What's the best Zelda-style game that isn't a Zelda game? We need to talk about this.

by SanAndreasX Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:23 pm

Since we had a discussion on which was the best Zelda game, how about a thread for the best Zelda-style games that aren't Zelda games? This is a thread where the "Okami is the best Zelda game" is perfectly welcome. Smile

Discuss.

by volvocrusher Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:28 pm

The closest thing I can give is Batman Arkham City, but even then I don't really feel like that was barely enough like Zelda to be mentioned. All the other big ones, Beyond Good and Evil, Okami, 3D Dot Game Heroes, and Darksiders, never really grabbed me. I'm all in favor of quite a few series trying a Zelda approach though, Ratchet and Clank and Tomb Raider (the first three CD ones, not the reboot or PS1 games) especially or just a developer who knows how to make good puzzles and a fun world create their own Zelda. Just never works out for me.

by Miraculous Kaydybug Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:11 pm

Mystical Ninja, the N64 one. That game was so fucking awesome, it had samurais, ninjas, and GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS. 4 playable characters and one was a cute green haired ninja girl. This is literally one of those games thats pretty much why I love games. It was so insane and stupid (the main characters weapon is a pipe). I'd kill to have it on the VC. It got a sequel to but the sequel changed the formula up a lot the first was a Zelda clone and the second was a 2D platformer. Still good just different and harder than hell.

For anyone who hasnt played it if you have an N64 it's $22 used on amazon (ignore the new price) http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Ninja-Starring-Goemon-Nintendo-64/dp/B00002STF7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374451293&sr=8-1&keywords=mystical+ninja

by TripOpt55 Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:35 pm

Definitely Okami for me. I might even like it better than any Zelda game. I more made that comment in the Zelda thread because it meant people would avoid answering the question... haha. I definitely like it for different reasons than Zelda though. The world, the artstyle, the unique mechanics, combat is a bit more fun, I think its a game that is more fun to explore. The dungeons and puzzles aren't quite Zelda-level though. I think the ideal Zelda-style game is a combination of this game and dungeon-designs on TP's level.

I love Beyond Good & Evil as well. But it isn't on the same level as the best Zeldas or Okami. But it has a really unique fun world, combines various play-types in interesting ways. It is a bit short though. I like my Zelda-type games big and BG&E doesn't deliver there.

I have played some others that haven't really struck me as well. I do wish we'd see more games try to emulate this formula.

by TripOpt55 Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:39 pm

Kayshire Cat wrote:Mystical Ninja, the N64 one. That game was so fucking awesome, it had samurais, ninjas, and GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS. 4 playable characters and one was a cute green haired ninja girl. This is literally one of those games thats pretty much why I love games. It was so insane and stupid (the main characters weapon is a pipe). I'd kill to have it on the VC. It got a sequel to but the sequel changed the formula up a lot the first was a Zelda clone and the second was a 2D platformer. Still good just different and harder than hell.

For anyone who hasnt played it if you have an N64 it's $22 used on amazon (ignore the new price) http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Ninja-Starring-Goemon-Nintendo-64/dp/B00002STF7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374451293&sr=8-1&keywords=mystical+ninja

I like this quote from the Amazon page:

"Calling Mystical Ninja 'weird' is an understatement like calling the Broncos a 'pretty good football team.'"

Haha. This game's weirdness changes by the year apparently.

by SanAndreasX Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:53 pm

You guys touched on a couple of big favorites of mine in this category.

Okami - not only would I consider it the best game being discussed here, but the only actual Zelda games I would definitely rank above Okami are Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, and *maybe* Wind Waker. Love the art style, the gameplay, and the unique take on Japanese mythology.

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - that's another one I really liked. It's my favorite non-Nintendo (and by that, I mean not developed by Nintendo of Japan) N64 game. I guess it was loosely based on a real-life figure in Japanese history, but it had a lot of Japanese humor that probably made sense in Japan but didn't translate well to English. Still a fun as hell game. It did 3-D Zelda before Ocarina of Time did.

Brave Fencer Musashi - this was probably the PS1's, not to mention Square's, best attempt at Zelda, and it's a pretty damn good attempt. Plus, Square did a lot better job of localizing the humor behind it than Konami did with MNSG. (Princess: "Take that back you...you little turd!" Ribson: "Please, Princess... Sir Little Turd!")

Alundra - This was a more conventional overhead 2-D Zelda-style game with a lot of creepy mindfuck stuff in it. It was made by some of the same folks that made another Zelda-style game, Landstalker, for the Genesis. Loved the music. Hated the platforming.

