mjs822
An interesting move to follow up an instant classic with a curveball like this, a Zelda game with a 3-day countdown and a major focus on time-travelling and sidequests. It mostly worked though, and this 3D remake feels like its probably the best way to play Majora's Mask right now.
I didn't really get a chance to "play" Ocarina of Time when I was a kid because I didn't have a N64, so I watched one of my neighbors play through most of this while manning the strategy guide. It didn't matter, I knew I was seeing one of the greatest games of all time. 15 years later I finally played its remake in 3D, and it lived up to that monumental hype. I know it's cool to make some contrarian picks for the best Zelda game, but for me nothing beats Ocarina of Time.
An interesting diversion, the first Zelda to feel like a spin-off in that there's no Zelda, Ganon, or Hyrule. I love that Tezuka was so heavily influenced by Twin Peaks- it shows.
Unfortunately these very old Zelda games just don't do much for me like they did when I was a child. This one at least "holds up" in that it's not very frustrating to play and feels like the first game to really get the Zelda formula right. It's ripe for a replay for me, maybe in 2020?
Unlike the original Zelda, I can't even pretend that I enjoyed Adventure of Link at all. Where that game was a standout in its time and provided the seeds the franchise would be built on, this was just a slog with no redeeming qualities to me.
1986
Revolutionary in its time, I can't pretend this is anything but barely playable all these years later.
I respect the hell out of Nintendo for taking a swing as big as this, mostly blowing up the Zelda formula and giving us something that plays out more like a Western RPG. It wasn't quite my cup of tea- my favorite parts of Zelda games is how incredibly dense and meticulously planned Hyrule always feels, whereas Hyrule here felt a little bloated and repetitive. But Nintendo took the "try the temples in any order" from Link Between Worlds to its natural conclusion, adopting that philosophy even inside the non-linear temples themselves, with a final boss you can take on an hour into the game should you feel up to it. I really hope the upcoming sequel strikes a better balance between this open-world ethos and the classic Zelda formula.
2020
A decent update of a game that never quite left a mark of its own in the first place. Much more linear and action-heavy than the (excellent) more recent games, with the titular Nemesis reduced to a few scripted sequences and boss fights rather than the constant lurking threat of the original. Still, this could have turned out a lot worse.
Again, not sure what makes this a spin-off, plus it has almost nothing to do with the first Revelations. This was fine but the co-op character switching was a pain when one is clearly so much more fun to play than the other.
2016
The improvements here really show- looks great, with controls that aren't a complete mess. The character-switching concept was interesting and well-implemented. Just a biiit too much backtracking in this one unfortunately.
Really should be considered part of the main series. I'd love to see a remake of this one. Only downside is it's very easy to find yourself in an unbeatable scenario, so be careful overwriting those save states!
A very strong spin-off, pushing the 3DS graphics to impressive limits despite being an early release. A cruise ship was an inspired setting for giving a tightly enclosed space with few places to run despite a large map and a variety of different environments. Plus, where are you going to run to- you're in the middle of the ocean! Anyway this game kept the series afloat at a time when some garbage was being released on the major consoles.
This was fine enough but felt mostly like a retread of Resident Evil 2. I'll be playing the RE3 remake soon though.
2002
Playing this as my second Resident Evil, shortly after RE4, I was confused and disappointed. Even though this was a remake of the original game, the controls still felt like a mess. Where was the action? Over time I've come to appreciate the older games in the series for what they are now, so this one feels ripe for a replay and reassessment soon.
2012
Easily the worst of the main series. Boring and unmemorable in every way, trading in horror for... dirt and grime?