Earlier today we made an update on an interview with Miyamoto in regards to the difficulty of Skyward Sword. In that same interview with Miyamoto the interviewer asked him on the origins of the famous Hand in the Toilet guy.
Miyamoto stated that it is based off of Japanese horror stories , “There are some ghost stories in Japan where — when you are sitting in the bathroom in the traditional style of the Japanese toilet — a hand is actually starting to grab you from beneath. It’s a very scary story.”
How cool is that? Let us know in the comments what you think.
As we recently reported, Nintendo revealed theofficial Zelda Timeline when the Hyrule Historia Book was released in Japan.
With the official Zelda Timeline finally putting the debate to rest many fans began to dive into the timeline and noticed a variety of mistakes and things that just did not make sense. The reason for this? The simple answer is that its because the timeline is far from perfect and Zelda developer Aonuma confirms this fact.
A recent statement from Aonuma seems to hint that admission, “from the very beginning, Zelda games have been developed with the top priority of focusing on the game mechanics rather than the story.” He goes on to comment about some of the glaring issues, “While reading over “The Full History of Hyrule,” it’s possible that some parts may look contradictory,” he said. “For instance, the Mogma race or the beetle item that appear on the very first story do not appear on any other game that takes place in the future. I’d like to ask everyone just to enjoy the book and to be broad-minded, and to think that those parts are the way they are because of the way Zelda games are developed.”
So what problems have you seen with the Zelda timeline? Comment and discuss them below.
Several months ago I was in the car with my mother driving down the highway in Kentucky when I saw a license plate that caught my attention. First of all, it was a horse themed plate which is not the default option where I love, but more importantly it was a custom plate that said Epona. Being a huge Zelda fan I of course had to get a picture. I asked my mom to get closer so I could get a snapshot but my cell’s horrible camera quality would not allow me to capture this moment.
However, here we are, many months later, and I got a second chance. Two days ago I was driving my girlfriend to the grocery store when I noticed the Ohio plates with “number” of Epona. I got close and my girlfriend was able to get a pretty nice snapshot of their plate so I could post it up here for you guys.
So, have you ever seen a Zelda themed license plate? Have any pictures? Share in the comments below.
The Legend of Zelda series is well known for its stellar game-play, mind boggling puzzles,and captivating stories that draw in its audiences. Every Legend of Zelda game to date (cd-i does not count) is met with high praise and it is because of these such things and more. The first article of our Top 5 article series will look at the cut-scenes in the Legend of Zelda games that have helped to make the Zelda series so memorable.
Many games out there use cut-scenes as a way to lengthen the gaming experience and gamers often find this irritating. In fact, the recently released Metroid Other M has received a lot of negative reviews regarding their excessive and drawn out cut-scenes. However, the Legend of Zelda series has managed to include a lot of scenes into their games while avoiding this criticism because every scene in the Zelda games serves a vital purpose and helps to draw its fans into the game.
This article will now look at the top 5 scenes in the Legend of Zelda series and explain why they are so great.
Link’s Awakening – The Wind Fish Awakens
Number 5 on our countdown is the ending scene to Link’s Awakening. This cut-scene was a brilliant way to wrap up a fantastic game. Link’s Awakening was the first hand-held game in the Legend of Zelda series and it was a huge success in all regards. In fact, Link’s Awakening was the very first Zelda game I ever played and its touching story is what got me hooked to the series. Once defeating the Nightmares and waking the Wind Fish, Koholint Island begins to disappear because the island and all of its inhabitants were nothing but a part of the Wind Fish’s dreams.
This ending has led to many fan debates about whether or not the events of Link’s Awakening did or did not actually happen as Link awakens at the end on the tattered remains of his raft. However, a figure that looks highly similar to the Wind Fish flies above Link’s head suggesting that it was not just part of Link’s own dreams. So it is up to you to decide. Was the entire thing just the dreams of Link? Or was Link part of a dream and actively involved in the awakening of a powerful Wind Fish?
Either way, the ending to Link’s Awakening is one that is highly memorable and worthy of number 5 on our list.
