In what is quickly becoming a saga of operatic proportions, the issue regarding whether or not The
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will use the Revolution's controller has now managed to go through several
phases: It's been rumored, discussed, explored, rejected, embraced, confirmed, resolved, denied, counter-denied, buried
under a mango tree somewhere in the Dominican Republic and finally, posted on a myriad of Nintendo-themed blogs. Just
like this one.For those who have been unable to keep track of the whole thing either due to a lack of attention span or basic literacy (and we can certainly identify with that one), here's a short summary:
NGC Magazine: Holy yes! You can use the Revolution's controller with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess!
Nintendo: What? Uh, that's totally not true. You guys are a bunch of liars.
NGC Magazine: It's true! Stop denying it! Jerks.
Well, that's a rather crude compression of events, but it should be enough motivation to get you thinking about what would prompt a magazine to risk its reputation and go up against the word of the actual creators of the game. Have they lost their minds? Is Nintendo trying to keep a brilliant idea under wraps? A more detailed version of the story and my own vaguely coherent thoughts on this situation follows.It all started with European magazine NGC splashing a huge Twilight Princess preview across the pages of their January 2006 issue. It's arguably the most anticipated Gamecube game of all time, so it came as little surprise when they revealed as much information as they possibly could about the darker and more mature Link adventure. The real surprise came when the game's backwards compatibility with the Revolution was mentioned. We already knew that Gamecube games would work on Nintendo's next-gen console (it being backwards compatible with everything ever), but what we didn't know was that Twilight Princess would make full use of the Revolution's unique controller.
This, of course, set Zelda fans on fire (quite literally--several of them spontaneously erupted in flames upon reading this) and had them fervently speculating about fishing mini-games, grappling hooks and arm-waving sword 'n shield combat. What better way to get the Revolution on its feet with what is sure to be one of the Gamecube's most popular games? It made a lot of sense.
Or maybe it didn't. Nintendo was quick to dismiss the whole idea, stating that it was mere speculation.
"The article in the January edition of NGC Magazine is pure speculation. Nintendo have made no new announcements regarding The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. We can however confirm that the game is still in development and that it will launch on Nintendo GameCube in 2006."
Strangely enough, that denial didn't mark the end of the story. NGC Magazine's editor, Martin Kitts, responded with a denial of his own, stating that the "news came from somebody senior at Nintendo who, admittedly, probably shouldn't have let it slip before E3." He insisted that the magazine's content wasn't speculation but the truth, straight from Nintendo.
Had Nintendo revealed a little too much, a little too soon? That may have very well been the case. It seems increasingly unlikely that a Zelda game designed exclusively for the Revolution will be ready in time for launch, so why not have that rather noticeable gap covered up by a game that will already be completed by then? It's essentially a free launch title.
Does it really seem unthinkable that the game's initial and unfathomably painful delay had something to do with implementing true Revolution functionality? The game has since been labeled as a 100-hour epic, and I'd be willing to bet that plenty of those hours will be wiled away with all manner of mini-game, precisely the kind of thing you might envision yourself using a wacky controller for. I'd be more than willing to entertain the idea of using my controller as a fishing rod...and even more willing to use it as a fishing rod in a game.
But all this talk of Revolution fishing games is unhealthy (though we can expect the market to be flooded with them anyway). How about using it to aim the grappling hook? Or swinging it horizontally to mimic the motion of throwing a boomerang / PS3 controller? The big one would be to engage in full combat by flailing your arm wildly, swinging a sword and using the "nunchaku" analog stick add-on to guide Link about. Heck, even the 'ole Ganondorf tennis segments would be given a whole new spin with the Revolution's controller.
Dreaming about potential applications for the controller is something we've gotten used to over the last few months, but can we expect this particular case to become reality, even when Nintendo has made sure to stomp it to bits? As a strategic move behind a console launch, it would be silly to think that Nintendo had not at least considered this plan of attack. The Legend of Zelda is one of their most prominent franchises, the one that's sure to draw in the legions of fans. Twilight Princess in particular looks to be Nintendo's most epic effort yet, with a more mature art direction, a darker storyline and, in case you hadn't noticed, plenty of violent equine combat. Lest there be some sort of planetary catastrophe before it's released, this game is going to be big - and you want big games for a console launch.
But then, it's not really a launch title in the strictest terms, is it? Running on Gamecube technology and built from an existing engine (taken from The Wind Waker), this "launch" title would almost automatically be one of the most polished and least expensive to develop games out of the bunch, at least judging by the quality of launch titles in general. It'll be done by the time the Revolution launches (any alternate possiblity is too terrible to comprehend), so why not stretch it to be a flagship title for both consoles? A swansong and a triumphant opening number.
It would be a great method of transition between the consoles, as gamers will have a familiar set of characters and an established brand of gameplay to assist them in getting to know their new controller and the potential it taps into. Nintendo must be aware of this, and so must NGC magazine. After all, they're risking their reputation by denying Nintendo's own denial. That either says "they got it right" or "they're just plain crazy".
In the end, the lazy answer to all of this is that we'll just have to wait and see. Personally, I'd be willing to bet my vast supply of Rupees on Nintendo revealing full Revolution functionality for Twilight Princess at this year's E3.
Am I spot-on or should I kiss my Rupees goodbye?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-15-2006 @ 11:05AM
sockatume said...
