What do you feel needs to change in this series

[Diamondarrow67]

I personally feel as though they should ditch the three pendants needed to wield the sword. Yes it was mainly done for some background in OOT. I think it's time to also not shove motion controls down our throat and do what oot 3d or mm3d did and have certain gyro controlled parts which are optional.

 

[Kylo Ken]

Timeline continuity is a must.

 

[Diamondarrow67]

I agree

 

[Dio]

What needs to change is Nintendo's mindset towards making the games. They should make the stories better and stop contradicting their own lore.

Not every new game needs to have a different art style in fact most do not. It confuses the audience and always leaves a big portion disappointed.

Not having voice acting in modern story driven AAA games is just madness, it really interrupts the flow of cutscenes and characters appear awkward. Hyrule Warriors and SS are prime examples, even TP the characters looked as though their voice acting had simply not been completed in time. I'd like localised languages but even if everyone spoke a Hylian language it would be better than it is now.

The rate at which new games are released needs to speed up big time. Especially as of late the quality does not justify the lengthly wait the fans have to go through and just causes disappointment.

Non Ganon villains need fleshing out more and Ganon clones like Malladus need to go. If a Ganon type villain is needed then they should just use Ganon...simples.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Continuity. Continuity. Continuity. Zelda has had this weird thing now for almost 15 years where it can't actually decide what it is. It's like that confused kid in high school that wears drastically different outfits at school every day, trying to find out what he/she likes and what works for them. Zelda needs to decide what it is and stick to it when it comes to its graphical presentation and how it handles its stories/the timeline.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Mario knows what it is. Final Fantasy knows what it is. Even Sonic the Hedgehog, the mascot that seems to be constantly lost, now knows what it is and what works from a presentation perspective. Why can't Zelda pick an art style and stick to it, for the sake of the mood and atmosphere of not only the world it wants to present, but also for the story it's trying to tell? People claim WW is like one of the darkest Zelda games; I will never agree with this, because the game is presented in a manner that doesn't make me take its so called "darker" themes seriously. Honestly, it feels so out of place to go from rainbow-blast-water-land to supposedly "dark" themes that are trying to be serious. This is the main problem - the lack of consistency leads to confusion about what I'm playing and what the game is trying to be. SS made this somehow worse by not even granting the novelty of the WW extreme, leading me to being even more confused with graphics that somehow looked worse than Mario Galaxy and Pokepark.

My solution has always been simple - keep the light-hearted and fun stuff on the handhelds, because the precedent has been there since the beginning of handheld Zelda. LA was such an awesome, quirky game that made you laugh and had a somewhat interesting plot that never took itself all that seriously. Put your overly colorful games on a handheld and try to replicate what games like LA and MC had. This would also go a long way towards keeping the 2D style alive and within its origins, something that people were doubting would happen until ALBW.

The exact same almost applies to the way Zelda handles its stories. It's an absolute mess. I don't care about the timeline, and never will. You know why? Because it makes zero sense to someone who just plays the game and doesn't do something like painstakingly dissect the Japanese text dump online or something. I absolutely care about Metal Gear's timeline because it makes sense and is a joy to put together; it feels thought-out and created by design, which is how any story should feel when it includes multiple generations of characters. I'll even go so far as to say Zelda could use a timeline reboot if it's going to finally take that step to be on par with other narrative-driven AAA game series. Just do something that makes me feel like you're not just making this up as you go along, and you're basing entire plots of games off of a cool idea you had while being in an airplane over some clouds.

Also, I'm going to agree with G-king once again and say that the lack of voice acting, or even an honest attempt at it, is embarrassing for any game in even 2010 that wants to be narrative-oriented. I can maybe give WW and TP a pass for their lack of voice acting, but even that is a stretch since the gamecube was so powerful and we had games like Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid 3 on other consoles. However, SS gets no pass, and it solidified that voice acting will never be attempted because 1.) Aonuma is lazy, or 2.) Aonuma is beyond stubborn and refuses to break what is now sadly a "Zelda tradition". I'm going with the latter.

