New Zelda updates

[Hydra.7]

Errr...I know, cel-shading is cool...but LoZ dosen't seem like the type to have it...it's just kinda not right...oi...my brain hurts tring to explain my 'feelings'...

I might as well stop this before I get a bad rep right...

[inferiare]

Ah, you won't get a bad rep for voicing your opinion

Personally, I was a bit cheesed off when I saw the new graphics than what was presented at Space World 2000 (sorry if that sentance made little sense. I'm half asleep and a lot of sick with the flu.) But then I saw the game firsthand, and then I wasn't too mad with it anymore.

Plus, you gotta realize, they're trying to bring new people to the series, and since it was a story about a child, they're gonna make it "child-like". Heck, even Wild Arms 3 was cel-shaded, and it wasn't a childish game.

I think a lot of designers go the route of cel-shading because it looks cleaner than the 3D-rendered models they have. The 3D renders still get a little pixelated, when the cel-shading keeps the graphics clean, so very little to no pixelation happens. It's a quirk I have, I suppose (and possibly the Adobe Photoshop whore in me) that likes the cel-shading, but I do think it should be appropriate with the game for it to work.

[Freedan]

Cel-shading is also much easier to do. It brings the colours to life much more, and in a lot less time.

That's why (as I said earlier somewhere), I think this new Zelda is really the Spaceworld 2000 one, and that it's been in development all this time. It's only been about 2 years since Wind Waker came out, and I seriously doubt this game was put in the works after that; a game of this size and detail in 2 years isn't likely.

Or maybe I've just got conspiracy theories on the brain.

[Ocie Denver]

Ign.com: More details on new Zelda

[Freedan]

Thanks, I couldn't find that article.

[Guest]

New screens.

http://img221.echo.cx/img221/715/linkride20ni.jpg

Bigger screens.

http://img221.echo.cx/img221/715/linkride20ni.jpg
http://img221.echo.cx/img221/6555/linkride0vj.jpg
http://img221.echo.cx/img221/6555/linkride0vj.jpg
http://img221.echo.cx/img221/6013/linkhorse1db.jpg
http://img221.echo.cx/img221/3105/linkdemon4mc.jpg
http://img221.echo.cx/img221/1581/linkcucko4se.jpg

[Freedan]

Those seem really pixelated. Were they scanned from somewhere?

On topic, the flaming-balrog monster looks to be awesome.

Link's not sporting his usual green tunic all the time, I see. A minor detail, but it shows how much attention to detail they're showing.

Edit: Some more info I found whilst browsing another forum. An interview with EGM. Fear not, because April 1 is long gone, so we're not looking at another April Fool's joke.

Quote:

From EGM

EGM: Will this Zelda be about rescuing the princess again?

Eiji Aonuma: Yes, the story will involve Zelda, and the story will involve Ganon, but of course the plot won't be identical to (those in) past Legend of Zeldas.

EGM: Where does this Zelda fit in the overall series timeline?

EA: I can't really go into that, partially because I want to keep it a secret, but also because we haven't decided yet. There are some kinds of...unstable, uncertain ideas we're working on. Depending on what course we choose in terms of developtment, the final ending may change.

EGM: Is it safe to say there is some major gameplay element we still don't know about, like the sailboat in Windwaker, that will remain secret until just before the game comes out?

EA: You're right. (laughs)

EGM:Is that why the game name still doesn't have a subtitle? Will the full name give something away?

EA: We really don't know what we're going to do with the subtitle at this point. (It could work the other way around)-maybe there will be some kind of mystery about the title, and somewhere in the course of the gameplay, you'll realize it's meaning.

EGM: From what we've played, the combat feels exactly like Windwaker-we noticed you can still smash shields, knock off helmets,etc. Do you have any changes planned?

EA: (Remember how) in Windwaker, if the enemy comes within a certain range of Link and you press the A button (at the right time), sometimes Link will do a special attack? We think that worked very well, so we're thinking about intensifying that aspect with this game. We've already added some things, like a jumping downward stab. We're going to incorporate more of those cool-looking performances (and a few other changes). People are going to see that this game is pretty different from Windwaker.

