A Link Between Worlds, the latest 3DS Zelda adventure derived from the SNES classic, A Link to the Past, will be launching on November 22nd. Review copies have been shipping out, and USGamer has weighed in on the game, utterly deriding the graphics, while praising the controls and overall gameplay. The site’s Jeremy Parish calls the gameplay smooth and fast, while calling the graphics both “crummy” and “barfy-looking.” In a couple more weeks, gamers will be able to decide for themselves whether or not the game’s visuals live up to these descriptions. A transcript of USGamer’s write-up on the title appears below.
What do you think? Does A Link Between Worlds look amateurish based on the videos that can be viewed online? Let us know in the comments!
“You can’t help but be disappointed by this outcome, as the Zelda games have generally featured fairly attractive graphics. You’d certainly never know about this legacy by looking at this latest entry, though. Even the DS games, low-resolution as they were, demonstrated a pleasant art style that worked well within that system’s constraints. A Link Between Worlds reminds me less of Phantom Hourglass and more of those laughably terrible CDi games that Philips developed (leaving a permanent stain on the franchise’s reputation to serve as Nintendo’s penance for backing out on their “Play Station” deal with Sony). I am many hours into A Link Between Worlds at this point, and throughout the entire adventure I’ve cringed at the agony being inflicted on my eyes every time I glance at the screen”
Jee what a graphic whore. It looks nice for what it is in its design
the style is what he didnt like, he’s not a graphic whore he even said he liked the DS games look
Yes. That’s what’s puzzling, though. If he isn’t a graphic whore; if he has no problem with more animated styles like PH; I don’t know what he dislikes about it. Furthermore, descriptions like “crummy” and “barf looking” don’t help.
He’s complaining about the art style, not the graphics. They are two different things.
I think the confusion is arising from the fact that the game looks good in motion (we’ve seen the videos) and has a consistent art style evolved from that of A Link to the Past, which most people agree looked pretty nice.
He mentioned “Zelda usually have fairly attractive GRAPHICS”
Gotta identify those key words carefully bro.
And yes, this douche is very much like a graphic whore. Nobody knows nor care WTF he is. His -20 Twitter followers tells the whole story. lol
I love how in todays age, we determine the validity of ones opinion, by basing it on how many twitter followers they have……..
Haha “You have only 20 twitter followers, you can shut the hell up then. Nobody cares bro!” xD
not sure what’s supposed to be wrong with the artstyle when it’s apparently using the same one the original used
weird tastes he has, personally I prefer ALBW style over both ST and PH… top down view is made for handheld imo
and the most important thing MNN didn’t post, as always. this has become such a freaking troll bait site. he actually said that it plays extremely good, the best controls in a action rpg/adventure for him ever. such a good flow etc.
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Just play the game
Nostalgia bro, NOSTALGIA makes me love those graphics and art style.
Boy, this would be heartbreaking if I cared at all.
It would be heartbreaking if it were true.
I like it! It’s reminiscent of the SNES style, if it were in 3d.
THAT is what he’s talking about. Not sure why no one else has picked up on what he meant. Yes, the style is similar to ALTTP, but in 3D, and it’s the 3D part that kinda makes it feel odd. I hafta agree with him partially. I’ve played it in person, it looks good, but it’s like playing a claymation Link. The same way FFIII in 3D felt a bit odd. Something about 3D in top-down perspective. Certainly not bad, but it does give it a different feel. Almost feels more indie and less of a 1st-party polished game if that makes sense.
I should clarify, the environments work well. I think if Link was more like Wind Waker Link, he’d fit more naturally. But being more claymation-looking, he kind of clashes a little with the somewhat more sprite-looking backgrounds.
When I play Zelda, pretty sure the last thought in my brain is graphics. I would play this game if it went back to bit-style. Nothing could deter me from LBW.
I’d say that your taste is “barfy-looking” (your use of words also questions your intelligence) and crummy.
Graphics dont bother me, I just play games that look fun or have a good story.
I admit, the graphics aren’t that appealing compared to other Zelda games, but who cares? What matters is the gameplay and if that is awesome, any game can be awesome.
It does look better than TP and all its weird graphical faults.
That is absolutely obnoxious. This reviewer’s word choice belies his ignorance and immaturity. Did he not note that it was running at 60 FPS, or does he expect that a Legend of Zelda game on a handheld device look like Skyrim?
True, but after OoT3D, people’s expectations skyrocketed.
