The Video Game Critic

There's a new poll on the main page that lets people vote for their favorite "new" game console (Wii, PS3, 360).  How do you think it will turn out?

I expect Wii to win as usual.  I voted for 360.   It just has the best games.   Zelda just isn't even in the same league as Oblivion.   It has awesome shooters like Gears of war, GRAW, etc.  And Dead rising, can't forget that. It just has a ton of great games and that's what matters most.  Not to mention it gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of graphics and power, but that's of minor importance.


I would put the Wii second. Its coming around to some good games like Wario Ware (by the far the best in its franchise), Excite Truck, and Zelda (but again not as good as Oblivion, not even close, but then again Oblivion is the best open ended action RPG ever.)  I also ordered Paper Mario and can't wait for it to ship.  Of course its controller is awesome, which is the reason why it will win this poll, and maybe even the entire "system war".  But I think even with its controller, the 360 is still better because right now. It's game selection is unbeatable.


I put PS3 last.   Not even because of its price.  If it had awesome games, I'd buy it.  But it just severely lacking in games.   It may have the most features and power, but when you have no games, why does it matter?   Sometimes it get games, but they seem to be ports of 360 games several months to a year late, with worse graphics.   But Resistance looks pretty cool.

[QUOTE=Edward M]I expect Wii to win as usual.  I voted for 360.   It just has the best games.   Zelda just isn't even in the same league as Oblivion.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree.  Zelda is in a much bigger league, being much more playable and infinitely more enjoyable

As to the first question, I don't know which will win, but I am quite sure it won't be the PS3.

[QUOTE=m0zart]

[QUOTE=Edward M]I expect Wii to win as usual.  I voted for 360.   It just has the best games.   Zelda just isn't even in the same league as Oblivion.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree.  Zelda is in a much bigger league, being much more playable and infinitely more enjoyable

As to the first question, I don't know which will win, but I am quite sure it won't be the PS3.
[/QUOTE]


Maybe LTTP is, but not twilight princess.  Not saying its bad, its better than most games out there.  But it is not the Triple A Game of the year it was made out to be.   Its too much like it's n64 predecessor with hardly any improvements.  It feels too bland.  Oblivion just brought a ton of new stuff the the action RPG genre, and the Zelda series just isn't keeping up.  I much prefer the "go anywhere do what ever you want" style of play Oblivion has to Zelda's more linear and sometimes boring and bland gameplay.  I'd give Twilight Princess based on what I played so far a solid B.

how can something boring and bland be a "B"?

A "B" game is an excellent game. Boring and bland would be a "E" surely?

I'll probably get flak for this, but I think that at the moment the BEST console still out there (xbox being pretty much dead) is the PS2. C'mon, it's still selling and has wayyyy more "great" games than any newer machine.

Okay, it's partly because I could never in a million years afford a new console (I have trouble coming up with $30 a month for a new game), but If I COULD, I still think I'd play my PS2 more than the Wii or PS3 .... X360 is a bit better since it's been out longer, but then it's not backwards compatible. I also could never afford an HDTV, so my Xbox graphics look about as good as the others would on a standard TV. Despite my poorness, when Genesis and the DS came out they were MUST-HAVES, I bought 'em new after selling old stuff..but none of the new ones warrant that...YET.

I have seen 360 and PS3 in action only from kiosk in stores, but I have to say, at least on graphics level, I am not impressed.  They are better, but my opinion not enough to really be pleased to spend an extra $10 bucks more a game than last gen. If the Wii sales slip, it won't be because of weak graphics, I think that is the most overhyped feature for consoles this gen. The hardware is more as well, but to be fair they have have extra features and are being sold at a loss.

I like the Wii, but it still has work to do. Personaly, I want to see them deliver more budget and smaller concept games for both Wii and DS. (Like one a month!)If I could buy more games in the league of Brainage for $20 new, I would be a happy camper. My taste have simply changed, or maybe I have just been brainwashed. Its anybody's guess.

I buy Nintendo for their games, so its not like I seriously considered buying a different console no matter what they do, so take this as you will.

Oblivion is a port of a mediocre PC RPG game. The only reason why it seems 'fresh' is that most console RPGs are from Japan (very linear). Western RPGs have always been non-linear. PC RPG gamers have always considered the Elder Scrolls series to be rather weak compared to other PC RPGs. 15 years later and still no one has surpassed, let alone approach, the Ultimas for example.

[QUOTE=Edward M]Maybe LTTP is, but not twilight princess.  Not saying its bad, its better than most games out there.  But it is not the Triple A Game of the year it was made out to be.   Its too much like it's n64 predecessor with hardly any improvements.  It feels too bland.  Oblivion just brought a ton of new stuff the the action RPG genre, and the Zelda series just isn't keeping up.  I much prefer the "go anywhere do what ever you want" style of play Oblivion has to Zelda's more linear and sometimes boring and bland gameplay.  I'd give Twilight Princess based on what I played so far a solid B.[/QUOTE]

That's pretty much how I feel about Oblivion.  I know it's a pet game for a lot of people on here, and I do think it's incredible for how much it covers, but I'd have given it an A- at best, but far more likely a B+, and even then, more for the presentation than the actual gameplay.  I don't write reviews on Oblivion because I already know I am too skewed against those types of RPGs to really want to play them.

Zelda isn't an action-RPG.  I know that's what some would like to say, and I might have even entertained it before at times when I was unwilling to argue the nature of RPGs, but Zelda is an action-adventure, not an RPG.  Even "Zelda 2", which is much more like an action-RPG than any other Zelda, doesn't quite reach that level for a number of reasons.  I don't expect Zelda to "keep up" with something like Oblivion.  I couldn't play Oblivion all the way through without getting bored, and I likely won't return to it again.  But I can play and enjoy Zelda over and over again.  As a fan of the series, I like the direction Zelda is going in now, and I literally don't want the formula ruined by becoming something like Oblivion.  People who want that can just play the next adventure in the Elder Scrolls series, or one of the many expansion packs which inevitably come out for Oblivion.

Geez, first Zelda needs to be more like Mario (in another thread), and now it needs to be more like Oblivion.  For God's sake people, leave my Zelda alone!

Don't get me wrong here -- I am used this kind of useless comparison.  This is as common these days on forums as Zelda bashing or even Halo bashing, it seems like.  I've heard gamers on Gamespot, for instance, complaining about Metroid Prime because "it doesn't play like other FPS".  My argument is "Well, it's not an FPS.  It's a Metriod game except in 3D and first-person."  If someone judges it by the standards of an FPS, then it's like judging a platformer by the standards of a racer.  It just doesn't work.  I say let Metroid be Metroid.  And for GOD'S SAKE, let Zelda be Zelda.

[QUOTE=m0zart]

Zelda isn't an action-RPG.  I know that's what some would like to say, and I might have even entertained it before at times when I was unwilling to argue the nature of RPGs, but Zelda is an action-adventure, not an RPG.  Even "Zelda 2", which is much more like an action-RPG than any other Zelda, doesn't quite reach that level for a number of reasons.
[/QUOTE]

I am always making the same argument about Zelda being not even close to an RPG, and I still have not gotten a response from anybody about why it SHOULD have the letters "RPG" associated at all with it.  An RPG is Ultima.  Older Final Fanctasy games.  People who try to associate Zelda with RPGs are not very familiar with true RPGs.  I have to assume that they don't even know what RPG stands for, because, if they did, it would be obvious that Zelda is NOT.