214 replies to this topic

[Masamune]

Tingle was awesome. It makes me sad that I might not even get to play Tingle's next game because everyone hates him.

[Ikiosho]

I've never liked Tingle. He was annoying, and I don't use overworld maps all that much. Just dungeon maps.

As for friggen Tingle...why oh why did they think of him to start with?

I'm all for wanting to add a character for comic relief, but Tingle was just...ugh. As were all Tingle-like character in future games (like the two clown guys from TP)

You can't tell me there's no way to include a quirky, strange, or otherwise comedic character without making them annoying/disturbing as heck to both talk to AND look at.

TP did have Oocoo...

[spunky-monkey]

2. Make Link talk instead of just nodding and smiling all the time, which would assume he's telepathic.

What you basically propose, is the very spiritual death of Zelda, or the franchise's second death if you count Wind Waker as being the first.

- Link going on an actual quest. Start in Hyrule, chase a bad guy across the border, and journey into another land, dungeons and obstacles along the path. Constantly in a state of exploration. As opposed to trekking back and forth over Hyrule Field to get to temples placed along the map borders.

The obvious drawback there is you'd wind up with a very linear quest, which goes against the principle of back-tracking exploration fundamental to games such as Zelda and Metroid. If you have good level design then trekking isn't a problem, providing you distract the player with new events/items along the way.

- No fairy companions or other Hero Assistants.

While I agree, that is never going to happen. Link is a silent protagonist and thus we need a companion-character to provide storyline and objective.

- More sword duels with worthy opponents, as opposed to just hitting monsters arbitrarily.

You have to give credit to the Dark Nuts from TP, tackling four of them at once with low health was fairly challenging.

- Functional armor, as opposed to quirky rupee draining novelty armor.

I concur. He last had armor in ALttP and we've been dying to benefit from the various advantages of different types of armor.

- No items in the grass.

What would you substitute in its place Selena? Without grass freebies players are pretty much boned.

That's right. In fact, if it was up to me, I'd even go one step further: not let people save while in the dungeons (aside from dying).
What's that? You just died and don't want to lose all the progress you made in the dungeon? Well it's either that os save/continue and accept that the death counter goes up!

Ah, the beloved death counter. The most pointless feature ever to exist in Zelda. It doesn't inspire gamers to playthrough the whole game again just to get a record of "000", trust me, they simply hit the reset button should that ever happen. Unless you play ALTTP (SNES) where the stupid thing mistook its own off switch for being a death. I even did it one time when a very cheap instant-death scence in LA had me - how was I to know the shopkeeper was the incarnation of all evil first time round? Fuck Ganon, I'd like to nail that bastard instead.

It just occurred to me, a good idea would be to have instant death situations. I know the Zelda series has never had instant death from falling down bottomless pits and into lava, but seriously, unless they do something cartoony for lava (like they did with The Wind Waker) I think Link should die the instant he falls into a bottomless pit, gets sucked underneath quick sand, falls into lava etc.

Instant death, while realistic, is cheap. It aggravates the player(s). Lessening the entire gaming experience. Nuff said.

There was a weird wall crushing mechanism in the Oracle of Seasons on one of the dungeons somewhere, thing was, you didn't realise it would knock every heart off your life force until it was too late. How wonderfully annoying. D:

Edited by spunky-monkey, 02 July 2009 - 02:15 PM.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

- No items in the grass.

What would you substitute in its place Selena? Without grass freebies players are pretty much boned.

Well, it all depends on how the game is designed. In Twilight Princess for example, gamers can go without cutting grass for the freebies.

[Duke Serkol]

Ah, the beloved death counter. The most pointless feature ever to exist in Zelda. It doesn't inspire gamers to playthrough the whole game again just to get a record of "000", trust me, they simply hit the reset button should that ever happen.

Well of course, that's exactly what I'm saying: the death counter should only go up if you choose to keep your progress after dying. If not, you shouldn't even need to hit reset but just quit/retry.
Which is why I propose limiting the player's ability to save to outside dungeons.
And of course, the counter should matter in some way, like it did in Link's Awakening.

