Should Zelda have Voice Actors?

[Link 2 the past]

I've found the lack of voices in the later game very distracting, also I'm lazy and don't enjoy reading pages and pages of text. But I think if they ever did add in voice acting, Link should remain mute. And maybe I've become so used to it not having voices, maybe it wouldn't seem like a Zelda game. Also what would they do when it came to saying the players choice of the main character's name?

What do others think?

[chrisbg99]

Personally I find voice acting more a detriment than a benefit in 95% of the games that feature it. Most of the time its wooden, phoned in and just plain bad. The other 5% may have a few actors who seem to be going with it but most of the others are usually have the exact same problems as all others.

And for your other question, for FFX (which had horrid voice acting) they never once say Tidus' name since you can change it. Though that is the only instance I can think of.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Nah, I think it's become a tradition for Zelda games to be silent^^

Like the poster above me, voice acting usually sucks.

[Petman1325]

People these days are lazy and need to read!
Long live silent and classic. Plus, remember the last time Nintendo did such a thing (Super Mario Sunshine: Bowser and Bowser Jr.)?

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Plus, remember the last time Nintendo did such a thing (Super Mario Sunshine: Bowser and Bowser Jr.)?

I loved that game, but you're right. Bowser sounded horrible:p

[shadowscrub]

i wouldnt mind voice actors if it didnt slow down the game. i can remember playing a spyro game and it really sucked because of that

[Onilink89]

It would be a kinda....weird that all of a sudden that some characters are voice acted in zelda games. personnaly i would be against it.

[linkman8]

It would have to depend. With NPC's I don't think I'd really care, because you're not really attached to a lot of the less important characters, but I'd be against having a voice actor for Link.

[Ando]

No. Very no. 99.9% of the time, the voice actors' skills aren't high enough to accurately portray anything, and the voice acting ends up being more of a detriment to the game than a help. I've only played ONE game that had consistently amazing voice acting, and that's Tales of Vesperia (I guess that Oblivion might count, too, but it's pretty much the same eight voice actors saying the same things the whole game so you get a little numb to the voices).

I don't trust that they'd get top of the line vocals going on here.

[Josh]

No. As a few have said, most will probably think that the voice actors suck, which means that they probably won't buy it anyway. I'm not a fan of voice acting, I love to read anyway, and it keeps things simple.

[Claire]

I wouldn't want voice actors, more than the little giggles, grunts, and squeals we already hear. I think it was prolong the games with way too much unwanted dialogue, and besides this, I simply think the series do a fantastic job the way they already are, without actual conversations we can read - we assume what Link says, then connect that to what another has said, which makes it always more interesting.

[Midna666]

I would only want voice acting if they hired anime voice acters,and Link must not talk.

[Axle the Beast]

I personally would rather there not be voice acting.

I mean, it would be cool, but the whole thing where there's just text, followed by a few sounds from the characters... it had it's own style in my opinion, and I liked it.

But if they did give Zelda voice-acting, I would say keep Link mute.

[zeldatwilight55]

personally I think they should never use voice acting. What if they make Link sound lame. I know no one would want that ever. Now, what if they made everyone speak jibberish like midna? I don't know about that....

[Mike Pothier]

Hmm. Obviously Link shouldn't be talking.

But it did seem awkward to me to watch everyone in Twilight Princess move their mouths so accurately but no sound come out.

I think its a mistake to assume the voice acting will be bad today. This isn't the 90s anymore, many games today are being released with realistic, skilled voice acting. Look at PC games like Bioshock, Half-life 2 or the Elder Scrolls.

If Nintendo hired a professional VA casting agent, they could give Hyrule a great set of voices. I think that would work to the benefit of the next Zelda.

[Axle the Beast]

Hmm. Obviously Link shouldn't be talking.

But it did seem awkward to me to watch everyone in Twilight Princess move their mouths so accurately but no sound come out.

I think its a mistake to assume the voice acting will be bad today. This isn't the 90s anymore, many games today are being released with realistic, skilled voice acting. Look at PC games like Bioshock, Half-life 2 or the Elder Scrolls.

If Nintendo hired a professional VA casting agent, they could give Hyrule a great set of voices. I think that would work to the benefit of the next Zelda.
I think they'd be able to do it right, too.

But my problem is not that I think it'll be bad voice acting, I just don't think voice acting would fit Zelda. I wouldn't want it even if they got the best voices ever and they totally fit the characters.

[kpllk]

No. It would ruin the silent Zelda tradition. But maybe thay should make sound in some of them for the blind people.

[Kitsu]

I would personally hate it Zelda had voice actors. I actually like reading "pages of text". Moreover, I think that when you play a game, at least ones in the style of Zelda, you start to develop certain ideas about characters, like their personality, speech patters, etc. I think giving them voice actors would ruin this.
Especially, since most of the time the voice is pretty bad and sounds forced. I think this would make Zelda seem less fluid.
The only time I wouldn't mind, is, like Linkman said, for secondary characters. Even then though, I would probably be hypercritical about the voice acting and rather resent it.

[MrMosley]

Mario was destroyed period in my opinion whenever they gave him a voice. To me, one who believes Zelda to be a "type" of RPG, the silent-text type fits the game.

Whenever I play Super Mario World on my GBA, I cringe almost every time Mario gets a power up and says "Just what I needed!" Its just not right... I mean, maybe thats NOT what I needed. Just maybe thats exactly what I DID NOT need. Now I gotta press select, wait for the other power up to float its way down, risk losing it if an enemy comes that I have to avoid. I would hate to cringe up through an entire Zelda game.

[zeldatwilight55]

Now, to prove why I think they shouldn't add voices, maybe no one has heard but there was a game of zelda by sony. They were known as CD-i games but were a complete failure partually because they used voices but mostly because of the quality and graphics.

[Mike Pothier]

CD-i was by Phillips, not Sony.

And Nintendo can get actual professionals to do the job, not somebody off the street like Phillips did.

[Kitsu]

Now, to prove why I think they shouldn't add voices, maybe no one has heard but there was a game of zelda by sony. They were known as CD-i games but were a complete failure partually because they used voices but mostly because of the quality and graphics.

Indeed, that made them worse.And some of the CD-I Zelda's used actual actors and actresses. Personally, I consider the CD-I games to be an abomination.

[zeldatwilight55]

yeah ....phillips....sorry!

[Made_Of_Win]

Zelda with no voice actors is their trademark. I would hate to have voice actors just because it would ruin the usual Zelda games we are used to.

[elementskater995]

I actually read an article about this somewhere with one of Nintendo's grand puhbas who make Loz, he said that they wanted the player to feel more in control of Link, and scince your voice wouldn't sound like the 2 star actor they would hire to do his voice, ...:hmm: ....I lost it but I don't think they should make voices, ecspecially not for Link!!

[kpllk]

I think that they should make two versions of every game. One version should have vioce acting and the other shouldn't.

[elementskater995]

I think that they should make two versions of every game. One version should have vioce acting and the other shouldn't.

I think they should make one version of every game, one with no voice acting and ...thats it. jk thats actually a pretty good ideia, but from a production standpoint, it would cost too much.

[almoststarskate]

This is so stupid of me, but how do you post a thread?

[Stella3000]

No. As a few have said, most will probably think that the voice actors suck, which means that they probably won't buy it anyway. I'm not a fan of voice acting, I love to read anyway, and it keeps things simple.

I only like voice acting if it is done right. Like others have pointed out though, it usually sucks when done for games.

