BanjoKazooie

Okay, so this is a list of what I feel are the best moments this year so far, and the worst.  Please put your own opinions as well!

Best

5. Rare Replay- Microsoft.

 As a massive fan of old school Rare, to be able to receive 30 of their hits for only $30 is a steal.  This will surely take up hundreds of hours of my time come august when this releases, and Microsoft has seemed to have righted their wrongs and let Rare take a creative leap again with Sea of Thieves, a new pirate open world adventure game that looks like Black Flag but in an mmo setting.. Whatever the case I am looking forward to it!

4. Horizon- Zero Dawn

  the new Open world RPG in a  post apocalyptic setting looks to play fantastically! And I am a sucker for games like this, the gameplay looked incredibly smooth and creative, and the robot monsters are a cool twist! Too bad I do not have a PS4... Yet

3. Dark Souls III

  Not much has actually been shown for this new game, but after playing both of the prequels I am super excited for the third installment!  I know it is probably a ways away, but just seeing concept for it chilled my bones. A nice surprise in a lineup of great games.

2. Mario Maker

  When I saw this game last year I didn't think much of it, I thought it was going to be very limited and closed in what it could do. However I have been proved wrong by Nintendo. They have put great effort into making this a fantastic tool that has seemingly limitless potential.  Day one buy for me.  (Also that final round of NWC was so intense, it basically sold me on this game!)

1. Call of Duty  FALLOUT 4!!!!!!

The game looks like a combination of just about everything popular in gaming. Post apocalypse Check.  Giant open world check.  Crafting check.  Guns check. Sandbox and city custom building check. Tower defense check.  Everything a modern gamer could want is on this.  And despite the backhanded Nintendo slap, this game has everything that I could want.

The Worst

3. The Last Gaurdian-  I know, this game is one of the most anticipated titles of the last decade, but the gameplay was completely underwhelming and looked like it could get annoying fast.  The boys character design is awful, and his call for the beast is downright obnoxious.  This game will have taken 8 years to develop when it releases, but it looks like an ambitious indie title at best.  I hope they prove me wrong, but this game looks like it will disappoint.

2. Star Fox: Zero

 The game looks like it is for the gamecube, super bland textures and Zero details.  But I don't care about graphics as much as I care about what looks to be a very annoying second screen experience. I HATE GYRO.  And I will get really annoyed switching between the screens and it looks like this is the only method in the game. Also, no multiplayer? Seems odd to me.  The game is certainly nothing exciting.

1. Nintendo in general

 I had high hopes for a metroid game, and they blew it with the 3ds game which looks half assed.  I had high hopes for animal crossing on wiiu, and All i get is a pay tons of money for amiibo mario pary-esque game that looks boring as heck.  I had high hopes for paper mario, and they blow that with yet another 3ds version that seems to crap on the classic first two by combining it with the popular but less quality Mario and Luigi series.  And last, I had high hopes for Zelda Wii U which they left out because they are taking their good old time with it and instead of dedicating people and time to their one game that can save them they are giving me a four swords second coming that for the 3ds that looks like it is far inferior to the other 3ds zeldas and felt like a slap in the face. **Takes deep breath** Rant over.

The 7th generation was by far the most commercially successful generation, and with a 400 million+ install base came the companies who saw games a means to make money rather than an interactive art form. However, there were dozens of absolutely fantastic games made that came from those many developers that still carry with them the instinct to make beautiful, expressive, enthralling, and entertaining games.  The purpose of this thread is to honor those studios and their games, expressing not only a list of titles but a list of fond and unforgettable memories that those brilliant minds left with us,  IT IS NOT TO TARNISH OTHERS' FOND MEMORIES! Not everyone is going to have the same list, so if you disagree with someone, please either keep it to yourself or do so in a respectful and open-minded manner. Ports of older games, remakes, and/or any game that existed on a previous generation is not to be included (ie. Twilight Princess). 

