This morning, we got a closer look at the world in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. What most people didn’t notice, however, was that there was a significant change in Link’s character design, concept art wise — according to Tiny Cartridge, Link seems to have gotten goofier between now and the last time we saw him.
Above we’ve got the new, happy-Link art. Here’s what he used to look like before:
Heh. Well, ok. The game itself, of course, seems to be the same remain the same; the change is only for the concept art. Not a big deal (the game’s art doesn’t need to be serious or anything!), but still, what do you think? Was old Link better, or are you fond of the new, goofier Link?
You’ve changed, Link… [Tiny Cartridge]
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25 responses to “Zelda: A Link Between Worlds’ Art Has Gotten…Goofier”
Hm. The new one makes me think of the Oracle games (for some reason, no idea if his design is actually more like it was for those ones or not), but I really liked the old one for its take on the old art.
The new one is a take on old art too.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z33/link90_photo/Child_link1.jpg
Exact same face.
Majora’s Mask isn’t ooooooooold… (except it actually is ;_;)
Looking at Oracle art now, it really does look a whole lot more like them:
http://www.takuchat.com/wp-content/uploads/986336_155676_front.jpg
Versus Link To The Past’s stuff:
http://zs.ffshrine.org/album/link-to-the-past/inst-us/z3manual-07-08.jpg
Oracles were Capcom games, so the art has a very Capcom style, where as this is (face wise) definitely heavily based on the OoT art style. Although the hair, especially the side bangs, are definitely more like the oracle games, or LttP/FS
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkooa1GrkI1qzj5ggo1_500.jpg
Still, don’t think there’s anything ‘goofy’ about it.
Master Sword in concept art…Ganon confirmed
the new one’s face makes me think of the short lived cartoon.
I initially thought that then I went to check and I was very wrong. I kinda like the new style. I saw it on the Direct and went “That kinda reminds me of Wind Waker and Super Smash Bros Melee”
Looks like they tried a mashup of LttP link and WW link. Does not look good at allllllllllll
I agree with the mashup sentiment, but I actually like it 😛
I really don’t mind what direction they take with the art style, as long as the gameplay is good. Provided they drop the Phantom Hourglass-style stylus-gimmick-bullshit, it should be okay.
I think it fits with the game’s art style slightly better. Doesn’t really matter too much since the game doesn’t look anything like the art anyway.
i quite like it.
My eyes are burning
Old link, because I’m nostalgic like that! 😀
I suppose since they’re trying to emphasize that this is not the Link from Zelda III, they didn’t want the concept art to look like him… Then again, the new concept art looks just like Oracles Link, so who knows?
(Maybe it IS Oracles Link… Even after reading the Historia my head still hurts at the Zelda chronology…)
To be honest, while I feel the previous style is a better looking Link, I feel the redesign better suits the whole ‘being able to merge into the wall’ type gameplay element. It’s already been shown (if my memory is correct) that the image of Link on the wall in the promotional images is very similar to that form he uses in game. Because of this I felt the change in art style between goofy looking (my opinion) 2D Link to serious looking 3D Link was a bit of a jump, the redesign kinda tones that jump down a bit.
I always been a fan of a more serious looking Link (TP, OOT, LTTP). I don’t really like the overly cartoon appearance that link seems to randomly get from time to time. I was hoping this would be another reason to buy a 3DS. But to be honest I’ve had enough of cartoon Links because frankly I’ve been disappointed with everyone of them (maybe only WW wasn’t too bad in the end I guess).
I like the newer one, he looks a lot happier, optimistic and approachable.
He’s based of the oracle games art- look it up, also they look a lot more like that in the 25th anniversary art.
It is a shame that they’re deviating from the original style as I do love how it harks back to ‘A Link to the Past’. But it is completely understandable as a way to show that this is a different Link from ALttP, LA & the Oracle games.
As long as it avoids the Toon-Link style I’m happy.
One is adult Link, the other is child Link.
Teen Link and Tween Link?
Twink.
“twink” is the term used by the gay community to describe a young slim, boy-next-door gay guy, so link must be gay now?
Remember that time when Nintendo went with a different art style for Link, and a whole lot of fans got out-raged and couldn’t stand it until nowadays when it is regarded as one fo the best Legend of Zelda games ever made?
Which is funnily enough, the exact same style (face wise) they went with here.
It’s basically a painted version of child Link from Ocarina with a different hair style. Kinda shocked at how few people are noticing that and instead saying things like it’s a LTTP/WW mashup.
I’m a fan of the new art. Same as I was with OoT.