Darunia Shows He Can Dance
Our number 4 choice is the classic Darunia Dance from Ocarina of Time. For those of you who have not played Ocarina of Time (shame on you) and seen this, then you are in for a treat. The Goron ruler, Darunia, is feeling a bit down and he is needing something to get him moving. By playing Saria’s Song, Link promts Darunia to start what may be the funniest moment in Zelda history.
Darunia’s dance moves makes this scene our number 4 choice.
Is Sheik a Guy or Woman?
The question that many Zelda fans to this day are still unsure about. Is Sheik a guy or girl? For those of us who completed Ocarina of Time, we know Sheik was in fact the alter-ego of Princess Zelda making her a woman. However, this was a big deal back when Ocarina of Time had just came out. Throughout Link’s adult adventures, the rather manish Sheik would appear and offer Link words of wisdom.
It was not until late in the game that it was revealed that Sheik was actually just a now grown up Zelda in disguise. This shocking revelation earns the number 3 spot for being a huge twist in the game that fans today still talk about.
Ganondorf Goes for the Gold…and Fails
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a game that was filled with vibrant and incredibly well done cut-scenes. However, this scene from the final segment of the game is the one that most stood out to me. In this scene, Ganondorf, for the first time in the series, is actually given some depth. In all other games he is primarily presented as a power hungry tyrant who is just out for blood and glory.
In this scene however, Ganondorf finally explains his motivations. Being part of the Gerudo tribe, Ganondorf and his people live in the dry and barren wasteland of Gerudo Desert. Ganondorf merely was jealous of the rest of Hyrule and to keep with the theme of the game, he coveted the wind of Hyrule.
Then to make this scene even better, Ganondorf has finally acquired all three pieces of the Triforce and is ready to bring Hyrule up from its underwater grave and claim it for his own. And just when he is about to do so, the king of Hyrule steps in and quickly touches the Triforce, claiming it as his own and wishes for Hyrule to be washed away for eternity. Ganondorf at this point begins to lose it in hysterical laughter as he seemingly starts to go insane with his wish falling apart right in front of him.
The combination of the Triforce being put together and Ganondorf showing some actual character makes this cut-scene our number 2 choice.
Midna ****’s Link and Seals Away the Twilight Realm
Our last, and number 1 scene in the Legend of Zelda series is the ending scene to Twilight Princess. In this final cut-scene, Midna, Zelda, and Link have gathered and are saying their good-byes. At this moment, Midna begins to say something to Link that has led to fan speculation and many a fan-fic.
Is she saying that she loves Link? Maybe. Who knows, as she quickly censors herself and sheds a tear. That tear then floats into the mirror, which connects the Twilight Realm with Hyrule, and shatters it into thousands of pieces. Midna leaves Hyrule forever with all connections to the Twilight Realm seemingly gone.
With E3 less than a week away Zelda fans are wetting themselves in anticipation over Nintendo’s press conference. At E3 with year Nintendo has promised to give us the first shred of real information about the game since they released a piece of art at least year’s E3.
With rumors running amuck every fan has their own ideas for what Nintendo needs to and should incorporate into what could be the most revolutionary Legend of Zelda game since the release of The Ocarina of Time. And like everybody out there, we too have our own beliefs on what Zelda Wii should be like.
What We Know About Zelda Wii
As previously stated, little is currently known about the upcoming Legend of Zelda title for the Nintendo Wii. What we do know however is that the game will use the Wii motion Plus and that the Wiimote will most likely be used for combat in a much more influential way than the Twilight Princess Wii port. Interviews and quotes from Zelda developers have also hinted that Zelda Wii will ‘be the end of Zelda as we know it.’
So we know next to nothing about Zelda Wii which leads us to our next point.
What Should Zelda Wii Be Like?
A large percentage of the Legend of Zelda community would love to see Nintendo make another Zelda game that is comparable to The Ocarina of Time. After all, The Ocarina of Time was and still is one of the highest reviewed games of all time. However, in this writers personal opinion, Nintendo should make Zelda Wii more like The Wind Waker.
Though The Wind Waker receives mixed feedback from Zelda fans, it is one of the best games in the series in my opinion, for a variety of reasons.
