I think one of the best things about Zelda (and really Nintendo as a whole) is that it doesn’t just give you the thing you want, but instead tries to give you the thing you didn’t know you wanted. Sometimes it pays off: Wind Waker. Sometimes it doesn’t: Phantom Hourglass. And of course what works for some will not always work for others. But I’d rather them keep taking that risk because you never know when the next idea will become your favorite. And at the very least, a “bad” Zelda game is still usually a pretty good video game. We’ll always have the old ones and hopefully we’ll always have new ones to keep looking forward to. Whatever direction they go and whatever traditions they break, I think we’re still in good hands.
@VideoGameVillians
8 ай бұрын
I absolutely disagree with the person who said that those who prefer the more linear games are just nostalgic. I prefer a linear game because it helps me to follow the story. I can't stand open world games because I'm the kind of player who can't skip the optional content, but then I lose track of the plot and thus stop caring about playing the game any more unless I restart. And then I'd still have to complete all the optional quests/objectives and the cycle starts all over again. But that doesn't mean those games shouldn't be made by devs who want to make them just so long as there are devs out there who still recognize the value of a more linear game.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, understandable. I too disagree with it, but that's why I also think we should take it with a grain of salt too. I mean, he once famously said that motion controls were "the future of the series" and we all saw how that worked out haha.
@secundus1927
8 ай бұрын
… true … good point!
@GhengizKanye
8 ай бұрын
Personally i prefer the non linear zeldas, doesnt have to be "open world" necessarily but something like majoras mask where you can hit side quests in roughly any order but do that with the actual dungeons too. Sprinkle in some mini dungeons and bring back actual secrets like heart pieces instead of just 4 shrines=heart and i mean thats essentially perfection imo
@reynoldskynaston9529
8 ай бұрын
Yeah most Zelda games have had a lot of non-linear gameplay despite the main quest being pretty linear. Classic Zelda is only linear in comparison to new Zelda.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, I feel like they could find a healthy medium between the two. Like, maybe trim some of the fat of the open world so there aren't extended areas of "nothing"
@marktreerng
8 ай бұрын
Totally agree, and even to think of all the developers, not just the main names, they all deserve the space to make what they'd like. And hopefully get properly compensated and some job security while were at it! Thank you for the Skyward Sword reminder, got half way through but was having fun
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Oh yeah, that's a whole other topic, but definitely think that game devs need to be more properly compensated for their work!
@drunkenbuttons606
8 ай бұрын
Nintendo should have three dedicated teams for the Zelda franchise imo. One for classic top down style Zeldas, one for the traditional 3D style Zeldas, and one for the open world style Zeldas. I don't think that one director should be in charge of all three genres of Zelda, especially if he already has a biased towards one particular style of game.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, I can agree with this. I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot a bit with the Switch, since we no longer have like the handheld version of games. Prior to it, we used to see the big expensive Zelda games on consoles, and the smaller scale, more unique ideas saved for handhelds, which was pretty great for fans of the series.
@drunkenbuttons606
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ those were great times. Because of that dynamic, we ended up getting games like the Minish Cap, Links Awakening, A link between worlds, the Golden Sun series, the Mario and Luigi series, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission, just to name a few. You're right. Those were truly awesome times to be a Nintendo fan.
@secundus1927
8 ай бұрын
Part of me agrees that would be nice. However that would be a lot of man power for just one franchise and wonder if they could afford it? Or would take personnel from other existing teams make other games take longer?
