20 replies to this topic

[DownloaderKL]

Does anyone know if there are any articles or anything that talk about how Nintendo develops it's games such as Zelda or Mario?

[Mihail121]

You don't need special articles like "Code Mario and optionally Zelda" to code such games. You only need some game development knowledge! I recommend reading the articles here at the DeMaster wiki.

[Methulah]

I think this may be a question about what API etc. Nintendo use, and if it is possible to get an SDK for free. Just a hunch though.

[DownloaderKL]

I don't really want to make games like them I just thought it would be interesting to see how all the games I played growing up were made.

[Mihail121]

You won't find that out, unless the developer releases the source code!

[DownloaderKL]

Darn...my childhood dreams have been crushed. I think Nintendo's time is limited because they don't produce enough adult/mature oriented games. Does anyone agree? I will still get the Nintendo systems but I'll wait for 2 years when it turns into $99 for the system and a game. I've read forums about how people thought Zelda: The Windwaker was the worst game. I have to disagree. It had more styles of gameplay than any others. The only reason people hated it was because of the cel-shading (which I find extremely cool.) I mean it had the complete Zelda feel and experience and added sailing into the equation. The next Zelda. The Twilight Princess, is going to have a darker overall game feel. Darker graphics and darker storyline. But the question is will it add anything new or will it just be like a graphically enhanced Ocarina of Time? Sorry for my rambling and my tangents. If this is in the wrong forum, please move it, I don't wanna upset anyone.

[shiaolin_monk]

those fourms are for n00bs. don't hang around with those n00bs. You'll just become a crappy and infirior minded gamer who gets wowed by graphics and ask dumb question like 'how comes, when i save, i start at the beginning of the level in zelda?'

1) the answer to that is that nintendo decided to keep the origional zelda architure, because in those days, despite zelda was the first game you could save, it was programmed to only store vital 'packets' of data such as location, life, weapons, and money.

and 2) Nintendo cares more about its long - time gamers then new comming n00bs. Some n00bs join along the way, but 90% of the turn to Xbox and PlayStation. Any long term gamer should be able to pick up the pad, and play the game, as they know the game to be in the pervious versions, and have fun. I am a zelda sequal follower myself. I've seen it all so the game comes naturally to me. I've followed mario, but not as much.

Twighlight Princess does not have realistic graphics to wow people. PHOTO realistic graphics brings out a more serious atmosphere which is apropiate for a game based around an adult. After all, adults take life more serious then children. Wind Waker is cel shaded because its a story based around a kid. The graphics are still realistic. How do they make the eye and head move to look at something while your running is extreamly interresting. how the wind makes his hat flicker in that direction is amazing! how darknuts can follow you through an entire area is good AI! How enemies can kill each other is good programming. How an enemy desperaty runs to get their weapon back is nicely done. How an enemy desperatly tries to fight with hand combat. How an enemy begs for their life when their hanging off a cliff. n00bs don't see these thing. All they care is 'look at the water effects in Twighlight Princess'.

So to answer your first question, become a nintendo VIP to get access to exclusive interviews for free, and go on ign. To answer you second question, the engine in twighlight princess is the former wind waker engine :) and saying enhanced OOT grpahics is n00bish. Ocarina of Time was way more serious then the new one and twighlight princess has no relation to it excpet being a few decades after link (hero of time) sealed gannon.

for the last part, this is a game development fourm. When you post a question like this, your asking about how you can obtain development kits to make a game based on a nintendo system. What you really asked is if there are any articles that interviewd Saturu Iowata and Shiarigu Myamoto about how the made the game. There's a difference between development and making mate.

I'm surprised that, for an older generation gamer (to me), you don't know all of this. Still, i'm up for answering questions about zelda game development and any other nintendo game development process that i know of.

Sorry for wasting space on this fourm :)

[DownloaderKL]

I'm actually brand new too game programming and development. Now I know that Nintendo focuses on it's long time gamers more. I read an article about the new Zelda and I didn't mean advanced OoT graphics (if that's what I said.) I meant are they going to add a whole new gameplay element to the mix? I loved Windwaker. Cel shading is cool. They added so much. All that stuff you listed makes the game, no matter what kind of graphics, feel realistic. When I said an advanced OoT, I was hoping they wouldn't go back to the same style as it. It was really good but if I want to play OoT I will play OoT. The reason I'm worried about it is because so many people whine about how they want a game like OoT and not Windwaker and that maybe Nintendo would listen too them. And I'm definately not a member of any of those forums...those come up when I search for Nintendo related stuff. My favorite Zelda is still A Link to the Past. It just had a certain feeling too it...it's unbelievable. I'm not a graphics snob I'm a gameplay snob :D .

