Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

@Meowpheel: We will see what happens. Like I said. I didn't play Hyrule Warriors Legends (I only have a normal 3DS XL and already own the Wii U version. Didn't want to pay $40 for the same game again with more content)

@Detective_TeeJay: Well, seeing her in Hyrule Warriors, I'd say she is one... Just not the hero.

@DefHalan: oh that's too bad, I'd say Legends blows the original out of the water by a big margin. It's really a much better game. Her story is very short and simple you can probably read it or watch a YouTube video about it.

@Meowpheel: I just barely played the Wii U version as it was. I have so many games I want to play, I don't have the time to go back and re-play a game sadly. From everything I have heard, it wouldn't be too hard to make Linkle the Female version of Link. It would be a different Linkle from Hyrule Warriors and she could be the incarnation of the hero too. I just don't really see how she is such a different character that she couldn't be "the" hero. I think a lot of people missed out on Legends too and if there is a Female version of Link those people will just call her Linkle because that is all they know, like me. It would seem weird if Female Link isn't Linkle, unless they do more with that character, in my opinion.

If they do end up degrading her to gender swap, that'd be disappointing for sure. I'd like to believe they'll use her in better ways, should they decide to bring her back, or add her to the main games.

Anyway, that's true. Unfortunately, the "female link" stigma will probably follow the character forever.

Well, if they have a Female Link in the new game and a Linkle side quest where Female Link can interact with Linkle, I think it would fix that issue. It is Zelda and it is Nintendo, who knows what is in store for us lol.

That's exactly how it comes off to me as well, so I'm not putting much stock in these rumours:

"Rumor #1: Yes, Zelda is coming to both Wii U and NX. I confirmed it with a ton of people."

How is she able to get such "solid" assurances from so many sources, yet we have no solid idea on what the NX is. If people so many have loose enough tongues to talk Zelda U, then there would certainly be more people willing to talk about the NX. People involved in both would be subject to NDAs. I'm not saying she hasn't been right in the past, but she has been wrong as well.

@Meowpheel and @DefHalan, yep, Linkle's her own thang. And she seems to exist in the same timeline as Hyrule Warriors Link, which I doubt will intersect with Zelda Wii U/NX. Given that — plus the reasons cited by myself and Meowpheel — and I'd say those who are expecting anything more than a gender swap are going to be disappointed. If there's even that, since we're still dealing with a rumor, of course.

@VelvetElvis: The rumor could very well be false. VO, Gender Choice, and NX port are all pretty common conversations revolving around the Zelda series. We will see what comes of Linkle. Female Link will probably always be considered Linkle unless they actually do something with Linkle in the series

I realise that. But I'm saying that I was hoping they would go for a bit more indepth story and character development in the future. This would pretty much rule that out permanently.

@Meowpheel: I would disagree that Zelda and Link's relationship has never advanced beyond friendship. It depends of course on what you define as romance and how it has been demonstrated in videogames specifically, for obvious reasons Nintendo ain't gonna go all the way (for the better of course) but I don't think there needs to be a song and dance made of it all and the game to specifically point out that Link and Zelda are an item of sorts. The chemistry that was apparent between them in Skyward Sword was on the right track in my mind, especially with the great implementation of Groose as a rival of sorts. If they revert back to a simple friendship or whatever the heck you would describe their relationship was in Twilight Princess then I would see it as a missed opportunity to develop them further. Even Wind Waker had Tetra being flirty towards Link, and I think that even that is better than what was in Ocarina of Time and most definitely Twilight Princess.

Though this is probably just the Wind Waker and Skyward Sword fan in me speaking.

@TheLastLugia: in TP I'd say they're.... Acquaintances?

Those last moments after the credits must've been a bit awkward, at least. The game implies it's bit hard to get out of the desert without magical Twilight portals.

"Sooooo... Will your guards come for you?"

"... I think so."

"Do you want to wait them here, or should we start walking towards the entrance of the desert.. Or..?"

<several minutes of silence>

"Do... Do you like goats?"

@Meowpheel: hahahaahaha I must've played TP to completion (maybe including one or two LPs of the game I've watched) 5-6 times and I've seen that scene in particular many more and I've never thought about it like that. That was probably Midna's doing trying to give Link a more than subtle hint that he needed to find someone else that she'd trap them both their together.

The sort of thing I'm hoping for is something like the Zidane and Garnet romance in FF9. That would fit a Zelda game. It was fairly mild and quite innocent and childish but still a clear relationship that went beyond just smiling at people in suggestive ways.

@Meowpheel: In Spirit Tracks there are some particularly strong romantic nudges (for a Zelda game)

Well, seeing how it's the only game where Link spends more than ten minutes at a time with Zelda, I guess they had to develop their relationship at least a bit.

Being the one and only being she can interact with in her state probably helped developing feelings of attachment, too. And she's also basically the only Zelda that actually sees what Link goes through during his adventure...

I'm all for having the gender option, though I'm not crazy about making Link female. I think the character is defined as a male, and if they do a gender swap, it should be for a different character.

Some people are saying that this would keep the game from giving Link an established character, but aside from a romantic plot, I fail to see that. Link has always been rather androgenous, so the character can have the same non-romantic relationships regardless.

As for romantic subplots, SS Zelda is one of my least favorite characters in the series, and I hated that plot. As someone on GameFAQs so eloquently put it: "Link isn't you, you are Link". Meaning that Link isn't an avatar for you, but rather you are supposed to project yourself into the character. That gets really difficult when the game is shoving down your throat "OH THEY'RE CLOSE FRIENDS! THEY'D MAKE A CUTE COUPLE RIGHT!?!?!".

Ultimately, I think they should stick with other relationships, which are easier to develop without explicitly telling the player with cutscenes.

@iKhan: Or do like Ocarina of Time did, and give Link 5 potential girlfriends.

OT Link was a real playa.

The thing is that OoT never TOLD you that "Link" likes those characters. The just kind of forced themselves on him.

@iKhan:

I think I actually remember you saying how much you disliked that Zelda about 200 pages ago.