchased through the various Nintendo eShop services normally throughout the year.  But for a limited time, you can cash any Coins received through Club Nintendo for a code that lets you download a game of your choice (or more if you have the funds).  Here’s the skinny on everything being offered:

Wii U 

Kirby’s Dream Land 3 – 200 Coins or $7.99

A SNES classic, this Kirby game has features never seen in any other game in the series, the most notable being the use of animal companions.  By teaming up with each animal friend, who can be controlled by a second player, Kirby can access their unique talents to perform some tricks and attacks unavailable otherwise.  This game is perfect for some friendly co-op and at 200 Coins is a steal.

Metroid – 200 Coins or $4.99

The first in the flagship series, Metroid is a must have for that oldschool gamer that thinks games are waaaaaaaay too easy these days.  Be prepared to be hopelessly lost and die a lot without the use of an online game guide or walkthrough while exploring the labrynth of planet Zebes.  Even still, I recommend playing without the use of one and making your own maps out of pen and paper to recapture that nostalgic feeling of isolation this title beautifully created.

Wii

(NOTE: for both these games, a Classic Controller or Nintendo GameCube controller are required for each player.) 

Super Mario Kart – 250 Coins or 800 Wii Points (roughly $8)

I probably don’t need to say anything about this one.  If you were a gamer in the 90s, you played this game.  Still, it can be a blast to see how far this game (and it’s ridiculously hard AI) have come.  A solid purchase for some classic competitive play with a friend or to simply relive Nintendo’s glory days.

1080° SNOWBOARDING – 250 Coins or 1000 Wii Points (roughly $10)

Besides getting the award for the "Most Loosely Related to Christmas” game on this list, 1080° SNOWBOARDING also has the distinction of being the only game to feature an IGN review on its Club Nintendo description.  Challenging and fun with some great 2-Player competitive modes, this one is definitely worth hitting the slops for.

Nintendo 3DS 

A Kappa’s Trail – 200 Coins or $4.99

Every Club Nintendo roundup tends to offer Western audiences at least one game inspired by Japanese culture and folklore, possibly as a means to inspire cultural awareness and acceptance.  A Kappa’s Trail takes that concept on its head by having the player guide a kappa, or Japanese river spirit, through a human world.  The controls are all touch-based and the game looks freaking adorable.  If you want something unique and charming, I would pick this game.  Be sure to check back for a more detailed review.

Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters – 150 Coins or $3.99

Long before reviving his franchise on the 3DS, Pit was staring in a sequel to his classic adventure on a much older, grayer handheld.  A forgotten gem in gaming history, Kid Icarus of Myth and Monsters may not have received as much love as the original NES hit, but is worth a second look.   Keep an eye out for a review of this one in the near future.

Bird & Beans – 150 Coins or $2.99

This DSi Ware game looks an App game that got ported to a handheld, but is actually a full version of a microgame from the WarioWare series.   The gameplay is fun enough, although simple and repetitive: you are a bird and you eat beans that fall from the sky. There’s really not much more to say about it and at 150 Coins, I would probably pass on it unless you are really into birds, beans, and minigames.

Radar Mission – 150 Coins or $2.99

Battleship has seen more than its fair share of ports to consoles.  Radar Mission takes this concept a step further and lets you jump in the submarine and wage nautical war yourself.  If you want to play more faithfully to the original, the classic gamemode is also available.  This is a fun one for anyone who loves the iconic boardgame, although a 2-Player mode is sadly missing.

Other Rewards

Besides the rotating game library, Club Nintendo offers a few physical rewards.  The big prize right now is a set of three posters based off of promo art for Super Smash Bros 3DS/Wii U for 700 Coins.  It’s a hefty price tag, but as a Club Nintendo exclusive, it may be worth it for all you die-hard collectors out there.  Similarly, you can also receive a set of Mario & Luigi or Nintendogs Greeting Cards for 300 Coins each or the (Wii exclusive) Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! minigame for 80 Coins.  Personally, I’d pass on these last three and save your coins for a different game or physical reward, since Nintendo has been known to change those too every month.

A word to the wise: I know it says that physical rewards are shipped out in two weeks or less, but in my experience, expect up to eight weeks in some cases.

