- THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIDEO GAMES
THURSDAY,MARCH 13,2003
GameCube game rallies Zelda fans
By Nicole Roché
nroche@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Chad Pope doesn't like the GameCube, but in a few weeks he might succumb to the system he once denounced.
That's because The Wind Waker, the newest game in the Legend of Zelda series arrives in stores March 24.
A common LINK
"Right now I honestly don't think the GameCube has much to offer," Pope, a Wichita junior, said. "But every single Zelda game that's come from Nintendo has been great."
Here's a look at the major U.S. Zelda releases in the last 16 years.
The Legend of Zelda (1987)
The Wind Waker is the eighth original release for the series in the United States. Although fans said they were excited about the upcoming release, some had mixed feelings about the game's appearance.
in the series, this game drew fans for life with its innovative gameplay and story concept.
Zelda II: Link's Adventure (1988)
This game switched to a side-scrolling screen that was less popular with fans.
A Link to the Past (1992)
A favorite among fans this game featured complex dungeons and puzzles that would become a Zelda mainstay. Link traveled between the Light and Dark worlds.
Ocarina of Time (1998)
Kevin Augspurger, Wichita junior, preordered his copy of The Wind Waker in January. Despite being a fan, Augspurger said the cel-shaded graphics made the game look juvenile.
Link made the transition to 3D in this game, which was released for the N64. Gamers could transform from young Link to adult
the Guinness Book of World Record's title for most preorders — 350,000 — according to the zeeldafan.com.
using the Temple of Time. This game held
A truly bizarre take on the Zelda theme: Link transformed into different creatures by donning masks. This game was similar to Ocarina of Time in style and handling.
Majora's Mask (2000)
The Wind Waker [May 24, 2003]
Cel-shading is when designers draw each polygon with a black outline, Augspurger said, which gives it a hand-drawn appearance. Shadows are depicted in a blocky, exaggerated manner like a cartoon.
That hasn't stopped fans from heading
Some love it, some hate it. Link may look like a pansy, but that doesn't
"People have started calling it Cel-da," Augspurger said. "It makes casual gamers over the age of 12 think twice about buying it."
to Target to play The Wind Waker demo, which has been available at the store for the past three weeks.
Nicole Roché/Kansan
Mike Dixon, Target employee, said there was always someone playing the demo, which was a preview of one of the game's dungeons.
Dixon said as of Sunday the store had 41 preorders for the game. He said he had heard a lot of buzz about the cel-shading.
"Some people like it; some people hate it," Dixon said. "Some are like, 'It's Zelda, I'll buy it no matter what."
Dixon said he was one who would buy the game no matter what. A fan since the
original Legend of Zelda was released in 1987, Dixon said it was interesting to see younger fans play the demo.
"They didn't start off with the regular Nintendo, so they didn't get that two-dimensional experience," he said. "They didn't get to see the evolution of the game."
Matt Nyquist, Lindsborg freshman, said he had played the dungeon demo and was impressed with the cel-shading.
"I actually think it gives it a more artistic feel," Nyquist said. "It's a good example of how a video game can be art."
Nyquist said the dungeon demo was reminiscent of the 1992 Zelda game A
Link to the Past.
That's good news for Pope, the Zelda fan who said he'd purchase a GameCube as soon as its $150 price lowered. "A Link to the Past" is his favorite Zelda game.
"The music's great, the puzzles are great and the Tri-Force kicks ass," Pope said.
The complexity of the Zelda games has always kept players perplexed, Pope said, and he expects The Wind Waker to continue the tradition.
"As long as it has the puzzles," he said, "I don't really care what it looks like."
— Edited by Melissa Hermreck
Zelda games that Nintendo wants to forget
By Nicole Roché
nroche@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Sometimes the past comes back to haunt us - even for Nintendo.
When Nintendo's official Zelda source, zelda.com, listed the Legend of Zelda games, it conveniently left out three 1993 releases: Link: Faces of Evil, The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure.
Kevin Augspurger, Wichita junior and Zelda fan, called these three games "Nintendo's dirty secrets."
That's because, as ign.com states, these are the games that Nintendo doesn't want you to know about.
These games, which were released for Philips' CD-i system, are laughable at best Augspurger said.
According to ign.com, the subpar quality of these games had its roots in a scandal that began in 1988.
With CD-ROM possibilities on the horizon, Nintendo strategically signed with Sony and created a new system code-named Play Station Experimental. This enhanced CD player would be compatible with CD-ROMs as well as Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Super NES console.
However, in 1990, with CD-ROM technology taking hold, Nintendo Co. president Hiroshi Yamauchi realized an agreement with Sony would mean giving up absolute control over license and manufacturing.
Yamauchi decided to develop a new plan without telling Sony — Nintendo would sign with Philips, Europe's major
electronics manufacturer, to make games for Philips' new CD-i system.
On the first day of the International Consumer Electronics Show in 1991, Sony announced its partnership with Nintendo, unaware of the Nintendo and Philips alliance.
On the second day of the show, when everyone expected Nintendo to discuss details of the Sony partnership, Nintendo instead announced the new Philips partnership.
The rest is history. After being shafted by Nintendo, Sony went on to release the PlayStation in 1994, and it has been a blow to Nintendo's backside ever since.
The three Zelda games may be the most pathetic evidence of the botched Nintendo/Sony ordeal.
According to ign.com, the games employed sloppy graphics, poor voice-overs and terrible handling. Released just after A Link to the Past, still a fan favorite, the games seemed even more tragic.
Philips' CD-i, or "Imagination Machine," Nintendo gave Philips the license to create games using the Zelda namesake.
Augspurger said he wouldn't let fellow Zelda fans forget the blight on Nintendo's history.
"People say there's never been a bad Zelda game yet," Augspurger said, "but there's been three."
Clips from the second of the three games, The Wand of Gamelon, can be viewed at insider.ign.com/articles/316625p1.html.
Instead of creating the games for the — Edited by Melissa Hermreck