MIYAMOTO RETHINKING CEL-SHADED ZELDA?

In a recent article on MSNBC, Nintendo intimated that Miyamoto has been listening to industry feedback regarding the new direction of Zelda, namely the Cel-Shaded cartoon appearance of the game, and may make necessary changes in order to maintain and expand exposure for GameCube. With GameCube falling below expectations behind Sony's commanding lead, and X-Box's steady growth, Nintendo has to be thinking about the future, they need to be or else their flagship game system may face the same fate as the Dreamcast, however with kind of presence and muscle Nintendo has it's safe to say that no matter how lackluster they perform with GameCube, their first party material and franchises will keep the company going for a long time to come. It can not be denied that the next Zelda game is a key event in determining the fate of the Cube though.

It's good that the outcry of gamers has at least gotten all the way up to Nintendo's crystal palace, and someone up there is thinking. A truly impressive Zelda game, that goes beyond what gamers expect, could turn the tables on things the way Final Fantasy VII did for the Playstation back in 1997. I know for sure, I will go out and buy a GameCube as soon as I see something showing Zelda will be as good as it could be. Right now Rouge Leader and Smash Bros Melee is not enough reason for me to buy the system, and I have a good feeling from what I've heard and read that people my same age think similarly. PS2 has done what I expected it to do years ago, and that was to take a lead and stay there with solid titles (and a lot of fluff as well, like PS1). X-Box started bold, and surpassed GameCube in total units sold, and has yet to hit the Japanese market, where gamers there are a little stoked over the X-Box. At least they get to wait for a game system while we play it in the US, unlike every other one.

I've done a great deal of discusson on the Cel-Shaded Zelda topic, so if you've read the site, you know my feelings on the subject, and the prevailing mood of gamers regarding Zelda's future. I have spoken previously about the "vision" of the series, and I still feel that there is much to be done with the game that has yet to be done. If they change it to suit this vision, I can't tell you the kind of inspiration this will give me. It will be a new renaissance for the Odyssey of Hyrule, much as Ocarina of Time was.

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