My top five:

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3): Among the library full of playable movies from last generation, few of them stand out in a way that U2:AT does.  The game had an engrossing story, fun tps combat, and the most realistic graphics of its time, showing that the PS3's cell processor wasn't all theoretical. It was Truly the most worthy 10 hour theatrical video game of the last generation.  Not much else needs to be said about this masterpiece.

4. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)- While not my favorite in the series, it managed to finally include a worthwhile and not completely frustrating motion control scheme.  It also took great steps towards modernizing the series with a heavier focus on story.  In a time where HD games on the other systems were making the wii games hard to even look at, this game was a bright light because of its impressionistic, beautiful art style.  Also, while the world was considerably smaller than previous games, it was also infinitely times more interesting, and every chunk of land was used for something, although the same cannot be said for the sky...  I will argue that in used space, this game was far bigger than any Zelda before it.  Overall, a shining example of design expertise in the 7th generation.

3. Skyrim(PC version)- "Holy crap, where did that last 12 hours go!" During my days of playing skyrim, this was an often thought statement.  In terms of amount to do, this game trumps all.  The world, while slightly bland, is a engrossing and life filled environment that makes sense.  Unlike many contemporary RPGs, a lush forest doesn't give way by the means of a canyon or pass to a desert, and then to a fantasy style plains.  It is simply a cold, unforgiving world worth every penny spent to get it (1,200/$12 for me, steam sales <3).  It is one of my personal favorite RPGs, and is ultimately the game that took up the most of my time last gen.  Also, the 1000's of mods for this game give it nearly infinite replay value.

2. Minecraft (PC)- While some may argue with me for days about this, this game is obviously one of the most substantial and inventive games of the last gen.  It gives you and infinite world made of pixely chunks, than lets you just... do. You can do and build nearly anything.  Ride horses? of. Fly? ok. Hunt monsters? ok.  Build a massive kingdom? ok.  Sale the vast sea of greatness? go ahead. Not only did this game take up 100's of hours of my time, it also opened up some of the most creative corners of my brain, and because of that, it is on this list.  Good job Notch.

1. Tie between Sonic 06 and Call of Duty: 13 year olds who bang moms

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2: So cliche I know, but what other 3d game has done platforming so flawlessly? None.  This game is a spectacle of platforming, no, gaming itself.  Its soundtrack is brilliant, its visuals are stunning for a wii game, and despite being a little lazy with the level design with it being so similar to its predecessor, it gets away with it because it is better in every single possible way.  While at first I hated the galaxy games for being so linear, I then had one too many open world sandbox AAA games shoved down my throat and realized that the controlled experience this game offers you is so pristine that it craps on the whole open world sandbox scene.  I also remembered the point of mario and Zelda, how they are supposed to be almost opposites, one being linear and controlled, and the other being open and free. I am now a huge fan of this game after my second playthrough despite hating it my first because I realized I missed the plain fun aspect of this game, and the brilliant level designs. 

And a few honorable mentions: 

Portal 2

Pokemon Black and White

Xenoblade

Mass Effect trilogy

Oblivion

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Valkyria Chronicles

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts

Also, for fun, my 6th gen faves:

1. Twilight Princess

2. Morrowind

3. Super Smash Bros. Melee

4. Shadow of the Colossus

5. Halo: Combat Evolved

What are your top five?

Zelda Wii U Map Analysis

The purpose of this thread is not only to discuss my analysis, but to put your input in as well.  I will periodically edit this thread with new information and new speculations as more footage is shown, and as more people comment about their own ideas.  I am also hard at work with making a high quality map of the land, but with what little time i have and little experience, it is a greater chance that Nintendo will beat me to the punch.  

 zelda-wii-u-world-mapedited.jpg   99.58K   809 downloads
 
Ok, First off, I would like to point out the massiveness of the map and the infinite possibilities that are within it.  I am looking forward to this game more than any other game in the history of games!

Compared to the First

A few things come directly to mind when comparing the map of the new game with that of the original.  The most noteable similarity is the location of a sea of some sort to the far east of the map, with the inclusion of water undercutting the southeast portion of the land. Also, rivers tend to cut through the center portion of the land, and large lakes are common and in very similar placement. Also, Circled in purple on the included map in the northeast of the Wii U game, there seems to be a small vortex or swirl of land that is definitely a point of interest, and it has a remarkable resemblance to the three rooms on the northeast corner of the original map.  While the actual content of this peculiar area are currently unknown, it is surely a point of significance and I will bet it is the location of a dungeon, if not several.

