How is Twilight Princess similar to Ocarina of Time?

[Scrustle]

I've always heard about how Twilight Princess is supposed to be very similar to Ocarina of Time, but I've never seen why myself. Since the Zero Punctuation episode about OoT 3D I've given it some thought, and I think TP shares far more with other Zelda games than OoT.

For example the dark mood of the game is far more similar to that of Majora's Mask, The NPC and enemy design is much closer to Wind Waker, and the dark/light world distinction is more similar to that of A Link to the Past or either of the Oracles games. The only things I can think of that the game shares with OoT is an adult Link, who also appears in Zelda II and Skyward Sword (and Majora's Mask too if you count Fierce Deity Link), and an annoying Water Temple. But I found the Water Temple in MM to also be quite irritating (I swear it's a running theme within the series). And in fact, much like Yahtzee himself, I didn't have much trouble with the Water Temple in OoT, but I did get rather irate at the Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly dungeon.

So what exactly is it that makes people say that TP used OoT as a "cheat sheet"? I really don't think the game deserves that criticism.

 

[GamerKT]

A Forest Temple, a Water Temple, a Fire Temple, Zoras, Great Fairies that help you out, a boomerang, a hookshot, a bow and arrow, iron boots... Y'know, just a guess.

 

[zehydra]

A Forest Temple, a Water Temple, a Fire Temple, Zoras, Great Fairies that help you out, a boomerang, a hookshot, a bow and arrow, iron boots... Y'know, just a guess.

Well, that could be most of the Zelda games, by that description.

 

[GamerKT]

A Forest Temple, a Water Temple, a Fire Temple, Zoras, Great Fairies that help you out, a boomerang, a hookshot, a bow and arrow, iron boots... Y'know, just a guess.

Well, that could be most of the Zelda games, by that description.

Exactly...

 

[Tesral]

Almost all of the themes and gameplay remain unchanged, in the Pokemon logic: If it sells well, why change it?

This isn't particularly a BAD thing, but a little innovation would be nice.

 

[zehydra]

A Forest Temple, a Water Temple, a Fire Temple, Zoras, Great Fairies that help you out, a boomerang, a hookshot, a bow and arrow, iron boots... Y'know, just a guess.

Well, that could be most of the Zelda games, by that description.

Exactly...

OP's talking about how people specifically compare TP and OoT, not just TP and the Zelda series. Unless you're suggesting that the people who make those comparisons have only played those two games from the series.

 

[GamerKT]

A Forest Temple, a Water Temple, a Fire Temple, Zoras, Great Fairies that help you out, a boomerang, a hookshot, a bow and arrow, iron boots... Y'know, just a guess.

Well, that could be most of the Zelda games, by that description.

Exactly...

OP's talking about how people specifically compare TP and OoT, not just TP and the Zelda series. Unless you're suggesting that the people who make those comparisons have only played those two games from the series.

That's what I'm suggesting. Also, too many themes run through all Zelda games. I wouldn't be able to argue against someone saying that most Mario games are very similar even though they're more diverse than the Zelda ones).

 

[zehydra]

The reason people compare TP to OoT is because they look sorta similar, but not really.

There was a dramatic shift in the way the games were presented from Majora's Mask and beyond, and I haven't been able to think of it really until now.

Ocarina of Time and prior felt much more Western, I'd say than Majora's Mask and beyond.

 

[Davidm4]

Is OoC a typo instead of OoT?

OT: I don't understand why people say that all the Zelda games are the same (apart from the Temple themes, re-used items and find keys for eventual boss fight). The point is that if you change the level design considerably, you will do things and see things that aren't in any previous versions. This changes the most important part, which is the gameplay. Just because themes and items are re-used doesn't make each game the same.

It is a bit like saying all fps's are the same because they keep re-using guns and war era's...... oh wait.

 

[Squarez]

All Zelda games are just Ocarina of Time with a few individual gimmicks (e.g. OoT with a boat/with time travel/with a wolf).

 

[Scrustle]

Is OoC a typo instead of OoT?

Indeed it is. Thanks for drawing my attention to that. I'll correct it now.

