I'm lazy so I'm just gonna quote myself in another forum lol...
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3024320050421_175852_0_big.jpg)
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3024320050421_175855_2_big.jpg)
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3024320050421_175856_3_big.jpg)
http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3024320050421_175857_4_big.jpg)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/Gessle/zeldaposter.jpg)
:D
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
http://botu.northcastle.co.uk/zeldascans.html)
clicky now! :p
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
I think what people are getting confused about is the fact that 70hours worth of gameplay means you do ALL of the sidequest, all of the mini games, and any other challenges that are in the game which have nothing to do with the main quest but are fun and give you nice heart pieces or items that you could use to make your quest a little easier... I'd say the main quest would take about 30hours if you didn't bother to do all the extra stuff which is usually in a Zelda game.
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
Well in every Zelda game you have lil quests that are available but you don't NEED to complete to finish the game. A good example of this is the trading quest to get the Biggoronsword. You don't need to do it, but it's long, it's fun, and you get a big ass sword if you take the time to complete the quest :D It IS a timefiller, but you do get something useful out of it and the main thing is that you had fun getting it *nods*
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
A good example of a BAD type of sidequest was the damn Pictoquest in The Wind Waker. Taking all of those pictures just to get some damn statues was so damn pointless it made me cry inside. "Scanning" or taking "pictures" of things works in Metroid Prime because obviously you can scan as much as you want and it only takes a few seconds and most of the time it's worth it... but in a Zelda game it was the most pointless thing you could do in the game... *shudders* The worst part of it was that if you missed a certain boss or event, that was it, you couldn't take a picture of that certain thing until the second quest... and even then it's not worth it.
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
And I have to say, Ocarina of Time was a very long and satisfying game to play, both if you're just aiming for the main quest or if you're going for a 100% run. A very well made game, same with Majora's Mask, which didn't have the same epic feel as Ocarina did... but damn, helping out all of those people, by the end you just look at that moon and say "I'm comin for ya Majora, it's ass kickin time. Not gonna let ya hurt these people anymore!" *grits teeth and runs for the clock tower*
Seriously, the first time I actually battled Majora was when I had gathered up EVERYTHING, every mask, every last heart piece, everything, I was at Romani's Ranch on the final day after saving the Ranch (cause I love saving the Ranch :D) and the events there on the final day are just heart breaking *cries* It got my blood boiling and made beating Majora with the Fierce Deity Mask that much more pleasurable. I felt like I was fighting for a real cause because in a sense I was emotionally attached to all of those characters.
That's what I want this new Zelda to be. As epic as Ocarina of Time with the emotion and depth of character of Majora's Mask. That would make the ULTIMATE Zelda game.
edit: more...
Posted by Lynk Former @ NintendoNow
ah damn, I knew I shouldn't have gone to sleep XD damn timezone
yaaay new piccies!
http://www.costacounselling.com/NEW5.jpg)
Whee! Throw it into the bbq!!
http://www.costacounselling.com/NEW4.jpg)
:D Holy crap that's cool! (is it me or does Link look like he's holding two swords?)
http://www.costacounselling.com/NEW3.jpg)
"Goodbye Bob, I'm off to save Hyrule."
http://www.costacounselling.com/NEW1.jpg)
Just over the fence and already he has a boar after him
http://www.costacounselling.com/NEW2.jpg)
Ooooh @.@ perty river
__________
EGM: Besides combat and the graphics, how else will this game be different from Windwaker?
EA: About the setting, in WindWaker it was the ocean. I really cannot tell you what kind of setting we're going to adapt for this new Zelda, but I can say we are really trying to expand the sense of scale. Before, whenever we made 3D games, we shied away from using too many big objects. If they aren't necessary for specific gameplay ideas, they become a kind of obstacle. But in this game, we are trying to be more realistic. (In) this horse-riding battle, you can see it (takes place on) a huge land, even if ( it's mostly empty landscape). That's why we need the horse from the very begining of the game. We want people to feel that this is a huge land they're playing in, and without a horse, it's impossible for you to explore. Also, sometimes you're going to see something that's just vast, even though it's not (involved in gameplay)-something huge or something very tall. We want to realize (that sense of awe) by presenting things realistically.
