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Wind Waker - Let's never forget how good it looks!

olimario said:
I popped in Zelda for the first time and I was wowed at how perfectly everything looks, animates, reacts, etc...

If you have the game, go wander around on Outset at night.
If you don't, check out this video and tell me this isn't one of the best looking games this generation.


OUTSET AT NIGHT
http://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3CK65KCGQNSUU0PVWL4K2ZO54G

ww4zf.jpg



I urge you all to take screens and video of your favorite areas in the game.
Have you not tried WW in progressive scan? The difference is incredible.
 
Tritroid said:
Have you not tried WW in progressive scan? The difference is incredible.

Eh, I dunno...

I typically love depth of field effects, but its usage in WW is kinda rough and negates the higher resolution on all objects outside of those in the foreground. Also, the game only runs in 16-bit color and often appears VERY dithered...especially when there are major palette shifts (such as those found during day to night cycles). Beautiful game, but not perfect.
 
dark10x said:
Eh, I dunno...

I typically love depth of field effects, but its usage in WW is kinda rough and negates the higher resolution on all objects outside of those in the foreground. Also, the game only runs in 16-bit color and often appears VERY dithered...especially when there are major palette shifts (such as those found during day to night cycles). Beautiful game, but not perfect.
I agree with this. Wind Waker is pretty, but some of those dithering effects were nasty. I remember my girlfriend even thought there was something wrong with the GameCube or our TV when it was getting to be morning out at sea. It's a shame, because it ruined a lot of the effect of the sunrise.

Still, a beautiful game. I do like the look of TP as well, though. IMO, it gives the game a more "epic" feel that the cel-shading in WW cannot reproduce as well.
 
dark10x said:
Eh, I dunno...

I typically love depth of field effects, but its usage in WW is kinda rough and negates the higher resolution on all objects outside of those in the foreground. Also, the game only runs in 16-bit color and often appears VERY dithered...especially when there are major palette shifts (such as those found during day to night cycles). Beautiful game, but not perfect.
Agreed. The dithering really killed the smooth look of the game at times, along with the color banding.

Frankly, i think current gen cel shaded games look best via S-video on an tv. S-video is a step above composite in terms of image and color clarity, and tvs tend to soften the rough edges and irregularaties of the cel shading a bit. Wind Waker and Viewtiful Joe (especially the latter) were way too sharp on my X-Blaster/19" Samsung CRT combo. i wonder how Killer 7 will fare, seeing as how part of the irregularities could be actually be seen as part of the visual style of the game.
 
Dragona Akehi said:
Seeing screens of Wind Waker remind me yet once more how much I'm not anticipating Twilight Princess, which in my opinion is Nintendo's answer to Prince of Persia 2: Warrior Within. Ugh. How abhorrent.

Not even close...TP is more of a RETURN to the style used in earlier 3D Zelda games as opposed the DRASTIC and SUDDEN change of style that both PoP:WW and Wind Waker had
 
SantaCruZer said:
you know, whatever style Nintendo goes with, people will complain.
My only complaint with Wind Waker's style where the proportions of the NPC townsfolk...their arms/legs were too small IMO...that said I prefer TP's style and find no complaints so far (no...not even that "not enough grass" bullshit)
 
Gattsu25 said:
My only complaint with Wind Waker's style where the proportions of the NPC townsfolk...their arms/legs were too small IMO...that said I prefer TP's style and find no complaints so far (no...not even that "not enough grass" bullshit)

yes I prefer TPs style myself.
 
aoi tsuki said:
Agreed. The dithering really killed the smooth look of the game at times, along with the color banding.

Frankly, i think current gen cel shaded games look best via S-video on an tv. S-video is a step above composite in terms of image and color clarity, and tvs tend to soften the rough edges and irregularaties of the cel shading a bit. Wind Waker and Viewtiful Joe (especially the latter) were way too sharp on my X-Blaster/19" Samsung CRT combo. i wonder how Killer 7 will fare, seeing as how part of the irregularities could be actually be seen as part of the visual style of the game.


Last time I heard Killer 7 wasn't even progressive. It may not even be a problem.
 
