Topic: LOZ: 2005

[Michael8983]

I also think we can bet on the wolf playing a HUGE part in the story.
There's no way a scene like that would be included in the trailer if it wasn't really important. I somehow get the feeling it's not evil though. I think the wolf will end up being Link's ally. Between it, the scene with the cats, and the return of "Epona", animal interaction looks like it might be a major factor in the game. It might be this games "wind".

I think those are definitly eyes on the moon too upon further examination.
If that were a photograph of the actual moon I'd say it was people's minds playing tricks on them but this is a VIDEO GAME. Every line, shade, and crater on that moon was intentionally put and those are clearly intended to be vague shadows on the moon's eyes in Majora's Mask.

[Hostile Creation]

"but after looking carefully I found this"
My capture is better

I suspect that this is a new land is the place they've found, and may very well be essential to the plot.  Maybe not as much as Wind Waker was, because it was a major progression, but I think it'll push it along more than Majora's Mask.  I think he's in the same universe and that it's a different Link (as in it's probably Wind Waker Link) and horse.  I'm definitely interested in how it'll turn out.  I'd be just as excited either way.

In addition:
I think the eyes could be intentional, it's possible (if the effect isn't random), but it's as likely to be some sort of homage to Majora's Mask as an actual plot factor.
The wolf I do think is important.  What if Link can transform into a wolf?  I thought about it, and it occurred ot me that if that did happen, that unusual crest of land the wolf is on in the trailer is probably significant as well.  Link can only turn into a wolf there, and at night, and that will add strategy to the game much like the special stump locations in Minish Cap.
Or it could be some sort of NPC, as well.  I can't wait to hear more about this

More worth noting:
Take a look at this screenshot: Old Moon
It's an older screenshot depicting the moon without any sort of distinguishing marks on it.  There's no sign of the moon being the one in Majora's Mask, and I think that if it were a major plot point they would have had some suggestion of it early on.  The large moon is either coincidence or at least not plot-related.
Also, I've been wondering about something in the baboon miniboss (which I'm assuming it is) scene.  When the baboon throws the boomerang at Link, it misses him and hits the evil plant things.  But as it hits them, Link leans back at of the way, and I can't tell whether he's getting hit or if Nintendo has included something else.  Maybe Link is moving out of the way, to make the fact that he wasn't hit seem more realistic.  He may be reacting to that happening so close to him.
I'm not sure, but it's been bugging me.

[Caillan]

Humans will see patterns that don't actually exist. The famous example is Jesus' face in an oil slick or billow of smoke. I really don't think that moon is meant to allude to a face.

[mantidor]

I actually read about this rumor that Link can transform into a wolf and an eagle, and I read about it before this trailer was shown, so of course it now seems a likely possibility. The rumor also said that the game was going to have a sense of loneliness or something like that, which should be interesting, a sense of loneliness? the rumor says it was Aunuma who said that, if it was really him, what could that mean? it was a rumor, so Ill take with a grain of salt, although watching the wolf at the end really surprised me, it would be the first time a rumor has this sort of back up, or maybe it is just coincidence, who knows? (heh, Ive never had so much fun speculating about something)

one thing Im sure is that the trailer wasnt put together carelessly. Every scene was carefully edited to show us enough info to get us all hyped up, but not to much to still have some surprises at E3.  is it the moon from MM? to tell you the truth every time I rewatch the trailer Im more doubtful, because it just doesnt make sense to have a moon with a face, except if they really intend to pay some homage to MM.

and also I really dont think this game is in the lines of MM, as in it is a side quest with few references to Zelda an Hyrule. This has all the looks of being the epic Zelda game everyone  expects, with Ganon, Zelda and Hyrule.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Wolf" and "lone" are often used together, no?

NO?!

"Sense of loneliness" -- it's a an excuse to downplay NPC interaction  *o* YES haw haw haw haw haw

[KnowsNothing]

The last thing I want is a sense of loneliness.  I want huge towns, lots of NPC's of all different races, and tons of hilarious minigames.  Plz.  

[Michael8983]

"and also I really dont think this game is in the lines of MM, as in it is a side quest with few references to Zelda an Hyrule. This has all the looks of being the epic Zelda game everyone expects, with Ganon, Zelda and Hyrule."

