What should Zelda change?

[Smeggs]

The voice acting I totally agree with (Save for Link, of course).

It almost seems wrong for the characters in SS not to have had any actual speech. I mean really, they already make so many noises with their voices and shouts in the game it almost seems odd that none of the NPCs actually talk. Obviously it would need to be done really well, but it can already be somewhat told that Nintendo are very good at choosing voices for the characters, even if all they do is make random noises. Groose's voice sounded perfect, now if only he'd actually said something.

Keep going with the narrative changes. We've traveled back in time to the beginning of the legend, the only place we have yet to see are the various futures it could have. I'm still waiting for a steampunk-esque LoZ. Surprised there hasn't been one yet, actually. Steampunk seems like it'd fit perfectly into the Zelda universe.

I think there should be full-blown dialogue. Link himself doesn't need to speak. But, we can definitely hear him screaming a lot. The Legend of Zelda is one if Nintendo's more serious, realistic, "hardcore" franchises. I can excuse the 64 titles for not having any speech, anything after that... No. There's no excuse for us not being able to hear what anyone else is saying, anymore. Clearly, the characters can speak, so, we should be able to hear them. Nintendo has shown that they can get such things done, like in the StarFox games and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. And it worked great! But, The Legend of Zelda could really use that, now.

And it's totally not awkward at all using spoken dialogue to talk to a character without a name.

They pulled it off pretty smoothly with Tidus in FFX.

Seriously though, I doubt anyone would much care if Nintendo did away with the name change system. Everyone knows him as Link. That is his name.

 

[Innegativeion]

They shouldn't change anything. I loved Skyward Sword just as much

Skyward Sword is amazing. It's like a piece of art.

It IS a work of art, as most games tend to be. It was certainly a great game. HOWEVER, you're deluding yourself if you think it was without noticeable flaws.

--Ditch the level-oriented design of SWS and stick to OoT's more-open world feel, with more areas.

-The statues-as teleporters thing REALLY breaks the illusion of vastness that other hyrules created. Seriously preferred the teleportation songs. The SWS model also eliminated the need for secret teleporters like in OoT, which were really satisfying to discover.

-I like the concept of the item upgrade system, but put a little more thought into it. Make all or most items upgradeable, maybe even customizable with branching upgrades. Don't put a flat upgrade in (arrows do more damage... uh-duh), add something unique(beetle speed boost and slingshot scatter comes to mind). Maybe extend the hookshot range or stun duration, making it necessary for some side-quests. Maybe give arrows minor subtle homing. Maybe make bombs remote-detonated. Or upgrade them to bomchus. Maybe upgrade the whip to do damage. etc. etc.

-Drop the fucking item pouch system. Or better yet, replace it with a pouch that only carries medals that can have its capacity upgraded. Let ammo bags, bottles, and such be built-in and limited in number again.

-Not sure if I'm the minority, but I really liked the swordplay in SWS. I'm happy they're keeping it. The final fight with

Spoiler

Ganandorf's grandpa

was truly intense. The motion controls will only improve as time and technology goes on, anyway.

 

[Innegativeion]

They pulled it off pretty smoothly with Tidus in FFX.

Better more modern example;

Spoiler

Where Shepard is replaced by any appropriate title, like "hero", "kid", "fairy boy", "boy", "knight", etc.

edit:blegh, sorry for double post.

 

[Smeggs]

They pulled it off pretty smoothly with Tidus in FFX.

Better more modern example;

Spoiler

Where Shepard is replaced by any appropriate title, like "hero", "kid", "fairy boy", "boy", "knight", etc.

edit:blegh, sorry for double post.

Oh, right.

Doesn't the Protagonist in Bastion just get called "The Kid" by the narrator through the whole thing?

 

[SD-Fiend]

Try something new . Let's play as zelda for once , hell even peach got her own damn game ( and it wasn't a bad game either).

Try something old , let's try a new top-down zelda , a la 3d dot game heroes ( and i'm not talking about on a handheld system).

Give us some difficulty settings . Seriously , the hardcore crowd would eat that shit up.

Stop being so goddamn presictable .Periode.