To Each Gamer His/Her Own

If we’re talking about Dollar per Coin value, the best games on this list are Kirby’s Dream Land 3 and 1080° SNOWBOARDING.  Birds & Beans and Radar Mission are the worst investments Coin-wise.  That being said, every gamer is different and the value of each game (especially a nostalgic classic) is determined by your favorite genres and franchises.  I myself am looking forward to trying out a Kappa’s Trail as well as reliving some SNES memories with Kirby and Super Mario Kart.

What do you think about this month’s games?  Anything stick out to you and seem like a must have?  Feeling adventurous enough to try out something you may not have played before?  Let us know in the comments below!

The year was 1998, and a young boy was about to embark on a life-changing journey...

If you thought I was referring to myself, you would be right. The same could be said for a young Kokiri-turned-Hylian and his journey to become the Hero of Time and save Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time had its 16th anniversary this week and the game is still one of my favorites! Why does the game has so much staying power among the video game masses and why do some feel that Ocarina of Time is in the conversation of "best games of all time?"

Nintendo wanted to follow the vast success of Super Mario 64 with a bang, and one way to do that was with a massive Zelda adventure. Ocarina of Time was originally designed for the 64DD disk peripheral for the Nintendo 64. It took the basic story of A Link to the Past and ran with it. Long story short, Ganondorf, the Gerudo thief, uses Link to get into the Sacred Realm and steal the Triforce. It then becomes Link's destiny to pry the Master Sword from the tablet in the Temple of Time and stop Ganondorf from forming the new Hyrule into his dark, fantasy world. After Link thwarts Ganondorf, the evil king reveals his true form, Ganon, and the battle to save Hyrule begins!

Ocarina of Time has been used as a template for what works in the Zelda franchise. Enemy targeting, which was introduced in Ocarina of Time, is still used as a way to zero in on an enemy in 3D environments. It was used as an easy way to keep the camera behind the player instead of going all over the place. The targeting system made it easy to fight multiple enemies at once.

The musical aspect has been another game play element that has followed the Zelda franchise too. It started with the whistle in the NES version and the flute in A Link to the Past. It expanded in Ocarina of Time, where it was used as keys/travel/proof of the Royal Family. The Ocarina musical system and the soundtrack showed that Nintendo had gone that extra mile for this one! It shows why Ocarina of Time still is seen as one of the best games ever!

Gamers are always debating what they consider to be the best of the best when it comes to their precious consoles. Well, according to a vote by Amazon customers, all of that debate might come to an end for a little while.

The reigning champion of all consoles according to Amazon customers is none other than the Sony PlayStation 2, who beat out its predecessor the PlayStation One in finals.  

The polling, which took place from August 18^th through October 5^th, saw many classic consoles matched up against each other and also included the most recent consoles released The PlayStation 4, The Xbox One and Wii U.

The PlayStation 2, which was released on March 4^th 2000, had a magnificent run until it was ultimately discontinued on January 4^th, 2013. To this day if you visit any GameStop or other video game outlet you can still see the likes of PlayStation 2 games on the shelves, or even purchase yourself a used console if you want to play some of the classic games the system was known for - including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, God of War 1 and 2, Grand Turismo 5, and even the original Kingdom Hearts.

Fun Facts

Some fascinating notes about the polling in total had some interesting matchups, all of which are pictured in the header image above.

Nintendo should be proud that their classic systems the Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64 both made it to the semi-finals, only to fall to the respective Sony consoles that made it to the finals.

There are 4 other points of interest that made this polling quite intriguing as well:

• The PS4 received more votes than all Sega consoles combined
• The PC was just nine votes short of making the knock-out stages
• 1972’s Magnavox Odyssey was the oldest console to receive a vote
• Despite missing the knock-out stages, Nintendo’s Game Boy had more votes than any other handheld

So what do you think of this poll? Is it accurate? Or does it bring about the nostalgia and enjoyment of all those hours spent played on all of these classic systems? Nonetheless, we are all sure the debate will still continue for years to come.

Before you dive into this article I just want to give you an idea what I mean by old and young.

Old is when you were a child or teenager at the time of 8-bit or 16-bit consoles. Think the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive or NES/SNES era, maybe even Commodore 64.

Young is when you were a child or teenager when 3D games were here. Think Sony PlayStations, Microsoft Xbox (not One but the first one), Nintendo GameCube and N64 type eras.

