/vr/ - Retro Games

not a traditional beat ems up but I think Capcom's Zelda Oracle of seasons/time were fantastic both in fast paced action and well paced, clever puzzles

Just beat this for the first time. What a great fucking game. I always see this and Ages get so much shit on this board and I can't even begin to understand why. These two games may be, collectively, the best Zelda ever made. There's something for everyone. The dungeon order is linear, but outside of that, you have more freedom than any other game in the series. Focused, well-paced story and level design that simultaneously encourages you to explore and experiment. Huge world, fun items, lots of randomized elements, just an awesome game.

This is the best Zelda game.

Items that are actually useful in the overworld and combat, secrets of all kinds hidden everywhere, rewards for exploration other than useless rupees, rupees that aren't even useless thanks to shops with things actually worth buying, timeless graphics and music, hundreds of secrets scattered everywhere, new game+, password/linking feature for both additional content and pseudo multiplayer, dozens of rings with varying effects, ... the list goes on.

Seasons has the focused progression of later Zeldas combined with the limitless exploration and wealth of secrets present in games like Zelda 1. It is one of the only games that actually feels like a real adventure. Even when the game is over, there are still dozens of hours you can sink into it because of all the features, secrets and rewards to find. By comparison, games like A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time guide you through a boring story filled with boring dungeons and then leave you in an empty world with nothing else to do beyond searching for shitty heart pieces, capacity upgrades and rupees that have no use.

LA and LTTP fags need not apply. This game is the peak of the series and I doubt anyone can provide legitimate reasons as to the contrary when all of the other games are so heavily flawed and riddled with underwhelming exploration and rewards.

Is a Capcom-developed Zelda actually one of the best ever made?

>pushed the limits of hardware it was designed for, better than some early SNES/Genesis titles
>perfect art direction
>some of the best music and sound design of the 2D games
>decent story with good characters
>large, well-crafted world filled with secrets and cool places to explore
>great enemy variety
>smartly designed puzzles, rarely challenging but never frustrating or counter-intuitive
>awesome items, especially the slingshot
>the seasons mechanic is the most innovative thing the series has ever done
>decent combat with good bosses
>tons of tangible rewards to find and not just useless rupees, everything from 60+ rings to regular items and upgrades
>the rings actually add depth to the gameplay and are one of the few things ever added to a traditional Zelda game that let you augment your play style akin to an actual RPG
>cool features like being able to grow trees and harvest seeds adds immersion and depth to the gameplay that is uncommon for the series

Overall, just a great game. Audio/visual presentation is on-point, controls are great, gameplay has depth and diversity, dungeons are well designed, great world to explore, everything. I know a lot of people like Link's Awakening, but this is the cream of the crop for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXFDbw2XK2U