The Gamecube already got the epic Zelda game with Ganon, Zelda, and Hyrule.
I just can't imagine that Nintendo would make this anything but a side-quest. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with side-quests. In fact I think in a lot of ways Majora's Mask surpassed OOt and that moon creeped me out more than Ganon ever did. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the game had a better story and villain than any other Zelda game to date. Side-quest really isn't the term we should be using. More than unique-quest as opposed to the same old rescue Zelda and beat Ganon thing. I think Zelda and/or Ganon will at least have a cameo though. Zelda had one in Majora's Mask and Ganon sort of made one in Link's Awakening.

[Hostile Creation]

I think this'll be more of a "unique-quest", as you call it, as well.  I have a very strong feeling that it will not incorporate the typical Triforce plot, and will probably not have any of the other characters (maybe Zelda, depending on a variety of factors; if it's Wind Waker Link she could be there as Tetra).  I think it may move the overall plot along, more than Majora's Mask, but less than Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker.  I've got a pretty good idea of what this'll be, actually, it's just difficult to explain outright, so I'll just wait and see whether or not I've got the right idea.

[mantidor]

I really dont think there wont be towns, so far we are sure theres a castle, and it does seem to be inhabitated, since the torches are lit and all, so the rumor might be pointing out about something else. Maybe its a reference that Link now is more independent, since hes all grown up... ok I have no idea what Im talking about, but Im sure there will be sidequests if the cats are any indication.

[Don'tHate742]

Look, Link has always recieved help, and guidance from several people in all zelda games. In OOT, the deku, Impa, gorons, the talking owl, Zelda, Zoras, the fairy, and even some guards advised Link on what to do next or told Link straight up, what is the problem. I think there will be less of that and less of the "We can't eat, because there is like....a big ass monster and we suck...so...you don't have to help.....but.....help?" It'll be more on your own, finding situations that just don't seem right. Maybe even looking for clues or something, though I doubt it. I also don't think they'll include a fairy or any other sort of guidance, so figuring out what's wrong becomes a bigger part of the game. NPC's will infact be there, but when heading into a dense forest....your on your own.

[Rellik]

It really doesn't look like a "Sidequest" type of game to me.

I mean, it's "the spiritual successor to OoT."  Hyrule castle is there.  The world seems to be vast.  There are roving armies of Moblins everywhere.  It just doesn't add up to be a sidequest (as MM or Link's Awakening are sidequests).  It looks more to me like it will be even less of a sidequest than WW was, even though it takes place directly afterwards.

Yeah, I hope they don't abandon the great town/social aspects that were present in OoT - after all, it IS the spiritual successor.  WW didn't have enough NPC interaction for my tastes, although it had more than for example LttP.

[Don'tHate742]

I don't know what your talking about with the whole "spiritual successor" business. If your talking about how WW proceeds OOT, then your right. Any issues revolving around Hyrule, Zelda, and Ganon were cleared up in WW. It wouldn't make sense for this SEQUEL to WW to deal with those very topics again. It doesn't mean that the game will be smaller. The world was in grave danger in MM, but it had nothing to do with Hyrule. I think this sequel has Link going off to explore the world 10 years after the WW incident, where as in MM sent Link off right after the OOT incident. Link finds a new world and with a new world comes new scenarios. Link finds the continent of _____. He gets aquianted but soon finds trouble.....and it begins. A sidequest yet a HUGE sidequest. It's not Ganon, but this evil can still rule the world.

[TMW]

Wait wait wait...didn't Aounuma...Aonouma...the producer just come out and say that this was WW Link?  I thought it was confirmed that this was a true sequel to WW.

==
On an another note, that trailer is frelling awesome.  Some truly creepy animals and creepier ghosts (although I don't think you can call the four legged skellington thingies animals).  The music is awesome...it's all adventerous and big, with a hint of Zelda in there at certain spots.  

As for the wolf, the kitty, and the fact that Link is riding the enemies animal...I think Mike8983 may be on to something.  This games special item will be something that either allows you to speak with, or befriend animals.  Which would totally rock five times from Sunday.  