These games don't just share similar eastern portions of their maps, but also share the similar completely open world design, and references to the original Zelda have been made by Aunuma several times during development, so I am sure that these similarities are far more than just coincidence. 

Compared to A Link to the Past

While i think that the original map has a myriad of similarities, the third entry to the Franchise, ALttP, also has a single large similarity that is exciting to me and worth a mention.  Circled in white in the center of the Wii U map bearing a large C, is a large section of land almost completely enclosed by rivers, very similar to the castle of ALttP. I am willing to bet that in the large center of the new map will be a fairly decently large castle town, one that fits the gargantuan size of this game.  I also think, and this is just a complete shot in the dark, that their will be a fairly large dungeon underneath the town.  I have no idea why I have this feeling, but you heard it here first!     

Now, in respect to the other circles on the new map:

Other Peculiarities

1. The red circle in the NorthEast corner of the map that surrounds the lake.  This lake that is within the circle clearly resembles a skull.  It is also in the middle of a mountainous area that is filled with what seems like lava rivers!  An out of place, skull shaped body of water within a volcanic region....   hmmmmmm... It doesn't take a genius to realize that this is suspicious.  It also points towards a possibly dark plot, even despite the vibrant color scheme previously shown.  Possibly the palette may change depending on the location.  These statements are purely speculative, but I am willing to bet that this skull lake plays a key role in the plot somehow, but the how in somehow may not be known until we have the game.

2. The pink circle surrounding the triangle of lava with large dots on each corner. The triangle has always been a important symbol in the Zelda games since their inception, as it is always associated with the Triforce.  So the inclusion of the red rivers (most likely lava) creating a near perfect triangle naturally arouses suspicion.  This is also located in the Death Mountain area of almost every Zelda game, a placement that almost NEVER changes, despite almost every other recurring area being placed in new locations almost every game. What this means to me is that this is almost definitely the location of a major dungeon, one that has some significant relationship with the triforce. We may not know exactly what is here, but we do know that it is something (purposely extremely ambiguous there)

4. In the maroon circle to the NorthWest is a peculiar lake? Or possibly Crater. This area seems to me to be a desert region, but honestly it could also be a frozen area as well.  But I am leaning towards it being a desert, and what looks like a lake It Think is really a deep crater.  It does have a blue hue, but its far darker and less pronounced in tone then the rest of the water on the map, and it is nearly a perfect circle.  It think this area could be a possible abandoned mining facility found deep within the gerudo desert, and It is definitely a possible dungeon.  This is by far the most baffling feature of the map, and the one that I am most looking forward too.  

5. Circled in green in the west is what we all expect to be death mountain.  No real speculation is needed here, I think this is clearly the bellowing mountain that was in the background of the original footage.  However, the only interesting note is that this directly contradicts with number two.. Ninty has never included two volcanic regions in a zelda game, and being on nearly opposite sides of the map, this mountain hole is quite baffling to me.. It's either this isn't truly a volcano and is something much different and new, or those red rivers are something completely different, and I guess only time will tell which speculation is correct.

6. Finally! My favorite part of the new map is the island circled to the extreme southeast of the map. This island bears a crescent, which is the symbol of the gerudu people and the shape of the moon, and its location in an extreme of the map further adds to its peculiarity.  I am extremely interested to see what this could be.  But what is even more interesting is the shape of the mainland that seems to be reaching out its pinchers for the island.  But what after further examination I found the entire layout to be similar to the longtime series symbol, 

No, it is not perfect, but there is no doubting that it does bear a striking resemblance, one that is too great to be ignored.  The possibility that it is just a coincidence is great, but also the possibility of the symbolism is also quite significant.  There is a possibility that the triforce is hidden away on this island, waiting for the hero to swim on over and get it.

What do you think?

