16th May 2004, 12:35 PM
Okay lazy, I have to be a stickler on a few things. First off, Link was a young man in Zelda 2 as well. It says so in the inscruction manuel, and it's also obvious due to him being as tall as the adults in the game, not the children in it. He was also a young man in Link's Awakening, though that couldn't really be shown except in illustrations.
Wind Waker's look is truly amazing actually. The entire art style from the shading to the modelling is obviously, to me anyway, meant to resemble old world drawings back before 3D perspective, but it IS in 3D, so you know, it's cool. I came to this stunning realization however only because of the game's intro, where it was showing a mural of the Ocarina of Time legend using that same art style, and then getting into the game, realizing all the models have that same exxagerated arm length and faces and such, I immediatly liked it. As I'd said, it was never the celshading I didn't like, it was the modelling, but realizing what they were going for changed my mind on that.
lazy, I will say that Wind Waker, while fun, was somewhat incomplete and too easy for my tastes. I think they should revert to the first hint system, well, maybe not the old man, but the occasional owl statue or large tablet with a cryptic clue inscribed on it. Those were the best, because while it did reveal secrets, it did it in a way you had to interpret. So, it'd say like "The answer lies in the stars above.." and you're all like 'What?", and then suddenly it hits you, "OOOOH!! Stars ABOVE!". "Hints" like "HEY! Look at that stalagtite, don't you have something that could knock it down forming a bridge to the other side where you have to lure Armos Statues onto 4 switches in an order I'll tell you when we get there?" are just far too blatent. Give hints, but make them CRYPTIC hints I say. A nice code to break.
Anyway, I don't think Nintendo will stray from it like it never existed. I think they are just going to continue trying all sorts of different artistic styles. One of these days, we'll see something resembling Picasso :D. I know I'd love seeing the people's reaction to "nose above left eye Link"! The artistic style they use I think will ALWAYS be based on what they think best expresses the story and gameplay, as it should be.
About Four Swords, yeah I loved WW's look in FS from day one. I thought it looked amazing. Four Swords Adventures however seems to be using LTTP's art style (which I can't really relate to any real world style at the moment) mixed with a sketchy chalk drawing art style. I love that too.
Here's the thing, I'm fine with whatever artistic direction they decide to take the series in. However, they really need to focus on returning the challenge to the game. I don't want the game constantly bashing me over the head with the answers any more. As I've said, even the items started solving puzzles for you, what with that hook shot's "GRAPPLE HERE YOU MORON!" icon and such. Delaying the game a little longer to add some more dungeons to it is also something I can stand. The delays are only for a few months, but the game is set in stone after that point. Now, I won't pretend the game was as lacking in any sort of real puzzles as Star Fox Adventures was (Seriously, when the game has icons hovering over ALL action points, and the second you try selecting an item it automatically selects the right one from the list, how can you possibly be stumped by ANY puzzles?), but it did cross the line into "too easy" territory. OOT sorta hovered near it, but it still had plenty of stumpers that lacked any hints at all so it was fine. That was the first to stop giving the cryptic hints I loved though... Return those, and let little kids get stuck in the game. I mean, I was a little kid and loved it when a game stumped me, and that's how Zelda and other adventure games that had puzzles got so very popular to start with. Don't take what made it popular to start with away on the hunch it might increase sales even more. You'll alienate the fans at a certain point.
Eh, anyway, rant over, just restating my old opinions for reminder.
Wind Waker's look is truly amazing actually. The entire art style from the shading to the modelling is obviously, to me anyway, meant to resemble old world drawings back before 3D perspective, but it IS in 3D, so you know, it's cool. I came to this stunning realization however only because of the game's intro, where it was showing a mural of the Ocarina of Time legend using that same art style, and then getting into the game, realizing all the models have that same exxagerated arm length and faces and such, I immediatly liked it. As I'd said, it was never the celshading I didn't like, it was the modelling, but realizing what they were going for changed my mind on that.
lazy, I will say that Wind Waker, while fun, was somewhat incomplete and too easy for my tastes. I think they should revert to the first hint system, well, maybe not the old man, but the occasional owl statue or large tablet with a cryptic clue inscribed on it. Those were the best, because while it did reveal secrets, it did it in a way you had to interpret. So, it'd say like "The answer lies in the stars above.." and you're all like 'What?", and then suddenly it hits you, "OOOOH!! Stars ABOVE!". "Hints" like "HEY! Look at that stalagtite, don't you have something that could knock it down forming a bridge to the other side where you have to lure Armos Statues onto 4 switches in an order I'll tell you when we get there?" are just far too blatent. Give hints, but make them CRYPTIC hints I say. A nice code to break.
Anyway, I don't think Nintendo will stray from it like it never existed. I think they are just going to continue trying all sorts of different artistic styles. One of these days, we'll see something resembling Picasso :D. I know I'd love seeing the people's reaction to "nose above left eye Link"! The artistic style they use I think will ALWAYS be based on what they think best expresses the story and gameplay, as it should be.
About Four Swords, yeah I loved WW's look in FS from day one. I thought it looked amazing. Four Swords Adventures however seems to be using LTTP's art style (which I can't really relate to any real world style at the moment) mixed with a sketchy chalk drawing art style. I love that too.
Here's the thing, I'm fine with whatever artistic direction they decide to take the series in. However, they really need to focus on returning the challenge to the game. I don't want the game constantly bashing me over the head with the answers any more. As I've said, even the items started solving puzzles for you, what with that hook shot's "GRAPPLE HERE YOU MORON!" icon and such. Delaying the game a little longer to add some more dungeons to it is also something I can stand. The delays are only for a few months, but the game is set in stone after that point. Now, I won't pretend the game was as lacking in any sort of real puzzles as Star Fox Adventures was (Seriously, when the game has icons hovering over ALL action points, and the second you try selecting an item it automatically selects the right one from the list, how can you possibly be stumped by ANY puzzles?), but it did cross the line into "too easy" territory. OOT sorta hovered near it, but it still had plenty of stumpers that lacked any hints at all so it was fine. That was the first to stop giving the cryptic hints I loved though... Return those, and let little kids get stuck in the game. I mean, I was a little kid and loved it when a game stumped me, and that's how Zelda and other adventure games that had puzzles got so very popular to start with. Don't take what made it popular to start with away on the hunch it might increase sales even more. You'll alienate the fans at a certain point.
Eh, anyway, rant over, just restating my old opinions for reminder.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)