I dunno. Seems to me this reviewer has no business (or should I say future) writing about Nintendo games if he was expecting a sequel of A Link to the Past to look anything like Ocarina of Time 3D. For one thing, if it had, it wouldn’t look good with the overhead camera, and if it didn’t have an overhead camera it couldn’t be what … the game … is trying … to be….
I dunno. I’ve came around to this game but I’m in the same boat as this guy. The style looks too….toyish I guess would be the word. It’s the kind a toy company would use to market towards children.
It’s true that expectations where high but they could’ve atleast tried to match it.
Also, disclaimer: this is my opinion, no graphic whore, am Nintendo fan, yada yada yada.
Oh my god, why? Who cares about graphics, it is reminiscent of LttP
While perhaps not as visually stunning as it could be, I think the game looks great in motion and it isn’t really lacking in any important details. Reminds me of the ALttP Nintendo Power comics, in some ways.
Im digging the way the game looks.
its too cartoony, i kind of agree with him. Alttp was a very dark game, this game should have better reflected the art in alttp manual in my opinion.
Its a sequel to wind waker how should it not be cartoonie
It’s a sequel to A Link to the Past, not Wind Waker.
I was going to disagree, but actually A Link to the Past is kind of dark, isn’t it? Still, I’m glad I never felt like that playing it, and I’ll bet you this game will feel darker.
The original was very cartoony, the art is exactly the same as LTTP but they made the artwork look like the game because this started as a Remake and not a full game
He’s bitching just to be that one guy who says he hates it.
no more preview copies for him.
graphics may be subpar, but the gameplay and story will be top notch.
agreed
that’s actually what Jeremy Parish, the person who wrote the review, said about the game. I don’t know why people are blindly bashing on him, he’s actually a big nintendo fan from what I remember in his 1UP days.
The fact that he used the term “barfy-looking” alone kind of says something about his maturity. I wouldn’t pin much credibility on him.
Given his immature and unprofessional tone and jab at the Playstation decision years ago, clearly this person just doesn’t like Nintendo in general.
And he probably got THAT information off of Wikipedia. He doesn’t sound to bright.
reminds me of harvest moon 64
The game looks great, and it has to keep the look of ALTTP, since it’s a follow up.
what a f***ing graphics whore the game looks fine – _ –
That’s the problem, they look “fine”. Not Good, not great, not stellar. It’s an easy fix but one they didn’t bother with.
It’s the Zelda cycle. It’s expected.
I still plan on getting and enjoying this game but I have to agree, for a long time now when i’ve seen pictures/videos of this, Zelda CDi YouTube poop flashbacks come pouring in.
I hated Phantom Hourglass and enjoyed Spirit Tracks but am glad that era is over control and graphic wise. This guy just needs to go watch his Inuyasha and other weak as gay anime and leave true old school, from the beginning, hardcore Zelda fans like me out of his shit. I get it u like anime and never get laid. I would probably tell u that I would prefer an all new world and story but I cannot be happier that the top down links awakening and original Zelda presentation is making a return. It has been 10 years or so since the true Zelda gameplay has been brought to us in a new way and I for one could not be happier and I hope this will become a regular thing a lot like the New Super Mario Bros series. Fuck ur nonsense guy my Godds.. the real ones.. say u like little boys.
Barfy?? Lol
Him using that word made me discredit everything he said. Not professional at all.
So you discredited everything he had to say about his impressions of the game so far even if he said other things about the game that could be valid (such as he thought the game play was great) because he used the word “barfy” to describe the graphics. Only an imbecile would discrete an entire article based on “one” word.
….will when you put it that way….
1) What the hell is USGamer, and how many people in the world will even hear about this guy’s bland taste?
2) The comment about Nintendo’s penance was retarded: How was them backing out of their project with Sony immoral or even bad? Sony and Nintendo obviously had different production ideas, and it’s good that they backed out because now we have the awesome Playstation line (not to mention the N64 wound up incredible anyway). Plus, the stupid CD-i games are just evidence that Nintendo should be even MORE reserved about getting help from other companies.
3) “…every time I glance at the screen”: My dislike for this writer is tempered by how impressed I am that he can play without looking at his screen.
Step 1) Compare the graphics of this game to hundreds of other games. Are there a lot of games with this perspective that have much better graphics and art assets? Yes? Then they should have done a better job. The graphics are lazy and they are barfy when you compare them to even SNES era games.
