They appear to be taken from what was shown at the Nintendo Direct show this morning, but it’s still worthwhile looking at these glorious screenshots from Nintendo’s new vision for the Zelda series.
I mean, I thought the game looked great in motion, but sometimes it’s good to just take a look at the details.
I’ve no idea what the finished product will look like, and if it’s set for release in 2015 (most likely Holiday 2015) there’s still a lot of work to be done, but for now I’ve really been dazzled with what I’ve seen so far.
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42 responses to “Gaze Upon These Glorious Zelda Screenshots”
Is she about to fire a lance?
Idk if he is a she lol (And at this point I think it’s too early to tell)
Nintendo sometimes make Link look very feminine. Although this could be anyone. But my money is still on dude Link, or just Zelda or someone who is just wondering around or something in a cut-scene-type chase thing and not necessarily playable.
Edit: Especially with all the talk about going back to the roots.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Link_LOZ_with_items.png
People have already started calling Link a girl. If Nintendo was smart they would take advantage of this hype.
I absolutely think the best thing Nintendo could do is make it a girl Link. Not Zelda, not some other female character, but just make Link a girl for this Zelda. It totally (maybe) fits in the canon of the reborn Hero of Time. No “Prince Zelda” gender swapping everywhere, just a girl Link, done, awesome. Link is just meant to be a voiceless conduit for the player anyway.
It would be lovely to have my daughter be able to do legit cosplay as a girl Link – she doesn’t want to be Zelda, she wants to be the hero. Unfortunately I don’t think Ninty will actually do it though.
They could at least give a gender option at the start of the game. Hopefully at the same time not give her “female” armour.
Yeah a gender option is a good step, or making Link completely sexually ambiguous, but I feel that it would be a stronger and braver step to make Link female. Every past Link has been a man, so it would be a nice break.
Oh, please oh please don’t give her high heels when she dons the classic greens! We don’t have to worry about boob armour, but after what they did to Samus I’m worried about the heels.
An option would be better. You know how complacent people can be, forcing them to play as a girl will make them freak out, trying to defend their masculinity. At least having an option can help us ease them into the idea that women aren’t bags of garbage for them to dominate.
You know they will. Stripper hi-heels, with a boob window, in a tight leotard. With a special bikini costume to unlock in the game. Also including a dress for people to post upskirt pics of onto the internet.
I have this feeling/hope that Nintendo fans are less likely to fall into the “freak out if forced to play as a girl” immature sexist, but there’ll always be a few.
I think if you give them the option most people will choose guy-Link just because it’s standard, it’s what they know. I think it would be nice of them to send a message that women can be the hero too and go all in with a female Link. I think Link may be one of the only franchise characters that could actually pull this off without breaking canon or causing narrative issues.
I doubt they will make Link into a girl. I might be starting a dangerous gender argument here, but the only reason Nintendo make significant changes to any of their games is for the sake of gameplay. Unless the gameplay they desire is better suited for a character of “feminine” disposition, Link will remain male as he historically has been.
Symbolism, popularity, or representation are the only reasons I see that could explain the change to a female Link here. In other words, things Nintendo don’t really care about in their game making.
It’d make sense, as it is, boy link is somewhat androgynous.
I know they have, I’m just saying I don’t really mind if it is a dude and it very well could be given Nintendo’s ‘feminine’ art style.
if that was their original intention; sure. though id absolutely hate them to tack that on at this stage; simply because people thought he was after the trailer.
I assumed this was Zelda, not Link??
Look, I am going to call this link male till proven different, reasons being
-The nose, it just isn’t a standard female nose for a Nintendo title, too round and bulbous.
-The fingers, they are distinctly male. Ninty tend to make their female characters overly smooth and creases around the knuckles/individual fingers don’t line up with their MO.
-Relatively broad shoulders
-Overall stance and animation
Every time I see link in a new Zelda I think he looks feminine. I don’t really mind that he’s a dude though. I take it as a kind of perpetual love story between them (as subtle as it is) and that they are the same people but different each game. So for me having link a guy works fine as it is.
:’)
Awww beautiful.
2015 is too far away 🙁
Aonuma is being a tease, saying that’s not necessarily link: “No one explicitly said that that was Link.” (http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/10/zelda-creator-teases-that-we-didnt-see-link-in-wii-u-trailer/)
Those arm band thingys are kinda similar to what Gannondorf wears in Ocarina.
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110427012646/zelda/images/0/05/Ganondorf_Artwork_%28Ocarina_of_Time%29.png
Could be one of those Gerudo males that are born every century? Hell, maybe it’s Gannondorf Jr?
Having said that, if it is a playable female Link, I would be totally cool with that.
I also thought that Link shot arrows left handed? The 2 screen shots show right handed character, so it may not be Link?
Didn’t they turn Link right-handed in the Wii games?
that was mainly for the motion control stuff. assuming thats not what they’re using that control scheme for this game (though honestly i liked it); then they’ll most likely make him left-handed again.
Or they will take this chance to assert their evil rightist agenda and rid themselves of the lefties for good. 😛
I bet it’s a version of Link with style choices by the player. Create your own Link before you begin the adventure.
This would be amazing.
He is wearing same clothes as Wind Waker
confirmed link is a quincy!
Just as long as nobody get’s upset if he turns out to be just another ambiguous pretty elf like boy from every Yaoi fan fiction ever.
“Hey, Listen!”
“No can do Navi, too busy looking fabulous!”
People have been saying Link looks like a girl for years, I can’t believe anyone still thinks that this character might just be a girl too.
And does it even matter anyway? I like it as is anyways, theres normally an awkwardness about Link when he’s around Zelda that may not (Or may) work if he were a girl, but each to their own.
If anything an option would be nice to keep everyone happy.
2015 can’t come fast enough…
I cannot get over how gorgeous this game is.
If Link was to be female, than Princess Zelda would have to be Prince Zelda instead! No. No. No.
Why does one of them need to be a boy? Can’t they just both be females?
why? u can’t have a female saving a female?
Of course you can have a female saving a female… you were supposed to picture Prince Zelda still wearing a dress, you idiot :p
my bad :/
Link has always had feminine features – i guess it comes from being a young, elf-like character. I think it just stands out more now that the graphics in the games are getting better 🙂
Since Nintendo have been talking about the original Zelda recently, it’s possible they’ve gone for a very young Link (say, around 12) in this game instead of the adult Links we’ve had recently.
For someone who has just about given up on consoles altogether – those screenshots are pretty darn impressive. The art design, colour saturation, post processing (albeit a little heavy on bloom), and the fire/ember effects make it very easy on the eyes. And open world? If Nintendo can make good on the gameplay, then this should be something special.
Is anyone put off by the lasers/ bright beam things coming from Link’s bow and the enemy creature? I think it’s a little off for a series like Zelda, but I can easily see myself accepting it as I play the game.
felt way too sci-fi for me, yes. I’d rather it be swords and shields with a little magic not all lasers and shit but hey, I can’t have everything 🙂