| Legend of Zelda Gamecube |
June 03, 2002 - It's been a long road coming, but Nintendo's most highly regarded Legend of Zelda franchise is well on its way to GameCube. It all started when the company unveiled the GameCube hardware for the first time at its Space World 2000 show, demonstrating a brief clip of what was to be the new Zelda. More or less a technical demonstration, it showed off fantastic visuals of a duel between Link and Ganondorf, highlighting slick texture effects and even motion captured animations. Indeed, franchise fanatics were elated by its potential. After a year of silence, just weeks before the Japanese GameCube launch, at Space World 2001 Nintendo sent the industry into a state of shock by revealing the brand-new, completely cel-shaded Legend of Zelda. The drastic change in visuals from real world fantasy to cartoon left fans of the series torn and even vehemently upset. It wasn't until the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2002, after nine months of complete hiatus, that Nintendo revealed a fully playable Legend of Zelda, still without a final name and still very cel-shaded. Composed of five different levels, the demonstration was every bit as breathtaking as Zelda fans could have hoped for. It showed off tight control mechanics, a magnificent visual style, and the same clever gameplay that the series is renowned for. After extensive hands-on time, it's clear the new Legend of Zelda is on track to be one of the most rewarding and epic adventures of this generation. The cel-shading twist, while not a choice all Zelda fans agree with, is undeniably charming and will play a huge part in delivering that classic Nintendo magic. Features New storyline sends Link on a quest to rescue his sister Arilla Rooted in the same gameplay mechanics found in The Ocarina of Time Gameplay elements include action, stealth, boss fights, and so much more Advanced cel-shading technology breaths new life into Zelda, making it one of the first true "interactive cartoons" Detailed animation makes every moment feel more alive Game engine produces vivid graphics with sophisticated lighting, unique particle effects, and more Surround sound support includes Dolby Pro Logic II and other compatible Dolby surround modes 480p progressive scan support for HDTV users Planned February 2003 US release, year-end 2002 release in Japan The Story Not much is known about the storyline details, but you should first understand where the Legend of Zelda last left off. Link had saved the world in The Ocarina of Time and continued on a sort of side adventure next. In Marjora's Mask, the last Legend of Zelda for home consoles, the story reads, "In the land of Hyrule, there echoes a legend. A legend held dearly by the Royal Family that tells of a boy. A boy who, after battling evil and saving Hyrule, crept away from that land that had made him a legend. Done with the battles he once waged across time, he embarked on a journey. A secret and personal journey. A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend. A friend with whom he parted ways when he finally fulfilled his heroic destiny and took his place among legends." Before he reaches this friend he gets sidetracked in Termina, a land warped by time. The only "friend" he really meets up with is Skull Kid, who could hardly be considered to fit the aforementioned description of a "beloved and invaluable friend." With this in mind, we can speculatively attempt to tie the latest storyline of Majora's Mask with Link's new GameCube adventure. In his newest adventure, Link is seen living a normal life with family members. Gamers will be introduced to his grandmother and an even more important character, his sister Arilla. Is she the beloved and invaluable friend Link was on his way to meet when he got sidetracked in Termina? Perhaps, but there's no confirmation of this. It's only something to consider at this point. In the first and only demonstration of the game at E3 2002, it isn't long before a huge, menacing bird snatches Arilla away, kidnapping her for unknown reasons. Once again Link is destined and obligated to be the hero. He sets out on a new epic adventure that has players sailing the high seas, sneaking into prison camps, and dueling with bosses hundreds of times his size. At this point, the story sadly sounds generic and not nearly as creative as the epic dynamics created in The Ocarina of Time. Link has always been a mysterious child from a place even unknown to him. He's experienced dark visions and gathered the sacred Triforce pieces, a cornerstone of the Zelda franchise. We can only hope that this family life, this very commonplace storyline is far removed from what evils and mysteries lie beneath the surface. Legend of Zelda on GameCube will clearly be excellent in the gameplay department, but we don't want to see Nintendo neglect the potential drama of the Zelda world in favor of the new cartoon style. A Word About Cel-Shading We were torn over Nintendo's decision to make Zelda an interactive cartoon. The brief demonstration at Space World 2001 was shocking because of the drastic change from the original Space World 2000 demo. On the one hand, it was impressive cel-shading, but why use it on the Legend of Zelda franchise and not something like Mario, or even something new? Whatever the case, Nintendo's choice is clearly set in stone and