As far as having voice acting in the LoZ....even if done right I would not like it as much as what they are doing now. I love reading too, and keeping the game simple (as far as characters talking goes) has become one of the things it is loved for. I believe that Nintendo would lose a lot of its LoZ fans if they started doing voice acting all of a sudden.

[Link 2 the past]

I actually read an article about this somewhere with one of Nintendo's grand puhbas who make Loz, he said that they wanted the player to feel more in control of Link, and scince your voice wouldn't sound like the 2 star actor they would hire to do his voice, ...:hmm:

Sure, Link shouldn't speek, I think everone agrees on that, but I think the NPC should have vioice actors.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

yeah ....phillips....sorry!

:eek:...:mad:

HOW DARE YOU PROMOTE THE CDi ON THIS SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heh, sorry. Yeah, the voice acting was horrible in those games.

MAH BOI!:clap: I can't get enough of that.

[Y2K3]

I just skimmed through this, and I agree with whoever said that perhaps voices could work for the minor NPCs, but for the major characters, voices would just ruin it. Voices work in some games, and in others they really don't. It's hard to say until the game is out and you are playing it.

[Nemesis]

No way, it would be too weird if it goes from Link who can't talk to a Link who have a voice actor

[UsayEldaZay]

thats a good idea aboutt link because i am not about to spoil all the zelda games iv played where link DOES NOT talk, by adding one game where he does. so phew, glad im not alone on that one :p but yea its a good idea like when they have a long part in the game where its just like reading a novel, to add a voice. But it depends on what the voice sounds like..i dont want some high pitch squeak to be chatting it up while im trying to beat the game :p

[madslayer333]

I would say no because It would cost nintendo more money and that it would take longer to make a new game because they would have to search for good voice actors. And Shiguru wants to make you imagine how their voices would sound.

[ZeroJinKui]

nah, they shouldnt go any further with VA than they have, the groans, grunts, gasps, screams, etc...

thats all we need, besides, it allows us to use our imaginations more and decide for ourselves how well and with what accent, etc.. the characters speak.

its perfect the way it is, no need for full-on voice acting.

[Master94]

Voice actors. that would be annoying. it would give me headache like cd-i.

[Smitie]

I wouldn't mind voice actors in zelda games, but only the minor characters would have a voice and Link says nothing. I would make it a bit like the first Jak and Daxter game. Everyone talked except Jak (the main character) and Daxter (sidekick) did all the talking for him which led to a lot of funny scenes where daxter is talking non-sense and Jak is rolling his eyes because he's annoyed. I don't see a disaster like the CD-I games happening simply because Nintendo has a budget and enough time to create good zelda games.

[zeldafreak]

I've heard that Miyamoto (is that how u spell his name?) wanted players to pretend to say what link is saying, so he didn't want voices

sorry if my explanation is bad

[Mike Pothier]

Well, thats why there's no text for Link, but there is plenty of text for all the other characters in the game.

And keep in mind, for those that don't want any voice acting, that Nintendo could put in an option to turn the VA off.

[Alkarius]

No, Voice actors is a bad idea. What if you name Link something crazy? How is this voice actor going to pronounce it? Or, Miyamoto could just take away the freedom of letting you choose your own name. I wouldn't mind VA's, but who are we going to get to do Link's voice? The cast will most likeley be all Japanese, so we won't really understand them.

[LinkOwnsYou]

MAH BOI!:clap: I can't get enough of that.

me neither, me neither

"Mah Boi! u must die!" LOL

[Skull_Kid]

I think they should give it a try, it worked pretty well with metroid prime 3, and it could work with Zelda as long as they kept Link silent

[Bluelink6]

No way should voice actors be used. The voices woukld never fit everyones imaginated versions of them..it might put people off.

[Mike Pothier]

No, Voice actors is a bad idea. What if you name Link something crazy? How is this voice actor going to pronounce it? Or, Miyamoto could just take away the freedom of letting you choose your own name. I wouldn't mind VA's, but who are we going to get to do Link's voice? The cast will most likeley be all Japanese, so we won't really understand them.

Well, first of all, if they are going to do voice acting, they would get an english speaking cast for the NA release, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Secondly, all of us agreed that nobody would voice Link. He would remain silent as always. And I think Nintendo would agree with us on that.

Finally, they would write the script so the name would never be spoken. For example, when Link gives a character his name, they could just say "Thats an unusual name." and move on from there. Other games have done that before.

[Skull_Kid]

I don't think the name would come up as a problem... they could make Link be named Link, for once... People had the same fears about metroid getting voice actors, but it turned out pretty cool... i think the same would apply to Zelda

[Nightphoenix]

I think we all have to agree that Link would never be given a voice. It would just ruin everything we ever knew. Personally, I would let them use VAs, to a point. Reserve it only for the major cutscenes, and for the rest of the game, leave it text.

[bellum]

I foun dont in a magazine that they don't make link talk so you can experience whats happening and I just think it's better that link doesn't talk

[Claire]

I foun dont in a magazine that they don't make link talk so you can experience whats happening and I just think it's better that link doesn't talk

I think the real benefit of not having Link speak, is because it helps improve your imagination - because you can imagine or come up with what you think Link is actually saying. That would also be something that would effect if Nintendo were to create alternate endings, or alternate story lines within the game. If Link spoke or made certain decisions that we were 100% aware of, it would make us unable to make a choice for ourselves.

[Amelie]

I think everyone else can talk. But not Link. There are lots of games where the other characters talk but the person you play never does ^^

[Dark Link '98]

It depends on who the voice actor is for.Traditionally,Link is the silent hero, but I guess if the situation called for it, he could speak in a different language,or even sing. (My story allows him to do just that) He could also speak if it's a sitch where he has to input information, or if he's just pissed as hell at another character and feels the need to tell them so. I iz scared at angry Link.

[Kazumi]

No, no. No. No. No. No. No. NEVER EVER EVER ANYWHERE ON THE FACE OF THIS FAIR LAND!!!!!! Zelda should never ever have voice actors. I just think its a bad idea.

[lonely_moon]

I would like to see how a Zelda game with VAs would work out, but there are all the risks involved of getting competent actors and it's not really necessary. Even when voice acting in video games became commonplace, Zelda has remained silent and has still been a highly respected and successful series.

I personally wouldn't care either way. As long as they use professionally trained VAs, then I don't see a problem with spoken dialogue. The whole naming issue with Link does not concern me because I name him Link anyway. :)

But we can all agree that we don't want another
http://umthumbs.gametrailers.com/moses/usermoviethumbs/um_70576_45_113.jpg
"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

:lol:

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

But we can all agree that we don't want another
http://umthumbs.gametrailers.com/moses/usermoviethumbs/um_70576_45_113.jpg
"I can't wait to bomb some Dodongos!"

:lol:

I don't know why, but I bursted out laughing when I read that:D

MAH BOI!! Yeah.....that was horrible:cool:

[Amelie]

I think we should let the other characters talk and keep Link silent. Simple as that ^^

[Twili123prince]

I don't think Zelda should have voice actors, I've come to like the good old HYAAA, YAAH!! sounds that Link makes. No voices, but loud screeches are good for me :)

[Andreas]

Agree, I´m also tired of reading boxes. However, If they got the very right actor I believe that Link speaking could work too.

[El Bagu]

No voice actors, please! But the sound the guards make in MC is fun and also the laughter of ganon in OoT :lol:

[Chris]

I would love to have Zelda Voice actors!!! This would save so much time reading the dumb text that appears at the bottom. Also, you would get to hear the expression in their voice which gives you a better understanding of what is happining and their mood. I have always wanted to hear the voices of characters like the Kokiri and the Zora's.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

I would love to have Zelda Voice actors!!! This would save so much time reading the dumb text that appears at the bottom. Also, you would get to hear the expression in their voice which gives you a better understanding of what is happining and their mood. I have always wanted to hear the voices of characters like the Kokiri and the Zora's.

