Zelda Informer Q and A: Sheikahs, Voice Acting, and More!

This is our second Q and A in as many weeks, though I apologize for it arriving one day late. Unfortunately we didn’t gather many questions after last week’s posting, so we did some expansion on how we gather questions yesterday and we saw a great response. This week the questions will be answered by both myself and

Miguel Bernardo Olmedo Morell, one of our newer writers. Variety is the spice of life, is it not?

Hayley LaPiene: Do you think a game that focused on Princess Zelda more could work?

Miguel: Not only do I think it would be a pretty good idea, I actually wrote my very first article about it. There are many ways in which it could work, and it would definitely be a breeze of fresh air. And if we get on gender equality issues, it would certainly provide a much-needed counterbalance to the traditional male hero. On the downside, though, there’s the fact that The Legend of Zelda is perceived by many to be a Link-focused saga—as was made clear by the people who commented on my article, so it would probably not be very popular among the fans. We’ll have to stick with Wand of Gamelon for now.

Nate: Funny how Miguel mentions Wand of Gamelon but ignores Zelda’s Adventure, where she is the true star. Setting that aside, I think the series could do well to have a game focused squarely on the namesake of the series. She’s been a companion, a Sage, a Goddess, and has played a pivotal role in several stories, but more often than not she’s a footnote while the game focuses on something much grander. That doesn’t mean she needs to be the protagonist, though I am not opposed to that ideal. But I think a game where she is even as pivotal as Midna was in Twilight Princess would be nice.

Tylan Jared Albertson: Why don’t they make a game based on Sheikahs, and Gerudos? Like, how Ganon came to be and all that. And you play as Ganon?

Miguel: There is a game on how Ganon came to be, and it’s called Skyward Sword—unless you’re referring to Demise. I’m guessing you’re thinking about some kind of prehistory to Hyrule, so to speak. A few weeks ago, I would have said that. While that is a very interesting idea, Nintendo would never make it happen, but then they announced Hyrule Warriors and I just don’t know anymore. Maybe that title is the one to explain the history of Sheikas, Gerudos and the genesis of Demise, after all.

Nate: The story of how Ganon or Ganondorf as it were, has been explained before. Part of it is that someone has to always exist thanks to Demise’s curse, though the series has proven it doesn’t always need to be. It’s true the exact origins have changed a few times, but Hyrule Historia does a good job clarifying all of it. As for a game based around the Sheikahs or Gerudos, I lean towards Miguel on this one.

Wade Elton: How can I get Minish Cap on my 3DS XL?

Miguel: If you were part of the ambassador program, you must have received it as a reward. However, it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of chances that it will be released on the Virtual Console.

Nate: What Miguel said. It could come out again, but unless you already have it via the program from year one, you can’t truly trust it will come out anytime soon.

Garrett Hedden: What Zelda game do you think has the best, worst, or most confusing plot?

Miguel: If we’re talking about implicit plot, it has to be Majora’s Mask. I always like to think there is a surface plot (i.e. you have to stop the moon from falling on Termina), and a deep plot, which is a matter of much discussion over the internet. A representation I particularly like is this one. The fact that it is open to so much discussion and debate probably qualifies Majora’s Mask for the position of most confusing plot, I guess.

As for the worst plot… I guess it would be one of the first two Zeldas for the NES, basically because there was nothing but a very implicit, very simplistic plot. They still are perfect for their time and means, so there probably are no bad plots in the whole saga.

Nate: This may surprise many, but I don’t actually agree that Majora’s Mask has the best plot, though it does have one of the more involving plots in terms of deep thought. To me, I give a slight edge to The Wind Waker above all else. The story is both optimistic and extremely sad, and every main character you meet plays a pivotal role in the whole mess. As for worst, I don’t count the NES Zelda titles simply because you have to at least attempt to have a plot in order for it to be bad. The first two games had one, but it was straight to the point. So, really to me this is the toughest question. Probably Oracle of Ages. I just wasn’t a fan of either plot lines, but Ages was the worst to me among the Oracle series. As for confusing, definitely Skyward Sword. It may have done a lot, but there are so many loop holes you can poke in it that I am still left to this day wondering what exactly happened.

Jon Lopes: Do you think Nintendo should change the traditional story of Zelda?

Miguel: Depends on how much they change it. Given that there are three different timelines (and that they can create new ones at any given point), they could probably experiment a lot in one or two installments, as they did with Majora’s Mask—and let’s not forget how ragingly popular that game is. Some of the proposed changes right now include having Zelda or Ganondorf as a main character, depicting the prehistory of Hyrule, and even a steampunk future. I would certainly love to see what comes out of these or any other ideas, as I’m pretty sure Nintendo could make them be a pretty enjoyable experience, no matter how much they stray from the Zelda formula. However, they shouldn’t change so much that it becomes unrecognizable, lest it become something else altogether.

