Companies are pretty good at subliminal advertising. It’s everywhere you look—in commercials and even billboards. We may never notice it, but it’s there. Little did we know that Nintendo had been doing this to us with The Legend of Zelda in the past couple of years, preparing us for the inevitable (maybe). There are certain factors that Nintendo has been pushing in the series for a while now; factors that, when taken a close look at, are very reminiscent of a Japanese Roleplaying Game. They have slowly inserted different mechanics as a sort of test, but also preparation. They wanted to see if we would like it and if it worked, and I believe it did.

Leveling Up

Two of the base mechanics of The Legend of Zelda are the health and magic. These can be upgraded by doing different things in different games. For health, one must collect a heart container at the end of a boss battle to increase health. Along with that, he or she may also collect heart container pieces throughout the game in order to form a full heart container. In order to increase magic, the typical method is to visit a Great Fairy at a Fairy Fountain, who will upgrade your magic.

In JRPGs, increasing both of these is done through the simple process of leveling up. In The Adventure of Link, a similar process was in place. However, due to the side-scrolling nature of the game (as well as other aspects), the game was not received very well. Regardless, the mechanic of increasing health and magic persisted throughout the series. Despite its different forms, this has been a mainstay in the series for quite some time.

Getting stronger is a very different story. It is inconsistent throughout the games, but the principle is the same. Whether it’s through getting a different sword or getting a certain item, throughout the game, Link somehow gets stronger. Although, getting new swords typically requires roundabout ways, such as gaining the Biggoron Sword or the Gilded Sword. Regardless, it makes you stronger. We’re already used to getting stronger in the game, so imagine doing it through a levelling up system. Instead of naturally growing stronger by fixing or building the Master Sword, you would naturally grow stronger by leveling up. This is not to say that the mechanic of getting different swords (ultimately culminating in the Master Sword, if the game calls for it) should go away. In fact, that brings me to…

Customization

Skyward Sword brought with it a unique mechanic that allowed us to get different shields and items as well as a process through which to upgrade them. This is very RPG-esque, as it allows the player some amount of freedom as to what his or her character can do. If Link really is the Link between the player and the game, then more customization would be the next logical step. I actually enjoyed that aspect of Skyward Sword: collecting different items to upgrade my shield or bow. I think that this can only further be improved. While I am not suggesting customization the way of Tri Force Heroes (sorry, no cheerleader Link), I do think that it would be nice to get different armor or tunics aside from the usual green, blue, and red ones that we are so accustomed to. Each armor or tunic could have a certain attribute, such as better speed or better defense. There could even be sword upgrades or augments that, while not affecting the canon of the Master Sword itself, add more to the gameplay and customization of the game.

NPC Affinity & Side Quests

One of my favorite parts about games like Xenoblade Chronicles X and Fallout is being able to further explore their character by befriending them. Essentially, this means gaining affinity with them. It would not have to be as intensive as a Bethesda RPG, but the Xenoblades model would work very well here. In fact, we sort of caught a glimpse of this in Skyward Sword with the character of Peatrice. Through befriending her and saying things that she liked, we were able to further explore her character. This was even more used in Majora’s Mask, as talking to the characters at certain times of the day or doing different things with different characters essentially made them like you more and/or opened up more side story.

There is a difference between The Legend of Zelda and the other two aforementioned games, though. Link kind of travels alone. While I am aware that he is not technically alone due to his helpers, he usually does not have a party following him. That just is not the game series we know. It is uncharacteristic and I do not think it would fit. However, being able to go to a town or village and getting to know and growing with its inhabitants would be right up The Legend of Zelda’s alley. In an almost Harvest Moon-esque way, Link could befriend different characters and open up different options by gaining affinity with them. These could be simple things like doing tasks for them or even just talking to them and saying the right things. This would require a more fleshed out dialogue system, though. That is something that I am not sure will happen. However, performing certain actions alone could increase or decrease certain NPC’s feelings towards the player. That is something that is within the realm of possibility.

Along with the increases in character affinity has been an increase in side quests. While Majora’s Mask was essentially one big sidequest, other Zelda games have further explored this. For better or worse, this has allowed the player to experience the game their way; whether it be by plowing straight through the story or by taking his or her time to explore the characters and quests.In an RPG, side quests are a sort of mainstay. They allow the player to level up and experience other aspects of the game that do not necessarily relate to the main plot. Rather than wasting time, however, these missions allow the player to further integrate themselves into the realm of the game.

Turned-Based Combat

Kidding.

A Heavier Reliance on Story

The Legend of Zelda has never really been “story-driven.” Anouma has even gone on record before stating that:

“From the very beginning, Zelda games have always been developed with the top priority of focusing on the game mechanics rather than the story…Thinking of that way of developing games, it may be correct to say that the story is an appendix to that. I even think that setting Skyward Sword as the “first story” was merely a coincidence. (Hyrule Historia 238-239)”

While Skyward Sword may not have been intentionally story-driven, it was and that was what made it memorable. The characters and the story were the highlights of that game. In fact, the fact that we were given an official timeline in the first place shows that Nintendo understands that the fans are enthralled with the story and the lore in the series. They recognize our love for the story and, if they’re smart, will give us more.

While The Legend of Zelda’s story is good, it’s not the best. It continues to retread very similar territory with few deviations. It’s time that Nintendo looked around them and saw what everyone else was doing; not to copy from them, but to learn from them. Stories are becoming as integral to video games as they are to movies. A good game has a balance of gameplay and story and to skimp on one or the other risks lowering the quality of the game. I fully believe that Nintendo can make a great story. I have no doubt in my mind.

What This Could Mean for Zelda U

In the gaming market, at least in the west, open-world games such as Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and even Xenoblade Chronicles X (which is a JRPG), have RPG elements to them. This gives the player a very integrative experience into the games’ worlds. I talked a while back on what mechanics Zelda U should have in order to keep up with the modern age of open-world games. However, aside from those extra mechanics, I believe that these mechanics that have been instilled within us throughout the years could be implemented in a way that sets the series on the same shelf as the critically-acclaimed Western RPGs.

While we have been given very little information on Zelda U, we have the basic understanding that it will be different from the previous games. In what ways, we are unsure. However, This could mean that we will be getting some of these elements ingrained into the very core of the series and made permanent staples. I think that the game could only benefit from something such as this. For one thing, these features would definitely lengthen the game. While some may see it as padding the game, this is not so. Instead, the game would rather have more layers of depth. Allowing the player to level up and experience the story at their speed instead of just moving from point A to point B would improve upon the game. Actual side quests with fleshed out characters could make the game world come to life in a way that we have never seen before.

The aforementioned factors have been sprinkled throughout the series since its conception with some of them flopping and some of them evolving. Regardless of the success rate, a more in-depth take on them could vastly improve the experience of the player in the game.

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