PixlBit

I stand by Simon's Quest as being a very innovative game for its time. It was one of a few titles that basically helped to pioneer the open-world genre, and unlike The Legend of Zelda, which was built ground up to be that way, Simon's Quest was an example of things that could be done with Castlevania besides pure platforming. That being said, I do love me some Castlevania 1 & 3 and Super Castlevania IV! 

I still say one of the coolest moments in gaming history was the inverted castle! With the internet still in its infancy at the time, it was awesome hearing from friends that you needed the holy glasses to see what was controlling Richter to unlock basically a whole second half of the game. SOTN stands as my favorite PS1 game, I can't say enough good things about it!

I haven't played the Lego games that much, but I think you've convinced me to pick one up! Which one would you recommending starting with? I'm thinking LOTR or Marvel...

By the way, nice job on the Photo a Day challenge! The transition of Fall into Winter is one of my favorite times of year for photography, and considering where you are geographically it only makes it better!

Honestly, I never spent much time with Zelda 2. From what I've read, it had some interesting ideas laid down, but something definitely felt missing from it when I had played it. A Link to the Past still stands as my favorite Zelda title, and is probably in my top 3 of all time. The leap between the NES LoZ's and ALttP felt absolutely massive, and it's an absolute master class in design. Seriously cannot say enough good things about that game!!

Thanks man! It would be great to be able to build a character from the outset, and have them evolve and change as the days/months/years went on, especially if there was a skill tree where your survival skills/fighting/marksmanship improved over time like Skyrim's perk tree!

Glad you like the write-up, bud!

Truth! I feel like whenever I slip on ice, trip, knock something over etc Ganon's laugh from when you die in Zelda II should be playing...

Just remember there is always an enormous catalogue from yesteryear to tide you over during a drought of personal interest .

Art is an evolving thing, I think a chunk of AAA gaming is going through an awkward identity phase right now, not unlike teenagers, honestly. I am confident the mediums true strengths will be acknowledged, especially when the industry can no longer sustain budgets because of hiring Hollywood screenwriters, rendering cutscenes, etc.

Very true my man. What I find confusing is that what makes shows like The Walking Dead and great movies so successful is that they excell in what that medium's strengths are - for shows like WD and Game of Thrones, it's TV's episodic format and the fact that you can tell an evolving story over the course of years or even a decade. Wouldn't it make more sense for the industry to be inspired by that by focusing on GAMING's own unique strengths I.E. gameplay and player-authorship because that is what makes it a successful and cherished artform, as opposed to copying the narrative style  of TV and film drama?

Me too, Cary! To me, Ganondorf being the leader of a gang of thieves kind of seemed like a step down from the mythical Ganon who was practically a demi-god. Ganondorf just looked like a spray painted dude who read too much "Men's Health".

I have to get back into this game; I had been on a roll with it but I had gotten super busy with freelance work, and then I went right into Dark Souls. From what I had played, I agree this is a great sim for fans of the Zombie Apocalypse genre! The emphasis on character's well-being and supply scavenging was a great idea over the "kill 100's of zombies without breaking a sweat" that burdens most undead games.

Given that you are also a Walking Dead fan, I wrote-up a piece a while back about how AMC's The Walking Dead game could have been great. Let me know what you think!

Judging from what I have read and people I have spoken with (both on Pixlbit and beyond), you are far from alone in this sentiment. In my personal opinion, I chalk it up to the overemphasis on "cinematic experience" in the AAA industry. While some of my favorite games of all time have been released in the XBOX360/PS3/Wii/Ds gen, with the promise of new technology it seems as though the emphasis on ultrarealism and apeing film will continue to be par for course. To quote David Jaffe, "we've let the gameplay muscle atrophy", and the interactive experience has taken a serious backseat to Hollywood storytelling and support of the ignorant, jackass notion that games "should be more". 

That being said, I will remain hopeful that after the dust of the new tech settles, and Nintendo gets it's footing with the Wii U, we'll be treated to some great titles that know that how a gamer interacts with a title isn't an afterthought, it's the foundation. Also, the burgening indy market will only grow, and could very well create the best games of this gen.