Gattsu25 said:
My only complaint with Wind Waker's style where the proportions of the NPC townsfolk...their arms/legs were too small IMO...that said I prefer TP's style and find no complaints so far (no...not even that "not enough grass" bullshit)

Not enough grass is very valid after a beautiful, lush game like Wind Waker.
And the townsfolk in TP look even more awkward than they did in WW.
 
HOLY CRAP I'M NOT BANNED ANYMORE! I LOVE YOU GUYS!



I have been DYING to tell you this Zelda related info since the first new pictures were revealed in the Spanish magazine before E3. Aonuma confirmed in the Spanish mag that another cell shaded Zelda will be made in the future.



P.S. Do you guys think Twilight Princess would've worked out cell shaded?
 
While I appreciate the post and the memories, might I urge you to put aside $50 or so from your new job and invest in a decent capture card for your PC. It'll make similar, future posts much more enjoyable. It's difficult to capture the motion of WW with a camera.
 
olimario said:
Not enough grass is very valid after a beautiful, lush game like Wind Waker.
And the townsfolk in TP look even more awkward than they did in WW.

The grass thing is bullshit, though. Did you even look at the dungeon footage? And TP is no different than WW in that the grass appears in patches throughout the overworld--it's not like every scene in WW was filled with grass.
 
ge-man said:
The grass thing is bullshit, though. Did you even look at the dungeon footage? And TP is no different than WW in that the grass appears in patches throughout the overworld--it's not like every scene in WW was filled with grass.


You're right. I would just like to see more in the town and more on the ranch.
I play Wind Waker and romp on outset and I can't help but want more life in the new zelda.
 
AssMan said:
P.S. Do you guys think Twilight Princess would've worked out cell shaded?

Possibly, but we'll never know. The Zelda series has history of visual makeovers and I would be surprised at this point that it makes it back in the series after the inital backlash (it seems like the WW love has been more a gradual movement amongst a minority of gamers--by in large I think the larger gaming community is more in favor of the current style IMO). I do think that Nintendo use cel-shading in another game.
 
aoi tsuki said:
i won't be able to play it then. That's a problem. :(

Yeah, it pissed me off too. I have capture card, but it's crappy and I would like to avoid having to pull it up and stuff. With only 3 or 4 games in my collection that are not 480p, most of my gaming is spent with my monitor and the X-blaster. It's pretty annoying at this point in time to have to deal with non 480p games.
 
The game is mighty shiny, and it only gets better the farther in you get, but I just gotta say something;
that little punk kid is not worthy of wielding the master sword. The real Link was a hero, always has been, but this is just some dumb kid from some remote island. I seriously was like, "you have to be kidding me" when I got to the part where he gets it.
 
ToyMachine228 said:
Seriously...I know it would be controversial, but I hope that Nintendo uses The Wind Waker style for another Zelda some day. Maybe on the DS? Or the next Game Boy or something? Either way, The Wind Waker is one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen.


I agree. That game was a piece of art. It's too bad so many whinned about it.
 
Jonnyram said:
They said it started off that way, but they made so many changes that it may as well be called a whole new engine. But I could have chosen my words more carefully too ;) I meant the look as well as the code.
EAD almost always recycles the same base engine for Mario/Zelda...

Super Mario 64 -> Ocarina of Time -> Majora's Mask

Super Mario Sunshine -> The Wind Waker -> Twilight Princess
 
TheDiave said:
The game is mighty shiny, and it only gets better the farther in you get, but I just gotta say something;
that little punk kid is not worthy of wielding the master sword. The real Link was a hero, always has been, but this is just some dumb kid from some remote island. I seriously was like, "you have to be kidding me" when I got to the part where he gets it.


Link was always the innocent child who showed courage, fought the odds, and saved the day.
 
I would love to see the folks behind Minish Cap and the other Capcom Zelda games do a Zelda "sidestory" as its already been mentioned.
 
I like Wind Waker's art style a little more than the new Zelda but damn, i hope the new Zelda will be good at least. I still haven't forgive Nintendo for the deception i got from Wind Waker's gameplay.
 
Scrow said:
you're wrong. from what i've seen TP still retains the charming style of fantasy we've become accustomed to in Zelda games. one of the newer (handy cam) videos has confirmed that for me. this will not be a brooding "generic rage" zelda game (and there never will be), that much should be obvious from what we've being shown since E32005.

