Zelda Skyward Sword Producer: Link Shouldn't Talk

[Danzaivar]

Erm, he spoke in Wind Waker?

What, when?

When you are escorting someone, one of the calls is him shouting 'Come on!' along with the more generic 'Hey!'. It ain't much but he definitely spoke.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I always thought Link not speaking was part of his charm and helped tell a story in a better way. I mean, He couldnt speak,s o he couldnt tell you plot or reaction, so you had to rely on his expressions. And becuase he couldnt talk, he couldnt say something dumb. I dont know, maybe its just me, but i always thought silent portagonist in videogames (and some movies) were always a good thing.

 

[Mr. Gency]

Erm, he spoke in Wind Waker?

What, when?

He says "C'mon!" to those statues in the Tower of the Gods [http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Zelda09-the-wind-waker-walkthrough-06.php#6_2].
He also supposedly speaks in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link stating: "I found a mirror under the table." [http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Zelda02-the-adventure-of-link-walkthrough-02.php#C2_1]

Well my Wind Waker disk is fucked up (damn you gamestop and your used games) so I can't make any progress. and I never played Zelda 2. So I have to talk your word for it.

 

[Dragonforce525]

Well excuuuuuuuuse me Princess

 

[Devil's Due]

I do not like how games sometimes have silent main characters, usually kills the mood for me. Regardless, maybe Link is the exception if he has that voice actor from those videos. Oh man, the horror.

Anyways, allow me to go onto my hour long talk about why I believe games shou-

"HEY! LISTEN!!

Nevermind. I vote in favor for silent games now.

 

[Iron Criterion]

Link is voiceless so anyone can insert themselves into the role. A personality asserts a style and mannerisms into the character that not everyone can relate to.

I'm sick of that arguement, not because I believe characters like Link and Freeman should talk but its just a silly arguement. How can I (a lazy, unfit gamer) possibly ever feel immersed when playing as a sword fighting hero?

 

[A Pious Cultist]

Well excuuuuuuse me, Eiji Aonuma.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I can just imagine Link having some quirky annoying voice and laugh like the Annoying Orange. So many fans would be pissed!

You dare to bring voices into my lair? YOU MUST DIE!!!

 

[L34dP1LL]

I remember that he spoke on Windwaker, he yelled "C'mon!" to statues and friends.

 

[Decabo]

Well, that's stupid. This series will never reach the epic storytelling heights that it could if Link stayed silent. I don't want him to be chatty, but saying things like "What do you mean?" or "Are you okay?" shouldn't be too much to ask for. It worked for Jak and Daxter, and it worked for GTA. Link should definitely talk, so that not all conversations are massice one-sided expositions.

The "One sided" conversations have worked for Mario, have worked for Link, have worked for Samus, and so on and so forth. I see no reason for that to change now. I can't imagine what adding him actually speaking a couple pointless lines like those two could possibly add to any LoZ title. It would feel like having him talk for the sake of having him talk.

And how exactly have they worked for those series'? Mario isn't a story based game by any stretch of the imagination. Metroid hardly has any talking at all. Zelda, on the other hand, tries to present an epic view that is hindered by the fact that Link just sits there grunting and gasping. It's not too much to ask for the main character to be able to have a fucking conversation.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Why? He was voiced quite tolerably in that CD-i thing, wasn't he?

Joke over. I agree with this. I'm not entirely comfortable with Samus speaking, either. Far too easy to get wrong, especially considering the dire track-record that gaming has had when it comes to voice-overs.

 

[Jfswift]

It didn't affect Metroid in a negative way (not actual voice acting, however samus now has personal thoughts). I don't think it'd be that awful to hear Link speak. Would be cool if they borrowed from Mass Effect though

 

[Ulquiorra4sama]

I'd only accept it if he wasn't witty all the time and if we got a japanese voice-over where Daisuke Namikawa did Link's voice... Only then i MIGHT accept having Link talk.

