Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.
The article was promoted 15:17, 8 May 2008.
previous FAC (00:34, 18 April 2008)
Yes, this article was just here, but I have used the previous FAC as a peer review to improve the article, and believe I have addressed the commenters' concerns. There is much that is new about this article. Please let me know what more can be improved, or anything from the previous FAC that is still not satisfactory. This article is part of a current featured topic nomination. Pagrashtak 16:44, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Comments
What makes http://www.joystiq.com/2005/10/05/hidden-star-fox-arwing-in-ocarina-of-time/ a reliable source?Same for http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/zeldaootost/index.html?- Same for http://www.the-magicbox.com?
- All other links worked. Ealdgyth - Talk 16:59, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- It has been my experience that Joystiq is considered reliable among members of the VG project, and it is listed at Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Sources#List. If others take issue with it, it is being used to cite something that is somewhat trivial, and could be removed if it's a problem.
- For rpgfan.com, I'm not familiar with the site off-hand. Someone else added that reference, I believe, and I decided to leave it. It's only used to reference the number of tracks on the soundtrack and the duration, which could be sourced directly to the primary material. I thought it might be better for the user to reference the website, as it is much easier to check. If this is believed to be a problem, I can switch the reference to the soundtrack itself if that's agreeable.
- Addition—RPGFan is used by Game Rankings when compiling a combined score (source), which lends more credibility to the site. Pagrashtak 04:50, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- As for the Magic Box, I believe it is considered reliable by the VG project, and is used extensively to source List of best-selling video games (it is also sourcing sales in this article). Pagrashtak 19:21, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- For all those sources, we need something that proves their reliablity. To determine the reliablity of the site, we need to know what sort of fact checking they do. You can establish this by showing news articles that say the site is reliable/noteworthy/etc. or you can show a page on the site that gives their rules for submissions/etc. or you can show they are backed by a media company/university/institute, or you can show that the website gives its sources and methods, or there are some other ways that would work too. It's their reputation for reliabilty that needs to be demonstrated. Ealdgyth - Talk 16:18, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Joystiq is part of Weblogs, Inc., which is owned by AOL. [1]
- As I mention above, RPGFan meets the criteria of Game Rankings, part of CNET Networks, to be included in the overall compiled score. (Game Rankings criteria). I suppose I'll end up replacing the Magicbox source. Pagrashtak 20:25, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Joystiq is a blog then? I'm trying to see how citing a blog, even a well known and respected blog is necessarily a reliable source. Is the person who wrote the particular blog well known in the video game field? The information it's sourcing is "Ocarina of Time contains unused development code, such as an Arwing from the Star Fox series, with attack and movement fully programmed." I need to see how this is a reliable source of information (Of course, the fact that the source doesn't say that it's unused development code is another issue.) This isn't the biggest and most important of soucing issues, granted. The RPG fan information is the length of the Japanese soundtrack, which I'm not sure really needs that ironclad of a source, but could it be sourced to Amazon or something like that? Ealdgyth - Talk 20:39, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I wouldn't give a blog across-the-board approval for reliability, but I would consider some blog posts reliable enough in certain situations. It's definitely a case-by-case matter. Technically, I suppose this could be sourced directly to the video game, but it would be extremely difficult for any reader to verify. As I mentioned before, this isn't a vital fact and could be removed.