[Ikiosho]

Which is why I propose limiting the player's ability to save to outside dungeons.

...And inside them. Recent games (let alone Zelda ones) have got too easy.

Edited by Ikiosho, 02 July 2009 - 04:17 PM.

[Duke Serkol]

Ah, I did mean allowing players to only save without strings attached outside, while inside things would be different.

In fact, I'd even go so far as to let players only create "suspended game" temporary saves like those of Majora's Mask in the dungeons. You know, the ones that were erased (in favore of the previous regular save) as soon as you load them.

[Person]

I concur. He last had armor in ALttP and we've been dying to benefit from the various advantages of different types of armor.

Zora armor in TP actually had benefits and drawbacks. The ability to swim and breath underwater vs. taking more damage from fire-based attacks. The mail in ALttP was basically the same as the blue and red rings from LoZ and the blue and red tunics from LA DX. Goron and Zora tunics from OoT also say hi. The only gimmicky armor was Magic armor from TP, and that was an optional "infinity plus one" item.

What I's like to see is in addition to the standard "underwater/fireproof" suits is a steady uprageable armor system. Say you start out with the basic green tunic, then you can buy stuff like a leather jerkin to wear under it to decrease damage, or a mail shirt to decrease damage even further. Likewise, buying gauntlets would increase your strength and the amount of damage each sword swing would do.

[Ikiosho]

That's actually a pretty nice idea. Maybe even special items you couldn't buy, hidden in dungeons or secret grottos.

[Crimson Lego]

I'm all for wanting to add a character for comic relief, but Tingle was just...ugh. As were all Tingle-like character in future games (like the two clown guys from TP)

Awww, they just want a hug.

A...hug? One guy shoots you out of a cannon while another states that you will survive a 80 ft fall with the help of a Cucco.

Not very huggish sounding to me.

[Ember]

yipe! *hides*

don't wanna hug those guys.

They could have put SOMETHING in their place.

Edited by Ember, 03 July 2009 - 06:31 PM.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

- Link going on an actual quest. Start in Hyrule, chase a bad guy across the border, and journey into another land, dungeons and obstacles along the path. Constantly in a state of exploration. As opposed to trekking back and forth over Hyrule Field to get to temples placed along the map borders.

The obvious drawback there is you'd wind up with a very linear quest, which goes against the principle of back-tracking exploration fundamental to games such as Zelda and Metroid. If you have good level design then trekking isn't a problem, providing you distract the player with new events/items along the way.

I've just thought about this a bit more and realised that you're not necessarily right.

Secret of Mana was actually pretty linear when I think about it, but it did actually let you visit some areas first.

Near the beginning of the game, you could pick up the Princess first, which forces you to go into the forest first instead of the Village of the Dwarves. It forces you to backtrack, though. Alternatively, you could go to the Dwarves' Village first without picking up the Princess, then go back to pick up the Princess or you could go to the Forest, where the Princess would be waiting for you.

After Matango, you could go to the desert first or to the Ice Country first. Either way doesn't matter, although after going to the Desert you will be forced to go to the Ice Country.

The sequel Seiken Densetsu 3 had more non-linearity than its predecessor. At certain points, you could choose to go to certain Mana Stones or (later on in the game) tackle certain God-Beasts in whatever order you want. It is actually up to the very design of the game to ensure how linear it is.

[Fin]

The contempt for the horrifying clowns and Tingle fills me with great sadness.

[Selena]

The obvious drawback there is you'd wind up with a very linear quest, which goes against the principle of back-tracking exploration fundamental to games such as Zelda and Metroid. If you have good level design then trekking isn't a problem, providing you distract the player with new events/items along the way.

Well, the backtracking exploration has always been my least favorite element of Zelda and Metroid. Mostly because it's done in a very dull way. You know, like when I first explore a location I can tell that there's an item stuffed up in an area I can't reach, and I can see almost exactly how to get it, but know that I have to wait until I'm later into the game before I have to go out of my way, stop the main part of the quest, and come all the way back to get it. It's only on a rare occasion that backtracking actually opens up a whole new area to explore. So rare that I tend to now leave the backtrack items alone and just keep pushing forward.