It all depends on which part of Nintendo denied that Zelda would have Revolution features. Remember, one of Nintendo of Europe's senior folks denied there were any plans for a new version of the DS just days before the Lite was unveiled (see Eurogamer).
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2-15-2006 @ 11:51AM
koan said...
...it's important to remember that nintendo hasn't officially denied anything, really... they said that the article was speculation... that's what they've been doing with any leaks they've had... they don't deny it if it's true or if it could be true some time in the future... they just say it's "speculation" and move on...
...that's what's so dumb about the blogosphere, et al... people are so desperate for news that they don't really read what's being said... they just want a banner line... "zelda on revolution!" "no zelda on revolution!"
...reggie fils-aime said they were planning a redesign of the ds... he said they'd been planning it since the first one launched... lik sang leaked it, nintendo called the leak "speculation" and said there were no plans to unveil new products that week and everybody screamed "agh! no new ds!!"
...conveniently forgetting that reggie had said there would be a new ds... god. lol.
...so yeah... there's likely going to be revo-functionality built into twilight princess... that's likely the reason they're delaying it... they're probably adding controller functions and sprucing up the graphics as high as they'll go while still being able to function on the gamecube...
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2-15-2006 @ 12:08PM
sockatume said...
You're underestimating the DS Lite situation there, koan. Nintendo of UK general manager David Yarnton:
"Eurogamer: That's true obviously, but Nintendo does have a history of redesigning handheld hardware and there has been all this discussion about whether you guys are going to do a DS redesign this year.
David Yarnton: If I turned around and said to my staff that we're doing something new they'd probably throttle me, because what with this last 12 months of product that we've done and also what we've got in the first quarter...
This generation.
Eurogamer: Can you categorically rule out then that you'll have a DS redesign announcement at E3?
David Yarnton: That's been rumoured, I don't know for how long, but we haven't got any plans at the moment. Nothing I know of."
This was a week before the Lite was announced. They could be denying the Zelda thing because they honestly believe it's not going to happen. Nintendo of Europe know about as much about what's going on in Nintendo Japan as you or I.
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2-15-2006 @ 12:54PM
Ludwig Kietzmann said...
Koan, as noted in the article, we don't buy Nintendo's statement as a flat-out "denial" either. Did you read the whole thing, or did you just read the dumb blogosphere banner line? ;)
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2-15-2006 @ 1:49PM
Soatari said...
The moment they pushed it back more and more into 2006, was the moment I realized what it was about. They are pushing it back to coincide with the launch of the Revolution. Think about it; if that game is a launch title the Revolution will FLY off the shelves. Most of the people who would buy that game were going to buy a Revolution anyways.
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2-15-2006 @ 4:48PM
RageOverdose said...
I still doubt this will have any sort of compatability with native Revolution technology. Sure, it will be playable in the Revolution, but not designed around the controller.
Reggie said there would be a new DS, it happened. Iwata said that Twilight Princess will not come to the Revolution. It will likely stay that way. I won't deny that this game is being released near the Rev's time becuase its going to be a hot game, and since it will be playable on the Rev., that will entice people to get it so they can play it on the Rev. (if they didn't have the Gamecube already) and play the new games.
Shigeru said that this will be the last Zelda as we know it, so likely he plans to make the first Zelda on Revolution utilize the controller in a whole new way. The only compatability I see for Twilight Princess and Rev. is the backwards compatability.
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2-15-2006 @ 8:20PM
madcasher said...
I predict Rev. controller functionality in mini-games *at most.* It seems to me that Nintendo would want to build a Zelda game from the ground up for the Revolution, not use a game that's already playable on the GameCube and its traditional controller. We shall see...
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2-15-2006 @ 10:36PM
Carloyola said...
where did you learn that we have mango trees in Dominican Republic?, I'm from DR and i feel really flatered bcux you mentioned this country.
Thanks for mentioning us and really i'd like to know how you got to know this country.
Thanks to you NRevo just got another buyer :) .
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2-16-2006 @ 1:47AM
shiftup said...
lol. I kinda forget there are people who come here from other countries.
anyway I think nintendo is dening it because when I comes out the want to move as many gamecubes as posible. then they tell us about compatibilty.
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2-16-2006 @ 1:58AM
Branewalker said...
OK, the denial was as to whether the information was "straight from the horse's mouth" It had nothing to do with the truth of the statement. Nintendo made no such announcement. As to whether the information supposedly claimed in that announcement is true...that was NEVER denied. And rightly so, because it makes too much sense to be false. How hard would it be to gut the input system on a game and allow for alternative methods? I'm no programmer, but I'm sure that a team that could crank out something as polished as Zelda TP could do it in 6 months or less. How could they launch two products of such incredible importance to their company in the same year, within probably less than 6 months...and have no connections between them.
Also, I didn't hear anyone mention the precedent. Does no one remember how Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons ushered in the GBA? That's right. Extra features only available on the new system.
Great idea, denial that skirts the real issue, and precedent. That's evidence enough for me.
--Branewalker
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2-16-2006 @ 1:42PM
Joshua said...
This might be a 'trojan horse' strategy. First they'll release the game for the Gamecube. Then, once everybody's got it and the Revolution is first unveiled, they'll announce: BTW, you can play this on the Revolution with a new control-scheme and unlocked mini-games. Everyone who already has the game would be rushing to the store to buy their Revolution.
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