- I've already looked for the Japanese soundtrack information—Amazon was the first place I looked. They give the number of tracks, but not the length of the soundtrack,[2] so I didn't replace the source. A Google search didn't turn up anything reliable looking at a once-over. Pagrashtak 05:00, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I hate to make you take out information, but even this sort of stuff needs something reliable. The bit about the development code/etc. probably doesn't need the most ironclad of sources, but it should still meet WP:RS. The soundtrack could just go to the soundtrack, if someone had it. Ealdgyth - Talk 14:32, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've commented out the Arwing sentence. The best sources I could find were Kotaku and N-Sider, which aren't any closer to RS then Joystiq. I've replaced the RPGfan references with the website for Pony Canyon. Pagrashtak 17:10, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Okay, those two taken care of, did we resolve the Magic Box information or not? I got lost somewhere in here... Ealdgyth - Talk 14:20, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I was giving myself a little more time to look through a Google search—I have to wade through a lot of forums and blogs. It's replaced now. Pagrashtak 15:31, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Okay, those two taken care of, did we resolve the Magic Box information or not? I got lost somewhere in here... Ealdgyth - Talk 14:20, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've commented out the Arwing sentence. The best sources I could find were Kotaku and N-Sider, which aren't any closer to RS then Joystiq. I've replaced the RPGfan references with the website for Pony Canyon. Pagrashtak 17:10, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I hate to make you take out information, but even this sort of stuff needs something reliable. The bit about the development code/etc. probably doesn't need the most ironclad of sources, but it should still meet WP:RS. The soundtrack could just go to the soundtrack, if someone had it. Ealdgyth - Talk 14:32, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Joystiq is a blog then? I'm trying to see how citing a blog, even a well known and respected blog is necessarily a reliable source. Is the person who wrote the particular blog well known in the video game field? The information it's sourcing is "Ocarina of Time contains unused development code, such as an Arwing from the Star Fox series, with attack and movement fully programmed." I need to see how this is a reliable source of information (Of course, the fact that the source doesn't say that it's unused development code is another issue.) This isn't the biggest and most important of soucing issues, granted. The RPG fan information is the length of the Japanese soundtrack, which I'm not sure really needs that ironclad of a source, but could it be sourced to Amazon or something like that? Ealdgyth - Talk 20:39, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- For all those sources, we need something that proves their reliablity. To determine the reliablity of the site, we need to know what sort of fact checking they do. You can establish this by showing news articles that say the site is reliable/noteworthy/etc. or you can show a page on the site that gives their rules for submissions/etc. or you can show they are backed by a media company/university/institute, or you can show that the website gives its sources and methods, or there are some other ways that would work too. It's their reputation for reliabilty that needs to be demonstrated. Ealdgyth - Talk 16:18, 27 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Support
Oppose- For the third time, there is information on Ocarina of Time in the audio/music section of The Legend of Zelda (series) article about how the popularity of Ocarinas increased because of this game. There is actually a lot of information about ocarina of time in the audio and reception sections of the series article that is not included in this one. Also, why no character section? Or a track listing for the CD? Do those things and I will fully support :) Judgesurreal777 (talk) 23:49, 23 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]- I missed the part about ocarina sales—it's been added now. Let me know if anything else is missing from that section. There is no character section because we have an entire article about that (List of characters in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) which is already a little long for my tastes. It's linked as a See also right at the top of the plot section, and the characters integral to the plot are covered in the plot well enough for the reader to understand. I see no reason to add a bulky section to repeat that article when the plot seems perfectly understandable as it is. There's no track listing because I didn't think the general reader would care, and its inclusion would be bulky. With gripping song titles such as "House" and "Game Over", it's not terribly interesting, either. I'm curious to see how others feel about it. Pagrashtak 00:51, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That makes sense, though I too would like to hear what people think about the track listing, because I believe other FA game articles include their cd's track listing. Great job! Judgesurreal777 (talk) 01:01, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- (interjection) it's been my experience with FACs that track listing are generally not looked upon kindly, but you can always have a show/hide mechanism for the listing. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 01:01, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I know The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has a track listing, but it was merged in from what used to be a separate article covering the soundtrack well after the FAC. I need to spend some time cleaning it up—I might use comments in this FAC to help guide me in the soundtrack section there. Pagrashtak 04:42, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- (interjection) it's been my experience with FACs that track listing are generally not looked upon kindly, but you can always have a show/hide mechanism for the listing. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 01:01, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That makes sense, though I too would like to hear what people think about the track listing, because I believe other FA game articles include their cd's track listing. Great job! Judgesurreal777 (talk) 01:01, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Minor Support the article had some improvement since the failed FAC, indeed. A great job, though not as polished as the current Zelda FAs. igordebraga ≠ 02:31, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I'll take that as a compliment, considering the primary author of those FAs. ;) I fully admit that this article is not as polished as the Oracle games, which I've been actively maintaining. If you'd care to point out anything in particular, or the weakest part of the article, I'd be glad to fix it up and make the article stronger. Pagrashtak 04:42, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I'd have something to say at least about the images: in Plot, to quote Fuchs in the previous FAC, "how does a picture of Zelda and Link or a picture of Ganondorf significantly help the reader's understanding?" — specially considering the amount of cutscenes in the game, though it's hard to pick one or two to put in. And in Gameplay, the images are too similar, maybe one of Adult Link or the "lock-on" would be more helpful instead of the Hyrule Field one. igordebraga ≠ 00:04, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Sorry, I missed this comment earlier. As I mentioned below, I've removed one of the gameplay images. I think the images of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf are acceptable fair use. Two images to illustrate the three main characters seems reasonable to me. Pagrashtak 04:34, 26 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I'd have something to say at least about the images: in Plot, to quote Fuchs in the previous FAC, "how does a picture of Zelda and Link or a picture of Ganondorf significantly help the reader's understanding?" — specially considering the amount of cutscenes in the game, though it's hard to pick one or two to put in. And in Gameplay, the images are too similar, maybe one of Adult Link or the "lock-on" would be more helpful instead of the Hyrule Field one. igordebraga ≠ 00:04, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I'll take that as a compliment, considering the primary author of those FAs. ;) I fully admit that this article is not as polished as the Oracle games, which I've been actively maintaining. If you'd care to point out anything in particular, or the weakest part of the article, I'd be glad to fix it up and make the article stronger. Pagrashtak 04:42, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Support Really, a nicely written article. My only concern is that there seems to be a large amount of images on the article, and they seem cluttered together. I'm not so certain that they are all necessary. --haha169 (talk) 22:09, 24 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Support. It's a very good article, just 2 things. 1) The images are too cluttered and 2) Aren't the notes and the references the same thing? Epass (talk) 00:06, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- One image removed, as discussed below. The References are long-form citations that some short-form refs call. See the instruction booklet notes for an example. Pagrashtak 03:48, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose per c. three.Not only do some of the images appear superfluous, but they clutter the article badly. Image:KokiriForest.JPG appears to only be used to show Link without equipment; how does that significantly increase reader's understanding of the work? Isn't Image:ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME.jpg a better representation of the work as a whole? What about the covers, specifically Image:OcarinaMQCover.jpg? Do you need a full infobox for the soundtrack, which leaves lots of whitespace wasted below it? Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 00:18, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]- I agree about Image:KokiriForest.JPG. I hesitated about removing it before the FAC (I didn't add it, and decided to err on the side of caution by leaving it), but now that you've voiced the same concern, I've removed it. I will stand by Image:OcarinaMQCover.jpg, however. I feel that having the box art is beneficial here. Master Quest used to have its own article, but was merged into this one, and I feel it's useful to have the box art remain. The soundtrack also used to have its own article. I'd argue to keep the image, but I could lose the infobox. I'll leave it up for the time being to see if someone else wants to voice an opinion on that. Pagrashtak 03:48, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Some other concerns:
- "The game received wide critical acclaim and commercial success. The first Zelda game with 3D graphics, it was praised for taking elements of the two-dimensional games and successfully translating them into the third dimension." Perhaps the second sentence should be reworded to be "As the first Zelda game with 3D graphics, Ocarina of Time was praised..." to increase flow?
- If you insert the word As, it creates a false implication. If you say "Senator Smith is granted the franking privilege" you are stating two facts (Smith is a senator, Smith has the franking privilege) without showing that one is the result of the other. If you say "As a senator, Smith is granted the franking privilege", you now show that the second is a direct consequence of the first. In the Zelda example, we do not wish to show such a consequence, because it is false. Ocarina could have been unsuccessful.
- " from obtaining the Triforce, a sacred relic that grants the wishes of its holder. Link travels back and forth in time to prevent Ganondorf from obtaining the Triforce and gaining control of Hyrule." from obtaining... from obtaining... fix the repetition.
- That's a bad one—fixed.
