Posted May 13, 2012 Ville, that is a terrible argument I realise that every tale is about a boy in green who travels the land, seeking to save it from a being made of pure evil, and that the similarities outweigh the differences... ...but "Ganon in the end" hardly works as an argument I mean, if Majora turned out to be Ganondorf, MM wouldn't be different anymore? Also, Link's Awakening is the one that's truly different. The only one where not everything is so black and white (and, ironically, the only Zelda to be released in black and white) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 Ville, that is a terrible argument I realise that every tale is about a boy in green who travels the land, seeking to save it from a being made of pure evil, and that the similarities outweigh the differences... ...but "Ganon in the end" hardly works as an argument I mean, if Majora turned out to be Ganondorf, MM wouldn't be different anymore? Also, Link's Awakening is the one that's truly different. The only one where not everything is so black and white (and, ironically, the only Zelda to be released in black and white) Hehe, yeah of course they are different stories as well. Still, I do look at it like the same myth told again and again, just in different settings. If Majora turned out to be Ganondorf...exactly. I'm so glad he didn't, because TP did that with Zant, which was friggin' disappointing. That's the problem: Ganon is the personification of evil in the series, so either he'll turn up in the end or the other bosses will morph into a similar swine form, like in ST. This is what I mean about the similarity, the same myths / symbols appearing again and again. You could say that in the Zelda Universe, the beastly swine is the symbol / manifestation of the devil. No surprise then that it keeps reappearing... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 Still, even if the villains have similar designs, that's not what makes their plots similar. Minish Cap and Phantom Hourglass don't involve pig-demons, either, but the main plot of "Zelda is in danger! Explore and save the land!" is still there. Also, Nightmare in Link's Awakening at one point adopts the form of Ganon and Agahnim for the fight. That does not undo everything else. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 Hehe, yeah of course they are different stories as well. Still, I do look at it like the same myth told again and again, just in different settings. If Majora turned out to be Ganondorf...exactly. I'm so glad he didn't, because TP did that with Zant, which was friggin' disappointing. That's the problem: Ganon is the personification of evil in the series, so either he'll turn up in the end or the other bosses will morph into a similar swine form, like in ST. This is what I mean about the similarity, the same myths / symbols appearing again and again. You could say that in the Zelda Universe, the beastly swine is the symbol / manifestation of the devil. No surprise then that it keeps reappearing... Have you played Skyward Sword? The game basically explains why Link is the hero and why there is always some kind of problem/evil that he has to face. There's a curse upon him at the end of the game and whatever evil Link faces is Demise reborn. It doesn't have to be taken literally, but it's another way of simply explaining that for every villain, there is a hero, and so on. Equal and opposites. So, in one sense, yes. The games are all about similar things, the battle between good and evil. But, there are so many differences with the worlds they take place in, the characteristics of the hero, the townsfolk, and so on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 WW: Ganon in the end.TP: Ganon in the end. MM: Skullkid (!) Spirit Tracks: A Ganon-like beast in the end xD Also, it's the same kid in green going through dungeons, solving puzzles, using bombs, arrows, etc. So frankly, I do see more similarities than differences...the basic story structure is pretty much the same. Majora's Mask might be the one that differs the most, maybe that's why I like it so much. Congrats, that's quite possibly the weakest argument there's ever been on these forums. So the hero wears green and fires arrows, therefore, they're all the same exact same tale. Never mind that one has the twilight realm invading Hyrule, one takes place on the Sea because Hyrule was flooded, one has the moon crashing into the earth, and the other involves trains. Or the fact that the connections between all the later games, were either obviously and/or purposefully put in by Nintendo. That sort of ruins your 'same tale, different telling' theory. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 Guys, you're discussing the storylines in Zelda games like they matter again. You may as well discuss the literary merit of the Super Mario series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 13, 2012 Well Ville isn't wrong really. The basic plot doesn't change all that much. It's nearly always Link setting off to save Zelda from Ganon. The fun is in how the story does change and the different ways you get to the end. Mario is always trying to save princess Peach from Bowser. In every game. We don't question that, it's just an excuse to play as Mario for more platform action. It's the same for Legend of Zelda. Zelda is captured by Ganon and Link has to travel the land to power up and save her. In every Metroid game, Samus loses her abilities and has to find them all again before defeating the final boss. Nintendo games focus more on the gameplay than the plot most of the time. You still get decent and original storylines but the base plot is still there for all these games. In the Zelda games the fun is found in the characters and the temples. How you get to the end matters more than the end itself because you know how it'll finish anyway. You'll defeat the boss and save Zelda. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 14, 2012 For the record, I completely agree with Ville. I just think the argument he used wasn't good. The concept of every Zelda game is the same, and the plots will end up similar as a result, it's not about who the villain is, or looks like. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Part of the joy of Zelda is the familiarity. Every six years or so, you're going to get a new version of Hyrule with some incarnation or other of Ganon. We saw him 8-bit, then 16-bit, then polygonised on the N64, before the textured polygon/cel-shaded versions on the GameCube. Now we're due HD Hyrule and HD Ganon. Part of the problem recently is that the GC and Wii are so similar and have therefore made the last ten years feel like Groundhog Day, but that goes way beyond Zelda. I do agree that the handheld games and the 2nd iteration of Zelda on any console (like Majora's Mask) should be (and are) an opportunity to get more creative with the characters and settings. As far as I'm concerned, all the GB, GBA and DS Zeldas were perfectly original. Edited May 14, 2012 by Grazza Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 English version announced: Dark Horse Books and Nintendo team up to bring you The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, containing an unparalleled collection of historical information on The Legend of Zelda franchise. This handsome hardcover contains never-before-seen concept art, the full history of Hyrule, the official chronology of the games, and much more! Starting with an insightful introduction by the legendary producer and video-game designer of Donkey Kong, Mario, and The Legend of Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto, this book is crammed full of information about the storied history of Link’s adventures from the creators themselves! As a bonus, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia includes an exclusive comic by the foremost creator of The Legend of Zelda manga — Akira Himekawa! KEY SELLING POINTS: • The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 68 million copies since the release of the first game, with the original Legend of Zelda being the fourth best selling NES game of all time, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holding the record for the highest reviewed video game of all time. • Covers the full history of The Legend of Zelda franchise. • With an introduction by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. • Includes the official timeline of The Legend of Zelda games, never-before-seen concept art, The Legend of Zelda manga, in-depth information on the making of the The Legend of Zelda franchise, and art by some of the most storied concept artists in video games. It will be larger than the Japanese version and it due for release in January 2013. And yes, it is getting a UK release. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 Larger than Japanese version and UK realease! Brilliant news Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 US price is $34.99, no UK price yet. This may or may not be the front cover: Prefer the Japanese cover myself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 Love that picture. Also appeared on the CD that came with Skyward Sword. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 $34.99 should be £20, which would be great!... £25 would be alright too. But knowing our luck $34.99 = £30. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 Excellent news. I only wish it were coming out one month earlier, as it would have made a kick-ass Christmas present for Ine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 Skyward Sword Link looks so happy to be included. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 [zeldageek]I don't recall Wind Waker Link ever having that shield[/zeldageek] The cover should be like the majority of the games' covers are, gold with the logo, and nothing else, like the Japanese version Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 17, 2012 [zeldageek]I don't recall Wind Waker Link ever having that shield[/zeldageek] I recall it pretty well. It's the Hero's Shield. His Grandma gave it to him. You can just see the back of it in that picture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 [zeldageek]I don't recall Wind Waker Link ever having that shield[/zeldageek]You mean the Hylian Shield in the middle? Wind Waker Link's not holding that one, it's just confusingly placed right in the middle and doesn't really fit in very well. I think OOT Adult Link deserved a better pose/weapons. Skyward Sword Link FTW! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 Oops, missed the one behind his back! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 $34.99 should be £20, which would be great!... £25 would be alright too. £25.99 at Amazon.co.uk so a decent price. *Pre-orders* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 Was thinking 'oh man january 2013 thats like next year it so far away'. This thread has suddenly made me wonder where 2012 has gone. On point/topic though, I don't normally get stuff like this, but when I do, it's stuff like this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 Nice, £23 isn't bad. Pretty much what I paid for my Japanese copy without the killer shipping costs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2012 It's only £22 now! Do I really need it though?... I've already seen a fair bit of the arkwork posted from it on here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 22, 2012 I'm not down with my Japanese to English translation, but could the book be thicker simply because our words are longer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
