If you're a Nintend fan excited for their E3 Digital Event, you most likely exploded with excitement when the first details of Zelda for Wii U was revealed. While we have only seen a short teaser of Zelda U, we do know a limited amount about how the game will turn out. In the interest of hype, and more importantly of keeping our facts in check, I'd like to start compiling a list of confirmed facts about Zelda U. This will become the official Zelda U fact thread. If there's anything missing, or anything that is incorrect on this list, please let post the correct information, provide a source, quote it to me, and I will ammend the thread accordingly. Let us begin!
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Aonuma wants to take fan reactin into account while developing Zelda U
Source: (EDGE)
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Rather unexpectedly, after I mentioned that no one had explicitly said that it was Link [in the trailer], this speculation spread online and seems to have led to the idea that the main character will be a girl. However, this reaction from the fans is something I would like to take into consideration as we proceed with development – although that doesn’t mean that we are going to change the main character to a girl." - Aonuma
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The Wii U's Gamepad will display a map and provide hints of where to go.
Source: (EDGE)
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"In the original Legend of Zelda, there was no clear way to lead the main character to his goal. It was something that we entrusted to the players to find by themselves. As the game later expanded into a franchise, the structure of the game worlds became more and more complex – especially with the introduction of 3D – making it necessary for us to point the player in the right direction. Consequently, progression in the games became more linear.
To recreate a similar experience to the original, we have to give the game world a simple structure that players can understand intuitively. In doing so, it’s very important that we make every aspect of the world feel real and physically connected, so that it’s doesn’t look fake.
We can achieve this thanks to the hardware features of Wii U, but to truly get a deep understanding of the game world, we also need a real map that depicts the world as it is. The GamePad is very effective for displaying this, and thus also [for] providing players with a constant hint on where to head to. I think we can safely say that the innovations in this new game are only possible thanks to the Wii U hardware.
The innovation of a vast open world could in one sense be seen as a return to the roots of the series. But in returning to these roots, we are also bringing with us all the things we have learned and ways the series has developed over all this time, which will help to create new and exciting gameplay possibilities." Aonuma
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Zelda Wii U’s open world won’t be like the open worlds from other games
Source: (EDGE)
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"Since we're talking about open worlds, let's state upfront that we don't plan to have an open world in the same way other companies have been doing in recent years." - Aonuma
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Zelda U to Give Players More Freedom to ‘Choose The Path the Story Takes’
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Ben Lamoreux: Majora’s Mask has always been one of my favorite Zelda games and one of my favorite games overall. One of the things I liked about it is that more so than any other Zelda game and a lot of the games at the time, your actions can directly influence the events of the story and change how the characters around you act. Can we see something like that return on a larger scale in Zelda Wii U or future Zelda titles?
Eiji Aonuma: The impact of the player character on the environment that has been, and really, having the player experience the impact, is something that is consistent through all versions of the Zelda games, but I want to continue to have players experience that and even build upon that experience. In traditional Zelda games there is kind of an order in which you do things. You can’t do 3 until you do 1 and 2 for example. But with the new Zelda game, I really want to open the opportunities up for the players to really make an impact on their environment and to give them a little more freedom to choose their path the story takes.
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*WARNING: INCLUDES SPECULATION* Zelda Wii U - Trailer Analysis (Bomb Arrows Confirmed)
Source: (GameXplain - Youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADv9KmOcETY&list=UUfAPTv1LgeEWevG8X_6PUOQ
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I included this analysis because it offers an extremely deep, and largely objective, analysis of the Zelda U E3 2014 trailer. Even still, they do go into some speculation, which is something I try to avoid in this thread. Please watch the video with caution and disregard any speculation.
Also, there is an error made in the analysis. At 9:27, Derek says that Link's sword is seen no where in the trailer. This is false. Link does have his sword in the trailer. It's under the special arrow when it's still mounted on his horse. It can be seen at 10:18 after he pulls out the special arrow.