now that we've seen a fully playable version on GameCube, we'd be lying if we couldn't admit to its incomparable charm. It looks and feels very similar to the style in A Link to the Past on the SNES, which is regarded as one of the best Zeldas ever. Our only qualm may be Nintendo's exaggerated, anime styled Link design. With wide eyes, big dark pupils and floppy hair, he doesn't quite seem like the same mysterious Link. His underdeveloped screams and grunts in combination with his new facial animations -- smiles and winks -- take away his obscurity. Link borders too closely on a common boy, especially with his new family ties. It may sound cold, but we'd be more pleased if Link avoided the cute smiles and smirks in favor of a more solemn attitude. In sum, we've accepted the cel-shading and in fact can appreciate it for the potential it has. However, we are wary of the fact that turning Legend of Zelda into a cartoon will bleed beyond the graphical style and stain the series' anonymity. The player is intended to feel like Link. This is why there is no vocalization and the story is moved along with text. If Link becomes too obvious, grinning and being clever when the player doesn't feel this, it could have a profound effect on the atmosphere as a whole. That said, we hope Nintendo finds the right balance by the time the title is ready for release. Gameplay Legend of Zelda has seen a lot of changes since its inception nearly two decades ago. It started on the NES as a top-down adventure that later saw it fit to inject the debatable 2D side-scrolling elements. Its debut on the SNES was nothing short of stunning, and is still regarded as one of the best 2D games ever created. On the N64 it made the large leap into 3D and changed how designers thought about creating 3D games forever. Certainly, Zelda is always on the cutting edge of technology and game innovation. Of course, the game industry has moved briskly since two decades ago. So, for Zelda on GameCube it is more of an evolution in gameplay than a giant step, as 3D gaming isn't changing much. It's heavily rooted in the lessons Nintendo learned with The Ocarina of Time, but incorporates new elements as well. As Link, gamers are sent out to traverse a huge 3D world with only their wits and, hopefully, a sword in hand. As you progress you will learn new sword techniques, how to use your shield, and even magic. Beyond fighting and exploring, puzzle solving plays a huge part in the Legend of Zelda. Fans would probably even agree it is its trademark. As you move from cavern to dungeon you will push blocks into place to gain access to new areas, use fire arrows to melt your way down an icy path, or flip a switch to turn the world upside down. In The Ocarina of Time, Nintendo cleverly used the elements of music to have players solve puzzles, and in Majora's Mask time travel was a core element. It remains to be seen whether or not the new Legend of Zelda will implement something as inventive. That's not to say that we haven't learned much of the new elements in Zelda on GameCube. One new ability that designer and creator Shigeru Miyamoto was keen to highlight as he demonstrated the game at E3 2002 was that Link now has the ability to pick up weapons that enemies drop. In one level, Link has to defeat a set of foes and use one of the heavier blades they drop to split open a boarded up wooden doorway. It's so seemingly simple on the surface, but it has a lot of potential to extend gameplay. Link's hookshot will also return to send players swinging over chasms and lava pits. It's slightly different than the original hookshot in that Nintendo has exaggerated the effect with some cool animation. As Link casts the rope into the air towards its target, you'll see it wobble and react to a sense of gravity. If you manage to latch on to something, there's a brief animated cut-scene to heighten the effect. If the hookshot was one of your favorite Hyrulian tools before, you're going to love it now. Yet another surprise element in the new Legend of Zelda was Link's ability to sail. So far we've only seen the gameplay demonstrated in mini-game form. It's very similar to Epona race contests in previous games, making it clear your boat will serve as a much needed speed booster and tool to access other islands or parts of the world. But as this mini-game proves, there are also other uses for your boat. Your goal is to collect as many rupees as possible by racing around a fenced area of the ocean. You start off inside the boat and press the R-trigger to raise your sail. Once raised you can steer with the analog stick and take sharper turns by holding the L-trigger. Rupees always float in the air above barrels, so you have to actually jump with your boat to get them. You even have a meter that shows you from which direction the wind is blowing. Naturally, going up against the wind isn't the best way to get rupees fast, so you have to use the winds for best effect to gain speed. It's safe to say that this will be the next "fishing" type mini-game, and hopefully an integral part of your exploration. Speaking of which, we want fishing to return along side it. Why not have an area you could explore and even sail out into the sea to fish? |
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| Left:Old Link Right: New bad cel Link |
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