Oh I'm sure Nintendo would never literally stoop to the level of Warrior Within. But it's funny how they're emphasizing the graphical change and the "MATOOR" in every trailer released so far. I particularly loved how Link screamed in agony right before the wolf transformation. Nice touch.

AniHawk said:
But... Aonuma's behind this one... and he did MM and TWW. In fact, a lot of the key players on TP worked on TWW. I don't think they're going to just make it edgy to appease fanboys. I think they'll be able to pull it off with a good amount of style, much like they did in TWW and MM.

Which is why I'm not writing it off completely. I consider Majora's Mask to be the best Zelda in the series, even though I'm extremely unfond of the OoT style. In some respects I agree with DDF's condemnation of OoT as "THE MOST BORINGEST ZELDA EVAR".


Scrow said:
yeah, never mind Dragona. She's just bitter after Metroid Prime (an excellent game, no matter what she says) and has since become sceptical and cynical about anything perceived as mature or "mainstream" coming out of Nintendo. Zelda:TP will have an atmosphere and style of fantasy we come to expect from modern Zelda games.

Bull. Fucking. Shit. Other than the Prime fiasco (which is a fucking raping of the franchise), name one time where I was pissed over Nintendo doing something "mainstream" or "mature". For fuck's sake I've lambasted NOA for years for failing to translate Fire Emblem. You know the mature franchise that looks completely "Un-Nintendo" and has the look to prove it? Chirst on a bicycle.

Scrow said:
Anyone who thinks this will be a game akin to the recent PoP games or LotR games needs to watch more videos.

Again, as I noted above it's too bad that Nintendo is playing up the "ZOMG MATOOR" angle in all of their official trailers. That's depressing, no matter how great the game ends up playing. Oh and as for the "LOTR-izing", evidently Nintendo wanted to do that (according to EAD/Shikimaru Ninja) to appeal to more people.

So far everything Nintendo has shown in an official manner (and by that I mean trailers) is something that is to placate the IGN fanboys who hated Wind Waker's style and "turned them off" of the game because of the style. Simply put: I'm not that shallow, and I will play it (and enjoy it if it's a good game).

Still, I shudder inwardly when I think of that IGN "news" item that was written up in a frothing madness just after the first trailer was shown last E3. "ZOMG YOU NKNOW WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME? IF GANON TOTALLY KILLED ZELDA (IN LOTS OF BLOOD ZOMG ZOMG) RIGHT IN FRONT OF LINK!!!!!11111". Ugh. I realise that's far beyond what Nintendo would ever do, but it still lurks on the edges of my mind.
 
Dragona Akehi said:
But it's funny how they're emphasizing the graphical change and the "MATOOR" in every trailer released so far.
well of course, what'd you expect? and it's spelt "machoore"
Dragona Akehi said:
I particularly loved how Link screamed in agony right before the wolf transformation. Nice touch.
uhh... what? How is that even worth mentioning?
Dragona Akehi said:
I consider Majora's Mask to be the best Zelda in the series
good :)
Dragona Akehi said:
Bull. Fucking. Shit. Other than the Prime fiasco (which is a fucking raping of the franchise)
no it wasn't
Dragona Akehi said:
name one time where I was pissed over Nintendo doing something "mainstream" or "mature".
okay, you got me. i can't name a specific time, but you generally seem determined to be angry at Nintendo ever since Metroid Prime, this new zelda being a prime (pardon the pun) example. Maybe i'm just seeing it all in a vacuum though.
Dragona Akehi said:
For fuck's sake I've lambasted NOA for years for failing to translate Fire Emblem. You know the mature franchise that looks completely "Un-Nintendo" and has the look to prove it? Chirst on a bicycle.
the difference is FE has always being like that. I'm talking about if Nintendo takes any existing franchise and tries something different ("machoore"/mainstream) with it.
cd-jc.jpg