Nate: Yes, but only if they plan to actually have a very involving story. Often times they stick to the basics because the story is secondary to everything else. If they are going to really explore the story aspect, I find uniqueness to be among the central themes I enjoy. Changing up tradition means changing up my expectations and constantly surprising me. I find that far more enjoyable than constantly being 100% predictable.

Jose Chamu: Do you think The Legend of Zelda should have voice acting?

Miguel: Golly, I can’t wait to see voice acting in The Legend of Zelda! Voice acting is what all true warriors strive for! Excuuuse me, but I don’t think it will be happening anytime soon, and I like it that way.

Nate: Short answer: Yes. However, Nintendo has no interest in it. This is a feature that is often debated upon every year because it is something that, if done right, could take the story telling to a whole new level. Done poorly, it could ruin our own ideals. At the end of the day, I feel it is worth the risk. If it doesn’t work out, they could just not do it again. They experiment with controls, so why not with story telling aspects like Voice Acting?

Frew Weldemariam: Do you think Aonuma would radically change the Zelda formula when he mentioned ” I’m rethinking the conventions of Zelda?” I mean, we could make a whole article about it, but do you think we’ll see a radical change in the formula?

Miguel: Not radically, but he did say he wanted to make it more open world, like Skyrim or the first Legend of Zelda. We have already seen a lot of freedom and non-linearity in A Link between Worlds, so we can only expect that to be even more prominent in the Wii U Zelda.

Nate: I think we’ve seen what he means already in A Link Between Worlds. Going back the series roots instead of relying on what the series has become. A more open world, as it were. I know we get our hopes up that something unexpected happens because it gives us a lot to talk about and look forward to, but Zelda is always going to be Zelda. Take it or leave it.

Guardianlinklionheart Sven Davids: Do you think they should make a sequel to Twilight Princess? Using Wolf Link?

Miguel: They should and they probably will make a Twilight Princess sequel, as that is a very interesting and solid depiction of Hyrule, although it is doubtful Wolf Link will make a return, given how little they like to repeat the same features from previous games. Every Zelda game revolves around innovative, never seen before gameplay, so reusing a concept would be a step backwards.

Nate: I think it would be well received, but Wolf Link is a mechanic tied to a realm in which we no longer can access. Of course, that hasn’t stopped them before. So reality is, it could happen and some may feel it should, but I don’t find it to be likely. I think Nintendo has little interest in continuing that experience.

James Gillam: What do the fans want more, a more ‘teen’ styled Zelda game like the Tech Demo? Or more cartoony one like the Wind Waker or Skyward Sword?

Miguel: Given the ultra-realistic tendencies in video games nowadays, I’m going to bet they prefer realistic, more “adult” graphics, although I could be wrong. Skyward Sword presented, in my opinion, a really beautiful style, mixing a cartoony style with a stylized, semi-realistic one. Although an evolution of the aesthetics used in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask would probably be the most popular.

Nate: Pretending to know everyone’s opinion is tough. However, I think it is clear the Tech Demo style is hugely popular, both among fans and the media. Skyward Sword didn’t sell well and doesn’t look sharp in HD, and The Wind Waker is fantastic but not nearly as popular. Miguel brings up Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask – the thing about those two games styles is they are viewed, by and large, to lean more towards realism. More towards the Twilight Princess route. So, if anything, it only justifies the Tech Demo popularity. Ocarina of Time 3D was a pretty large departure from the original, more down to earth style of the original.

Spaulding Cummings: Do you think Wind Waker really needed to be remade? The original still looks beautiful. Why this game instead of Majora’s Mask or Twilight Princess?

Miguel: Majora’s Mask is probably being remade even as we speak, as all the facts seem to point that way, and Twilight Princess is way too recent to be remade. I doubt they would consider remaking a Wii game simply because you can play it on the Wii U. It will be at least another console generation before we see that happen. As to why they remade The Wind Waker… They needed a system seller, and that title was easy to make and popular enough to improve sales.

If you ask me, though, the best thing Nintendo could ever make is either a sequel or a 3D remake of Link’s Awakening. Koholint Island needs to be explored properly.

Nate: It’s really simple. Of the 3D console Zelda games, The Wind Waker was the only one that did not have a method to play it on the Wii U. That is where the logic comes in. Despite the beauty of the original, the HD version is even better, and they needed something to practice development on for Zelda U (HD development). Working on a game that is not able to be played on the platform in any fashion is the the obvious choice.