LegendofLex
Member
Did you play Ocarina of Time? This game emulates its plot progression/structure in the second half almost perfectly.
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Zelda: A Link Between Worlds |OT| All in all you're just another Link in the wall
- Thread starter Frolow
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Did you play Ocarina of Time? This game emulates its plot progression/structure in the second half almost perfectly.
It's not like Ocarina of Time had a brilliant plot either. It's simple as all hell, and has very little to it.
Majora's Mask is where it's at.
Basileus777
Member
I don't want plot development in a 2D Zelda. I'd have liked this game just as much if there was no text.
LegendofLex
Member
Oh, I agree. Ocarina of Time is very light on plot. That's one of the reasons why it's so digestible even today. It's not one of those games that you "wade through."
But Majora's Mask doesn't have a plot, either. It does, however, have lots and lots of vignettes.
Majora's Mask has a pretty deep plot, really. The backstory of Majora explored in the manga is fascinating - you wouldn't get something like that from OOT's story.
Moff
Member
I love Link Awakening for its dialogues (the german version was extra awesome, its crazy)
all the characters and what they do. there are only short bits of dialogue, but they are enough to fill the world with life and purpose. its something I missed in ALBW, but at the same time it was not necessary either.
LegendofLex
Member
You very well could. Hell, Ocarina of Time basically is the exploration of a fascinating backstory (from A Link to the Past).
I still to this day wonder what was going on with those torture chambers beneath the well.
OoT, aLttP and ALBW all have very similar plot progressions. But I'm in agreement, Majora's Mask has the most fleshed out plot, followed closely by Wind Waker. But I'm not playing Zelda games for their plot although I found the way they tackled the timeline interesting. Knowing that timeline can definitely complement the experience of playing a Zelda game, especially TP and Wind Waker, both of which assume the player played OoT.
PotionBleue
Member
What's also interesting is that the only composer credited is Ryo Nagamatsu yeah, we're talking about the guy who started at Nintendo with Wii Play soundtrack, and then Mario Kart Wii before being part of SMG2 alongside Mahito Yokota & Koji Kondo.
Speaking of the latter, I'm really surprised he's not credited at all in ALBW since it has a lot of A Link To The Past remixes.
zephervack
Member
Just finished Tower of Hera, amazing dungeon but
Regardless, this game is amazing, cant wait to play more.
the boss is a bit too easy, maybe because I have killed bosses like that in tons of Mario and Zelda games of yesteryear.
Regardless, this game is amazing, cant wait to play more.
Basileus777
Member
The timeline actually confused me with this one. I'm still not sure how the Triforce was split and how Ganon had the Triforce of power, it contradicts the ending of ALTTP entirely.
LegendofLex
Member
They already retconned that in Ocarina of Time. (Then re-retconned in Hyrule Historia to explain the discrepancy.) Maybe they're actually sticking to a consistent story now?
Basileus777
Member
ALTTP ends with Ganon dead and the Triforce whole. This one starts with Ganon sealed away and in possession of the Triforce of Power. And the master sword sleeps forever....for a bit. Yep, retcon.
My interpretation is that once someone wishes on the unified Triforce, it splits up again. It was initially split in OoT, with Ganon(dorf) getting Triforce of Power, Zelda (and her descendants) getting Wisdom and someone chosen worthy (aka Link) getting Courage. Ganon and Zelda/Zelda's descendants forever have Power and Wisdom, respectively, even across alternate timelines. This is acknowledged in TP where the sage giving Link the story of Ganon's trial says it was a "cruel joke of the Gods" that he had the Triforce of Power all along, even though in that timeline, he had been ratted out by OoT child Link before even stepping foot in the Sacred Realm.
I was going to point out that Wind Waker shows that after a wish the Triforce will split and the credits in aLttP (by coincidence) also show the Triforce splitting at the end.
However the Oracle games clearly show that the Triforce stayed as one after aLttP.
Maybe we have to assume that once that generation of Link and Zelda pass away their pieces will disappear with them waiting for the next incarnation.