Step 2) Punch yourself in the face for having low standards.
No option, someone else buyed his words…..is called bribe….
This guy can stick his head on his own butthole.
Graphics don’t make a game you dickfart.
Yea the game does have shitty graphics but it will still be fun as hell to play
Just chill out, it’s his opinion even if we all think its a shitty one….
lol retard graphic whore. I’m getting this fucking 3DS XL bundle in 11 days.
I gotta admit the graphics got me all “meh” when I first saw them, but the videos I’ve seen showed the opposite, the game actually looks beautiful, even if the design doesn’t always convince me.
Anyway, it’s fucking ZELDA !!!
^ This
Well… I am looking at some pictures of the graphical style right now and I am perfectly fine with it.
Can anyone using the words “crummy” and “barfy-looking” even be considered a journalist?
Yeah Nintendo… Stop creating new art styles for Zelda games. Just keep making them look the same so we have something else to bitch about… I’m kidding of course, this game looks wonderful.
-_- Really?
i dont care about graphics or art style but each goes to compliment each game like wind waker and i dont know why people got pee pee hurt over the cel-shade graphics, i actually like it, look at borderlands, ce;-shade but do you see people getting but hurt about the graphics? no, so why zelda and not other games and dont give me the kid style vs mature style crap. in the end zelda games will be awesome no matter the art style and type of graphics, except those cd-i games and games not made by nintendo
It reassures me to know that someone else is dissatisfied with the A Link Between Worlds art style. It’s slightly tiresome to argue about art style when a new Zelda game comes out, but that apparently has become a tradition since Wind Waker, one that will never go away. As for A Link Between Worlds, I dislike the character models, the color palette, etc. Just not my style.
You did not use the word “barfy.”
We will accept your more mature opinion. ;)
Can anybody really fault a game or take away review points because they don’t like the art style. If you ask me that should be pure opinion and never make it’s way into a review. It should be all about gameplay, and if a game is fun or not. Not whether it looks good or not. Nonetheless this guy is the scum of the earth and I will be buying a plane ticket to his home town to stab him to death while I laugh in his face
It’s a game, dude. Calm down.
@Steve
Your post is full of mental retardation.
YOU GOT A PILE OF GORON $#!%!
It smells gross but it’s a good fertilizer.
Art style is “partially” opinion but if you look at the game and think “It could potentially look a lot better”. then it should.
I stopped reading his comments at “barfy”. Seriously, guy?
Anyway, the game looks great to me. I don’t mind his dislike towards the art style. I’m still going to play and love the game.
It looks great in motion and in 3D, and looks exactly like it should. Looks like Link to the Past with some upgrades. Shouldn’t look like anything else.
Some random “Nobody knows or gives a fuck” type of graphical whoring troll comes out of the shadows of his basement closet and tries to bash the game for being what it wants to be.
ITS A FREAKING SEQUEL TO THE SNES GAME RETARD! Its suppose to look like that and close to the original SNES/GBA style for notaslgic feel for fans and by watching Youtube video in very shitty quality to judge a game’s visual aspect before actually touching/playing the game personally is not that smart nor enough excuse to just “barf” BS out of your ass all over this possibly awesome game to give Nintendo more problems to deal with which is mostly idiots who forgot what gaming is about.
If you only wanna care about graphics? Then go buy an Xbox DOne and then screw yourself with that NSA motion camera crap for the government to get a nice view of your gorilla ass. Now that’s graphics you should care about. In the mean time, we’re gonna enjoy this game for what is really is and suppose to be while you’re missing out going “lady gaga” over a glorified $60 DLC eye candy like COD..oh wait. My bad. That game is pure shit since 2009 that only idiots and kids would waste lives and allowances over.
Dear Jeremy Parish,
Please quit your job and go back to playing Call of Duty.
Sincerely, REAL gamers everywhere.
How stupid can a person get?
The problem is that he “complains” about the graphics, when he clearly is talking about the art style.
While I do think that they days of top down zelda games should be over (simply because the 3DS can perfectly handle a fully 3D enviroment…. Like in LoZ: OoT 3D), I do feel that this game’s art and graphic style are excusable, since it is a “sequel” to LoZ: aLttP.
I personally HAVE NOT played this game, but just from the image im seeing, it reminds me of AC; New Leaf XD: which is pretty cool.
