TLOZ: Twilight Princess

[artzi]

The new zelda for gamecube is looking cool but i heard it was pushed back to
Q4 2005 in Japan so we're gonna have to wait (and drool) some more.

But hey, i don't mind. I got other games to attend to anyway in the meantime 8)

Check out the trailer in Quicktime format:
http://media.nintendo.com/zelda/univers ... tp_480.mov

[Alunissage]

Doesn't matter to me, I'll import.

It does look nice, but I'm getting really sick of hearing raving about it. I suppose it's good that people are agreeing on something, but extreme fannishness is so offputting.

[artzi]

Yeah. I just wanted to put this topic here because it wasn't here. LOL (illogical?)

And i want to see it in action, not rant about it thus, the trailer link.

[love a riddle]

The style is very unlike any other Zelda game thus far, so it's all good.

Alunissage-san, surely /you/ must get excited by something at times? Although it's true some fandom get rather rude and overly excited, that doesn't necessarily mean those who are plain excited have to be clumped in together with them... right?

[Alunissage]

Yeah, it doesn't look like Ocarina of Time at all. Though perhaps you meant something other than its appearance.

I get excited about some games, although the Zeldas and Lunars are pretty much the only games I get as soon as they're available - since I so rarely play games when they come out by the time I've played them people have calmed down from whatever excitement they had. I just don't understand why folks have to rave about things in such extreme fashion, seeing either no flaws or only flaws. I mean, I thought Wind Waker was absolutely beautiful, and had some wonderful gameplay elements that look to have been perpetuated in the new game -- but that didn't blind me to the pacing problems and frustrations of seeing great ideas underutilized and non-great ideas overdone. I looked forward to another Ocarina-style game, but I'd like to see another Wind Waker-styled one as well, with WW's flaws fixed. It really annoyed me when as soon as the shots of the new game came out people were immediately saying that Miyamoto saw the light or was giving fans what they wanted or whatever, as if WW had been an unfortunate aberration. (Actually, I'm thinking it's mainly that those people were afraid people would think less of them for playing a "kiddy"-looking game like WW and wanted Link to be older so they could justify it, or something like that.) The whole thing has served to remind me why I avoid Zelda communities despite being very fond of the series.

[love a riddle]

True; I get the same way when Final Fantasy people simply automatically bash FFVIII without actually enjoying it for what it is. Flaws and all, there's still some good in a game. Even if it's nothing but paying the poor people who made it a small paycheck XP

The style of WW's character designs took a little getting used to, but by Four Swords I loved them. They were cute-cute.

By style, I indeed was referring to the character designs and animation used in gameplay. I believe the only well-rendered 3D Link up to this point was Link in Smash Bros. Melee. It's nice to be able to see all of these graphical updates, despite the fact I'm a 2D Zelda enthusiast.

[Alunissage]

I just finally got around today to watching the gameplay footage from the press conference. It is indeed beautiful. But I had this disquieting realization partway through:

Realistic style means realistic monsters.

The relevant part of this being, I hate spiders. I'm not sure I'm ready to battle a 3D one that isn't placidly hanging from a thread in one place and going out with one hit of a distance weapon. Gulp. I'm in favor of good enemy AI and all otherwise, just...not those.

The other thing that concerned me was the size of the field. I heard the explanation, that it was desirable to make it large enough for the horse to be essential -- or perhaps I'm reversing cause and effect there -- but I don't want the horseback riding to become the equivalent of sailing from itty island to bitty island, even with the undoubted better control. I just hope that there's a good warp system; I hate traversing long stretches of field over and over. (This is also my biggest and perhaps only complaint with Link's Awakening: it's just too hard to get anywhere from anywhere with that mazelike map that makes you go many screens out of your way.)

I was perfectly fine with Ocarina's Link, actually, especially Young Link's face. I guess I'm not that picky about graphics. It did take me a while to get used to the style of the heads in that game, though.

Oh, and FFVIII is the FF I'm looking forward to the most. I just have to finish the first seven first... I wanted to see how the series staples developed over time so I had to start from the beginning, and I still haven't finished the first.

[Rune Lai]

That's one reason I don't necessarily like realism. Realism can be off-putting if someone has a particular phobia or dislike of a certain obstacle. I loved House of the Dead in the arcade, but I'm also squeamish (I don't play survival horror games or watch horror movies) and I saw Sega's teaser for the new next-gen House of the Dead game. I think there's a good chance I won't play that one. The zombies are getting just too good looking now.

Regarding the horseback riding, as long as travel time between one place and another by horse is roughly the same as you would spend walking in any other game I think I'd be fine with that. With a large field though my main concern would be getting lost. A smaller field makes everything easily identifiable and there tend to be more landmarks. Otherwise I love the idea of riding everywhere. That's something Shadow of the Colossus also has me looking forward to. I don't think many games have done horseback riding right, and now it looks like there will be two high profile ones that have that element in them.

