Lets Give This Game a Chance

    By now, everybody knows that Gamecube Zelda will have a look far different than anyone had expected.  Instead of the ultra-realistic tech demo we were treated to at Spaceworld 2000, we have now what is basically a playable cartoon.  Many Zelda fans have complained about this new look.  Hundreds have even signed one of several online petitions asking Nintendo to change the game back to its original look.  Personally, I think we should all look past the graphics and give this game a chance. 

        The cartoon look that Nintendo decided to go with is not necessarily a bad thing.  First off, it brings a new feel to the game.  Sure, we were all expecting a realistic game, but this gives us something new to be excited about, instead of something we all expected.  With the new look, Nintendo will undoubtedly bring some new, innovative gameplay elements to the game, elements that would otherwise be unrealistic.  In the Spaceworld 2001 video, we see several things that would not happen in a realistic version of the game.  For example, in one of the fight scenes with the Moblins, Link jumps over his attacker's head, and does a forward flip, slashing the Moblin with his sword.  Fun moves like this would not be in the game if the graphics were more lifelike, as this move would not fit in with a realistic scheme.  Nintendo will surely have several other fun moves that both Link and his enemies can pull off throughout the course of the game that would not have been possible if the game were more realistic. 

    The graphics that Nintendo chose to use for this game aren't horrible.  The images are clearer than Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, even if they are less realistic.  Nobody complained about the Oracle Series having cartoonish graphics.  Sure, it was released for a system with far less power than the Gamecube, but the bottom line is that Zelda for Gamecube will still have better graphics than any previous Zelda game, even if it does look different than the other games in the series.

   Also, since when are graphics the most important thing in a game?  Most of the games that have become my favorites over the years, I like because of the gameplay and storyline involved in the game.  The graphics are just an added bonus.  Remember all the great games on the NES and Super NES?  None of those were what you could call graphical wonders, but many of those games were more fun and challenging than a majority of the games released for N64.  With the advent of 3D graphics, many game developers decided to focus more on graphics than gameplay, and the challenge and fun of the games suffered.  In the case of Gamecube Zelda, Nintendo is putting less of a focus on graphics and putting more emphasis on the way the actual game plays, which is much more important.  I can list dozens of games that I still play and enjoy a great deal today that don't have good graphics by today's standards.  Why do I still play them, might you ask?  Well, these games were either incredibly fun to play, had a great storyline, or both.  If a game has a combination of great gameplay and a great story, that should be it.  Graphics are a secondary issue; although they can be nice, they don’t have to be the best on earth to be a terrific game.

   To sum this up, Gamecube Zelda isn't as bad as everybody thinks it will be.  Sure, the graphics are different from what we all expected, but in the end, does that really matter?  There has never been a Zelda game that wasn't fun to play, and I'm sure Zelda for Gamecube will be no different.  When it's all said and done, expect this game to be one of the early classics for Gamecube.