[Methulah]

Don't be put out by someone callling you a n00b[sic]. What has been posted above is merely an opinion, as is this post here. Obviously not every member of the forums you have been to dislike The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

If you are concerned that the gameplay of Twilight Princess will reflect the pressure on the developers to revert to the popular Ocarina of Time mechanics, you have your rights to share that concern with us. Now that you mention it, I am concerned about it too.

I didn't like Wind Waker. I didn't like the cell shading. that is an opinion, and yes, Link was a kid in it, and I guess it was made to reflect that. I didn't think the cell shading was done well in Wind Waker, but others do not share my opnion. What really annoys me about Wind Waker is the amout of time spend getting from A to B. You have no Epona to call upon, just endless sailing through the expanses of a simulated ocean. And no nice water effects.

Don't get me wrong, I am not one to judge a game on graphics. I like Zelda: A Link to the Past also. However, I prefer Ocarina of Time more. It has a feel that I feel encompasses what Hyrule is about, let my final words be: "whatever Nintendo do with the new Zelda game, let it look and feel like Hyrule." I don't think Wind Waker did that.

Sorry.

[DownloaderKL]

Let it look and feel like Hyrule so long as it doesn't feel too much like OoT. But anyways...I guess it's really just everyone's opinion. I like the sailing in Windwaker...there's lots to explore. I will still buy the new Zelda and I'll probably like it no matter what. I didn't like Windwaker at first but then it grew on me.

[Methulah]

Maybe I should play some Wind Waker, I didn't get very far, but the five mintues it took me to get there annoyed me :). Kinda like playing Freelancer without Trade Lanes.

[shiaolin_monk]

zelda games have the tennancy to run a long introdiction. Don't be dicouraged by it. They mearly explain how not to die. The game really starts after you set sail for the first dungeon. After you finish the first part of the game, you are free to go where-ever you like. The lighting effects and wind effects start to show more frequent, so does the time and date. Each day is different one according to the shape of the moon. The object orientation shows alot after your first dungeon and during.

If you wonder what the game rambles on about this 'hero of time', play the Ocarina of Time version (N64, there is a limited edition released for the GC). Thats the precall to Wind Waker. In my account, Zelda games are the best rpg games you can get. The new one comming out was the most anticipated game in E3, and is th no1 game waiting to be released after E3.

www.zelda.com

[Methulah]

I know wghat Zelda games have the tendancy to do. I have been playing them since "A Link to the Past" came out on SNES. I had always believed that "The Hero of Time" was the fact that Link (once again) saved the Triforce, and utilized the Ocarina of Time, thus making him the hero that uses time as his weapon. A tough guy with a sword could be called "The Hero of Steel" - A master with an Ocarina and some funky songs that allow him to move freely in the space-time continiumun would obviously be called "The Hero of Time".

What in Wind Waker makes you think the timely (get it, lol) whisperings in OoT about time were a precurses to Wind Waker? As I said, I didn't get into it.

Thanks.

[DownloaderKL]

Well the kid you play in Windwaker is NOT Link. If you played into it more...you would find out that there use to be a hero of time that had trapped Ganon, but somehow he managed to escape. And he starts rounding up little girls who might possibly be related to Zelda and the giant bird takes the main character's sister on accident. That's how he get's involved. He's not Link, he's a new hero who can use the power of Wind (Which is mighty helpful for sailing seas :) )

[anubis]

There might be some postmortems on Gamasutra on a few Nintendo games. That might not be the information you are looking for but they are fun to read anyway.

[DownloaderKL]

Thanks I check them out.

[Methulah]

Cool. I will read up on Wind Waker on gamasutra to find out why they chopse not to go with Link.

[shiaolin_monk]

You never have the same Link, or timeline in a zelda game. Its games are jumbled around. there most recent connections are:

Ocarina Of Time(Hero of Time)----->Twighlight Princess(comming out)-----> Wind Waker (100 years after Ocarina of Time. Hero of Wind).

Nice to see that Nintendo doesn't milk one Link. But if they put the best in, its the Hero of Time.

Nintendo had a hard time matching that realistic feeling Ocarina of Times gave off. Since back then, 64 bit was was amazing, it must have been hard to emulate that feeling again since the graphics were realistic. This turned out to be a topic about zelda games.

The Hero of Time was given to that link because he controlled time. The Hero of Wind was givin to the cel shaded link because he controlled wind. All the links pretty much had one fate, to seal gannon away... except hero of wind, who....sealed gannandorf away. And the 4 swords who sealed Vaati away, but thats not so important. Theres another confusion. Gannondorf is the name of the human version of Gannon. Gannondof's heart was filled with so much wickedness, that when he obtained the triforce of power, he could no longer be a mortal. So basically Gannon is the demon version. Older games only state Gannon but looks like nintendo are re-making the stories so what happened before only helps you play the game because of your familararity with them.

