In a recent interview with CNET, The Legend of Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, shed some light on the highly anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the 3DS.
The original game for the SNES featured two worlds, Light and Dark, in which Link had to alternate between both. According to Aonuma, there will also be a Light side and a Dark side included in the upcoming title. Here's a small snippet from the interview in relation to the setting:
But why A Link to the Past? Why not create a new world for Link to explore? Aonuma says that the 3DS has allowed for the revisiting of a top-down world and provided new ways for the player to interact with a Zelda game. It was the perfect chance to reopen A Link to the Past. And like some other Zelda games in the past, the 3DS sequel will alternate between a light and dark world.
Aonuma went on to explain why Link was able to transform himself to a thin sheet of paper and stick to the wall. Those of you who have played Ocarina of Time may remember Phantom Ganon from the Forest Temple, who attacks from one of six paintings. "What if Link could have the same power?", Aonuma asked himself, and hence the idea was born.
You can check out the full interview at the link below, and share your thoughts on the light/dark mechanic and all things Zelda in the comments below, as always.
[source reviews.cnet.com]
Comments 76
Light/Dark is great news. It was my favorite feature.
Let's just hope that "Dark world" isn't the same place just at night time with harder enemies such as Skyward Sword's silent realms..
It is starting to worry me a bit: They are using the old stuff again. Hopefully there will be new concepts to be found in the game too.
has a zelda game ever disappointed, well only a little.
I was never that much of a fan of the light/dark world mechanic. Hopefully they'll incorporate a lot of new ideas in the concept, and change my mind about it.
That's nice. I wasn't sure that they had a real reason for using the Link to the Past setting.
Well that is great news. I loved the Light/Dark world in the original and I am really interested in seeing how the Paper Link feature will work out.
This better be an eShop title. Unless I see some serious polish I'm not dropping 40 dollars on it.
@Fusion14 I see what you mean, I saw the trailer and it looks below par in comparison even to the other portable Zelda games. I know it's very early to judge, but still... I would rather see a portable Zelda in a true 3D environment.
I was dreaming for the day Link to the Past was remade into a 3D world (even though I'm mostly into 2d retro). I'll definitely be buying this game, but still feel a lil disapointed they didn't turn it into an Ocarina or windwaker style world.
I have always liked the topdown Zelda's slightly better than the 3D editions. And hearing news like this feels great! I can't wait to explore both worlds. I just hope they're different enough from the original SNES game to feel fresh. But as some have said before, Zelda games have rarely disappointed anyone.
I'm with summa da ppl here, I wud LUV to explore a 3D a link to the past world o.m.g.
It will certainly be interesting to see how useful turning into a sheet of paper can be. When this game was first announced I was worried that it would be too similar to the original but Nintendo has hardly ever let me down. I am confident that this sequel will be able to differentiate itself from the original classic.
my fav Zelda games are the top-down ones so it's a major yes for me <3
I actually haven't finished any of the 3D ones yet! got to the last boss of Skyward Sword with 100% but lost interest and my Twilight disc broke
FUN FACT: The Phantom Ganon battle was a leftover relic from a point in Ocarina's development when Link was supposed to explore Ganon's Castle and jump into paintings to visit areas, just like Mario does in Peach's Castle during Super Mario 64.
Source: Did You Know Gaming?
Does that mean more Dark World theme love? <3
@fchinaski You will see that for the Wii U, so no need to put this one down just yet.
@fchinaski: I understand your concern but weren't we all concerned about elements of past Zelda games? Look how each of those turned out. Nearly the whole series of Zelda games ended up being epic!when it comes to Zelda nintendo rarely disappoints!
This game seems good to me! I can't wait for it!
This is the game that will finally break me. I'll be picking up a 3DS XL when this comes out. I just hope there is a color I like better by that time. The blue is nicer than it looks in pictures, though...
I always wished each subsequent Zelda had as good a light and dark world to explore as the LttP one so I'm happy but it would be nice if they found a good way to implement it like the time periods in Oot.
I've said it before but I really think they should have the dungeon order affect the whole of Hyrule. If there were 10 main dungeons in total and Link aged a year each time you completed one the game world could be changed i.e. complete a water temple and flood the desert turning it into a jungle. I'm sure this would make the game the most complicated thing ever if done properly, but I'm confident in Nintendo to come up with something special for Zelda U.
I think paper Link will look really cool in Super Smash Brothers U. Hope he isn't hard to unlock.
