Re: Zelda DS Discussion
This is just a quick little control scheme i've thought of for Zelda on the DS. It's not finely tuned, but i think it works.
Basically, The top screen would be used for displaying hearts, magic, rupees and keys, as well as showing the currently equipped items (apart from the sword), as well as a small section of the map your in. This leaves the bottom screen completely free for the action.
The way you hold the controller is the in your left hand, you hold the D-pad with your finger on the L button, as per normal. Your right hand holds the stylus, only touching the face buttons for some menu commands. These controls are obviosuly able to be mirrored for leftys.
Basic control setup, is that via a traditional top-down prespective, you move link with the D-pad. Move the styus quickly on the screen to make link slash in that direction, in the fashion you swing it.
The B button Brings up the Item select screen, which pauses the game. This is on the touch screen, making things quick and simple. tap the question mark icon in the corner before hitting an item to get the skinny on it. Drag the items into one of the three item circles in the corner of the screen to equip them to that slot. Items can only be used one at a time, by using the L trigger. This means there is one big circle (the one currently out), and two smaller ones. To wap between items in the heat of abttle, use A and Y to scroll around between them. R can also be used for scrolling.
Select will bring you to the map screen. Also on the touch screen, this allows you to swap between floors and zoom in, scroll around the map with ease and find your way.
Start will open the quest status screen, which is pon both screens, and you can navigate between everything you have found, as well as view a to-do list, which has self made hand written notes about what sidequests you are planning to do.
The L button is the main button you will use. While holding it down, using the stylus on the screen will make link use that item instead of his sword.
Here's an example:
I've entered a dungeon. I was planning on doing some more exploring before getting here, but I'm here now, so what the hell. I'll just press Start, go to the list, and write down that I saw a heart piece floating out at sea south from Kakariko.
I Press B, and equip my ice rod, boomerang and lens of truth. I proceed into a room ,and there are some enemies. standard grunts, nothing too bad. I move link forward and make him slash around. things are going well, but it's getting a little crowded, so I swing a circle around link and make a light spin attack. I decide to power up a bit more, so I press the stylus down on Link himself. He holds the sword out, and charges up. Super spina ttack. when he releases, draw circles to amke him spin that way.
I clear the room, and move onto it's puzzles and spoils. There are some jars. I walk link over there with the D-pad, and press the stylus on the jar to pick it up. I need to make sure i'm right up against it, or link won't reach it. Once it's in my posession, I can throw it by flicking the stylus away from Link. The faster and further the flick, the further it goes, and with more force. There are some blocks. some simple old-school pushing will do the job. just walk and keep pressing the D-pad.
In the next room, the added hardware of the DS shows some blur to the backdrop and I decide to get out my lens of truth. My ice rod is the thing currently out, so i tap A and scroll around to it. Next, I hold down L and by using the stylus, move the feild of vision with the lens (like a torch, except instead of shedding light on the dark, sheds truth on illusions), and spot a ghost. He sees that I see him, so runs away. I chase after him, careful not to let the stylus get too far awya from him, can't lose him. He throws some fake ones around to put me on, but I concentrate on moving around obstacles witht eh D-pad and keeping the lens on him.
He leads me to a place, performs some action with his arm, bows, then leaves. I check the map on the top screen, but it doesnt offer enough info as to where I am. I open the map with select, and realise that while I can trace my way abck to where I originally was, I havent acquired the dungeon map yet. I find that along the way I went through a one way door, so I must soldier on. I move on, but stop suddenly. I use the lens, and see that i'm in front of a chest. I open it, and low and behold, it's a dungeon map.
Being a new type of zelda, I'm going to capitolise on it'es features here. It's not enough to get the map, you must place the map you have just found over the map you have created yourself by exploring the rooms, like placing an unfinished jigsaw ontop of the final piece.
I move on. Theres a sea of flames intertwined amongst a maze of wals and pillars. No worries, I gots ice. I scroll back around to the ice rod, and By holding L and painting a path through the fire, i douse the flames and move on. easy. Theres an item in the flames, but is surrounded by an abyss. Also easy, I have the boomerang. I get to it, Hold L, and draw a line aroudn the room that starts at Link, Moves around the obstacles careful not to hit them), crosses the item and comes back to link. Once i join the head and tail, the boomerang makes it's journey around along the line and hits the item, and comes back to link. I could have just tapped a spot on the screen for the boomerang to travel to, but it would ahev just traveleld a straight line to it, and hit a post. If link needs to move while you paint the path, say in abttle, the first few centremetres of the line will curve, streach and move so that it is still joined to link.
So yeah, you get the idea. The possibilities for items are astounding. A magic wand could be used for moving items aroudn the room intuitively and realistically. A roc's feather or cape could be used by simply tapping link, then tapping him again in mid flight for a consecutive second or even third midair jump. A magic hookshot could be quite entertaining, and the spreading of magic powder or seeds could also be good. I can imagine enjoying pulling back the string on a bow or slingshot while link moves around the room, strafing left and right as I pull down on the bow.
Mods to the controls could make it more touch based. Rather than using the face buttons to change items, icons could appear in the top corner of the screen, and all you need to do is touch the icons and viola, you have changed items.
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Everyone is an idiot. Some are just better at hiding it than others.
09-11-2005, 11:09 AM
. What do you all think? 