Not that you couldn't go back to an older area on an otherwise 'linear' looking map. It's Zelda, after all. Musical instruments sometimes act as Star Trek transporter rooms.

Though I could also suggest a non-linear plot on a more traditional map. One where the plot isn't glaringly obvious at first, and multiple linking storylines come together to form a larger, grander plot by the second or third act. Putting the pieces together from a number of smaller (but still daring!) quests around a land. Hopefully a land that isn't Hyrule. Having to link multiple quests together would also give you a better excuse for backtracking than item collection.

What would you substitute in its place Selena? Without grass freebies players are pretty much boned.

Rupees and items from monsters and dungeon pots (and equivalents). And additional items acquired from shops. Because I don't think I've ever really had to go into a shop for basic items or health. Nor do I think I've ever really run out of ammunition or magic while in a dungeon, and I always end up with an immense surplus of things. Grass freebies make it a little too easy.

While I agree, that is never going to happen. Link is a silent protagonist and thus we need a companion-character to provide storyline and objective.

Can't you get storyline from fleshed out NPCs, as opposed to a fairy or magic girl feeding you information on how to defeat the already easy to defeat enemy in front of you? It was only after OoT that an assistant became mandatory. Before that, you had to figure things out on your own, and you still got a fair amount of plot (well, for a Zelda game) without a buddy cop at your side.

[Stalfos]

The contempt for the horrifying clowns and Tingle fills me with great sadness.

I strongly agree.

We must organize an uprising against this terrible trend toward Tingly oppression!

We shall call it...UATTTTTO.

Three-man rebellion whoo. *Takes up arms*

[Arturo]

While I agree, that is never going to happen. Link is a silent protagonist and thus we need a companion-character to provide storyline and objective.

Can't you get storyline from fleshed out NPCs, as opposed to a fairy or magic girl feeding you information on how to defeat the already easy to defeat enemy in front of you? It was only after OoT that an assistant became mandatory. Before that, you had to figure things out on your own, and you still got a fair amount of plot (well, for a Zelda game) without a buddy cop at your side.

At least in TWW they managed to do it a bit more subtle than any other games...

[Person]

While I agree, that is never going to happen. Link is a silent protagonist and thus we need a companion-character to provide storyline and objective.

Can't you get storyline from fleshed out NPCs, as opposed to a fairy or magic girl feeding you information on how to defeat the already easy to defeat enemy in front of you? It was only after OoT that an assistant became mandatory. Before that, you had to figure things out on your own, and you still got a fair amount of plot (well, for a Zelda game) without a buddy cop at your side.

At least in TWW they managed to do it a bit more subtle than any other games...

I actually quite like the sidekicks. Once they got past Navi, each sidekick added a unique flavor to the game. Linebeck was the best by far.

[Masamune]

The contempt for the horrifying clowns and Tingle fills me with great sadness.

I strongly agree.

We must organize an uprising against this terrible trend toward Tingly oppression!

We shall call it...UATTTTTO.

Three-man rebellion whoo. *Takes up arms*

Only three-man? Steve and I have been campaigning for Tingle across the galaxy when your grandfather was still in diapers.

[SteveT]

It's not like you can be a fan of Link without being a fan of Link.

[D~N]

^being his own grandfather and all. or what was it now? well at least i think that's right.

Here's a suggestion: get rid of the -bleep bleep bleep- noise when you're low on health. I mean, not that this happens too often any more, but at the very LEAST give us an option to turn that garbage off. I have EYES. I can SEE my health is low, man. Now, let me run to the grass over there and get free health, so that I can get back to slaughtering every enemy in sight with great ease. And with any luck I wont run into something challenging like a Darknut or anything.

Now, if it were up to me? I'd make a few changes. For starters, orchestrated music and voice acting is a MUST. Mario gets voice acting before zelda? What's wrong with this picture? I'll tell you what's wrong - everything. Zelda, and nintendo in general, need to catch up to the times.

