I’m all about riding Blake’s coattails today…
When I read his post about a Zelda makeover I had one of those random inspirational flashes, as I am wont to do when reading anything written by savvy former Joystiq blogger and current columnist to the video game stars Blake Snow. My random flash was: sure, Zelda could use a makeover. I’m all for it, actually. But what if that makeover was one that was darker and more adult than Twilight Princess?
The cards are all there for it to happen: the twilight realm, Midna’s “transformation”, the adult look of the characters now. Who’s to say Link doesn’t undergo an even darker change than morphing into a wolf? As long as it isn’t an emo transformation, or the Square Enix Final Fantasy fem-boy treatment, I think I’d be fine with it (as long as we kept Link a complete mute, that is). Since Sadness is never coming out, Nintendo can even borrow liberally from that genre and really make things bleak. Give Link a backstory with a dark secret. Anything so long as it’s fresh and edgy.
The move could even play into the series’ fading appeal in Japan and elsewhere. Nintendo could spin the transformation so that the series becomes a niche product, embraced by a smaller number of gamers. “Sure the series is selling fewer units, but we have actively targeted a more mature, niche market with this latest Zelda offering,” they’d say. I can see Reggie’s slick press conference keynote in my mind’s eye already…
But who cares what I think. What say you? In the hypothetical world of future Zelda installments, should the series go darker, lighter, “cellier,” or what?
I really really really really really really really really really really wish people would stop equating the words "Adult" and "Mature" with "dark". Most "adults" get over the need for games to be dark by the time they reach their late 20s.
I'm all for a darker Zelda, it always felt quite serious anyway than other games out there from Nintendo.
Though looking back on the games, they seem to have went from dark and moody in the N64 days to bright and cheery GameCube days, now dark and moody Wii days
I'm not saying adult means dark. I'm saying Zelda could go in both an adult AND dark direction. The Secret of Nimh was a pretty "dark" cartoon, but it was no means an adult one. See?
Agree with DrewMG above.
The "dark/mature" nature of Twilight Princess was the greatest failing of that game. In an attempt to appease the vocal minority of "hardcore gamers" that infest the internet, Nintendo stripped the Zelda series of all it's whimsy and charm. TP had no soul at all. It was simply one of many generic action-adventure games that mimic the Zelda series.
And I think THAT is the reason TP was not as popular in Japan. Zelda used to appeal to everyone. Now it appeals to American teenagers who are too insecure with thier own maturity to appreciate the genius that was Wind Waker.
Twilight Princess was a huge disappointment for me. I hated every minute of it. It was full of tedious tasks and twitchy controls (not the motion-controls, I'm talking about Link's movement with the thumbstick, an issue that translated to the Gamecube version as well). I went plummeting into the lava of Goron Mines too many times to count. The story was lame; the inclusion of Gannon seemed a complete afterthought rather than the main plot point. The play mechanics as the wolf were absolutely no fun at all (auto-pilot jumping with Midna and the "hold B to shift-select all enemies" attack). Sub-par in all respects.
Miyamoto has said that TP will be the last "traditional" Zelda game. Before I played it, that comment concerned me. 80 hours later, I welcome any and all changes they may make. I just pray they don't continue down the path they stumbled down with TP.
My comment wasn't about the quality of TP (although I agree with you to some extent), it was more about the prevailing use of the terms "adult" and "mature" to mean "dark" or "mean-spirited". Most of the games these terms are applied to are aimed at a 15-25 age group. That's not adult. That's Young Adult. And the word "mature" is even more grossly misplaced, because if a gamers is truly mature, he will go after the types of games he enjoys, not the types of games that involve running over hookers. Sorry, it's just a major pet peeve of mine.
I think its gotten stale, but I think darker is the OPPOSITE of how it should go. I would love to see a new Zelda game that captures the creator's original inspiration- I believe I read that he came up with the idea from exploring caves as a boy. Thats where I think the series should go, back to a pure "small boy on a wonderous adventure". I want little kid Link, a stick for a weapon, maybe a slingshot or boomerang to discover, and a big, huge, 20 hour cave to just explore.