Here's the thing. In most games, in most scenes with voice acting, you can't skip the scene. It get's annoying really quick when you're re-playing a game and you have to watch all those long cut scenes that you've already seen. But with text, you can just press A rapidly and it'll be over fairly quick.

[ChargewithSword]

Here's the thing. In most games, in most scenes with voice acting, you can't skip the scene. It get's annoying really quick when you're re-playing a game and you have to watch all those long cut scenes that you've already seen. But with text, you can just press A rapidly and it'll be over fairly quick.

Well there are games that let you skip scenes. I recall being able to skip the cutscenes in the Jak games and the Ratchet games. I was able to skip Starfox scenes.

So you can basically do that with voices, and it just takes one push of "A" button.

[Waker of winds]

Well, I was in youtube watching a few videos, but then I found these ones that made me think... How would be a Zelda with voices(except for Link) other that the grunts and gasps? Do you think that would be a good idea? Or a very bad one?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V26uBT1_ecI&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64hbelipO_E&feature=relatedThese feature the voice of Midna, but I personally think that the best one is the spanish. So, what do you think?

[Y2K3]

^ The video doesn't worked when it's embedded like that.

But I checked it out on YouTube. I'm not a huge fan of it personally. Although these are just fan things, so official ones would be better (I'd hope), I'm stil sceptical about it. It just doesn't seem Zelda to me.
Though it's hard for me to say. If it was done, it may be really good and I may like it, but unless that were to happen, I'll stick with 'I'd rather they didn't'.

[Durion]

I am also not a fan, Infact a Zelda where the characters like Link, Zelda and Ganondorf have voice would kind of put me off playing that game, I could only play it without sound on and with Subtitles so I can read what they are saying.

I think one of the things that makes Zelda unique is that there are no voices unlike many games on other consoles.

Also it would be that hard to place a voice on each of those 3 that if they ever did give them voices it would be greatly critised. I jus don't see it working.

[Zeruda]

You know, Midna's speech is garbled actual speech. I think I might still have the ungarbled sound clips somewhere. Midna says stuff like, "The spirits... it can't be!" and other complete sentences. It was probably garbled to fit in with the non-dialogue that is Zelda.

As for speech... ew. We all have our own ideas as to how characters sound when they speak, and introducing voice acting would ruin that. I don't mind the smaller things like TWW!Link's "Hey! C'mon!" and TP!Fado's "Heeeey!". Bits of dialogue with only one or two words is fine, but I would most definitely not like to hear Link or Zelda or some other major character speaking with a voice that I didn't approve of. Keeping their dialogue in text form is a way to please everybody since we all have different opinions as to how the characters should sound.

The only way I would ever be okay with voice acting in Zelda is if they kept the original Japanese voice actors and didn't translate it. Anybody who's watched an anime knows that dubbing sounds gross. If the characters were to speak, I'd like them to speak with the voices that we're used to hearing through gasps, grunts, sighs, and so on and so forth.

[knowlee]

I couldn't see Zelda games with voices. It just wouldn't be Zelda anymore with them; proof being the Zelda cartoon. It was good, I guess, but it didn't seem like a real Zelda show to me because the voice acting didn't appeal to me. More proof is also the CD-i games. I haven't played them but I have watched a clip showing what the gameplay was like and the voice acting on it really made it not feel like Zelda.

I like it with it with the games only showing the words that they speak, because to me(and I've read this somewhere before too, I think) it seems like their speaking in the Hylian(or whatever it's called...) tongue. The words that show up on the screen are what they are saying being translated for us to be able to understand. That, I believe, makes Zelda just as good as games that do have voice acting.

A little bit is okay like they have done on past Zelda games. It just doesn't need too much or as I have stated before, it'll mess it up.

[basement24]

As long as it was well acted, then I think it would be okay. I really hate wooden acting in video games, and would hate to see that brought into the Zelda world. It brings me out of the experience to hear lines delivered without meaning or emotion, or care. They would need to get top talent (not famous people, just talented people) and make sure the performances were up to the level of the quality of the game.

It would definitely remove some of the pacing of the game though. Cut scenes would not be able to be run through at a slow pace if you want them to. Unless they actually keep a promt to hear the next line instead of read it. They would also have to remove redundant lines that some characters say when talked to more than once and they have nothing more to tell you. A cancel button would be needed, because hearing whole dialogue again and again would be painful.

Sometimes even the grunts and little noises in previous games sound silly to me and I'm taken out for a moment. I do think some of the charm of Zelda is the little text boxes with their soothing little tones when you are done reading them, but eventually they will be removed. I can't see this series staying at that level of gaming for ages and ages. One day, Hyrule will have voices.

[Gildragon]

I think that if nintendo got some Decent Dialogue writers that they would be able to do a good job. and have dialogue that reflects the character actions of link. However I do not think this would happen.

[ChargewithSword]

Zelda is a thing I want to evolve. People only dislike the idea of voice acting in Zelda because of the fact that we are all used to text and stuff. We are also turned off by the idea of voice actors because 2 attempts at voice acting had been pretty bad and broke the idea for us (CD-i, & cartoon.)

Voice acting in general is up to the director who tells an actor how they must act. I don't believe people were crying "hate" when Mario got his voice, or perhaps when Metroid started using them.

In fact, Metroid is a perfect example of how a Zelda game should have it's voices. Samus talks squat and the characters do the talking for her.

In truth, voice acting wouldn't destroy Zelda if it was good and was proper. You just need to find the right people and you get good acting.


The only way I would ever be okay with voice acting in Zelda is if they kept the original Japanese voice actors and didn't translate it. Anybody who's watched an anime knows that dubbing sounds gross. If the characters were to speak, I'd like them to speak with the voices that we're used to hearing through gasps, grunts, sighs, and so on and so forth.

I am shocked at that comment. If you ever watched a good dub like a Miyazaki dub or a Funimation dub, you'd change your mind. Dubbing depends on the actors and the directors and unless you've watched only 4kids then you'll need to realize there are different dubs out there.

[Axle the Beast]

I've said it in the past, but I suppose I'll say it again...

I really do not want voice acting in the Zelda series. It's not that I think they'll do it wrong. I'm certain they won't. Zelda is too big a series, with way too high a budget and way to much support for it to be done wrong in that way. I'm certain that if they were to do voice acting, it would be done extremely well.

That being said, I still don't want them to do it.

The reason is this... I like the feel of the text and sounds. They way they have text, then the odd noises and motions and whatnot, I think it's all unique and even artistic in it's own, strange little way. I've grown quite fond of it, actually, and I would be very sad to see it go.

That said, I wouldn't hate it if they did voice acting. Well, so long as Link doesn't talk. He can't ever talk. But everyone else could and I would be cool with it. The thing is, I just prefer the other method.

And that's why. No matter how much you propose the idea of voice acting and how it could work, I'll always say "I'd rather they not." I would be able to handle it and even like it if they did, but I'll always love the text and weird little noises. :xd:

[Dark Princess]

I'm not sure. I don't think I'd like it. I mean, I love who on FF and other games they have voices, but I can't see Zelda characters talking. =/

[lonely_moon]

Zelda is a thing I want to evolve. People only dislike the idea of voice acting in Zelda because of the fact that we are all used to text and stuff. We are also turned off by the idea of voice actors because 2 attempts at voice acting had been pretty bad and broke the idea for us (CD-i, & cartoon.)

