Zelda

The 404 962: Where we play the waiting game (podcast)

AT&T earns the "worst carrier in the world" award for the second year in a row, so it's a good thing I just signed up for two more years of service with this new iPhone 4S.

According to Consumer Reports, prepaid phone subscribers are actually the most satisfied with their service, but that's probably because their burner phones don't have the Internet access necessary to lodge a complaint.

On today's show, we'll look at how the other carriers compare to AT&T, dispel rumors of Shigeru Miyamoto's departure from Nintendo, put in our our bid for RickPerry.com, Jeff demonstrates My Xbox Live for the iPad, and we'll show some incredible listener-submitted contest submission videos!… Read more

15 reasons to buy a Wii

Wait a second, you ask; why am I discussing buying a Wii in 2011? Your skepticism is justified: this holiday season, Nintendo feels like a shadow of its former self.

Still, seeing an ad for a $99 Wii this Black Friday has made me wonder: would I still recommend buying a Wii this year?

It's complicated. Check out my list of the best Wii games ever made, and see if you agree.

The recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has turned attention once again on the Nintendo Wii, a console that's largely felt left for … Read more

Is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword the Wii's last great game?

It became painfully obvious back in June at Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword would be the console's last blockbuster title. Come to think of it, Skyward Sword was the only Wii game the company even mentioned.

So does Skyward Sword deliver the precision sword controls that Wii owners have been dreaming of since day one? Or is it the final chapter of an era of clunky motion control? We've dusted off our Wii consoles to find out.

Jeff: First, a very happy 25th anniversary to The Legend of Zelda franchise. Thank you for making me feel really old.

Nintendo is justifiably proud to share the milestone with everyone who's picking up Skyward Sword for the Wii, as all copies come with a 25th anniversary music CD featuring all kinds of Zelda tunes.

It's safe to say that Skyward Sword marks the Wii's last hurrah, and thankfully, the latest Zelda game certainly ranks up there with some of the console's best offerings.

For starters, Skyward Sword looks as good as any game can ever hope to on the Wii. The art direction has been brilliantly conceived, taking full advantage of the system's specs, and using a few blurring tricks to make things appear like a gorgeous watercolor painting. … Read more

Remastered video games: Good or bad?

This holiday season, we're seeing a trend toward classic games presented in close-to-original form, but with their original graphics rerendered at the higher resolutions today's consoles and displays use. Is this a great way to make older games more accessible, or is it, like colorizing black-and-white movies, widely considered a bastardization of the original art?

Unlike film or music, video games age badly. Technology changes, screens get bigger, and the host games of even a few years ago look positively primitive to the jaded eyes of consumers. Despite this, we've still seen some vintage games enjoy a second, or even third life as iOS arcade classics, hermetically sealed retro downloads on GOG.com, or even those vintage-game-filled joysticks that plug directly into a television.

What we're seeing more than ever of this year is a little different: classic games presented in almost their original form, but with redesigned graphics, or at least with the original graphics rerendered at the higher resolutions today's consoles and displays use. … Read more

Crave 65: Dogs unite (podcast)

Donald takes a break from his at-desk Occupy Wall Street protest to rant about the cellular monopoly and the disruptive potential of Republic Wireless.

And while we are fine with robot slugs that can rescue us from toxic rubble, we have to draw the line at robotic seeing-eye dogs. I mean, c'mon, there's no replacing man's best friend. Also, hipster 35mm film fetishists get a new way to spend $99, and Eric goes all Geek News on the latest Zelda game.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video … Read more

Windows 8 Explorer gets the ribbon

Subscribers have just a couple days before Netflix forces them into higher priced plans, iTunes Match gets released to developers, and Windows 8's Explorer window gets the ribbon from Office.

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Zelda: Skyward Sword to arrive November 20

The Nintendo Wii launched with a Zelda game and now it looks like it will also go out with one, too. Call it the last Wii game you'll ever buy, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will finally release in North America on November 20. Interestingly enough, the time in between the two Zelda games spans the entire life cycle of the Wii, so it's only fitting the console's last major piece of software be another adventure featuring our little green hero from Hyrule.

We've been critical of Nintendo for seemingly leaving the Wii hanging in terms of software support, but if our time with Skyward Sword at E3 2011 is any indication of the game's quality, we're highly optimistic about the final product. … Read more

How much dust covers your Wii?

Wired's Chris Kohler posted a very telling gallery of reader-submitted dusty and neglected Wii consoles, games, and controllers on his Game|Life blog.

The photos look more like some sort of modern archaeological exhibit, displaying motion controllers seemingly frozen in time from the last moment they were used.

It's no secret that the Wii has lost plenty of steam since its enormous 2006 launch, with most gamers complaining of gimmicky software and lack of compelling blockbuster third-party titles. It seems Nintendo has even given up on the console, too. At the company's 2011 E3 press conference only … Read more

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

At the company's E3 2011 press conference, Nintendo was overjoyed in celebrating 25 years of Zelda. About half that time ago along came a game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is now widely regarded as the best game in the Zelda franchise.

Though the 3DS is still a relatively new platform, a 3D version of the classic title has been developed for redistribution, enabling a whole new generation of gamers to experience the legendary title.

We've been playing Ocarina of Time 3D for well over a week now and here are our final thoughts.

Jeff: The 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a somewhat bittersweet example of Nintendo's almost stubborn attitude toward the development of new titles. Yes, Ocarina of Time is arguably the best Zelda game ever, but we really wish Nintendo could give the 3DS the brand-new 3D Zelda adventure it deserves. Sure, Ocarina of Time is almost 13 years old and we'd imagine a healthy chunk of 3DS owners did not get to experience the game when it was first released on the Nintendo 64.

I experienced something totally unique when jumping back into Ocarina of Time 13 years since playing the N64 version. It's been so long that I'd forgotten some of the reasons why I fell in love with the original. For one, the gameplay and controls are ultraprecise and the sense of accomplishment in defeating bosses, solving puzzles, and understanding what to do next is as satisfying as ever.… Read more

The 404 841: Where we take our show in vein (podcast)

All this time we thought Justin Yu was in California--but no, in fact, he was up in Vancouver helping destroy the town after the Canucks' embarrassing loss to the Boston Bruins last night for the 2011 Stanley Cup.

Chaos is certainly in the air on The 404 today as the show welcomes longtime friends Allie and Kenley to the program. The gang discusses last night's anarchy in Canada and whether it was all a conspiracy conducted by some rogue Canadian travel agency.

Beyond riots, we'll take a look at Robin Williams' new Nintendo commercial, Steve Jobs' autobiographical comic book, and Samuel L. Jackson's foray into the world of audiobooks.

The 404 Digest for Episode 841

Shocking photos from last night's riot in Vancouver Samuel L. Jackson tells us all to "Go the F--- to Sleep" Robin Williams really loves Nintendo Steve Jobs the comic book

Episode 841 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more