@TheMegaMessenger
8 ай бұрын
Yooo new java abt Castlevania SoTN also awesome video AJ im recently re discovering ur channel after like 4-6 years and i loved them as a kid dude! So watching the old ones gave me nostalgia and these new ones are showing me that even changing only a lil ur vids are awesome and new & give me Happines and also what i love how deeply u can go into anything abt games just to entratain us every 2 weeks Dude Love it! Also i wish u a great new year And hope you family and friends are happy and healthy keep putting up vids like this dude but u dont have to make vids exactly like this as a Creator myself i know how hard it is to make great edited detailed vids But Ye I love ur vids and enjoy them any wait time for ur uploads are EXTREMELY worth it! So yea also Again i cant wait for the SoTN Java as ive beaten it more that 600 times (Yes i drained my self and was a nerdy kid without friends) So itll give me a lot of nostalgia being a pro at that game. Hope u could make vids abt SoR (Streets Of Rage) anytime! Thx for reading this!
@lancewolfe5620
8 ай бұрын
Series like Zelda and Mario have a unique challenge trying to appeal to new younger players and the adults who grew up with them, having to make everyone happy is daunting. Oh and totally agree about backseat drivers 👍 thanks for the video
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, it's definitely a herculean task, to say the least, and one that I'm happy I don't have to partake in haha. I can't imagine the stress of developing THAT level of game.
@HybridAngelZero
8 ай бұрын
I actually have sort of a different history with Zelda than most people, I actually wasn't really into the series growing up, the only entry I liked as a kid was Link's Awakening. It wasn't until I bought Wind Waker on a whim for dirt cheap sometime in the mid 00s that I was really interested in trying the rest of the series. Having taken in most of the games over the course of a fee years, the series, to me, has been something always malleable constantly changing and reinventing how ideas are applied, so with Monolith Soft's amazing engine at their fingertips and finally free from underpowered consoles with the Wii U, the announcement that the newest Zelda would be open world seemed like the most logical step. Looking at games like Wind Waker and even the first Zelda, I feel like this was always sort of the idea in the first place. My interpretation is that Aonuma finally got the series to where they wanted and can build on that, why would he want to go backwards? I'm not saying that's how I feel about the series, but as a creative person myself, I can see where he's coming from
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, I can definitely see his point of view for sure. I mean the first Zelda was open world, after all, just on smaller scale. It's interesting though, cause if that's the case, then they unintentionally made people fans of something that they themselves didn't see as "complete," and now those same fans don't want what Aonuma was initially going for to begin with haha
@nepeta3286
8 ай бұрын
in my opinion, all zelda games were open world, aside from skyward sword, and of course some spinoffs when you look at it all games have a wide map full of things to explore. the real new thing i'd argue is different in those last 2 is total nonlinearity and sandbox which is definitely put forward by aonuma, not gonna argue whether it's better or not, that's subjective, but i don't think it's so obvious whether that was the original plan or not, it was agreed that zelda was always about adventure, exploration and discovery, as miyamoto stated, and that's pretty much what it's always been in my opinion, but regardless, it's going where the devs want, and there's no stopping them @@SimplyAJ
@kingdilly8906
8 ай бұрын
You make a great point with the New Super Mario Bros. series. While there is definitely still fun to be had with iterative games, it’s the innovation and creativity that really grab attention. Developers are too chained to corporate-mandated design philosophy and that spirit of creativity won’t reach its full potential.
@otomegrandma7472
8 ай бұрын
I think people should become less attached to the 'Zelda' title itself. 'Zelda' is a name and some songs and some character designs, while the games themselves are the work of the people who made them, and those people were never going to be making 'Zelda' games forever, let alone 'Zelda' games of the kind that you want. Zelda had already changed a bunch between OoT and Skyward Sword, and back then there were people who said "will they never make a new Zelda game like the ones I used to like?" even though we now see people grouping these five games together. Other developers are totally capable of making games in the style you think 'Zelda' should be. They won't have the name or the songs or the character designs, but we only care about those things because they were in the good games that we liked, not because the games needed those things to be good.
