Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[Mop it up]

Anyway, didn't Miyamoto kill this debate when he said that he personally is ambidextrous, so pretty much all his characters (notably Link and Mario) are as well?

Mario is ambidextrous? I haven't seen him ever use anything with his left hand.

I haven't seen him use anything with his right hand.

Throws fireballs, swings baseball bats, tennis rackets, golf clubs, throws baseballs, etc. He does it all with his right hand.

[Caterkiller]

Even the slightest bit of anything gets me excited. Especialy after reading that "this zelda wont be that different" from previous instalments. 

Really looking forward to some outrageous settings. TP was too safe even with the temple in the sky, didn't look "sky" enough.

[Chozo Ghost]

I'm really not very interested in swinging the remote every single ****ing time I want to swing the sword.  Just think about how much you swing the sword in a Zelda game.  If you have to actually swing the damn controller every single time your arm is going to be silly putty after an hour.  And Zelda isn't a game you pick up and play for 10 minutes.  It sucks you in so that hours go by like minutes.  Swinging the actual sword will impress rubes for five minutes and then become a big chore.

Zelda isn't about swinging a sword.  It's about having an adventure.  Metroid is also about having an adventure and that's why Metroid Prime Hunters is worthless piss because some small-minded idiot saw that you shoot stuff and thought that shooting stuff was the whole point.  I also don't like Metroid Prime 3 nearly as much as the first two MP games for the same reason.

If you're making a Zelda game and the first thing you think of is swinging the sword then you're setting yourself up to make a ****ty Zelda game.  If you give it the scope of the other Zelda games then you're going to destroy the player's arm.  But if you cut back the scope to better accomodate sword swinging mechanics then you're stripping out the adventure and thus the whole reason Zelda is anything.  The whole thing is recipe for disaster.  I will be very impressed if Nintendo pulls it off.  I really hope they do.  I don't think they can because I think motion control is too limiting and one dimensional but I certainly hope they can prove me wrong on that.

What Miyamoto should truly focus on is making the player feel like they themselves are on the adventure.  It has nothing to do with a sword and a shield or an elf dressed like Robin Hood.

You would have a good point, except that you don't actually need to swing the remote in order to swing the sword. Unless I'm mistaken (and I don't think I am, but I could be because I haven't played it in awhile), in Twilight Princess you could swing the sword either by swinging the remote, OR you could also do it via button presses ala standard controls. So I'm pretty sure you had both methods available at the same time instead of one or the other.

If this turns out to be the case in the new Zelda game, will you withdraw your criticism?

[Stratos]

I'm really not very interested in swinging the remote every single ****ing time I want to swing the sword.  Just think about how much you swing the sword in a Zelda game.  If you have to actually swing the damn controller every single time your arm is going to be silly putty after an hour.  And Zelda isn't a game you pick up and play for 10 minutes.  It sucks you in so that hours go by like minutes.  Swinging the actual sword will impress rubes for five minutes and then become a big chore.

Zelda isn't about swinging a sword.  It's about having an adventure.  Metroid is also about having an adventure and that's why Metroid Prime Hunters is worthless piss because some small-minded idiot saw that you shoot stuff and thought that shooting stuff was the whole point.  I also don't like Metroid Prime 3 nearly as much as the first two MP games for the same reason.

If you're making a Zelda game and the first thing you think of is swinging the sword then you're setting yourself up to make a ****ty Zelda game.  If you give it the scope of the other Zelda games then you're going to destroy the player's arm.  But if you cut back the scope to better accomodate sword swinging mechanics then you're stripping out the adventure and thus the whole reason Zelda is anything.  The whole thing is recipe for disaster.  I will be very impressed if Nintendo pulls it off.  I really hope they do.  I don't think they can because I think motion control is too limiting and one dimensional but I certainly hope they can prove me wrong on that.

What Miyamoto should truly focus on is making the player feel like they themselves are on the adventure.  It has nothing to do with a sword and a shield or an elf dressed like Robin Hood.

