Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and the Great Gold Hype

Link's back! 5 reasons you're not excited, and 5 reasons you should be.

I'll never forget the year 1998. Then just a shy young girl, I had two burning desires: to get out of middle school alive and to play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time until my fingers bled.

To this day, Ocarina is responsible for some of my most unforgettable gaming experiences. I'm not just talking about the years of endless pleasure that little golden cartridge has brought me (the title screen alone still sends shudders down my spine every time). It was also the deliciously tortuous excitement leading up to its release.

I wasn't alone either. Gamers everywhere joined in my anticipation of what would come to be remembered as one of the best games ever made. Whenever a new console Zelda installment is about to hit the shelves, it sends a shockwave through the gaming community, setting hopes afire across the globe. A Zelda release date is like a holiday, 20 Christmases rolled into one. Because it's not just a new game. It's the next coming. The next Zelda.

Link promises to take the next Zelda skyward.

We're once again at the threshold of a new console Zelda title. And, boy, have things changed. A moment that should be full of giddy excitement is instead tainted with pessimistic reservations. And that's too bad, because, although the latest installment has stumbled out of the gate, that doesn't mean it can't go the distance.

As someone who's both a longtime Zelda fan and a critical gamer, I've compiled a list of five reasons expectations are low, and five reasons fans should still be drooling over The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. So check out my thoughts, see if you agree and then sound off in the comments section with your own views. Is there room for Skyward Sword to light that fan fire in your belly?

Head to the next page to see what's working against the next Zelda.

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