@justysilverman
8 ай бұрын
Killer green screen key on your hair. 💚
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Believe it or not, no green screen involved! Used to use one for other projects in the past, but yeah, hair was always annoying to do, so this is just me sitting in front of a TV (something that I also retired as of this video, once I built a new set, cause that had its OWN issues haha)
@TehZergRush
8 ай бұрын
Yeeeeess fresh upload from AJ for the new year! For the most part I agree, it's better to let the devs experiment and try new things, even if that means a stinker, or something that is less than perfectly polished gets released. What I do complain about is aggressive and manipulative monetization of games, especially ones selling at full price, although I think that aspect has far less to do with the devs and much more to do with owners and sharholders. As a side note, I don't expect you to remember, but I had commented on a previous video that I was going through the GBA and DS castlevania trilogies last year and I'm happy to say I completed tha goal. I'll maybe talk about the games a bit more in your SOTN vid, but just wanted to let ya know that your JAVA videos were a big motivator in getting me to experience those titles! Happy new year AJ, thanks for the vid and looking forward to the SOTN JAVA!
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Oh awesome! Congrats on finishing those, and happy new year! Yeah, the SoTN JAVA is uhh... daunting, but it's coming along haha. But yeah unfortunately, I don't think that the devs have much control over the sales price of games. It's usually pretty obvious which games are made specifically FOR profit though.
@satan-kun8974
8 ай бұрын
Really enjoying your videos
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Thanks so much, happy to hear!
@islarf5095
8 ай бұрын
(HI! Just found your channel (finally) through Jrose's missingno video!) I've wanted to get into Zelda and was slowly playing through them in order of release. Played 1, skipped 2, played 3 and 4. but 3 was so much better than 4 i kinda didn't play much of Ocarina of Time, and stopped early.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Hey there, welcome! So, if you enjoyed 3 that much, I'd definitely say give the gameboy ones a shot, either Link's Awakening, or Oracle of Ages and Seasons. If they visually feel a little too dated for you (which, I mean, they still look better than 1 at least), you could definitely give Minish Cap a try, as it's also very good, and in the same league of a appeal as Link's Awakening I'd say. I think when it comes to the 3D vs Top Down Zelda, people tend to gravitate towards one or the other. I really do enjoy both, but I REALLY like the top down ones a lot.
@FerPaleta
8 ай бұрын
Videogames and movies are a special product. They may be seen as art or have pieces of art (music, photography, writing, etc) but ultimately they are products of the entertainment industry. Can't be compare to paintings or songs or any other more pure form of art. All that said, dev companies are the ones who decides what to do and we as consumers decide what to buy. Everything else is up to the dev company to care or not.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
While they are still part of the entertainment industry, I still consider them art. Music is art, and is also part of the entertainment industry, so I don't think that necessarily takes away from them BEING a form of art. But yeah, ultimately, devs can do whatever they want haha
@FerPaleta
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ Nonono. A paint is art, not entertainment. An art galery is entertainment. A song is art, a concert is entertainment. As for games... is a puzzle art? is Tetris art? Is a great game and is a classic, but what about art? And what about any videogame that it's a board game? But the important point is: you want to get a profit out of a videogame. So is not pure art. Is a product. And is not made by devs, is made by a company (specially in this case, i guess that line could be blurry if it's just one guy like Stardew Valley but here is Nintendo)
@thomasffrench3639
7 ай бұрын
@@FerPaleta how are paintings not entertainment? What?
@pulpprof526
8 ай бұрын
I want a Zelda 2 ..... 2. Side scrolling Zelda rules! lol. All Zelda, good Zelda.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
I have talked about this so much with one of my friends. I genuinely love Zelda II, and we even joked about making a Zelda II 2 at some point. That being said if you haven't tried a Zelda II Randomizer, I highly recommend it, since it rebuilds the entire map, so it's like you're exploring new places entirely, which is cool. There's also a fan made like.. Zelda II Complete that just released, that's basically just an enhanced version of Zelda II, also very cool. Lastly, you could check out Sheep Lad if you haven't already. It's inspired by Zelda II, and I think is launching a Kickstarter sometime soon!