 

[Thorvan]

I wouldn't argue that the Legend of Zelda's stories are anywhere near good. Zelda has never been interesting, Ganon is tired, and I'm still sore about how Nintendo handled Zant in Twilight Princess. Really, the only character in the Legend of Zelda I ever cared about was Marin. I'd probably say Link's Awakening had the best story of all the Legend of Zelda games, in fact.

I didn't say that the Zelda PLOTS are any good, more the environmental design and style. The characters (random NPCs, mind) add to that. Link blabbering on about it, would not.

 

[ninjajoeman]

As the resident Zelda Fanatic (check my title), I feel obliged to chip in.

Should Link speak?

*ahem*

HELL...NO! I pissed enough they're retconing him to be right handed, but if they cave and listen to the people who think Link should talk, I will kill something. Besides, if Link speaks, then it will be akin to (I cannot believe I am saying this actually exists) the Zelda TV series, and we all know what a piece of crap that was.

*hits self in head with hammer*

Oh, yeah. The TV series doesn't exist. It was all a bad dream.

EDIT: Good for Nintendo for saying he should remain silent.

DOUBLE EDIT:

IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPxY8lpYAUM

No! Just no! That does not exist! It's a foul creation that some evil demon planted into our heads to sully our view of LoZ! (Why yes I am adament about that not existing)

WELL excuuuuuuuuuse me princess but some people happen to have different opinions

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Yes, yes, because the only possible voice actor they could get for link is the guy from the TV series, and his union rules demand that he be allowed to say "Excuuuuuuuse me, Princess" and that they also bring back the entire animation team from the CD-i games.

That aside, there are valid reasons to leave out voice acting, the main one being that they'd have to remove the "enter your name" feature. This, to me, doesn't make much sense now either, now that Nintendo has beaten us over the head with the fact that his Real Name is indeed Link in every time period and alternate continuity he's in, but that's the reason the series is still named after a different character. And on it goes like a trail of dominoes; change one thing and you have to go down the line changing everything.

I'll tell you what tradition doesn't make sense to continue, though. Having only thee save slots. I noticed it when I played Twilight Princess at a friend's and he said it was because of tradition; Zelda games have always only had three save slots. That is B.S. The "tradition" of an inconvenient save system is more important than one of Link's unique character traits? Or was being able to match his motions to the gimmicky controller more important than the convenience of extra save slots? Or both?

 

[linkzeldi]

Link should definitely stay silent. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to have the supporting cast and the townspeople voiced, instead of having them randomly grunt and squeal while I read a bunch of text.

 

[Deleted]

Link is like a brother or cousin to me, since he's been with me my whole life. If he spoke he would just be so different, I don't think I'd ever get used to it.

 

[ziggy161]

Why oh WHY did you post those links at the end >< I feel like I've lost IQ from all that horrific Link voice acting D:

 

[ziggy161]

Well, that's stupid. This series will never reach the epic storytelling heights that it could if Link stayed silent. I don't want him to be chatty, but saying things like "What do you mean?" or "Are you okay?" shouldn't be too much to ask for. It worked for Jak and Daxter, and it worked for GTA. Link should definitely talk, so that not all conversations are massice one-sided expositions.

The "One sided" conversations have worked for Mario, have worked for Link, have worked for Samus, and so on and so forth. I see no reason for that to change now. I can't imagine what adding him actually speaking a couple pointless lines like those two could possibly add to any LoZ title. It would feel like having him talk for the sake of having him talk.

And how exactly have they worked for those series'? Mario isn't a story based game by any stretch of the imagination. Metroid hardly has any talking at all. Zelda, on the other hand, tries to present an epic view that is hindered by the fact that Link just sits there grunting and gasping. It's not too much to ask for the main character to be able to have a fucking conversation.

There have been 'massive epic rpgs' without the main character talking before. Bethesda titles and Final Fantasy etc.
I think the appeal of most games where the main character isn't voiced is that you feel more like the character is an extension of your own self. If the main charater starts talking you lose that sense, as you think 'That's not something I would say' or 'I would rather ask about this' or even just 'I would'nt ask in that tone...'.