@Smitherenez Yeah, but they've waited 20 years to recycle it. That's better than most other developers =P
I don't understand people complaining. Why should there be only one kind of Zelda games? I think diversity is good. I myself am a big fan of the top-down Zeldas and if I had 3DS, I would be more than happy to pay a full game price for this, as this is a full game. Don't forget, Nintendo is about doing quality content.
i think a sequel to majoras mask would be better.
I don't get why people are so quick to judge this. It looks super. I think there should be a clear divide between handheld and console Zelda games - it'll help keep the series fresh.
@Beta
I have the Dark World theme in my head now. Wonderful music!
@cgh Im pretty much agreeing with you, I perfer MM over ALTTP, hell MM is probaubly my favorite zelda.
Basically here's the divide: Under 25 years old: "I hate this! It's not polished! I want a true 3D world to explore!" Over 25 years old: "I love this! Excited to see this classic game updated! Love the original top-down style!" Of course there are exceptions to both rules, but the consensus of both stands.
@grumblebuzzz I'm nineteen and really excited for this game. ALttP was an astoundingly good game. =D
Look, I'm not complaining or judging, I'm just saying that I think it doesn't look good so far and I agree with the other user who said that it looks unpolished. (And I know it's VERY EARLY to judge, as I said in the first post.) I saw the trailer and the use of 3D to make Link jump in your face just looked silly and lazy. I'm sorry, but it does. But anyway, it's just my opinion, and it can be different from yours — I sure as hell won't be judging anyone who thinks it's the most beautiful trailer they've ever seen. I also hope it turns out to be a great game. Oh, I'm 32 BTW.
"What if?" is mostly not a good reason to put something in the game that doesn't need to be there.
I bet only a few certain areas would look the same (Kakariko Village and maybe Hyrule Castle), I'm sure Nintendo may surprise us with some new areas or dungeons to explore. Many gamers once thought Super Metroid starts the same as the original Metroid and would go the same path too then behold after getting the morph ball and entering Jungle Brinstar, the re-exploration began. The map had evolve 3x larger than before, I think A Link to the Past 2 will be quite like that.
I still need to play LttP, I was holding from it due to the chances of a remake, but now I'll buy it for the Wii U eshop before playing this one.
@undead_terror if there ever is a sequel to mm BEN could be the main antagonist.
Storywise and timeline placement should be interesting as the dark world no longer exists at the end of ALTTP.
Man this is so awesome!!!!!! I'm getting more and more excited about the game! I hope that like the New Marios they do at least one LttP type game per system.
Okay hang on, problem.
Inasmuch as I loved the Dark World, it CEASED TO EXIST at the end of Link to the Past. Link got the Triforce, banished Ganon's evil wish, and fixed everything. So HOW can the Dark World exist in a sequel? Unless they're going to completely rehash the entire plot and make Ganon get it yet again, which would make absolutely no sense since Link to the Past was one of the few Zelda games where Ganon was KILLED, and he wasn't resurrected until Oracle of Ages/Seasons (as a mindless beast which was promptly put down again).
This makes no sense.
Hmm.. So it takes place after lttp but still has the Dark World? Dark World was set to be vanquished and restored to the Golden Land. Wonder how they're going to make this work. Ninty's never let me down, though. Lifelong Zelda (Nintendo in general) fan from Boston area here.
@paburrows I totally agree as I REALLY missed the top-down zeldas but I wouldn't want them to abuse this formula as they did with the new super mario one, this game has EVERYTHING to be awesome.
I hope they don't force an unintuitive story just to bring the light/dark thematics back.
This actually gives credence to the idea of time travel to the past. The game would start in "the present" where the Dark World was transformed into Golden Land and then you would have to find a link to the past where Ganon was still the ruler of the Dark World.
Makes some sense, huh?
with this set in the same world as LTTP, how hard would it be for them to incorporate a 3d version of the first game into the mix. It would make the game pretty expansive at cost very little memory increase on the cart or digital download.
But...... the Dark world disappeared when Link defeated Ganon.....
This game is really original.
Can't wait for the game bring it on.
Every time they reveal something similar to LttP, it makes me less excited for this game.
Looking forward to the story to see how this is all explained since it's pretty much a direct sequel.
@Big_L91: Need I remind you of the horrible touch screen controls on both DS games?
