Tingle getting new introduction in The Wind Waker HD

Eccentric beyond belief and very likely deranged, Tingle has never failed at leaving a lasting impression on Zelda fans over the years. In no game in the series is this more true than The Wind Waker. From overcharging Link for translating Triforce Charts to forcing his brothers to perform hard labor atop his island tower, his portrayal in the game cemented his status as the Zelda series’ ultimate oddball. Though he hasn’t been openly featured in a new Zelda game in some time, his unavoidable reappearance in The Wind Waker HD guarantees Tingle will be at the forefront of the Zelda fandom’s love and hate once again.

Gamers aren’t the only one’s who might be thinking more about Tingle lately. Nintendo also seems to be paying new attention to Tingle’s place in The Wind Waker‘s plot. In fact, the company is reportedly giving him a new introduction in the game’s main quest.

Hit the jump for more.

According to an IGN preview, it will no longer be possible to accidentally skip over Tingle Island in The Wind Waker HD. Apparently, the developers have inserted an introduction to the unconventional character directly into the main quest. What this introduction will look like is currently unclear.

In the original game, Tingle was first encountered in the Windfall island jail, which incidentally is exactly where I would expect to find someone of his character. After being freed, perhaps reluctantly, by the player, Tingle returns to his nearby island home. Latter on he plays a sizable role in the main quest, translating the Triforce Charts for Link, and bankrupting the young boy in the process.

Despite his relevance in the main quest, Link is oddly never directed to free Tingle from his prison by anyone in the game. This means that players who don’t thoroughly explore Windfall the first time around might be left scratching their heads latter on when they obtain one of the indecipherable Triforce Charts and don’t know who they’re supposed to bring it to. Nintendo seemingly felt this was a discrepancy worth fixing in their upcoming remake of the game.

I’m drawing a blank on how Nintendo is going to introduce Tingle differently this time around. We know for sure Link will still encounter the misft in the Windfall Island prison. The above screenshot of the young hero obtaining the Tingle Bottle there is positive proof of this. Perhaps the only change to meeting Tingle will be that someone, possibly the King of Red Lions, will direct Link to free him on the boy’s first visit to the Great Sea’s market town. This would be the easiest way to make sure the player meets Tingle, requiring little more than a few new lines of dialogue. Of course, Nintendo might have something different, and hopefully more interesting, up its sleeve.

Personally, I never had a problem finding Tingle, or his island, in The Wind Waker. Was it the same for you, or did you have trouble locating the green tights-wearing fairy admirer? How do you think Nintendo will handle Tingle’s introduction in The Wind Waker HD? Feel free to discuss these questions, and your opinion of Tingle in general, in the comments below.

Source: IGN