Jump to content

Happy 25th Birthday to The Legend of Zelda!


Mustin
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hey now, you forgot Link's Awakening, which is basically a sequel to The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls, which has nothing to do with Zelda.

Nah, it's more like they dropped in references to it in LA. Richard is obvious, but Crazy Tracy seems to be more like Mandola in some ways, but they aren't exactly the same.

But yeah, Link's Awakening = win of awesomenessity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I for one would like to see a western studio take a stab at a Zelda game. Japan just can't quite seem to work out all the kinks.

I'm so sick of unskippable cutscenes, odd voiceless characters, silly dialogue and vocal fx, the overall cartooniness, being told what a map/compass/small key/bombs/arrows, etc etc etc do EVERY SINGLE TIME you find them.

Granted, there are a lot of Zelda games I haven't played. Now, LttP and Link's Awakening were fine. OoT and pretty much every other 3rd person, 3d game have been merely "ok" bearing all the flaws I mentioned above.

I'm sure all the hardcore fans will hate me, but since the SNES/Gameboy games, all of their games have basically consisted of a few awesome things, surrounded by a lot of "meh." It's like, I really want to find the game amazing, but they just never quite reach it. That awesome picture is more epic than any actual Zelda game I've played on recent platforms.

Flame away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, that's a totally reasonable opinion.

It's wrong in every way, but totally reasonable. :<

But seriously, Nintendo hasn't really been doing anything too drastic with their core franchises. Pokemon, Zelda, and a few others haven't really been doing anything significant from prior games. Only Mario has really been upgrading or trying something different from the norm (like the Party and Sports games). Even then, I think that's because Mario has been around long enough and done enough different kinds of games that even when we got things like typing games or shit like Hotel Mario, there was still enough good games that it didn't matter too much. We know Mario has been turned into other stuff. We expect it.

Zelda, on the other hand, has a lot less titles under its belt. The ratio of good to bad is far more skewed. There are bad Zelda games, but only a few, and those were on the CDi, and not Nintendo-made. Everything else is fairly decent to "omg best game evar".

So it makes sense that Nintendo isn't as confident about trying out new things with Zelda. Messing with the series could be horrifying to fans, and such a recovery could be difficult for Nintendo to do.

Hell, even Wind Waker, a decent game on its own, was just an art style change, and look how much people bitched about it. It was the same story, the same weapons, the same characters, almost everything Oot had. But make it look different from before and all shit breaks loose. People still whine about it to this day, and it's been almost a decade since it came out.

Now imagine what it would be like if they changed something that really mattered, like the characters or the setting, or even the general "feel" of it. People talk about a gritty/steampunk setting, and a third of the fanbase practically threw up upon hearing the very notion.

Fuck, they can't even agree on that timeline bullshit, and that's something they made up on their own. Could you imagine the shitstorm that would happen if Zelda changed anything that actually mattered?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure all the hardcore fans will hate me, but since the SNES/Gameboy games, all of their games have basically consisted of a few awesome things, surrounded by a lot of "meh." It's like, I really want to find the game amazing, but they just never quite reach it. That awesome picture is more epic than any actual Zelda game I've played on recent platforms.

Flame away.

Yeah, I'm just going to go ahead not flame... It's too much effort, and hey, if you don't like it, that's fine. I would like to see a westernized Zelda though, that'd be interesting.

Eh, consider yourself flamed :tomatoface:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, that's a totally reasonable opinion.

It's wrong in every way, but totally reasonable. :<

But seriously, Nintendo hasn't really been doing anything too drastic with their core franchises. Pokemon, Zelda, and a few others haven't really been doing anything significant from prior games. Only Mario has really been upgrading or trying something different from the norm (like the Party and Sports games). Even then, I think that's because Mario has been around long enough and done enough different kinds of games that even when we got things like typing games or shit like Hotel Mario, there was still enough good games that it didn't matter too much. We know Mario has been turned into other stuff. We expect it.

Zelda, on the other hand, has a lot less titles under its belt. The ratio of good to bad is far more skewed. There are bad Zelda games, but only a few, and those were on the CDi, and not Nintendo-made. Everything else is fairly decent to "omg best game evar".

So it makes sense that Nintendo isn't as confident about trying out new things with Zelda. Messing with the series could be horrifying to fans, and such a recovery could be difficult for Nintendo to do.