- "like all games in the series, Ocarina of Time has several optional side quests," we need a reference for the "all games in the series" bit; I think the Gametrailers LoZ retrospective actually might be able to cite that, if you can dig up the ref by watching the videos.
- It's not all that necessary, I've removed the phrase.
- This section from development: "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64, is a direct sequel to Ocarina. [...] On one island, boys are dressed like Link when they come of age.[43]" It's fair to mention Majora's Mask, as it shipped on the N64 and is a direct sequel in terms of plot, but why Wind Waker?
- I included Wind Waker because the events of this game are a legend in that one, and boys in Wind Waker are dressed as the main character from this game in his honor. It's only two sentences, I didn't think it was that much of an intrusion to include it.
- "The game received wide critical acclaim and commercial success. The first Zelda game with 3D graphics, it was praised for taking elements of the two-dimensional games and successfully translating them into the third dimension." Perhaps the second sentence should be reworded to be "As the first Zelda game with 3D graphics, Ocarina of Time was praised..." to increase flow?
--Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 17:47, 26 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Replies by Pagrashtak 20:28, 26 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- The above oppose may be stale. Fuchs's last comments were posted 17:47, 26 April.[3] I made some changes to the article and replied 20:28, 26 April.[4] Having not received anything further from him, I asked Fuchs to respond at 15:34, 29 April[5] but have not received any reply. Pagrashtak 18:04, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I’m making me rounds, no need to fret. I guess I will go neutral until I can review the article again. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 22:33, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Weak Oppose
- "In early 2006, it was ranked by Nintendo Power as the best game to appear on a Nintendo console" Sounds a bit clumsy.
- Any suggestions? This sentence is a little tricky to reword while keeping the meaning intact.
- "In 2006, Nintendo Power ranked it as the best game to appear on any Nintendo console." Buc (talk) 17:31, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Any suggestions? This sentence is a little tricky to reword while keeping the meaning intact.
- Ref #4 doesn't appear to link to the right page.
- It now points to the specific page for the game. Pagrashtak 21:49, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Buc (talk) 09:20, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Replies by Pagrashtak 15:26, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- "making them unfamiliar and harder to beat" POV
- Removed. Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Do we need so much info on Majora's Mask in the "Re-releases and sequels" section?
- I would say yes. It's a direct sequel—something of a rarity in the Zelda games—and I believe a paragraph devoted to MM to explain the difference between the two is warranted and provides context. Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I still think it a bit too much detail. Buc (talk) 15:57, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I would say yes. It's a direct sequel—something of a rarity in the Zelda games—and I believe a paragraph devoted to MM to explain the difference between the two is warranted and provides context. Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I'm a bit puzzled why the game is sometimes referred to as "Ocarina of Time" and other times as just "Ocarina".
- For flow. For example, in this quote:"Ocarina of Time: Master Quest started as an expansion to Ocarina to be used..." I didn't want to repeat "Ocarina of Time", so I shortened it. Do you think it's a problem? Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Would you mind striking any addressed/resolved comments? It will make this easier to follow. Thanks, Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- "After Link kills the boss of Dodongo's Cavern" probubly better just to say the boss' name (in this case King Dodongo) as some readers may not understand the term "boss".
- "Boss" is wikilinked, so it should be easy for the reader to find out. I think the reader would have even less understanding of "King Dodongo" than "boss". Pagrashtak 17:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Isn't that link better suited to the gameplay section and a creatures name better suited to the plot. Buc (talk) 08:33, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I don't think so. Links are suited to the word, regardless of section. Pagrashtak 15:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Isn't that link better suited to the gameplay section and a creatures name better suited to the plot. Buc (talk) 08:33, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- "Boss" is wikilinked, so it should be easy for the reader to find out. I think the reader would have even less understanding of "King Dodongo" than "boss". Pagrashtak 17:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- "Ocarina of Time is the fifth game in The Legend of Zelda series, but the first chronologically." The ref for this appears to be from the time the game was resealed so how do we know that any of the game released since then don't pre-date it? Buc (talk) 15:26, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Reworded. With your other comments, you'll have to give me further feedback to let me know why they're still unresolved. Pagrashtak 16:25, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- It been so long since I've played this game so I can't be sure but doesn't Ganondorf say something at the end about how he will one day return? Might be worth mentioning.
