Zelda for Gamecube
During the recent Spacworld press conference, Miyamoto and Nintendo revealed a minute long video of Zelda for Gamecube. The first thing everyone noticed was the cartoon graphics engine choosen for the game.
A reason was behind this choice. Nintendo thought the tech-demo look of Zelda Cube (revealed at last year's Spaceworld) was too "mature" and younger gamers would be turned off or their parents would not buy the game, even though every Zelda game has been rated "E for Everyone" by the ESRB. So, to preserve the younger crowd, Nintendo sacrificed their older crowd, the gamers who have been loyal to Nintendo since the beginning (like me). I feel betrayed. Adding insult to injury, Nintendo already knew what the new Zelda would look like BEFORE they released the tech demo. Meaning, the tech demo was a mere lie. Although the tech demo was never stated to be what the game was like, I'm still very angry.
However, I could live with this choice if it was mere artistical style. But it's not. Not only are the graphics cartoony, the presentation is as well. During the video, we see Link (who acts like a punk kid, rather than the Legendary Hero) stab an enemy in the butt, and then the enemy grabs its rear with tears streaming down its face. In another scene, enemies barge into a floorless room. They try unsuccessfully to climb the air before they fall (much like in Looney Tunes cartoons...from the 50s!!). Link then winks at the camera, his pursuers vanquished. A sad, sad day in the history of Zelda.
But, during the video we bear witness to super-silky smooth animations that would make Sony's Playstation 2 (and other Gamecube games at that!) turn green with envy. In one impressive scene, Link backflips over a rather large enemy's head, wacking him in the skull in mid flight with his sword before landing on the other side. Combat looks excellent.
We know nothing about the actual gameplay thus far. A rumor has been circulating that we'll be able to fully control Link's sword swings with the C-Stick, much like weilding the Time Net in Ape Escape for Playstation. If the game has a good plot and keeps all the classic Zelda ideas in place (puzzles, characters to meet and item management), I'll be happy. I just hope Nintendo doesn't make the gameplay too childish along with the graphics. If they do, I will reliquish my love for Zelda and close this site. I won't stand for a 5 year-old's Zelda, and you can quote me on that.
I'm sorry for the lame quality of these pics, they're from the floor show.
Pics From E3 Tech Demo
Rumored Zelda Game
At IGN, there are message boards that I actively particpate in (as EmperorMajora). Apparently, there is a rumor circulating of the existance of a second Gamecube Zelda game. This is just a RUMOR, but there are no details, just pictures at this time. The pictures are not of a cel-shaded nature, but are not exactly what you'd expect. None the less, if I had created these pictures, I'd be very proud of myself because they are impressive. Take a gander:
Again, this is just a rumor, and I'm not trying to encourage it, I'm just presenting what I hear.