You would have a good point, except that you don't actually need to swing the remote in order to swing the sword. Unless I'm mistaken (and I don't think I am, but I could be because I haven't played it in awhile), in Twilight Princess you could swing the sword either by swinging the remote, OR you could also do it via button presses ala standard controls. So I'm pretty sure you had both methods available at the same time instead of one or the other.

If this turns out to be the case in the new Zelda game, will you withdraw your criticism?

If it doesn't bring something unique to the table it may as well scratch motion controls entirely. Haven't well all said we don't want a bunch of games replacing button presses with 'waggle' but instead bringing immersive (sp? spellcheck seems to not recognize the word) gameplay to the table?

[Chozo Ghost]

After awhile motion controls might seem to be a chore, but it does have its place when you are just starting out and it seems cool and interesting.

In any case, we seen what sort of control was possible with the wiimote in TP and it was kinda Meh, but I'm genuinely interested in what Motion+ might bring to the table. Having true 1:1 motion control with your sword on the screen could result in actual realistic sword fighting, and if that is the case then it's something actually worth having. If you're just using your sword to mow grass or smash pots then the motion control definitely is a chore like Ian said, and for that you should just use button presses, but for actual combat it could be cool and not a chore at all...

Zelda is a game you spend many hours in, but probably only a quarter of that time is actual combat. If that's the only times we need to mess with swinging a remote around then it wouldn't be too bad.

[Dasmos]

Well Red Steel 2 has been getting mostly positive reviews for it's controls, has it not? I can't see Zelda being more sword-centric than that.

[BeautifulShy]

Nice Avatar Dasmos.

Has any more of the interview been translated?

[Ian Sane]

If this turns out to be the case in the new Zelda game, will you withdraw your criticism?

Yes... well that specific criticism anyway.  If the game design would allow me to just use the classic controller, I'd just play that way.

But then you create a different problem: if I can just use a normal controller then why are you wasting time on this motion control junk in the first place?  If you can use a normal controller then Nintendo has failed because all they truly did was map button presses to gestures.  But if they use just motion control and it's a big chore then they've also failed.  They also fail if the motion control is fun but to make it so the traditional Zelda gameplay is too compromised or dumbed down.

It's a REALLY tricky scenario.  The day Nintendo said the remote would be the new controller standard they set the bar pretty damn high.  To succeed (at least from an artistic or creative point of view) they have to make a game that is of comparable quality to the other Zelda games that uses motion control and does so in a way where not only does the player never for a second wish they could just use the classic controller but that the game just could never be done any other way to begin with.  It's a huge challenge.  If anyone can do it, it's Nintendo, but I fear it might just be something that is impossible for ANY developer to achieve with the technology currently available.

[Stogi]

Can I suggest a solution?

What if there were two types of "waggle"? Outside of "Z" targeting, little wrists flicks would suffice. This would make breaking vases and cutting grass easy and effortless. When "Z" targeting, 1:1 motion swings would be used. This would allow for more advanced enemies that need to be taken down according to their weaknesses. For instance, an enemy has armor that must be cut first with a swing from the left to right, down to bottom, and then a stab.

Best of both worlds?

[King of Twitch]

If...
if   ...
If...
if...
if ...
might...

You don't know anything but you're still worried about one of their biggest franchises turning into a failure, junk, dumbed down, compromised, etc?

if I can just use a normal controller then why are you wasting time on this motion control junk in the first place?

Why the **@( did you buy a Wii in the first place

there is a certain amount of consumer ignorance in the market share which is understandably since Nintendo very cleverly targetted a demographic that was otherwise unfamiliar with videogames. 

Yes, there certainly is a lot of ignorance.

[Ian Sane]

What if there were two types of "waggle"? Outside of "Z" targeting, little wrists flicks would suffice. This would make breaking vases and cutting grass easy and effortless. When "Z" targeting, 1:1 motion swings would be used. This would allow for more advanced enemies that need to be taken down according to their weaknesses. For instance, an enemy has armor that must be cut first with a swing from the left to right, down to bottom, and then a stab.

That is a really good idea!

Why the **@( did you buy a Wii in the first place

Because it had some awesome Nintendo games on it.  This was before the NPC titles were revealed and during a time when Nintendo was a little more frequent with releases.  And later this month one of my most anticipated games comes out so the purchase still validates itself from time to time.