- He doesn't say he'll "return", but he says he will kill Link's and Zelda's descendants. The text from the game about that bit is used right now in a reference if you want to see it. Pagrashtak 17:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- It's not in the article though. That's my piont. Buc (talk) 08:33, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- He doesn't say he'll "return", but he says he will kill Link's and Zelda's descendants. The text from the game about that bit is used right now in a reference if you want to see it. Pagrashtak 17:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Is swordfighting all one word?
- Honestly, I'm not sure. I can't find swordfight in a dictionary, so I'm inclined to think it isn't.
- Not significantly. There are minor differences, such as progressive scan support and lack of rumble, but the core game is unchanged. GameSpot (and others) gave the VC re-release a separate review, though, complete with a score. Since the VC version was released later, the graphics and audio were approached with different expectations. Pagrashtak 15:26, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Need to explain this. Buc (talk) 17:31, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Is the coverage in the re-release section not sufficient?
- That would do for the changes to the game, although all I see there at the moment is something about lack of vibration. Buc (talk) 13:33, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- You'll have to give me something further here if my edits didn't address this. Pagrashtak 18:14, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That would do for the changes to the game, although all I see there at the moment is something about lack of vibration. Buc (talk) 13:33, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Is the coverage in the re-release section not sufficient?
- Need to explain this. Buc (talk) 17:31, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Thanks for collapsing. I've made some changes, please see if your outstanding comments have been resolved. Pagrashtak 21:29, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- The Reception could do with something about how this game is often considered one of the best ever. Buc (talk) 20:47, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- These quotes are from the first paragraph of Reception: "Ocarina of Time received a perfect score from many gaming publications, including Famitsu,[51] Electronic Gaming Monthly,[50] GameSpot,[52] and IGN.[46]" "Ocarina of Time is frequently featured near or at the top of gaming publications' top games of all time lists, including those of Electronic Gaming Monthly,[4] IGN,[6] and Edge.[7] In 2006, Nintendo Power named it the best game to appear on a Nintendo console.[8] Game Trailers named it the best game of all time in their list of the Ten Best and Worst Games of All Time." Is that not enough? Pagrashtak 00:39, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That's only part of a paragraph at the moment and read as nothing more than a list of scores with no real overall point. Buc (talk) 16:21, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I don't know a better way of saying that Ocarina is often considered one of the best games other than telling the reader about prominent publications that gave it a perfect score and ranked it high on best games list. What exactly do you want? Pagrashtak 18:14, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Just exspand on what you've got. Take a few quotes from the sources that gave it good score that say why they think it's so good and make it a separate paragraph. Buc (talk) 16:32, 8 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I don't know a better way of saying that Ocarina is often considered one of the best games other than telling the reader about prominent publications that gave it a perfect score and ranked it high on best games list. What exactly do you want? Pagrashtak 18:14, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- That's only part of a paragraph at the moment and read as nothing more than a list of scores with no real overall point. Buc (talk) 16:21, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- These quotes are from the first paragraph of Reception: "Ocarina of Time received a perfect score from many gaming publications, including Famitsu,[51] Electronic Gaming Monthly,[50] GameSpot,[52] and IGN.[46]" "Ocarina of Time is frequently featured near or at the top of gaming publications' top games of all time lists, including those of Electronic Gaming Monthly,[4] IGN,[6] and Edge.[7] In 2006, Nintendo Power named it the best game to appear on a Nintendo console.[8] Game Trailers named it the best game of all time in their list of the Ten Best and Worst Games of All Time." Is that not enough? Pagrashtak 00:39, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Reception section is tagged as having neutrality disputed (not surprising for this subject...), please solve ASAP. dihydrogen monoxide (H2O) 10:08, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've removed the tag. It says "Please see the discussion on the talk page." but the editor who added that tag did not say what the problem was, either or the talk page, here, or on my user talk page. If it gets re-added with an explanation, then we'll see, but that section is pretty balanced. There are five paragraphs—here's a summary showing positive and negative to illustrate why I feel it's balanced.