Dragona Akehi said:
Again, as I noted above it's too bad that Nintendo is playing up the "ZOMG MATOOR" angle in all of their official trailers. That's depressing, no matter how great the game ends up playing.
why does that matter? nintendo have already guaranteed sales from people like us, so why not try to sell the game to those sitting on the fence or those who still need to get on it in the first place?
Dragona Akehi said:
Oh and as for the "LOTR-izing", evidently Nintendo wanted to do that (according to EAD/Shikimaru Ninja) to appeal to more people.
meh, once we actually have the game i don't think the whole LotR angle will seem as obvious as it appears after seeing the balrog like monster and other such similarities. they're all just very small parts of a large game picked out for trailers that are meant to sell the game to the masses.
Dragona Akehi said:
Simply put: I'm not that shallow, and I will play it (and enjoy it if it's a good game).
it's a shame you couldn't approach Metroid Prime with that mind set.
Dragona Akehi said:
I realise that's far beyond what Nintendo would ever do, but it still lurks on the edges of my mind.
I sense much fear in you.

Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering.
yoda.jpg


and now i must lay down for a while for i have over used quotes
 
Scrow said:
well of course, what'd you expect? and it's spelt "machoore"
uhh... what? How is that even worth mentioning?

It is worth mentioning because it bothers me. :P This is a message board on the internet: it is meant for bitching. Ergo, I bitch.

no it wasn't
Yes it was.
okay, you got me. i can't name a specific time, but you generally seem determined to be angry at Nintendo ever since Metroid Prime, this new zelda being a prime (pardon the pun) example. Maybe i'm just seeing it all in a vacuum though.

vacuum.jpg


I've only ever been angry with Nintendo about Prime. That and NOA not bringing out Fire Emblem for fifteen fucking years. This is the only thread I've even aired my doubts about this new Zelda game.

Oh and since any thread that mentions Prime and I have participated requires this:

retrobomb.jpg


the difference is FE has always being like that. I'm talking about if Nintendo takes any existing franchise and tries something different ("machoore"/mainstream) with it.

No they did change FE for the casual gamer: they made it easier and even created a game (FE USA) designed around this premise. I lauded that. :P

As for changing any existing franchise and trying something different: I was uneasy with the reports of Biohazard/RE4 being "more like an FPS" as I do not enjoy the genre, but I ended up loving it. So there. Har. :P (And I disagree with anyone ever referring to it as a Japanese FPS, it isn't. :P)

Scrow said:

I approve of this image.
Scrow said:
why does that matter? nintendo have already guaranteed sales from people like us, so why not try to sell the game to those sitting on the fence or those who still need to get on it in the first place?

Cos it's selling out. :P Really though, it just plain sucks for me, because I loved Wind Waker's style that much. This as Jett noted is more of a regression for me.

Oh and this new style is driving people away. A good female friend of mine who also games is so turned off by this new style she's not going to buy it. She, like myself loved how expressive and lifelike Wind Waker was, and says this new version "sucks goat ass".

Scrow said:
meh, once we actually have the game i don't think the whole LotR angle will seem as obvious as it appears after seeing the balrog like monster and other such similarities. they're all just very small parts of a large game picked out for trailers that are meant to sell the game to the masses.

When did Nintendo ever care about masses, other than in reference to handhelds? :P
Scrow said:
it's a shame you couldn't approach Metroid Prime with that mind set.

While no one ever believes me (even PGC colleagues), I did try to like Metroid Prime but it was so putrid I nearly vomited. Regardless, what I'm irked about this time is merely a graphical style. Prime was ruined by its gameplay, as much as its graphics.

Scrow said:
I sense much fear in you.

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
yoda.jpg

That... was disturbing.

Scrow said:
and now i must lay down for a while for i have over used quotes

I better get back to Fire Emblem, myself. I'm glad we could find this time to better understand each other. :P
 
it sure did look good, shame the game sucks(well the 2nd half).... I had to force myself to complete it in the end.


fishing for tri-force pieces was an insult to the hero of time.
 
Just to point out:

The beauty of Wind Waker hardly lies in the engine. Hell, you could fairly easily modify the Quake 2 engine and make something that looks similar.

That said, this is easily one of the best looking games ever.
 
Yeah, I was pretty disappointed when the first trailer was shown at E3 2004 - I was worried that the game was going to be superficially "realistic"/grim & gritty, and I was kinda pissed that much of the initial reaction (not necessarily on this board) was "OMG DARK MATCHOOR N' GRITTY FOREVER CELDA FANBABIES PWNED." The E3 2005 trailer has eliminated most of those concerns, with the heavily stylized appearances of Midna and the villagers. Link still looks much less expressive than in TWW, though. And with the wolf thing, the fanfic possibilities are truly horrifying (I've already seen Link/Epona bestiality fanfics.).
 