[Stogi]

What if there were two types of "waggle"? Outside of "Z" targeting, little wrists flicks would suffice. This would make breaking vases and cutting grass easy and effortless. When "Z" targeting, 1:1 motion swings would be used. This would allow for more advanced enemies that need to be taken down according to their weaknesses. For instance, an enemy has armor that must be cut first with a swing from the left to right, down to bottom, and then a stab.

That is a really good idea!

Well if I thought of it, then I'm sure Nintendo has as well.

[BlackNMild2k1]

What if there were two types of "waggle"? Outside of "Z" targeting, little wrists flicks would suffice. This would make breaking vases and cutting grass easy and effortless. When "Z" targeting, 1:1 motion swings would be used. This would allow for more advanced enemies that need to be taken down according to their weaknesses. For instance, an enemy has armor that must be cut first with a swing from the left to right, down to bottom, and then a stab.

That is a really good idea!

Well if I thought of it, then I'm sure Nintendo has as well.

especially since this is not the first time it's been mentioned.

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/events/091030qa/index.html
Miyamoto just had another interview and talks about Zelda TS & Zelda Wii.
IT's in Japanese, but GAF has already translated some of it.

[Zelda ST] will be really fun. It's turning out to be rather challenging. Many of our Japanese customers were introduced to the Zelda series with Phantom Hourglass, and ST could prove to be kind of hard for them, but I thought we'd show them what Zelda is really made of this time around. So it's turning into quite a unique title.

We've managed to gather quite a few creative team members for Zelda ST, so I'd like Zelda Wii to also enjoy creative development as much as possible.

About MotionPlus. We're implementing it so that players can feel like they themselves are holding the sword. In the previous Zelda (TP Wii) the targeting was based on the IR pointer. This time however, we'll be using MotionPlus for a variety of more convenient targeting systems that will allow for more pleasant gameplay.

Full English Translation: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/091030qa/index.html

I was hoping you'd ask about the most recent Zelda for DS. On December 23rd in Japan we are going to release The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, a sequel of Phantom Hourglass. It's really fun and challenging. On the other hand it might be a bit difficult for many new Japanese Zelda players who experienced their first adventure on Phantom Hourglass. I believe Spirit Tracks have achieved a unique style and I think you can anticipate the core value of Zelda!
And the new Zelda for Wii is beyond that. On developing the recent Zelda for DS, I found out that one of Zelda's core appeals is its uniqueness. Of course we are preparing gorgeous graphics for the sake of users' anticipation for a grand role-playing adventure. But what I believe is very important is the realistic, actual feeling players have experienced themselves; the feeling to have really been on an adventure, to have explored the unknown terrains, to have solved the puzzle through trial and errors, to have themselves grown through various experiences! In that sense, a personal sense of creativity is becoming important among us. We have assembled one of the most creative team for the recent Zelda for DS, and we want to be as creative as possible for upcoming Wii Zelda.
And on a more tangible note, we are utilizing Wii MotionPlus. What has been disclosed so far is that we are finding the most efficient way to utilize Wii MotionPlus to realize the realistic and actual feeling of fighting with the sword. As for targeting, we are utilizing the pointing system of Wii Remote on the previous title. This time we are planning a more convenient and comfortable pointing system.

[Stogi]

That's one of the greatest quotes I've ever read.

[Ian Sane]

But what I believe is very important is the realistic, actual feeling players have experienced themselves; the feeling to have really been on an adventure, to have explored the unknown terrains, to have solved the puzzle through trial and errors, to have themselves grown through various experiences!

Now THAT is what Zelda is about and the exact line of thinking one should have when designing a new Zelda game!

[Caterkiller]

That quote is nice to read. If Ian is excited everyone should be excited.

[EasyCure]

But what I believe is very important is the realistic, actual feeling players have experienced themselves; the feeling to have really been on an adventure, to have explored the unknown terrains, to have solved the puzzle through trial and errors, to have themselves grown through various experiences!

Now THAT is what Zelda is about and the exact line of thinking one should have when designing a new Zelda game!

