So there it was,this tv ad with that oddball curly haired comedian was calling out severaldifferent creatures and deciding "which way to go?!?". Such a quirky add and being as offbeat as it was it drewme, I was 10 or11 at the time and wanted to see what this gold colouredcartridge contained.So there I wasa year or two later with abrand new Nintendo Entertainment System (...Yep, the original). I had a copy of Legendary Wings as my first game which I played like crazy. During my school year I met up with an old friend who also had the Nes and a copy of The Legend of Zelda. I nearly lost my cool. I asked if I could play it. I was instantly drawn into this new world of Hyrule from what little I could play of it while listening to his Dad drone on and on with his work and asking me 21 questions about school and my hobbies etc lol.

Finally after about month or so of hanging out with my friend,I asked if I could borrow his copy of Zelda and was finallygranted the opportunity to really get into this game. I took it home one summer night and started my first un-inturrupted adventure. This was a perfect night for the game also. My parents were busy doing whatever, my brother was practicing his air guitar up in his room listening to some new metal band. So there I am in front ofthe familyconsole style wood grain 27" tube tv. The "Legend of Zelda" screen pops up with the little waterfall and the unforgettable musical theme. Yeah, I even watched the the item list part until it looped back.

I simply continued on from the character that I previously created before. I then wondered around the desserts and forests and wherever else I could. You see at the time most games were linear or simple. Zelda let you do what you wanted go where you wanted and you could return to any area. I could save money and visit stores and buy better things.My favorite part was my inventory screen. I couldn't wait to fill it up with what I found. Zelda had a true sense of adventure andI instantly knew right then and there that this game was going to be epic.

The stupid ad I saw that I stated earlier simply didn't do this new game any justice. I just couldn't get enough of this game. I had to score a copy of this game. Then as I was walking around the lands I stumbled across this huge stone face emerging from the ground with only one Octorock crawling around. This looked sorta like a cave or something. I just had to find out. Just to add to the moodof this game,that quiet summer night outside of my house turned into a kick ass thunder storm. Rain beating against my windows flashing lightning and booming thunder....I then venture forth into this wierd cave. I realize that I'm in some sort of dungeon and the music, as simple as it was for the time, this music had a creepy vibe and made you realize that there was something sinister going on here and that this dungeon was going to be a challenge to get through.

From the blob like creatures that multiply to the skeletons walking around you realize the upper world was a lot more inviting than it was in the underworld. Then as you get near the core of this dungeon, you can hear the roar of what ever was waiting for you in the distance....and it was getting closer and closer......and CLOSER!!! So by shear luck or bravery I battle this dragon and get an extra heart and this odd gold triangle called a "Triforce". I remember seeing a triangle in my inventory screen and I feared that I might have cleared the game....this new gold Triforce thingyseemed to have some relation to the triangle shape in my inventory screen. Well this Triforce triangle just filled a small portion of the triangle from the inventory screen. I then knew that this game was going to be huge. I then had to find another dungeon and find ways to save more money for that new shield and a better sword. I then realized that this was becoming my favorite game ever. To this day I have yet to clear the first Zelda game but I've played every single Zelda since the first one.

Zelda 2 was a dissapointment but the 3rd brought it back but was so drastically different but in a good way. Over the years I noticed however that slowly they introduced some new ideas and characters to the franchise. As hooked as I was with all the titles I played, I notced that there was so much change in each game that it strayed so far away from what I first remember playing in the first title.

Now here I am playing Spirit Tracks, I love it, it's such an epic title. The train system is so much fun and the characters are lovable. There are some cool dungeons to explore and concepts with interacting with wind and blowing your DS screen. (yeah get your mind out of the gutter).

Now I have Spirit Tracks, and I love it. This game is incredible fun! I love the train riding and all the cool dungeons and new concepts. The characters are lovable and theme is great just like all the games before it. Blowing into the DS screen to manipulate objects in that world is just wild. I give this game a 9.5 out of 10.

So what is the problem here??

The newer Zelda titles seem to have lost that sense of vast free roaming adventure, uniqueness, mystery and that magic it used to have. The newgames as goodas they are feel more likean adventure game with Link dropped into the middle of it.They feel far more directed and linear then the older ones. Much like Windwaker and Phantom Hour Glass, they rely too heavily on riding a boat or train for most of your travel. What happened to all the original enemies? I never see an Octorok, Tektite, Lever orPeahat in sight. The enemies are so generic now. They look like goombas or ground hogs or walking pickles. I don't even know what the heck some of them are to be honest.

What I miss most that is missing in the new games is that true sense of vastness and roaming around without being handheld to find your next objective. Thelast two DS versions feel very similar and I'm not much in favor of visiting the same temple over and over.I also miss the magic that the first one and even the ones on the Gameboy colour had. They were so interesting and held a special place in my heart. I loved visiting the subrosen villages underground, the quirky costumes you had to dawn and the special things you did for people. They were truly special games and held that true "Zelda" feel even with some evolution tacked on.

As much as I love all the Zelda titles and will coninue to love the onse to come. I hope they can go back to their roots and capture that sense of real adventure and spirit of what made Legend of Zelda what it was. Please quit basing the game on a train, boat or a timer. Lets find something more original guys...this is a fantasy game remeber...the sky is the limit!

Thankyou for your time Zelda fans. Please don't take this astrash talkor trolling. Peace