As for the Master Sword, we can only assume forever now only means, for the rest of that Link's life since they feel safe that Ganon won't return.
However the Oracle games clearly show that the Triforce stayed as one after aLttP.
Maybe we have to assume that once that generation of Link and Zelda pass away their pieces will disappear with them waiting for the next incarnation.
As for the Master Sword, we can only assume forever now only means, for the rest of that Link's life since they feel safe that Ganon won't return.
I think one con about the game is that I never feel like I need to prepare for the next dungeon. I just wander around and "oh, there's a new dungeon!" and I go beat it because I already have all of the items I need. Sometimes I feel like preparing for a dungeon/mission/journey and then going on and completing that has a great deal of satisfaction. That's what LTTP did so well -- I felt so far away from home in a lot of ways after I finally got to a dungeon and slayed it. In LBTW, I don't get that feeling at all.
One huge pro for me, compared to other Zelda games, is the pacing and fun of it. The con is the pro here: because I don't have to prepare so much, I just wander around and enjoy the mechanics of the game on the fly. It's a different way to approach the same game, really, and the satisfaction I receive is the ability to, kind of, manage my way through the overworld in the funnest way. I think the collectibles are little tiring (across all games... not just this one), but it adds enough fluff to warrant trekking through the world multiple times in LBTW. That, and you do get some items from dungeons (like gloves to lift larger rocks... etc)
I think... if this was a new overworld, and a new world in general, to go the rental route and allow for quick pacing would definitely be interesting because EVERYTHING would be brand new. But, because we already kind of know this world (to a degree), we're able to have some fun with it. I think that's why I like this game so much.
LBTW and LTTP are less similar from an user experience level than one would first think.
One huge pro for me, compared to other Zelda games, is the pacing and fun of it. The con is the pro here: because I don't have to prepare so much, I just wander around and enjoy the mechanics of the game on the fly. It's a different way to approach the same game, really, and the satisfaction I receive is the ability to, kind of, manage my way through the overworld in the funnest way. I think the collectibles are little tiring (across all games... not just this one), but it adds enough fluff to warrant trekking through the world multiple times in LBTW. That, and you do get some items from dungeons (like gloves to lift larger rocks... etc)
I think... if this was a new overworld, and a new world in general, to go the rental route and allow for quick pacing would definitely be interesting because EVERYTHING would be brand new. But, because we already kind of know this world (to a degree), we're able to have some fun with it. I think that's why I like this game so much.
LBTW and LTTP are less similar from an user experience level than one would first think.
This game is a bastardization of what I consider the greatest Zelda game.
Graphically:
A link between worlds looks like animal crossing. I can't impress just how ugly the art style is. The pixelated, bright, blocky, overhead view pales in comparison to the initial 2D design. The push on the 3DS to create a 3D experience results in a less artistic, less immersing style. Maybe I just don't have an eye for newer generation art, but the Nintendo 64 style graphics look terrible and age even worse. LTTP is still a pleasure to look at after all these years, I sure we won't be saying the same for ALBW.
Look at these LTTP screens:
Now look at this ALBW screen:
Gameplay:
NPCs in this game are incredibly annoying. Starting in Ocarina of time, and progressively getting more controlling and overbearing, this game follows the path of WW or Skyward sword with long, annoying, pointless NPC interactions. For the love of god Nintendo, please stop wasting my time with all this worthless dialogue.
3D aspects of play are gimmicky, often difficult to physically see. New item system is cumbersome, switching items is difficult. Dungeons and puzzles are incredibly fast and easy. Without getting items from a dungeon, instead just "renting" them, makes dungeons seem more like a chore and less like a chance to upgrade your character. Overworld is exactly the same structure of aLTTP. 2D "painting on wall" mechanic is not enjoyable.
Impression:
If Nintendo wanted to make a port of LTTP, they could have kept the art style and 2D aspect, resulting in a rehash of an excellent game. If they wanted to make a new 3DS game, they should have made a new game. Instead, they formed some mutant bastard child of aLTTP and the newer, shitty zeldas. This mutant excels in no areas. It looks like garbage, has mediocre gameplay, repetitive mechanics, and sullies my LTTP nostalgia. I honestly enjoyed my LTTP re-playthrough a year back significantly more than aLBW.