EGM: I know you got so many questions about the graphics for Windwaker and now this new Zelda-do you get tired of talking about the graphics all the time?
EA: No. After all, I have a designer's background myself, so I know how important the visuals are. A change in graphics can give a perfectly different impression to game userI know all about this. But I should say it's not very easy for me to explain why(we) use this visual style here, why (we) use that graphical style in other games. I'm kind of forced to make some reasonable, rational background explanation in order to persuade people to understand why this is better than the others. It's not very easy. In my mind it's the emotions you get from one visual that are different from another(style). Whenever we work on a game, we have (lots of) internal discussions about what kind of graphical style we need to adapt. Graphics are very important.
EGM: Looking back, what do you think about the reaction to Windwaker's cartoon-style graphics?
EA: I know that before the game shipped, there were many debates and arguments about the graphic style. But as soon as we launched Windwaker, and people started to play with it, they said: "We understand now. This is the reason you used this graphical style this time." Likewise, we're very hopeful that when we launch this new Zelda game, people are goig to appreciate it without any further questions (and) think, "OK, that makes sense."
EGM: True, once most people actually play Windwaker, the visuals don't bother them, but do you think a lot of people never even picked it up just because of how it looked?
EA: Well, yes, that's unfortunate, but it's true that (with) graphics...people like certain graphics, and people don't like certain graphics. It's very clear for each different individual. So we're sorry for that, but what I can tell you is, we are pretty confident that we were right about the (cartoon) approach for Windwaker. Without that approach, we couldn't tell enough about the story. So whenever people have some doubts, all I can say is-this is a very japanese expression-"You may think it's a trick, but try it and see."
EGM: Let's move on to things we've seen in the two video trailers you've released so far. What's with all the cats, for example?
EA: We're thinking of incorporating some ides where Link can communicate with animals, one way or another. I can't elaborate on specifically how. (But) The reason you can pick up cats early in the game in Toaru Village, for example,is (because) we wanted people to understand you can touch the cats, you can play with them. After leaving that impression, it'll become easier for us as developers to have complex ideas afterward, where the players are willing to approach the animals.
EGM: What about where all the ghosts appear? Is that link using the Lens of Truth item to see invisible stuff?
EA: You may be right-it's one of those (mechanics) where, after solving riddles,what's invisible can become visible. But once again,, I can't elaborate on how that works in that specific case. Please look foward to the actual game. (smiles)
EGM: And that shadowy figure on our cover with his or her back to Link?
EA: Very sorry, but we'd like to keep it secret. People can take your cover as a big mystery. We're not sure when we want to break that infomation.-maybe(at the next E3 show) in May or maybe not. As a hitn, you can also see a kind of castle in the background scenery...
EGM: Windwkaer had a fantastic connectivity feature where a second player could play on a Game Boy Advance hooked up to the Gamecube to help Link. Are you planning anything similar for this Zelda
EA: Well, I liked the connectivity in Windwaker very much, and I'm hopeful that we can create that kind of play experience for other games. What's cool about Windwaker's connectivity is that you can get some additional information on a real-time basis. Even though it may not be "real" realtime, somehow we may be able to reproduce a similar game experience. Maybe a second character (in this new Zelda) can get access to certain information and help the main player. As far as the character that the other player controls-Tingle-I found out some American people didn't like him very much. So we need to think about what kind of character we're going to use. (laughs)
EGM: So would this new system use the same GBA-GC Link cable setup?
EA: No, we really want everything to be realized with a Gamecube and a disc, nothing else. (With connectivity), the downside is you need the Link cable and you need the GBA. For those who don't have everything, the idea of creating something through connectivity, even if it's very good, is (pointless). So what I'm thinking is, maybe we can reproduce a similar gaming experience without the cable or GBA.
EGM: In the movie trailer and on our cover, we see a wolf howling-can you tell us anything about that? There's some speculation maybe Link is a werewolf...
EA: Hmm...sorry, confidential.
