Twilight Princess HD (4th March)

[Rummy]

Too few side quests and minigames scattered through it too imo.

[Jonnas]

Lots of people seem to think that the game doesn't start until you get to the first dungeon, but what they don't seem to realise is that there's much more to Zelda than that and that begins as soon as you take control of your character!

 

Normally, I agree with this sentiment, but I do feel Twilight Princess really is that slow to begin. You can't explore anything beyond the linear path that you have to cross (twice! The same path!), and there's not much you can do that's actually your choice. All of the fetch quests you do for the villagers in Ordon are a mandatory segment that's ultimately useless (except for characterization, which is the only thing it accomplishes). It could even work as a tutorial, but instead they had mandatory tutorials that were separate to the fetch quests. Also, including a mandatory goat-herding mini-game in it (I think you have to complete it twice?) is something I still can't understand.

 

When you suddenly become a Wolf in a prison for a short while, that's when the game truly starts (IMO). And even then, they have to teach you new controls yet again.

[EEVILMURRAY]

They lack the wackiness of the Majoras Mask NPCs and have zero charm compared the Wind Waker NPCs. Like the overworld, I find the NPCs in TP bland and empty.

I can't wait to try this out and remind myself what the NPC's are like, I only played it the once at release and only remember thinking "what pussies" when running around town in Wolf Form. Because the ones in Wind Waker were kinda dull, just with cartoonish exaggerations to compensate for lack of character.

[Kounan]

There is a nice video on Nintendo Minute.

[Hero-of-Time]

Here's the video.

 

 

Touching the touchscreen allows for an instant transformation between Link and Wolf Link. That's a very welcome addition to the game.

[Ronnie]

Dear lord the game has aged TERRIBLY. Worst art style by far, compare and contrast this game with Wind Waker HD.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I didn't think it looked that bad, the fur on Wolf Link could've been given a bit more polish though.

 

What was terrible was those presenters' attempt at talking. Everything that came out of their mouths was cringeworthy.

[Hero-of-Time]

Dear lord the game has aged TERRIBLY. Worst art style by far, compare and contrast this game with Wind Waker HD.

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing while watching that video. Everything just seems so lifeless and drab.

[Kounan]

I liked it, but my expectations aren't big and I haven't finished the Wii version as it just looked bad and I couldn't play it, so I am more then happy with this version.

[Fierce_LiNk]

It could be that this is a lazy "port", it could be that the game has a style that won't/hasn't aged well or it could even be that the video doesn't do the game justice. Maybe a combination of all of the above.

 

Either way, it's nasty looking. Wasn't going to buy it anyway.

[Kav]

At the start of last generation it was looked perfectly fine, but toward the end of the WiiU's life it looks terrible. It's just a quick, lazy port to plug the gap whilst they wind down and let the WiiU die.

 

This gen we should've got a Zelda like the tech demo for the WiiU. Hell, Zelda WiiU is almost certainly going to be an NX release title so it's not like we've had a WiiU dedicated Zelda.

Nintendo this gen has been a complete let down and missed opportunity!

 

Still TP is one of my favourite Zelda's though. Those dungeons!!!

Edited January 23, 2016 by Kav

[Fierce_LiNk]

At the start of last generation it was looked perfectly fine, but toward the end of the WiiU's life it looks terrible. It's just a quick, lazy port to plug the gap whilst they wind down and let the WiiU die.

 

This gen we should've got a Zelda like the tech demo for the WiiU. Hell, Zelda WiiU is almost certainly going to be an NX release title so it's not like we've had a WiiU dedicated Zelda.

Nintendo this gen has been a complete let down and missed opportunity!

 

Still TP is one of my favourite Zelda's though. Those dungeons!!!

 

I still love TP, despite it not looking that great these days. In my opinion, it had the best dungeons and boss battles. The spinner and ball and chain!

[Josh64]

The new textures are nice but they're almost so nice that they make the low polygon count look jarring. I also think some of the atmosphere is lost in making it lighter and less foggy, I think that was part of the game, the moodiness and more importantly, all important smudge to hide the low detail of the environments. It's why I hate playing N64 games in HD, they look much nicer on an actual N64 with super low sharpness settings or, even better, on an actual CRT tv.

[Guy]

I barely remember anything about this game, so really looking forward to going back through it in HD unmirrored without those goddamn stupid motion controls.

[Ronnie]

I didn't think it looked that bad, the fur on Wolf Link could've been given a bit more polish though.

 

What was terrible was those presenters' attempt at talking. Everything that came out of their mouths was cringeworthy.

 

They're horrible. Zero credibility, personality and waaaay too wholesome and sugary sweet. It's all so forced.

[Josh64]

I barely remember anything about this game, so really looking forward to going back through it in HD unmirrored without those goddamn stupid motion controls.

 

Do you think this remake should be orchestrated?

[dan-likes-trees]

Slight digression, but a friend of a friend posted some Zelda fan art he'd made onto facebook the other day, which made me think of the graphics discussion on this thread.

 

 

 

 

Obviously the franchise has gone down a different route, art direction wise, but it's interesting to see where we might be had Nintendo continued down the Twighlight Princess route of art style.

 

Here's the bloke's artstation http://i64.tinypic.com/wlvyok.png

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I kind of see the frequent changes in the art direction of recent Zeldas as a flaw. Don't always understand the crazy need to reinvent things where it wasn't really needed.