If you enjoy the newer Zeldas, this game may appeal to you. But as an advocate for the original game, the resulting aLBW is a cluttered yet gameplay simplified, overbearing, ugly semi-remake of a once excellent game.
Graphically:
A link between worlds looks like animal crossing. I can't impress just how ugly the art style is. The pixelated, bright, blocky, overhead view pales in comparison to the initial 2D design. The push on the 3DS to create a 3D experience results in a less artistic, less immersing style. Maybe I just don't have an eye for newer generation art, but the Nintendo 64 style graphics look terrible and age even worse. LTTP is still a pleasure to look at after all these years, I sure we won't be saying the same for ALBW.
Look at these LTTP screens:
Now look at this ALBW screen:
Gameplay:
NPCs in this game are incredibly annoying. Starting in Ocarina of time, and progressively getting more controlling and overbearing, this game follows the path of WW or Skyward sword with long, annoying, pointless NPC interactions. For the love of god Nintendo, please stop wasting my time with all this worthless dialogue.
3D aspects of play are gimmicky, often difficult to physically see. New item system is cumbersome, switching items is difficult. Dungeons and puzzles are incredibly fast and easy. Without getting items from a dungeon, instead just "renting" them, makes dungeons seem more like a chore and less like a chance to upgrade your character. Overworld is exactly the same structure of aLTTP. 2D "painting on wall" mechanic is not enjoyable.
Impression:
If Nintendo wanted to make a port of LTTP, they could have kept the art style and 2D aspect, resulting in a rehash of an excellent game. If they wanted to make a new 3DS game, they should have made a new game. Instead, they formed some mutant bastard child of aLTTP and the newer, shitty zeldas. This mutant excels in no areas. It looks like garbage, has mediocre gameplay, repetitive mechanics, and sullies my LTTP nostalgia. I honestly enjoyed my LTTP re-playthrough a year back significantly more than aLBW.
If you enjoy the newer Zeldas, this game may appeal to you. But as an advocate for the original game, the resulting aLBW is a cluttered yet gameplay simplified, overbearing, ugly semi-remake of a once excellent game.
One screenshot does not a bad graphical game make
Thats been my whole graphical experience bro.
Is anybody in the UK with an eshop copy able to help me out? My request is SUPER DUMB, but i'm hoping somebody can help. I just formatted my 3DS to put a new SD card in, not knowing that the old saved data on the SD card wouldn't work in the newly formatted system. So basically, my backup of the eshop save I had for this game disappeared into the aether.
My request is this - is anybody about halfway through the dark world, with 4 of the temples completed? I just got to the dark palace, and basically have the bottom corner of the screen left, temple-wise. So, swamp, water, and dark palace.
Would it work if somebody backed up their save and stuck it on mediafire for me? There's a folder in the SD card where the saves live, would be a great help. It doesn't have to be exactly the same, I just don't really want to play through nearly 2/3 of the game to get to where I am now. Even if you're almost fresh in the dark world with like 2 dungeons done, it would help... if it works.
Cheers.
My request is this - is anybody about halfway through the dark world, with 4 of the temples completed? I just got to the dark palace, and basically have the bottom corner of the screen left, temple-wise. So, swamp, water, and dark palace.
Would it work if somebody backed up their save and stuck it on mediafire for me? There's a folder in the SD card where the saves live, would be a great help. It doesn't have to be exactly the same, I just don't really want to play through nearly 2/3 of the game to get to where I am now. Even if you're almost fresh in the dark world with like 2 dungeons done, it would help... if it works.
Cheers.
The graphics are hugely improved by putting on the 3D with the 3DS. If you're playing it in 2D, you may have a more washed out visual experience.
edit: also, I think you're being really picky to try to compare sprites to polygons. Welcome to 2013. The game *plays* umpteen times better than LTTP (flow, speed, animations, etc) Looking at the colors and saying they're 'drab' means very little in comparison
I appreciate your feedback. My opinion must be wrong, I apologize for wasting your time.
