The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2?

[Koopaul]

Let me do you one better Kriven.

Zelda really didn't start with the gimmicks until LttP.

Link to the Past: Switching from Light World to Dark World

Ocarina of Time: Ocarina playing and horse riding.

Majora's Mask: Mask wearing and 3 day cycle.

Oracle of Ages/ Seasons: Time traveling and Season changing.

Wind Waker: Sailing.

Four Swords: 4-Player.

Minish Cap: Shrinking.

Twilight Princess: Wolf transforming.

Skyward Sword: Motion control swordplay and bird flying.

[Phantom Killah]

my issue with this is it just feels so lifeless and formulaic and sterile

it's like they're giving it the NSMB treatment

Well, they haven't shown anything about the game's story or characters, and we don't know how far along it is in development, so I think it's too early to judge whether it's lifeless or not.

Based on what we've seen so far though, yeah, I kind of agree.

[Ton]

Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I don't see a gameplay evolution and a gimmick as the same thing. Gimmicks are something that the whole game revolves around. FLUDD is a gimmick. Low-gravity and planet-jumping is a gimmick. Now nostalgia is a gimmick. The wolf is a gimmick, changing seasons, train riding, motion control; all gimmicks. 3-D isn't a gimmick. Riding a horse isn't a gimmick. Yoshi isn't a gimmick. Frog Suit isn't a gimmick.

A gimmick adds something new to the series that changes the gameplay. That can be good, or it can bog down the game. This time, I feel like it bogs down the game.

[Kriven]

I don't understand how 3D isn't a gimmick when the whole game revolves around it. Super Mario 64 was built entirely around the idea of it being a 3D platform, and by your owne definition of a gimmick, that makes the 3D aspect of it a gimmick.

Editing to add: I don't know if nostalgia is their gimmick, really. I mean, that's really defensable that it is. I can see where you're coming from. But I don't know if that's Nintendo intentionally cashing in on a nostalgic audience, or if it's Nintendo attempting to emulate what they saw as their heyday. I do agree, though, that Nintendo is crushing their own franchises.

[Marth]

Just popping in to say we haven't really gotten to see real gameplay yet so this may not be so much as gimmick as we all think (but I'm placing my money on it being a total gimmick that may make the game less than it should/could be)

[Koopaul]

Well it depends on what a "gimmick" means to everyone.

While I don't know what everyone's definition of gimmick is, I think we can all agree that most Zelda games have a theme gameplay mechanic.

It's a gameplay mechanic that the whole game seems to revolve around. Wearing masks was the theme in Majora's Mask, going from a child to an adult was a big theme in Ocarina of Time.

[Ton]

I wouldn't call, say, the Ocarina a gimmick. The game revolves around it, but it's more of a tool than anything. You can warp with it, open doors, affect characters, etc. It enhances the gameplay.

Then we have FLUDD, which, conversely, has the game built around it. You have to use it at all times. Everything is related to it, and there's no option to avoid it altogether. It compromises the game instead of meshing with it. Having to design the game around an object/idea rather than conforming the idea/object to the game makes for bad game design (imo).

[Koopaul]

I honestly don't see the difference. There's no option to avoid using the Ocarina either.

And I don't see why everyone hates the FLUDD it worked really well and it was fun to use.

Think of the FLUDD like Kazooie in Banjo-Kazooie. A lot of the gameplay in Banjo-Kazooie requires you to use her to float around and shoot things at. And everyone loves Banjo-Kazooie right? Well maybe they wouldn't if there was an alternate universe where there was a Banjo series without Kazooie.

Image if there had been games where you only played as Banjo collecting Jiggies and rolling into enemies. Then years later they come out with Banjo-Kazooie where they introduce Banjo's new bird friend. Everyone would be like: "WTF is this shit! Why does the game revolve around this stupid bird?!"

[Jamuk]

The ocarina isn't really a gimmick in my opinion as it's more of an extension of the flute from aLttP. Plus it is so varied in its uses that it isn't really there for the sake of it.

Back on topic though, from what footage there is so far, this 'Hyruleglyph-wall-drawy-thing' looks like a gimmick as it doesn't appear to add anything other than a new means of transportation, yet instead of being relegated to an item, it is assigned to the mighty A-button for use at any time.

At least with gimmicks/new gameplay elements on other Zelda games, you could do more. As I see it, this is basically a Spinner which has been brought forward.

[Koopaul]

I see many possibilities for this actually. I imagine being able to interact with two-dimensional objects painted on the walls. Like hitting a switch that is just a drawing. Or imagine fighting a boss made of graffiti!

[Kriven]

Is it possible that you can assign items to the A-Button much like in the original NES title?

I didn't watch the gameplay, so I might have missed an inventory.

[Vipershark]

No, the A button is the main action button, similar to OoT's
the items and sword are on other buttons

[DioShiba]

I must be the only one who is remotely interested in this game.

I honestly like the idea of switching from 3D to 2D. As already stated in this thread it expands on the exploration but not only that I think it's actually kind of a cool mechanic. It's not like you're trying to use the touch screen constantly ether so that's a plus.

I want to see a bit more from this game to be honest, it has a lot of stuff I want to see come out of it so I think we're going to be in for an interesting ride.

EDIT: I've been kind of thinking about it more and more just now, and to be honest it would be pretty cool if nintendo managed to sneak in a hidden mode where you can play the original dungeons or have a sort of master quest to it.

Who knows? maybe they'll take advantage of DLC on this one, that would be great to see actually.

[BooDestroyer]

I'm really on the fence about this.
Lttp is just SO overdone

Is it? I thought that Nintendo has forgotten all about this game whilst trying so hard to make every other Zelda game OoT-like.


It's about time we get this Zelda format back. I've always wanted this for Zelda ever since New Super Mario Bros. in 2006. And on the 3DS, too.

[DioShiba]

Just to be fair I doubt that nintendo, let alone miyamoto would forget games like that in their popular franchises.

I mean they haven't forgot about a Link to the past. At least the last two DS games for that series had some influence from that game but they were just so drastically different.