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In the past, we've discussed Zelda's shift back to a more mature style and whether it would do best to be released on GameCube or Wii. Are Nintendo making the right decisions with their most highly anticipated title in years?
Not only is Nintendo making the right decision, they are making the best decision for themselves, and for the legion of fans that have stood by waiting for this title to be released. As for the visuals, the switch to the grittier look is a great move; not only are Nintendo fans taking notice of the great visuals and the mature theme, but so are casual gamers. This causes wider audiences to accept a game on a Nintendo console, something that many haven't been able to do for years. People were scared, yes scared, of Nintendo's last Legend of Zelda offering. Clamoring to get away from the pretty visuals and the gender confused elves. Was there a great story to the title? Were there epic battles to be fought? Was there a really great control system to be played with? Of course, but that didn't stop from the visuals becoming the most talked about problem, cementing Nintendo's "we are kiddy" image in every Sony/Microsoft fanboy's heart.
Since the announcement at E3 this year of a dual release, on both the Wii and the GameCube, not only will GameCube fans finally be able to finally take back the land with their Hylian hero, but new gamers, joining for the first time on the Wii, will be able to unite in the fight against Ganondorf. This creates a great opportunity for a mass adoption of the Zelda name on a large scale. The Wii is expected to be a great system for Nintendo, both from a business standpoint and from a critically acclaimed standpoint. Having a flagship title such as The Legend of Zelda debuting with their new system is not only a smart business move, it's also a great move to be able to get it into the hands of millions of gamers. The fact that a current-generation title could possibly sweep "Game of the Year" nominations in the face of next-generation competition shows that Nintendo needs to be taken seriously. Not only are they finally giving GameCube gamers what they had been promising for years now, but they will also give them the chance to try it on the Wii, and to play Zelda like they've never played it before.
Get excited.
Creating a more dark, a more gritty Zelda, with amazing visuals and a mature storyline not only entices regular Nintendo fans (who really would have purchased the title regardless) to purchase and play through the masterpiece, but also shows that Nintendo cares about gamers in general. Everyone, I don't care where their allegiance lied, enjoyed the look of the SpaceWorld Zelda Demo from the fall of 2000 over the look of Wind Waker. And the fact that they are releasing this title not only to GameCube players, but also to incoming Wii gamers (Wiiners? Ouch...), gives the title to that many more gamers in a single instance. Creating this title in this way not only breaks the ice for the start of a few million seller, but it also solidifies Nintendo's stance on the casual gamer, that they will listen, that they will be heard, and that GameCube and Wii, or better yet, Nintendo, will not go quietly into the night.
Not at all. The Wind Waker graphics, cartoonish as they were, represented a refreshing departure in art style for Nintendo. Paper Mario and Yoshi's Story danced around the edges, but Wind Waker really took this new art direction to an extreme, and to cast it aside to feed public demand was, in my opinion, a mistake. Zelda's never been about realism, and to appease fanboy clamoring for a gritty, realistic Zelda was Nintendo simply bowing to pressure, a tactic which I've never known them to use in the past. Nintendo has always blazed new ground in gaming, often throwing their weight around to control other companies and doing their own thing in spite of what gamers everywhere want. You need look no farther than the cartridge-based N64 or the non DVD-playing GameCube to see examples of this. I don't see why Zelda, one of the last Nintendo franchises to still interest gamers, should be tainted by some slobbering fanboys' desire to have a photorealistic Zelda to dream about. And I'm talking about the princess, not the game.
The Wii already has enough flagship titles without adding Zelda to the list. Excite Truck, Wii Sports, Mario Galaxy - these alone should be enough to showcase the possibilities held in the Wiimote (I can be punny too) without changing so much in their Zelda games that they resemble the Zelda of old in name only. The graphic restyling is enough; I don't think that adding in motion capabilities and whatever else they decide to tack onto a game that was essentially complete is the way to garner "'Game of the Year' nominations."
I'm not saying that I'm not excited about the way it looks - the video shown at E3 looked absolutely gorgeous - I'm just saying that Zelda, apart from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, has always been a cartoony game. The Zelda universe looses part of its fantastic edge when translated into a facade of extreme reality, and Nintendo's got a lot of work to do if they want to maintain the Zelda canon but keep the game lifelike. The fact that they're extending development of Twilight Princess to incorporate Wii control smacks of the ever-popular Nintendo gimmick to me, and need I go over a quick list of Nintendo's short-lived and rarely-used gimmicks? Game Boy Camera/Printer, Power Pad, ROB, Super Scope, N64 Expansion Pak, N64 Transfer Pak, GameCube 56K/Broadband Adapter - the list goes on, but Nintendo's "but look at THIS" success does not. Nintendo is great when they develop something for a specific purpose, but sticking functionality onto existing products is not exactly their strong suit.
Agree or disagree, it's up to you who you felt had a stronger case against the cause. Within the next day, we'll be posting a thread on our forums for you to argue your point. We'd love to hear your feedback on our rationale, and to hear your own opinions of the discussion.