Sadly, no. It won't work. The 3DS save files on the SD card are locked to the system they were made on.
3D mode makes me a little ill / headache after playing for a few minutes. I can't really stomach it too long.
Get a grip.
LegendofLex
Member
Full rundown of retcons (spoilers I guess):
LttP: Ganon steals the Triforce from the Sacred Realm, transforms it into the Dark World. Sages seal him away in the Dark World, but he breaks the seal and a hero appears to kill him and reclaim the Triforce.
OoT: Ganon steals the Triforce from the Sacred Realm... but when he touches it, it splits into Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Ganon only gets Power. He transforms the Sacred Realm into the Dark World (Evil Realm) anyway. Sages seal him away in the Dark World, with the help of a hero.
OoX: Even though the Triforce was depicted as having split during the events leading to the sages' seal in OoT, OoX proceeds with the Triforce united in Hyrule Castle following the events of LttP. Unclear how we're meant to believe this happened.
TWW: Ganon breaks out of his seal, no hero appears to stop him. The gods flood Hyrule, a hero appears hundreds of years later when Ganon emerges above the ocean. The Triforce is reunited, and Ganon is defeated.
TP: (Other timeline that follows from OoT time travel) Ganon was never sealed, the sages execute him, he magically gets the Triforce of Power. The sages seal him in the Twilight Realm. Zant teams up with him to free him from the Twilight Realm, a hero appears to stop him. He dies, the Triforce mark fades from his hand. The Triforce's fate is unknown.
Hyrule Historia: The fact that both alternate timelines spawned by OoT time travel now end with events that decidedly break from the LttP plot thread leads the developers to propose a third timeline where Link was defeated in OoT, and Ganon is able to reclaim the missing Triforce pieces. Instead of the OoT events leading to the sages' seal, now there is no hero and the sages have to seal Ganon alone.
ALBW: Stories of LttP and OoT are fused. Ganon steals Triforce from the Sacred Realm, but apparently is sealed by the sages/hero having only the Triforce of Power. Forget that timeline where the hero died, I guess. No direct mention of the events of LttP (where Ganon gains the missing Triforces, breaks the seal, captures the sages, is defeated by a hero) in the backstory, though it's mentioned throughout the game that Yuga is remaking history by capturing the sages to break the seal. To make matters more confusing, I have no idea what's up with Link having to free the sages to get the Triforce of Courage.
OoT: Ganon steals the Triforce from the Sacred Realm... but when he touches it, it splits into Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Ganon only gets Power. He transforms the Sacred Realm into the Dark World (Evil Realm) anyway. Sages seal him away in the Dark World, with the help of a hero.
OoX: Even though the Triforce was depicted as having split during the events leading to the sages' seal in OoT, OoX proceeds with the Triforce united in Hyrule Castle following the events of LttP. Unclear how we're meant to believe this happened.
TWW: Ganon breaks out of his seal, no hero appears to stop him. The gods flood Hyrule, a hero appears hundreds of years later when Ganon emerges above the ocean. The Triforce is reunited, and Ganon is defeated.
TP: (Other timeline that follows from OoT time travel) Ganon was never sealed, the sages execute him, he magically gets the Triforce of Power. The sages seal him in the Twilight Realm. Zant teams up with him to free him from the Twilight Realm, a hero appears to stop him. He dies, the Triforce mark fades from his hand. The Triforce's fate is unknown.
Hyrule Historia: The fact that both alternate timelines spawned by OoT time travel now end with events that decidedly break from the LttP plot thread leads the developers to propose a third timeline where Link was defeated in OoT, and Ganon is able to reclaim the missing Triforce pieces. Instead of the OoT events leading to the sages' seal, now there is no hero and the sages have to seal Ganon alone.
ALBW: Stories of LttP and OoT are fused. Ganon steals Triforce from the Sacred Realm, but apparently is sealed by the sages/hero having only the Triforce of Power. Forget that timeline where the hero died, I guess. No direct mention of the events of LttP (where Ganon gains the missing Triforces, breaks the seal, captures the sages, is defeated by a hero) in the backstory, though it's mentioned throughout the game that Yuga is remaking history by capturing the sages to break the seal. To make matters more confusing, I have no idea what's up with Link having to free the sages to get the Triforce of Courage.
family_guy
Member
The graphics don't look that great. I agree.