Hell, even Wind Waker, a decent game on its own, was just an art style change, and look how much people bitched about it. It was the same story, the same weapons, the same characters, almost everything Oot had. But make it look different from before and all shit breaks loose. People still whine about it to this day, and it's been almost a decade since it came out.

Now imagine what it would be like if they changed something that really mattered, like the characters or the setting, or even the general "feel" of it. People talk about a gritty/steampunk setting, and a third of the fanbase practically threw up upon hearing the very notion.

Fuck, they can't even agree on that timeline bullshit, and that's something they made up on their own. Could you imagine the shitstorm that would happen if Zelda changed anything that actually mattered?

Well, I'm not saying it needs a style or a plot overhaul really. But honestly, how many LOZ fans would be offended if Nintendo allowed you to skip cutscenes? If anybody was offended by that, they'd be a genuine idiot :P

Since I've played through Wind Waker 3 times, that should tell you that I enjoyed the game enough to not hate it, but I was definitely ready to throw my controller through the wall every time I was forced to sit and watch the animation of pulling a treasure chest out of the ocean and opening it up (usually for like 5 rupees) or feeding that annoying fish that tells you what island is hearby, etc etc.

I also think a lot of the music in that game needed work. There were some really catchy/cool themes that just sounded like they were thrown together without a great deal of TLC, and then for the rest of the music, it was just a bunch of ambient pads mostly. And the dialogue was silly and childish in many places (like the pirates). And I have just never been a fan of the way they do voices--that is, having one really silly sound that blankets over the conversation with that particular character.

"OOOOOooooohhhhhh!" <--Beedle

"HWaaaaah!" <--Orca

"Heeeeeyy!" <--Killer Bee kids

"H-h-ee-ee-y!" <--King of Red Lions

the list goes on and on.

That's why I say I'd like to see a western studio be able to take a stab at it. I guess those things are just easier to accept in eastern culture. I want real voices, non-corny dialogue, more epicly produced music, and I WANT TO SKIP CUTSCENES dammit. That crap really does add up to hours of wasted time by the end of the game. :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love these last two posts. Squadala!

I have to agree that I would like to see a Western studio go at it. I've always hated the silent protagonist thing. It's also 2011 - there's no need to read anymore. Everything can be voiced-acted not crappily. I want to see a mature Zelda game with some serious action. Yes, there's "Collosus" and this new "Darksiders" but I want that Zelda music and familiar characters. Oh, if only...

BUT I DON'T WANT THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OTHER Z KTHXBAI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Majora's Mask changed my life. damn good game hruff how could you not like it hrgh

But, anyway yeah it would be dope if a western studio tried doing a zelda game. Will it happen? Nope. So there's really no reason to be saying "But then the fans will be pissed!" Because, it's not going to happen. It'd be cool but I don't think anyone in here expects anything to come out of their wishing. I feel kind of alienated by the over japanification of some classic series that used to be pretty unicultural. It seems like after TWW they just couldn't go back to not being super kawaii. I enjoy Wind Waker and still do for what it is, but seriously, TP? That game was terrible. Even Super Mario Galaxy was more "mature" and "edgy" than that game was. It's like, they couldn't not make the game adorable.

I can agree that the handheld zeldas have been crappy since the original gameboy, mostly because I haven't really felt any need to get them so naturally I don't like them. But the console games were pretty good. A Link to the Past would be a better game than OoT if they did a 3d remake, that's true. But OoT, MM and TWW were all pretty awesome games, just not nearly as epic in scope as ALttP. But that's really just opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's like, I really want to find the game amazing, but they just never quite reach it.

Maybe, y'know, the Zelda series isn't for you? You clearly enjoy parts of it but not the whole, which is all fine and dandy, but having it churned out by a western developer just to appeal to your specific gaming needs won't really help. It's better to keep it in the hands of people who know what they're doing.

As examples of games given to western developers who proceeded to muck it up, I need only point to Silent Hill: Homecomings and the as-yet unreleased DMC remake. This isn't to say they can't make it great (see: Retro Studios) but there isn't a great track record here.

- - -

Meanwhile,THIS made me shit bricks a little.

2vmtuds.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe, y'know, the Zelda series isn't for you? You clearly enjoy parts of it but not the whole, which is all fine and dandy, but having it churned out by a western developer just to appeal to your specific gaming needs won't really help. It's better to keep it in the hands of people who know what they're doing.

As examples of games given to western developers who proceeded to muck it up, I need only point to Silent Hill: Homecomings and the as-yet unreleased DMC remake. This isn't to say they can't make it great (see: Retro Studios) but there isn't a great track record here.