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Enhanced combat? New techniques? Good Lord, this sounds better and better all the time.


Edit x 2: More stuff....

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Quote:

From EGM

EGM: Besides combat and the graphics, how else will this game be different from Windwaker?

EA: About the setting, in WindWaker it was the ocean. I really cannot tell you what kind of setting we're going to adapt for this new Zelda, but I can say we are really trying to expand the sense of scale. Before, whenever we made 3D games, we shied away from using too many big objects. If they aren't necessary for specific gameplay ideas, they become a kind of obstacle. But in this game, we are trying to be more realistic. (In) this horse-riding battle, you can see it (takes place on) a huge land, even if ( it's mostly empty landscape). That's why we need the horse from the very begining of the game. We want people to feel that this is a huge land they're playing in, and without a horse, it's impossible for you to explore. Also, sometimes you're going to see something that's just vast, even though it's not (involved in gameplay)-something huge or something very tall. We want to realize (that sense of awe) by presenting things realistically.

EGM: I know you got so many questions about the graphics for Windwaker and now this new Zelda-do you get tired of talking about the graphics all the time?

EA: No. After all, I have a designer's background myself, so I know how important the visuals are. A change in graphics can give a perfectly different impression to game userI know all about this. But I should say it's not very easy for me to explain why(we) use this visual style here, why (we) use that graphical style in other games. I'm kind of forced to make some reasonable, rational background explanation in order to persuade people to understand why this is better than the others. It's not very easy. In my mind it's the emotions you get from one visual that are different from another(style). Whenever we work on a game, we have (lots of) internal discussions about what kind of graphical style we need to adapt. Graphics are very important.

EGM: Looking back, what do you think about the reaction to Windwaker's cartoon-style graphics?

EA: I know that before the game shipped, there were many debates and arguments about the graphic style. But as soon as we launched Windwaker, and people started to play with it, they said: "We understand now. This is the reason you used this graphical style this time." Likewise, we're very hopeful that when we launch this new Zelda game, people are goig to appreciate it without any further questions (and) think, "OK, that makes sense."

EGM: True, once most people actually play Windwaker, the visuals don't bother them, but do you think a lot of people never even picked it up just because of how it looked?

EA: Well, yes, that's unfortunate, but it's true that (with) graphics...people like certain graphics, and people don't like certain graphics. It's very clear for each different individual. So we're sorry for that, but what I can tell you is, we are pretty confident that we were right about the (cartoon) approach for Windwaker. Without that approach, we couldn't tell enough about the story. So whenever people have some doubts, all I can say is-this is a very japanese expression-"You may think it's a trick, but try it and see."

EGM: Let's move on to things we've seen in the two video trailers you've released so far. What's with all the cats, for example?

EA: We're thinking of incorporating some ides where Link can communicate with animals, one way or another. I can't elaborate on specifically how. (But) The reason you can pick up cats early in the game in Toaru Village, for example,is (because) we wanted people to understand you can touch the cats, you can play with them. After leaving that impression, it'll become easier for us as developers to have complex ideas afterward, where the players are willing to approach the animals.

EGM: What about where all the ghosts appear? Is that link using the Lens of Truth item to see invisible stuff?

EA: You may be right-it's one of those (mechanics) where, after solving riddles,what's invisible can become visible. But once again,, I can't elaborate on how that works in that specific case. Please look foward to the actual game. (smiles)

EGM: And that shadowy figure on our cover with his or her back to Link?

EA: Very sorry, but we'd like to keep it secret. People can take your cover as a big mystery. We're not sure when we want to break that infomation.-maybe(at the next E3 show) in May or maybe not. As a hitn, you can also see a kind of castle in the background scenery...

