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‘Zelda’ is No. 1 among video games: Entertainment Weekly
MUMBAI: The verdict is out! Nintendo’s series of Legend of Zelda video games have been voted the best ever.
The action adventure series Zelda came out on top in list of the best 100 video games ever that was compiled by some writers of publication Entertainment Weekly and cable games channel G4. Nintendo created huge waves a decade ago by releasing what many consider the game boy classic, The Legend of Zelda – Link’s Awakening. The graphics at that time were considered to be way above the competition.
Not content to sit and bask in its laurels, Nintendo has come out with fresh innovations for its new game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker . The new graphical style employed in this new offering is said to increase the detail in each adventure section or “worlds”, the consumer discovers. A major innovation is the changing of text sizes for different emotions. For instance, when characters yell, the text size grows bigger.
As far as the rest of the list is concerned, the cult Doom, from id Software came in second . The extremely violent game came under fire not too long ago. The boys responsible for the Columbine High School shootings in 1999 were huge fans of Doom and supposedly learnt a lot about shooting and killing from the video games they played.
A Reuters report indicates that the classic puzzle game Tetris the criminal adventure games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from Take-Two Interactive Software and Madden NFL 2003 from Electronic Arts were also in the top five.
GTA III also came under scrutiny a couple of years ago. At that time head of the National Institute on Media and the Family in the US David Walsh had accused the game of glamourising anti-social and criminal activity. ” Game violence is different from movie violence because with a game, the player is in the role of perpetrator, not observer. That is a different kind of psychological role,” Walsh had been quoted as saying.
The list appears in the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly. It will be broken down in a series of nightly specials this week on G4, encompasses all genres of games and all systems, from classic arcade machines to today’s game consoles.
Coming back to Nintendo in the UK, the Japanese company triumphed on ITV1’s inaugural Game Stars awards ceremony. The awards were voted for by the public, and represent one of the biggest ever polls of video gaming opinion.
The company’s latest Zelda release won the Game Retail: Most Wanted Award. It saw off competition from Halo 2, Doom III and Enter The Matrix . Nintendo also won Publisher of the Year.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