That's a fair observation, pretty much across the board. I know the odds of us ever even seeing a LoZ game come from a reputable western studio are probably about as good as winning a publishers clearing house sweepstakes. It's pretty much just wishful venting on my part. I thought that would be pretty clear already, but there it is, just so it's out there officially.

As for my main beef with the game, I thought it would be clear by now too, but despite my grimacing about silly voices and other mediocre stuff, my main beef is quite clearly the wasted time due to the extreme repetition of things that DO NOT need to be watched after the first few times.

This is going to sound harsh, but anyone who might defend such a feature as being necessary simply has no sense whatsoever. To say that those people "know what they're doing" yet look at what an obvious flaw that is is to me personally, quite baffling. Nothing against people who like the series. I've never said "People who like LoZ are idiots" and I never will, but I stand firm by my observation that the unskippable BS needs to be dealt with.

It's been going on since OoT and it was going on in TP. What the hell? I guess being forced to sit through pointless nothings is a bigger deal to me than a lot of people, and that's fine, in the end, nobody's hurt at the end of the day and life goes on. And I suppose I could just not play the game and move on, but I admit I find it hard to not raise my voice at all because it seems like such an obvious, glaring design flaw that for any of the awesomeness contained in LoZ, it leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Whatyagonnado, as Larry might say. :razz:

Plus, considering that LttP is probably in my shiny, gleaming hall of awesome games that I <3 and right off the bat set me up to love the LoZ series very early, I consider me shouting for change to be more of like, support from the sidelines shouting for the underdog b/c I want him to win, and not shouting at the champion calling him a loser because I just don't like him at all. :tomatoface::)

*edit*

I complane becoz I kaer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...but seriously, TP? That game was terrible. Even Super Mario Galaxy was more "mature" and "edgy" than that game was. It's like, they couldn't not make the game adorable.

...what? Illia spinning upside down was adorable? Betrayal isn't gritty? Being pulled into darkness and your soul physically appearing as a wolf is cute?

What the fuck were you playing? Cuz it wasn't Twilight Princess...

I don't know. I haven't played the entire series. Majora's Mask made me about piss myself by the time i got to the Happy Mask Salesman. I couldn't continue. I'll probably play that last.

I consider myself as a LOZ fangirl. I don't mind that the story is pretty much the same, every game. Yes, I get irritated that I have to be shown the same cutscene over and over again (treasure chests) or told how to use a simple item (Navi). But...it's kind of expected. It's Legend of Zelda. If I didn't get a fanfare when getting the compass, it would feel like I'm not wearing my earrings, or I left the house without my shoes. That's just how I feel about it.

And if I must be so honest, Legend of Zelda has never been playing the same game as everyone else. While other games are leaning more towards gore and glory (western gaming as a whole), LoZ has its own agenda. It has its own audience to please and, my name is now Frank, they know very well that the majority of the audience is composed of women, girls, fans with their genitals on the inside. LoZ knows exactly what to do and where, and Twilight Princess wasn't a game meant to scare as it was meant to entice- and that is exactly what it did. Dark enough to keep you watching, light enough to let you sleep when you finally crashed at four in the morning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I get irritated that I have to be shown the same cutscene over and over again (treasure chests) or told how to use a simple item (Navi). But...it's kind of expected. It's Legend of Zelda.

That's not really an excuse for them to keep doing it. "Well boys, we've flubbed it up for years, but don't you worry, the fans expect it, so it's coo." ;)

If I didn't get a fanfare when getting the compass, it would feel like I'm not wearing my earrings, or I left the house without my shoes. That's just how I feel about it.

I like the musical cues and stingers too. Stuff like that gives any game more charm. They could easily leave the "da Da DA DAAAA" fanfare in there, while still allowing you to hit A and skip the text and speed up the process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am Ganon's nephew.

And now, you now know my real beef.

Oh, so you're just pissed off because uncle dearest keeps getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter by a 17 year old kid?

Understandable. :)

Also, it's Ganondorf, human form. Ganon is his god-entity. /end nerd

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They could easily leave the "da Da DA DAAAA" fanfare in there, while still allowing you to hit A and skip the text and speed up the process.

This is why I still prefer the original Link's Awakening to the Gameboy Color DX version. In the original you could press B and skip (most) repetitive text boxes, but they removed that in the DX version. So that means the lack of the ability to skip is intentional and I hate it.

All the other stuff about Zelda that you hate though, I love.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...