[Hostile Creation]

I'm agreeing with Mike and TMW, to a degree.  I think they're on the right track.
I do not think this will be a sidequest, like MM and LA.  I don't expect it to be as big as Wind Waker, though.  I expect it to land somewhere in-between: it will be significant to the plot, but I don't think it's going to involve the usual elements (Triforce, Zelda, Ganon).  We'll have to wait and see, though.
We're also making a lot of assumptions.  Based on the fact that Majora's Mask is a sidequest, after OoT was an epic game, doesn't mean that this will be a sidequest after the epic Wind Waker.  One occurance is not enough to predict a pattern, and even if it were the pattern could change.  I also don't know what the spiritual successor bullcrap means.  I doubt it'll be any more similar to Ocarina of Time than to Wind Waker.  They're all very different games, in a way, created with that Zelda spirit, which makes them very similar.  The fact that they look the same doesn't mean much at all.
I'd count on heavy animal importance of some sort. . . transformation, interaction, something along those lines.  It seems to be stressed in the trailer, and there's a strong presence.  I'm really looking forward to E3.
TMW, I don't remember if Aonouma said it was Wind Waker Link or not.  I know he said it was a true sequel to Wind Waker, which could mean that, but I don't remember him outright saying "The is the same Link".  He could have, but I don't recall.

[Don'tHate742]

I don't get it....If this game doesn't envolve the Triforce, Zelda, or Ganon in the primary story, and it is a true sequel, how could it be anything else but an epic "unique-quest"? Not involving the primary factors that make Zelda, Zelda, automatically makes this game unique, but not one of a kind.

I can't see the transformation thing happening. Unlike MM, that stuck with transforming into charachters previously setup by OOT, a transformation into a wolf wouldn't fit anywhere. I could see Link transforming into one of those eagle-beings from WW, more than I can see Link turning into a wolf. What gameplay mechanics could be made using a wolf that can't already be incooperated using Link and his horse? Also wouldn't Link the wolf have the trade marked hat? That would just look goofy. I think communicating with animals is a better guess, though I can't see that as a major gameplay factor since he already can. He talked to a fish in WW for god sakes. Link meeting a wolf clan or something similar to the Goron clan would be cool. He could then ride a wolf into batlle.......ahahah. This game has the potential to be so weird and un-Zelda like.

[Hostile Creation]

With the help of The Perm, I've made some discoveries.  Well, a single discovery, really, but it could say a lot.
Stop the second trailer at 32 and 34 seconds.  It should be the scene with the fight against the boar skeletons in the graveyard.  I noticed, as I was watching, that there were characters on the gravestone, and I could see them when Link hit the skeleton and when the lightning flashed (the two time spots I gave you).  It closely resembled Hylian, but The Perm informed me that there were two Hylian scripts, old Hylian and Modern Hylian, and gave me a link to a page with both.  Old was used in OoT and Modern was used in Wind Waker.  After closely examining the gravestone writing, I saw this:
At first, it seemed simple enough to be Old Hylian, but I could only see a little bit and it was unclear.  The closer I looked, I realized that it had characters that pretty much exactly matched Modern Hylian.  I can say pretty confidently that it's Modern Hylian (or, as Perm suggested, an even newer form of Hylian).
So, I kinda doubt Hyrule's going to rise out of the sea or anything.  But this brings up other interesting questions: how long have those graves been there?  Who put them there?  Where the heck is Link?
Or this could be completely irrelevant

[Don'tHate742]

Do you know what symbol that could be on the sheild of the Skultula....1:09

[Hostile Creation]

You mean the Stalfos?  It doesn't look like anything I recognize.  It doesn't seem to be Hylian or anything, which I wouldn't expect anyway, and I haven't seen it before.  I'm willing to guess it doesn't have any particular significance or it's some symbol used by the villain in this game, who we presumably have never seen before.

[PaLaDiN]

Maybe they just put the wolf there because it's cool.

[mantidor]

I doubt it, Nintendo is not the kind of company that looks forward to be "cool", unless it was Reggie himself who edited the video lol. From what Ive seen from Nintendo all these years, I can conclude the wolf is there for a reason, its not just a random scene put there imo.