No, seriously, how does an entire story-based game series not even attempt voice acting in the modern era? That's mind boggling. And no, I'm not going to chuckle when someone posts a CDi clip from Youtube as if it's a "counter-point"; this isn't 1999 anymore, where you had to pick up an average Joe from the Seattle area and just throw them into a booth to get a voice for your character. In 2016, we have professionals that are amazing at their job, and able to do a wide variety of voices across multiple mediums. Even Nintendo's own modern attempts at voice acting have been good - Metroid Prime 3 had a great cast, and can anyone claim that they didn't like the narrator in Hyrule Warriors? I thought she did great.

Those are the two big ones that don't include gameplay for me.

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

-They need to stop straddling the line and just either make Link customizable or get rid of the ability to rename him.
-They should not, after thirty years of keeping a strong consistency in the main characters designs, suddenly change any of them. If the need for a extra playable character is so strong, then they should take the concept of Linkle and have her be a consistent recurring secondary character alongside Link. Much like how the cap and tunic is a calling card of Link, the cloak/hood and the crossbow should be a calling card of Linkle.
-If they're gonna keep the consistency of the main cast as they've done since the beginning of the series they need to establish this as a part of the lore.
-They need to expand into the idea of playing as someone other than Link or a potential secondary character of Linkle.
-If they're gonna continue to make silly games like TFH, then they need to have these games be starring someone who isn't Link. Maybe expand into the idea of reestablishing the Hero of Light, who would be a hero who isn't Link or an incarnation of Link, but is a completely customizable hero for the player. Basically, if they decide to make Link fully a character and not a charavatar or whatever, then I think the best way to satisfy everyone would be to split the avatar like part of him into it's own recurring character who would have no name or face.

 

[Derek Francis]

I think the enemies, art styles and dungeon themes should be vastly different in each game.

Also straying away from formula (3 artifacts to get the sword, item after every-midboss, 5 artifacts to get to the boss, etc.) would be a good way to introduce new surprises. Zelda U already seems to be doing this, which is a good thing.

 

[Night Owl]

I want a true open world to explore with optional dungeons and puzzles.
It could even have items that are useful in them that aren't necessary to beat the game.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I'll second a lot of the sentiments by @G-King and @Ver-go-a-go-go especially the continuity themes.

I got the Hyrule Historia for Christmas last month, and I read it. I love the artwork, and it's a really cool design. It feels like an epic tome, telling the history of some great long-lost land. But reading it and actually seeing what the words say really made me scratch my head. I always thought the timeline was bollocks, but after reading it, I now know, definitively, that it is 100% bollocks. It makes zero sense. Games are shoehorned into a timeline just to have a timeline.

The series never needed a timeline, but well, now we have one, so we might as well go with it. In which case, we need continuity. You can't change things around on a whim. If you're going to keep things going forward based on a set, definitive timeline, then do so. But don't say "Oh, well, by the way, we never mentioned this before, but this happened between Majora's Mask and Wind Waker."

Second, yes, pick an art style. It doesn't have to be the exact same every single time, but at least have a little consistency. I personally loved the art style of Wind Waker, but I know that wasn't everyone's cup of tea. That's fine. I also liked Twilight Princess's art style. Either way, pick one. Don't give me Toon Link in one game and "Adult" Link in the next. If you're going with a pastel color palette like in Skyward Sword, that's fine too. But just keep doing it. I don't mind cel-shading, and I don't mind "gritty", but I do not like the back-and-forthedness of it all.

More importantly though, I think if the future of Zelda is going to be open-world, there needs to be a change in mindset in regards to gameplay. The tried-and-true dungeon/item/collection formula simply isn't going to work in an open world game. At least not as it is. I'm not saying that there can't be/shouldn't be collection or dungeons or pendants and things like that, but the implementation of those elements has to be tweaked to work with an open world strategy.

@ZeldafreakCJM I love how passionate you are about this point. You always make sure you throw it into every discussion, which I think is needed. I'm with you 100%.