You all said everything I wanted to (harsher but still) but the ONLY thing I have to say it… he said he hated how it looked like the CDi artstyle.,… guess what it was based off of…. LTTP artwork, so he is basically saying he doesn’t like LTTP art style because that was what the CDi games looked like regardless of quality or accuracy
I know Jeremy from the now defunct 1up.com and he was pretty much the only one who cared about games there, especially during it’s final hours. Though he never did play OoT back in the N64 days which is why OoT3D got a low-ish score, but he loved Twilight Princess and gave it a really high score. Just throwing it out there.
Also, he also said this: Jarring as Worlds’ appearance is, however, I can sincerely say I don’t care. Barfy-looking graphics, it turns out, are a tradeoff… and the benefits greatly outweigh any superficial ugliness. Simply put, A Link Between Worlds is the fastest, smoothest-playing Zelda game ever. Its world may be hideous to behold, but it moves with silky consistency.
Not defending him but it’s a preview, not a review, we don’t know if his preview opinions are final or if he’ll even review it. Sure, graphics don’t matter, which is what he’s saying and he said that the game controls perfectly despite the graphics.
I wouldn’t call the art style crummy or barfy-looking, they are quaint though.
Still. the gameplay is what matters as well as nostalgia, revisiting this world with a new storyline is wonderful.
The whole crap about the Nintendo/Sony deal, I smell a Sony fan-boy!
Well, that’s what happens when you decide to play a sequel before fully appreciating its predecessor (A Link to the Past)
or running the game via 2DS.
Anybody who knows Jeremy Parish from the good ol’ days at 1UP would know that he is no fanboy and that he actually likes nintendo. With that said, he does have a good point about the art style. It looks very similar to CDi Link. You guys should read his full review, he actually says good things about the game.
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/a-link-between-worlds-looks-like-crap-plays-like-a-dream
Nobody in our empire cares about these insignificant opinions this primitive lifeform has…
What, does he want the game to look like Beyond: Two Souls? Everyone was bitching about Wind Waker’s art style when was first presented and look how it came to be today.
But wind waker link doesn’t look like CDi Link, which is what he compares a Link between worlds link to.
It’s not that it isn’t CDi, is the fact that the artstyle is different. Some people are taking the art style and the graphics of Zelda games too seriously. Just look at the hype people is having for Zelda Wii U. Of course, I not saying that is not important.
the graphics look like a DS game at best. I understand that Nintendo wants to capture the retro SNES art stylefrom a Link to The Past from a graphics standpoints it seems a bit lacking from what I have seen so far. I am not surprised through because this game seems to be a little rushed. I mean since when do we get two Zelda games in the same quarter? (HD WW and this).
“the graphics look like a DS game at best. I understand that Nintendo wants to capture the retro SNES art stylefrom a Link to The Past from a graphics standpoints it seems a bit lacking from what I have seen so far. I am not surprised through because this game seems to be a little rushed. I mean since when do we get two Zelda games in the same quarter? (HD WW and this)”
technically its one for each system, it would be different if its two for the same system in the same quarter but its not. either way its a way to get zelda fans to look forward to the next zelda for wii u
Why is he blaming Sony for those terrible Zelda games, it was Phillips.
Hahaha, these comments are hilarious! Jeremy Parish is the founder of the popular retro-gaming podcast, Retronauts. He also runs a blog specifically devoted to 2-D games, and is publishing articles for the recently Kickstarted RETRO Magazine. Calling him a graphics whore, or a Nintendo-hater is wildly unfounded. Just got a huge kick of this, as Jeremy’s likely my favorite game critic ever. Guess I’ll have to play the game before I see whether or not I agree with him on this issue.
Graphics, art style, and even story do not matter in the end. Nintendo has proved this many times. A good game only needs To rely on gameplay .
Indeed, too bad most so called “gamers” today can’t understand such simple concept…
ALttP looked great, but I have always thought about Golden Sun when I saw this game. Maybe I just miss the pink hair…
It’s true, the graphics is horrible. looks like nintendo couldn’t afford graphic artists, and is just going to milk money by saving money. this game probably cost as much as DS titles to make.
It’s okay when hardware cant do good graphics, you can still play. But when you know what hardware is capable of, and you see first party developers ignoring the hardware like this, then you start thinking to buy this or not
Xbot, Go home…
its not TRUE. It might be your OPINION, but its definitely not true.
Anyways, go troll some other site.