Lets get some new items and some old favorites in there. Magic staff + spell book? Where'd that one go? Bring back the blue and red rings, the silver arrows, the torch. Well TP brought back a lantern, so that's pretty good. Magic, as stated, should be used in traditional and also in new ways. But what about new weapons? Why not some sort of whip or something? Dual swords, crossbows, and a 3-d equivilent of the roc's feather are begging to be explored. Hell, speaking of older weapons, bring back the rocs feather or the running shoes - or both!

Characters could use more life. Give everyone Midna-levels of personality. Character development and comprehensive story have been absent from Zelda since the begining. TP tried really hard. It came up a little short, unfortunately.

PH and TP took steps in the right direction, but they could make more progress. Use all weapons to the fullest. I really thought the control rod from TP was wicked cool; if only I could use it on every enemy. Or even statues outside of the ToT.

And no Ganon, please. Someone new. Someone more evil than ganon. Someone that makes me need to spend all my cash on some blue potions.

EDIT: hahahahaha. check out what i JUST read after this post. *sigh* ooh well, so much for pushing the series forward. http://wii.ign.com/a.../1000772p1.html

Edited by D~N, 05 July 2009 - 08:23 PM.

[Person]

ST is going to have a whip.
I kind of agree with what you're saying, but if there is to be VA, make Link stay mute. You notice that even Mario's VA is extremely limited.
And dual swords are a dull and tired idea. I don't like the concept.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

Characters could use more life. Give everyone Midna-levels of personality. Character development and comprehensive story have been absent from Zelda since the begining. TP tried really hard. It came up a little short, unfortunately.

I'd like to point out that MM had quite good character development, albeit admittedly only for certain characters like Anju and Kafei.

PH and TP took steps in the right direction, but they could make more progress. Use all weapons to the fullest. I really thought the control rod from TP was wicked cool; if only I could use it on every enemy. Or even statues outside of the ToT.

You could use it on a few statues outside of the ToT, but I agree with your sentiment.

EDIT: hahahahaha. check out what i JUST read after this post. *sigh* ooh well, so much for pushing the series forward. http://wii.ign.com/a.../1000772p1.html

Well, to be fair, it's not exactly clear as to what he's referring to.

P.S. Bring back the shovel and make it a weapon like the monk's spade.

Edited by Wolf_ODonnell, 06 July 2009 - 02:47 AM.

[Person]

I was up late last night and thought of the most awesome idea that will never happen: A SSBB-esque fighting game starring only Zelda characters. This game wiuld be a massive temporal crossover, with the 10 different Links as separate characters. Each would have a moveset based on his game. TP Link would turn into a wolf, OoT Link would switch between his adult and young forms, ALttP Link would have a more magic-based moveset, FS Link would use doppleganger attacks, LoZ Link would use the spells from AoL, ST Link would use the train. And then we could have enemies like Moblins and Darknuts as characters, and different versions of Zelda. OoT Zelda would use magic and turn into Sheik, Tetra would be different, and TP Zelda would use her sword.
Think Castlevania Judgment but not as sucky.
But of course it will never happen.

[joeymartin64]

And hopefully without dreadful character designs by overrated manga artists. (Disclaimer: I don't know anything about Death Note, but if those designs are any indication of his/her work, it can go jump in a lake.)

Anyway, I guess I'll be the one to oppose the mute hero thing. Like everyone else here, I'm fed up with the lack of voice acting in the series at large, but unlike a lot of people (it seems), I'm also tired of Link being the heroic mime. I think he should be fleshed out, given an actual personality, and - GASP - a voice. The "blank slate" argument doesn't work anymore. There have officially been multiple Links ever since TWW (and before that, but let's not get into that here), so character derailment is impossible. If people don't like a particular Link's personality, fine; don't sequel that game. Also, the Links have been given some degree of characterization, but very little. Little quips dating back even to the LoZ manual have shown little blips of personality for the series' heroes (sense of justice, determination, personable, polite, a bit of a showoff), but it seems like Nintendo is afraid to really develop them. Half-assed characterization was fine back in the day, but the scope of the series is much bigger now, while the protagonist's character isn't. Plus, with multiple heroes with slightly-to-very different personalities, fans could have a grand old time discussing the pros and cons of each hero, stuff they liked and disliked about each one, ect. Even if nothing else changed, wouldn't it be interesting to see the Zelda forumla through some new sets of eyes? A sarcastic Link snarks at Ganon while whipping out the Master Sword. A more proper Link falls to one knee and swears fealty to Zelda, like in the OoT manga. Keeping the main character as a blank slate is preventing the series from really flourishing in the characterization department. If you really want control over the character's personality, let's have some dialogue trees.

