Nintendo is making a direct sequel to Link to the Past

[Algus]

Here's the news from Gamespot

 

Like A Link to the Past, the new 3DS Zelda will predominantly be viewed from a top-down perspective, although Link will be able to transform into a drawing and move across walls. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime says the new mechanic will play a key role in the game.

 

Eh, the gimmicks in newer Zelda games have been so dicey. I'll have to see this in action but it sounds kind of goofy. I am excited nevertheless. My earlier topic about the 3DS being worth it? Well, if Luigi's Mansion wasn't enough to sell me, this certainly is.

[xg4bx]

I'm excited, LttP was the only Zelda I ever loved. The 3D ones don't do anything for me.

[bomberpunk]

Link's Awakening is my favorite Zelda, probably always will be.

[Taskmaster99]

I will take a sequel. loved that game!!!!

[Austin]

I'll take a sequel without the paper gimmick.

[Emehr]

I love Zelda games. Haven't been disappointed with any of them yet (CD-i versions, which I've never played, notwithstanding). Having said that, I would really really really prefer 2D graphics over 3D-graphics-made-to-look-2D. Zelda Four Swords should have been the model for this game. That game was gorgeous. I know they wouldn't have been able to do the "paper Link" trick but that seems like a silly thing anyway, even in the Zelda universe where Link once had a talking hat.

[Taskmaster99]

Looks more like "chalk drawing cave painting" Link. Oh well......will put a spin on the game.

[Atariboy]

They could have made the characters 3D polygons while the environments were traditional 2D if they really needed to transform Link. I think it would look better as Four Swords Adventures shows with its amazing looking Link to the Past inspired 2D graphics while still meeting their needs in regard to the characters like Link (Even though the gimmick of what amounts to "Paper Link" is nonsense that I'm sure won't add anything to the game while risking detracting from it).

 

At least it doesn't appear like it's going to be the eyesore that the pair of DS games were. And I bet traditional control is back as well. Since we know that 3D will be an important element of this game and that calls for using the upper screen, they can't expect people to use the stylus constantly while looking at the top screen to see what's happening.

 

So hopefully the Phantom Hourglass/Spirit Tracks model is dead and buried.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Atariboy

[MagitekAngel]

I kinda liked Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. For a series that is often accused of stagnation, they were an interesting shakeup, at least. But yeah. I guess I won't be sorry if I never have to back through that goddam Temple of the Ocean King again. Seriously.

This new Zelda looks cool. I'll buy it and home Majora's Mask (the hipster favourite) gets the 3D treatment next.

[Atariboy]

They were good games. But merely being good isn't good enough for the Zelda series.

 

And they're the two ugliest games in the series by a wide margin in my eyes. And I think many of the concepts like what you just referenced, motion control, and the limited overworld (Not unique to them since Wind Waker and now Skyward Sword also did it) didn't work nearly as well as Nintendo had hoped they would.

 

I'm all for innovation but I think the route taken with the DS games was a bit of a dead end. I do hope that we can write notes down on the map via the touch screen in future Zelda entries on both the 3DS and Wii U since that came in handy.

[Vic George 2K3]

I don't like the idea of some people wanting the Legend Of Zelda series to be forced into a "2D graphics prison" (or to be more precise, a "16-bit overhead-view 2D graphics prison") in much the same fashion that a good deal of cartoon fans want their favorite characters to remain trapped in a "2D animation prison". Granted, some games (and cartoons) just don't look very good (or in the case of games, play very good) in 3D. but I can see worse stagnation if a game series isn't allowed to evolve and try things that haven't been tried before in the series.

 

Edited April 19, 2013 by Vic George 2K3

[NE146]

I'm very excited for this game honestly. No worries about Zelda being "trapped" in a 2D graphics prison because come on.. we've had 3D zelda since OOT up to Skyward Sword and will continue to do so. However a lot of us have been yearning for a new NINTENDO-developed Zelda done with the classic formula i.e overworld with hidden dungeons in the manner of LttP, LA, and 4-Sword... and we're finally getting it. I mean, I dug the "touch" Zeldas too on the DS, and the Capcom Zeldas were admirable.. but we all know what we wanted, and this really sounds like it.

 

It makes sense too as the 3DS is the perfect platform for it where they can do this, and add a little extra to it as well (the paper sliding wall part) without getting too much heat about going backwards. I personally love it.