1 they did and it twice and they were terrible. (C-Di)

2. I can't really see that happening. there isn't a reason to. unless Link starts going the way of the blue hedgehog...

4.i don't even know how that would work. it's stories are the most basic of thing in the world.
(but that would be the point in being unpredictable)

OT:I'd just say that for the next game don't make it like skyward sword. Skyward sword was a nice game but there was nothing to do in skyloft, the whole dropping down from the clouds bit and lack of towns or anything sort of transition between the areas made me feel that I was just being plopped down and not actually exploring. the characters also need to be more likable, I didn't care for any of them like i did (for example) Saria or Darunia.

and for the love of the goddess make the support character say something useful!

 

[Snotnarok]

They could change the game for once and not have the same story/plot/characters every time. Minor tweaks over the series (minus the jump to 3D) really doesn't count. The best one they made was Twilight Princess in my opinion with characters you actually wanted to help and a actual feeling of growth from the character.

OoT as I've said before has a lot of idiots I'd rather see burn rather than saved.

I'm not sure why it's always Link but they could change out the characters, maybe even give new gear that isn't the bloody Master Sword.

 

[Magikarp]

I think there should be more civilisation. I don't know why, but it really got to me that Skyward Sword only had one town.
Also, a bigger overworld. I didn't like skyward sword's tiny sky & limited questing areas.
I don't like the idea of voice acting. It can be good, but just look at things like Sonic. Also, I don't think it would work with Link's progression from childhood to adulthood.

 

[dragsaw]

- Building upon the free running ideas, building puzzles upon that idea, having to run across a wall and then use the hookshot, or extra platforming sections.

Auto-jumo make platforming pointless


- Voice acting. After seeing Kid Icarus: Uprising, Nintendo clearly has the resources to create great voice acting, even in English. Kid Icarus' writing was top notch and made me enjoy the game even more than I already was, if they added that humour to Zelda, which is generally an already funny game, it could really improve the game. However I am against the idea of Link having a voice.

No, just no

 

[Aerosteam]

Boss battles.

Not really change them completely, it gets the right idea of using the weapon you've acquired in the dungeon to defeat it, instead of just hitting/shooting at it enough times to kill it, like the majority of boss battles within games.

I just wish it could do more than:

1. Use item you've just gotten against the boss
2. Hit the boss in it's weak point when it opens up
3. ????
4. Profit (In form of heart container)

More phases for each boss will be great, the more the better, that's why I liked the Zant battle in Twilight Princess so much, and it didn't even involve half the items you've got.

Also I might appreciate the removal of the order of the levels, it always starts with forest, then fire, then water and so on. Fire seems highly menacing, so maybe make the level appear later, maybe have it linked with the desert level. Maybe link the water level to the snow level as well.

 

[Firia]

I'd personally just like to see Nintendo step out side of the formula. Forget the array of items that Link collects in his adventures, and begin anew. It can maintain the same atmosphere, odd characters, plot, but gameplay barely ever gets more than a gimic here and there.

So, just something new.

 

[Dethenger]

I just want more intense fighting mechanics. The only thing I dislike about Zelda is that the fights feel less like a challenge and more like a chore.

 

[zehydra]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

Why would you need a jump button though?

To be honest it doesn't really, just compared to most of Nintendo's other franchises it feels counter-intuitive and not like I have full control of the character. I know that's kind of petty but honestly I'm not in the mood to type a 15 paragraph response about what should be changed. I will say though that one thing they could do is make the game start very fast, I should be in a dungeon in the first ten minutes.

agreed, this is one of my biggest gripes with the franchise as of late. It didn't always use to be this slow...

 

[Krantos]

Would it kill Nintendo to put these on the PC?

Seriously, I'd buy up the entire back catalog of Zelda Titles if they would just release them for the PC. I don't have a Wii and I don't want a Wii, but I will pay for Zelda.

I think this is actually a bit of an oversight on Nintendo's part. Yes, I know they want exclusivity so people buy their consoles, but I think its safe to say now that anyone who is interested in a Wii already has it. Which means a Zelda Title is not going to convince them to buy one. However, if they'd just put it on PC, I guarantee I'd buy them all, and if I would, I guarantee about 10,000 other people would as well.

I love Zelda, but I haven't played on since Majora's Mask, and that makes me sad.

 

[CarlsonAndPeeters]

I agree with a lot of what is being said, but I think its worth pointing out that most of what must of what is being proposed are not changes to the formula. Like, making the text scroll faster and having better side quests is all well and good, but that won't change the area -> dungeon -> dungeon item vs. the boss -> next area pattern the series has fallen into.