This is completely my opinion, but I wouldn't mind if there wasn't another cel-shaded Zelda.

I really, really liked Wind Waker, but I think if this was the only cartoon Zelda, it would make the game feel more special, you know? Being the only toon shaded game in the entire series would keep it unique above the rest. This is the same reason I don't want a DK Jungle Beat sequel - the wow factor would wear off since we already played a game like that already anyway. That's what kept me from buying Viewtiful Joe 2 (the first one had an interesting art style, but then we had another with the same style and it lost the unique touch, IMO).

Not to completely stop Nintendo from making another, just thought about it.
 
I really think it would've been cool if EAD created a bizarre artsytle, like Pyschonauts, using cell shading. :(
 
I will treasure my copy of this game forever there is nothing like it and may never be again. its just one of those classic gaming moments that may never come again. live with it
 
Tain said:
Just to point out:

The beauty of Wind Waker hardly lies in the engine. Hell, you could fairly easily modify the Quake 2 engine and make something that looks similar.
yeah, people don't seem to understand that strictly speaking an "engine" is just a whole lot of data structures such as scene graphs (trees, linked lists, arrays, custom made classes etc.). To regurgitate, here's how someone else puts it...

Where does the engine end and the game begin?
A game would be all the content:
- assets
--- models, animations, sounds, physics, etc
- code required specifically to make that game work
---eg, AI
---how the controls work

The engine is all the non-game specific technology:
- code support for generic assets
- data structures, data structures, data structures
knowing GAF, someone will be along any minute to correct me.
 
It's sad how a bunch a morons can ewhine and regress the series all the way back to the putrid ocraina of time. Your tears have wiped out the progression of the 2 superior releases following it. Oh well, I know it matters not to you when you can imagine yourself making out with Tidus G. Link.
 
DenisDuckFat said:
It's sad how a bunch a morons can ewhine and regress the series all the way back to the putrid ocraina of time. Your tears have wiped out the progression of the 2 superior releases following it. Oh well, I know it matters not to you when you can imagine yourself making out with Tidus G. Link.

I wanna make out with you
 
Dragona Akehi said:
While no one ever believes me (even PGC colleagues), I did try to like Metroid Prime but it was so putrid I nearly vomited.

It would be more believable had you not gone on a total Retro Jihad months before Metroid Prime's release. :p
 
Dragona Akehi said:
I particularly loved how Link screamed in agony right before the wolf transformation. Nice touch.
Actually, it reminded me a lot of the MM mask transformations.
 
jarrod said:
Actually, it reminded me a lot of the MM mask transformations.

Same here.

And that trailer did everything right. The music was wonderful, and I particularly loved the switch to Zelda's Lullaby with the wind instruments (I think they were wind instruments) swooping in the background. I also loved how when it goes to the Legend of Zelda theme, there's this huge dungeon shown, just waiting to be explored (actually reminded me of TWW's forest dungeon). The final seconds of the trailer were damn perfect, with the charge against that blood-red sunset, and blacking out to the Twilight Princess logo right before the clash. Perfect.

I don't think "MACHURE" is the word here. I think you're looking for "epic."
 
DenisDuckFat said:
The real word is sellout.

No.

And I called TWW epic way back when in 2003. That was on a high after beating the game. That final fight was just so damn perfect (and being the freshest thing in my mind of the game itself), I didn't know what else to descibe it as.
 
Wind Waker is a wonderful looking game and - for the most part - a wonderful game. A shame, then, that the Triforce hunting sailing sections become so tedious.
 
Thw Wind Waker is the best looking Zelda, but it's also the worst playing. Really heartbreaking.... EAD needed a good 6-8 more month in R&D imo.
 
Please. The entirety of OOT was tedium defined.

If the least part was so tedious, you suck at games. Now, if your complaints were about something like the stupid stealth at the beginning of the game, then that would be valid. But seriously, the triforce thing was not as bad as you 'tards make it out to be
 
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