EGM: Windwkaer had a fantastic connectivity feature where a second player could play on a Game Boy Advance hooked up to the Gamecube to help Link. Are you planning anything similar for this Zelda

EA: Well, I liked the connectivity in Windwaker very much, and I'm hopeful that we can create that kind of play experience for other games. What's cool about Windwaker's connectivity is that you can get some additional information on a real-time basis. Even though it may not be "real" realtime, somehow we may be able to reproduce a similar game experience. Maybe a second character (in this new Zelda) can get access to certain information and help the main player. As far as the character that the other player controls-Tingle-I found out some American people didn't like him very much. So we need to think about what kind of character we're going to use. (laughs)

EGM: So would this new system use the same GBA-GC Link cable setup?

EA: No, we really want everything to be realized with a Gamecube and a disc, nothing else. (With connectivity), the downside is you need the Link cable and you need the GBA. For those who don't have everything, the idea of creating something through connectivity, even if it's very good, is (pointless). So what I'm thinking is, maybe we can reproduce a similar gaming experience without the cable or GBA.

EGM: In the movie trailer and on our cover, we see a wolf howling-can you tell us anything about that? There's some speculation maybe Link is a werewolf...

EA: Hmm...sorry, confidential.

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There's descriptions of the gameplay itself a bit, but I'll post that in a while.... and I'll hide it a bit to make sure nothing is spoiled for anyone that doesn't want to see it.

[inferiare]

LINK!

This whole thing makes me wanna bust out the Legend of Zelda song by the Rabbit Joint... I can't wait.

[Freedan]

Ok, here's the hands-on reports from actually playing the game. It's really just the early, basic stuff.... but for anyone who wants to be totally surprised at what they see, I've made it small. Just quote my post if you want to read it.

(I can't imagine anyone will actually NOT want to hear about the game, but I figured I'd do it anyway).

Enjoy.



Hands-On Report - Part One: TOARU VILLAGE

Ah the tranquil Hamlet that kicks off nearly every Zelda game. The one thing that stands out about Toaru Village (Japanese for "unspecified"-the English name is to be determined)is, like everything in this new Zelda, the sense of realism. And we aren't just talking about the graphics: townspeople go about their business, cats and chickens wander here and there ( one attacking the other if they get too close), birds scatter out of the tall grass as Link approaches. The sense of scale is impressive; maybe it's just a reaction to Windwaker's squat characters, but everything seemed taller, bigger, more spread out.
As in the last game, Link starts out without a weapon or his trademark green outfit. "If someone happened to see this scene without knowing what game it is," says Aonuma, " they probably wouldn't even guess it was Link in The Legend of Zelda." Upon closer inspection, however, one detail is a dead giveaway : On the back of Link's left hand are three dark triangles-Zelda's Triforce symbol.

"Stick it to 'em"- Eventually Link gets a wooden sword and learns combat in a familiar scarecrow-bashing tutorial. As before, the L trigger locks on targets and B performs different attacks, depending on the direction of the analog stick. But if you don't lock on you can now swipe your sword as you move around, without stopping (handy for clearing tall grass, no doubt), and Link has a special coup de grace: Press A for a jumping downward thrust to finish off enemies you've knocked over.

"At home on the Range"- Another early minigame teaches the player how to ride horseback. As in previous games, you can simply push in the direction you want to go for a slow trot or hit A to apply the whip for a burst of speed. You can also see where "Cowboy Link" (Aonuma's name for our hero before he earns his green duds) gets his name- the goal here is to round up and force all the grazing animals into the barn before time runs out. It's a little togher than you might think.

"Flying the coup"- Good news: Chicken-gliding is back! Just grab one of your fine-feathered freinds, find a tall building or cliff, and jump off-Link floats slowly down, which enables him to reach areas he couldn't otherwise. This technique came in handy during our demo: A pregnant woman asked Link to retrieve a baby basket on the other side of an otherwise unscalable fence. After getting it, he slowly (move too fast and you'll be scolded) escorts her back to her home with it. What a guy!

