Guess what art was leaked?

[darkscar888]

We are getting a little to worked up about a picture.

[JordAnime]

Well, it's the nature of the beast, there's a lot of people really passionate about Zelda here.  I think a lot of people have been sensing somewhat of a downward trend in Zelda's popularity and critical acclaim lately, but this picture certianly "stole the show" at E3 in a lot of ways, even when it was still secret, it was one of the biggest pieces of news from the show.  They've probably been working on this one since Twilight Princess was complete and I'm glad to see that Nintendo's taking their time with this one. 

Twilight Princess may have come out at the end of 2006, but they knew the Gamecube was doomed; it's pretty clear it was ready to go in 2005 and was delayed simply to have a big impact on the Wii's launch.  It worked, but I think gamers felt Twilight Princess was very much a day late and a dollar short on the hype that had been building since E3 2004.  Twilight Princess is still one of my favorite Zelda games, it was a financial and critical success, but given the way Nintendo talked about it post-launch, Aonuma's tone at the 2007 Game Developer's Confrence, and Iwata's disappointment of local sales(granted, Zelda has never really been a domestic hit in Japan) I feel that Nintendo looks at Twilight Princess as one of the weaker entries in the series. 

Miyamoto seemed quick to brush off his discussion of Spirit Tracks, a game tat they very much showcased at E3, to talk about a game that, up until that point, had not been formally announce.  I think he's very excited about the project and he even said he wanted to show it off this year, I imagine the illustration was a compromise with Mr. Iwata, rather than showing a full trailer. 

If Zelda Wii does indeed make it out for holiday of next year it'll have been four years since the release of Twilight Princess, it's the longest gap so far between a modern Zelda game, but if there's one thing that I know, is that Nintendo is famous for its delays, so I'd really be surprised if I were playing a new Zelda game in 2010.  With NSMB Wii coming out this year, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M scheduled for 2010, Nintendo may very well "Smash Bros. Brawl" Zelda into 2011, I just hope they don't reserve it for a holiday if it's done simply to fit into a calender release.

[darkscar888]

........ I just hope they don't reserve it for a holiday if it's done simply to fit into a calender release.

AMEN to that brotha.

[FDLink]

Also, you didn't need to be told about enemies in Twilight Princess. They could all be killed with your sword. ;-)

BOOM! Good call, son. That was one of the biggest disappointments of TP: the fact that virtually any enemy could be killed by wild, unchecked hacking. All you need do is flail the Wii remote repeatedly and your opponent is automatically filleted. Very much unlike the majority of enemies in OoT and MM, who after being hit would either block, counterattack or dodge, thereby preventing the player from just hammering on the sword button over and over to win. Think Stalfos, Tektites, Lizalfos, Iron Knuckles, etc-- if you tried to just hack away at them, you'd be subjecting yourself to frustration, futility and repeated counterattacks.

I also favor a less-involved sidekick, if any sidekick at all. Midna did steal the show, and I remember that when I beat TP I was floored by how much Link's own development was shelved in favor of developing Midna. Link's own role had become negligible, virtually anonymous and interchangeable.

And yeah, it also occurred to me that the girl might be Navi in human form, a la Julia Roberts/Tinkerbell in the movie Hook. Considering how much this Link looks like the Hero of Time, I'm willing to put my groundless speculation on that. The whole story arc of Link looking for Navi in MM was never resolved and I always felt kinda cheated by that... so if this game continues where MM left off with the Hero of Time and Navi's supposed reunion, I will be very delighted.

I feel that Nintendo looks at Twilight Princess as one of the weaker entries in the series.

As well they should. If they of all people could come out and address TP's shortcomings, it would restore my faith in them to deliver the masterpiece we've all been waiting for since MM.

[Be_yourself]

If our speculation is halfway accurate(which is...well...only halfway likely if that) and this game is either about
-The mastersword
-OoT Link trying to find Navi
-A combination of both
then i would say that our worries about an overly domineering assistant would be unfounded, but only in the case of story (i.e Ganondorf would notice link in a showdown).

The mastersword is so closely linked to Link and his destiny that even if Nintendo tried to shaft him there would be some overlap, the idea is very close to the basic roots of Zelda that its nearly one and the same, i.e they wouldn't be adding twilight realms and foreign forces to mingle with already known ones, although it may redefine some canon as we know it...

If it is OoT link and Navi pictured then, well there is the story, again Navi is so close to link that even if Ninty don't want to focus on him the relationship between Link and Navi and why he searched after her...