Oh, wow, sorry about going off like that. These next ones should be more pointed.

Lose the "hero's tunic" bit. Seriously, how can this story be known by every man, woman, and child in Hyrule, yet nobody notices or cares that some dude is running around wearing the legendary hero's garb, rocking the Master Sword, no less? At least throw in the idea that it's common practice to dress that way and carry a Master Sword replica around for X amount of time as a rite of passage into manhood or something (TWW made it clear that it only lasted for one day, and only on Outset, so that doesn't really work). Or have people call Link a tool cosplayer, like Ashei (sorta not really) did. That'd be funny.

More towns, more people. Why the blue hell is TP Hyrule divided into PROVINCES when there's no more than one town (sometimes not even that) in each one? Having larger open fields just makes the supposedly prosperous country look barren and deserted.

Speaking of which, what is Hyrule, anyway? A country? A continent? The whole world? What? We've heard several different words, but nothing really solid or corroborated. They could do this in a game that shows another land/country/nation/whatever, as a few people have mentioned.

Bring back northern Hyrule. NSBM Wii has the Koopalings. People like forgotten NES-era stuff. Plus, it'll be a whole new experience for people who got into the series after that. Win-win.

Eh. I could go on all day, but this is more than enough for now.

[Person]

And hopefully without dreadful character designs by overrated manga artists. (Disclaimer: I don't know anything about Death Note, but if those designs are any indication of his/her work, it can go jump in a lake.)

Anyway, I guess I'll be the one to oppose the mute hero thing. Like everyone else here, I'm fed up with the lack of voice acting in the series at large, but unlike a lot of people (it seems), I'm also tired of Link being the heroic mime. I think he should be fleshed out, given an actual personality, and - GASP - a voice. The "blank slate" argument doesn't work anymore. There have officially been multiple Links ever since TWW (and before that, but let's not get into that here), so character derailment is impossible. If people don't like a particular Link's personality, fine; don't sequel that game. Also, the Links have been given some degree of characterization, but very little. Little quips dating back even to the LoZ manual have shown little blips of personality for the series' heroes (sense of justice, determination, personable, polite, a bit of a showoff), but it seems like Nintendo is afraid to really develop them. Half-assed characterization was fine back in the day, but the scope of the series is much bigger now, while the protagonist's character isn't. Plus, with multiple heroes with slightly-to-very different personalities, fans could have a grand old time discussing the pros and cons of each hero, stuff they liked and disliked about each one, ect. Even if nothing else changed, wouldn't it be interesting to see the Zelda forumla through some new sets of eyes? A sarcastic Link snarks at Ganon while whipping out the Master Sword. A more proper Link falls to one knee and swears fealty to Zelda, like in the OoT manga. Keeping the main character as a blank slate is preventing the series from really flourishing in the characterization department. If you really want control over the character's personality, let's have some dialogue trees.

Oh, wow, sorry about going off like that. These next ones should be more pointed.

Lose the "hero's tunic" bit. Seriously, how can this story be known by every man, woman, and child in Hyrule, yet nobody notices or cares that some dude is running around wearing the legendary hero's garb, rocking the Master Sword, no less? At least throw in the idea that it's common practice to dress that way and carry a Master Sword replica around for X amount of time as a rite of passage into manhood or something (TWW made it clear that it only lasted for one day, and only on Outset, so that doesn't really work). Or have people call Link a tool cosplayer, like Ashei (sorta not really) did. That'd be funny.

