Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
I posted this in the Paper Mario Iwata Asks thread, but I think it'd work as its own topic.
Okay, so here's my idea...Mario Galaxy II meets the Adventure of Link. Basically. A Zelda game utilizing the Level/World structure of classic platformers. I wouldn't like to see the WHOLE series become like this, just the next portable for the 3DS which can experiment.
Basically, the Zelda game would completely do away with the over-world...no Hyrule Field and no Great Sea. Instead, you'd simply move Link around a World Map designed to invoke the original Legend of Zelda graphically, and choose a Level to enter. That's it. I was thinking that perhaps there could be a little travel mini-game in between each World that you would only have to do once to break things up, but there wouldn't be the annoying, required-every-time travel mini-games in the past 2 hand-held titles. My idea was a Star Fox-type Plane segment, to complete the land/sea/air trilogy.
There would be 3-types of Levels, though.
*Action Levels - The main part of the game, Action Levels would be what each World mainly consists of. Taking about 5-10 minutes to complete, each Action Level would have its own theme...a central mechanic, or requiring the use of a specific item in multiple ways. They'd be mainly linear, the main goal being to get to the end, but with secret routes as well leading to Heart Pieces and "secret Exits" like in Super Mario World. Action Levels would have fixed camera angles, with some being a "straight-ahead view", while others would be an "over-head view", think like how Mario 3D Land did it. Action Levels would constantly challenge players with new "puzzles" in each Level, as well as giving items multiple uses beyond simply being used for their original Dungeon and then fading into obscurity. Action Levels would reset when you leave, and you could re-do them again and try for better times (I was thinking a Time Trial mode with StreetPass sharing would be a neat idea) using new items.
*Town Levels - The game wouldn't be completely void of exploration. I was thinking there'd be a large, Clock Town-like Hub Town that you could return to between levels, exploring and completing side-quests for more Heart Pieces. And since my idea was that the game would focus on air-travel, you'd also could free-fly around on your plane like in PilotWings. There would also be mini-Towns in each World, with one or two sidequests as well as giving you hints to find secret areas and such in the World and giving you advice for tackling the Dungeon.
*Dungeon Levels - The "meat of the game", each World would end with a Dungeon, which would be a long Level that would take up to an hour to possibly complete as opposed to the bite-size Action Levels. Dungeons would usually have a top-down camera angle like in classic Zelda, and focus on puzzles and combat, as opposed to the Action Levels which are faster and platforming-involved. They'd have a Map, Compass, multiple rooms, Mini-Boss, Boss and everything you'd expect from a Zelda Dungeon. Unlike Action Levels, Dungeons don't reset when you leave, and thus you can take a break and save your progress if you get stuck, or stock up on healing items. After beating a Dungeon, you could also return and "reset it" to partake in a Speed Run in one sitting. Your Equipment would be reset to what you'd have when originally attempting the Dungeon, however.
I'm thinking Eight Worlds, with 1 Dungeon, 1 Town, and 9 Action Levels, 1 of them being hidden. And a Hidden Ninth World like in Super Mario World appearing after the main story is beaten, consisting of super-hard Action Levels and a final, Puzzle-Gauntlet Dungeon.
In terms of Gameplay, Link would be more agile than ever before...in addition to having an actual jump button like in Zelda II, Link could also do a quick roll along the ground, and do a mid-air sword spin in order to gain height.
Combat would be streamlined, as Link could only do a basic horizontal slash, a sword-spin, or block/strafe with his shield. The game wouldn't be easy, though, as Levels, especially the Dungeon Levels, would get difficult as enemies would shoot multiple projectiles at Link like in Link to the Past, with less enemies focused on in-your-face sword-fighting like in most Modern Zeldas. You'd have Hearts, but they wouldn't recover between Levels (instead requiring you to sometimes visit the main town and purchase a potion) and finding Hearts in the grass/pots would be rarer than before. Falling off a platform would take a full heart, and place you back on the platform, or at the beginning of the platform segment for parts where platforms disappear, so the platforming wouldn't be as fast-paced as Mario games where falling into a pit kills you.
Equipment would consist of a bunch of new gear you'd find typically in Dungeons, but would use them throughout the game. One idea I had was a Hookshot where you'd attach to a central plank, and could then move towards it or retract from it, or rotate around the axis like the tongue mechanics in the N64 Chameleon's Twist. One level might have you hooked to a moving platform, and having to quickly adjust Link forwards, back, and around to dodge obstacles that come his way.
Also, due to the Level structure, there are no "stock" items anymore beyond Link having Four Bottles for Fairies/Potions. His Bow/Bombs are now unlimited use, as it wouldn't be fun to be playing an Action Levels and having to give up because you run out of gear. But you'd be limited one Arrow/Bomb out at a time, so you can't shoot an endless stream of arrows to instantly kill all foes. Equipment in Zelda, especially the newer ones, has never really mattered...usually you can just go to another room to re-spawn pots and such...so why not get rid of it.
Finally, although I said a "Level/World" structure, the Story would NOT be excised. Instead, I was thinking there'd be an overarching plot. Link goes in search of his Famous Explorer mother, who is Zelda this time, after hearing the lullaby she used to sing to him, Zelda's Lullaby (get it), coming from floating Islands in the sky and ends up meeting an alien buddy who grants him the ability to jump through gravitational powers was one basic plot I thought of. And the game's art-style would be influenced by Castle in the Sky and other Miyazaki films. Each World (one of the Sky Islands) would also have a mini-plot that would play out too, so think of Paper Mario TTYD and its Chapter Structure.