Gamers who are children or young teenagers (below 14) now, and are growing up with the Xbox 360, PS3 (and now Xbox One and PS4) are included in the group Young. However they will be dubbed as baby gamers for the purposes of this article.

Right are we all understood? Great, let’s dive head first into this.

Who Gets the Bigger or Louder Say?

The Debate

There’s been a debate raging between gamers for as long as I can remember so, this is nothing new. It’s got everything to do with who gets the biggest say between gamers and their ages. Do the older gamers get a bigger say about what should happen in the gaming industry because they used to play 8-bit or 16-bit 2D platformers? Do the young gamers get a bigger say because they were the reason 3D gaming became a thing? Do baby gamers have the biggest say because they are the future of gaming? Because they will shape what gaming will be like in the future, how it will be perceived?

As I said, this debate is nothing new. I simply wanted to share my feelings as a young, 20-year-old, gamer who grew up in the PS2 and Xbox Original era. There is no one, of any age, who is right, or better. No one gets a bigger say. No one has a better opinion, but let’s think why some age groups think they are better. Well, my opinion of why at the very least.

The Righteous Wiseman

There are older gamers out there who believe they have the only say. That they have the ultimate power for what games should be like. Gamers who were... say, under 15, when Thief first came out, World of Warcraft, or even Half Life. On the console side, they played the 2D platformers, like Sonic. Scrolling beat-em ups, like Streets of Rage. Fighting games like Punch-Out.

The Original Sonics are the best.

Some of them believe games should go back to how they were when they were kids: they have to be brutal, unforgiving and have no saves. They believe that those sorts of games are the only way to game, and that everyone should love them.

This has nothing to do with if I like the game or not, I personally love Sonic (lately it has gone down a very steep hill). But why do some older gamers feel the need to tell us young gamers what we should and should not play, or like? Is it because they grew up with these games? So they feel if they had to play them, that we must play them also? By "had", I mean if they wanted to play games, they had no other choice than to play what they had. This isn’t inherently bad.

So the above is the stereotype, but these come from where right? Of course the older gamers how have legitimate complaints are voicing opinions like,  hit a button and go, no 100 hoops to jump through. To be able to be in the privacy and comfort of your own room. Having no forced multiplayer, no constant "sharing" via social media. And nobody knowing what you're playing and doing 24/7. Along with no constant patches, updates, DLC, etc. Thank you Fathoms_4209 for bringing this up.

I agree with Fathoms

Why do we have multiplayer thrown at us all the time, along with patches, DLC and social media? Can we not just enjoy a nice single player game? Ok, so this is slightly off the topic. There are games for you, The Last of Us being one of the best examples for this in really recently times.

Can we all be Happy?

Old gamers want their super-tuff-no-save 2D platformers, but I want my not-too-hard, always save FPSs. Ok not me per say, but some baby gamers find the 2D games to be terrible, a waste of time and boring. And that’s fine to. Let’s just have both, with games like Super Meat Boy, Spelunky or VVVVVVVV (how many Vs does the game have?) older gamers have their platformers.

I have yet the play Spelunky as I feel 2D platforming games are a bit saturated. But there are still some great ones out there, and which are going to come out.

With the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, and now Titanfall, baby gamers have lots to choose from for their FPS gaming.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had some amazing moments, but marked the beginning of the downfall of Call of Duty for me.

Baby Gamers Baby Crying

Baby gamers want JUST Call of Duty (or that fish game, CoD is it?). I mean look at the sales, it shows it’s the best game ever created right? Wrong. There are lots of baby gamers who use the, “it sold more than your game” argument to prove that the game is better. Sales do not equate to quality.

It’s apparent that the quality of Call of Duty, or even Battlefield, has been decreasing. They are getting more and more buggy. But their sales are rising. Why is this? Is it because baby gamers just want the same thing over and over? Well that’s just the thing, there is more and more outcry about how all games are becoming Call of Duty. Even the likes of racing games, other FPS games or even 2D platformers--but why is this?

Each Call of Duty sold more and more, but are they getting better a better?

Online Ranking Systems

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare brought online ranking systems to the forefront of how a multiplayer shooter should be. With its successes, many games started copying it. Which is fine; if something does well why not take its ideas? It works with the Batman Arkham games. They don’t do anything new, but they put a fresh spin on ideas.