Voice acting in general is up to the director who tells an actor how they must act. I don't believe people were crying "hate" when Mario got his voice, or perhaps when Metroid started using them.

In fact, Metroid is a perfect example of how a Zelda game should have it's voices. Samus talks squat and the characters do the talking for her.

In truth, voice acting wouldn't destroy Zelda if it was good and was proper. You just need to find the right people and you get good acting.

I completely agree. Whilst I don't mind keeping the all-subtitle format that has been present in all past Zelda games, voice acting is something I'd really like to see. As long as they get talented voice actors and really capture the essence of the character in the voice, I'm all for it.

But what about Link? Should he talk or stay silent? I know tons of people will say he should remain mute, but I think it couldn't hurt for him to have a voice. I personally want to know what he thinks of his journey, or of certain characters. I know he's mute because you're meant to envision yourself as the hero, but some people (like me) see the character as a separate person. But of course, that decision depends on which side is the majority.

As for that video in Waker of winds' post, I didn't like it that much. The voice itself was close (I think it should have been a bit higher-pitched) but her acting was really monotone and boring. Also, I'm not sure if that's how "Twili" is pronounced. I thought it was said just like the first part of "Twilight".

[HerosDescendant]

Voices in Zelda, in my opinion, would be AWESOME.:D

They did it with Metroid, why not Zelda?

As long as they don't put in any cussing. I REALLY HATE cussing!>:(

[TVTMaster]

I agree with Axle on the point of the way the text works in the game, but I still think voice acting has its place- cutscenes. I definitely wouldn't want every random NPC to spout off their lines on my TV, but giving Zelda, Ganon/dorf, or other major non-Link characters voices in cutscenes would be a nice little touch. Midna's the kind of character who I don't mind listening to even with the garble and pointless info (unlike a certai-HEY! LISTEN!), so yeah, I wouldn't mind a few voice-acted scenes or quips every so often.

[Axle the Beast]

I agree with Axle on the point of the way the text works in the game, but I still think voice acting has its place- cutscenes. I definitely wouldn't want every random NPC to spout off their lines on my TV, but giving Zelda, Ganon/dorf, or other major non-Link characters voices in cutscenes would be a nice little touch. Midna's the kind of character who I don't mind listening to even with the garble and pointless info (unlike a certai-HEY! LISTEN!), so yeah, I wouldn't mind a few voice-acted scenes or quips every so often.
Hm... you raise a good point. That might be a balance of the two that I would really enjoy and find ideal. I hadn't really considered that...

Well, if it was implemented as TVTMaster suggests, then I suppose I would have no problems with it.

[Midna666]

I really don't think that Nintendo should do voice acting in a Zelda game.
Anyone remember the horrible voice acting in Super Mario Sunshine?

If that's the way Nintendo treats voice acting with there main character, then I'd hate to see how they would do voice acting with the Zelda series.

I just really don't think that Nintendo is ready for voice acting.

[emy]

Ugh, I would hate it (no offense to anyone who likes the idea!)
It's just not Zelda... at all. Plus it would probably make it really cheesy if not done properly, like in a lot of other games.

I just think it's a bad idea all around.

I like the text. It's fun, it let's you use your imagination a little bit more, and it makes kids who play actually read a bit for once :P. It's a good thing!

[Immortal_One]

I would rather not want to see voice acting in the Zelda games because there's a reason for them not to put voice acting in them. What the characters sound like, how they speak and everything else should be left up to individual interpretation. If I'm not mistaken, that's the reason why the top dogs of Zelda chose not to implement that idea in Ocarina of Time.

I really doubt they would even put voice acting in the game mostly because it's become such a minuscule item in the grand scheme of things. Games like Metriod and Mario have gone into the realm of voice acting, even though Zelda didn't. Even though Zelda didn't progress with voice acting, it still did as well, if not better than many games that did go into voice acting.

As Axel the Beast said, I wouldn't really mind too much if they did it, I just would rather not see them do it. They'd do it well I'm sure, but I like my Zelda games traditional.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

What we need to understand is that, no matter what, it's inevitable. All video games series need to evolve to survive, and if Zelda ends up sticking around for a long time, the series really isn't going to have a choice. I'm not saying it'll happen in the near future, but it will happen. Personally, I wouldn't mind voice acting, as long as it was kept to a minimal. I'm not the kind of person that's going to go into a state of depression because Zelda's voice "Was never what I pictured it to be." I just really don't care, and don't see all of the fuss over voices not being good enough for someone. Now about keeping it to a minimal: I don't want to have to witness a voice cut scene every 5 minutes or when I talk to random CPU in the street. I'm thinking it would work for important scenes, such as when Link enters Gerudo Desert for the first time in TP, or when Link encounters Skull Kid on the top of Clock Tower at the beginning of MM. Scenes that hold a lot of relevance to the storyline would be the only places I'd want voice acting.

[Abyss Master]

I, personally, am completely fine with no voice acting beyond what we've seen. I like reading the textboxes. I can skip them at any time without it sounding awfully unnatural and out of place, and it wouldn't be plagued by horrible voices that we would most likely complain about (especially if Link were to talk).

[Zeruda]

I, personally, am completely fine with no voice acting beyond what we've seen. I like reading the textboxes. I can skip them at any time without it sounding awfully unnatural and out of place, and it wouldn't be plagued by horrible voices that we would most likely complain about (especially if Link were to talk).

This reminds of Fable/II. You know, some people liked the voices, but personally.... my GOD, I couldn't stand them. Too many, and far too annoying. I know I'm not the only one with this opinion, either. In any case, I wouldn't want Zelda to ever go that far with voices. I think it was cool to see Link talking in TP's cutscenes- you could their mouths moving, but all you heard was the music and whatnot. That was pretty cool.

[Silent Rain]

I personally wouldn't mind voice if they did it right. But Link shouldn't need to talk. I really don't mind reading text though. Some of the characters have so much to say that you might miss half of it. But I guess there could be text and voice and the character could just read the line of text that is on the screen.

[Vincent]

Actually, Zelda with voices would work. Everyone but the main character talking seems to work well in other games. It's at least worth a try.

[Axle the Beast]

I really don't think that Nintendo should do voice acting in a Zelda game.
Anyone remember the horrible voice acting in Super Mario Sunshine?

If that's the way Nintendo treats voice acting with there main character, then I'd hate to see how they would do voice acting with the Zelda series.

I just really don't think that Nintendo is ready for voice acting.
I didn't really think that the voice acting was bad in Sunshine. And that's always how Mario's sounded... :?

Besides, I think everyone pretty much agrees that voice acting or no voice acting, Link should not speak. :P

But other that that, I agree. I would rather there not be voice acting as well.

[Pyroco101]

it worked in Metroid Prime 3, since the only talkers weren't in most of the game, why not Zelda?

[Durion]

it worked in Metroid Prime 3, since the only talkers weren't in most of the game, why not Zelda?

With the Metroid games think anyone was really bothered with how each character sounded as it was easy for them to choose a voice that sounded good for each character. It would be harder I believe with Zelda as all we have ever heard from Link was a series of grunts and shouts, It would be very hard to find a good voice actor for Link, It would be easier for each of the other main characters though, Maybe if Link didn't talk it could work.

[Bloot]

Personally I find voice acting more a detriment than a benefit in 95% of the games that feature it. Most of the time its wooden, phoned in and just plain bad. The other 5% may have a few actors who seem to be going with it but most of the others are usually have the exact same problems as all others.

