When you truly think about the things you like, you often have to admit that they are far from perfect. This applies to practically everything. Whether it's your car, your old bicycle, your favorite trinket or your favorite possession, there are often still things you want improved with them. Take your partner or spouse for example. You love them, but that doesn't make them perfect. Love is accepting and liking them for what they are and accepting their flaws. Bearing that in mind, we can all say that we love the Zelda series.
Take this very principle and apply it to your favorite books or movies. Of course it is going to be subjective to how you want things to turn out. Take for example some classics, and how I'd improve them. There's The Lord of the Rings. I believe a better ending would have been if Frodo had also died with Gollum and the ring, but that's just me. I like The Da Vinci Code movie, but I wish Langdon and Neveu hooked up just like in the book. I could go on, but think about it. What I see as flaws others may not. What others may see as weaknesses, may be my favorite points.
Go back to the earlier example of your partner. What we all see as flaws and attractions will differ. When given the chance there are some flaws we may eliminate in a partner, but there are some that we'd keep because it makes them, similarly to with the Zelda series. So, what's my point in all of this? Well, here at ZeldaInformer we are clearly known for opinionative articles; articles that some agree with passionately; articles that others are infuriated by. Why? Because what we see as flaws others don't.
All too often I see people making comments on articles like, "What's with all of this nitpicking?" and, "just play the games and enjoy them". Consider this my formal response to those comments. We play the games. We don't just enjoy them, we love them. We are Zelda fans. We all have our opinions of what the flaws are, and that's what Zelda gives us: the right to our own opinion. Consider this: numerous popular series are finished. There isn't more to come with The Lord of the Rings, but Zelda, we are in the midst of Zelda. We are living Zelda. There are Zelda titles to come in the future and we want to see them be the best they can be.
When people make comments like above I could go for the blunt response, just telling you that I'm doing my job, helping to keep the site running, boosting site views, getting people commenting passionately, and getting new members across to the forums, which I do well with these articles, but that isn't why I do it. I write because Zelda is ours to share. There are releases coming in the future to Zelda and we want to see them improve on the flaws Zelda has had in the past. Even though we agree and disagree on what the flaws are, we want to see each release come closer to the perfect Zelda game. That's why I write.
Let alone the fact that I enjoy writing, and discussing every aspect of Zelda so in depth because I love the series. I love it and want to see it become better. Maybe to you that's nitpicking, but to me, that's being a fan. Nodding at every release to the series and saying its perfect just isn't right. The games are absolutely awesome and enjoyable, but not perfect. We have agreed and disagreed in the past numerous times reader, but let's agree on this now: The Legend of Zelda is a great series, if not the best video game series ever. It has had us all in awe, but when we look at it closely, it isn't perfect. If given the chance, there would be something that we would change.
No, we're not nitpicking, we're simply being fans at a Zelda fansite. Yes, I may regularly post articles seen as having somewhat forceful views, but ZeldaInformer is here for everyone to share their views. Anyone can head over to the forums and share what they think are flaws and what is fantastic. Even writing articles isn't limited to us regulars. If you have something you want to share you can send it to me or Nate on the forums. Why? Because this is our series, and ZeldaInformer is here for all of us. It's here for the casual and the hardcore. Here, everyone is entitled to their opinion of Zelda.
Categories: Articles
Yeah,
when I saw the title of the article, I think, "wow! whats happenned to this guy? Zelda is perfect!"
But the I read your article, and I said...
He is right...
I love the Zelda series, and yes, I always hear people saying "Zelda? pff it's sucks!" HOWEVER, it doesn't make my love less... It's like the example with the partners...
If we love something, we accept everything, 'cause we love them...
Anything in this life is perfect, but if we only want to see flaws, everything's gonna sucks... We should see the best side of the things, and apreciate the "perfect" or GOOD, that they can be...
Nice, article...
And, sorry about my english, n.n
I'm from Mexico, and you know... Spanish in my mind (:
Good luck guys, and keep the perfection of your work...
Great read, well said. Zelda for life!
...You're exactly right.
I think all of us have at one time snapped at someone else for "nitpicking" something we love. But people are entitled to their opinions on both sides... and in arguments both parties sometimes forget that.
On gaming sites, it's no different, as you said. People do, in their annoyance, forget that the other side has a valid opinion and point... but sadly sometimes that they also have a valid point and opinion. With the "great divide" in gamers these days (which in reality doesn't exist, only in people's minds) the opinion of "hardcores" is sometimes taken as LAW, and often the "casuals" just-as-valid opinion gets shredded and pushed aside.
So I think as well as people respecting other experienced fans views... they also needs to remember to respect the views of more inexperienced fans too, who maybe haven't realised the games aren't perfect yet. ALL OF US need to remember this... sometimes it seems as though some people think they are above this, but they're not :3 Some people are also too quick to judge and so often impolitely counter someone's point... Eh, some people just aren't as good as others at explaining things without seeming to stick their views in someone else's face. But everyone always need to remember this, as such a situation is likely to appear in their life :3
But fantastic article, I agree 100%, and I know I'll probably end up quoting this to people who have forgotten this xD
And Miguel that's really interesting... everything can seem both perfect and awful at the same time... I guess it boils down to 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'~
...And I think I've used up my "some people" quota for today. Dang xD
It kinda depends on the definition of 'perfect'. If you're talking about something that will appeal to anybody and everybody as the greatest, then that simply doesn't exist, because people have differing criteria, and reasons behind what they enjoy about things.
However, by that same token, it's possible for something to come along and fulfill that criteria perfectly. So for an individual, it's not impossible for there to be something perfect. People have different boxes to be checked, and for some, it might be a Zelda game that checks them all.
Personally, I can't think of a Zelda game that can't be improved in some way. But that's based on my own personal criteria, and it's also the reason (as you said) that we, as fans and as individuals, nitpick over the things we love.
I see unfulfilled potential in the Zelda series, and naturally I hold every Zelda release up against that potential to value how good it is. Afterall, that is how we judge things.
Upon first reading this article, I thought you were being a hypocrite, but after multiple readings, that original impression has since been shattered. Though I may not agree w/ everything you wrote, I appreciate the "Come together" mentality this article embodies.
Overall, I would hope people don't take this as a message that we should all fall in line, and avoid criticizing the criticisms of writers, because that's not what this is about.
@NorthApple:
"With the "great divide" in gamers these days (which in reality doesn't exist, only in people's minds) the opinion of "hardcores" is sometimes taken as LAW, and often the "casuals" just-as-valid opinion gets shredded and pushed aside."
Best quote of the year! That's going into my forum signature. :)
Dude, I loved this article!!!!! You're so right! Nothing is perfect. I have been a video game fan since I was five years old, but I've never played a game that I haven't criticized in some way shape or form. That doesn't mean that I hate the game. I love them just as much as everyone else on this website, but i want to see improvements. We all do. I posted on the Spirit Tracks Geography article and made several complaints, too. But that doesn't mean that I'm not passionate about Zelda. I love it so much. Zelda made me the player I am today. I love this series. I also love your opinionated articles. They enlighten me and strengthen my opinions. Thanks for this great read!!!
Lovely article. I second you.
Good article, but you're wrong about one thing. The perfect Zelda has already been made. Wand of Gamelon. duh.
That's one of the reasons I love Zelda: you can just keep making everything better. Heck, right now I could go on this rant about a certain feature I wish was implemented to the clawshot in Twilight Princess. I love Twilight Princess, there's no question about it. But, like all other Zelda games, it could have everything improved. And even once it's been improved, it could be improved again. It seems integral to Zelda. Plus, discussing how to improve things is just plain fun.
/brofist