- The first paragraph gives information on sales, awards, and rankings. Everything is sourced and reflects an accurate view of critical reception in my opinion.
- Second paragraph covers graphics. Positive: Faces were done well, draw distances good. Negative: Blurry textures, graphics outdone by an earlier game for the same console.
- Third paragraph covers gameplay. Positive: Detailed, many side quests. Negative: Simple control scheme causes "unintended actions" to occur, new system has learning curve.
- Fourth paragraph covers audio. Positive: atmospheric and surround sound used well, immersive. Negative: Samples sound outdated, MIDI songs are "fair to terrible"
- Fifth paragraph covers re-release. Positive: Scores still high (9, 8.9). Negative: Called outdated, scores lower than original.
Pagrashtak 14:15, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Uneasy about this one. This is much improved in the prose compared with this genre a year ago. But I'm not entirely satisfied yet.
- Just to start, a non-actionable piece of advice: the leads of these video-game articles seem to start unerringly with exactly the same formula. If I notice this, other readers will. Overall, it reduces the quality of engagement with readers because it's so predictable—are you hinting that the video games are predictable? I hope not. You might consider varying the formula, even just by changing the order in which information is given.
- In fact many video games are predictable, but this is not the reason for the formulaic opening. There are certain elements of video games that needs to be conveyed up front—genre, release date, regions of release, platform—which naturally sets up the easy trap of this opening. Your point is taken, and I'll try to keep that in mind the next time I write a video game lead.
- "has several optional side quests, or minor objectives that the player can choose to complete or ignore"—is this an equative "or"? A "that is,"? And I can't tell whether is should be like this, with another comma: "has several optional side quests, i.e., minor objectives, that the player can choose to complete or ignore". Check.
- Yes, it's intended to show equation. The extra comma is intentionally left out, as the addition would imply that not all side quests are optional. A required minor objective would never be called a side quest.
- Trivial linking: why "composer"? Sure, "leitmotif" is a good link, but don't dilute it. Do we really need to link "North America", "Japan", "Europe" and "Australia"? Why not leave just the USEFUL links, or it's a mess of blue.
- I took out a few—I don't think it was too bad overall, but definitely agree about the country links.
- MOS breaches: footnote 20—"You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages… One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know… Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm…" Check MOS WRT three vs four dots, and the spacing requirements. The readers deserve to know which ones are real periods in the original. And it's unclear where this quote comes from. Does it appear in print in the actual game?
- You might need to help me out a little with this. I know a lot MOS particulars, but haven't dealt with ellipses yet. Are you saying I should use periods instead of the ellipsis character? If something else is wrong with footnote 20, I don't know what it is. Yes, the quote is printed in the video game.
- Update—regarding the use of three or four periods—I checked the game and it uses three sometimes and four sometimes. I can vouch for what is used in this article as of this post. All ellipses in the game quotations appear on-screen, are not used to indicate omitted text, and match the game in using three or four. Pagrashtak 21:44, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Ref 28: ""Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto" (13 November 1998). Nintendo Power 114. Retrieved on 23 October 2007." I don't think the web site is properly named. And there are two people's names associated with the copyright of the site at the bottom. Can you clear this up? I think the refs need careful checking. Tony (talk) 12:58, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- This was an interview that appeared in volume 114 of Nintendo Power magazine. The link is a convenience for those without access to the magazine. You'll notice the copyright says "© 1999-2005 A.Robinson/C.Johnson unless otherwise stated" (emphasis mine) and the top of the page identifies Nintendo Power as the source. Pagrashtak 14:08, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Comments. Good to see the NPOV stuff sorted above.
- Say which year the iQue/VC releases were in (lead)
- You should mention the time spent as young link in the lead, I think...dunno, the plot summary is pretty condensed there
- "it is the best-selling" - past tense
- The quote in ref 9 doesn't seem to mention what it's citing ("a control scheme that was considered revolutionary at the time but is now common among contemporary games")
- Also, say why it was so revolutionary...
