MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just a message of season's greetings from all of us here at the TGN Blog.

Enjoy a very Merry Christmas, as 'tis the season after all.

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Seriously, What Next for The Legend of Zelda!?

When the original Legend of Zelda was released for the Famicom/NES in 1986, it broke the mold for adventure games. It had an innovative bird's eye view perspective, as well as a completely open and massive (for the time) game world to explore at your own wont or whim. You amassed yourself weaponry instead having it all from the start, and you upgraded how much damage you could take by adding to your health bar. It was an incredibly important game for industry as a whole and the Zelda franchise itself, as every Zelda game since has re-used most of the features from that original 22 year-old game.

But has the Zelda formula lost its lustre? Is it time for Nintendo to go back to the drawing board with its next game, set to be released on the Wii, a console with ground-breaking video game technology? Probably. At least that's what I think. As I said in the first part of this article, it might just have been what Twilight Princess got wrong that makes me feel this way, but I thought it'd be interesting to see what I could come up with if this was indeed the case. Imagine, if you will, that I was tasked with creating the next Zelda game. This is what I'd do…

There are things I'd want to remain constant for the next Zelda, because there's no need to get rid of everything, as I might just as well create an entirely new game. For this game to be a re-imagining of the Zelda series as a whole, the main characters (Link, Zelda and Ganondorf) need to be integral to the plot, otherwise it's not really a Zelda game. Like Ocarina of Time before it, which was a plot reboot (of sorts) for the series, these characters need to appear in all their glory. There's nothing wrong at all with keeping the characters the same, but the gameplay mechanics haven't really changed in 4 games and 10 years and the formula of the actual game. hasn't changed in an even longer period of time. A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are each the defining Zelda game for their respective consoles, and all have pretty much the same layout. Three dungeons act as a prologue of sorts to the game, before you're then given another 5 or so more dungeons to complete the game totalling 8 dungeons altogether. Each dungeon is a labyrinth of back-and-forth gameplay revolving around solving puzzles and using the dungeon's new item to get to the boss, who, upon its death, coughs up that sacred piece of something or other as well as an upgrade to your heart metre. Same old same old.

The first ever Zelda title screen. Woo!

So what could possibly change? Well, straight away I'm going to go out on a limb here and turn the game upside down by changing the setting. I'd be lying if I wasn't intrigued by this video from Wii.tv. Although it was quite a blatant April Fools, the prospect of playing a futuristic Zelda game had me positively drooling. So, I'm going to steal that idea! In the video, it says that Link doesn't have a horse, but instead rides a bike named Epona. I'm not too sure if that'd work. I think I'd keep Epona as a horse, as Link riding around a futuristic, metallic, industrial Hyrule on horseback would be an intriguing prospect. Not only that, but I'd keep the bow and arrows and definitely his sword. Not a lightsaber style Master Sword, but the original blue-hilted Master Sword. This, I think, would create quite a cool concept, of this humble and courageous young boy who uses ancient weaponry to fight an industrial evil.

Look at how cool that mask is. It's awesome, isn't it?

But even if the setting wasn't changed, I'd change a few more things for the next Zelda game. Namely, the structure of the game and how it unfolds, a much less generic structure, for a start. Twilight Princess did its part to remedy this somewhat, but in the end, the game was pretty much the same as each Zelda before it; find dungeon, complete dungeon, find next dungeon, complete dungeon, repeat till fade. A simplified version of events from any Zelda game you care to mention. Majora's Mask, however, did have the dungeons to find and complete, but what set it apart was the game's world and the people in it. The game had you helping out almost every occupant in Termina in one way or another. Doing this unlocked things for you to use, such as Link's horse, Epona, or a new mask to wear, which gave you special abilities such as a faster running speed or the ability to talk to animals. Without going into too much detail, certain events happened at certain times on certain days, and you could shape how these events transpired. It wouldn't be a complete tragedy if this reappeared in one way or another. Majora's Mask was also quite mature. It still kept a lot of the Zelda humour and whimsy, but some parts of the game were incredibly hard-hitting, especially if you failed your mission to prevent the moon from crashing into Termina, and the music that accompanied the game's main antagonist, the Skull Kid, was genuinely unnerving.