 

IMO the style that stands the test of time, is the classical OOT and MM 'anime' style. I bet formulating these new art styles takes some time to develop too as opposed to keeping the same style and enhancing it - whilst focus on the most important elements: story and adventure - get the most attention.

[dazzybee]

Thankfully Nintendo don't agree, I absolutely love Wind Wakers, Skyward Swords is stunning too. I think it's vital they develop new art styles. In fact, I wish new 2D mario did too, I think a new art style would make the amazing NSMB U even better, it felt a little boring because it looked and sounded so familiar. If the game had the visual inventiveness as the Van Gough level for example it would left a much better impression. When you play mario maker and see the differences between NSMB, 3 and world, they're so different, but each so great!

[nekunando]

Slight digression, but a friend of a friend posted some Zelda fan art he'd made onto facebook the other day, which made me think of the graphics discussion on this thread.

 

 

 

 

Obviously the franchise has gone down a different route, art direction wise, but it's interesting to see where we might be had Nintendo continued down the Twighlight Princess route of art style.

 

Here's the bloke's artstation http://i64.tinypic.com/wlvyok.png

 

I'm definitely glad they haven't really went down this route with the visuals in The Legend of Zelda as I rather dislike it

 

The Wii U instalment looks beautiful and I'll be happy for Nintendo to keep a little bit of a cartoonish vibe in the future as the pictures you posted take the art in a direction that has never appealed to me!

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Thankfully Nintendo don't agree, I absolutely love Wind Wakers, Skyward Swords is stunning too. I think it's vital they develop new art styles. In fact, I wish new 2D mario did too, I think a new art style would make the amazing NSMB U even better, it felt a little boring because it looked and sounded so familiar. If the game had the visual inventiveness as the Van Gough level for example it would left a much better impression. When you play mario maker and see the differences between NSMB, 3 and world, they're so different, but each so great!

 

Why is it vital? The main driver for me in any Zelda is the depth of its story above all things. Theres so many other franchises out there that could have been reinvented with a certain style - doing it to your mainline serious blockbuster makes it seem like a curveball to fans.

 

Like the initial reaction to WW, Nintendo probably lost a few fans because of the, in my eyes, unecessary graphical overhaul. Fans would have been more than happy with an upgrade of what came before and I think having a 'base art style' means not wasting time on finding a new one etc.

 

Basically change is good but not all the time.

Edited January 27, 2016 by King_V

[Dcubed]

Do you think this remake should be orchestrated?

 

Absolutely! It's something that the music staff wanted to do the first time around and the game's score is a natural fit for orchestra (anyone who has ever heard the Twilight Princess Movement in one of the Zelda concerts would tell you the same )

 

This is the perfect opportunity for them to go back and do what they wanted to do the first time around! (and considering that Wind Waker HD got re-recorded music, it would be a tremendous shame if they didn't go back and do what they wanted to do the first time around - it's the one regret that the staff at Nintendo have been public about ever since Twilight Princess was first release, so this seems like a no-brainer to me!)

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Absolutely! It's something that the music staff wanted to do the first time around and the game's score is a natural fit for orchestra (anyone who has ever heard the Twilight Princess Movement in one of the Zelda concerts would tell you the same )

 

This is the perfect opportunity for them to go back and do what they wanted to do the first time around! (and considering that Wind Waker HD got re-recorded music, it would be a tremendous shame if they didn't go back and do what they wanted to do the first time around - it's the one regret that the staff at Nintendo have been public about ever since Twilight Princess was first release, so this seems like a no-brainer to me!)

 

Anything like this would do me!

 

[drahkon]

 

Wow, looks absolutely amazing. Wish Nintendo would go down that route and develop a much darker Zelda game.

I really like the tone and atmosphere of Majora's Mask and would love to see a new Zelda follow its theme.

[killthenet]

I like that style a lot more than some other 'realistic' Zelda styles people have put together. Reminds me a little of 'Skyrim'.

 

I'd be happy for Nintendo to go down that route as long as it had a unique twist to it, like many of you have said 'Twilight Princess' was a little dull in a lot of areas, whereas 'Majora's Mask' managed to create a dark atmosphere, but managed to stay hilarious at the same time. It felt like that game was almost sarcastic in tone.

 

Slightly off topic, but I was listening to that score that King_V posted and it got me thinking about a Legend Of Zelda movie, and that if they ever do one they should go with 'The Wind Waker' in terms of style, it really bums me out when people make live-action fan films - seeing somebody cosplaying as Link or Ganondorf just looks goofy as fuck and if I can't suspend disbelief for the length of a trailer, they have no hope of my watching a full film.

 

I looked up to see if anyone had ever produced any fan made 'Wind Waker' movies, and came across a weird posting on some Nintendo wiki pages that stated that Universal Studios was releasing a 'Wind Waker' feature film in May 2016. This obviously rang false to me as I'd never heard of such a deal. Browsing through the proposed cast list is hilarious, Miley Cyrus as Tetra, Russell Brand as Nudge, Josh Gad as Niko. And the credited directors are Henry Selick ("A Nightmare Before Christmas") and Chris Renaud (director of the very successful "Minions" series) one of those would be a huge draw, but apparently Nintendo and Universal convinced BOTH of them to do it.

 

Clearly the whole thing is fake, but it's such a weird thing that someone has put so much work into a little fansite wiki page, it's worth checking out if you want laugh or two, link is here.