Shigeru Miyamoto

Saw the promotional trailer for this mash-up called Fistful of Rupees and I thought that while it looked interesting, it would be as forgettable as The Legend of Zelda fan-made video tribute things tend to be. However, having seen all three parts to the "film" I have to say this effort is surprisingly good on many levels—the acting is surprisingly good, the action is surprisingly good and the production quality is surprisingly good as well. Never thought I'd want a Zelda game based on a Spaghetti Western until now.

You probably never thought about it this way, but while playing The Legend of Zelda, you were going into boss fights at a severe disadvantage. Not only were you probably low on health, but you had to deal with that incessant chiming. Dorkly shows us how Link should have used it to turn the tables.

Mario and Luigi have been busy the last couple of years. The 3DS has been crammed with all sorts of Mario-themed adventures from Mario Kart 7 to Super Mario 3D Land to Mario Tennis: Open—Luigi has even gotten his own sequel this year. Needless to say, the Mario Brothers are busy. But even so, does that make it okay to leave their other less-talented brother behind to man the shop. Doesn't he deserve some of the glory?

We're bringing back GameCritics After Dark, and to kick things off it's a special Zelda extravaganza! We assemble a crack team of experts to give their take on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, then we debate an even more enormous question: what is the future of the Zelda franchise? Featuring Richard Naik and Mike Bracken, plus special guests Jeffrey Matulef and Brainy Gamer's Michael Abbott.

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Links:

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

Stuck in the Clouds

HIGH The boss in dungeon four.

LOW Inconsistent stabs AND falling off a ledge to be respawned next to a lantern ghost in the Silent Realm.

WTF To open the gate of time, you must attain the three sacred flames. To get the sacred flames, you must acquire the three sacred gifts. To get those, you must procure the fifteen tears of the goddess....

I did play the game back in the day when it was new, but it's been so long (released in 2000) that I couldn't remember much about it except that I had an intense dislike for it.

Brad's back with a vengeance, smacking down accusations that he's playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim incorrectly. Also: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Corpse Party, Fate/Extra, and, at last, our semi-epic fight over Batman: Arkham City. Plus: Details on how you can win BIG in our BIG holiday contest. With Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard Naik, and Tim "BIG" Spaeth.

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Subscribe: iTunes | Zune | RSS

Links:

• Batman: Arkham City Review
• Corpse Party Review
• Fate/Extra Review
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Second Opinion

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

Ever felt badly that Navi's love for Link went unrequited in The Legend of Zleda: Ocarina of Time? Yeah, me neither. Still, not a bad song.

In honor of the upcoming release of Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, here is another Super Mario send up from the guys at College Humor. It makes you feel bad for skipping to the end of Super Mario Bros. 3—not that any of us did that of course.