The official website gives all the information about zelda games, excpet how they are developed.

just don't get sucked in by amature gamers (n00bs). The website fourms arn't that great. In general, I think nintendo fourms are only full of questions that are explained if you look closer, of by waiting until nintendo announces. By all means, do what you like. I only give this account because I spent 12 of my 15 years of life playing games. I've had to survive on my own so i've seen it all. I'm not the best gamer, but i'm concidered to be a a pro/expert amungst the people i meet. Heck, I've mucked around with vs mode in mario that i've essentially found shortcuts and cheats, without a cheat code cartridge!

I'll give you a great tip for killing enemies quickly in Wind Waker:

despie what anyone says, keep you guard DOWN. Even when there are a flock of enemies targeted at you. Keeping your guard down means enemies wanna swing a you. If you've mastered your backflips and side jumps and rolls well enough, you can parry on one enemy while making others kill it too. Another great tip is, if its one on one with an enemy besides darknuts and wizzrobes, run forward to them and jump attack. They'll loose their weapons and you can get some easy kills with the thrust combo.

When things get desperate, use the Hurrucain spin. Remember that all of the Links' signature moves are spinning. The spin attack and Hurricain spin are you most powerfullest moves. Always has; always will be. If you want anymore tips, reply and i'll help.

PS: kill Giant Octoks quickly by equipping the bombs and the bommerag. while the boomerage is out, smack its eyes with bombs for 1 hit kill attacks!

[Methulah]

Who is this directed at? I know, and I assume most people do, that Gannondorf is Gannon when he does his funky human masquerade. I am not going to play Wind Waker, and the starter of this thread has finished(?!) it.

It is intersted to know that the dude you play isn't ever the same Link though. I thought that the Link in "A Link to the Past" was the same dude as in OoC, which I am sure is the same guy as in Majoras Mask (Who forgot that one?). Wind Waker you say is 100 years past. Surely Link is still alive? Is he not at least part Korkuri(?), surely he can live longer than 100 years. How does Zelda figure into Wind Waker? That is what I want to know.

[shiaolin_monk]

Methulah said:

Who is this directed at? I know, and I assume most people do, that Gannondorf is Gannon when he does his funky human masquerade. I am not going to play Wind Waker, and the starter of this thread has finished(?!) it.

It is intersted to know that the dude you play isn't ever the same Link though. I thought that the Link in "A Link to the Past" was the same dude as in OoC, which I am sure is the same guy as in Majoras Mask (Who forgot that one?). Wind Waker you say is 100 years past. Surely Link is still alive? Is he not at least part Korkuri(?), surely he can live longer than 100 years. How does Zelda figure into Wind Waker? That is what I want to know.

well, all previous links before oot are pretty much out. The one in majora's mask is the young link hero of time. I never considered that to be so major because its a sub story in link's life. Its basically the Hero of Time's real life and what he did in his life now that those seven years are not a gap. At that point though, Link was not dubbed the Hero of Time.

The next thing is that After gannon's seal, the hero of time was given a piece of the trifore (courage). But he embarked on another journey which seperated him from the elements that made him a hero (i don't know how, thats what the story told me). So he shattered the triforce of courage into 8 shards. When gannon returned, they people expected the hero of time to return, but he never did. So gannon spread havoc and the people prayed to the goddesses. The goddesses heard their plea and flooded hyrule. But they never whiped out the spiecies because that meant that gannon accomplished what he wanted. People went onto mountain tops and as hyrule was flooded, the mountains turned into islands. Some spiecies evolved.

Zelda and the King remain alive under alter egos. Tetra is actually zelda and the king of red lions (the boat) is actually the king of hyrule. The way this new link ends up a hero is the fact that he wanted to save his sister from gannandorf. So to do that, he gets the master sword. The thing is, the one who pulls out the master sword has to take the destiny of a hero. their identities are revieled when gannandorf finds tetra. Gannandorf needs all the parts of the triforce to get his wishes granted.Zelda is the possesor of the triforce of wisdom, gannandorf power, and this new link pieces together he triforce shards and gets the triforce of courage.

The Hero of Time is not a Kokiri. He's a hylian. Link's mum asked for the deku tree to look after him because there was a war and link's mum was dying. There are clues right a the start of the game. Link had no fair before and Mido never excepted you as one of them. Link also grows up and kokiri's don't.

Kokiri's evolved into koroks. The great deku tree still exists. Jabu Jabu still exists under the name lord Jabun. The gorons are now traders and the Zoras are extinct. They completely evolved into birds.(Its funny you'd expect fishes to survive the flood).