[Khan]

This game has been confirmed to be released at the same time world wide. I beleive it will be released November first this year, exactly seven years after Ocarina of time (in case anybody forgot there were seven sages in the game and Link was asleep for 7 years...I think). Frankly Ocarina of time has to be the second most over rated game I've seen. I am very excited about this new game but I'm already seeing people on other (zelda) message boards saying how this is their favorite game currently. This game is definatly my number 1 game to buy but I have a feeling it won't live up to my expectations.

[Alunissage]

Then isn't it better to not have expectations? Why set yourself up for disappointment, and potentially make yourself look a fool in the process?

Seven years was indeed the interval between Link's two ages in Ocarina. I never think of there being seven sages in that game, though, because the hexagon is so prominent in the Chamber of Sages and I don't think Zelda is ever there, is she? It seems silly to count her as one.

[Khan]

Then isn't it better to not have expectations? Why set yourself up for disappointment, and potentially make yourself look a fool in the process?

I do have expectations, they are just not has high as everybody else, if the game is to my expectations...well it was expected and if it is the best game of the year then I will be in for a nice surprise. Either way, I win.

[Alunissage]

You don't win if the game doesn't live up to your expectations, which is what you said you had a feeling it would do. Unless you've since then revised your expectations downward.

[DevNall]

That's one reason I don't necessarily like realism. Realism can be off-putting if someone has a particular phobia or dislike of a certain obstacle.

Yeah, honestly, I don't think I like realistic games quite as much. I can't pin down exactly why, but I think it has to do with the fact that I'm exposed to "reality" the rest of the day and there's so much more creative possibility available elsewhere. To me, Zelda has always had a "cartoony" feel to it; the only non-2D Zelda game I really liked was Wind Waker (the screenshots looked weird, but it's addictively fun once you start playing). I'll still try out the new Zelda and see what I think, but, currently I have mixed feelings about it.

(Slightly OT, but I think this in part why currently the system I'm most interested in is the DS, there are a lot of really awesome-looking 2D games headed for it.)

You don't win if the game doesn't live up to your expectations, which is what you said you had a feeling it would do. Unless you've since then revised your expectations downward.

You know, I'm not sure if I like the way so much info about games appear ahead of time these days; I think it lessens the magic and enjoyment of the game some, once it finally arrives.

[Khan]

You don't win if the game doesn't live up to your expectations, which is what you said you had a feeling it would do. Unless you've since then revised your expectations downward.

Well here are the expectation of a n00bish person

OMg! L1nk r teh w01f0rs! it r0x0rs my s0x0rs!!!11!!1

and here are my expectations

Good graphics (good not amazing)
Good Gamplay (A Zelda standard)
Good music (another Zelda standard)
Fair Story line (Zelda never had extremely deep storylines)
Fair Replay value (Zelda standard)

I'm not expecting some revolutionary game while some other people are expecting this to be the best Zelda game ever. I have less of a chance of being in for a nasty surprise because my expectations are lower for this game than other people.

[Alunissage]

So....about what do you "have a feeling it won't live up to [your] expectations"? Just wondering. As I said, I'm not really in favor of having expectations anyway, and I rather agree with DevNall that knowing too much about the game being harmful to the experience. I'd much rather simply trust that in some regards at least the developers know what they're doing and I'll enjoy at least some aspects of it. More refinement beyond that is just too much trouble.

[Khan]

Well I never look much into the stories of the game, I look more into the gameplay and whatnot. I am a big fan of Eiji Aonuma's work, I trust him and Shigeru Miyamoto knows his games, I support Nintendo and I have supported almost every descicion they make. What I don't like is the fact that people already have this game on the top of their "Favorite Game" list, Nintendo's first party games have always been exceptionally good but I have no doubt in my mind that this game will be over rated and overhyped.

[Alunissage]

So...that's other people's expectations, not yours, then.

I'm not sure why I'm being so persistent on this -- fighting the uphill battle of trying to get people to wait and see rather than go overboard in either direction, I guess.

[Khan]

It's not as if I'm dead set with my expectations, I don't have much to base my expectations on, but when others find out I don't think this game will be great they go ballistic...I geuss my opinion is more or less based on Fanboy-ism and such acts.

[Silver Phoenix]

I really didn't enjoy Ocarina of Time, and I get annoyed when the tasks of obtaining heart containers becomes a chore. I liked Wind Waker because it had some nostalgia to it, and it was a very expressive game. Yeah the sailing sucked, and I didn't like everything about the game but I liked the story. I'm glad they're implementing some of the gameplay mechanics from Wind Waker, such as the quick attack by hitting a button when prompted. I hope Twilight Princess has some original music from the NES game, but beefed up of course. I liked the music in Minish Cap when you go into the Royal Crypt, because it was a remixed version of the dungeon music from the first Legend of Zelda.

[Khan]

speaking of music, this is the possible Twilight Princess overworld theme

http://www.legendofzeldaseries.com/videos/tpmusic.mp3