Nintendo is Obsessed With Forcing Unpopular Art Styles in Zelda

GenGAME writes: "Part of me wants to believe it’s a dignified effort to bring one of the only Zelda titles that’s unplayable on current Nintendo platforms to the next-generation, but as I peer closer and closer into Nintendo’s mentality, I can’t help but shake the feeling that Nintendo refuses to acknowledge that The Wind Waker‘s unique art style just didn’t click and wants to force it into future games…"

[legendoflex]

The sucky part is that I LOVED The Wind Waker.

I just think the value of the "uniqueness" it brought to the series has been exhausted. People just want to explore Hyrule in the usual ways, but with content enhancements that make the world come alive again.

[dedicatedtogamers]

I loved WW also, but BRAVO to this article. Nintendo needs to get called out on their BS, because they say that they "listen to their fans" and then when fans say they don't like something, Nintendo either ignores it or says "well, we need to listen to the silent majority".

[PopRocks359]

I do like most of your comments, I really do, but I have to disagree completely with you on this one.

We always complain about guys like Activison and EA doing the same thing over and over. Hell, I see that argument made toward Nintendo a lot.

Well, with Wind Waker they did something completely different with the franchise WHILE staying true to all the things that make the series great! Why is everyone so against Wind Waker's art style? It was cute, it was beautiful and it was unique. They did something completely different and it still worked; to the point that despite the initial backlash against this art style, Wind Waker is hailed as one of the best in the franchise by many.

So the fans didn't want Wind Waker... so what? The game was fantastic BECAUSE Nintendo ignored what the fans wanted and just made as good a game as they could.

If anything, I wish Nintendo would do that more often, make those kind of more ambitious commitments. We'd have seen them playing it a lot less damn safe at E3 this year.

[miyamoto]

Contrary to popular belief it was Sega who popularized cell shaded 3D with Jet Set Radio not Zelda WW.

[MoveTheGlow]

Eh. Define "their fans."

I'm a Nintendo fan, and I love it when they don't pander, don't worry about target demos or sales, and just make a great freakin' game. They found out that particular style worked well for that game - and, by the way, it's probably the least necessary HD port ever, because while most games fail to look anywhere near as good when stretched out and low-res, this one still did.

Also, the US was angry over Cel-Da, but we tend to forget that not everyone is us, and vice versa. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't getting the Spaceteam Demo in full, but then I played the game, and I was like "Yeah, I need to stop doubting Nintendo." And then I played Twilight Princess and I was like "I want to play Wind Waker again."

Now, E3 2012? That's how you don't listen to... anyone, really... what human being wanted that fakeout ending with Nintendoland fireworks... ugh.

[TruthbeTold]

You can make a great game, full of surprises and lack of pandering, and still give people an art style that isn't divisive.

[MoveTheGlow]

You could. But avoiding worries about polarization and moving forward with an interesting vision is exactly how to avoid pandering to a lowest common denominator. I don't mind a well-playing game with some plot twists, but that's way different to me than an original visual and aural work. I mean, I may not be that enthusiastic about Sunset Overdrive, and Muramasa had its control issues, but they try something different than photorealism while not worrying about whether or not *everyone* is mildly okay with the style.

[AznGaara]

I still think Wind Waker is the best example of cell shading in any videogame, especially for its age. I really really hate all the bloom lighting they added with the HD remake.

[Xof]

A better title would be "herpderp I hate Wind Waker's art style, boo Nintendo I want Zelda to look more like Call of Duty."

It's a bunch of crybaby nonsense.

If anything, by consistently emulating an animation aesthetic, Zelda embraces the most popular visual aesthetics.

[Mounce]

I'd just want an OoT or TP-styled game in visuals. That was what Zelda is to me in my eyes. I'd still play Windwaker for the sake that I can play it without a bloody Wiimote on the Gamecube(Haven't yet) but the art style isn't really appealing to me at all. Not to say "It's crap" but it's not 'Zelda' to me and I don't like 'Toon Link'

[3-4-5]

Windwaker style was unpopular about 10 years ago.

People love it now and for a good reason.

It looks beautiful.

This article is a joke.

