Zelda's Humour

[Spirit]

As an individual, i don't find many things funny, its just the way I am. People tell me that there is humour in Zelda, even in SS but it never once made me laugh or smile, same for any other Zelda game which is said to have any humour present. The best i can think of was the owl in LA who calls you 'thief' a lot despite you having a player name. WW did have a lot of light hearted moments but I've never been a fan of slapstick... (I'm a Scrooge, i know)

So, how funny is Zelda for you when it shows its humour?
Would you prefer Zelda not to try and be humourous in the future or do you want more from it?

 

[bspurka]

The dry humor that Scrapper's hate for Link is quite amusing XD It is just little things that make you laugh, they don't try their hardest and that is why its funny, dry humor is great.

 

[Zorth]

I honestly have never laughed at anything in Zelda and the poor moments when they try to introduce humor I just facepalm. *cough* wind waker *cough*
If they plan on including some funny moments they should at least try to make it good. :silent:

 

[Moonstone]

I've never laughed out loud at a Zelda game, but its humor usually makes me crack a half smile. I think it does pretty well. I guess I would say it's like real life - there are people who make stupid jokes, there are people who make some pretty good ones, and there are people whose jokes are so stupid they aren't even funny, they're just sad. It's funny, but they don't really force the humor on you to the point that its displeasing.

 

[Justac00lguy]

Yeah me neither i suppose the humour in Zelda is quite childish....

 

[Ventus]

The only kind of humor I really experienced in the Zelda series was The Wind Waker's slapstick. It was totally unexpected, comedic and well...what can I say, hilarious! I think a few other games have tried their hand at slapstick comedy, but you know what made TWW work (for me) and those other titles not work? TWW's art style, of course!

All that being said, I do not want to see a return to TWW's art style, so in a way you could say that I don't want the "good" Zelda humor to return. At least, not just yet; we just had a Toon game not 3ish years ago, right?

 

[A Link In Time]

Link's Awakening is the exemplary title for humor in Zelda. While I bash it often, its quirky character portrayals and borrowed enemies from the Super Mario franchise are as timeless as ever.

Nintendo should definitely sugercoat future Zelda experiences with humor but never implement it to be a central element of the experience. While not as serious in tone as Metroid for example, Zelda is at its heart a quest for a young man's self-understanding and rescuing the damsel in distress.

When considering the humor in Zelda you also have to consider the Western-oriental culture barrier. What cracks up the Japanese may not produce even a smile on the faces of those outside of the region. The popular adage goes, "Only in Japan" with a general attitude of surprise and head scratching towards some actions typically considered Asian but you have to consider these people radically different cultural heritages. Another differentiation in Zelda which comes to mind in Zelda is the notion of deities. While the Great Deku Tree and lLord Jabu Jabu from Ocarina of Time may not appear deities in the Western sense, they are very much so kami or spirits to Eastern gamers.

 

[DarkestLink]

Only time I ever laughed was the TP guard scene. But really, I'd rather they didn't try to make games funny. Maybe tWW just ruined it for me though. That game put humor in the worst possible places.

Aryll getting kidnapped. They add Link jumping off the cliff and turn what should be a sad scene into a funny scene.

Foresake Fortress infiltration. They add the goofy barrel scene and turn what should be a tense moment into a funny moment.

Tower of the Gods revealed. They add the explosion part part and Link flying into a wall and turn an epic scene into a funny scene.

Beast Ganon is about to attack...but it's just a silly looking puppet. Turned an intimating battle into a funny battle.

Ganondorf pours his soul out to Link, who responds with a goofy face, turning a serious moment into a funny moment.