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Aonuma wants to rethink/reconstruct puzzle-solving in Zelda Wii U
Source: (Kotaku)
http://kotaku.com/the-new-zelda-might-not-have-the-puzzles-you-expect-1590544423
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"...I think people have come to just assume that puzzle-solving will exist in a Zelda game, and I kinda wanna change that, maybe turn it on its ear.
As a player progresses through any game, they're making choices. They're making hopefully logical choices to progress them in the game. And when I hear 'puzzle solving' I think of like moving blocks so that a door opens or something like that. But I feel like making those logical choices and taking information that you received previously and making decisions based on that can also be a sort of puzzle-solving. So I wanna kinda rethink or maybe reconstruct the idea of puzzle-solving within the Zelda universe." - Aonuma
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The Protagonist of Zelda U is Indeed Link and He is Indeed a Boy
Source: (MMGM)
http://mmgn.com/wiiu/news--that-was-link-in-zelda-wii-u-trailer-aonuma
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"It's a rumour," Aonuma said with a chuckle when I asked him about the speculation buzzing around online. "Actually that comment I made jokingly," he said. "It's not that I said that it wasn't Link. It's that I never said that it was Link. It's not really the same thing, but I can understand how it could be taken that way."
"It seems like it has kind of taken off where people are saying 'oh it's a female character' and it just kind of grew. But my intent in saying that [was humour]. You know, you have to show Link when you create a trailer for a Zelda announcement."
"I don't want to define him so much that it becomes limiting to the players. I want players to focus on other parts of the trailer and not specifically on the character because the character Link represents, again, the player."
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After the trailer for Zelda U was shown off at Nintendo's E3 Digital Event, many people were confused at Link's appearence, speculating that he looked feminine, and that it may not be Link at all, but a new character, or even Zelda. This was further blown out of proportion when in an interview, Aonuma coyly joked that Nintendo "never said that it was Link."
He clarified in later interviews that he was joking, that it was in fact Link, and that all the rumors, including that it was a female character took off from there. He then specifically referred to Link as a him in the interview, concretely confirming that this is not a female Link.
He went on to clarify that he doesn't want Link's character to become limiting to the player. This is most likely where the joke stems from. Aonuma repeated a sentiment stated by Nintendo since the birth of the franchise. Link is the player. He is just the avatar from which the player plays through.
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Zelda U Will Come Out Sometime After E3 2015 Where it Will be Playable
Source: (Zelda Informer)
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Aonuma confirmed via Miiverse that the game would be playable at E3 in 2015. The game is slated for release in 2015 and this confirmes that it won't be out before E3.
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The Footage Shown in the Trailer Was All in Engine Using In-Game Assets
Source: (Miiverse)
https://miiverse.nintendo.net/replies/AYMHAAACAADMUKlyaFeo7g
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"Many people from the media kept asking me if the footage from the new Zelda game for Wii U is just a promotional movie, but that really is actual gameplay [in-game assets] on Wii U." - Aonuma
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The Art Style Will Be Completely New and Unique
Source: (Nintendo Life)
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"NL: The Zelda series has mostly maintained cartoon-like visuals, and even slightly more realistic games still have a fantastical look. Will the next Wii U Zelda game maintain this, or go for a more realistic look?
Aonuma: The thing about Zelda is we want everything to be unique, whether it’s the graphical presentation or the gameplay. It has to be something you can't see anywhere else. We wouldn't want it to be ultra-realistic because you can see that elsewhere. But I can't say that it's going to be cartoony-realistic like you mentioned, the fantastic presentation that we've already done in the past. It will be something new."
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This was confirmed at E3 2014 with the Zelda U trailer, where the beautiful art style was shown off.
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Aonuma is Being More Cautious in Choosing the Art Style for Zelda U
Source: (Nintendo Everything)
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“We encountered an awful lot of problems from the drastic leap we took with Wind Waker. I think we will be a bit more careful in the future, but if we find a new approach that not just the developers, but also the users would enjoy then I think we will want to break new ground again. But we haven’t found such an approach yet.”
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The Zelda fanbase can be fickle. We all have vastly different ideas of how the next Zelda game should look like. Aonuma wants to go for an art style that, while unique, will please everyone. He plans on being more mindful when choosing an art style.