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

I'll second a lot of the sentiments by @G-King and @Ver-go-a-go-go
@ZeldafreakCJM I love how passionate you are about this point. You always make sure you throw it into every discussion, which I think is needed. I'm with you 100%.

I'm really easy to please so it takes a lot for me to consider something bad in the Zelda series. The topic of changing Link is really the only time in my life I've found myself intently arguing with the fandom, so it's kinda the only thing I want changed/not changed to be honest.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I'm really easy to please so it takes a lot for me to consider something bad in the Zelda series. The topic of changing Link is really the only time in my life I've found myself intently arguing with the fandom, so it's kinda the only thing I want changed/not changed to be honest.

I'm actually really passionate about that myself. For me it goes beyond gaming though, but this isn't the social philosophy thread, so I'll leave it out. Regardless, I'm very much against changing canon male Link to female Link as much as I am against changing canon female Zelda to make Zelda.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I hate the fact that they build things up only to topple them with new installments.For example, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess were building up toward a openworld; atleast it felt that way. Then Skyward Sword came along and toppled it all down. I'd like for the games to properly expand rather than try scrapping ideas and replacing them with new ones.

 

[Mrtorch]

"I think Nintendo should sell the franchise to Microsoft so they can port Zelda U to PC and the XBONE."

Yo, just a prank. XD

But seriously, I really want better stealth sections. And more of them. Also it really takes me off the edge when immersion is broken. For example, the "Camera" in Windwaker. Dont get me wrong, I love some WW. But that "thing" just made me feel like I was playing Photography simulator 2002. Also FIX the AIMING SYSTEM, OoT is my favorite game of all time. Yet I can't stand having to aim through some half *** aiming system. I mean sure, it was 1998 but what about TWLP. There is no excuse Nintendo, Resident evil 4 was released a year before and the aiming in that was GREAT! Also, I hate to say this. Please, NO MORE MOTION CRAP. I am tired of shaking/aiming the wii remote. I mean it was cool in 2008 but, Its a little out of date now.

 

[Deleted member 81859]

What needs to change is Nintendo's mindset towards making the games. They should make the stories better and stop contradicting their own lore.

Not every new game needs to have a different art style in fact most do not. It confuses the audience and always leaves a big portion disappointed.

Not having voice acting in modern story driven AAA games is just madness, it really interrupts the flow of cutscenes and characters appear awkward. Hyrule Warriors and SS are prime examples, even TP the characters looked as though their voice acting had simply not been completed in time. I'd like localised languages but even if everyone spoke a Hylian language it would be better than it is now.

The rate at which new games are released needs to speed up big time. Especially as of late the quality does not justify the lengthly wait the fans have to go through and just causes disappointment.

Non Ganon villains need fleshing out more and Ganon clones like Malladus need to go. If a Ganon type villain is needed then they should just use Ganon...simples.

THIS.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

"I think Nintendo should sell the franchise to Microsoft so they can port Zelda U to PC and the XBONE."

Yo, just a prank. XD

But seriously, I really want better stealth sections. And more of them. Also it really takes me off the edge when immersion is broken. For example, the "Camera" in Windwaker. Dont get me wrong, I love some WW. But that "thing" just made me feel like I was playing Photography simulator 2002. Also FIX the AIMING SYSTEM, OoT is my favorite game of all time. Yet I can't stand having to aim through some half *** aiming system. I mean sure, it was 1998 but what about TWLP. There is no excuse Nintendo, Resident evil 4 was released a year before and the aiming in that was GREAT! Also, I hate to say this. Please, NO MORE MOTION CRAP. I am tired of shaking/aiming the wii remote. I mean it was cool in 2008 but, Its a little out of date now.

The motion controls in Skyward Sword were never cool. They were always tacked on and felt forced.

I'm not against motion controls, since I think some games really do benefit from them, but Skyward Sword was not one of those games.

Also, I'm not sure what exactly you don't like about the aiming? Is it the Z-Targeting/L-Targeting?