Can We Please Calm Down About Twilight Princess HD’s Graphics?

Nintendo Enthusiast:

While the majority of the fanbase seems excited for the remaster, there’s one glaring issue that’s continuously being brought up no matter where you look: the graphics. Quite a number of people are very unhappy with the title’s graphical quality, saying that it doesn’t look that much different. It’s also given the ‘Nintendo Haters Squad’ even more reason to continue their relentless pummel on the poor Wii U.

While I do understand this qualm, after taking things into consideration and doing just a bit of research, I’ve come to the conclusion that in the midst of all these complaints—there really isn’t that much of a point to them.

[brettnll]

I think it looks fine. Don't see what all the fuss is about.

[mikeslemonade]

Looks like crap.

[DarXyde]

Yeah, nevermind the fact that it's an incredibly memorable game and arguably one of the best games of last generation or the almost certainty that it'll actually run properly at launch.

Do you even game for fun?

[LOL_WUT]

Nintendo could've gave it the Wind Waker treatment. Or better yet save it for the NX which is releasing sometime in 2016. Either way i'm still buying it. ;)

[kitsune451]

It doesn't look bad, it looks like an HD remaster. That's fine, but most remaster are either less than retail price, pack multiple games, or both. Uncharted Collection was $60 for three games and Master Chief Collection was $60 for four. Wind Waker was a complete remake and justified the price, but not Twilight Princess.

If they'd have done a Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword collection then it'd be worth $60. But one remaster for $60 is unheard of. Okami, Resident Evil 1, and many other remasters are $20 or less.

[3-4-5]

Does mikeslemonade even like or play video games, or does he just come onto this site to make fun of every game in existence?

What a pathetic life.

TP is one of my least favorite LoZ games but it still looks pretty good for an HD remake of a Gamecube game.

Not as good as Wind Waker but still decent enough.

[mikeslemonade]

TP was too primitive for me to play. It was too ambitious. Y'all can't take negativity, not my fault. I'm looking forward to playing Zelda on the NX. Y'all are just stuck in the past playing these old games.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

The only reason Nintendo games look ok on Wii U is the unrealistic art style(Which I prefer) but when you see realistic games the outdated Wii U hardware really shows. I mean even games like Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 that everyone acted like they had amazing graphics, I couldn't help but notice the horrible anti-aliasing. They really were nothing amazing except for the art style and Nintendo games finally being in HD.

[Blastoise]

It's a legitimate critisism. Nintendo are charging full price for this (with an Amiibo).

Nothing is being remade. It's a port in HD. People called Sony out when they ported PS2 games in HD and charged for them on PS4. So why should Nintendo get a free pass when it costs 4x the price? Just because "omgz Twilight princess my fav Zelda". This costs the same price as Wind Waker HD

It's nothing to do with the "Nintendo haters squad" it's the Zelda fans that should be the ones calling this out

[garrettbobbyferguson]

Twilight Princess generally looked mediocre. The color tones they used throughout the game is directly responsible for this. If they would have used some different colors for their environments, the game would have been much much prettier. Graphically, it looks fine. Just those damn colors.

@drpepperdude

That's why art style is king. Okami isn't some graphically complex game. I'm certain the polys used on many objects and that game is low. But it's described as beautiful because of the cell shading used. It's the same reason why Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World despite missing effects such as anti-aliasing look so good. Because of the art style.

[BrandanT]

How do you call something primitive and too ambitious at the same time? That's an oxymoron - it doesn't make sense in your case at all. It makes your arguments trash if you can't even form proper criticisms; or in your case insults.

[mikeslemonade]

^Too ambitious on the limited hardware specs. Making it look too primitive. Windwaker is fine because of cel shading but TP looks to wide open and bland. The Wii couldn't handle it and this remaster looks lame.

[Concertoine]

Game's 50 bucks though, just seems like a lot.