Seiken Densetsu 3 - This game totally blows away Secret of Mana in pretty much every way. Too bad it never got an official SNES translation, but it did get a pretty awesome fan translation.

Ys Seven - This is an insanely fast Zelda clone. I hope it gets remade for a console or PC at some point.

@greenman: You're the first person I've ever seen who mentioned Batman in context with Zelda, but I have heard plenty of people who considered the Arkham games to be Metroidvania titles.

by BretBaber Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:57 pm

Brave Fencer Musashi. With all of that awesome humor, to me it is better than any Zelda game I've played. Why Square abandoned this property is beyond me. that shitty PS2 game sucked, make a proper one "squaresoft".

by Krubixcube Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:28 am

I never did play that...might emu it.

by Miraculous Kaydybug Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:48 am

SanAndreasX wrote:
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - that's another one I really liked. It's my favorite non-Nintendo (and by that, I mean not developed by Nintendo of Japan) N64 game. I guess it was loosely based on a real-life figure in Japanese history, but it had a lot of Japanese humor that probably made sense in Japan but didn't translate well to English. Still a fun as hell game. It did 3-D Zelda before Ocarina of Time did.

The translation wasnt the best but i still found its story and stuff to be entertaining. The weirdness was still there anyways, and thats what i loved most about it. The second game had a little better translation too.

by pspiddy Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:53 am

The Musashi emu kind of sucks because of gamepad mapping anf slowdown. Aaaaand I just looked up the price for a used copy on Amazon so fuck that. Emu it. Or next time you visit the states I can loan you my copy. As long as you send it back because I'm not going to Japan to put my foot in your ass.

by SanAndreasX Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:55 am

Kayshire Cat wrote:
SanAndreasX wrote:
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - that's another one I really liked. It's my favorite non-Nintendo (and by that, I mean not developed by Nintendo of Japan) N64 game. I guess it was loosely based on a real-life figure in Japanese history, but it had a lot of Japanese humor that probably made sense in Japan but didn't translate well to English. Still a fun as hell game. It did 3-D Zelda before Ocarina of Time did.

The translation wasnt the best but i still found its story and stuff to be entertaining. The weirdness was still there anyways, and thats what i loved most about it. The second game had a little better translation too.

Its humor was rather risque for a mid-90s Nintendo console title. It was a really well-done title, in any case. It had three different musical numbers in it, complete with Japanese vocals. When you consider the fact that sound on the N64 was so gimped by the cartridge format and not having a dedicated sound chip meaning the games had to borrow processing from the CPU and GPU for the sound, that was pretty impressive.

by Miraculous Kaydybug Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:01 am

It was ahead of its time in more ways than one. Really sad it never got a sequel this gen or last. Cel shading would have really fit well with it. It did get an anime though (which came out during my ALL ANIME MUST HAVE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FANSERVICE phase). So I never did check that out perhaps I should. I'd probably like it regardless.

by SanAndreasX Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:39 pm

Kayshire Cat wrote:It was ahead of its time in more ways than one. Really sad it never got a sequel this gen or last. Cel shading would have really fit well with it. It did get an anime though (which came out during my ALL ANIME MUST HAVE COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FANSERVICE phase). So I never did check that out perhaps I should. I'd probably like it regardless.

The last Goemon games made were a PS2 game and a DS game, both Japan-only. Working Designs was trying to localize the PS2 Goemon game but Sony denied them, and that's when that company was shut down. Nowadays the only thing Konami uses Goemon for is pachislot machines.

by Miraculous Kaydybug Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:44 pm

Didnt know about those maybe i should try and emu it someone somewhere probably made translation patches

by chocobot Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:58 pm

I can't believe I've never heard of Mystical Ninja, sounds like something I would have really loved. Especially with the way Kay described it. GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS YEAH!

by Miraculous Kaydybug Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:12 pm

chocobot wrote:I can't believe I've never heard of Mystical Ninja, sounds like something I would have really loved. Especially with the way Kay described it. GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS YEAH!

Do you have a N64 or a way to play it? I could probably send a $25 amazon gift card your way for it though it probably wouldnt be till September or so.

by chocobot Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:23 am

I have an N64 but I should probably make sure it still works. It did last year though. I'd totally accept that as a Christmas gift if you really want to give me something, don't worry about it too much though <3

by Miraculous Kaydybug Wed Jul 24, 2013 2:07 pm

Alright it will be your christmas gift, unless i have a better source of income by then. Then I'd try to get you something a bit more <3

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