We need some more of the Fierce Deity. I mean, every thing about it is cool. Even the name. Say it. Go on. Fierce Deity. Awsm.

Majora's Mask also gave Link an incredibly cool super-hero type mask if you collected every other mask on offer. The dark power of the Fierce Deity's mask transformed Link into a powerful adult-like version of himself. He could take more damage, deal out more damage and just looked plain awesome. However, the Fierce Deity's mask was incredibly restrictive to use. It could only be used against bosses. I don't think it'd be far from the truth that everyone who managed to play as Fierce Deity Link would love him to reappear in a future Zelda game, in any way, shape or form. For these reasons, Majora's Mask is certainly the Zelda game I'd take the most inspiration from. I'd leave Tingle out, though.

So what have we got at the moment? A new futuristic setting, that, if done properly, could mean a revolution for the series. Square did it with Final Fantasy VII, why can't Nintendo do it with Zelda? Not only would this reinvigorate the series and make it feel fresh again, like Ocarina of Time, but it might also give the game a wider appeal and therefore a bigger audience, something the Zelda games richly deserve. A less formulaic approach to the plot would also refresh the series, and giving the bit-part players from the games stories of their own, à la Majora's Mask, would expand upon one of the series' high-points (as like I said, there's no need to get rid of everything and there's no harm in taking inspiration from the franchise itself). This would also give the game depth and allow the player to become emotionally involved with the game, something Zelda is famous for, especially since Ocarina of Time. Lastly, the Fierce Deity's mask to be expanded upon, with it's origin's explored and a greater use for it, as it has been criminally under-used (read: not used at all) since it made its debut in Majora's Mask.

More soon? Probably.

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Review - Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

• Game: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
  
• Format: Xbox 360
• Other Formats: None
• Developer: Rare
• Publisher: Microsoft
• Genre: 3rd Person Adventure

I loved the original Banjo-Kazooie games – a lot. They were part of the epitome of the N64’s very limited catalogue consisting almost entirely of 1^st Party Nintendo releases and Rare games. My childlike eyes (literally at the time) were astounded at the visual candy being force-fed through their pupils, and the sheer amount of moves the duo had set the bar for 3D Platformers, or ‘Adventure Games’ - as every venture into the three dimensions from a 3^rd person perspective seems to be labelled. So naturally, like many others I’m sure, my excitement was built up at the thought of a new Banjo, only to be dashed moments later when Rare announced ‘the catch’.

You see, not content with giving the fans what they want, developers are constantly adding new ideas and twists that are sometimes unwarranted in their games. One glance at Sonic the Hedgehog and his legions of freakishly deformed woodland friends is proof of this. It is as though the industry is more afraid of someone saying that their new great game has a similar likeness to their old great game, than actually releasing compressed turd on disc that sells like balls on lukewarm cakes. It’s like someone complaining that I look not too dissimilar to my father and proceeding to put a wrench in my ear sideways in the name of “keeping things fresh”.

Rare’s “keeping things fresh” for Nuts & Bolts is the frankly bold idea of customisable vehicles with which you complete the various missions – usually consisting of “take this from point A to point B” or “race me”. Initially this is very clunky as you start the game with just a trolley on cheese-like wheels, but gradually you’ll gain parts that increase performance. Stop me if I start to sound insane, but why does the player need to be punished with something that handles like a sled pushed down a hill on potatoes, when at this point in the game they are just getting to grips with the controls as it is? At this stage too, any attempt to create your own vehicle will be met with something that steers far worse and looks like the lego creation of a spastic orang-utan.

Beautiful stuff, really.

Eventually though the game starts to pick up and rather ironically it’s after the part featured in the downloadable demo. While not strictly Banjo-Kazooie – the duo have had their abilities ‘taken away’ – the characters are well aware of it, and even that they are in a game. The trademark Rare humour is still there and guaranteed to raise a smile, especially when poking fun at themselves as developers. Kazooie even quips about hoping this game sells better than Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and it just reeks of that classic Banjo-Kazooie atmosphere. You collect ‘Jiggies’ - which are to the series as stars are to Mario – for completing the aforementioned missions, and your income to spend on new vehicle parts consists of musical notes dashed around the place to collect.