Obviously people want a more realistic OoT type LoZ game, but it's one of the few popular games out there that isn't worried about super HD graphics and realism and the titles in the long run, benefit from this.

GC WW still looks good today....better than almost any GC game and better than a lot of THIS gen games as well.

Why? because it doesn't focus on realism. All games that tried to be real...look at them now....they look like crap and look dated because they tried to be of the moment and time continues on and we evolve but that "realism" fades.

Art Style is always more important than realistic graphics.

[Xof]

OoT isn't "realistic" at all. The 3D models are as faithful as possible to the anime-style concept art.

[-Gespenst-]

Acquired tastes are the best kind. Why should they settle into what's popular? What the lazy masses want? I like that they're pushing unusual stuff like this.

Wind Waker's awesome anyhow.

[legendoflex]

"Why should they settle into what's popular?"

Because they're supposed to make stuff that people actually like?

[-Gespenst-]

Why don't you want to be challenged? People want and like CoD, so they get CoD. They get the same game year in year out. That's the result of the approach you're describing. Creative stagnation and profiteering off of lazy consumer conservatism.

Besides, these things are luxuries. We're not owed them.

[Baka-akaB]

If devs constantly thought like that , COD4 wouldnt even be born for you guys to keep re-purchasing every year . Activision didnt initially want anything modern warfare .

You have t try new stuff everyonce in a while . Wind waker isnt my cup of tea . I long dreamt of a cellshaded look , but thought of a different artstyle . In retropect , my wish would have it be some run of the mill anime style or something in line with skyward , so maybe too safe .

[Lord_Sloth]

If people wish to experiment and create something new that's always fine, but when you're dealing with an established franchise instead of just making something new you have to consider fan reaction to changes for the simple sake of changing them.

Zelda is a very old franchise, as a result of this most of the children who played the original and still play today are no longer children. As people mature, their tastes change. Zelda had grown with it's fanbase into a more mature title with OoT, MM, TP, and to a lesser extent SS. When they made WW, it tossed us for a loop since it followed 2 games. 1 of which had Ganon win and rape the lands, destroying the castle of Hyrule's town and leaving dead bodies and zombies about and....Dead Hand...*shivers* Then there's MM which features the creepiest moon being pulled into the planet by a villian who was nothing short of criminally insane!

When you say a series title it sets in our minds what that series is. You cannot expect people to just accept something so drastically different with open arms when they already have expectations. Artistic style helps set a mood for the story at hand.

[_QQ_]

Its NIntendo's established franchise and from the beginning they have changed the Zelda style, that is The Zelda franchise.

[Pozzle]

If it was up to fans, Majora's Mask would have never been made. Many fans consider it " too different" and "not a true Zelda game". I've seen people say they hate Majora's Mask solely because it doesn't have Zelda, Hyrule and Ganon in it.

Personally, it's my favorite game in the series and I'm glad Nintendo took that gamble.

[Nyxus]

I think Wind Waker's art style is amazing.

[leemass24]

me to its nice to have something different aswell could you imagine if evrygame had the same graphics as say bf4 or crysis 3 sure there good but some games dont fit those graphics

[darkvenom]

Loved Wind Waker.

[360ICE]

They're obsessed with forcing their established IPs at least. Make something new!

[thezeldadoth]

fans have to start purchasing other IP's first. Go out and buy wonderful 101 and bayonetta 2, let them see that they can profit off of other ip's as well as the established ones.

[360ICE]

Well, I'd buy a Wii U if they'd try something new every now and then. Neither of those two games are being developed by Nintendo.

I'm sure Nintendo EAD, one of the most talented development teams in the world, come come up with a brand new hit IP if they really wanted. And it's probably a good idea in the long term. Last time Nintendo EAD did something new and fresh and really tried to sell it it was the "Wii-series" with Wii Sports, Fit and so son. Boy, did that sell. Better than Mario. Maybe they'd be able to do the same for more hardcore gamers.

[linkenski]

Never, if it means they should stop making Zelda and Mario. There's plenty of new in every Zelda /Mario game so far, and the fact that there is always 5 years inbetween every major Zelda title shows that they aren't just milking it like people do with other franchises like Sonic and CoD.