I just want this game to be better then TWW and TP, i think they both had their strong points, but overall they just didn't cut out to be up to the standards of OoT and MM, they both excelled and failed in different ways we need a mix, and a solid game with a solid story and solid gameplay, with consistent quality... Thats what i hope for, i don't think we will get the masterpiece that we wished for since MM but i think we have the best chance for an excellent zelda game right now as, Aonuma has two and a half games experience, they will be making a new engine for Zelda, they realise the need for change now more then ever and they are taking their time and working their arses off...

EDIT: Holy crap...i just realised, Link doesn't have the hylian shield either...his shield is circle...has no-one else seen that or am i just slow on the uptake...Perhaps link is getting a bit of a makeover...

[chibimoon]

You know what would throw people for a loop? If that fairy was the fucking villain of the game. Holy shit! The Zelda franchise needs some radical new ideas to stay on top or to even stay a GOOD franchise. I'm sorry, but it's true. I'll always love Zelda and I'll buy the games, but goddamn. Just do something NEW. Some fairy turning into the Master Sword is just a gimmicky idea that's actually kind of cliche.

This isn't a half bad idea. Except for the probability of it coming true being so low, it's not bad otherwise. Sure would be a nice twist to what we're used to.

Or maybe it's not even an adventure game. Maybe it's a Zelda sim? Where you need to build a home for Link, and have a family. You don't need a sword for that, just a shield to protect yourself from your wife and slide from hills and such.

That girl could be his wife, because we know the love between Zelda and Link will never be.

Another far-fetched idea that could work but will never happen. ;_;

(stop playing Sims 3, dammit)

If our speculation is halfway accurate(which is...well...only halfway likely if that) and this game is either about
-The mastersword
-OoT Link trying to find Navi
-A combination of both
then i would say that our worries about an overly domineering assistant would be unfounded, but only in the case of story (i.e Ganondorf would notice link in a showdown).

If he was trying to find Navi, surely this implies a post-OoT game, which doesn't fit into the whole girl-is-master-sword thing, since we know the Master Sword wasn't turned into a girl at the end of OoT (or MM, for that matter). Though Link DID have a round shield in MM but that was in Termina...the most plausible speculation so far is that the game could be about the origins of the Master Sword, though I'm not sure how that fits in with the girl resembling the Fairy Queen from TWW (not up to speed with the timelines stuff but pretty sure TWW happens many years after OoT/MM occurred?).

And please, no more Navi. I've had enough of that blue thing and I can't imagine having to play a game where one of the main purposes is to search for her. :\

[hello_echoes]

@ chibi: I suppose it doesn't have to fit in with the girl=master sword thing. after all, we don't know if that's true.

And as it's already been mentioned by someone, the real problem with Midna was her dominance in character development over the other already established MAIN characters. If Link was shafted in that game, Zelda herself was even more. She didn't even really seem to have a definitive personality. She acted more like a place holder than anything, like some random element just to move the plot along.

I just get tired of sidekicks when the game solely focuses on THEM and everyone else gets pushed into the background.

[alexkenny]

@ chibi: I suppose it doesn't have to fit in with the girl=master sword thing. after all, we don't know if that's true.

And as it's already been mentioned by someone, the real problem with Midna was her dominance in character development over the other already established MAIN characters. If Link was shafted in that game, Zelda herself was even more. She didn't even really seem to have a definitive personality. She acted more like a place holder than anything, like some random element just to move the plot along.

I just get tired of sidekicks when the game solely focuses on THEM and everyone else gets pushed into the background.

Thats true. Midna does sorta have an... ego. I mean in MM when you found Tatl, you only heard about her in the beginning and the end. And Navi was never really important either. Zelda was just... there... in TP.

[Be_yourself]

@ chibi
Link didn't have a round shield in MM, he had the normal hylian shield, the mirror shield was round, but this doesn't look like the mirror shield. It looks like a round hylian shield, but that could just be the drawing...

Secondly, The game could be about the master sword and navi, it would just mean the blue character is not likely the master sword or that it is and navi is not pictured and it was a lucky guess...the two are not mutually exclusive...

[alexkenny]

@ chibi
Link didn't have a round shield in MM, he had the normal hylian shield, the mirror shield was round, but this doesn't look like the mirror shield. It looks like a round hylian shield, but that could just be the drawing...

To sum up what he is saying... Loink got the ROUND mirror shield in MM in the Bottom of the Well and the Small Hylian shield he had at the beginning. The MM mirror shield is round but not the ones in Oot, WW, Mc, or any others.