 

[Apprentice1994]

All Zelda games are just Ocarina of Time with a few individual gimmicks (e.g. Oot with a boat/with time travel/with a wolf).

I wouldn't say that ALL Zelda games are the same, but the 3-D ones are similar, and the 2-D ones are similar. I would never compare OoT to Oracle of Seasons. You can't generalize that all games of a franchise are the same. Sometimes odd games come out. For example: Link's Crossbow Training. Does anybody ever stop to say that THAT was the same as OoT? Of course not. Did anybody ever say that Link's Crossbow Training was an 'instant classic'? Oh, hell no. They're all different in their own little ways.

OT: It's similar up to when you get the Master Sword. First forest, then Kakariko, then Death Mountain, followed up by Lake Hylia/Zora Domain. You get a boomerang, slingshot, bombs, bow, and hookshot (in this case clawshot). Once you get the Master Sword and head into the desert, all of a sudden you get now stuff. The Spinner, Ball and Chain, and Dominion Rod are all new ideas. Then again, you also start hunting Poes at that time, so it still fits in. The beginning of the game introduces you to a classic Zelda approach, then introduces new mechanics later in the game. I personally like that style.

 

[TheGreatAndPowerfulZOG]

Majora's Mask and Wind Waker were structurally completely different, especially Majora's Mask. You could say ALTTP is similiar but it was a huge step forward for the series and 3D games in general when OoT dropped. TP not at all. It's basically the same engine Ocarina pioneered but without any of the innovation of MM or WW. What's so hard to understand?

 

[Davidm4]

I felt that TP was designed a lot better than OoT. OoT's dungeons were, as yahtzee stated, more obtuse than difficult. TP was more straightforward and understandable, which made it seem easier. Ofcourse the bosses were easy, but all it would have taken was to increase the consistency and the amount of damage that bosses dealt and it would have seemed more challanging. I prefered how OoT had heart peices earnt from minigames and hidden in hard to find places, whilst TP had quite a lot of them in the temples.

 

[Hugarh1]

I think most people make the comparison due to the "collect 3 objects from dungeons, get master sword, collect more relics, final dungeon in Hyrule Castle, then a fight with Ganondorf where you reflect projectiles, then a fight with Ganon" rather than the different story structure that was used in Wind Waker and Majora's Mask. There're more differences than similarities, as far as I'm concerned though.

 

[Squarez]

All Zelda games are just Ocarina of Time with a few individual gimmicks (e.g. Oot with a boat/with time travel/with a wolf).

I wouldn't say that ALL Zelda games are the same, but the 3-D ones are similar, and the 2-D ones are similar. I would never compare OoT to Oracle of Seasons. You can't generalize that all games of a franchise are the same. Sometimes odd games come out. For example: Link's Crossbow Training. Does anybody ever stop to say that THAT was the same as OoT? Of course not. Did anybody ever say that Link's Crossbow Training was an 'instant classic'? Oh, hell no. They're all different in their own little ways.

OT: It's similar up to when you get the Master Sword. First forest, then Kakariko, then Death Mountain, followed up by Lake Hylia/Zora Domain. You get a boomerang, slingshot, bombs, bow, and hookshot (in this case clawshot). Once you get the Master Sword and head into the desert, all of a sudden you get now stuff. The Spinner, Ball and Chain, and Dominion Rod are all new ideas. Then again, you also start hunting Poes at that time, so it still fits in. The beginning of the game introduces you to a classic Zelda approach, then introduces new mechanics later in the game. I personally like that style.

All Zelda games are just Ocarina of Time with a few individual gimmicks (e.g. OoT with a boat/with time travel/with a wolf).

So... that means A Link to the Past is like OOT? Or The Legend of Zelda? Or Zelda 2? Or how about Minish Cap?

That is bullshit and you know it

Dudes, of course I meant the 3D Zelda games.

I assumed people would know what I meant...

 

[Squarez]

I knew what you were talkin' 'bout. I was just jokin' around with 'ya.

Ahhh, irony or sarcasm is always hard to spot on the internet.