More towns, more people. Why the blue hell is TP Hyrule divided into PROVINCES when there's no more than one town (sometimes not even that) in each one? Having larger open fields just makes the supposedly prosperous country look barren and deserted.

Speaking of which, what is Hyrule, anyway? A country? A continent? The whole world? What? We've heard several different words, but nothing really solid or corroborated. They could do this in a game that shows another land/country/nation/whatever, as a few people have mentioned.

Bring back northern Hyrule. NSBM Wii has the Koopalings. People like forgotten NES-era stuff. Plus, it'll be a whole new experience for people who got into the series after that. Win-win.

Eh. I could go on all day, but this is more than enough for now.

All of the towns in North Hyrule had less personality than the towns of TP. And if North Hyrule were done in 3D, it would be a gadjillion times larger than the TP map. You know that itty-bitty area just at the bottom of the AoL map? That's the land area of South Hyrule. If a map as big as TP's is that tiny in comparison to the AoL map, then a 3D North Hyrule would just be one big barren desert.

[joeymartin64]

Yeah, I know about the DMA. And honestly, that's a good point, and one I hadn't thought of.

However, it wouldn't have to be all empty space if the map is rethought for the action-adventure genre. On an RPG-style map, a town is one tile. An action-adventure map of the same large area could have those towns encompass a good portion of the surrounding area, as well. Stuff could also be scaled down somewhat. And/or they could put NPCs, clusters of NPCs, caravans, settlements and so forth in the uninhabited areas to liven things up. Hell, that would make the deserted town of Kasuto and its haunted surrounding area a more effective bit.

Edited by joeymartin64, 06 July 2009 - 05:52 PM.

[CID Farwin]

I was up late last night and thought of the most awesome idea that will never happen: A SSBB-esque fighting game starring only Zelda characters.

Replace Zelda with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and you've got a game!

Anyway, I guess I'll be the one to oppose the mute hero thing. Like everyone else here, I'm fed up with the lack of voice acting in the series at large, but unlike a lot of people (it seems), I'm also tired of Link being the heroic mime. I think he should be fleshed out, given an actual personality, and - GASP - a voice. The "blank slate" argument doesn't work anymore. There have officially been multiple Links ever since TWW (and before that, but let's not get into that here), so character derailment is impossible. If people don't like a particular Link's personality, fine; don't sequel that game. Also, the Links have been given some degree of characterization, but very little. Little quips dating back even to the LoZ manual have shown little blips of personality for the series' heroes (sense of justice, determination, personable, polite, a bit of a showoff), but it seems like Nintendo is afraid to really develop them. Half-assed characterization was fine back in the day, but the scope of the series is much bigger now, while the protagonist's character isn't. Plus, with multiple heroes with slightly-to-very different personalities, fans could have a grand old time discussing the pros and cons of each hero, stuff they liked and disliked about each one, ect. Even if nothing else changed, wouldn't it be interesting to see the Zelda forumla through some new sets of eyes? A sarcastic Link snarks at Ganon while whipping out the Master Sword. A more proper Link falls to one knee and swears fealty to Zelda, like in the OoT manga. Keeping the main character as a blank slate is preventing the series from really flourishing in the characterization department. If you really want control over the character's personality, let's have some dialogue trees.

While it's true that there are multiple Links, Nintendo still regards Link as one character. So do I. This is the whole reason I argue against what you're suggesting; Why I argued against the suggestion a couple years ago of a female Link.

The whole point of having the silent protagonist is that Link is whatever you want to make him. You project a little of yourself onto him. A particular characterization would most likely only serve to alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.

Edited by CID Farwin, 06 July 2009 - 06:03 PM.

[joeymartin64]

While it's true that there are multiple Links, Nintendo still regards Link as one character. So do I. This is the whole reason I argue against what you're suggesting; Why I argued against the suggestion a couple years ago of a female Link.

Why? Sure, the archetype is the same, but the characters' histories, families, initial motivations and so forth are all different. I can see this from the standpoint of saying "Zelda's the series where you play as Link" or whatever, but characterizing them the exact same way in their various different circumstances just rubs me the wrong way.