When charged with objectives in the main game worlds, the vast majority of the time you have the choice of what vehicle you use to complete it. So if you need to push giant footballs into a goal, you’d probably choose a vehicle with pincers that hold it into place while you valiantly charge headfirst through the target. Sometimes though, challenges require more of you than your current blueprints collection can provide a solution to, so you head over to Mumbo’s Motors for a bit of classic ingenuity; slapping on extra parts and creating from scratch what you need. While this is undoubtedly the spirit of the game, sometimes it can make challenges redundant. One such objective required the transport of a small antenna all the way up a rickety and dangerous path, past numerous rabid enemies baying for bloody fur and feathers, and traps designed to make bear and bird jam out of you, taking roughly a minute in the standard trolley vehicle to traverse. I however, quickly jumped to the workshop and slapped a couple propellers on the side of the trolley to make a helicopter, setting myself up to blissfully sail to the objective above in less than ten seconds. While there is a challenge in getting a trophy for every high score or fast time possible, this will only test you for so long as the game rolls at a particularly placid pace through undemanding station, parallel to easy street. The only real challenge comes from controlling your means of transport that you create in the name of independence from the game holding your paw all the way.

I really couldn't tell you what's going on here. Is that… is that an aardvark? Well, that's awesome.

Visually, the worlds created by Rare are stunning. Looking at Nuts & Bolts should be a pastime in itself, as dozens of gorgeous effects burst out of the screen at your unprotected eyes, burrowing through the optic nerve into the “ooh, purdy” part of the brain. Utilising various lens effects such as depth of field and bloom, as well as what I’ve come to dub as ‘Rare grass’ – unnaturally straight blades of grass that seem to be implemented just to tell you that Rare made this game. As well as this is some absolutely stunning water shaders and effects. The first world, ‘Nutty Acres’ shows off this water to sublime effect, and it really is like looking into the heaving bosom of God (assuming that we’re talking about an awe-inspiring female God here, and not a chubby sweat infested bloke). All this ‘Rare grass’ and heavenly cleavage can take a toll at some points however, and the frame rate threatens to piss itself and die when the action gets too hot – barely even jumping over 30fps if naught is going on.

While not strictly Banjo-Kazooie, this new iteration still retains the classic characters and humour, and is a charming game in its own right. Granted, I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world who would have been ecstatic with a ‘proper’ sequel in the form of Banjo-Threeie, but if you like your games light-hearted and are up for a delightful romp, you could do much worse than Nuts & Bolts.

Score:
7/10

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Review - Gears of War 2

• Game: Gears of War 2
• Format: Xbox 360
• Other Formats: None
• Developer: Epic Games
• Publisher: Microsoft
• Genre: 3rd Person Shooter

Gears of War, for the uninitiated, is essentially what you would get if you take Resident Evil 4 – with it’s over the shoulder camera and excessive gore – then cultured it in a petri-dish of cover-based combat and squad mechanics. Gears is a shooter; with big guns; big guns and a chainsaw. Now we have that out of the way we can move onto Gears of War 2…

The second game of the proposed trilogy (yes, that’s right), Gears 2 seems to hit all the right buttons from the very start. The menus are more intuitive with little descriptions for every selection you can make. Multiplayer has an abundance of modes and options to choose from, including the opportunity to play against bots – something that is missing from many contemporary shooters. There is also now a training mode for newcomers and veterans alike, allowing you to dip the proverbial toe into the pool instead of charging head-first, Master Chief style, into a royal arse-kicking from players in the new matchmaking modes. You get the impression that everyone and their mum at Epic was given a slip of paper to fill out, with only the words, “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” emblazoned across the top. One of said slips must have mentioned the inclusion of chainsaw duels. As many - if not all - of those who played multiplayer on the original Gears of War will know, winning is not always a matter of how skilled you are at the game. As much as many of us would like to think otherwise, if two players ran at each other with chainsaw bayonets raised, whether the winner was decided by complete random or by the salinity of water at the north coast of the Red Sea – no one quite knows. To counter this in the sequel, both attacking players get launched face-first into our old chubby friend Quincy ‘Quick-Time’ Event, mashing the ‘B’ button until one character resembles jam. While an admirable attempt to reconcile the problem, I can’t help but feel this mechanic could grate later on in the game’s lifespan, as some of us probably had more chance of winning when it was decided by the Red Sea.