And for your other question, for FFX (which had horrid voice acting) they never once say Tidus' name since you can change it. Though that is the only instance I can think of.

You know I don't think FFX had bad voice acting (Tidus was the only eyesore there) but really bad timing. Since it was Square's first time using real voice actors, and since the North American script was different from the Japanese one, it was really about hitting everything just right. I like voice acting in a game, though it always seems like everyone has a problem with Japanese-to-American dubbing, versus acting in an American-made video game. Anyway, I kind of would like voice acting in Zelda. I think they could wing it where everyone but Link talks.

[Bob Majinki]

Nintendo has money to afford good voice actors. I gained that confidence after playing Punch Out Wii, in which all the voice actors were excellent, and they actually spoke their foreign languages properly! They'd have to go through more effort for Zelda of course. The easiest solution to avoid having to narrate all masses of text would be to have only the important cutscenes have voice acting (a la Path of Radiance).

I think Nintendo should consider making Link speak for the new Wii title and future works.

[defeater109]

link wouldnt, but maybe everyone else, odd to imagine a zelda Voice or a goron though

[Niko Bellic 817]

No, Voice actors is a bad idea. What if you name Link something crazy? How is this voice actor going to pronounce it? Or, Miyamoto could just take away the freedom of letting you choose your own name.

You're absolutely right. Giving the option to name your character takes away the chances of voice acting. Especially if you could name your character something that was inappropriate. Also, it would cost them more money. Nintendo just figures, why spend all this time and money to get quality voice actors when people still love zelda games (like Twilight Princess) without it.

[Niko Bellic 817]

I'm thinking it would work for important scenes, such as when Link enters Gerudo Desert for the first time in TP.

Actually there already is voice acting. Midna talks in her weird language during the cutscene.

[ChargewithSword]

Voice Acting is something that Zelda needs for the future, I think that the massive amount of text that is seen in a Zelda game is horridly outdated. However, I think that is only for the cutscenes. When you speak to normal people, you don't need to hear voice acting.

Oh, Link should talk. People are just not used to him talking, however, if he started talking I don't think people would baaawww for years to come
(unless the actor is real bad, but not much chance with Nintendo behind the reigns.) I mean, when Mario talked full sentences in Mario: Power Tennis did anyone care? Not really. The same can happen for Link and people would need to give it time.

Oh and in the parts where people say his name, just change the voice acting to say something like "my boy" or "pal" or etc.
Oh and I beat you all to it before you get a chance:
http://th09.deviantart.net/fs24/300W/i/2008/008/2/3/Mah_Boi_PDF_v2_by_HWO.jpg

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Actually there already is voice acting. Midna talks in her weird language during the cutscene.

To be honest: If I can't understand a word that a character is saying, I don't call it voice acting. This is one reason I'll never be able to understand how some people think Japanese voice acting is somehow better than English voice acting. I can't understand Japanese, just like many people, so I fail to see how voice acting that you can't even understand is better.

[ChargewithSword]

There was one set of voice acting in TP that I was able to make out. It was clear japanese when Shad was talking the "ancient language". It wasn't just babble, it was sentence that was just mumbled.

[x-Link-x]

Stuff like that I'll always accept as long as they're not clear English words or something of the sort. I suppose its just tradition. I mean, you guys saw what happened last time Zelda had voice acting, it was horrible! Dx!
I like Zelda voiceless, come on now, kids need to practice their reading!~ xD

[Steve]

I agree with Charge, for cutscenes, voice acting would be ideal for the experience. For gameplay, they can stick with the usual typed dialogue, and you will find that it is a common thing in many games. Voice acting gives more personality to characters, and without it they just seem lifeless, and I'm really sick of the same thing over and over. The Legend of Zelda is one of the few remaining series of Nintendo, not having voice acting; Mario, Starfox, Metroid, Sonic, and countless of other games do.

[Waker of winds]

D: Gosh, I'm so careless!
I made a thread like this without ever noticing it already existed!
So sorry...

Anyway, I think it would be a good idea to try it and see the reactions of the fans, but sincerely, voices (well, real words, not only cries and grunts) had never existed in a Zelda game, so a lot of people will not be happy with the change...

[x-Link-x]

I agree with Charge, for cutscenes, voice acting would be ideal for the experience. For gameplay, they can stick with the usual typed dialogue, and you will find that it is a common thing in many games. Voice acting gives more personality to characters, and without it they just seem lifeless, and I'm really sick of the same thing over and over. The Legend of Zelda is one of the few remaining series of Nintendo, not having voice acting; Mario, Starfox, Metroid, Sonic, and countless of other games do.

I don't think voice is truly necessary, always makes me think that actions speak louder than words. Not to mention that, one can suppose were just a little hyterical of how the voices will actually turn out and such.

[Chrono]

I can't believe some people actually want voice actors in a Zelda game. I think Link making a noise here and there (swinging his sword, falling, etc) is just fine. We didn't even have that before OoT. I could however deal with it if only a few characters talked along Link's quest.

[Steve]

I don't think voice is truly necessary, always makes me think that actions speak louder than words. Not to mention that, one can suppose were just a little hyterical of how the voices will actually turn out and such.

You can't really assume that without knowing how voices in Zelda would actually turn out. I can't recall in one Nintendo game, having voice acting, that the voices seemed out of place for the character, that's a bit judgmental. Also, actions speak louder than words? We're talking about changing written dialogue to spoken, typed words isn't much of an action, and to be honest it doesn't change much. Voices would certainly be better than those stupid grunts and gibberish words we get now, that's for sure.


I can't believe some people actually want voice actors in a Zelda game. I think Link making a noise here and there (swinging his sword, falling, etc) is just fine. We didn't even have that before OoT. I could however deal with it if only a few characters talked along Link's quest.
I don't think everyone is implying Link should have full dialogue, to be quite frank, I'd hate to see Link talk full sentences. That would be out of his character, regardless of voice acting or not.

[Deku Scrub]

I don't think everyone is implying Link should have full dialogue, to be quite frank, I'd hate to see Link talk full sentences. That would be out of his character, regardless of voice acting or not.
Yeah. Every Zelda fan would start playing and hear Link say something, and they'd go into extreme shock, but if he started chattering full sentences, they'd all drop dead. D:

I think it'd be cool to have voice acting, but not with Link. I like silent protagonists. If they don't talk, then they can't say anything awkward. ^_^

[ChargewithSword]

Stuff like that I'll always accept as long as they're not clear English words or something of the sort. I suppose its just tradition. I mean, you guys saw what happened last time Zelda had voice acting, it was horrible! Dx!
I like Zelda voiceless, come on now, kids need to practice their reading!~ xD

You realize both examples of Zelda voice acting were done without Nintendo supervision right?

Plus the only time the lack of voice acting works, is in MM when "you" had to get attached to the characters, and in comediac moments. In the serious moments of Twilight Princess, the lack of voice acting was somewhat silly.

[x-Link-x]

Yeah. Every Zelda fan would start playing and hear Link say something, and they'd go into extreme shock, but if he started chattering full sentences, they'd all drop dead. D:

I think it'd be cool to have voice acting, but not with Link. I like silent protagonists. If they don't talk, then they can't say anything awkward. ^_^

xDD For the sake of awkwardness?
I dunno, I think I'd blink and stare at he screen for about 10 minutes...to take in what Link just said. I mean, it was that bad in WW, when ever he said "Come on!" because it was short and sweet but....if he said more, I dunno. x.x;;

[Bloot]

To be honest: If I can't understand a word that a character is saying, I don't call it voice acting. This is one reason I'll never be able to understand how some people think Japanese voice acting is somehow better than English voice acting. I can't understand Japanese, just like many people, so I fail to see how voice acting that you can't even understand is better.