@KnightRider666
"Need I remind you of the horrible touch screen controls on both DS games?"
am i the only one around here who thought those controls were comfortable?
zelda a link to the past was the best game ever and then ocrana of time was the best zelda game ever. you ve had to have a super nintendo in the 90s to know what i meen.
@0SP_ZELDAiii: Wow, seriously? I would have had no problems if they would have let the player choose between buttons or touch screen controls. It's a shame because Nintendo IMO ruined what could have been 2 great Zelda DS titles. I did like the boomerang touch screen controls though.
ALttP is my second favorite Zelda game, and the one I have the most nostalgia attached to, so I natutally can't wait!
"But why A Link to the Past? Why not create a new world for Link to explore?" This line frightens me deeply. If they reuse the map from lttp, or slightly alter it just enough to say it's "new", I will lose a great deal of faith in this company...
That the way ALttP2 progresses will be significantly different from other Zeldas was the most interesting tidbit I took from that article.
@fchinaski it looks like a damn PS1 title. They either better out some serious polish on this smelly shoe or make it an eShop exclusive. I'm hoping for eShop because it would show everyone what the shop is capable of and might attract British gamers that are skittish of online transactions
@Fusion14 Now you're saying something you've no right to say. Saying it looks like a PS1 game is taking it a bit far.
I agree that the shader effects are a bit too ''shiny'' (I'd prefer cell-shaded matte) but the character models are nice, animation is fluid and the gameplay is very smooth!
Maybe it looks a bit generic at times, but that's mostly the dungeon, not the characters, stuff or other environments.
EDIT
@fchinaski #9 ''I saw the trailer and it looks below par in comparison even to the other portable Zelda games.''
Statements like this need good arguments. I understand you said it's early to judge, and I will stress this point.
It could turn out to be anything at this point.
@cgh No because BEN is a fan made thing, I would rather have majoras revenge or something on the lines of that.
@Moshugan if I was talking out my butt, you'd be dead.
Mostly what I'm saying is the eShop would benefit greatly from this game.
While this will be another nice call back to the classic, I'd really love for this game to at least show an effort to set itself apart from the original and be unique.
@Fusion14 Pardon my language, it was uncalled for. But surely is yours also. I'll edit my post as an apology.
@undead_terror i know BENs fan made and the whole storys fake whoever it is that wrote BEN DROWNED said so himself.I think it would be cool if phantom ganon could somehow be the main antagonist.I would also rather have majoras revenge to if phantom ganon couldn't be the main antagonist but if there ever is a sequel to mm it probably would be majoras revenge.
@Fusion14: Are you kidding me? This game looks amazing. I'm sure everybody else will love it.
@KnightRider666 it looks amazing... Wow you are DENSE. This game needs waayyyyy more polish.
i too agree that the visuals need more oomph. however, this game has another 6 months before its out. thatsvplenty of time to pollish. i'm partial to four swords adventure's filter myself.
sounds good to me just hope they do change it up a bit and not be too similar to the other game
I actually really like how this looks, but apparently I'm one of the only ones who thinks that.
@LDXD Im just saying you cannot release a game like this as retail. If it was an eShop exclusive then I would say the graphics are awsome. But if people think this will be a retail title... The graphics need a major boost. I'm not much for fancy graphics but this would not push the limits of the 3DS at all as a retail game. Look at Nintendogs + cats
i wonder if thise game will have a gold game card i cant wate to get it i will be rich.
@Fusion14: No, pal. I'm entitled to my opinion as are you. That doesn't make me dense. You don't have to buy it when it comes out.
@LDXD: Fusion14 is just super picky, that's all. I think it looks great so far, and I'd buy it the way it is. Games can always be improved upon, so if it gets improved to Fusion14's standards, I guess we are all in for an amazing game!
@KnightRider666 yes I do. REMEBER IM A MINDLESS NINTENDO LOYALIST.
@Fusion14: Okaaay... Whatever you say buddy.
While I don't have as fond of memories for LttP compared to say Ocarina of Time, It still have a great nostalgia effect from me. The biggest question now is, WILL IT HAVE THE PYRAMID?
@SanderEvers Nintendo has already said multiple times that this is a direct sequel to LttP. The game's WORKING TITLE in Japan is "Link to the Past 2" for pete's sake.
thise game looks vary vary good zelda was naver a realistic game i know my speeling is not that good but dont dice me about it.
@KnightRider666 thats why i said only a little, i didnt think the touch screen controls were all that bad, but yeah definatily not perfect.
@Big_L91: They killed the experience for me.
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