- "(L Targeting in the GameCube version)." - I think you should just discuss the N64 stuff
- "Link in Hyrule Field" - discus what else is seen in the image...heart meter, weapons, map, rupees, etc.
- "to be followed by a 64DD expansion later" - "later" is not necessary
- "a composer famous for his work on some of Nintendo's key titles" - needs source, and "some" is ambiguous...just say which ones
- "It is cited as the "first contemporary nondance title to feature music-making as part of its gameplay"." - change "it" to "the game" and say who this quote is from
Prose seems to improve in the latter part of the article. dihydrogen monoxide (H2O) 06:14, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've done most of this. I'm not too keen about expanding the plot in the lead, I'd rather keep the in-universe part of it to a minimum and just provide the basics. As for "is the best-selling", it still is. If I say it was the best-selling game of 1998, it sounds like something surpassed it in December, which isn't the case. Pagrashtak 23:20, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Support. first point; that's fine. Second; yeah, you're right, m'bad. Support. dihydrogen monoxide (H2O) 09:06, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Strong Opposefar too many non-free images which don't improve the reader's understanding of the article and thus fail WP:NFCC, notably WP:NFCC#1, WP:NFCC#3a and WP:NFCC#8.
- Image:ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME.jpg - random screenshot, doesn't improve the understanding anything in the text. One screenshot from the game is reasonable if it is to show the reader the look or style of the game, but does this one?
- Image:Child link zelda.jpg - clearly decorative, enough NF images in the character's linked articles (far too many in the case of Zelda's), fails #8
- Image:Ganondorf.jpg - decorative, no critical comment and no extra understanding for the reader, fails #8
- Image:GoldOoTn64Cart.jpg - it's a gold cartridge. Could be described in text, fails #1 and #8
- Image:OcarinaMQCover.jpg - box art, clearly decorative, fails #8
- Image:Ocarinaoftimesoundtrack.jpg - album art, not discussed, fails #8
-
- I've removed some, but I have questions about the rest.
- Your comment about Image:ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME.jpg—I can't tell if that's a question for clarification or statement of a problem.
- Clarification, really; as I said, a screenshot to show the look and feel of the game is unexceptionable (as long as it's discussed in the text) - I wondered if that was the best image we have to cover that use?
- I don't know if we could get everyone to agree on the best shot, but it shows the context-sensitive actions described in the text.
- Image:OcarinaMQCover.jpg isn't clear, at least to me. Master Quest used to have its own article, with that image as the box art in the infobox. ([6]) When it was merged into this article, the box art came with it. I have the suspicion that no one would bat an eye at it being used in the separate article, but it is an issue here. Did something change, or was it also not fair use in the separate article in your opinion?
- Technically, it would fail NFCC even in a separate article, (though there appears to be some consensus that a single non-free image of the cover as the header shot for an article is acceptable - I would argue that, but whatever). However, in this context it's purely decorative - the cover itself isn't mentioned in the text, and it doesn't enhance the reader's knowledge of the actual subject WP:NFCC#8.
- I hope you can understand my hesitation—it feels strange to remove it if I leave the boxart in the infobox, but I'll do so.
- For Image:Child link zelda.jpg, you say it's not needed here because of the images in the character articles, correct? List of characters in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has no images whatsoever and Link (The Legend of Zelda) has no image of any character from this game. Princess Zelda has one image from Ocarina, but you've marked the article as having excessive non-free images, so there's every reason to believe it could be removed at any time. Does fair use not permit us to show any artwork for the main characters of this game?
- The problem here is that this article isn't about Link or Zelda, it's about the game, so if the purpose of the screenshot is merely to show what some characters look like (and if that issue isn't discussed in the text, which it isn't), then again it's decorative.
- I think that oversimplifies the matter. Sure, the article isn't exclusively about the characters, but any good video game (or movie or book) article will cover the characters to some extent, as the plot section of the article does. I'm of the opinion that character artwork significantly helps the reader to understand the game in a way that text cannot. If I told you that this was the main character of a certain video game, and this was the main character of a second game, that would give you a feel for the design team's intent for those games in a way that words cannot.