As this ranking system got more popular, other genres started to use it. Look at the Forza Motorsport series, most notably Forza 3. This version in the series introduced an online ranking system, which works much like Call of Duty: compete to gain points. Get specific levels you get bonuses, like cars or XP boosts, or a reduction on cost of parts. Look at Ace Combat: Assault Horizon--many calling it Call of Duty in the sky. I tend to agree with them, but it was an enjoyable game. Which brings me to my next point.

Ace Combat changed, but was it for the better?

Gamers Both Want Change and Loath Change

An example of wanting and liking change, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The game is different from the originals by adding a cover mechanic, the praxis points and the ability to lift only very specific things. But they kept the core of what Deus Ex was, the ability to play the game how you wanted.

An example of going against change, Thief (the new one). Again the game is different from the originals by adding a cover mechanic, adding a leveling and upgrade system. Also only allowing you to jump or climb at specific points. They also kept the core of what Thief is, the ability to play the game how you wanted. Ghosting or more aggresive stealth (of course the only option is stealth).

How is this different from Deus Ex? Not letting you jump all the time? Why would you want to? Would Garrett really bunny hop? Have they not kept the core of what Thief is? The similarities between how Eidos Montreal made the Thief and Deus Ex reboots are close. They both add a hub type world, they restrict what you can do without making it feel like you can’t do anything. And, above all, they both made mistakes but, overall are fantastic. Are they not? If you don't like them, tell me why.

With both of these games they tried something new and both had different outcomes on what people thought. They both made mistakes, but both kept to what the series is known for. Young gamers really like the games, but some old gamers do not.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the Detroit hub world.

Whose Voice is for Change?

It seems like there are plenty of voices for change, but there are plenty against. It sounds like to me that most of the noise for change is coming from my era, the PS2 era. But that may be me being a little bit biased. What do you think?

Baby gamers are saying we need more FPS games. Older gamers are saying, with any reboots they need to be made exactly the same as the originals. But the PS2 era gamers are saying we need hybrids of each.

Who’s Right?

There is no right and wrong. There are currently games for everyone and anyone, games for all ages, all gamer styles. They are not all old 1980s games, there are plently of older style games which have come out very recently.

Whose Voice is the Truth?

After going off track, let’s bring it full circle. Your voice is the truth, but only for you. My voice is the truth, but for everyone! Ok, everyone who agrees with me. If you are reading this thinking, "God! SpazldNinja has written utter rubbish!" Please write a counter argument telling me why. I always love to hear both sides.

I honestly think that this whole my voice is the best attitude is rubbish, everyone is correct for themselves, and the sooner everyone accepts that, the quicker we will all get along.

Generalising the Minority

Of course for anything said I am generalising. For the purposes of this article, I had to. The people arguing like this are the minority, they are just a bit more vocal.

Back to Entitlement

No one has the entitlement to be the only correct voice. No one has a louder voice. Everyone is equal. So with that cheese out the way, let’s get into the meat of this. I've said this about 10 times by now right? Sorry.

If everyone thinks they are the only truth, then are we not all wrong? After saying your voice is the truth, I am now saying you are wrong, why? For me, if you say Call of Duty: Ghosts is the best game, I will say you are wrong. That means you are wrong, right? Wrong. But... what? You are right for you, and that is all that counts. So, again, your truth is the truth for yourself, and not fact.

What Does your Voice Say About You?

Instead of thinking that your voice is correct, think about how your voice comes across to others. Does it make you seem like you’re arrogant? Does it make you come across as a person with an opinion, who also respects others? Does it say that you’re immature and dumb, even when you aren’t?

Do you think I’m right or wrong? How did I come across to you in this article? What do you think? Have I respected your age group? Let me know in the comments below.

Disclaimer

If anything in this article offends you, please let me know. Then I can explain that I didn’t mean to. I will then add to the article explaining why I have said what I did.

All of this was from my head, if I got anything wrong, please let me know.

Playing games is one of the most popular things to do worldwide. It doesn't matter whether it's a card game, board game or video game. Games can bring social interaction among friends, families, co-workers or even bring a sense of freedom from every day life struggles.

The question of why I play games has many answers, but I'll give one: I simply just love them. Take a trip down memory lane with me as I introduce you to the console and PC gaming world I love.