I so agree with you! Japanese voice acting may SOUND better to some people, but really unless you speak the language you don't get the full extent of what they're saying. That's why I prefer dubbing. In actuality, a dubbed version of something is supposed to be entirely different from the subbed work; it's a new piece introduced for the benefit of American audiences. Just like if an American game were released in Japan they would dub it in order to make it understandable to their audiences. I don't get how people don't understand that!

[ChargewithSword]

I just remembered, there was another instance of voice acting in Zelda, however it was japanese. Hold it, let me fish it out *searchs his trunk and throws violent material around.*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwpAXFDWKbs

In that vid, there is voice acting near the end.

[dark-link]

its too much of a risk to f*** up the awsome characters so i say no

[MalonMaverick11]

yes!!! I would love it if i didn't have to read all of the text!! it could be like kingdom hearts where some text is read and some is spoken. i have always thought that it would be a great idea to have voice actors in LoZ games.

The hard part would be putting voices to characters. by now, every fan has made up voices for each character. I know that i have assigned certain sounding voices to each character when i read their dialogue in my head.

[ChargewithSword]

Here's an idea for thought, what if they pulled a Tolkien on use and made Hylian a real language that is spoken and seen in subtitled. The characters would speak a defined language created by Nintendo while subtitles (that automatically move) are shown on screen telling us what they say.

It would also give cosplayers something to be even nerdier about a conventions.

[Master Kokiri 9]

Personally i would love to see voice acting for all characters including link but instead of using it for everything i would rather have it in cutscenes like the cutscene in twilight princess just after rescuing colin (who is my favorite character in the entire series second only to saria) and the cutscene in oot in which you meet up with shiek who teaches you the nocturne of shadow:):):):):):):):):):)

[Zarom]

Voices in Zelda? No. NEVER. I am COMPLETELY against it. It would just screwed up the series and I'm sure I wouldn't like it. The Zelda are perfect videogames and I wouldn't change things about it. It would simply not be a zelda anymore. I love it the way it is. Zelda Forever!!! :):):) :zelda::zelda::zelda: :ganondorf::ganondorf::ganondorf:

[hsb39]

I completely support making Hylian a language, and then also for timeline makers, there would be different versions of Hylian, as the series spans over more than 200 years having a different language is understandable.

[Lady_Yuna]

I don't know. I'm kinda in between about this one because all of us have been used to reading the text while we're playing the games. But, it would be nice to see some change. As a gamer, I really would like to pay attention to the characters and the art first before having to read the text box. The only problem though about this is choosing the right people to voice these characters.


(Btw I found the guy who voices Link.....):)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgD2_9Jufcg

[Midna666]

The problem with having voice acting in a series like Zelda is that the characters are so beloved that if they do have voices, will the voices match up with the characters?

I'm sure that we all have our own way of thinking what Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf sound like.
But to give them voices is a big deal.
If you get bad voice actors, then the characters image could be damage.

I think that the Zelda characters have more personality, because they don't talk.
I think that giving them voices, would take away from there personalities.

[hsb39]

I think that it's a huge risk, but it could be done very well.

[Vash03]

If you want voice acting in Zelda watch the 80's Zelda cartoon.. Once you've had enough of Link saying, "Well excussssssssseeee me Princess." Tell me then that you want it lol. It will ruin your perspective of Link. Everyone imagines Link with a different voice. And when they put someone for him that isn't what you imagine, it's like what? That doesn't sound right. =[

[fiercedeity619]

id say no to caracters with a voice. its just not zelda with voices

[PimPSlaP]

I really don't get what the big deal is, Link won't speak, obviously. The Zelda cast will sound better than CD-I voice actors, because Nintendo will be very careful with choosing for voice acting.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

I really don't get what the big deal is, Link won't speak, obviously. The Zelda cast will sound better than CD-I voice actors, because Nintendo will be very careful with choosing for voice acting.

Really, saying a prime example of how horrible Zelda voice acting would be is the cartoon and CD-i games is flawed. Seeing as Nintendo had nothing to do with the CD-i games, and that cartoon was made about 20 years ago before the Zelda series became so popular, Nintendo would surely put much more effort into finding good voice actors. Metroid was fine with it in Prime 3, and from the looks of it, Samus is going to be saying somthing other than just a few grunts and screams in Other M. And just think how much more emotional the characters could be with voice acting. No, I'm talking about Ganondorf or Zelda exactly, but other characters than connect to Link in a specific game. Like Colin and Illia, or Anju and Kafei. These character's stories could have been greatly improved emotionally if the had voice acting, and no one would by crying about how "the characters weren't what I imagined they were" because those characters are exclusive to a certain game.

[Master Kokiri 9]

Yeah it's a giant risk but if it was done well then it would be perfect. It would make those cutscenes that much more interesting.

[Dragon565333]

I think Maybe a little Voice acting should be in it... Like Kingdom Hearts if anyone Plays. The people only talk if it is something that you need to know... Or If that part is going to be Important.... So A little Bit would be Nice!

[Twilight_Link]

For the games no voices for a Legend of Zelda anime yes.

[Atsuma]

It would be cool if all the characters in future Zelda games had voices. For me it would work out better than having to read text or see character animations, etc. Hearing an actual character talking would definitely get me more in the game. ^^

[rocker_3]

id be ok with it as long as links the only one who doesnt talk:)

[Shounenbat]

I am shocked at that comment. If you ever watched a good dub like a Miyazaki dub or a Funimation dub, you'd change your mind. Dubbing depends on the actors and the directors and unless you've watched only 4kids then you'll need to realize there are different dubs out there.

Am I the only one who hates Miyazaki and Funimation dubs? They sound awful, especially the Funimation ones! Then again, the only dub I've ever really, really enjoyed was Paranoia Agent, and even that had its pit falls. The voices just hardly ever sound natural, and its very easy to tell that their trying to voice act and sync mouth flaps at the same time, thus hurting the quality.

I think you like Funimation over 4Kids because Funimation doesn't leave half the series on the cutting room floor, not because of the voice acting. I find that usually 4Kids has superior voice actors, but scizzor-happy editors. Funimation has mediocre voice actors, but the episodes are left largely intact. If 4Kids ever decided not to butcher every series they tried to "translate", I'd definately find 4Kids to be one of the better companies out there, in terms of quality.

If Zelda was voice acted in Japanese, I'd prefer to leave it in Japanese, or give it a made-up language like in Shadow of the Collosus. However, I prefer silent games. FFX was terrible, as was Tales of Symphonia, Metroid, Mario, etc. I don't want Link to talk like an American...

For the record, I am learning Japanese (I want to get a degree in it), and dubs are usually a lot different in dialogue than the Japanese versions. A few people have said that there's no point in leaving a game in Japanese if no one can understand it, but that's what subtitles are for. I'm pretty sure most American voice actors aren't going to produce those nice little yells and screams that Link does (we just don't sound like that; we grunt and shout, but not like that). I prefer no voice acting at all, but if there absolutely must be some, leave it in Japanese if it's not a made-up language.

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Am I the only one who hates Miyazaki and Funimation dubs? They sound awful, especially the Funimation ones! Then again, the only dub I've ever really, really enjoyed was Paranoia Agent, and even that had its pit falls. The voices just hardly ever sound natural, and its very easy to tell that their trying to voice act and sync mouth flaps at the same time, thus hurting the quality.

