Episodic Zelda

This is my first thread. Huzzah! Oh well, I just wanted to throw out one of the things I am craving to see happen with the next generation of games. I'm sure it's been mentioned before but since I'm new I will arrogantly and ignorantly post this. Haha.

I love Zelda (surprise) but one thing that KILLS me is waiting for the new content. I mean one Zelda game (on the console) every... 2 years?) It's a long time and I'm not patient. Now, they upgrade a LOT of stuff and change the gameplay of course. And it's worth it.

However I for one also love animation (ie cartoons). And the thing that hooks me on them so bad is the episodic nature of televison. Everyone in the world HAS to know what happens next on American Idol (if you haven't seen it [like me] avoid at all cost). My friends are so hooked on that show.

So wouldn't it be nice to have an Episodic Zelda?

You buy the game for full price and it comes complete with Episodes. I'm not suggesting that they generate themselves but scripted episodes in a constant world. Similar to a cartoon. The episodes can build on each other or they can be seperate mini-quests. Each one taking a few hours to complete.

And then offer a periodic update where you can download via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and buy the new episode for cheap ($2 or something that the marketing whizzes could decide on) and continue. You live in Hyrule you breathe Hyrule.

I loved Half-Life. But what made Half-Life immortal (so to speak) was all the modifications that you could download (ie Counterstrike, Day of Defeat, etc). I'm just surprised that no one has REALLY implemented this in any gaming thus far. I know they tried it with Wing Commander but the technology wasn't established. It would be easy now to pull off.

-Anthony

I don't think that would me my cup of tea, I prefer buying a game, and once you've completed it, it's finished.

a game that just keep building up without a definite ending would just seem pointless and frustrating to me.

Originally Posted by Snapdragon

a game that just keep building up without a definite ending would just seem pointless and frustrating to me.

It wouldn't have a definite ending but if you think about it Zelda really doesn't have one either. Each game is an episode on a seperate disc. I'm not suggesting ghetto mini-quests (if anyone has played Star Wars/Indiana Jones desktop adventures you'll understand) but anime-cartoon like buildups.

The climax of each episode can build upon each other sucking you in.

Lame Example based off of Zelda Cartoons/my psychotic imagination:

1) First Episode: Ganon's forces attack Hyrule town

Drive back the main troops and then, alerted to the presence of another stealth invasion force, find and remove the troops.

Battle with Moblin boss leads to discovery of part of Ganon's plan:

2) Second Episode: Travel to distant land and recover what Ganon is looking for before his troops arrive

3) Third Episode: Attack Ganon's Lair head on..

4) Etc...


Yeah.

-Anthony

Originally Posted by aselino

The climax of each episode can build upon each other sucking you in.

Lame Example based off of Zelda Cartoons/my psychotic imagination:

1) First Episode: Ganon's forces attack Hyrule town

Drive back the main troops and then, alerted to the presence of another stealth invasion force, find and remove the troops.

Battle with Moblin boss leads to discovery of part of Ganon's plan:

2) Second Episode: Travel to distant land and recover what Ganon is looking for before his troops arrive

3) Third Episode: Attack Ganon's Lair head on..

4) Etc...

I really don't see the point, all that can just as easily be put in one game.

Hmm I don't completly get it. Are you sggesting that the make an episode like every two weeks? That they make the game part for part so that you play it part for part?
So that after say two years you have played the entire game. But haven't had to wait two years?

Hmm, if you spoonfeed people bits of a game, they won't be mewing for the sequel.

But that would cost too much with localization and seperate discs.

But Zelda is like an RPG. Most of the time in RPGs, that's it for those charas, the sequel is usually set in a complelty universe with new characters. With Zelda, each new game (more or less) brings a new Link Zelda and supporting cast, and the previous ones have been dead for hundreds of years.

The only real episodic RPG I have seen is Xenosaga. So anyway.

I think a Zelda Anime would be just what the fans need if it isn't crappy or annoying, and preserves the nature of the game and its charas. A crappy portrayel would ruin the charm of the franchise. It would be great to see the charas done in a beautiful but less big eyed anime style. More like the facial images in Baten Kaitos then Tales of Symphonia.