Another awesome example:
Such graphics.
yeah, that's exactly the image I get on my 24" 3DS XXXXL
Who gives a shit about the slight rough edges of the graphical style when it runs at a gorgeous 60fps and plays like a dream?
Basileus777
Member
ALTTP does look better, and ALBW isn't a great looking game, but it looks better in motion on a 3DS than those screens give credit for. And I played 1% of the game with 3D enabled.
Neoriceisgood
Member
As Gaf's resident Pixel King I'm just gonna jump in here and say the new Zelda's graphics look fine.
Another awesome example:
Such graphics.
good thing you aren't playing still images.
LegendofLex
Member
So hideous. I mean, A Link to the Past looks so much better!
As it were, my King.
You said switching items was hard in your review, can you explain how it's hard? I'm having the total opposite feeling about it, especially after playing the GBC games.
MoogleWizard
Member
I've been playing this game for a few hours and it's far from ugly. It looks great with the 3D slider all the way up. It doesn't look as good in 2D mode, so I would really recommend playing it in 3D, the 3D adds a lot to the visuals.
Edwards_Omatic
Member
To everyone who's completed their first play-through, how long did it take to finish the story?
Switching items is the easiest it's ever been, apart from the radial select in Skyward Sword and TP.
And regardless of the graphical style, ALBW plays better than any other 2D Zelda hands down by the inclusion of 60fps. It's fast, it's fluid, it's far more responsive than any other Zelda ever made.
It's exactly what Zelda should be. I've been playing LTTP for nigh on 20 years now - saying that ALBW plays better is high, high praise from myself.
And regardless of the graphical style, ALBW plays better than any other 2D Zelda hands down by the inclusion of 60fps. It's fast, it's fluid, it's far more responsive than any other Zelda ever made.
It's exactly what Zelda should be. I've been playing LTTP for nigh on 20 years now - saying that ALBW plays better is high, high praise from myself.
Neoriceisgood
Member
<3
What bothers me the most (aka, about the only complaint) is that they tried to match the way certain areas looked with LTTP, causing some bizarro fucked up geometry. The back of your house is perfectly vertical, but the front is slanted. I would have rathered they kept things geometrically accurate and altered the camera perspective to fit it better.
AKA, they hemmed too closely to LTTP in recreating the world, fucking up the actual perspective. Other than that, I loved the graphics. Especially the Swamp Palace and Ice Palace.
AKA, they hemmed too closely to LTTP in recreating the world, fucking up the actual perspective. Other than that, I loved the graphics. Especially the Swamp Palace and Ice Palace.
It's a huge step down, agreed. The stereoscopic 3D is pretty solid though, for what it's worth. The art style looks like it has some good intentions, but the models just weren't finished. Reminds me a lot of the early shots of OoT. I really enjoyed seeing some of the old enemies and bits of the environment in 3D though, like 'oh, that's what the sprite was going for." Still doesn't look half as good, but interesting.
NPC part is a good point. There's no good reason for half of it that gets thrown in there.
I found the 3D aspects to be very natural, easy to see, and pretty interesting. Sometimes even nice little 'aha' moments. And the same is true of the wall merge. It's pretty different from anything I've come across in (especially 2D) Zelda before. Imo it's a really fun mechanic, though probably a bit overdone here (since it's the only ability that pretty much the whole game knows you'll have.)
Dungeons being fast is one of the best parts of this game. Just like in LttP, the dungeons are quick and fun all the way through, instead of overstaying their welcome. The dungeons and puzzles in LttP were easy as well, for better or worse.
Where you see a mutant, I see a well done sequel. Yes, it reuses aspects of LttP, but that's ok with me. I love that world, and a chance to explore it again and find new things is much appreciated. Maybe it sullies your nostalgia, but it's hitting mine in all the right spots.