In the world of video games everyone is a fan boy of some description, be it a fan of a system, a developer, a game franchise or a genre.

So let's get this out of the way. I am a fan boy. I'm admitting it. I'm fessing up. I'm laying my cards on the table. I am a Nintendo Fan boy.

I don't like Nintendo without reason, I honestly love their products. Not unreservedly of course, but in my formative years they gave me Super Mario Bros, in my teens they gave me A Link to the Past and Super Metroid, and at university I sat in awe of Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. More recently the Wii has made it possible for me to enjoy video games with my family and non-gaming friends.

I also appreciate the risks Nintendo take (consider how we all thought the DS was some kind of folly when it was announced, and how the name Wii was a guarantee of failure). I appreciate their commitment to 'play'. I love their characters, and in the Zelda titles I have found my favourite ever game series.  However, being a fan is not without its problems.

Last week Nintendo announced that the new Legend of Zelda will ship this year. To say I am excited is an understatement, it's easily my most anticipated title of 2010 and the excellence of the recent Spirit Tracks bodes well.

Already my mind is racing with trivia, what will it look like? Young Link or Old Link? Will the Gorons be in it. What gadgets will there be?  What will the overworld be like? (sky Zelda please). Will Gannon return?  In other words, I had the thoughts of a fan.

Much of this is trivia, that is evident, but when you are a fan of something that's what you thrive on. It's also what leads to forum bashing, console wars and flaming.  The little details and trivia become your ammo. Bullets to justify your love and supposedly irrational bias.

Part of me wishes I wasn't a fan at all.  I would love to experience a Zelda game anew, without any of the baggage, without any knowledge of how Link's hookshot techniques have been updated.

The best art makes fans of us all, and once that happens it's hard to go back and difficult to be truly objective. We have all given our favourite band the benefit of the doubt on listening to that difficult 2nd album. We've all suffered through Heroes because we loved the first series so much. Heck, some people continue to enjoy Kevin Smith movies, 15 years after he made his one and only decent film.

For these reasons it will be difficult for me to write an objective review of Zelda when it is released. I'm too close to it, and someone else will be given that task. Sometimes love is tough.

Despite this I think being a fan is good thing, if you genuinely love something then why not appreciate it . Just remember to stay objective, look at the bigger picture, and whatever you do, don't become fan boy in order to justify a purchasing decision.

That said, the Atari Lynx is the best console evvah!