Graphics
The Wind Waker’s cartoony vibrant graphics are probably one of the biggest reasons that many fans were turned off from the game. Nintendo had previously showcased a Game Cube capability demo that portrayed a much more realistic Legend of Zelda, which led fans to believe that a game was in the works that would be darker and more realistic than ever before. However, Nintendo shocked fans around the world when The Wind Waker was first shown in his cell shaded cartoon glory that would later be dubbed ‘celda.’
But Like it or not, The Wind Waker was one of the most beautiful and graphically rich games released for the Nintendo Game Cube. By using the cell shaded technology Nintendo was able to capture the world and Link’s expressions in ways never possible beforehand. Even today the graphics of the Wind Waker stand out as being absolutely gorgeous.
So what am I getting at? Do I want Nintendo to release another home console cartoony Zelda game? Well personally yes I do but that is not my point. My point is that Nintendo just needs to look outside the box again and deliver the unexpected. We were all expecting a realistic Legend of Zelda title but instead we got the rich and vibrant Wind Waker. In my opinion that is one of the best qualities of Nintendo, the ability to always surprise their fans.
We would all get our realistic Zelda with Twilight Princess so patience is key here. What Nintendo needs to do is release a game so graphically astonishing that it will surpass our first 3D experience of Ocarina of Time, surpass the beautiful and colorful world of The Wind Waker, and surpass the detailed and realistic world of Twilight Princess. I have heard from many fans that they would like Nintendo to reuse the Twilight Princess graphics. In my opinion they should not. Keep it fresh and keep it innovative as always. Give us another surprise like we got with The Wind Waker.
Music
Though music is often not considered to be a vital part of the gaming experience, with the Zelda series it is. The quality of a game’s musical compositions are not often mentioned in gaming reviews. Graphics and game-play of course steal the spotlight, but thankfully Nintendo has generally had a great track list to go with the Legend of Zelda games.
Once again, in my personal opinion, the musical score of The Wind Waker was the best in the series. From the Title Screen to the Overworld, and to Outset Island, all of the songs in The Wind Waker were fantastic. Nothing can ruin an experience quicker than a god awful song in the background that makes you wonder ‘what were they thinking?’ The Wind Waker managed to avoid that scenario and provide gamers with an uplifting Irish blend sound to all of the songs that perfectly conveyed the atmosphere.
A commonly agreed idea across the Zelda community is that Nintendo should give us a fully orchestrated musical experience. I myself would love to hear this myself, as I thought the music in Twilight Princess was a tad bit of a let down, but whatever the case, a brilliant track of songs like the one from The Wind Waker would add another piece of the puzzle to Zelda Wii.
Bring Back the Great Sea
No, I am just kidding about this one. However, in all honesty the Great Sea was one of the best things ever to happen to the Zelda Overworld. A common complaint about The Ocarina of Time is the vast nothingness that is Hyrule Field. There is literally next to nothing to do in Hyrule Field in The Ocarina of Time and just a tad bit more in Twilight Princess. The Great Sea from the Wind Waker however was wide open and filled with treasures and islands to explore.
Now many of you are probably remember how long it took to sail across the Great Sea and again how devoid of enemies the Great Sea often was. That was a problem with me as well, but Nintendo can take the best of it and add on to make one spectacular overworld. The Wind Waker’s Great Sea was a 7 X 7 quadrant overworld. Each coordinate of the sea had an unique island of its own waiting to be explored. Scattered throughout the sea was also a variety of things to find and explore. There was treasure to be fished up, submarines Link could enter, watch towers to climb, and much much more.
So while I do not want to see another water-based Zelda adventure, I would like Nintendo to take the aspects of the Great Sea that made it so much fun to explore and use that to make an even better Hyrule that can keep fans drawn in and entertained.
The Plot
Perhaps the best part of The Wind Waker was its often puzzling plot that opened up a huge time-line debate in the Zelda community. The prologue of the game explains that all of Hyrule was flooded because the great Hero did not appear when evil threatened the land. But why not? Where was this hero, who we can all presume was supposed to be Link?