The whole point of having the silent protagonist is that Link is whatever you want to make him. You project a little of yourself onto him. A particular characterization would most likely only serve to alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.

No he isn't. As much as I hesitate to quote a humor source for a less humorous discussion, it reminds me of what Yahtzee said about inFamous, though without the moral choice thing. You're always Link. You're always doing the justice-driven stuff the game makes you do. In most of the more recent games, you've got a personal stake (sister, village kids, Tetra, whatever). It's not letting you role-play, because Link is always characterized, however little it's mentioned, as stoic, selfless, helpful, ect, ect. Whatever havok the player wreaks as Link is completely ignored by everyone, with a few minor exceptions. That said, I totally agree that having some degree of control over the character is a good thing (if not essential), which is why I suggested dialogue trees. You can have a speaking character, with some small built-in kernel of characterization (which Link already has, and always has had), but still have the player in the driver's seat by allowing them to choose what the character says or does every so often.

Edited by joeymartin64, 11 July 2009 - 04:06 AM.

[Chiaki]

While it's true that there are multiple Links, Nintendo still regards Link as one character. So do I. This is the whole reason I argue against what you're suggesting; Why I argued against the suggestion a couple years ago of a female Link.

The whole point of having the silent protagonist is that Link is whatever you want to make him. You project a little of yourself onto him. A particular characterization would most likely only serve to alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.

Each Link in the games is similar, but has a different background, a different origin. One Link was raised in a secluded forest, one was raised on a ranch, another still raised on a small island. I kinda like the idea of giving the Links similar personalities, but different perspectives.


It is true that Nintendo originally meant for Link to be the player's avatar (ie, the "link") in the virtual world, but at this point, they can and should do one of two things:

1) Continue this by giving the player more control over their character, like in Mass Effect (and most of Biowares other games, for that matter) or Fable, where you can at the very least choose your characters gender, as well as make decisions that effect the tide of the game.

2) Toss away the original concept of Link being the player's avatar, and give him his own personality, make him talk, etc. This seems to be the direction that Nintendo is pulling in, but they're at an odd in between point where Link is not you, but has only a little personality for himself (which is probably why they started giving him partners with quirky, out there personalities, like Midna and Ezlo).

I figure that Nintendo probably won't do the former, as this would be a bold move for a series so long running with its own main character, so I'm hoping that they'll work on the latter.

[Person]

While it's true that there are multiple Links, Nintendo still regards Link as one character. So do I. This is the whole reason I argue against what you're suggesting; Why I argued against the suggestion a couple years ago of a female Link.

The whole point of having the silent protagonist is that Link is whatever you want to make him. You project a little of yourself onto him. A particular characterization would most likely only serve to alienate a significant portion of the fanbase.

Each Link in the games is similar, but has a different background, a different origin. One Link was raised in a secluded forest, one was raised on a ranch, another still raised on a small island. I kinda like the idea of giving the Links similar personalities, but different perspectives.


It is true that Nintendo originally meant for Link to be the player's avatar (ie, the "link") in the virtual world, but at this point, they can and should do one of two things:

1) Continue this by giving the player more control over their character, like in Mass Effect (and most of Biowares other games, for that matter) or Fable, where you can at the very least choose your characters gender, as well as make decisions that effect the tide of the game.

2) Toss away the original concept of Link being the player's avatar, and give him his own personality, make him talk, etc. This seems to be the direction that Nintendo is pulling in, but they're at an odd in between point where Link is not you, but has only a little personality for himself (which is probably why they started giving him partners with quirky, out there personalities, like Midna and Ezlo).

I figure that Nintendo probably won't do the former, as this would be a bold move for a series so long running with its own main character, so I'm hoping that they'll work on the latter.

It's already kind of reached a middle ground. Link is the silent protagonist, but the sidekicks act in a way that is consistent with the tone of the game. TWW on, the sidekicks sort of acted like a mouthpiece for Link. I recall people remarking that TP was "Midna's game, where Link tags along and does stuff."

Edited by Person, 06 July 2009 - 11:23 PM.