I agree with Don'tHate742, we have to think that gameplay comes first than story for Nintendo, so a transformation thing can be not likely, and Nintendo without a doubt will make storyline plotholes even bigger if it helps the gameplay to be better. For example I really dont think Aunouma an Miyamoto sat down and say "lets make a game about a moon thats going to destroy the world!", Im sure it was more like:

- lets make a game where the player interacts more with the NPC! but  how do we do that?
- lets make Link help them in their daily activities! we can have like a list of requests from them.
- cool! but what if the player fails to acomplish his request?
- oh right, he or she couldnt be able to try again...
- unless we give the posibilty to Link to travel back in time
- thats right! but it seems complex, we need to give Link a reason to take the trouble of going back in time
- how about if the world is about to be destroyed, then he has to do things before this happens
- oh, that would be nice...


And what about the puppies (maybe wolf puppies) that appeared in the first batch of screenshots, do you think the decided to change it to cats? or maybe they are using both? Im hoping for both ^_^  

[KnowsNothing]

There'll be both ^_^

I've said this before (not sure if it was here), but I really want some cool NPC-to-NPC interaction, and that includes animals.  I think it'd be awesome if upon walking into town I see all of the NPCs going about their lives instead of just standing in one spot.  NPCs could "talk" to each other, rumors could spread, dogs would chase cats (cuccos chase dogs plz ^_^), etc.  It would really bring the whole world to a new life.  It was done to a minor extent in MM, but I want something more fleshed out and "alive" than that.

Oh hay, there's a special-fantasticle edition of this game.  So I'm guessing that there isn't going to be any preorder bouns, because you'll preorder as a guarantee that you'll get the uber-edition.  I'm positive that the special edition will be gold.  I'm willing to bet that it'll also include the average "special edition" inventory, such as an art-book, a "History of Zelda" booklet, and mayhaps a "Making Of."  But what I'm really hoping for are the two dungeons they left out of WW.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Since Reggielution will be backwards compatible, does this reduce the chances of there being a *new* Zelda Collection disc?

THINK ABOUT IT

[Truthliesn1seyes]

After looking at the 2 trailers and constant debating in forums, I've come up with an idea that I'll like to put out there, see what everyone thinks about it.  The one thing that seems to stand out from the videos to me is the strong enphasise on animals.  From videos and pictures alone, we have seen Link riding a horse and a boar, Link carrying cats to saftey (I would guess), dogs following Link into a forest as he rides his horse, and a wolf howling at the moon (not to mention the rumor going around of an eagle lol).  

All this has got me thinking.  If you look back at all the recent major Zelda games released on N64 and Gamecube, Nintendo always implemented a multipurpose instrument.  OoT and MM had the Ocarina and WW had the baton.  For the sake of arguement, lets say Nintendo were to continue this tradition with the new Zelda.  What if, instead of Link transforming into animals (as some are debating around the internet) Link can use a flute (or any other instrument) in order to control animals.  What if by playing a specific tune, Link can calm a specific beast.  This could serve many purposes.  Link can use a dog to fetch items.  A wolf could be seen as an upgrade from a dog whereas it could fetch but it can also assist you in battles.  I'm sure we can all think of many different animals and their uses if we run with this idea.  Also, I bet Nintendo can build some clever puzzles around this premis.  Remember, WW let you control other characters in dungeons.  What if this is an extention to that.  Either controlling the animals or giving them a set of commands using the direction pad (similar to the visors in MP)

[mantidor]

Its very plausible. Since the times of MM, which was when Aonuma took charge of the series, theres an emphasis about controlling, possesing or transforming into other creatures. You transformed in the different Hyrule races in MM, in WW you controlled statues and seagulls. Still I really wish the game to not have again a musical item as the main one, I wouldnt mind an ocarina or a flute, but not as the center item of the game,  I want something new.

[Hostile Creation]

I think the idea's fairly plausible, and we could see something like that.  It'd really depend, though.  They would probably do it some way we wouldn't expect; I just can't imagine Link fighting with someone like that, being helped by a wolf.  Offhand, of all the Zelda games, only the final boss in Wind Waker had help from another person (and not even the whole time), and that was for strategy.  Having something assist you in normal battle seems very. . . un-Zelda.
Some sort of cooperation seems possible, though.  I'm pretty convinced it'll have something big to do with animals