I think you like Funimation over 4Kids because Funimation doesn't leave half the series on the cutting room floor, not because of the voice acting. I find that usually 4Kids has superior voice actors, but scizzor-happy editors. Funimation has mediocre voice actors, but the episodes are left largely intact. If 4Kids ever decided not to butcher every series they tried to "translate", I'd definately find 4Kids to be one of the better companies out there, in terms of quality.

If Zelda was voice acted in Japanese, I'd prefer to leave it in Japanese, or give it a made-up language like in Shadow of the Collosus. However, I prefer silent games. FFX was terrible, as was Tales of Symphonia, Metroid, Mario, etc. I don't want Link to talk like an American...

For the record, I am learning Japanese (I want to get a degree in it), and dubs are usually a lot different in dialogue than the Japanese versions. A few people have said that there's no point in leaving a game in Japanese if no one can understand it, but that's what subtitles are for. I'm pretty sure most American voice actors aren't going to produce those nice little yells and screams that Link does (we just don't sound like that; we grunt and shout, but not like that). I prefer no voice acting at all, but if there absolutely must be some, leave it in Japanese if it's not a made-up language.

Thing is, you'd have more people hating the game just because of that. I'm sure I speak for more than quite a few when they I say having to listen to nothing but Japanese for an entire game is enough to ruin it. Personally, I don't understand how Japanese voices are always considered to be better for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm not into anime, but I just don't understand it. However, I've read many of reviews outside of the Nintendo based magazines and such, and on various websites including video reviews. In the eyes of the world, it's simple: Ever since WW, many have though Legend of Zelda desperately needs voice acting. "These characters cry for voices" was an exact phrase used by two reviewers I watching a row, and many others got the same point across.

You mention FFX as horrible, but it was praised highly and sold like wildfire. Yeah, all the die hard FF fans hated it, but if a series just listens to its fans, it dies. Japanese voices only in Legend of Zelda would do much much more harm than good. I'm all for an option for those of you who for some reason think that the Japanese sound prettier though.

[Werewolfy]

I think voice acting could work, if implemented properly. Zelda does fine with just written text, and that's okay, but I think voice acting could work for the game, as well. This, of course, means hiring good voice actors who actually care about the character they're voicing. It also means dodging certain bullets. One of the things about the Zelda series, that I personally would prefer to keep around, is the ability to name your character something other than "Link." It adds personality to "Link", and is something that should not be taken out if the need does not arise.

It's possible to do both. Since the voice acting should only be used in cinematic cutscenes, the name can be used directly afterwards and/or before the cutscene takes place. This would get the point across. Then the script writers just need to focus on writing the cutscenes so that Link's name is not used, otherwise we have a problem.

With all this taken in account, I do believe the idea of voice acting could work.

[Caleb, Of Asui]

Voice acting in Zelda is a very complicated issue. Of course, Zelda games already have some level of voice acting - grunts and whatnot. It's one of those ideas floating around on every Zelda forum (such as an MMORPG) that we can be sure the big guys up at Nintendo have considered at least once or twice.

It's hard to say indefinitely whether voice acting would help or hurt a Zelda game. While voice acting might be a good addition, there will obviously be some drawbacks no matter how it is implemented.

Pros
1. Voice acting could help effectively tell the story. The articulation and feelings expressed in one's voice can add meaning and feeling to a line of text. This will help the player further experience the emotions tied with the scenario.

2. Many (but not all) popular games use voice acting. There is a group of gamers who enjoy hearing the characters' voices, and there are those who might even go so far as to play absolutely NO games that aren't voiced. If anything, the inclusion of voices will boost sales for whichever Zelda game implements it.

3. If voice acting is used at some times, but not at others, it can be a very good way to highlight the most important parts. This is done in the game Tales of Symphonia, and is quite effective. The use of voices - having them articulate words, specifically - during battles, however, has something as an averse effect on how effective it is to voice important scenes.

4. Across the table, the idea about how Zelda characters should sound is astronomically different from what it was in the 80's. Nintendo no doubt realizes this. They know what to do and what not to do if they do decide to have a game voiced.

Cons
1. We have seen voice acting in Zelda material not once, but four times in the past. These are the three CDi games and the cartoon series. Needless to say, the voiced scenes were not well-recieved by ANYBODY. They were corny and ridiculous, and are only entertaining because it's so fun to laugh at them. We DO NOT want anything like this in our canon.

2. It is rather unlikely to be well-received by the Zelda community. Zelda has always had that nostalgic idea of the the characters voices being decided by the player. The character's voice sound however you want it to sound, however you think it's supposed to sound. I've talked about this on other fourms in the past, and one person said he imagined Zelda with a British accent. Hearing that Zelda's voice isn't what you've always imagined would ruin that for some players.

3. Never give Link a voice. Obviously, he can have his grunts and pieces of dialogue that *might* be him speaking, but Link should never, EVER, be allowed to extensively speak within a game. This would utterly destroy the entire concept of Link having a "link" to the player, pun intended in creation. Link had a voice in the CDi games and the cartoons, so we can never guarantee Link's voice will come out with everyone else's.

So...?
I'm going to say exactly what I said in the "Should Link Die?" thread: Nintendo could absolutely make it work, but it has to be done in exactly the right way, or it will ultimately fail. The same is true for a number of concepts discussed in the "Future Zelda" forum. Perhaps before The Wind Waker's release, a discussion about cel-shaded graphics was floating around in some other "Future Zelda" forum - and look what Nintendo so brilliantly devised from that idea.

[Zeldaduderox]

I'd really like it if they did, but I find it challenging for them to add voices to characters.

You would be much more able to get into the game. But Link's voice? Eh.

[Zeldaduderox]

Well they do talk in the newer games, Link shouts stuff like, "Oi!!" in Wind Waker. Midna appears to be speaking gibberish in Twilight Princess whenever you listen to here.

[Shounenbat]

Thing is, you'd have more people hating the game just because of that. I'm sure I speak for more than quite a few when they I say having to listen to nothing but Japanese for an entire game is enough to ruin it. Personally, I don't understand how Japanese voices are always considered to be better for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm not into anime, but I just don't understand it. However, I've read many of reviews outside of the Nintendo based magazines and such, and on various websites including video reviews. In the eyes of the world, it's simple: Ever since WW, many have though Legend of Zelda desperately needs voice acting. "These characters cry for voices" was an exact phrase used by two reviewers I watching a row, and many others got the same point across.

You mention FFX as horrible, but it was praised highly and sold like wildfire. Yeah, all the die hard FF fans hated it, but if a series just listens to its fans, it dies. Japanese voices only in Legend of Zelda would do much much more harm than good. I'm all for an option for those of you who for some reason think that the Japanese sound prettier though.

Not because the language sounds prettier than English (Finnish the prettiest sounding language, imo), but because the acting is all-around better. That's not to say English speakers can't act, but it's much more difficult to dub than it is to say the lines exactly as you feel they need to be said, knowing that they will animate around your voice. You don't have to be into anime to understand that.

Listen to the Japanese FFX voices. The words sound much more natural, the voices more like the actual characters. In the English dub, it sounds like everyone either got stoned or hyped up on something before recording it. They just don't sound natural, like actual people. Tune in to any American-made animation on TV after playing dubbed FFX and notice the difference in quality.

This one might just be because I'm very familiar with the language (that JLPT 1 test isn't quite ready for me, yet, though), but the dialogue in the Japanese langauge reflects more closely what the original creators intended than the American dub. How often do people argue over translations? A lot. In the realm of anime, you get people quoting one character in English, while you get someone else shouting, "That line is misleading in the dub! In the original version, it goes..." Granted, subtitles aren't always very accurate, either, but they tend to be a little bit closer than the dub.

