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[Woffls]

I love this GIF putting focus on the bow.

It would be super interesting if the game was just about Link chillin' in Hyrule exploring caves, and discovering the sword by accident then shit gets real because [evil things]. It would be set before Skyward Sword, and I think the aesthetic lends itself to that in a number of ways.

 

[mantidor]

Guys, you can't deny she's a she.

She looks like Raitoningu, which is good for Zeruda.

Urrgh... you are making me want a female Link, stahp.

 

[DSN2K]

updated the Wall, no blur!

 

[Violet_0]

Aw shit, I just did a Google image search for "female Link"

embrace the truth

 

[ShinMaruku]

$10 Paypal to the first taker says this is a girl (if it's selectable gender I also win). Money and mouth together.

(assuming such a gentleman's wager isn't against neogaf rules or something, in which case disregard)

No bets but if it is I'd buy myself a wiiu instead .

Spoiler

I am 100% certain Link is a dude in this. And I don't wanna buy a wiiu but I would buy it if you are right

 

[Notor!ousG]

When Aonuma was explaining he was aiming for the 'open' world the first Zelda has, going from left to right, up and down,... I really thought he was going to announce a 2D Zelda for WiiU.

Thank the Gods of Hyrule he didn't

 

[Garcia]

Absolutely beautiful. Nintendo just landed another console around here.

 

[Architect]

Aw shit, I just did a Google image search for "female Link"

Haha.. oh god.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

I love this GIF putting focus on the bow.

It would be super interesting if the game was just about Link chillin' in Hyrule exploring caves, and discovering the sword by accident then shit gets real because [evil things]. It would be set before Skyward Sword, and I think the aesthetic lends itself to that in a number of ways.

I'm guessing that bow is going to be this game's main MacGuffin, but then again Idk.
Zelda games change a lot during development, and this just looks like a general concept.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

That would be such a fucking cop-out.

Depends on how they implement said feature. My personal conflict is, do I want Link to be a tabula rasa, or should the developers make a specific character out of him/her and introduce meaningful development through paths in the story progression?

 

[Hyperactivity]

Aw shit, I just did a Google image search for "female Link"

How do you feel now

 

[kankki]

When Aonuma was explaining he was aiming for the 'open' world the first Zelda has, going from left to right, up and down,... I really thought he was going to announce a 2D Zelda for WiiU.

Thank the Gods of Hyrule he didn't

Yeah, me too, almost Would'a chucked my Wii U out of the window

 

[Wazzy]

I hope it's a female because that would be awesome.

Otherwise if it's Link, not caring much for the design.

 

[Zeyphersan]

We should bring back "Celda" as an insult, and go full 2003 on this bitch

Spoiler

I actually love the artstyle, I'm surprised by the "I wish it was like the tech demo!" posts

 

[TheCongressman1]

When Aonuma was explaining he was aiming for the 'open' world the first Zelda has, going from left to right, up and down,... I really thought he was going to announce a 2D Zelda for WiiU.

Thank the Gods of Hyrule he didn't

Same here. I braced myself for the worst, and was greeted by a sight I couldn't quite believe.

Spoiler

I don't think 2D Zelda is the worst, I just don't care for it.

 

[Ito]

Can't you just accept that those curves belong to a female character?

There's nothing wrong with it, please understand.

 

[Nothing1016]

Aonuma is going to be talking about Hyrule Warriors in like 30 minutes, but I'd still be on the look out. I'm not taking any risks.

 

[atr0cious]

We should bring back "Celda" as an insult, and go full 2003 on this bitch

Best friend at the time called it Zeldamnit. How can artstyle affect people so?

 

[Kieli]

Link is my waifu.

:3

 

[RoadHazard]

I love this GIF putting focus on the bow.

It would be super interesting if the game was just about Link chillin' in Hyrule exploring caves, and discovering the sword by accident then shit gets real because [evil things]. It would be set before Skyward Sword, and I think the aesthetic lends itself to that in a number of ways.

Definitely not set before SS, since in that game no towns or people exist down on the ground, they only move down to the surface at the end of that game. Here you can see what is conceivably Hyrule Castle Town off in the distance, along with other stuff.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Mario isn't a different person in each game. Link is. This Link could be a female. It's a different person each time. How many times does this need to be explained?

Agreed.

 

[ocean]

Between this and Star Fox, I guess it's time to buy a Wii U. Damnit Nintendo.

 

[stufte]

Can't you just accept that those curves belong to a female character?

There's nothing wrong with it, please understand.

Please stop trolling. You're shitting up the thread.

 

[Minister of the Dog]

Ito, you do know that someone is going to send your pics to a gaming site and that they will write an article on the "finer details of Link's (or is it Linkette's?) model", right?

 

[Violet_0]

updated the Wall, no blur!

ha, I knew it was Hyrule Castle and not just some random cloud

 

[Veitsev]

You guys realize Ito is posting shopped versions of these screenshots, yes?

 

[Technosteve]

this thread is weird, you people are weird, stop ruining Link nintendogaf.

 

[G.ZZZ]

Can't you just accept that those curves belong to a female character?

There's nothing wrong with it, please understand.

I accept and embrace our new world where i can finally play a serious non-sexualized female in my videogames. If nintendo do this i'll really buy a WiiU again, maybe 2 just to make up for misogynists boycotts

 

[Cymbal Head]

I just entered this thread and I'm so confused.

 

[StuBurns]

So I don't know who's joking, or trolling, and who's not, but honestly I thought it was a girl.

 

[Not]

Dude, Ito, people are legitimately believing all of your shops

Spoiler

And you're making me sad that they're shops so stawp

 

[MattyG]

Alright, so the pics are kind of low res, but here's some major locations I could pick out:

It's not much, but that's what I could find. Any locations I missed?

