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Had Nintendo Waited...

This idea has been playing on my mind recently so I'm finally deciding to write it down.

Recently i tried to play through the Zelda games (since its been a while) and i was disappointed with the majority of them... not becuase of the story or gameplay or artstyle but because of the technology and timing...

for example; i love the Wind Waker and when i got wind of PH i couldn't wait to sail again, then we got.... that. A unrecognisably nerfed quisi sequel which ripped everything out of what made Wind Waker so good, I didn't mind the art style but the graphics sucked and Link looked like an 80 year old man to me and not the young chap i knew in Wind Waker. The touch control i didnt have a problem with really until it came to sailing which forced me to draw a line and sit and wait. Most people find sailing in WW boring but at least you know you can always choose to change direction and do whatever you want in a 3d field. the same couldn't be said for PH once you were in motion aboard your boat unless you stopped and drew another line...

This example and a few others have made me wonder 'what if nintendo had waited?' the 3DS can handle Ocarina's remake with ease, surely it could have held PH with the same sailing controls found in WW....

I understand that at the time the 3DS wasn't around but which games do you feel were perfect for their time and which games do you think would have been better on a future or even previous console?

My reckoning is thus:

Released to suitable technology
Legend of Zelda
Adventure of Link
Link's Awakening
A Link to the Past
Spirit Tracks
Wind Waker
Twilight Princess
Minish Cap
Four Swords

Skyward Sword - Could have felt more at home on the 3DS
Phantom Hourglass - Could have worked better on 3DS
Four Sword Adventures - Would have been better received on GBA
Oracle of Ages and Seasons - Would have been better on SNES


Ocarina of Time works wonders on the 3DS and we can hope Majora's Mask does too.


These are all opinions so no flaming me for my carefully placed onions.
Anyone else want a shot at this?
 

JuicieJ

SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Location
On the midnight Spirit Train going anywhere
I don't see how the technology would matter. PH and ST probably wouldn't have had overhead views if they had been on the 3DS, and Skyward Sword wouldn't have had the Wii MotionPlus had it been on the 3DS. Technology does make a slight difference for the Oracle games, though (I suppose). How could they be linked had they been on the SNES?
 

Igos du Ikana

Maldorok
Joined
Oct 13, 2012
Location
USA
First off, I think Majora's Mask would be better on the Wii U. I agree with everything except for the Skyward Sword and Spirit Tracks. The only improvements that I noticed in Spirit Tracks from Phantom Hourglass were not having to draw circles to roll and a bit better graphics. Skyward Sword wouldn't have made much since on the 3DS, since the game was centered entirely around the Wii Remote and there hadn't been a console release in five years. Like you said (and like I always say); this is a matter of personal preference. If I can think of anything I'll probably be back........ with my thoughts.
 

Igos du Ikana

Maldorok
Joined
Oct 13, 2012
Location
USA
I never would have had the pleasure to play it if they did that. It was also a sequel to OoT, so it made more since to have it on the N64 and they wanted more than one Zelda on their home console.
 

Ventus

Mad haters lmao
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Hylian Champion
Released to suitable technology
Legend of Zelda
Adventure of Link
A Link to the Past
Link's Awakening
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Oracle of Seasons and Ages
Four Swords (GBA)
Minish Cap

Should Wait For
Skyward Sword - Either should have went to Wii U to get a total art style overhaul, or go to 3DS...imo there are too many things wrong with the game for a simple change of system to make it work.
Phantom Hourglass - Should've waited for 3DS; see Spirit Tracks.
Four Sword Adventures - Should have waited for 3DS for online connectivity.
Spirit Tracks - Should've waited for 3DS; the overhead view was a problem so three dimensions could've helped it, plus better graphics.
Twilight Princess - Should have waited for 3DS or Wii U or even both. That way it would be better refined.


Special Cases
OoT3D can stay where it's at, MM3D is always welcome, and TWW/TP3D are welcome as well.
 
I believe part of the joy in playing any videogame series is observing its evolution over the years. Certain installments could definitely have been better had they been released for more powerful hardware but it's the later titles which improve the flaws of their predecessors that leave us wanting more. Ocarina of Time was a rave hit not only because it shifted the series to the third dimension but also emulated A Link to the Past's successes in this extra z-axis. Last year's Skyward Sword was another breath of fresh air introducing the upgrade system, Adventure pouch, stamina gauge, shield meter, dowsing, the finest motion controls on the market, and more.