[pcz]

people expect more from nintendo, and rightly so.

what should have been a more substantial remaster, has turned out to be little more than an unscaled port with seemingly the bare minimum put into bringing it up to date. and just to remind you, 10 years has passed since it was first released. it should have been treated with more respect.

yes, to be fair nintendo have done the right thing with the marketing and physical presentation of the package, giving it a special edition, but the product itself is underwhelming. its not worth the full price they are asking.

i would have liked to have seen improvements to the lighting, improved character models, improvements to the environments (ie higher polygon count,) updated effects etc at least it would then be worthy of a full price and fitting for the 10th anniversary.

[KilKarazy]

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding but you're defending a game that's backwards compatible and being released as an "HD" remake without better graphics? Why?

[specialguest]

Explain to me how the graphics is not better? It's simply and HD bump up, not a remaster like TLOU or FFX.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

You gotta be blind if you think the HD version is not an improvement over the original.

[GordonKnight]

standard controls (not forced motion controls), gamepad controls, and of course the amiibo. This HD remake is actual the GameCube version, which isn't BC. I've never played this version.

[addictedtochaos]

It is a remaster not a remake.

[pcz]

Why do people keep saying remaster? Is it just a pretentious term for port? Because when you take off the Nintendo tinted glasses, that is all it is- a port.

Big deal it's now a little sharper, hardly fits my definition of a remaster. This so called remaster probably took one afternoon to develop.

That's £49 please.

What a rip off

Just to be clear, my idea of a remaster would be that the remaster would be substantially improved over the original- justifying the term re master. It should be like night and day. Original and remaster. Unlike this where you have to strain your eyes to see a difference.

Its not a remaster. Its a glorified port

[TheColbertinator]

Graphics really don't mean much with Nintendo games to me. Gameplay is often top notch thankfully

[Legion21]

Well when you release an HD remake of an almost 10 years old game for the same price as new games I think it's fair to expect vast improvements in the visual department. The visual are better but have been so much more.

[higgins78]

Graphics AND gameplay, which is good, because played today - both Wii U AND 3DS offers both in abundance. It's like people are more interested in how a game looks in a lab under heavy analysis AND only if said game strives for semi-realistic graphics. Personally - and thank God everybody is different, I have always sided with Nintendo's art style.

[MilkMan]

Looks to me they did a bang up job of cleaning, adding lighting and shadows to the textures and characters. The wii and the GameCube version by comparison are muddy and dark as f***

What's the problem?

[jcnba28]

The problem is that this is Nintendo - they will get criticised no matter what they do.

I for one cannot wait to reply this masterpiece in HD.

[higgins78]

So true. Take the Wii U for example - and MANY do. SM3DW, MK8, Smash, DK:TF, Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2, etc, etc. A lot of games the pinnacle of their series, but is the focus on this? NO. Instead its, but this, but that, but whatever. Seriously, enjoy said console for what it is, not what it is not.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

I actually haven't given much of a damn about the graphics.

It's the stamps as collectibles, improvements to rupees, climbing, swimming, horse riding, and Ganon amiibo functionality for increased difficulty in normal mode that have ME excited.

Oh, the Poe lamp as well. I wish that had been a thing in the original, but better late than never.

[showtimefolks]

I hope for lunch of NX nintendo releases a combo pack of zelda win waker and twightlight princess

also nintendo needs to do foll wing 2 in HD remaster

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

[deathtok]

Nintendo lunch!

[InTheZoneAC]

being forced into cheap nunchuck controls ruined the game for me.

and they want $60 for a ps2 gen game?

sure some many say the game was great, but for me it's technically impossible to be great when you don't enjoy controlling it...

[GordonKnight]

There is no nunchuck controls in the remake. Can the PS2 even handle TP? Or are you just trolling?

[InTheZoneAC]

gamecube was around during the ps2

this game was developed for the gamecube in that generation

how is it trolling when I question why we're paying $60 for a slight upgrade to a game that came out then?

do I have to spell it out for everyone or is their goal just to bash legit questions regarding nintendo's stupidity?

And I understand there are no nunchuck controls in the remake, was talking about people saying it was a great game when when you HAD YOU USE NUNCHUCKS outside the gamecube version

[RustyShackleford]

I've seen some of the comparison videos and it does look a lot cleaner than the original version, not sure what all the hate is about.