You really need to click this pic to fully understand the beauty of this disgusting worm-thing.

Something I have purposely not touched on until now is how stunning Gears of War 2 really does look. The phrase ‘eye-candy’ does not do justice here; a new phrase is in order - such as ‘pizzazzual-oomf’, or something else of a similarly eccentric calibre. Utilising the newest build of Epic’s own Unreal III engine, the Gears 2 team have been able to realise an unprecedented scale to the environments, only hinted at in the first game. At a glance, the objects and characters themselves are not a leap away from the models in the original – which is no bad thing. But a little fiddle with how lighting is handled behind the scenes however has enabled Epic to render roughly twenty times the amount of enemies and characters on screen at once. This is shown to full effects in the campaign’s second chapter where you and your army buddies ride a huge drilling platform through legions of the evil Locust horde, with explosions, smoke and bodily fluids hurtling around you. It’s this kind of ‘pizzazzual-oomf’ (I knew I’d be able to use that again) that you would show off your 360 with to prove to your parents that it wasn’t a waste of money buying a games console. Naturally they will just nod and smile while edging ever closer to the door, but you won’t care because it looks totally fucking sweet.

The experience is made all the more cinematic by the use of what Epic rather unimaginatively call a ‘Cinematic Camera’, unlike the pseudo real-to-life styling of the original. What this essentially boils down to is the use of lighting within the game more akin to that of a blockbuster movie and the inclusion of depth of field with the camera. The latter looks great for the most part, blurring objects in the background while you are ‘focused’ on whatever you are aiming at. The problem however, is how the game determines what it thinks you are focused on. Allow me to elaborate; You might be peering down the lens of a sniper rifle at your mark the other side of that chicken wire fence, but you can’t see him properly because the bloody camera is focused on the intricate weaving of that pathetically thin fence, whilst Liam the bad Locust is trotting on his merry little way, about to do unspeakable things to your family. It’s a slight oversight by the developers that can actually affect the outcome of a match.

It really doesn't look that much different to the original GoW, but that's not a bad thing, as the original is still a testament to true graphical greatness. Also, GoW2 is a hell of a lot more epic - appropriate, considering the name of the developer.

I only briefly mentioned the multiplayer earlier, which for many of us is the main draw for getting Gears of War 2, and I’m glad to say that it doesn’t disappoint. As well as including an extra player to each team, and all the old game modes – Assassination has even had a facelift – there is a smattering of new kids in the class. Wingman is a game type taking the old Execution rules a step further, where up to five two-player teams compete against each other until one team reaches a set amount of points. Submission is a fantastically twisted, err, twist on Capture the Flag, where players have to down a stranded character and take him as a hostage to the drop-off point. It utilises an addition to combat that is a particular favourite of mine - meat shields. No, there is nothing quite as satisfying as capping an enemy in the knee, running up to them and exploiting their dazed state as a shield for yourself, then – new friend in-hand – firing your sidearm at another enemy to down them, finishing them off with a swift cosh to the head and finally snapping the neck of your portable cover. Its OK, you’re allowed to be sadistic to computer game characters, just don’t tell the Daily Mail.

The player’s choice game type, however, has to be Horde. You and four comrades dig in on any multiplayer map and battle wave after wave of Locust, getting progressively harder and more bad-ass. Imagine holding a house as your last bastion of hope with the waves of enemies getting closer by the second, every shot has to count because you don’t want to venture outside your comfy confines to get that ammo pack. But then, the dreaded sound of “c’tunk, c’tunk” echoes from your gun as the clip runs dry … sound cool?