My love of video games started when I was young and I received my first console the Atari 2600 during the 1980s. I remember the wood veneer on the design and that joystick. I played Asteroids all the time. Games like Pac-Man, Breakout, Donkey Kong and Frogger were magic to my brothers and me.

The next console to enter my life was the Nintendo NES. Games like the Adventure Island series, Bionic Commando, Castlevania series, Kirby's Adventures and The Legend of Zelda took me on so many adventures.

The Sega Genesis was the third console to come into my world. I played that bad boy quite a bit. I played games such as Castle of Illusion: Mickey Mouse, Battletech: A Game of Armored Combat, Dark Castle, Dungeons and Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun, Forgotten Worlds, and who could forget Lemmings.

The fourth console to enter my life was the Sony Playstation. I played Aliens Trilogy, Aliens Resurrection, 3D Lemmings, Beast Wars: Transformers, Blades of Blood: Samurai Shodown III, Bushido Blade, Castlevania Chronicles and Command & Conquer.

I did love my PC games. A simple game like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was a learning hoot. Yet, in Aliens versus Predators, playing as a face-hugger was epic fun.

Nintendo 64 was the fifth console to pay a visit. Games like Command & Conquer, Conker's Bad Fur Day, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Mega Man 64 were fun and very entertaining.

The "indestructible" Nintendo GameCube was the sixth console. Metroid Prime, Resident Evil games, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, Super Mario Strikers were huge hits with me.

Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) was the seventh console and was a favorite of my daughter's (thanks to a generic controller that lit up). Burnout Revenge was so much fun! I played other games like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, the very criticized Manhunt (with the famous blue plastic bag scene), Max Payne, Monster vs. Aliens, and the Mortal Kombat series kept me busy.

Life with Microsoft's first console, the Xbox, changed things when I was introduced to Halo 2. Holy cow that game was amazing. Aeon Flux, Baulder's Gate: Dark Alliance, Destroy All Humans!, Soul Calibur II, Silent Hill 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront were among the very played games in the house.

The Xbox 360 is the favorite of mine and pretty much everyone in my family. Among my top games are the BioShock series, Halo series, Forza Motorsport 4, Borderlands series, Alan Wake, Skylanders, Minecraft, Call of Duty series, Battlefield 3, Gears of War series, Battlefield Bad Company 1 & 2, Fable 3... I could go on and on.

Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) was the only console to enter my life long after its release just so I could play The Last of Us. I mean it, the only reason. Now I played the console before but the reason I went out of my way to own the console was for that game. I did enjoy the Fallout series, God of War series, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, as well among others.

My gaming laptop is the awesome Alienware M18x, and is pretty frequently used not just for games. I play all kinds of games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Diablo III, DOTA 2, Age of Conan Unchained, Warframe, StarCraft II, World of Warcraft series and I'm very excited for The Elder Scrolls Online.

The latest console to enter my life is the Xbox One. Upon its release I've played Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5 so far. I'm eagerly anticipating the PvZ Garden Warfare, Destiny, and Titanfall as of now.

I've lived with video games most of my life and I've loved every minute. I have watched how games have evolved into the marvels that they are today. I've got to see the graphics transform from the pixel art to the awe inspiring reason you have your jaw drop.

Gaming has been among my favorite things to do and is a major reason why I'm still here today. The gaming world has evolved as much as I have and I can't wait to see what happens next.

The question of why I play games has many answers but I'll give one: I simply just love them.

So, now you have kids. Time for video games is slipping away from you minute by minute, day by day. What if I told you it didn't have to be that way? Because it doesn't! You can turn around and get your fill of nostalgia 'til green mushrooms are falling out of your ears and spend some quality time with your kids. What's that? Is that you yelling to me "HOW!?"? 

The media and society at large push the latest and greatest consoles down your throat. It doesn't mean that you need to buy those! A little bit of old school for the generation of gamers-to-be is both exciting and easy for toddlers. With more and more games lacking local Co-Op, nothing makes my three year old happer then holding a controller just like daddy, with two simple buttons on an old NES controller. 

I have broken down some classic systems into age groups with my top five games, to resurrect some old memories for you and to create new ones with your kids. 

