Zelda doesn't grow old; we do |
Ó
Officially, the classic video game Legend of Zelda is two decades old. First published by Nintendo in 1986, the elven Link and Zelda the Princess sure has come a long way, becoming superstars in their own fantasy way.Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, the Zelda franchise has proven to be one of the more resilient games around, maintaining a loyal fanbase as well as recruiting new ones. And with the emergence of Nintendo's Wii, it's just gotten a face lift. One that is deemed by some as necessarily called for, now that Zelda is getting old.
Or is it, really?
Scott Colbourne, over at globeandmail.com seems to think so. After all, fighting monsters in caves didn't seem to be as much fun anymore. Nor does exploring caves give him as much thrill as he used to. He calls this "adulthood: the moment you stop caring about whether Link saves Zelda, when the promise of innovative puzzles at the 20-hour mark can no longer sustain you through 15 hours of not having to think much."
Pretty much, that alone already gives the answer to the question. It is not Zelda that's grown old; it's us. So it may be the same characters, the same classic storytelling, the exploration of its trademark setting, the same task of saving the ever-in-trouble Princess. So it may have the same elements, tried and tested as they are. But that doesn't mean it's getting old.
To a certain degree, maybe Colbourne was right in saying that for those who grew up with Link, the game may seem old. Then again, it could just be that we would want to believe that he does, just like we do. After all, there's nothing more sucky than being reminded that you have aged, while your childhood pal, Link, never did.
It could be some form of denial, that we inevitably have to face life apart from the fantasy world we so love to lose ourselves in. There won't be a second chance if we mess up on this one. We can't reset that part of our life we screwed up in. And most definitely, we can't save a portion of it, and just get back to it when we already feel like taking it on again.
So while it's not entirely wrong to credit the Wii's technology for the refurbished Zelda adventure, it would be a big injustice to conclude that that is all the game has to offer. Yeah, so it's a breakthrough to be able to get the character to respond according to your own physical movements, or to fish in the game as you would in real life. But these aren't what makes and sustains a classic.
It's the escape we cannot afford to have in real life. And really, we could all use the reminder of youth every now and then, if only to free ourselves from the suffocating grasp of adulthood. Yeah, we sure have every reason to envy Link.
Via globeandmail
Contact Us:
The QJ.net Network |
 |
| Site | Feed |
| QJ.NET | RSS |
| Nintendo DS | RSS |
| PlayStation 3 | RSS |
| PSP Updates | RSS |
| Wii | RSS |
| Xbox 360 | RSS |
| MMORPG | RSS |
| Personal Computer Games | RSS |
| iPhone - iPod Touch | RSS |
| QJ.NET Forums | RSS |
Add QJ.NET
User Favorites - December
User Favorites - December
Categories
Archives
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
Comments [refresh]
I dunno about yall...But I'm only 18 suckas! Yeah...Zelda is cool...Final Fantasy 4,6,9,Xenogears are the kind of games I will never forget, or ever stop respecting...even when I'm 50. Shadow of the Colossus as well...Just beautiful games that tell a great story...SOTC makes me feel like i just read a story in Arabian Nights, and Xenogears is more solid than a lot of college literature...RPG Games, even adventure based ones like wonderful Link to the Past, (may the way of the hero lead to the triforce, who could forget that??) are the sh*t.
I don't know about you guys...but the new Zelda is actually BETTER than OOT to me. I was 11 when OOT came out and I skipped school 3 days in a row to beat it (it was the worst common cold ever!). Here I am in 2006 and what am I doing? Skipping college class (x_x) to play Twilight Princess.