Arguably one of the most enjoyable parts of The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask was fooling around with the new abilities that came with transformations. Perhaps the most entertaining of these abilities was Zora Link's quick swimming. Arcing in and out of the water like a dolphin and corkscrewing everywhere was a euphoric experience and an amusing distraction, not terribly different from the freeing sensation of flying. That's all well and good, but it'll be a bit more limited this time around on the 3DS remake.
As the video below shows, Nintendo has opted to slow down Zora Link's swimming in favour of more maneuverability. This should help in terms of navigation, especially in the dreaded water temple, but it is a rather disappointing change. Not all hope is lost, however, as the fast swimming will return; albeit in a more restrained form. Zora Link will now be able to swim as fast as before by activating the magic shield, which will make him resemble something like a watery shooting star as he blasts through the water, evidently invincible. The only downside is that it will use up magic, meaning it can't be sustained for very long.
Are you disappointed by this new development? Did you used to spend time aimlessly swimming about just for the fun of it? Sound off in the comments below.
[source youtube.com]
Comments (43)
Hmm, it might work out for the better, but I loved the swimming in the original. I was amazed at how seamless it was to leap from the water and roll out onto the land in one motion.
@Peach64 I second that, so many hours wasted away just swimming about and trying to land those, memories
only slightly disapointed that i have to use magic to speed up ... like i said though slightly =w= bumping into all the things was annoyin
I'd much rather take a slower speed for better control. I'm in favor of this change.
I couldn't really remember the swimming aspect but the way you have written about it makes it sound so darn tantalising!
I really liked the swimming in the original. It made traversing the great bay area very quick, which was handy for a certain part of the game involving some eggs. This change will bring Zora Link in line with Goron Link's fast movement ability, however. I wonder if they'll place magic pots around to compensate?
I haven't played this game for a long time, but wasn't there a part in the game that involved a race when swimming? Won't that be affected?
Maneuverability > Speed.
@Ootfan98 The beavers will probably swim slower, too.
Overall, I think it still works for the best. You can still goof around a bit with the magic shield anyway, and it's not like I'd spend an hour doing dolphin jumps out of the water.
So, trading a "fun" sideline activity that has absolutely no point for something, that enables you to play the game more fluently is now a bad thing ?
I guess there had to be something to complain about...
Make that one water boss easier
I think its bet-shot
Seems like a good change to me, it kinda makes sense since going really fast as goron Link costs magic too. I'd rather be able to maneuver in a room than swim aimlessly in a bay.
We'll see how it turns out. I feel like I had issues with it before as well, but it's been a while lol
I think it's better then earlier!!!!!!!!
Sounds cool.
It's not like there is anything to actually out run in the water, I'm not sure why they felt they needed to make swimming fast require magic. They could have just as easily just allowed you to swim fast without using magic. It just seems like an inconvenience for no real reason.
The weakspots are a definite eyesore,
But this is not. Swimming without the force field in the original was a death wish. Those bony fish would eat you alive just for trying to get to the next fetch quest. It'd be like riding Epona, and Poes are attacking you, but you cannot see them in time and you have no Bow.
And I hear complaints about "savescumming," and yet this was never an issue in every other LoZ?
Seriously, it's these kinds of complainers that make it hard for Nintendo to listen to The Core base of dwindling fans, and get these games back on the right track before passing them off to the mass market.
Beating up those tube critters underwater was the really annoying part for me.
Although this is extremely dissapointing to me because I have a lot of childhood memories with this game swimming around aimlessly like a dolphin, I guess we'll all adapt to it eventually
I actually like that change! I used to forget Zora link even had a magic shield, but now that it is the only way to go fast, I think I'll make better use of it.
This definitely looks more balanced than the original. Good job Nintendo!
@Crimzonlogic
That, or you have unlimited magic or something.
It's a little crummy not to be able to swim around super fast for the sake of fun, but increasing maneuverability will actually make things a lot easier. It could be pretty dang hard to control sometimes.
Booooo!! I literally use to swim around great bay for hours ducking and diving...
I can get used to it. Besides, I usually get Chateau Romani often once I have access to it, so with infinite magic it won't be a problem.
No big deal.
Just get some of the magic milk that gives you infinite magic and problem solve (although completing that quest might take a while)
Nintendo I need to walk across the road, can you help me out here, Cause I'll NEVER figure it out.
Bummer. I guess better maneuverability is preferable, but swimming was so much fun in the original MM. Time to get that Chateau Romani!
It's not that bad. Some people are making a mountain out of a molehill about this. Have they all forgotten repeatedly bumping into walls in those narrow corridors in the pirate fortress basement, and then again in Great Bay Temple?
I must be the only person that dose not want this game on the 3ds they should have made a remake of mario kart 64 or donkey kong 64 or make donkey kong 3d land instead i just do not care about Zelda
@HyperSonicEXE
I really, really hate the blatantly obvious weak points in Zelda games. "Oh, I wonder if I'm supposed to hit the glowing, pulsating eye!" It's offensive, that's the only way of putting it.
The exception to this is probably Link Between Worlds, since that one is a lot more lighthearted and fast-paced, and not intended to be taken seriously. MM, on the other hand, is quite dark and serious and the eye weakspots make my stomach turn slightly.
Did you used to spend time aimlessly swimming about just for the fun of it? Yes, so this has disappointed me.
@Sforzando
I play Star Fox, and most LoZ games that don't do weakspots are extremely obvious about the item or weapon, so I don't mind that so much. I just wish it made sense! If their face (the soon-to-be-mask) was glowing, well that'd be one thing.
But one of Majora's eyes, just really big? There are 2 eyes on the mask! And to emerge from an ancient warrior's neck/back (couldn't tell), or a mechanical beast, or a fish's mouth, just doesn't make any sense at all!
I'd be okay with this... if the Magic Shield didn't make such an awful ear-piercing sound!
Eh. Couldn't they have allowed the player to toggle fast or slow with a button or something? Locking it to using magic just seems to be a waste.
I'll admit, as a kid I spent a lot of time swimming around, and that will be missed to an extent. As an adult, I rarely have the gaming time to play so frivolously, so it won't be much of a loss for my MM3D playthroughs.
I see why they chose for this, but I think Zora-Link should be quick WITHOUT using magic. Ah well, I can't be to pissed about those changes. After all, there's still the original to go back to.
Hopefully the beaver brothers will be suitably nerfed as well.
This change is great, guys. I can't count the number of times I slammed into things while trying to maneuver where it actually mattered — in the underwater dungeon sections. Yeah, swimming around in the ocean (all 10 feet of it) was fun, but it was never practical and there was no reason to do it for more than a minute before moving on to actually completing the game.
This actually sounds like a good change. Now you get some controls over how fast he moves and there's always chateau romani!
I did waste a lot of time as a kid just swimming around but I'm sure this change is fine.
I'll just bring it up on Virtual Console when I want to do some real swimming.
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