[ThatArtGuy]

Nintendo no longer has their Nintendo Power hype machine any longer to make new stuff. /sarcasm

[360ICE]

You work on that sarcasm.
/sarcasm?

[GARBAGE LICKER]

Windwaker's art style is timeless and still looks good today

[Unicron]

WW art style >>> Twilight Princess art style

[mydyingparadiselost]

So I think the reason WW is getting a re release and not any other game is exactly because of ut's art style. This game has aged really well and is probably the best candidate for getting and HD Zelda out simply because it wouldn't take too long to get it up and running. And by the way, WW has become one of the most fondly remembered and best Zelda games it just took years for it to happen. I'll be glad to revisit this title while waiting for another entry in the franchise but I do hope a different art style is used for the next one, too much of the same thing does get old kind of quick.

[diepdiep]

Unpopular Art Styles? This writer doesn't deserve to play Zelda games.

[linkenski]

So the Wind Waker's lovely artstyle is now FORCED? The most forced art-style i've seen in Zelda games are that of Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, where Nintendo bended over to fan demand instead of doing what they really wanted themselves.
The more Zelda is a product Nintendo WANTS to work with the more they like doing it, and the more passion they will put into the games. So if i had any tip for them then it would be to forget everything about their fanbase for a while, and do what they actually want to, instead of trying to force things to match what we want or what seems to be most popular.

[wishingW3L]

by know you should be aware that Nintendo does not give a fk about what fans want.

[legendoflex]

By "forced" I mean "people keep voting 'no' with their wallets and they keep doing it anyway."

[linkenski]

If Nintendo starts only following what wallets say, we might as well never see the next Metroid Prime for example, because Retro's Donkey Kong games have better sales.

[stragomccloud]

I love how Nintendo has the balls top mix things up every now and then.how many stores go through a complete makeover with practically every major release?

[wishingW3L]

gameplay wise all Zelda games since Ocarina are practically the same thing over and over again though. They add a gimmick here and there (sailing, wolf, etc.) but it still the same game.

[stragomccloud]

There is only so much a game can change before it is no longer the same genre or can even be considered of the same series. Every call off duty game is the same. I'd that a bad thing? Certainly not. That said, Zelda had changed over the years more than Amy game ever has. If you are expecting more than what had changed them you ate expecting Zelda to cease doing the things that make a Zelda game a Zelda game.

[Jagsrock]

First to say wind waker is a failed art style is absurd since it's one of the most beautiful games to come out of that gen. second to say they are obsessed is pretty hilarious. They brought the realistic art style fans wanted for TP, they then went with something new for skyward sword in an attempt to not simply make TP2. It wasn't the same as windwaker nor was it the same as TP. The next zelda will most likely have more realism, and detail but also maintain a distinct art style. To nintendo the art style they use tends to drive each iteration and they use different styles to give each zelda game a unique flavor.

[Theyellowflash30]

Yeah, I love The Wind Waker's art style. Not really sure where this article is coming from.

[gazgriff2k12]

the opinion on wind wakers graphics was split 50/50 so how are they unpopular. IMHO both wind waker hd and the zelda hd demo look beautiful. only skyward sword looked crap to me may llok better on wii u

[_QQ_]

Nintendo makes the games they want to make, they won't respond to the critics,they don't follow market trends, its been this way for years.I respect them for that, they don't owe me anything and they especially don't owe anything to the closed minded people who write articles like this one.

On a side note i've never played WW but this looks beautiful and i can't wait to try it.

[jcnba28]

You will love WW, it's amazing.

[XXXL]

Couldn't agree more. And skyward sword was awful. Looked like link in candyland

[mitchell1188]

I LOVE wind waker!! I'm a huge Zelda fan which is why I've got a triforce tattoo. I want another ww!!

[johny5]

Needs more C-e-l-l S-h-a-d-I-n-g!!!

[MegaLagann]

Is this art style still unpopular or did I just travel back in time to 2002? Because honestly that's the last time I heard someone complain about Wind Waker's art style. Most people either love it now or just tolerate it.