DISCUSSING THE VISION OF ZELDA (CONTINUED DEBATE ON NEW GAMECUBE ZELDA)

The debate continues about Zelda and this gamer, Shadow Archon, sent me a letter like a few I've gotten proclaiming my being the instigator for people's disenchantment with the latest development regarding Zelda. I wanted to address this issue and provide more information about what I am trying to say when I explain that New Zelda GameCube doesn't live up to the standards set upon it by those who play the games and have lived with the Legend since the very first game. Some say, "well it looks better if you watch the video," and to that I say, I've watched the video about 10 times already, and the only thing that I approved of was the music, the rest was a mockery of what Zelda represents and the Link I saw was a soulless watered down immitation of the real thing. I appreciate all feedback from gamers, and thus I replied to his letter because this matches the tone of a few of the letters I've received over the new Zelda, and it's a worthy topic to discuss at this point in time.

Dear Shadow Archon,

I've addressed this issue on the sites and I hope you've taken the time to read all of my articles including the new material I've recently posted, and a yes a few people don't share in my perspective on the issue, but that is understandable considering we all are unique individuals entitled to unique perspectives. No gamer has simply complained about the game because I told them to, rather, I've received many (several hundred so far) heartfelt letters discussing people's disappointment with the direction the series is moving in after these people already saw the footage of the game. Sure, I agree, what I saw in the video was the best use of Cell-Shading on a video game system to date, surpassing what was done with Jet Grind Radio and maybe Retro Helix, however the ambiance and overall mood of the game is not anything like Ocarina of Time or any Zelda game. It's a deviation. I will explain why.

If you parallel the development of Zelda to the development of Final Fantasy since it's inception, both games have broadened themselves, the most recent culminations not yet released being Final Fantasy X and this new Zelda for gamecube. Final Fantasy presents serious plot devices although they are fictional in nature, it uses storyline to empower and fortify the quality of the game. Zelda 64 did a good job, and I have few complaints. Majora's Mask was an adequate game, however it needed some diversification and depth. But it was acceptable as a side step (subset) rather then a progressive step forward. The new GameCube Zelda, after watching the video presents more of a comedic ambiance to the series. Mind you if this was a spinoff game, I wouldn't be having this conversation because I would already be waiting for the impressive version to appear.

Zelda needs depth. I've been playing Zelda since 1987, and when I was a kid, I didn't invision Link as a cartoon character, I invisioned him as a full fledged chivalrous warrior devoted to his beloved Princess Zelda, travelling across vast fields and forest in search of artifacts to complete his quest. As I grew that image stuck in my mind. In 1992 when A Link to the Past arrived it proved to be the best adventure game that used elements of Fantasy and literature well. It wasn't too mature, but it wasn't immature either. The game didn't embarrass itself with excessive comedic referances, rather it had a few here and there, but it ultimately remained a good adventure. A deviation in the series started with Link's Awakening in 1993. Albeit, LA was supposed to be a continuation of the Link to the Past Experience, but in many ways it wasn't, it lacked something besides color at the time, rather that "feel" that epic image. It was a good fun game, with some cute animals, and little girls, and a giant whale, and instruments, but it was more of a child's fairytale than a true epic quest. Zelda 64 brought forth many great things that Link's Awakening and Link to the Past didn't provide, and gameplay elements that kept people playing for a long time. It had a decent storyline to keep you involved. It wasn't overly "cutsified," and immature. It was just rightly done. The environmental scope could have been larger, Hyrule could have been more expansive, but the N64 just couldn't do everything and still have the game cost the same. That compromise was acceptable and we found a happy medium, and a good game that kids and older gamers enjoyed. Majora's Mask was close to Ocarina in design, and it had improved graphics and some more places to go, but there was something pointless about the storyline, and the lack of the Zelda themes (religious and spiritual mostly) that make you know and feel it's Zelda were absent.

My expectations of GameCube Zelda were to far exceed what appeared on N64, because I know how powerful the unit is, and what capabilities it has. Last year's spaceworld proved that Zelda would be better than ever, the rise of the era of Zelda would begin again. Then this year, it's all changed. Nintendo publicly announces they will be gearing all their games solely for children, and taking out anything that could possibly be considered violent, so Zelda suffers. If you remember they changed the Zelda 64 cartridge so that Ganon didn't spit out Red blood at the end of the game to green blood, we all remember that.

When I saw a puny even more amaturish Link poking Disney Moblins, and winking at the camera, I was devestated, my vision of the game had been shattered. They had truly cheapened the look and feel of the game. I know you're a lot younger than me, we've talked before, so you've not had the time I've had with Zelda to contemplate the "vision" of the game, but anyone my age knows, including people who loved the games for the NES, that what they are doing is catering to small children and sacrificing the ambiance of the series that older gamers expect. Basing the whole premise of the game on comedy is New Zelda GameCube's chief flaw. I could live with a very Anime style Cell-Shading with an Ocarina of Time level plot structure, but the immature link, the excessively cliche'd allusions to cartoon comedy devices on the game ruin the experience of Zelda. The legend is lost, and instead in it's place is a false Link, one that devoid of the spirit of the old one.

The best example I can give is the difference in feeling between the original Star Wars movies and Star Wars Episode 1, it contained childish comedic devices rather than the more mature ones of the original movies. When Han Solo said, "I have a bad feeling about this." it was funny without being stupid. When Jar Jar Binks says, "Meesa Jar Jar Binks. Me follow you..." It's just more of again a cliche'd use of things taken from cartoons and it was stupid filler rather than epic or even well portrayed comedic dialogue. So many people just don't understand the Vision. There are movies that accomplish this well to create that epic feel and then there are many more that try and fail. The original Star Wars Films employed this well, the movie Dune (not the Sci-Fi Channel remake, that sucks compared to the much darker David Lynch version), Gladiator, etc. You know it's good when you are done and you feel like you just got back from this extensive adventure or saw something that made you feel fulfilled. Final Fantasy has always done this for me, and Ocarina of Time satisfied me as well.

I hope I've been able to shed light on this for you. Most of the flaming I get from the 10% of gamers that don't agree with me seem to stem from people that didn't grow up with the games in the same way that I did, or daydreamed about being Link and doing all those things when they were in school. Cartoons are best left as they are, Zelda must remain the epic that it has to be.

From the Desk of Video Gamer X

Back to the Odyssey of Hyrule