Well, that's as far as I'm typing, as far as the interview itself is concerned. I want to fill you guys in on the actual hands-on stuff:
Hands-On Report - Part One: TOARU VILLAGE
Ah the tranquil Hamlet that kicks off nearly every Zelda game. The one thing that stands out about Toaru Village (Japanese for "unspecified"-the English name is to be determined)is, like everything in this new Zelda, the sense of realism. And we aren't just talking about the graphics: townspeople go about their business, cats and chickens wander here and there ( one attacking the other if they get too close), birds scatter out of the tall grass as Link approaches. The sense of scale is impressive; maybe it's just a reaction to Windwaker's squat characters, but everything seemed taller, bigger, more spread out.
As in the last game, Link starts out without a weapon or his trademark green outfit. "If someone happened to see this scene without knowing what game it is," says Aonuma, " they probably wouldn't even guess it was Link in The Legend of Zelda." Upon closer inspection, however, one detail is a dead giveaway : On the back of Link's left hand are three dark triangles-Zelda's Triforce symbol.
"Stick it to 'em"- Eventually Link gets a wooden sword and learns combat in a familiar scarecrow-bashing tutorial. As before, the L trigger locks on targets and B performs different attacks, depending on the direction of the analog stick. But if you don't lock on you can now swipe your sword as you move around, without stopping (handy for clearing tall grass, no doubt), and Link has a special coup de grace: Press A for a jumping downward thrust to finish off enemies you've knocked over.
"At home on the Range"- Another early minigame teaches the player how to ride horseback. As in previous games, you can simply push in the direction you want to go for a slow trot or hit A to apply the whip for a burst of speed. You can also see where "Cowboy Link" (Aonuma's name for our hero before he earns his green duds) gets his name- the goal here is to round up and force all the grazing animals into the barn before time runs out. It's a little togher than you might think.
"Flying the coup"- Good news: Chicken-gliding is back! Just grab one of your fine-feathered freinds, find a tall building or cliff, and jump off-Link floats slowly down, which enables him to reach areas he couldn't otherwise. This technique came in handy during our demo: A pregnant woman asked Link to retrieve a baby basket on the other side of an otherwise unscalable fence. After getting it, he slowly (move too fast and you'll be scolded) escorts her back to her home with it. What a guy!
Hands-On Report- Part 2: BOSS FIGHT!
"Horseback Attack"- Horseback riding has an expanded role in this new Zelda-as Aonuma tells us, fast transportation is basically a requirement from the very start of the game because of larger environments. The second scene we played proved his point with a full-speed boss fight; Link chased down this big-horned baddie atop his bigger-horned steed, first slashing him to remove his armor, and then pelting him with arrows. A very cool and very challenging concept for a boss.
"Fighting The Horde"-Other mobile enemies swarmed Link, trying to distract him from his true target. Horseback combat felt smooth and natural; as always, you can lock on to targets of go into first person and aim manually, slinging arrows with X (or the R trigger for exploding bomb arrows). Link's head tracked nearby foes, and he pivots in whatever direction you point to attack with his sword. He could also dismount anytime and the enemies would circle, making passes until he knocked them off their battle-boars or killed them right in the saddle. (Aonuma told us that in the final game, Link can even steal some of the bad guy's rides.)
The scenery was lovely-rolling hills with the shadows of clouds floating past-but sparse, with only a fence now and then to break things up. Then again most of our attention was on the enemies-seven or eight (counting thier boars) on screen at once, without a hint of slowdown.
"Steeple Chase"- As in the earlier cattle-driving minigame, you can make Link's steed trot in any direction by pushing on the analog stick. You can also whip his horse with the A button for a boost ( an action again limited to six times, with a corresponding meter that slowly regenerates). Speed is important; unless Link is moving fast enough to automatically jump over the same wooden fences the boss leaps over, he'll slam into them and stop completely. So that's three things you need to worry about: Keeping up with the boss, attacking him, and avoiding his minions.
Last but not least, I want to mention the beautiful drawing of Princess Zelda holding a sword, and three sketch drawings of Link's different emotions, assuring me that this part of the game isn't being overlooked.