[FallenAngel1984]

If the effort going into making this remaster is cheap, then this game has no business retailing for $60

[rainonparades]

if you don't wanna pay for the "remaster"just buy the og for gamecube or wii problem solved .

[kingeo]

The problem is that this is a wasted opportunity.They could do an amazing remake like all the other 3 zelda remakes so far but no.
A simpy crap remaster doesn't justify this price for a 2006 game
especially when Sony gives 2 or 3 games from the ps3 era for a better price.
We've been waiting for more HD remakes since the release of Windwaker in 2013(like super mario sunshine and other classics) for far too long and instead we get this CRAP.

Nintendo is greedy and foolish and that's why they will remain in the position they put themselves in.

[kingeo]

Disagrees for telling the true and the actual facts?
Wow...

[garrettbobbyferguson]

"when Sony gives 2 or 3 games from the Ps3 era"

God of War? The Last of Us? I'm not saying it's not crappy what Nintendo is doing with this one, but don't try to paint sony in some better light.

[Sirk7x]

It does look much better than the original version, granted. Take a look at Wind Waker HD though, which was developed in house, and not outsourced like this remaster. Wind Waker HD is GORGEOUS, and benefited greatly from its enhanced lighting engine. I really feel that's what Twilight Princess HD is missing. I'm assuming that it could have been possible to add a much greater graphical fidelity, but either time or budget restraints did not permit it. I'm going to purchase the game regardless, but I'm not fooling myself into thinking for a moment that it's not a quick and easy game to tide over fans. I'll continue to wait patiently for the day that Skyward Sword gets a Director's Cut :P

[Metallox]

"Wind Waker HD is GORGEOUS".

That's when you discover Wind Waker is visually more impressive than most GameCube games.

"I really feel that's what Twilight Princess HD is missing."

Twilight Princess HD isn't missing anything, it just doesn't look as good as its predecessor.

"which was developed in house, and not outsourced like this remaster."

Please, many have been able to replicate what Nintendo did on Wind Waker with Dolphin.

[Sirk7x]

Yes, I'm aware that Wind Waker was an impressive game on Gamecube. I owned it when it came out. The amount of work put into the HD remaster, however, is obvious. Perhaps it was simply due to the graphical style, but the new lighting engine they used adds to the game greatly, and looks wonderful. It just doesn't seem like there was nearly the same amount of work put into the TP remaster. Not that I won't buy it and replay, but for what we're getting, it seems overpriced.

[Metallox]

"Perhaps it was simply due to the graphical style,"

I also think this happened, the game was good-looking and it still had room to look even prettier thanks to the artistic choices Nintendo made back in the early 2000s.

On the other hand, I don't think Tantalus had many areas to improve in Twilight Princess aside from retouching the necessary stuff that could help the game to look acceptable for HDTV screens; that at least if they just wanted to re-release the title.

Certainly the irony about having realistic graphics. Wind Waker looked simple and "childish", whereas Twilight Princess was a response to the underwhelming reception of WW's visuals, introducing lots and lots of textures. Now see which game finished looking better in the long-run.

[DivineAssault]

I am seeing a bit too much about it than i'd like but i guess its good networking for nintendo.. Some people might not know its coming out.. Im buying it again to play it with buttons for once & to hold me over until star fox & the new zelda.. I dont like reading/looking too much into it so i can enjoy the clarity first hand & try not to spoil the parts i forgot about.. Going in with the brutal Gannon amiibo difficulty since i breezed through it the first time.. All i remember being a challenge was that long a$$ sky temple that used dual hook shots..

[About30Ninjas]

The game looks good but the truth is everybody wanted the game to look like the tech Demo

[deafdani]

So... this game at full price, with an amiibo included, is a crime against humanity... but GTA V, TLOU Remastered, Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition, etc, at full price isn't?

Lol. Ok.

[Metallox]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Coachkeys]

I'm excited because the game was so classic, yet I've always felt the game looked a little blurry. So it'll be fun to experience this awesome game with a little polish thrown on it.