The debut of "Celda" was one of Nintendo's most shocking moments. After the infamous Spaceworld tease, indignant gaming journalists and legions of fans claimed that Nintendo had finally lost its marbles. Yet after its release, none could deny that this was pure Zelda. The controls were spot-on, the gameplay was excruciatingly tight, and the story was compelling. The only sticking point that remained was the graphics.
In the years after its release, the two sides seem to have diversified. Those who did not hate the artistic direction were even more impressed after seeing it in motion and playing it. As a member of this group, I can testify that the experience was superb: I was controlling an awesome Zelda cartoon (as opposed to the alternative). Its visual style was a highlight of the previous generation, placing it into an elite group consisting of titles such as Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, and Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader.
The dissenting group eased off the claim that the graphics were bad, as any working set of eyes will disprove such nonsense. The only remaining argument that this group continues to put forth is that it wasn't the right choice. Although these individuals have greatly diminished in numbers, their complaints were revived when The Phantom Hourglass was unveiled. But the veracity was significantly lower due to a previous peaceful resolution. Indeed, when Nintendo released The Twilight Princess, everyone agreed: it was awesome. Well ... almost everyone.