Let's take it a step further. It's not just Japanese. There's a lot of different translations of the Bible, too, and many of these English translations reflect what the translator "felt" was better. Many of our Bibles are translated from the Greek Bible, which, in turn, is translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, etc. texts. Right from there, we already have translation problems, since many words in one language don't translate into another language, thus certain things are always lost. Example: our English word "love" does not do the Greek word "agape" justice. In Japanese, words like "sempai" have no English equivalent, so that word gets translated into all manner of things.

Again, I prefer Zelda silent, but if Nintendo finally decides to give them voices, I would like for there to be an option in the game to play it with the Japanese voices, as Sonic Adventure 2 Battle did. Actually, I'd like the idea of voices even better if they pulled a Shadow of the Collosus and gave them a made-up language!

On one final note, go http://zeldapower.com/index.php/downloads/music_&_soundtracks/zelda_sound_and_drama_cd_1.php

and download the last track. That's what the Zelda voices would probably sound like.

[tryspasou]

Thanks for sharing this useful information. It's great.
this is interesting.. thanks so much for sharing!

[Miss Moonlight]

No thanks. That would completely ruin the games for me.

I mean, they tried that with the cartoon once. "Excuuuuuse me princess!" is something I never want to hear link say again, ever.

[Shounenbat]

No thanks. That would completely ruin the games for me.

I mean, they tried that with the cartoon once. "Excuuuuuse me princess!" is something I never want to hear link say again, ever.

"Nice job, Hero!" --Zelda

"Oh boy! Smooching time!" --Link

"Zinc (I'm pretty sure that's his name) will save me!" --King of Hyrule

[Werewolfy]

I'd really like it if they did, but I find it challenging for them to add voices to characters.

You would be much more able to get into the game. But Link's voice? Eh.
This is very true. Characters we've known for a long time speaking in text, will suddenly have voices. It will be awkward at first, even if they happen to do a good job.


Well they do talk in the newer games, Link shouts stuff like, "Oi!!" in Wind Waker. Midna appears to be speaking gibberish in Twilight Princess whenever you listen to here.
Yeah, and that's just little things. I think it could progress much more, if Nintendo wanted to try. Keeping Link's talking to the minimal "Oi" and such, of course. ^^


Thing is, you'd have more people hating the game just because of that. I'm sure I speak for more than quite a few when they I say having to listen to nothing but Japanese for an entire game is enough to ruin it. Personally, I don't understand how Japanese voices are always considered to be better for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm not into anime, but I just don't understand it. However, I've read many of reviews outside of the Nintendo based magazines and such, and on various websites including video reviews. In the eyes of the world, it's simple: Ever since WW, many have though Legend of Zelda desperately needs voice acting. "These characters cry for voices" was an exact phrase used by two reviewers I watching a row, and many others got the same point across.

You mention FFX as horrible, but it was praised highly and sold like wildfire. Yeah, all the die hard FF fans hated it, but if a series just listens to its fans, it dies. Japanese voices only in Legend of Zelda would do much much more harm than good. I'm all for an option for those of you who for some reason think that the Japanese sound prettier though.
I agree with this.

For us in America, having voice acting in Japanese would completely destroy the point of it. We wouldn't be able to understand a word they were saying without reading the text. So you might as well just throw the voice acting out and keep the characters' talking to the text. It would be the same, only without the constant chitter-chatter of voices that we wouldn't understand anyway.

If voice acting in a video game is to be done right, it is to be done in English (for our country, at least), and it is to be done with decent voice actors who have experience in the field of acting. Japanese voices and English subtitles only work for Japanese anime and movies, maybe even songs, if that's what you're into. But not video games.

[HaruHaru]

In my opinion, I don't think voice actors would appeal to me very well. I like how All Zelda series and Games don't have voice actors. It's always been like that, And (If it was my decision,) It would stay that way.:nerd:

[dumb180]

I've always found games where the script avoids mentioning a character's name to be a tad cheesy. If they chose to bring in voices, I'd hope name customization went away with the advent.

I'm really opposed to this idea, but I guess I'd be content if 'text only' was still an option. ;)

[hsb39]

I've always found games where the script avoids mentioning a character's name to be a tad cheesy. If they chose to bring in voices, I'd hope name customization went away with the advent.

I'm really opposed to this idea, but I guess I'd be content if 'text only' was still an option. ;)

Forgot about the changing names... good point, there probably could be a way around it though.

[-JelloGoMoo-]

Yes, only if it didn't mess up the game that badly or anything.

I'm oblivious to horrible voice acting. >3

Reading or listening, I don't care

[Notorious NATE]

Naw, I think the text boxes keep the originality of the series and I like that.

[Dungeon killer]

I think they should keep the caption boxes I have never really felt there should be voice acting, but it would be good if they kept it good and didn't mess it up and if they did than well there would be some complaining, but otherwise I think they should keep the old fashion way with reading.

(that's how I learned to read, by those caption boxes)

[Zulzen]

I thought voice acting would be cool at a point too, and then I remembered what they did with Zelda CD i......

[Shade]

Absolutely NO voice actors. I'm sorry if some are having such difficulty reading that they can't even read simple short narratives in a game they're SUPPOSED to be enjoying... :rolleyes:

But personally I think that voice acting would be incredibly detrimental to the game. First of all... I would be very worried about WHO would be voice acting, and HOW "good" they'd be at it. Secondly... I don't think that the voice acting would EVER live up to the expectations of the majority of the fans.

See when I play the game... I already have a particular voice in mind (not really specific to any actor, at least that I know of) and I'm sure that to many other players, their choices in their heads are completely different from mine. So even if you had very good voice actors, you're going to still end up upsetting certain fans because it's a foreign voice, different from what they had in their heads, and it would change their perceptions of the characters.

To use an extreme example... would we really see Zelda as the elegant, courtly, soft spoken princess with a heart of pure gold, if she was voiced by someone with a very thick scottish brogue reminiscent of something out of the movie Braveheart? Or how about the thick accent of the Mexican cleaning lady from a couple of Family Guy episodes? (do a search, I think she shows up in a couple of episodes from volume 6 or 7) It would not be very fitting would it?

What's worse, is that, whoever did her voice acting, we as the players would never be able to replace it even for future or past games. That voice (whichever is used) would be imprinted in our heads for a long time. In Ocarina of time, to be honest, I was very disappointed with how she sounded whenever she gasped (when link got hurt) in fact, I hated it so much, I was glas she didn't talk because I was afraid to hear what she would sound as, if the full voice of the actress was used.

[link lego64]

I've found the lack of voices in the later game very distracting, also I'm lazy and don't enjoy reading pages and pages of text. But I think if they ever did add in voice acting, Link should remain mute. And maybe I've become so used to it not having voices, maybe it wouldn't seem like a Zelda game. Also what would they do when it came to saying the players choice of the main character's name?

What do others think?
YES i think very much zelda should have voice actors.
i mean the fairy and midna are fine but what about all the others?
it should be like on this forum, all members are treated equal.
so,[i hope you get it now,]i think EVERYONE in LoZ should have voice actors.:triforce:

[Roxas20]

LoZ with voice actors may be a good thing, depending on who does them. As long as they're not too overdone. Zelda shouldn't be too girly though. That would ruin it. Unless it was WW/PH/ST Zelda.... Then, she should have a more high pitched voice. Link, well, not sure. Ganon/Ganondorf, NEEDS to have a deep voice actor, who has one heck of an evil laugh, and his voice should show no mercy to anyone.