I played the game at an expo. And the graphics were very good. I am very puzzled by the reviewer comments
Have to say I agree. I get a Skyward Sword vibe from the art style. To me, it looks a bit too cartoonish with the colours and textures.
Have to say I agree. I get a Skyward Sword vibe from the art style. To me, it looks a bit too cartoonish with the colours and textures.
The graphics look alright. Nothing special, but alright. All this “cartoony” rubbish is completely missing the point. If you guys had your way the art style of every Zelda game would be the same. Super realistic/boring. Not interested in hearing it. The issue here is that I don’t think they’ve taken any risks with the art style at all. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong when I play it, but this looks very middle of the park.
I don’t care too much for the style myself, but this guy’s just an immature dolt by the looks of things. Who over the age of 11 uses the word “barfy” to describe anything?
Unfortunately you’re going to see a lot more of this over xmas. Especially as Nintendo seem to be picking up a bit of momentum recently.
What? The art style is great, and the fact that they look like a mix of an 80s tv show and ALttP makes it more unique. This dude has big problems. : /
Since when was someone’s poorly written review a piece of news?
They wanted the art style to be more like 80’s games. Yes it’s close with zelda CDI graphics but I don’t think it’s ugly. Maybe that reviewer was expecting cartoon or photorealistic art style. I really like the art style direction.
It’s nothing like the CDi games, if the crappy reviewer hadn’t idiotically mentioned it I’m sure you wouldn’t have thought that it does, and it is a direct sequel in style and story to a SNES game from the nineties.
Guys, he’s complaining about the art style, not graphics. Stop calling him a ‘graphics whore’ already.
It’s not the prettiest 3DS game but it’s not particularly ugly either…
Hate the art style on it !
I must admit that I do agree with the article this Zelda game graphics look good but the characters look like shiiit just like the characters look like shiiit in the Wind Waker game (ds games). it’s a shame really because the characters and the Zelda series usually look amazing however in the Wind Waker (and ds games) and in this game I am appalled. look the bottom line is everybody wants link to be an adult and look badass like Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy. but Nintendo keep fcking up this franchise and if they keep fcking up this franchise they can kiss any popularity for the series in the future
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This idiot has terrible taste in style.
ALTTP and ALBW are incredibly beautiful games.
ALTTP is beautiful. But the character design for ALBW is a insult to gamers.
That guy is a moron, he even doesn´t know the history of the series. Forget him.
This isn’t about “Cartoony”, “Realistic”, “Bright & Colourful” or any of that. It’s about uninspired boring 3D. I couldn’t care less about the art style they choose as long as it’s done well. I like the cartoony look, I was never a Wind Waker hater when it came out, I think it suits the game. I think realistic can work for the fully 3D games but I’m happy either way with those. He didn’t say anything bad about ALTTP and ALTTP still looks as good as it ever did. This does NOT look like ALTTP in any way other than perspective. The game is supposed to be great, we get it, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have done a much better job on the art even if you are “FINE” with it.
I’m a big fan of 2D art but being 2013 I completely understand them using 3D. There’s no excuse for bland 90s early pre-rendered looking 3D. This is NINTENDO we are talking about. Some people are annoyed because we hold them to a higher standard than this. Every game should be held to a high standard. For an example look at “Bastion”, it’s a beautiful game. Whether or not you prefer that art style there was a lot of effort put into it.
I also dislike this game’s graphics- again, something about the shininess and plastic-i-ness that turns me off. Textures don’t fit very well together and repeated in a very noticeable way. Models are low-poly compared to even OOT3D (which was already rather low-poly to begin with).
That said, there’s a very good reason they look like this- the devs wanted it to run at 60FPS even in 3D mode (OOT3D ran in 30FPS). Jeremy noted this himself, saying that the smoothness of the gameplay made up for the limited graphics. I think it was a good decision, even if it took so much stripping-down to achieve 60FPS. The blame for the bad graphics lies entirely on the 3DS hardware itself.
As an artist in comics, animation and games, I’ll claim to be entitled to speak my mind on this subject.
Game looked amazing. The design was a stroke of genius. It didn’t sport the same genius, volumetric and gorgeous design of the DS Zeldas. But still volumetric, lush, charming and more interesting in design than most high production animated movies you see.
I teach in game graphics and this proves one of my classes on how people can’t tell the difference in the art of monsters inc or ice age.
…
Didn’t mean to sound pretentious even though I did, but man I had a reason.