Since we are on the Zelda appreciation mode...
OoT was the first Zelda game I ever played. I had heard of Zelda and played some of the NES games, but it never picked up my interest like Mario and the gang did. The only reason I played OoT was because the hype for this game was AMAZING. Since there wasn't any other big games for the N64 at the time, I went with OoT. To this day, its one of the few days that has left a deep, emotional impact...
Everything from the music to the graphics, story and characters captured my imagination. I played this game nearly non stop. I wasn't ready to let go of it. I replayed the game more than once. I saw the ending like a 100 times. I even got the soundtrack from Nintendo Power! OoT was so great I couldn't stop thinking about it. I dreamed about it, I kept whistling the ocarina songs, I kept drawing the triforce and imagined myself in Link's world. In other words, I became nearly obsessed with this game.
Because of this, I expect every Zelda game to leave an impact. Majora's mask was great successor to OoT. While it didn't leave an impact similar to OoT, it sure left its mark. I was captivated by the thrilling and scary world of Termina. I loved how the music changed in order to reflect the fate of the world. I LOVED the villagers with deep stories. Hell, the freaking moon gave me nightmares for MONTHS! The moon was so scary that I kept dreaming about it. I would imagine the moon looking at us, awaiting to destroy us while Majora was on the distance laughing it up. My love towards the Zelda games grew stronger.
And then came Wind waker...While I didn't hate the graphics as some people did, the game felt...lacking. Something about it failed to capture my imagination. OoT inspired me, MM scared me, Wind waker...Nothing. The game definitely felt rushed. They developed and finished the game alright, but forgot to put in the heart that captivates my mind. The music was good but felt lacking, and the characters lacked that charm. In fact, I was so underwhelmed by WW that I didn't finish till months after I got it.
Which is why I am HOPING with all of my soul that TP is able to capture my imagination, or provokes deep emotions in me. I've avoided a great deal of the screenshots and trailers that have been released online because I want that experience to be fantastic when I first boot up the game.
Here's hoping...