Atari 2600: Age 18 months - 4 years old

With a easy to use joystick and only one button to worry about your toddler can easily navigate these older games and do pretty well (for a kid!). All while you have to chance to revisit some of the classics that will make you appeciate that PS4 or Xbox One even more:

1. Pacman
2. Pong 
3. Frogger
4. Space Invaders
5. Galaga 

NES: Age 3-5 years old

Ah, the original D-Pad controller that revolutionized video gaming for generations to come. Armed with that and it's two buttons, it is no wonder why this classic and first to many gamers, myself included, would be the perfect fir for young toddlers and those wishing to save the Princess just like they used too. So pull out that light gun and get zapping!

1. Super Mario Bros 
2. Duck Hunt 
3. Guerrilla War
4. Super Mario Bros 3
5. Gyromite

Sega Genesis: Age 4-6 years old

We've graduated to three buttons! Let's pull out some of the classics here and help your toddler put on those bright red sneakers, because all of us with kids know that colors are what helps things go fast. Sit down and enjoy some good old Sega titles and drool over what we use to play:

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
2. Power Rangers the Movie
3. Altered Beast
4.  Ghouls n' Ghosts
5. Great Waldo Search

SNES: Age 4-6 years old

Four whole buttons! Not that you will ever use all four... but it looks nice. Time to hop on Yoshi and start eating random things. Disclaimer: I am not responsable if your kids try and fit the eggs out of the fridge in their mouth, though I would love to see a picture when that happens. 

1. Super Mario Bros
2. Yoshi's Island
3. Kirby All-Star
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past
5. Tetris & Dr. Mario

Nitendo 64: Age 5-8 years old

Ah, we all remember swinging Bowser around in circles, but the more open world concepts that came with the N64 is sure to be a winner for your kids. I am sure even younger kids would enjoy running around in circles and exploring the worlds. Meanwhile, you get to look cool and show them all the secrets you remember and crush them in some classic Kart action, before you pwn them in some Goldeneye. 

1. Mario Kart 64
2. Super Mario 64
3. Pokemon Snap
4. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
5. Golden Eye 007

Playstation: Age 6-10 years old

Time to bring out the big guns. Your kids'll be asking for your help on the harder games that you spent hours trying to figure out and remember because it is forever burnt into your memory. Then take them on in some classic Tekken action and wind down with some nonsensical Ape Escape craziness. 

1. Metal Gear Solid
2. Final Fantasy 7
3. Tekken 3
4. Soul Reaver
5. Ape Escape

That's my personal breakdown, but your kids may be ready for more sooner.

What classic titles would you love to play with your kids?

All the images used are stock images, even the one with kids. Especially the ones with kids. Mine are filled with much greater awesome sauce. 

And so begins part two of this Majora’s Mask game guide. We’ll continue from where we left off: The Dawn of the First Day.

Okay, so you’ve made it to Clock Town! As you exit the Clock Tower into South Clock Town, note the yellow Deku Flower diagonally to your right. You won’t be using it now, but it’ll be very important in a chain of trading quests. It is also absolutely essential to our end goal of the first three days.

If you walk forward, you’ll see a staircase in front of you and to the right. It’s in the corner of the area, and there is a bright red mailbox right next to it. Ascend the stairs and pass through the opening to the Laundry Pool.

Floating above the water is a little glowing fairy-like thing. This is a fragment of the Great Fairy of Clock Town. If you had gone to the Fairy Fountain in North Clock Town like Tatl wanted you to, the fairy fragments there would have requested you go find this fairy. So it’s like skipping a step.

Deku Link has the handy ability to hop across water. He only has three hops before he drowns, so it’s kind of annoying sometimes. However, in this case, it’s perfect. Hop across the water near the fairy, and you will, for lack of a better word, collect it. The fairy will beg you to return it to the Fairy Fountain, so off we shall go! Return to South Clock Town.

Once back in South Clock Town, head toward the yellow Deku Flower. Don’t get too close, though, or you’ll trigger a cutscene that you don’t need to see until later. Walk straight past the Deku Flower and head up the ramp behind it. Turn right, and notice the Owl Statue to your right; go up another ramp, and pass through the opening to your left into North Clock Town.

Turn left as you enter North Clock Town to see the entrance to a cave at the top of a set of ramps. Head over to it. Through this opening, you will find the Fairy Fountain. By bringing the fairy fragment to the others, the Great Fairy of Magic can pull herself back together.

