- Joined
- Oct 2, 2010
- Location
- Faron Woods
I am not exactly sure if this should go somewhere else, but because it deals with SS I will post it here. Hope you guys read all this an comment. 
This generation of gaming has been notable for a high focus in graphics. Many games that try to stand out usually do so by using their graphics an attention point. This holiday season has many new and relevant releases form many popular franchises including Zelda. Most notably is that besides some games like Mario and other games intended for younger audiences most games are notably very realistic in terms of their presentation. Games like TES and many other releases for this holiday all have in common cutting edge presentation and realistic graphics. This generation has been remarkably abounded of games that focus too much on realistic graphics. This usually means that they stray a lot from actual reality, with bland colours and brownish undertones.
Nintendo’s console has been particularly lacking of this games because the Wii simply lacks enough horsepower to run the graphic engines of these games (the multiplatform games). Which basically means that developers have to find creative ways to design exclusives in a way that the edges do not seem rough or just avoid the console altogether. When Skyward Sword was announced I was expecting a very realistic world. Monster Hunter has already shown us what the Wii can do and I was expecting Nintendo to push their console this way. Then the game was shown at E3 2010 and it was way beyond what I was imagining. A blend of cel-shaded animation and the realistic design of Twilight Princess that was inspired by Cézanne’s work of impressionism. I was not very happy. Not because I hate the artstyle, it is just not what I was expecting. I thought Nintendo would create a colourful but somewhat realistic game (like TP).
SS release is very close and now that the game will finally be released I just cannot help to notice that SS noticeably stands out among the other triple A big releases of the Holiday. While other games slide between “realistic and colourful” to “realistically opaque” SS is outright whimsical, lively and cartoon like in appearance. Is definitely a mature tale but the world it presents is by no means trying to approach reality but instead expresses its world in a lively picturesque manner. As I have been saying, this console generation has significantly focused on graphics. And as lovely as some graphics seem in some other games they are just more of the same.
Games in the Wii, although scarce, the few great games that are there are noticeably more beautiful and stunning artistically wise. Check the likes of Super Mario Galaxy with its gorgeous caricature world, Epic Mickey’s somber and surreal land, Metroid’s alien, charming, colourful planets or Red Steel’s 2 blend of Western and Japanese artstyle; to name a few. All this games had to be designed to take advantages of the weakest console in the market. Yet they are strikingly beautiful and gorgeous in their own rights. They approach the graphics artistically because that is how they can overcome the weaknesses of the console. This si something developers of other consoles rarely do. (I am not saying some haven´t but not many have done it.) In fact the focus desperately in making their graphics realistic to the extreme. Is this bad? Not really but they never really recreate reality. Most games this generation are bland, lack creativity and life. They have so much horsepower but they waste it and have yet to create stunning graphics that rely on art not on polygon count. That is a very big problem and I am glad the Wii is underpowered because that means developer have to rely on their artistic presentation. With time I warmed myself to SS graphics. The world looks gorgeous and the game itself is indeed looking fantastic. And although graphics do not matter much, although I do think they are important like other aspects of the game, art does.
SS captures the imagination of the player through a lively, colourful world. It is a captivating world that engages through the art presentation that motivates imagination from the player. That is why I think is so important that Nintendo releases SS with this visual style. Because is bringing something that the industry rarely gives these days. Zelda is now standing out even more and in a good way because it demonstrates that graphics are more than just nice effects but a way to captivate through creativity and art. That is now a rarity. And that is why I am glad Zelda is standing out in this way.
This generation of gaming has been notable for a high focus in graphics. Many games that try to stand out usually do so by using their graphics an attention point. This holiday season has many new and relevant releases form many popular franchises including Zelda. Most notably is that besides some games like Mario and other games intended for younger audiences most games are notably very realistic in terms of their presentation. Games like TES and many other releases for this holiday all have in common cutting edge presentation and realistic graphics. This generation has been remarkably abounded of games that focus too much on realistic graphics. This usually means that they stray a lot from actual reality, with bland colours and brownish undertones.
Nintendo’s console has been particularly lacking of this games because the Wii simply lacks enough horsepower to run the graphic engines of these games (the multiplatform games). Which basically means that developers have to find creative ways to design exclusives in a way that the edges do not seem rough or just avoid the console altogether. When Skyward Sword was announced I was expecting a very realistic world. Monster Hunter has already shown us what the Wii can do and I was expecting Nintendo to push their console this way. Then the game was shown at E3 2010 and it was way beyond what I was imagining. A blend of cel-shaded animation and the realistic design of Twilight Princess that was inspired by Cézanne’s work of impressionism. I was not very happy. Not because I hate the artstyle, it is just not what I was expecting. I thought Nintendo would create a colourful but somewhat realistic game (like TP).
SS release is very close and now that the game will finally be released I just cannot help to notice that SS noticeably stands out among the other triple A big releases of the Holiday. While other games slide between “realistic and colourful” to “realistically opaque” SS is outright whimsical, lively and cartoon like in appearance. Is definitely a mature tale but the world it presents is by no means trying to approach reality but instead expresses its world in a lively picturesque manner. As I have been saying, this console generation has significantly focused on graphics. And as lovely as some graphics seem in some other games they are just more of the same.
Games in the Wii, although scarce, the few great games that are there are noticeably more beautiful and stunning artistically wise. Check the likes of Super Mario Galaxy with its gorgeous caricature world, Epic Mickey’s somber and surreal land, Metroid’s alien, charming, colourful planets or Red Steel’s 2 blend of Western and Japanese artstyle; to name a few. All this games had to be designed to take advantages of the weakest console in the market. Yet they are strikingly beautiful and gorgeous in their own rights. They approach the graphics artistically because that is how they can overcome the weaknesses of the console. This si something developers of other consoles rarely do. (I am not saying some haven´t but not many have done it.) In fact the focus desperately in making their graphics realistic to the extreme. Is this bad? Not really but they never really recreate reality. Most games this generation are bland, lack creativity and life. They have so much horsepower but they waste it and have yet to create stunning graphics that rely on art not on polygon count. That is a very big problem and I am glad the Wii is underpowered because that means developer have to rely on their artistic presentation. With time I warmed myself to SS graphics. The world looks gorgeous and the game itself is indeed looking fantastic. And although graphics do not matter much, although I do think they are important like other aspects of the game, art does.
SS captures the imagination of the player through a lively, colourful world. It is a captivating world that engages through the art presentation that motivates imagination from the player. That is why I think is so important that Nintendo releases SS with this visual style. Because is bringing something that the industry rarely gives these days. Zelda is now standing out even more and in a good way because it demonstrates that graphics are more than just nice effects but a way to captivate through creativity and art. That is now a rarity. And that is why I am glad Zelda is standing out in this way.
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) Now don't harp on me about the fact that WW was released later than OoT because look at aLttP. 
)