[+Gemintronic]

Fudge. I'm about to sell my 3DSXL and now worthy games appear. I thought Nintendo was planning on killing their brightest idea since the original Gameboy since they started calling true 3D a "fad"

[Emehr]

I don't like the idea of some people wanting the Legend Of Zelda series to be forced into a "2D graphics prison" (or to be more precise, a "16-bit overhead-view 2D graphics prison") in much the same fashion that a good deal of cartoon fans want their favorite characters to remain trapped in a "2D animation prison".

 

What does "16-bit" have to do with it? It can be 2D without being pixelated, if that's what you're getting at. The world can have depth without being a true-3D model. There are ways to fake it without compromising the image quality with textured polygons. There are many possibilities to be explored now that we have the horsepower and storage to do so. Stating that 2D is somehow a lesser and more limiting technology is nonsense. We just never got to see the true potential of 2D graphics because developers all jumped on the 3D bandwagon when the PS1 et al came out. 3D is easy to implement. Frankly, I'm over-saturated with it in movies and games. I'm ready to be dazzled by something different.

[Vic George 2K3]

Yeah, sure...tell that to THIS character and see if he agrees with you.

 

[Emehr]

Yeah, sure...tell that to THIS character and see if he agrees with you.

 

Helps to actually read my post before replying because that doesn't make any sense in the context of my post.

[roland p]

When seeing the title of this topic I got excited. But now after watching the video I've mixed feelings. I hoped for the best 2d graphics possible, like four swords for the gamecube, maybe with a little use of the stereoscope effect. But hey, it's the 3ds so it must have 3d graphics, sigh... Don't get me wrong, I liked the 3d zelda's.

The 2d/3d seems a bit pointless to me, pointless as in sokoban in 3d. It adds jaggies too. Also the flat Link to reveal a different viewpoint feels like something that gets old quickly, and not very believable.

Edited April 19, 2013 by roland p

[Atariboy]

I don't like the idea of some people wanting the Legend Of Zelda series to be forced into a "2D graphics prison" (or to be more precise, a "16-bit overhead-view 2D graphics prison") in much the same fashion that a good deal of cartoon fans want their favorite characters to remain trapped in a "2D animation prison".

 

I don't so I hope you don't mistake my post in this thread as meaning that. I love the 3D entries in the series and Ocarina of Time is a close favorite of mine just behind Link to the Past. But just like the series shouldn't be restricted to 2D, it also shouldn't be restricted to 3D like it largely has been for the past 15 years.

 

My hope for the series which I've probably posted here before was that this would join Mario platformers this generation in again experiencing both 2D style (Including fully polygonal projects like this since the point of view is clearly meant to be reminiscent of earlier 2D Zelda games) and 3D entries again. I don't think the series should be limited in one direction or another on either consoles or handhelds since they're so different in so many ways yet both Zelda styles have provided some of the best experiences there can be found with this hobby. They should coexists.

 

I just think the environment has the potential to look much better in 2D in this instance. What they've shown off, while not unattractive, still doesn't come close to the attractiveness of the last game a decade ago that's now several generations in the past that last borrowed graphical inspiration from Link to the Past.

 

Look at the hill sides for instance in the videos shown off for this project. They look like a blurry mess but that was never the case 20 years ago or 10 years ago with 2D style graphics. I simply think they've done it better in the past such as this shot of Four Swords Adventures from the GameCube.

 

Edited April 20, 2013 by Atariboy

[Atariboy]

Watching a video with Link transforming and going through narrow areas which shows that 3D was pretty much the only choice for the way they wanted to implement this mechanic. Just from reading and looking at screenshots I thought the mechanic just affected the player but the perspective does a lot of shifting too when you watch it in motion. So that's probably the answer behind the reason why it's fully 3D with just a 2D style perspective.

 

http://www.zeldainfo...nd-direct-sound

 

If we're to believe Nintendo, this transformation idea is the genesis behind why this game even exists. So I guess I can't complain too loudly since without it and its 3D graphics we might not be even getting it. And in its defense, it looks leaps and bounds above the two DS releases in the area of graphics and does look like an attractive game. And the gameplay looks much more interesting and traditional which is what matters the most.

 

Edit: And they need to include the limited time free download of Four Swords Adventures here. Would provide a multiplayer mode and I'm sure many fans would appreciate having a hard copy of the expanded download of it that DSiWare recieved. And more than a few surely missed out on it due to its limited time release.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Atariboy

[eggomania]

I'm looking forward to this game coming out. I have to say, though, that the footage I have seen I was not too impressed. It looked a bit amateurish - almost like a downloadable game that costs a few dollars. I'm hoping that when it does come out it will look good. It will be some time before the game comes out so I'm assuming that the graphics will be improved from what we have seen. At least, I hope so!