She’s so pleased with you that she gives you the bubble blast ability. Basically, you blow a bubble and use it to hit things. This power is controlled by your fancy new magic meter (another gift from the Great Fairy). Your Magic Power can be replenished by potions or green jars that sometimes spawn from grass.

The Great Fairy also points you in the direction of the man in the observatory which can be reached through West Clock Town. He has knowledge of the Skull Kid, but you can’t get to the observatory to see him without joining a secret society.

The Bombers are a group of five little boys who do good deeds and help people. When you exit the Fairy Fountain and return to North Clock Town, you’ll see their leader (Jim) trying to pop a balloon by shooting at it.

Before you go about joining the Bombers, shoot down the other balloon (the red one) that has a man in green dangling from it. This is Tingle. He is a thirty-five year old man who believes he is a fairy. Yeah, I know. But he makes awesome maps.

You should probably have the five rupees you need to buy his map of Clock Town, but there is a circle of grass behind him which you can destroy with your spin attack to get some more.

You’re done with Tingle for the moment, so return your attention to Jim. To impress him, use your fancy new bubble blast power to pop the bubble and speak to him.

In order to join the Bombers, you have to win a timed game of Hide and Seek. Don’t worry, though. You only have to do this once. Ever. Well, unless you’re crazy like me and decide to play through this game again multiple times. You also have to play it again as Human Link if you want the Bomber’s Notebook. It records the secret code as well as other side quests that arise, so it’s pretty handy.

See, the Bombers have this secret code that you have to know. One of the members guards the entrance to the passage that leads to the conservatory, and you have to tell him the code before he’ll let you pass. The code is made up of the digits 12345, but they are in a random order that is different for every save file.

You could spend a few hours guessing random combinations, but I, personally, believe that playing Hide and Seek is easier.

Anyway, talk to Jim after popping the balloon, and he’ll ask you if you’d like to try to pass his test. Say yes, and he’ll explain the rules. Basically, just find them all as soon as possible.

And the game begins!

The Bombers can be found in North, East, and West Clock Town. My strategy is simple: catch the ones in North, then work your way clockwise (get it?) through  East and West Clock Town to get the others.

One of the Bombers is over by the tree near the ramp leading to the Fairy Fountain. Jim is in the opposite corner. All you have to do to catch them is come in contact with them. Of course, they’ll run from you to make it harder. Woo.

Anyway, after you’ve caught the first two, head through the doorway directly across North Clock Town from the Fairy Fountain. This will take you to East Clock Town. There’s a bomber standing in front of what looks like an alley. He’s directly across from you as you enter East Clock Town. He is, however, not a participant in this game, so just ignore him for now. Later, you’ll tell him the secret code to gain access to the passage behind him which leads to the conservatory.

There are two other Bombers in East Clock Town. Head up the stairs to the right of the Bomber guarding the passage. One of the Bombers is at the top. When he sees you approaching, he’ll use the Cucco he’s holding to safely drop down to the ground beneath him. Jump off after him and try to catch him as he lands. If you, like me, have trouble with this, just chase him around. You’ll get him eventually.

In East Clock Town, there is a building shaped like a giant treasure chest. Next to it is a small, raised area with a Deku Flower. Use it to launch yourself up to the awning nearby and catch your forth Bomber.

Head down the stairs behind the treasure chest building and enter South Clock Town. You’re just passing through, though. Go toward the Clock Tower, up the ramp to the left, and through the passage across from the Owl Statue you saw earlier. This will take you West Clock Town. The final Bomber will be right in front of you. Catch him, and you’ve won the game.

Unfortunately, even though you’ve won, the Bombers are horribly racist and won’t let a Deku Scrub join their ranks. They once let a non-human join, and it didn’t work out too well for them. This non-human was, of course, the Skull Kid.

But they'll still tell you the code. Write it down. I’ll repeat that for emphasis. WRITE IT DOWN. You don’t want to chance forgetting it and having to play Hide and Seek all over again, do you? Exactly. So write it down, put it in your phone, comment on this article, just record it in some way so that you can access it later if you forget.

My code is 43512. See, look at me recording it for future reference. I didn’t do that the first time I played Majora’s Mask, and I had to play Hide and Seek again. Which was fun, let me tell you.

In the next installment of this guide, I'll go over everything from your first trip to the conservatory to your first trip back in time. Look for it soon!