The story of The Wind Waker is filled with interesting questions like this. Why did the water-based Zoras possibly evolve into the flying race of the Ritos? Why didn’t the gods just stop Ganon instead of flooding the entire world?In fact, the very creation of The Wind Waker has led to the split time-line theory for the Legend of Zelda series. After Ocarina of Time there are now two paths of events that take place with games fitting onto one path or the other.
What also made this story so great is that you start the game off as an unsuspecting boy who is just trying to celebrate his birthday with his family, but a twist in events forces Link into an adventure that would later save the world from the evil Ganondorf once again.
If you haven’t caught on yet, the plot of The Wind Waker got fans speculating and kept them guessing. An to reiterate that is what Nintendo does best and perhaps that is why fans are so drawn into the Zelda series. The story and premise itself is shrouded in mystery which leads to a a greater fan base. In the Zelda community there is a large amount of time-line theorists, many who take it very seriously, because of Nintendo’s ability to capture its fans imaginations and to keep us guessing.
So for Zelda Wii, the plot needs to be like The Wind Waker’s. The plot should be well developed but at the same time leave it open to the fans to come up with their own ideas on the concepts. Zelda is after all just a legend. And legends are interpreted in different ways by different people and Nintendo needs to keep it that way.
Wrapping Things Up Here
Nintendo’s best Zelda games are those which revolutionize the series in some imaginative way and in my opinion The Wind Waker did that the best. The Wind Waker was an overall masterpiece and one of the best games in the series. The mysterious plot, risky but beautiful graphics, amazing music, and the exploration based overworld helps to make The Wind Waker as extraordinary as it is.
If Nintendo can take the elements of the Wind Waker, that made it so great, and apply those concepts to the upcoming Legend of Zelda title for the Wii, then we will have ourselves one of the, if not the, greatest Zelda games ever made.
Why The Legend of Zelda Series Will Never Be Respected
This article is a fan submission and does not represent our views. With that in mind, please enjoy.
With The Legend of Zelda series being one of the most successful gaming franchises to date, what I am about to say will probably come as a shock, but none the less, it is all true. In its current state, The Legend of Zelda franchise will not ever be, and is not currently respected by the average hardcore gamer. It is my intention to state what elements of the game that needs changed to bring the series up to par and make it more worthy of respect. While stating all of this however, I will not deny the success the series has had thus far, nor will the fan be belittled. With all disclaimers out of the way, here is why the Zelda franchise just can not be respected.
Let’s face it, since the Gamecube onwards, Nintendo has not given us much to look forward to as a Zelda gamer. The Windwaker was an interesting adventure, anyone can admit that, but it definitely did not win the series more fans with its graphical style. Regardless though, since then we have had what? Toon link, toon link, toon link and again toon link. The only moment we had to actually get excited about was Twilight Princess. In these amazing trailers we saw the graphical genius that Nintendo’s systems could actually produce and we saw action beyond anything Nintendo had every provided us before.
When we played the game though, it was all an illusion. In the videos Nintendo gave the impression that Hyrule field would be filled with enemies, there would be organized assualts against Link, and epic battles. What we got instead was a rare gathering of 3 or 4 enemies who do not know how to aim arrows at you and have the combat skills of that Pidgey outside of Pallet Town. Yeah… I said it, those level 2 Pidgey’s have more combat experience.
Whether it is Nintendo’s desire to make their games easy for the “casual” aka the old people seconds away from death we see in their commercials and the 5 year olds who do not realize the toy in their mother’s drawer is not the 2nd Wii mote, or whether it is Nintendo’s just plain laziness or uncaring attitude, the series suffers from how easy they have made the games.
Respectable games do not have vast open field of nothing, aka E.T. on the Atari. If the series was actually respectable, the landscape would have been filled with more enemies, more random or surprise attacks and actual action. We are suppose to believe that Ganon, who knows Link is coming, sat down with 8 huge bosses and told them to sit and wait inside of one room, and that is to be his line of defense? Hell no! If serious about plot development, Nintendo would have had Ganon sending out forces to stop Link, and the open Hyrule field would have been the place to be. Why should Link be allowed to just walk right into his castle and last line of defense?