@P4brotagonist
8 ай бұрын
God I'm always so excited every time I see a new post from you. I also had issues with Skyward Sword as a lefty
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Oh wow, thanks so much for the generosity! I'm really happy to know that people get excited for my videos haha.
@Ophmar4
8 ай бұрын
I understand (and share) the sentiment for video games as art, but as gamers we interact with the product the art becomes for fun. I think the issue is when a series has deviated so much that the elements some people look forward to are absent. For intance, with Zelda I used to look forward to dungeons and puzzles. With BotW and TotK, I just want to get those things over with (or avoid them) because I find those elements unpleasant in the newer incarnations. So, to me, these new games aren't an improvement, they're just different. While that difference is interesting and impressive, a lot of those changes just aren't fun to me.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, it's a tricky balancing act for sure. I think one of the best examples of this is the Final Fantasy series. At the very least, someone could play pretty much any Zelda game, then pick up BoTW and ToTK, and they'll still FEEL the same. At their core, they'll still be different for sure, but ultimately, they control extremely and play extremely similarly. Final Fantasy, though, has deviated so far from what it once was, that picking up even like... FFX then playing XVI is going to feel like you're playing an entirely different series haha.
@Ophmar4
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ Well, I don't agree completely about Zelda. The exploration portion and some fight elements remain, but the game seems focused a bit more on traversal and exploits. Whereas chest used to bring a feeling of wonder when you opened them, in BotW and TotK it's a fairly bland excercise (for me at least), because everything is generally disposable. I feel like much of what connects BotW and TotK to the older entries are the visuals and music, but those meticulous puzzle boxes that were Zelda have been replaced by obstacles that can be surmounted in any way a player chooses. I've never struggled to find solutions in BotW and TotK's puzzles, and I even hesitate to call them puzzles with how they can be bypassed There's an interesting division at times between classic and modern fans. It isn't always as simple as that either, as some classic fans really enjoy this new direction. To me these games are Zeldas on a surface level because of how striking their deviations are. While these games don't leave me with the Zelda feel I was looking for, at least the old games still exist and I am thankful for what I got in the past
@The_Wahrrior
8 ай бұрын
I agree that the more lovingly crafted a game is, the better it tends to be. That’s why I’ve been ok with waiting for TES6.
@Pyxis10
8 ай бұрын
😂
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Oh man, while I'm excited about TES6, it's also a super sore spot, cause I always preferred to play these games on console, but now that Microsoft bought them, I'm gonna be forced to playing it on the PC, which is lame haha. But still excited to eventually play it in 2054
@Dilios_of_Sparta
8 ай бұрын
I want a Zelda game from Ganon's perspective. You know, like Beowulf from Grendel's side of the story. It would be an interesting take on the series. Sometimes it's fun to be the bad guy.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
I always thought it'd be cool if they leaned more into the Demise stuff with Ganondorf. Like, tell a story where Ganon learns of the history, learns that Demise had his own counter to the Mastersword, being Ghirahim, and spends his part of the story acquiring it.
@Dilios_of_Sparta
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ I totally agree! That would be awesome!
@erikmclennan3934
8 ай бұрын
Awesome video out of nowhere! The final line NAILED my thoughts - backseat drivers are the fucking WORST. 😂
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Haha, thanks so much! They really are, though!
@intevolver
8 ай бұрын
There's an even simpler take: you can't always get what you want. Don't want it? Don't buy it. By all means critique it, but if you think you're entitled to it you've lost track of your relationship with reality.
@Pyxis10
8 ай бұрын
Would be fine if Copyright didn't extend forever. If it were 30 years and then to creative commons, then we could make our own versions of Zelda the way we want. So could they.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
I'm always curious about stuff like this when it comes to franchise games, cause while that is true, it almost means we'd just get a whole slew of garbage with everybody trying to cash in. I mean just look at Winnie the Pooh and the recent Steamboat Willie stuff haha.