I'll throw in this old, old thought of mine to see what you guys think as well. Has anyone played ICO? Big, huge, abandoned castle to explore, using just a stick/sword for a weapon and solving puzzles to escape. That game was great, and I would love to see the Zelda series go in that "simple is better" type approach to the story and gameplay. Even just replacing the two characters in ICO with Link and Zelda would have made it a great Zelda game (and would have sold more copies too!)
I got you, Drew. I just went off on my own little rant there. I'm still bitter about TP, the three-year wait, and the big heaping dose of agita I got from it.
Jack, I think that game has been done already. It's called "God of War". Just put Kratos in a green leotard and you got your "darker" Zelda game…
And Bankson, I think your game has been done already, also. It's called "Pokémon Diamond/Pearl". Just give the little character a stick, and throw him into the battles with his pocket monsters and you got your "small boy on a wondrous adventure" game…
Nah, just give me another Wind Waker, I say! With Wii remotes! And spaceships!
I don't think that Zelda needs a Darker Theme alltogether, But, please note, I would like some parts of it to be dark. Lemme explain,
Okay, consider this, the style of the game changes to match the area you are in. That would make the game more epic by bringing in those different points of view.
Link would run in vivid colored fields to show how peaceful the area is. Then, in Zora's fountain, the style would change, including the art style. Maybe link visits the east, and everything has a anime style. But in the west, it has an american-type art style. In battle, everything has an firery rage style. The Style would change with the Reigon. If all these areas were brought together, it would make an epic feeling.
But, I would also like the change in style to be seemless and simple.
I'm honestly astounded at people who say that TP needed fixing. The amazing amount of variety in the game, from snowboarding to horseback riding, to fishing, to flying, to marble madness-style games, on top of remarkable dungeon puzzles and fun bosses, meant that the game gave you far more to do than a game like, say, RE4, which everyone drools over.
How are people praising another Halo, which sounds like it's not too far from the last, and decrying Zelda? The only change I can see that Zelda would benefit from is a more RPG-like structure — a more open world, with characters who don't have only one way to respond to a comment. And that means giving Link a voice — but one where we chose what he says.
But I'd hate for Link to enter into the post-modern pastiche that Jack describes above — Zelda games need to retain their otherworldliness.
Man. If people need a "dark" Link they can play some different trash game. Zelda has been fine the way it is and just because one game in the series has a dark adult link doesn't mean people have to forget that the majority of the games in the series have been with the fun kid link.
I wouldn't mind something a little more surreal. I loved Majora's Mask, and there were a few of WTF moments in TP (one of the longer cut scenes on the Triforce comes to mind).
What about something that goes even farther in that direction? A kind of Alice in Hyrule/Link in Wonderland kind of thing. You don't have to change Link, he's good a blank slate, as the "you" character, but you could certainly do some even more bizzare things to him.
Zelda needs one thing and one thing only: Ninjas riding dinosaurs.
Bankson, you're a complete genius!!! That's the Zelda I want to play!!!
I also like banksons idea and wouldnt be shocked if its the new direction miyamoto said zelda would be going in. Also guys jack doesnt actually want a darker zelda he was talking tongue in cheek.
P.S. Its great to finaly be able to comment on infendo, i've been a reading for a short while but just left the occasional anon comment under the old system.
Twilight Princess was a great game. It's not the game's fault that you're tired of Zelda, I've playeda handful of Zelda games and this one was my favorite. If you've outgrown Zelda, stop buying them.
Two words to sum up how Zelda could be updated, as well as why it shouldn't….
Solid Link.
I remember how "mature" & "adult" Prince of Persia became….
I liked twilight princess lots, but i like what i played of windwaker too, but i think a darker zelda game would be cool, i mean, there must be SOME kind of story to why link has no parents right? I think Link is awsome, but he should stay voiceless .. i dont know why, Link with a voice would be ok, but its just not him i love link the way he is, and that is awsome link (or voiceless) 🙂