Why the Mirrored World?

I've been wondering this for a while, why did they mirror the world in the Wii version of Twilight Princess. I know that they did to make Link left handed, but couldn't they have just mirrored link, and not the entire world? It just doesn't make sense why the developers would have done that.
Is there another reason that they mirrored it for?

Instead of flipping the character model of Link, which would then necessitate changes for animations such as opening doors and attacking, the developers decided to simply flip the world due to their time constraints.

What Abbey Road said.

It's just quicker and more effective to flip everything instead of Link. Plus it would have cost less too instead of going back into the game models and changing everything around to suit Link being "flipped" for the Wii version.

I don't understand how flipping the entire world is faster then flipping just the one character. Actually, they didn't even have to flip all of his animations, just some of them. Why would it matter what hand he used to open a door?

It just doesn't make sense to me. If I knew more about game programming and what-not, It might make a little more sense.

The game was originally designed for Gamecube, and of course to continue tradition they had Link left-handed. However, when they decided to make it for Wii as well, the problem arose that Wii was righty-based, so in order for the game to play fluently, they had to make Link right-handed. However, this would mean they would have to redo all of the animations involving Link. (ex. Without redoing the animation, when Link slashes an enemy with his sword, the enemy would act as it was hit from the opposite side that it really was.) So it was a lot easier to just flip the entire game. Call it smart if you want, call it lazy if you want, but it's what Nintendo thought was the best way to market the game.

Originally Posted by jameslieb1

The game was originally designed for Gamecube, and of course to continue tradition they had Link left-handed. However, when they decided to make it for Wii as well, the problem arose that Wii was righty-based, so in order for the game to play fluently, they had to make Link right-handed. However, this would mean they would have to redo all of the animations involving Link. (ex. Without redoing the animation, when Link slashes an enemy with his sword, the enemy would act as it was hit from the opposite side that it really was.) So it was a lot easier to just flip the entire game. Call it smart if you want, call it lazy if you want, but it's what Nintendo thought was the best way to market the game.

Oh, that explains it a bit more, thanks.

I think they should have just made everybody play with the wiimote in their left hand.

I like Hyrule without the mirroring. It seems more natural that way.
Did the mirroring of TP inspire the mirroring of the Master Quest in OoT3D?

Originally Posted by Pseud O Nym

I like Hyrule without the mirroring. It seems more natural that way.
Did the mirroring of TP inspire the mirroring of the Master Quest in OoT3D?

They made "mirrored levels" in Mario Kart Double Dash which makes it a lot harder if you've memorised the levels off by heart and stuff.

I think they probably used that concept for Master's Quest in OoT3D instead of TP's mirrored version.

Mirroring is an old habit in racing games -- I have fond memories of Diddy Kong Racing way back when, and I don't know if it was the first either.

As for OoT Master's Quest, my quess is they did it just because they could. Flipping gives a surprisingly different feel to the game, and is also easy to do, I reckon.

Originally Posted by Gilgameš

Mirroring is an old habit in racing games -- I have fond memories of Diddy Kong Racing way back when, and I don't know if it was the first either.

As for OoT Master's Quest, my quess is they did it just because they could. Flipping gives a surprisingly different feel to the game, and is also easy to do, I reckon.

I've done a bit of game art before, mainly the 3D modelling part of it and flipping everything at once is much more easier then going in and editing bit by bit. If Nintendo were going to flip just Link and re-arrange everything to make Link right-handed, it would be almost like creating a whole new game. That's how I see it anyway. .__.

It's not ALMOST creating a whole new game. It's ALMOST altering all of the animations of the protagonist, altering some enemy animations, and also a couple of 3D models while literally the whole rest of the game remains exactly the same.

Maybe it makes you do your job twice and puts a speck on the programmers' tables but everybody else can go home.

Originally Posted by TheGhostOfMandrag

It's not ALMOST creating a whole new game. It's ALMOST altering all of the animations of the protagonist, altering some enemy animations, and also a couple of 3D models while literally the whole rest of the game remains exactly the same.

Maybe it makes you do your job twice and puts a speck on the programmers' tables but everybody else can go home.

This is what I was thinking. Even though it might be a little harder, I think that in the long run it would have been better. I would have like it if the Wii version wasn't mirrored.

Because the Gamecube version was left-handed Link, and to compensate for Link having right-handed they flipped the world so that everything was on the same side of the sword.

The game kind of came out at an awkward time, anyways; where they were still making some Gamecube games. I'm glad they released it on Gamecube now, so that's one less game with right-handed Link.

I still think they should have just made everybody play with the wiimote in their left hand. It would keep Link left handed, and people could adapt to having their controllers switched just fine. Some games, each time I play, I'll hold the wii remote in a different hand, and it works just fine.

Originally Posted by Flovnat

I still think they should have just made everybody play with the wiimote in their left hand. It would keep Link left handed, and people could adapt to having their controllers switched just fine. Some games, each time I play, I'll hold the wii remote in a different hand, and it works just fine.

I would find that a bit awkward to be honest.

Have you tried putting the nunchuck in your right hand and using the Wii remote in your left hand? To me it doesn't feel right and you'll start shaking the nunchuck as though the Wii remote is there instead.

It's a pity that left-handed people have to suffer with right-hand Link, but most of the population anywhere are right-handed.

Originally Posted by Flovnat

I still think they should have just made everybody play with the wiimote in their left hand. It would keep Link left handed, and people could adapt to having their controllers switched just fine. Some games, each time I play, I'll hold the wii remote in a different hand, and it works just fine.

For some people, adapting to their left hand isn't as easy.

If you don't like the flipped Hyrule, then stick with the GCN version.
That's what I have.

Well, I am left-handed, so I guess it's less weird for me or something, whatever. I guess we'll just have to stick with mirroring the world.

I'm using a cheat for the game to mirror it back to the original, and I don't see a point in mirroring it. Since the controls involve waggling the Wiimote instead of 1:1, it isn't as hard when controlling Link's left hand with your right. And using other weapons just involve moving a cursor around the screen, which could be done with any hand.

Im a lefty and lefty Link seems way more natural, and since I didn't want to blow the cash on a wii back then when they were the brand new thing, I got the gamecube version. although I did pick up a wii copy of TP for $20 in December and its just wierd. everything seems forced when they try to mirror it. They delayed the game for freaking ever for other stuff, why not just delay it another couple weeks to get only Link turned around?