As stated before, Twilight Princess did have some well developed graphics, but again, the series will never be respected until it maintains that standard. Everyone was talking about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s graphics as being some of the best out there, but no one in their right mind has said that about a Zelda game in a long time. Yes, graphics are not everything, but in the age where game memory and space can be pushed to new levels and almost anything can go on a small disk, why isn’t Nintendo delivering? Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks… not impressive in the graphics department. They did not even do toon link too well in those games. Nintendo has even gone on record saying they made Zelda into a spirit so they would not have to design a lower body for her. That is called lazy, and Nintendo’s refusal to give gamers the graphics that most modern day games are being made at, is why The Legend of Zelda can not be respected.
Finally, the series is getting a little stale. How many times can Link kill Ghoma? How many times does he go into a forest, then fire, then water… dungeon? Why does he even have to enter dungeons? We are suppose to believe that all the bad guy can do is hide keys inside of a huge cave? The formula may work, and it may keep selling and making Nintendo money, but it is making the games repetitive and hardly worth buying (kind of like the new Halo’s). You have a magical realm of Hyrule, with parallel lands, so many people to talk to and “interact” with, weapon possibilities are unlimited, story lines can be anything, but Nintendo keeps with the exact same stale story. *Sorry, making the boss a demon train is not a huge leap forward. What happened to the day of Link’s Awakening? 100% unique. What happened to Majora’s Mask type stories? Because of the refusal to do ACTUAL innovation, the series will undergo the Halo effect, where people may keep on buying the games, but we all know there is no real difference between Halo 1,2,3 or any of the recent spin offs. Nintendo is sitting on top of a gold mine and is treating the beloved Zelda franchise like it can be a sub-par series such as Donkey Kong. A new game may come out every once in a while, but each time less hype exists and each time the exact same disappointments are delivered. Until Nintendo addresses very simple concepts like the ones mentioned above, it will not get the same type of respect from the gaming community. It will just have the negative connotation that Nintendo has in most hardcore gamer’s eyes. Appealing to seniors and kids, and old schoolers, but never achieving a higher respect status.
Writer’s Note: This article is highly opinion based and does not represent the views and opinions of this site as a whole.
It started with a screenshot, followed by a trailer. Rumors of Ganon’s return began to spread across the net. Then, to our surprise, the Spanish site for Spirit Tracks gave it a name- Mallard. Finally, it appears we now have confirmation courtesy Neogaf that it is in fact NOT Ganon. So who is the Demon King, and what role will he play in Spirit Tracks?
In an attempt to answer this question, let us see whether the Demon King has someone below him. In A Link to the Past, Agahnim was merely a tool of Ganon. In Four Sword Adventures, Vaati was also a pawn of Ganon, and in Twilight Princess, Zant filled this role. As one can see, it has become increasingly popular in recent years for Zelda villains (specifically Ganon) to enlist henchmen. So, who’s working under the Demon King?
Everyone knows gingers are evil.
Chancellor Cole is the obvious answer, for, not only is he a ginger, he’s also the most widely seen antagonist in the screenshots and character art Nintendo’s released thus far. And if that isn’t enough, multiple sources have already confirmed that the Chancellor’s goal is to revive the Demon King. So, if the Chancellor is simply an underling of the Demon King, it is likely the Demon King is the main villain in Spirit Tracks. Who he is, however, is a completely different story.
As noted earlier, the Demon King is no longer thought to be Ganon. What little we know of him is that he ruled the land Spirit Tracks is set in before it was taken over by Hylians, and that he is a demon. The demon line could imply that he was once a living being, possibly from one of the races in the game. The truth is we don’t really know who the Demon King truly is just yet, so why am I devoting an entire article to this question?
Timeline theorists have been analyzing every piece of news that has come in about Spirit Tracks these past two weeks. The reason being, many believe Spirit Tracks will answer longstanding questions about where other games fit into the timeline. Thus, understanding who the Demon King is will likely be integral to answering such questions. In the meantime, the best we can do is try to find something the others missed and be the first to solve this great mystery!