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Zelda U Will Feature the Most Open World in a Zelda Game Since Wind Waker
Source: (IGN)
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/09/how-revisiting-wind-waker-will-reshape-the-future-of-zelda
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"Well, as you know, Wind Waker really takes the biggest look at Hyrule. It has the biggest world of all the games in the Zelda series, and players are able to move around it freely – crossing the oceans, riding in the boat, " Aonuma said. "That free movement is something we’ve come to know now as an open world environment, I consider this game to be included in that whole open world type of game."
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Many of us loved the freedom that Wind Waker gave us. Once again in A Link Between Worlds, we were granted that freedom to explore. Many believe that a core element of the franchise lies in that exploration and sense of discovery. Thankfully, Aonuma agree's.
He was, however, quick to clarify that an open world in this case doesn't mean a large space. Instead, he wanted to emphasize that it's a place where players can explore, and where it's fun for them to explore. A similar design phylosophy went into Skyward Sword. While Aonuma later laments at the game's linearity, at the time he made it a point to make sure that each area was densly filled with content. In a top down, 2D game like A Link to the Past, it isn't difficult to create a world dense with content will still maintaining the sense of a vast open world, but in a 3D game it isn't that simple to keep this balance.
It seems like Aonuma want's to keep the content density of a game like Skyward Sword while maintaining a vast open world like Wind Waker.
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Aonuma Wants Zelda U to Appeal to a Wide Audience
Source: (IGN) -same article-
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"Well, for us, when we’re developing a new Zelda, we’re not necessarily focused on which target audience we’re aimed at. We definitely think about who the target audience is, but we’re not focused on a specific age range or specific gender. What we want is a wide audience, so that this game is open and accessible to as wide an audience as possible and everyone enjoys it."
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Aonuma quickly clarified that going for a larger audience doesn’t mean watering a game down. He means making it a fun experience for everyone. The Legendary Ocarica of Time was designed under a similar phylosophy.
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Zelda U Will Take Some Inspiration from Wind Waker HD and A Link Between Worlds
Source: (IGN) -same article-
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"For example, in Wind Waker, we’re using the GamePad to travel around in the boat, using it almost like a GPS controller. I really want to take that mechanic and implement it in the Wii U game, " Aonuma explained. "I’m not saying that we’re going to be in a boat, but we’re going to be traveling around in the adventure. I think the GamePad is something that can allow us to make that as smooth and enjoyable an experience for the end user as possible."
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As for the inspirations taken from A Link Between Worlds:
- entering dungeons in any order
- obtaining weapons outside of dungeons
- a stamina bar that replaces item inventory
- no wallet constraints
- Dark Link Street Pass "multiplayer"
- Hint Glasses/no hand-holding
- no opening expositiom/quick to start
...and more are all new thing that this new Wii U Zelda could take inspiration from.
Other changes Zelda U could take from Wind Waker HD could be gyroscope aiming, quick item switched on the gamepad, "Hero Mode" unlocked from the beginning (*please*please*please*), and more.
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The Driving Theme Regarding the Development of the Game is to "Rethink the Conventions of Zelda"
Source: (Nintendo Direct -- 29:21)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MzG6lDA1A0
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"Our mission in developing this new Zelda game for Wii U is quite plainly to rethink the conventions of Zelda. I'm referring to things like the expectation that the player is supposed to complete dungeons in a certain order, or that you're supposed to play by yourself. The things that we've come to take for granted recently.
We want to set aside these 'conventions', get back to basics and create a newborn Zelda game so that the players today can best enjoy the real essence of the franchise.
We had actually worked on this kind of challenge with Skyward Sword, but we weren't able to put effort into changing the linear-path structure of the game."
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This meshes well with some of the elements many believe Zelda U will take from ALBW, such as the light multiplayer and tackling dungeons in any order.
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That's all I have so far! Again, if you feel that I'm missing anything, please let me know so I can update this post with your information! HYPE! HYPE! HYPE!