Edit 2-15-15: Map Icons and Extras

As you can see in the image above, it appears that map icon's will be making a appearance in the New Zelda.  This is something that I had originally overlooked, but after extensively browsing the web for worthy information for this thread, I decided this is worthy of the first Update.  First off, these icons are very strange in nature, they look nothing like things we have seen in other games.  I think the creator of this image is right, while at first look the town one looks very strange, you can actually make out a small house with a doorway, a window, and even smoke emitting from the roof!  However, I believe that this is actually a small settlement, possibly akin to the one seen in the original E3 trailer! Now to the camp icon, I think the camp icon is something really interesting, because the actual image of it is very strange.. For one, it kind of looks like spilled milk, not a camp, and it also should be in the view of link during the scene where he looks out over Hyrule, but it isn't! Also, due to lack of other Icon's, they more than likely only appear when you discover them ,and this is most likely a scene from very early in the game. Whether these speculations are true or not, it is clear that these icons mean that this world will be huge, and alive!

As posted below, I wanted to include this image in the OP for a myriad of reasons, it backs up my earlier claim that this game is modeled after the original Zelda, and that his Hyrule is going to be massive!

Now exactly how large? Despite Aunuma's statement that it will be the size of Kyoto (300+ Sq Km).  I think a far more realistic number would be 40-55 sq Km (25-35 Sq. Miles), and this is backed up by multiple people who have taken the time to do different calculations, based on tree size, horse speed, and shadow distance and many other odd ways, and this is the lower median of those calculations.  However, extreme high calculations have been made (especially with the horse speed calculation) that could place the map at the size of Kyoto, but lets hope it is not that big because that would be overwhelming, the love would die after a certain point. I think the 40-55 Km range is just right, and would allow hundred's of hours of exploration!!!

I would also like to include this GIF for those who don't want to scroll down to see it.. Hmmmmm.  It is amazing how similar these two maps are, it will be incredibly exciting to see what other secrets this vast new Hyrule holds.

That's all for this update, as soon as any new worthy info is released that pertains to the map (or the game) be sure that it will be in this OP as soon as I catch wind of it.

Here is a nice new video to watch for anyone yearning for more speculation!!

Alright, if you could have a sequel of any game ever, or even a spiritual successor, what game would it be? And also, what would you want done with the game? Is there any changes from the original that you would make?  The game doesn't have to be a possible game, in fact it would be better to discuss games that definitely won't happen!

For me, it is a tie between two games. first, Banjo-Tooie (pretend Nuts and Bolts doesn't exist), and second, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

1. Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie were the best 3d platformers of all time in my opinion.  They were both full of diversity, challenge, fun boss fights, and a million things to collect and do.  They both had things that were better than the other, but together they were two of the funnest(and funniest) games ever made.  I would love a sequel that introduced a new enemy that uses Grunty to destroy the isle o hags and kidnap Banjo and Kazooie.  The world would be enormous and full of diverse landscapes and interesting ideas, but just as quirky as its predecessors.  Though this game only exists in my dreams, it is still fun to think and theorize about.

2. Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning (KOA) is one of the greatest RPG's of the last gen in my opinion.  While many view it as a tired entry into a saturated market, there was something about the world that left me amazed and in awe.  Whether it was Detyre's vast cliffs and the city of Adessa's amazing and awe inspiring archetecture, or if it was Rathir's towering enormity that with the immediate sight of it I was taken back.  Whatever it was, the game hit a sweet spot in me.  The story was interesting, the lore was deep and complete, the world was spectacular, and the main quests were very well done.  However, there were some things that lacked, such as meaningful side quests and a completed and well done combat system.  Also, the world was broken up into segments that required load screens to go between, both of these things the developers planned on fixing in the second rendition before they went bankrupt.  Now the fate for this gem lies in the hands of Nordic Games, who are instead fixated on reviving a ten year old, ill recieved game.  

One last thing, the music in both of these games is absolutely fantastic, and both games are composed by Grant Kirkhope, who is a legendary game composer. 

Now,what games would you like to see made? Would you enjoy either of these games?