future multiplayer

Many games today are based on multiplayer action, such as Counterstrike, Battlefield and all the MMORPG games. Zelda, on the other hand has always been a single player game, following a set plot of adventures. As an old Everquest player I have often wondered if a true multiplayer Zelda game would be good or bad for the Zelda scene. Well, lately we have seen Nintendo incorporate multiplayer functions in the two 4 Swords games. Is this perhaps the first move in a new direction? What do you think? Should it continue to be based on single games or are you open to more multiplayer? As for now theese multplayer functions do not work in networks and therefore it is very limited. You play as maximum 4 persons, allowing everyone to play as Link. The problem with mmorpg is that noone would probably play as Link, although there are lots of interesting races to choose from. I personally like the singel player base since it give the game a more intense feeling, and I enjoy every minute of it more. Its like comparing web surfing with reading a book. The new opportunities the electronic media provides are so many that I sometimes have hard to enjoy anything at all, everything becomes nihilated. On the other hand I would like to see nintendo keep exploring the small scale multiplayer options, perhaps allowing 4 people to play together via network modem. That way you can have both the excitement of playing together and keep the plot story. So.. what do YOU think?

No. The kind of Multi-player that FS/FSA had/has is great, they are meant to be fun games where you compete with your firends, throw them inbto pits etc. But an actual "Zelda" game (ie, AoL, aLttP,OoT) done with multi-player just wouldn't be that great. You all work together, no real competiton, "oh no, it's another boss that we all have to hit at the same time..." Even a FS/FSA style of multi-player over a network or modem wouldn't be that great, you can't joke with the other players if they can't hear you. finally, a Zelda MMORPG would just be terrable, I honestly doubt that there would be any way to get a good game that isn't a clone of every other MMORPG.

If you mean to turn Zelda into a MMORPG, I'll have to say no. They tried it with Star Wars, and look at that game, it's a huge disaster (a disaster that requires a monthly fee at that too). I've longed for a game like this in the past, but when I think about it more and more, it doesn't come off as possible...

yeah I agree with you concerning the mmorpg part. but I would really like to see a development of linking multiplayer.. perhaps we will see more of that on the Nintendo DS. many puzzles can be fun to work together with a friend.. and battles.. ohhh sweet battles..

Nintendo tends to be a little too conservative for my tastes, as a multiplayer Zelda could be great.

Heck they've already shown balls to create lame characters such as Tingle, why not create characters you or a friend could control other than Link? Heck you don't even have to create new ones, I'm sure a game where you could actually play as Zelda (when done right, sorry phillips) would also prove to be quite fun.

Hopefully we might see something like this with Nintendo Revolution (as hopefully it has more ready support for networked play as split screen isn't always the best way to go).

Something simple like a vs. dueling mode to a more complex co-op or even couter-op would be incredibly good - imagine yourself and a friend or two teaming up either working together or completing tasks your character alone can do (ie its up to your character to pull through) or even something like controlling Ganondorf or some other new evil bad guy either fighting against Hyrule or fighting against Hyrule and even Ganon and his minions in an attempt to replace him as the new evil.

If it was four then it would be fine but if it was a MMORPG then it wouldn't work out too well. Who would be Link? you can't have many variations on Link such as blue hair, tanned skin etc. Four Swords is the only way for multi-player Zelda. Games like Final Fantasy in MMORPG are fine because each game has different characters (excluding X-2)

I'd have to agree with everyone else on this one. Like others have already mentioned, the closest Nintendo would make multiplayer are games like FS/FSA and tWW (play as Tingle). If Nintendo was going to make a multiplayer game (meaning optional two player, like tWW), I'd like to see Link's Animal Allies to be the second player (Kaepora the Owl, Dimitry the swimming Dodongo, Moosh the flying bear, and Ricky the boxing Kangaroo). Since Tingle's only attack was his bombs, the other animal allies would have their own unique attacks. Owl has his talons/beak to scratch/peck with, Dimitry has his powerful bite, Moosh has his earth-shattering quakes, and Ricky has his tornado Punches. I don't think I have to explain any further, it's just a thought though.

-BGS

I prefere singal player, even in fsa, my friends were just running around and dying or running into spot lights hindering my progress so I like to go solo.

Originally Posted by silver arrow

I prefere singal player, even in fsa, my friends were just running around and dying or running into spot lights hindering my progress so I like to go solo.

Yeah I know the feeling (not specifically about FSA, but another situation). That's why I was hoping that FSA could have internet connectivity so you could play Hyrulian Adventures, Shadow Battle, or any of the other mini-games with kids around the world. If that could happen, four people (in four different parts of the world) could play simultaniously(sp?) and all of them could use a GameCube controller! What do you people think of that idea?

-BGS

Multiplayer Zelda will just fall at the first hurdle. Its alright for games like Ultima and such but if you make a multiplayer Zelda game everyones going to have a Master Sword. I prefer playing single player RPG's anyway.

There's a problem with online multiplayer. Notice how the online multiplayer modes are mostly repetitive. With first-person shooter deathmatching, it's repetitive in that you're doing nothing more than going around the same arenas and killing the same people. There are subtle variations such as people making their own arenas, but really, deathmatching is in itself repetitive.

Then there's the online RPG, which should be called, "Strike the same monsters billions of times until you get to a high level, then do that some more!" Again, nothing but repetition to keep gamers subscribed.

But after Nintendo showed its own innovative multiplayer genre, I gained faith in multiplayer again. This genre happens to be the handheld/console adventure game, with the two games in this genre being Four Swords Adventures and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. I haven't played Four Swords Adventures multiplayer (only solo) or Crystal Chronicles, but with a private screen for specific aspects (rooms in FSA, menus and maps in CC) and the TV for everyone to work together, it looks like Nintendo (and Square with CC) have captured the best aspects of single-TV party games and online games. This is innovative, and I'm sure it's difficult to get bored with Four Swords Adventures since repetition isn't the biggest aspect of the adventure. Cost isn't even a big problem with this genre if you think about it: everyone buys one GBA and one Link Cable, then someone gets (or rents) the game. This is compared to everyone needing a modem, the monthly online game fee, and an Internet connection.

Now if only Nintendo could make an online adventure that uses the FSA philosophy of never letting the experience feel tedious. To do this, an online Zelda game would need several dungeons for players to go through, as well as multiple new dungeons that come with updates. This would be a big strain on development though, so if this can't be done, then Zelda online wouldn't work.

I think it should have multi player, but not in the since of a MMORPG. It would get old, and I don't want a Zelda game that is like Everquest.

Well if multiply ideas for future, I'm saying ya right! the creators of Link's games have to make tons of new characters to allow multiplayer, but it would be awesome though...