- In the interest of getting this FAC completed, I've moved the image to the character list. Pagrashtak 18:31, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- For Image:GoldOoTn64Cart.jpg, I'm not going to push the point on #8, so I've removed it, but I don't see how it violates #1. If the licensing was incorrect and the image is free, it is not subject to NFCC. If the licensing is correct, then any replacement image would have to fall under the same license, so no free replacement is available.
- It can be replaced by text. The licensing should be {{Non-free product cover}} , incidentally. Black Kite 23:11, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Ah, I'm used to #1 referring to other images. That makes more sense. By the way, it would help me if you could collapse or strike your resolved comments—this page is getting long and it will help me to not miss anything left open. Pagrashtak 23:53, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Waiting for image concerns to be struck. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 17:42, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Pagrashtak 23:01, 5 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've removed some, but I have questions about the rest.
- Support, much improved and concerns (mostly) addressed.
Oppose, 1b and some misc prose and sourcing issues below.Woefully lacking in production information. You tantalize by describing the large staff and stuntmen but then leave us hanging. To be comprehensive, the article really needs information on how the game was developed, why such a staff was required, the decision-making processes, etc.Please take the Japanese characters out of the lead."... the game was instead released on the largest cartridge Nintendo had produced at the time." Do you mean its physical size or its data capacity?- I have to say I think a photo of the cartridge would add to the article since you mention it prominently in the lead, especially if it's freakishly large.
"Link travels through time and navigates several dungeons to awaken sages with the power to seal Ganondorf." Clarity needed.. I can't tell if the sages have the power or Link is using the power to awaken them."The game received wide critical acclaim and commercial success." Reword... things don't "receive" success."... it was praised for taking elements of the two-dimensional games and successfully translating them into the third dimension." The game did not do this, the programmers did."The control scheme introduced techniques such as context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called "Z-targeting" that became standard for adventure games." Maybe I missed it, but your source doesn't exactly back up this statement. I see "Set the standard for adventure games in 3D." but I don't see where they specify that the examples you mentioned in particular set the standard."Demand was so great that Electronics Boutique stopped pre-selling the title on November 3, 1998; IGN reported that some retail employees were unsure if Nintendo would be able to fulfill the initial demand." Hm. Implies that EB stopped pre-selling the game because of what "retail employees" thought, which is highly unlikely. Unless you have a source stating exactly why EB stopped pre-selling, better to just end the sentence after the date.--Laser brain (talk) 19:59, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]- I've taken care of the easier ones, I'm looking into the others. As for the Japanese characters, your request (possibly) conflicts with Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English). As this is under discussion at the VG project, I'm leaving it for the time being but won't revert if someone else removes it. Regarding the image of the cartridge, I just removed one—you and Black Kite will have to fight it out. Pagrashtak 20:40, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've stricken the Japanese characters comment since this isn't really the place to debate it. I'm discussing the issue of the image of the cartridge with Black Kite; the image use policy states that a photograph of a 3-dimensional object creates a new copyright. I believe an image of the gold cartridge can be given a free license (by its photographer) and placed in the article. --Laser brain (talk) 15:07, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- No, it can't - it's a derivative work, and will always be non-free. Black Kite 18:18, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've stricken the Japanese characters comment since this isn't really the place to debate it. I'm discussing the issue of the image of the cartridge with Black Kite; the image use policy states that a photograph of a 3-dimensional object creates a new copyright. I believe an image of the gold cartridge can be given a free license (by its photographer) and placed in the article. --Laser brain (talk) 15:07, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- I've taken care of the easier ones, I'm looking into the others. As for the Japanese characters, your request (possibly) conflicts with Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English). As this is under discussion at the VG project, I'm leaving it for the time being but won't revert if someone else removes it. Regarding the image of the cartridge, I just removed one—you and Black Kite will have to fight it out. Pagrashtak 20:40, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Laser brain, I've expanded the development section and removed the phrase that's not exactly supported by the ref. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Pagrashtak 06:37, 8 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.