Oh, and #TeamLinkIsAGirl

 

[Delstius]

Leave it to GAF to discuss about Link gender for half a thread ahah

 

[Woffls]

Definitely not set before SS, since in that game no towns or people exist down on the ground, they only move down to the surface at the end of that game. Here you can see what is conceivably Hyrule Castle Town off in the distance, along with other stuff.

Hah, maybe not then. I thought there was stuff on the surface before they all bailed up to the clouds for ages, but I can't remember anything that well let alone a game I played three years ago

Also, #TeamBroLink

 

[Kinsei]

Leave it to GAF to discuss about Link gender for half a thread ahah

What else is there to talk about? It's not like they showed any gameplay.

 

[maquiladora]

Those HQ images.....fucking beautiful. If the final game delivers on the promise I'll be buying a Wii U. Simple as that.

 

[DrunkDan]

When Aonuma was explaining he was aiming for the 'open' world the first Zelda has, going from left to right, up and down,... I really thought he was going to announce a 2D Zelda for WiiU.

Thank the Gods of Hyrule he didn't

Haha yeah, I had a moment where I thought 'I hope this isn't what I think it is'.

Not that there's anything wrong with 2d Zelda games but I have my 3DS for those. Plus, the Wii U needed a show stopping Zelda in all it's 3d glory.

 

[Not]

Link is totally a girl. Why else wouldn't they give her a voice in the trailer? The screams at the beginning of the trailer weren't Link yelling at the horse, they were NPCs yelling in terror.

#TeamLinkIsAGirl

 

[ElTorro]

What else is there to talk about? It's not like they showed any gameplay.

Sad but true.

 

[RiggyRob]

Please stop trolling. You're shitting up the thread.

Speak for yourself, these shops are masterful.

 

[Nintendoga]

That face is the face of a guy.

Link ain't no Linka in this game.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Hah, maybe not then. I thought there was stuff on the surface before they all bailed up to the clouds for ages, but I can't remember anything that well let alone a game I played three years ago

Yeah, people were originally down on the surface, then evil came and Hylia sent them to the clouds.

So if it was before SS, it's a long time before. Also, notice how Auonuma didn't say "This is the new Hyrule!" He said it was the new world. It wouldn't be called Hyrule if it was before SS.

However, I don't know what I'm talking about since I couldn't give less of a shit about the timeline, so you make up your own mind.

 

[rex]

Maybe Mario would if he reincarnated in another time every game

But Link's reincarnation is nothing more than a byproduct of Nintendo not wanting to link up the storylines of every single Zelda game. The only reason they set things 100 years in the past or in the future is to obviate the need for a coherent, continual story. The 'different' Links across various games are not because Nintendo views Link as more avatar than character.

And I wonder, have they ever spoke of Link as an avatar outside the context of not adding voice acting to the game? I seem to remember 'link as an avatar' coming up for the first time only then, at least from the Nintendo guys like Miyamoto and Anouma.

I'd be curious if there are comments predating WW or TP (the time when I think people started looking for voice acting to be added to Zelda) describing Link as an avatar.


In any case, I agree with the others who view Link as more of a character than just an avatar. There's over 25 years of history now of Link appearing the same way, not only in the mainline Zelda series but in others as well. It seems arbitrary to me to all of a sudden make him into a girl.

Having said all that, the avatar argument isn't entirely without merit. I think a lot of the desire for Link's gender to be selectable probably stems from the role playing part of the game, where you do become a hero in a simple story to rid the land of evil, and people want to choose the essential elements of the character they're going to use to do that. I'm sympathetic to that, so on that basis I wouldn't object to full character customization, as long as the official Link remained the same character he always appeared to be.

 

[Garcia]

So I guess I'm getting a Wii U.

Same here. This game pretty much sold me on a Wii U.

 

[Easy_D]

#LinkIsChico

Edit:

Judging by a lot of peoples' response to the Xenoblade Chronicles X trailer for Wii U, I wouldn't be so sure.

Plus, in-engine doesn't mean much.

Go watch the live feed and see for yourself what Xenoblade X is like (Hint, it's amazing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCZ734RshPA

 

[Qasiel]

I think the point of making Link more and more androgynous is purely because Nintendo want to make him more accessible to both genders. After all, when you read why his name is "Link" in the first place it's because it's a "Link" from the character to the player.

I still think that Link is always going to be male, but Nintendo will just keep blurring the line somewhat to appeal to both genders of player. As someone stated earlier, if Nintendo really wanted a female-driven heroine game then they would just create a new IP (which I think would be a good idea because more games, right?), but now that Hyrule Warriors is coming out, spin-off games may be a good step forward in the Zelda universe, so what about a spin-off featuring a female (non-Link) protagonist? That idea isn't sounding as crazy as it may have a couple of years ago.

 

[DeejayKnight]

This trailer + Hyrule Warrior + MK8 + Splatoon + All the other awesome in the Nintendo Announce made this happen.

 

[Not]

That face is the face of a guy.

Link ain't no Linka in this game.

I think "Lash" is the best female name for Link

 

[TouchMyBox]

Link is my new waifu.

 

[RoadHazard]

Hah, maybe not then. I thought there was stuff on the surface before they all bailed up to the clouds for ages, but I can't remember anything that well let alone a game I played three years ago

Hmm. Well, actually you're right, some stuff is down there. That temple, and stuff. So ok, what I wrote wasn't really correct. But I'm pretty sure that's Hyrule Castle off in the distance, and that definitely didn't exist in the SS days. Hyrule didn't exist (as a kingdom). And SS is the origin story for the legend the series is about, so I don't think we'll be getting another "first game".