That’s Gears of War 2 for you. More of the same, but with everything tuned, expanded, or just downright bloodier. It’s a guy’s game. It turns up at house parties with beer and power tools, chugging kegs in the name of manliness and action. Just don’t expect anything to convert you if you felt the first game was too shallow.

Score:
9/10

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What Next for The Legend of Zelda?

Zelda games, for me, are almost the single reason why I love Nintendo so. Ever since I first played Link’s Awakening all those years ago, I was hooked. Then Ocarina of Time came out and I was blown away, and this carried on through to the end of Majora’s Mask. I couldn’t wait to see what Nintendo would do next with their franchise. But then there was Wind Waker, and whilst it not being a bad game at all, it just wasn’t up to the standard that I expected. What I never expected, though, was that the next game would leave me incredibly disheartened. You see, I've been a little off with the Zelda games since I first completed Twilight Princess nearly two years ago.

Don't get me wrong, Twilight Princess is a really good game, but I can't really see where the franchise is going next. After Ocarina of Time, fans were pushing for another Zelda game of its ilk to be churned out by the mighty Japanese company. Although Majora’s Mask was a brilliant game, the fans wanted something more of what Ocarina promised, and that was a grown-up Link and a mature game that surrounded him. The Zelda fanboys were counting the hours that such a game was announced. When Twilight Princess was unveiled (as merely The Legend of Zelda) at E3 2005 there was a collective orgasm from them all. I have to admit, that even I splurged a little when I first saw it. Even now, when I watch that video, I get a shiver down my spine as the crowd roars when they first see Link on horse-back, holding his sword aloft, galloping through Hyrule Field to meet the baying hoard of boar-riders. It's the way the music builds to a crescendo and just as Link is revealed the crowd explodes with cheering and clapping, one guy shouting "oh my God" at the top of his lungs. I defy anyone who likes Zelda even in the slightest to watch that video and not get a tingly spine.

This is still pretty bad-ass.

Compare that, if you will, to when Wind Waker was revealed. It received probably the exact opposite reaction to Twilight Princess, just a polite smattering of applause, and then the uproar on various forums. Most of the fans weren't happy; some embraced this new look, but most derided it, dubbing it 'Celda' because of the cel-shaded cartoon-like graphics and condemning it before they'd even played it. This was the Zelda game the fans didn't want. The fans had wanted Ocarina of Time on a next-generation console with next-generation graphics, an incredibly dark storyline and a much more grown-up attitude. They got next-gen graphics, but they never expected the cartoon visuals. It was then pretty much certain that any hopes of a 'mature' Zelda game were out of the window. Zelda had gone all 'kiddy'.

At its core, though, Wind Waker is still very much a Legend of Zelda game. It has everything that has become synonymous with the Zelda games. Link, Princess Zelda and Ganondorf are all present. You traverse an over-world as well as explore the obligatory puzzle-laden dungeons in search of the mysterious item held by the last boss. You collect items and such to help you progress through each dungeon, as well as get to hitherto unreachable areas of the over-world. It was also a pretty good game, too, with certain moments that reminisced upon Ocarina of Time placed especially for the fans. It reeked of a game that wanted to please fans, but made the fatal flaw of dumping their beloved world under the sea, the biggest game-world in a Zelda game ever, but with anything noteworthy sparsely laid-out and surrounded by miles and miles of ocean. This was by far a greater disappointment than the cartoon look. Not only that, but prior to the final dungeon, the game set you off on a labourious treasure hunt that made the game feel incredibly unfinished. This left a sour taste more than cel-shading ever could. But if it weren't for Wind Waker, Twilight Princess wouldn't have gotten the reaction it did at E3 2005 and wouldn't have been the game we eventually got.

This screenshot represents a good 60% of this game.