I think one of the best aspects on a new zelda game is the antisapation befor it because we only get a new zelda every 2 years it makes it seem that much more special and make you really exited to see whats it gonna be like, then when it finaly comes out and you play it, it's all worth it.
a zelda game every month or so would get boring, sort of like if we had Christmas every day it would be awsome for a coupla week then it just wouldnt seem that special, and thats what I like about Zelda games they feel special (unlike mario party games where theres a new one anounced every week)

Originally Posted by aselino

I love Zelda (surprise) but one thing that KILLS me is waiting for the new content. I mean one Zelda game (on the console) every... 2 years?) It's a long time and I'm not patient.

That's not a very long time IMO. It feels like they're spitting out games all the time O_o. I guess that comes with age; a different perspective of what a "long time" is.

Originally Posted by aselino

However I for one also love animation (ie cartoons). And the thing that hooks me on them so bad is the episodic nature of televison.

Well StarWars is supposed to be like that, so if Nintendo did something similar to StarWars, with several stand-alone chapters but with a story that binds them all together.. it could work. I know I've said this before, but Nintendo could make a trilogy and then release a game of that trilogy every year. That could work.

Originally Posted by aselino

So wouldn't it be nice to have an Episodic Zelda?

No not really, unless it is like I said above. But I'd rather have a full game than buying a bunch of expansions. Expansions are for RTS games on the PC

Originally Posted by aselino

I loved Half-Life. But what made Half-Life immortal (so to speak) was all the modifications that you could download (ie Counterstrike, Day of Defeat, etc). I'm just surprised that no one has REALLY implemented this in any gaming thus far. I know they tried it with Wing Commander but the technology wasn't established. It would be easy now to pull off.

This would be really hard to implement into a video game. If you consider the fact that you can edit HL and other games on your computer and then spread the files around for others to download. How would this work on a video game such as the Nintendo?

Unless you're talking about Nintendo making "modifications" themselves and then allowing us to download them. How would we store the games on our gamecube/revolution?

Anyway, they have already done this with the N64 when they released the 64DD and planned to make expansions for the games. Does Ura-Zelda (Master Quest) sound familiar to anyone? ^_^

According to history, the expansion machine and its games/expansions didn't sell as well as expected.

That would give link a voice. The reason Link oesn't have a voice is that it takes part of the game away. We all have our own Links with different personalties, modest, humble,srrogant,sweet,kind, vengeful, so giving him a tone of voice would take that away.

Back in the mid 90's they had zelda BS (for the Satellaview famicom attatchment) in an episode structure. The game was divided into 4 weekly episodes, played live in real time, at the same time a videogame tips show was running on the satellite network. They had live voice actors too, including a narrator giving tips, and in the cutscenes. Different tasks/journey each episode. The format sounds like a lot of fun personally.

i think it could potentially work well, but not for zelda. i'm sure that a new nintendo franchise could put something like this to good use, though. but i think zelda is too epic, in a way, to fit with a concept like this.

2 years is a long time for me, but then again, abscence makes the heart stronger. The FF swords have been coming out in swarms, but a good Zelda game comes along every so often.

Originally Posted by getrad

Back in the mid 90's they had zelda BS (for the Satellaview famicom attatchment) in an episode structure. The game was divided into 4 weekly episodes, played live in real time, at the same time a videogame tips show was running on the satellite network. They had live voice actors too, including a narrator giving tips, and in the cutscenes. Different tasks/journey each episode. The format sounds like a lot of fun personally.

Yeah but the system failed, just like the disquette drive for the NES and the drive for the N64. Nintendo are just not good with expansions.

Hehe, I wonder what the "BS" part of Zelda BS stands for...

Originally Posted by Senap

Yeah but the system failed, just like the disquette drive for the NES and the drive for the N64. Nintendo are just not good with expansions.

Hehe, I wonder what the "BS" part of Zelda BS stands for...

Hehe I thought the same thing

The problem with such things is that the more new and revolutionary it is the harder people run away from it... In time it will be apriciated but for the first years after its 'release' *run*...