Okay, so here's my idea...Mario Galaxy II meets the Adventure of Link. Basically. A Zelda game utilizing the Level/World structure of classic platformers. I wouldn't like to see the WHOLE series become like this, just the next portable for the 3DS which can experiment.
Basically, the Zelda game would completely do away with the over-world...no Hyrule Field and no Great Sea. Instead, you'd simply move Link around a World Map designed to invoke the original Legend of Zelda graphically, and choose a Level to enter. That's it. I was thinking that perhaps there could be a little travel mini-game in between each World that you would only have to do once to break things up, but there wouldn't be the annoying, required-every-time travel mini-games in the past 2 hand-held titles. My idea was a Star Fox-type Plane segment, to complete the land/sea/air trilogy.
There would be 3-types of Levels, though.
*Action Levels - The main part of the game, Action Levels would be what each World mainly consists of. Taking about 5-10 minutes to complete, each Action Level would have its own theme...a central mechanic, or requiring the use of a specific item in multiple ways. They'd be mainly linear, the main goal being to get to the end, but with secret routes as well leading to Heart Pieces and "secret Exits" like in Super Mario World. Action Levels would have fixed camera angles, with some being a "straight-ahead view", while others would be an "over-head view", think like how Mario 3D Land did it. Action Levels would constantly challenge players with new "puzzles" in each Level, as well as giving items multiple uses beyond simply being used for their original Dungeon and then fading into obscurity. Action Levels would reset when you leave, and you could re-do them again and try for better times (I was thinking a Time Trial mode with StreetPass sharing would be a neat idea) using new items.
*Town Levels - The game wouldn't be completely void of exploration. I was thinking there'd be a large, Clock Town-like Hub Town that you could return to between levels, exploring and completing side-quests for more Heart Pieces. And since my idea was that the game would focus on air-travel, you'd also could free-fly around on your plane like in PilotWings. There would also be mini-Towns in each World, with one or two sidequests as well as giving you hints to find secret areas and such in the World and giving you advice for tackling the Dungeon.
*Dungeon Levels - The "meat of the game", each World would end with a Dungeon, which would be a long Level that would take up to an hour to possibly complete as opposed to the bite-size Action Levels. Dungeons would usually have a top-down camera angle like in classic Zelda, and focus on puzzles and combat, as opposed to the Action Levels which are faster and platforming-involved. They'd have a Map, Compass, multiple rooms, Mini-Boss, Boss and everything you'd expect from a Zelda Dungeon. Unlike Action Levels, Dungeons don't reset when you leave, and thus you can take a break and save your progress if you get stuck, or stock up on healing items. After beating a Dungeon, you could also return and "reset it" to partake in a Speed Run in one sitting. Your Equipment would be reset to what you'd have when originally attempting the Dungeon, however.
I'm thinking Eight Worlds, with 1 Dungeon, 1 Town, and 9 Action Levels, 1 of them being hidden. And a Hidden Ninth World like in Super Mario World appearing after the main story is beaten, consisting of super-hard Action Levels and a final, Puzzle-Gauntlet Dungeon.
In terms of Gameplay, Link would be more agile than ever before...in addition to having an actual jump button like in Zelda II, Link could also do a quick roll along the ground, and do a mid-air sword spin in order to gain height.
Combat would be streamlined, as Link could only do a basic horizontal slash, a sword-spin, or block/strafe with his shield. The game wouldn't be easy, though, as Levels, especially the Dungeon Levels, would get difficult as enemies would shoot multiple projectiles at Link like in Link to the Past, with less enemies focused on in-your-face sword-fighting like in most Modern Zeldas. You'd have Hearts, but they wouldn't recover between Levels (instead requiring you to sometimes visit the main town and purchase a potion) and finding Hearts in the grass/pots would be rarer than before. Falling off a platform would take a full heart, and place you back on the platform, or at the beginning of the platform segment for parts where platforms disappear, so the platforming wouldn't be as fast-paced as Mario games where falling into a pit kills you.
Equipment would consist of a bunch of new gear you'd find typically in Dungeons, but would use them throughout the game. One idea I had was a Hookshot where you'd attach to a central plank, and could then move towards it or retract from it, or rotate around the axis like the tongue mechanics in the N64 Chameleon's Twist. One level might have you hooked to a moving platform, and having to quickly adjust Link forwards, back, and around to dodge obstacles that come his way.
Also, due to the Level structure, there are no "stock" items anymore beyond Link having Four Bottles for Fairies/Potions. His Bow/Bombs are now unlimited use, as it wouldn't be fun to be playing an Action Levels and having to give up because you run out of gear. But you'd be limited one Arrow/Bomb out at a time, so you can't shoot an endless stream of arrows to instantly kill all foes. Equipment in Zelda, especially the newer ones, has never really mattered...usually you can just go to another room to re-spawn pots and such...so why not get rid of it.
Finally, although I said a "Level/World" structure, the Story would NOT be excised. Instead, I was thinking there'd be an overarching plot. Link goes in search of his Famous Explorer mother, who is Zelda this time, after hearing the lullaby she used to sing to him, Zelda's Lullaby (get it), coming from floating Islands in the sky and ends up meeting an alien buddy who grants him the ability to jump through gravitational powers was one basic plot I thought of. And the game's art-style would be influenced by Castle in the Sky and other Miyazaki films. Each World (one of the Sky Islands) would also have a mini-plot that would play out too, so think of Paper Mario TTYD and its Chapter Structure.