So, what did we get? We got a very good game indeed. Wind Waker was improved upon in every respect. The developers had pretty much gone back to Ocarina of Time for their inspiration. With Twilight Princess, Nintendo had given the fans what they wanted. Twilight Princess, for all intents and purposes, is a next-generation Ocarina of Time. Of course, it's not a remake, but it's not too far removed from one. However, to dub Twilight Princess as merely 'Ocarina of Time with a face-lift' would be incredibly harsh, as Twilight Princess really is an astoundingly accomplished game. For one thing, it's absolutely huge, with the main quest alone taking a good 50 or-so hours to complete. Not only that, it never once looks ugly. Every single part of this game is stunning to look at, and some of the art direction makes you wonder why you need consoles as powerful as the Xbox 360 or the PS3 when a GameCube game can churn out graphics that are this good. It's also worth noting, with the possible exception of Super Mario Galaxy, that no Wii game has surpassed Twilight Princess in terms of graphics (although this is more likely to do with the possibility that the Wii just isn't that powerful). Twilight Princess is also littered with dozens of cut-scenes, each of them animated to perfection and every character displaying bundles of personality despite the lack of voice-acting in the game. Controlling Link is never a chore, either. He moves fluidly about the game world, whether on foot or horse-back.

But still, it's not better than either Majora's Mask or Ocarina of Time and that probably has something to do with the story. In both these games, the lands they are set in (Termina and Hyrule, respectively) both seem a hell of a lot more in peril than the Hyrule in Twilight Princess. The Hyrule in Ocarina of Time sees Ganondorf trying to obtain the Triforce to give him God-like powers and rule over the land with absolute tyranny. About a third of the way through the game, Link travels to the future and sees Hyrule Castle Town in ruins, a town that he explored in his childhood. This is an incredibly hard-hitting section of the game, as, instead of the being presented with a lively and cheerful town, with children and dogs playing and people bartering at stores, you're presented with a perpetually dark town with abandoned houses quickly falling into disrepair, and with children's laughter replaced by the paralysing scream of zombies. Hyrule Castle itself has been transformed from a beautiful white, tower-laden building into a black Gothic death-house hovering over a sea of molten lava. Majora's Mask's Termina has the threat of being destroyed completely by the moon crashing into it. In comparison, the Twilight Realm, to me, seems more like a mere annoyance than a matter of life and death.

With all that said, there are moments in Twilight Princess that tug at the heart-strings. When Link battles to save Colin from King Bulblin, you set out on Epona to get him back. This is one of the stand-out moments in the game, as for the first time in a Zelda game, you fight on horse-back, culminating in a joust like set-piece on a bridge above a seemingly bottomless chasm. When you defeat King Bulblin, the following cut-scene makes Link seem like a bona fide hero. As anyone who loves Zelda knows, Link is by far the most important character. It goes without saying (which is quite appropriate, seeing as Link never says anything himself). As the game goes on, however, the spotlight seems to be transferred to Midna. During the final battle, Link seems more like a side-character, despite the fact that you're controlling him. Ganondorf and Midna seem to ignore Link completely. Link is left on the side-lines while Midna and Ganondorf get on with it. The hero role of Link was thrown out of the window, which left me feeling somewhat ignored myself.

Maybe this is the reason why I'm feeling a little disenchanted with Zelda. Perhaps it has nothing to do with what a Zelda game is or what a Zelda game does, but merely how Twilight Princess disappointed me in its latter stages. It's really quite confusing. If it is for this reason, then it's easily remedied by Nintendo. In a Zelda game, Link is not the be-all and end-all, but he is incredibly significant. There hasn't been a Zelda game without Link. Much more important than Link, though, is our link to him (pun intended). As with most character- and story-driven games, we see the world through the main character's eyes. We become incredibly associated with them, or, at the most, we actually become them (in the game, at least). When this character becomes significant, we feel significant. When this character becomes insignificant, we feel insignificant. This is what bugged me more about the final parts of Twilight Princess.

However, what if it were the fact that I am bored with what a Zelda game is and what a Zelda game does? What if it is a little too set in its ways? What if the formula has become staid? What if the Zelda franchise needs to be shaken-up a little? I'll try to answer those questions and the titular question of this article soon…

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