My most anticipated game of the year, Halo 4, absolutely blows me away in terms of how far the Master Chief and aide Cortana have come. Halo 4 is the best looking game on the 360 by far and shows gamers that Microsoft and its developers still know how and when to hit the nail home. I'm expecting a similar sensation from Zelda Wii U-not exclusively due to a first venture into HD but also as a testament of how far Zelda has come.
 

DarkestLink

Darkest of all Dark Links
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
but the graphics sucked and Link looked like an 80 year old man to me and not the young chap i knew in Wind Waker.

I don't see it. Sorry. ^^

Most people find sailing in WW boring but at least you know you can always choose to change direction and do whatever you want in a 3d field.

I didn't like PH sailing either, but I felt it was an improvement over Wind Waker. To change direction in PH, you needed to draw a new line. To change direction in Wind Waker, you had to play a song. Both overworlds had pretty bad music, especially Wind Wakers. But at least Phantom Hourglass had enemies to fight and were actually threatening. Wind Wakers couldn't possibly hit you unless you were a sitting duck. And fighting them was a nuisance.

the same couldn't be said for PH once you were in motion aboard your boat unless you stopped and drew another line...

And in Wind Waker, you had to play the song and change Wind Direction.

Skyward Sword - Could have felt more at home on the 3DS

Mind elaborating? Seeing how much focus the game had on the Wii-Motion, I fail to see how this is even possible.

Phantom Hourglass - Could have worked better on 3DS

That's kinda unfair. Seeing how the 3DS is simply a superior DS, all DS games could hold true to this.

Four Sword Adventures - Would have been better received on GBA

Yeah, I never saw the point in releasing a 2D game on the GC.

Oracle of Ages and Seasons - Would have been better on SNES

SNES was dead.

Ocarina of Time works wonders on the 3DS and we can hope Majora's Mask does too.

Last I heard, Majora's Mask wasn't getting a remake.
 

PhantomTriforce

I am a Person of Interest
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Jul 12, 2010
Location
Ganon's Tower
I personally think all the games were suited to their technology. I don't really have any complaints for any Zelda game in terms of timing and technology.
 
@ Darkest Link

This is just an opinionated hypothetical thread, it doesn't deal with what nintendo could have done at the time but rather which games i think would have performed better on other consoles, regardless if they were dead or not.

For the ones you mentioned though, i didn't find myself changing the wind in Wind Waker that much, unless i wanted to turn completely around i was fine with turning and just going slower for a little while (then again i loved sailing so didn't mind the go slow)

For SS, i wasn't a great fan of motion control, i think the gyro control of the 3DS would have worked just as well for items like the bow, clawshots like it does in OoT3D and flying the Loftwing could have controlled something akin to Starfox 64 3D's gyro controls. That and the content in SS seemed to be a lot less than it appeared, it was probably a good size for the 3DS to handle.

But like i said, hypothetical opinion.
 

Igos du Ikana

Maldorok
Joined
Oct 13, 2012
Location
USA
That's why we should ask Nintendo where the beef is in Skyward Sword. Look up the quote before you judge me.

Wow....I feel so alone. Anyways, if Nintendo would have put the Oracle series on the SNES, their handheld at the time would have been all but dead.
 
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Sir Quaffler

May we meet again
That's why remakes are made, the games did so well fans want to see them again in higher definition or in 3D instead of 2D. I have no problems with where the games are placed chronologically, it shows the progression of the games. The original LoZ set in place the basic formula which later, more powerful games could expand upon. AoL was a flaming turd and was rightfully ditched altogether (except for Dark Link, the one good thing about that game.) Basically, when I look back on the previous games, I don't ask whether they could have been better on other systems, but rather how the series has improved on the concepts presented that were good and ditched those that were bad.

Except for maybe Link's Awakening. I think that one would have been even more amazing had it been done in HD graphics in the third dimension, so we could see the lush and colorful world of Koholint, and the music would be a sweet symphony to the ears. Nintendo, I'm asking you: Remake Link's Awakening!!!
 

Tin Skulltula

Tin Skulltula
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Location
Behind the Great Deku Tree
why does everyone bash PH and ST? they had limited technology, had to incorporate touch controls, and THEY WERE HANDHELDS. the graphics are supposed to be roughly a console behind! people loved LA and those were sub-par graphics compared to LttP. if its about the ridiculousness of the plot in the games, yes PH and ST have crazy stories that have little to do with the overall telling of the Triforce saga. but LA, in most interpretations, was considered a dream!
i dont think these games should have been held off. they may not be anyone's favorite, but they are quality zelda games that someday we'll look back fondly on when we're as old and wrinkly as link appears to be in PH haha.
 

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