[chibimoon]

And as it's already been mentioned by someone, the real problem with Midna was her dominance in character development over the other already established MAIN characters. If Link was shafted in that game, Zelda herself was even more. She didn't even really seem to have a definitive personality. She acted more like a place holder than anything, like some random element just to move the plot along.

Agreed, much as I liked Midna. Her part in TP was too prominent for a sidekick and the story focused on her completely. But I'm not going to rehash all this again.

@ chibi
Link didn't have a round shield in MM, he had the normal hylian shield, the mirror shield was round, but this doesn't look like the mirror shield. It looks like a round hylian shield, but that could just be the drawing...

Yeah I know the Mirror Shield was round but the only thing in the pic that could indicate it's a Hylian Shield is the blue-ish tinge to what little we can see of the shield face. That could really be anything. *shrug*

[hupla]

I will never understand why people hate on Minda for having the story be about her. It was her strory and a damn good one at that. Screw Link and Zelda they dont need the story focused on them because they alredy had about 10 games telling the stories of link and zelda and those stories were awful.

[Be_yourself]

I will never understand why people hate on Minda for having the story be about her. It was her strory and a damn good one at that. Screw Link and Zelda they dont need the story focused on them because they alredy had about 10 games telling the stories of link and zelda and those stories were awful.

I disagree, i liked OoT's story and thats a big part of why i liked the game in the first place, and thats really the only attempt at a Zelda/link story that we have had that is supposed to do more then just spice the gameplay...

TWW does count as well, although some people complained about Korl dominance, but a lot of people liked that story too.

I think a big reason people are dissapointed with TP's story not focussing on Link is because it wasn't just a story about the twilight world which link happened to get caught up in, it was about Link, Zelda and Ganondorf as well but the final joining together of the Twilight and Hylian stories never eventuated, it was just a twilight Story with Ganondorf and Zelda thrown in as cameos....

[alexkenny]

I will never understand why people hate on Minda for having the story be about her. It was her strory and a damn good one at that. Screw Link and Zelda they dont need the story focused on them because they alredy had about 10 games telling the stories of link and zelda and those stories were awful.

My gosh, you're so right... but so wrong.
Pros
Link and Zelda have had an assload of games about them, so I guess it's time for a story just involving them.
Midna was pretty cool.
SOME of thee stories didn't develop very well

Cons
90% of Zelda games don't suck!
Link and Zelda are the main protagonists in the series, so....
We don't hate Midna, it's just that TP concentrated a little too much on her.

[Shin Illuminated]

Mmmno...I hate Midna.

[alexkenny]

For the reasons he said?

[Deku]

Seriously.

I'm wondering if I even want to play this if you're just gonna be stuck with another dead weight side kick.

You don't know anything about the game or the sidekick yet and you're already questioning whether you want to play it?  I am no fan of "dead weight" side kicks either, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

And while none of us can be certain about anything with this upcoming game (except that it's not TP Link), I will be very surprised if the master sword theory isn't right.  I think it's a great idea and I'm very excited about the possibilities.  Doesn't sound "gimmicky" to me.  But even if it turns out to be gimmicky, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by Nintendo.

[alexkenny]

Seriously.

I'm wondering if I even want to play this if you're just gonna be stuck with another dead weight side kick.

I am no fan of "dead weight" side kicks either, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

Neither am I, but everyone IS jumping to conclusion. As DarScar said, we ARE getting too hyped up about a simple picture.

[hello_echoes]

Dude, WW had the best story as far as character development is concerned. And Hupla, if you don't like Link and Zelda then I don't think this is the series for you....after all, they're the main characters. Hopefully they will continue to, as they say, "have screen time" because of this fact and if they don't well.....this may not be the series for me, since part of the reason I like these games is because of it's main characters.

I don't mind introductions of new characters, I just don't want to play The Legend of Zelda if it's not going to be about what makes Zelda Zelda.

[alexkenny]

Dude, WW had the best story as far as character development is concerned. And Hupla, if you don't like Link and Zelda then I don't think this is the series for you....after all, they're the main characters. Hopefully they will continue to, as they say, "have screen time" because of this fact and if they don't well.....this may not be the series for me, since part of the reason I like these games is because of it's main characters.

I don't mind introductions of new characters, I just don't want to play The Legend of Zelda if it's not going to be about what makes Zelda Zelda.

  Y'know? I was thinkin the same thing, I just didn't say. If you are so concerned about the story being about Link and Zelda, why play it? Its called the Legend of Zelda for a reason.
  Wind Waker is a good one, It's in my top 5. Its one Toon Link game I can let pass. I think MM has the best storyline regarding what happens to Link throughout the story, the temples, what happens inside of them, and just... everything about it!