So the more interesting question is, should the formula change? Ocarina of Time was the first game I fell in love with, and the Zelda series has always been my favorite. I take the good with the bad; I just love the games. So it scares me to think that the formula I love could change. Yet, at the same time, I think it could be a good thing. Just as the game had to change when it transitioned from 2D to 3D, I think a similar transition could be needed to entice new audiences (not the casual crowd, just more, younger gamers who think Zelda is dumb). However, it would take a far better game designer than me to figure out how to improve on the Zelda formula. So I can't offer solutions, only problems.

TL;DR: I think Zelda is great, but would be open to change.

 

[Starik20X6]

Zelda should change out of her clothes [/creep].

Honestly, the only thing I'd change would be making it more open again. I liked the feeling of exploration that the older entries had. That joy of discovering a hidden cave, or finding a new path.

 

[wintercoat]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

Why would you need a jump button though?

To be honest it doesn't really, just compared to most of Nintendo's other franchises it feels counter-intuitive and not like I have full control of the character. I know that's kind of petty but honestly I'm not in the mood to type a 15 paragraph response about what should be changed. I will say though that one thing they could do is make the game start very fast, I should be in a dungeon in the first ten minutes.

agreed, this is one of my biggest gripes with the franchise as of late. It didn't always use to be this slow...

Zelda II had a jump button >.>

I agree though. Remember the first two zelda games? In the original Zelda, you're carving up screens of enemies withing the first few minutes, and Zelda II did the same. Link's Awakening and LTTP gave you a bit to stretch your legs first, but the fun still started quickly. Some of the other handheld titles throw you into combat in a good amount of time, if not all that quickly, but any of the 3d or cel-shaded games hold off on combat for what sometimes feels like forever, instead opting to hold your hand as it walks you through a tutorial. The entire industry has gotten a bit too handhold-y for my tastes, but that's an argument for another thread.

What should Zelda change? Well, aside from the previously mentioned handholding, I'd like to see the combat be a bit more action-y, with maybe less emphasis on sword-play and more on item use. Make the items actually meaningful instead of gimmicks. And cut back on the number of items. You don't need a dozen items when only 3 are going to be used outside of the dungeon for anything other than collecting heart pieces. And for the love of god, get rid of the 2 second "pulling out a bomb" animation.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's tricky, because most of these "issues" are what sets Zelda apart and gives it its charm.

I don't mind Link being mute as long as he's expressive, and Wind Waker proved he could be without saying a word. And it's not like there are no voices in the games. There's plenty of voices, they just don't form any words. And I'd rather have the charming expressive vocal noises in a Zelda game than akward voice acting, which is something we know Japan kinda sucks at.

I'd say a big and acceptable change would be to smooth out the controls and make 'm less wooden. Seriously, in nearly every Zelda game Link controls like a wooden puppet.

 

[SilverBullets000]

Well,
-A darker version of Zelda wouldn't hurt. Majora's Mask pulled that off beatifully, managing to be entertaining and thouroughly creepy.
-Faster tutorial through gameplay rather than explaining everything. Make it a nightmare sequence and have a little prompt that tells you how to do something, then make it go away. Forever. If players do need to be reminded how to do something specific, give them a guide that can be accesed when the game is paused.
-More locations. Skyward Sword felt small, but I can deal with desolate if it has a reason to be that way.
-More variety in the enemies.
-Combat needs something of an overhaul. Not that it's terrible, it's...just not very good anymore. Skyward Sword attempted it with motion controls, but actually fell flat because of said controls (stabbing was the biggest pain). Liked that it tried to be more realistic than DMC's killing everything style, but I'd like to be able to pull off attacks with a little more finesse.
-Nods to older Zelda games.
-More uses for items outside of dungeonds as well as equipable main weapons. The Master Sword is awesome, but I'd like Link to use something more akin to a demonic axe every now and then. It would change attack patterns too and actually add variety and strategy to battles.
-Bring back the magic meter, as well as items that needed it.
-Helpful help characters, rather than annoying ones. Midna was ideal. Navi was bad. Fi was freaking terrible.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. I personally don't want them to have voice actors, as they would inevitably screw it up either in overall tone (being too serious or too casual, causing dramatic scenes to be hilarious or vice versa) or actual talent (Samus, looking at you).

 

[Razoack]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

There is one, it just means that you can't see forward anymore.