Hands-On Report- Part 2: BOSS FIGHT!

"Horseback Attack"- Horseback riding has an expanded role in this new Zelda-as Aonuma tells us, fast transportation is basically a requirement from the very start of the game because of larger environments. The second scene we played proved his point with a full-speed boss fight; Link chased down this big-horned baddie atop his bigger-horned steed, first slashing him to remove his armor, and then pelting him with arrows. A very cool and very challenging concept for a boss.

"Fighting The Horde"-Other mobile enemies swarmed Link, trying to distract him from his true target. Horseback combat felt smooth and natural; as always, you can lock on to targets of go into first person and aim manually, slinging arrows with X (or the R trigger for exploding bomb arrows). Link's head tracked nearby foes, and he pivots in whatever direction you point to attack with his sword. He could also dismount anytime and the enemies would circle, making passes until he knocked them off their battle-boars or killed them right in the saddle. (Aonuma told us that in the final game, Link can even steal some of the bad guy's rides.)
The scenery was lovely-rolling hills with the shadows of clouds floating past-but sparse, with only a fence now and then to break things up. Then again most of our attention was on the enemies-seven or eight (counting thier boars) on screen at once, without a hint of slowdown.

"Steeple Chase"- As in the earlier cattle-driving minigame, you can make Link's steed trot in any direction by pushing on the analog stick. You can also whip his horse with the A button for a boost ( an action again limited to six times, with a corresponding meter that slowly regenerates). Speed is important; unless Link is moving fast enough to automatically jump over the same wooden fences the boss leaps over, he'll slam into them and stop completely. So that's three things you need to worry about: Keeping up with the boss, attacking him, and avoiding his minions.

Last but not least, I want to mention the beautiful drawing of Princess Zelda holding a sword, and three sketch drawings of Link's different emotions, assuring me that this part of the game isn't being overlooked.

[Ocie Denver]

I love chickens!!! [/Ed]

*chasing them with Master Sword*

Dont tell me 'Zelda' name for chickens....

Here's more details on Zelda:
http://cube.ign.com/articles/607/607464p1.html

http://cube.ign.com/articles/607/607433p1.html

I suspected this Zelda game do something with animal spirits.....samilar to Majora's Mask.

Where's pictures of Princess Zelda?

Princess Zelda may look like Rainichan, I hope...

Counter-attack from WW will be used in new Zelda....cool.

[inferiare]

Deathpit wrote:

I love chickens!!! [/Ed] *chasing them with Master Sword* Dont tell me 'Zelda' name for chickens.... Here's more details on Zelda: http://cube.ign.com/articles/607/607464p1.html http://cube.ign.com/articles/607/607433p1.html I suspected this Zelda game do something with animal spirits.....samilar to Majora's Mask. Where's pictures of Princess Zelda? Princess Zelda may look like Rainichan, I hope... Counter-attack from WW will be used in new Zelda....cool.

Too bad for you, Zelda won't look like me! *Insert scary cute ebil laugh here*

[Ocie Denver]

I spot a familar object from Majora's Mask. Could you recognize it?

Answer if you dont find it

@ Rainichan: You wish.

[inferiare]

Deathpit wrote:

I spot a familar object from Majora's Mask. Could you recognize it? Answer if you dont find it @ Rainichan: You wish.

No, I think you wish. Don't make me bust out some ancient magic on you! [/black mage]

[Ocie Denver]

*held up the cucco*

Dont bother with black magic...I got fearsome cucco.

[Miss Prime Blue]

I don't get the comment that "Zelda doesn't seem like the type to have celshading" ..

I mean, zelda is miyamoto's story. He created it .. Shouldn't whatever he does to it be accepted, if you are a true fan?

The celshading was different, but after actually playing the game and not just judging it like everyone else and their mother likes to do, you get into it, and you like it. Well, at least I do. But, for what it's worth, the cel-shading hatred fiasco was stupid in the first place. People can't seem to handle anything that's different.