What should Zelda change?

[Aerosteam]

Boss battles.

Not really change them completely, it gets the right idea of using the weapon you've acquired in the dungeon to defeat it, instead of just hitting/shooting at it enough times to kill it, like the majority of boss battles within games.

I just wish it could do more than:

1. Use item you've just gotten against the boss
2. Hit the boss in it's weak point when it opens up
3. ????
4. Profit (In form of heart container)

More phases for each boss will be great, the more the better, that's why I liked the Zant battle in Twilight Princess so much, and it didn't even involve half the items you've got.

Also I might appreciate the removal of the order of the levels, it always starts with forest, then fire, then water and so on. Fire seems highly menacing, so maybe make the level appear later, maybe have it linked with the desert level. Maybe link the water level to the snow level as well.

 

[Firia]

I'd personally just like to see Nintendo step out side of the formula. Forget the array of items that Link collects in his adventures, and begin anew. It can maintain the same atmosphere, odd characters, plot, but gameplay barely ever gets more than a gimic here and there.

So, just something new.

 

[Dethenger]

I just want more intense fighting mechanics. The only thing I dislike about Zelda is that the fights feel less like a challenge and more like a chore.

 

[zehydra]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

Why would you need a jump button though?

To be honest it doesn't really, just compared to most of Nintendo's other franchises it feels counter-intuitive and not like I have full control of the character. I know that's kind of petty but honestly I'm not in the mood to type a 15 paragraph response about what should be changed. I will say though that one thing they could do is make the game start very fast, I should be in a dungeon in the first ten minutes.

agreed, this is one of my biggest gripes with the franchise as of late. It didn't always use to be this slow...

 

[Krantos]

Would it kill Nintendo to put these on the PC?

Seriously, I'd buy up the entire back catalog of Zelda Titles if they would just release them for the PC. I don't have a Wii and I don't want a Wii, but I will pay for Zelda.

I think this is actually a bit of an oversight on Nintendo's part. Yes, I know they want exclusivity so people buy their consoles, but I think its safe to say now that anyone who is interested in a Wii already has it. Which means a Zelda Title is not going to convince them to buy one. However, if they'd just put it on PC, I guarantee I'd buy them all, and if I would, I guarantee about 10,000 other people would as well.

I love Zelda, but I haven't played on since Majora's Mask, and that makes me sad.

 

[CarlsonAndPeeters]

I agree with a lot of what is being said, but I think its worth pointing out that most of what must of what is being proposed are not changes to the formula. Like, making the text scroll faster and having better side quests is all well and good, but that won't change the area -> dungeon -> dungeon item vs. the boss -> next area pattern the series has fallen into.

So the more interesting question is, should the formula change? Ocarina of Time was the first game I fell in love with, and the Zelda series has always been my favorite. I take the good with the bad; I just love the games. So it scares me to think that the formula I love could change. Yet, at the same time, I think it could be a good thing. Just as the game had to change when it transitioned from 2D to 3D, I think a similar transition could be needed to entice new audiences (not the casual crowd, just more, younger gamers who think Zelda is dumb). However, it would take a far better game designer than me to figure out how to improve on the Zelda formula. So I can't offer solutions, only problems.

TL;DR: I think Zelda is great, but would be open to change.

 

[Starik20X6]

Zelda should change out of her clothes [/creep].

Honestly, the only thing I'd change would be making it more open again. I liked the feeling of exploration that the older entries had. That joy of discovering a hidden cave, or finding a new path.

 

[wintercoat]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

Why would you need a jump button though?

To be honest it doesn't really, just compared to most of Nintendo's other franchises it feels counter-intuitive and not like I have full control of the character. I know that's kind of petty but honestly I'm not in the mood to type a 15 paragraph response about what should be changed. I will say though that one thing they could do is make the game start very fast, I should be in a dungeon in the first ten minutes.

agreed, this is one of my biggest gripes with the franchise as of late. It didn't always use to be this slow...

Zelda II had a jump button >.>

I agree though. Remember the first two zelda games? In the original Zelda, you're carving up screens of enemies withing the first few minutes, and Zelda II did the same. Link's Awakening and LTTP gave you a bit to stretch your legs first, but the fun still started quickly. Some of the other handheld titles throw you into combat in a good amount of time, if not all that quickly, but any of the 3d or cel-shaded games hold off on combat for what sometimes feels like forever, instead opting to hold your hand as it walks you through a tutorial. The entire industry has gotten a bit too handhold-y for my tastes, but that's an argument for another thread.

What should Zelda change? Well, aside from the previously mentioned handholding, I'd like to see the combat be a bit more action-y, with maybe less emphasis on sword-play and more on item use. Make the items actually meaningful instead of gimmicks. And cut back on the number of items. You don't need a dozen items when only 3 are going to be used outside of the dungeon for anything other than collecting heart pieces. And for the love of god, get rid of the 2 second "pulling out a bomb" animation.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's tricky, because most of these "issues" are what sets Zelda apart and gives it its charm.

I don't mind Link being mute as long as he's expressive, and Wind Waker proved he could be without saying a word. And it's not like there are no voices in the games. There's plenty of voices, they just don't form any words. And I'd rather have the charming expressive vocal noises in a Zelda game than akward voice acting, which is something we know Japan kinda sucks at.

I'd say a big and acceptable change would be to smooth out the controls and make 'm less wooden. Seriously, in nearly every Zelda game Link controls like a wooden puppet.

 

[SilverBullets000]

Well,
-A darker version of Zelda wouldn't hurt. Majora's Mask pulled that off beatifully, managing to be entertaining and thouroughly creepy.
-Faster tutorial through gameplay rather than explaining everything. Make it a nightmare sequence and have a little prompt that tells you how to do something, then make it go away. Forever. If players do need to be reminded how to do something specific, give them a guide that can be accesed when the game is paused.
-More locations. Skyward Sword felt small, but I can deal with desolate if it has a reason to be that way.
-More variety in the enemies.
-Combat needs something of an overhaul. Not that it's terrible, it's...just not very good anymore. Skyward Sword attempted it with motion controls, but actually fell flat because of said controls (stabbing was the biggest pain). Liked that it tried to be more realistic than DMC's killing everything style, but I'd like to be able to pull off attacks with a little more finesse.
-Nods to older Zelda games.
-More uses for items outside of dungeonds as well as equipable main weapons. The Master Sword is awesome, but I'd like Link to use something more akin to a demonic axe every now and then. It would change attack patterns too and actually add variety and strategy to battles.
-Bring back the magic meter, as well as items that needed it.
-Helpful help characters, rather than annoying ones. Midna was ideal. Navi was bad. Fi was freaking terrible.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. I personally don't want them to have voice actors, as they would inevitably screw it up either in overall tone (being too serious or too casual, causing dramatic scenes to be hilarious or vice versa) or actual talent (Samus, looking at you).

 

[Razoack]

A jump button. give us a fraking jump button, I could probably think of more things but right now the most glaring for me is a jump button.

There is one, it just means that you can't see forward anymore.