This is the first time in my few years as a regular here that I've seen Ian use an emoticon other than

With that said;

QUOTED FOR REMEMBERANCE OF AN EPIC MOMENT

[Peachylala]

*clap clap*

[Caterkiller]

The guy in the interview was really being tough on nintendo with one of his questions. Basicly saying "I don't see how you guys are going to pull your selves out of this slump". Did anyone read the entire thing?

[Peachylala]

Is that honestly surprising anymore?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Press won't ask the real questions, like "Where is Dynamic Slash?"

[BlackNMild2k1]

Zelda to surprise at next years E3

Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has told ONM to expect surprises at next year's E3 as Nintendo prepares to reveal an overhaul of the critically-acclaimed series.

When asked how different the new Zelda title will be when it arrives on Wii next year, Aonuma replied: "It is something we used to talk about with Mr Miyamoto, and he and I agree that if we are following the same structure again and again, we might not be able to give long time Zelda fans a fresh surprise."

"So we have been trying something new in terms of the structure of the Wii version of the new Zelda game this time. I am really hopeful that people will be surprised with the changes we have implemented for this Wii version."

Aonuma also confirmed that alongside full MotionPlus support, we'll be able to see more of what his team have been working on at next year's E3. "I hope that we can show you something at the E3 show next year and it is something we are hopeful will be surprising," he added.

The full, in-depth interview with Eiji Aonuma will be published in Official Nintendo Magazine issue 51, out December 18th. Issue 50, which contains the world's first Zelda: Spirit Tracks review, an exclusive Shigeru Miyamoto interview and much more, goes on sale from Friday 20th November. You can buy Official Nintendo Magazine online right here and get it delivered to your door, or even subscribe if the mood takes you. You get a copy of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games if you fancy it.

So we're guaranteed surprises from the next Zelda game on Wii but what do you think they will be? Tell us in the comments thread!

+completely overhauled so that it feels like a new and fresh experience
+Full Motion Plus support

+Free copy of M&S@Olympic Winter games with copy of ONM?

[BeautifulShy]

Somebody in Europe better get that issue.

As far as these details I am excited about them.
E3 is in June?

[Caterkiller]

Yay, I love reading anything about Zelda. I don't understand... first TP is going to be the last of its kind. Then Miyamoto goes on to say how he believes the new ZELDA isn't that different. Now it's something fresh in terms of structure and obviously control. I think we could all see that this new Zelda was going to be something new and different. But I still can't shake Miyamoto's words.

You know I just thought of something. I'm wondering about that news story which stated that Charles Martinette wanted to voice Link. Charles obviously knew something about the character himself if he was approaching Miyamoto like that and most surely knows he does nothing but grunt, yell and on occasion actually yell "over here!". But this is my theory...

Charles Martinet may have seen a Casting Call by Nintendo for the latest Zelda game, one which would feature full on voice work. Of course there were probably a billion things to audition for as far as main characters go, but of course there was no Link. Charles probably figured "hey where is Link on this casting list? maybe that already know they guy they want! I'm talking to Miyamoto directly about this outrage! I should always have first dibs! I'm Mr Nintendo dagnabit!".

Basically the only reason why we got that news bit about Charles and Link lately is because there is indeed going to be voice work in the latest Zelda game, and wondering why Link wasn't on that list, Charles went directly to Miyamoto. When you think about it, why would Charles Martinette approach Miyamoto on a game that he knows is absolutely silent? And if this happened years ago back in the 64 or GCN days it's odd that we are only hearing about it now.

I would like some voice work but it wouldn't kill me if it weren't there.

Found this on several sites, a few days ago.
http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=104332

“I spoke to Mr. Miyamoto and said: “I wanna be Link, I wanna be Link”, and Miyamoto told me that Link isn’t going to have a voice; he is going to stay the way he is. Of course Mr. Miyamoto is always right! The way it works right now is the way it is supposed to be. It’s the genius of Miyamoto and he knows just the right formula for making his games more fun and more exciting. For example in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, If things slowed down for Mario to express his inner feelings it just wouldn’t work and this way it keeps our hearts pounding with enthusiasm.” - Charles Martinet