@nepeta3286
8 ай бұрын
i mean, on one side, yes people might abuse a license, but on the other, is it fair to haggle over a concept or idea forever, because you invented it, despite not contributing to it in the same way? i know it's a form of art, but how would everyone react if the mona lisa wasn't derivable and the descendents of leonardo were to make anyone who parodies it pay for that? doesn't sound good, art has always been derived, sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not, but that freedom to do so contributed to having overall a better cultural gain from that. in my opinion that's a good statement as to how much copyright can be harmful in some contexts @@SimplyAJ
@xSimone92x
8 ай бұрын
What people want be it from the consumer or development side of things is entirely moot in this argument. If the new games didn't sell like hotcakes this wouldn't be a conversation. What makes money is where game development will go. Period. What people want is entirely pointless when investors just want the most cash. They'll kill a whole franchise if it buys them another super car.
@thomasffrench3639
7 ай бұрын
Kill the franchise? We are talking Zelda here not DMC: Devil May Cry
@vvitch-mist20
8 ай бұрын
I feel like this is just another evolution of Zelda. People were mad at Twilight Princess when that came out, and it's now considered a classic game. Let's all be grateful Zelda games aren't getting worse lol. Like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were horrific.
@shytendeakatamanoir9740
8 ай бұрын
Because Zelda games had ample times to be developed, while Pokemon games are on a very short deadline. Which, I guess, is kind of the point.
@vvitch-mist20
8 ай бұрын
@@shytendeakatamanoir9740 Pokemon isn't even all that complex of a game like why fuck with it. I hope patches come out bc I'm not buying it until it improves.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Yeah, Pokemon is in a weird spot, unfortunately, because it's a game series that outgrew itself, and now the "brand" is more important than the games. All the OTHER Pokemon stuff, the toys, plushies, etc, are what makes them so much money. At this point, the games just kind of exist as a medium to make new toys and plushes to sell, which is honestly a real shame. It's a series I really love, but has been creatively milked dry due to capitalistic greed haha.
@vvitch-mist20
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ That's so weird. I was actually looking forward to Scarlet and Violet since Legends of Arceus was actually nice. It was a little strange, but it was a wonderful breath of fresh air.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
@@vvitch-mist20 Yeah, I really enjoyed Arceus as well. I always hold out hope that the next Pokemon game will scratch the itch that I want it to, but they've definitely deviated further and further from what they once were.
@gabrielsnow77
8 ай бұрын
Great video as always!😄👍
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
Thanks so much!
@Lukandon
8 ай бұрын
"to all you gamers out there who are complaining about open world Zelda, maybe you shouldn't have complained so much about linear Zelda in the past", dude. This is such a bad jab at people. Like, for real? You wanna criticise gamers for complaining about something to which the devs go the other extreme end? Wanting a game that's in the middle of linear and open world is perfectly acceptable. I can''t speak for others, but from my perspective, as a student studying games design, I don't have as much time to invest in games as I used to when I was younger. It took me nearly 6 years to finish BOTW. Why? Because of burn out. The world was too huge, with far too much walking and climbing between key points. Compare this to another long game that I played for the first time shortly before finishing it, Persona 5 Royal. That game had you constantly doing things in a tight location and it actually felt like I was making progress. I felt far more enjoyment from that than BOTW. I also found more enjoyment from HWAoC, but it did get a bit repetitive by the end and I didn't 100% it. I also prefer a higher focus on story. In regards to TOTK, I had started playing it shortly after it came out and while it's better than BOTW by having more things to do, I'm still nowhere near done. I was able to beat the first dungeon sooner than in BOTW, but I stopped soon after that. It still has the huge world problem. The story is more compelling and involved, but I have no clue when I'll finish it because of my lack of time. My backlog is huge, and my "homework" is playing video games, games that are relevant to the project I'm working on in each class. I can't invest time into super long games anymore (Still haven't finished XC, and I have XC2 and XC3 to get to...), which is why I personally would prefer they go back to the old linear formula, or at the very least shrink the world size by 40% or more. Edit: I should clarify that I accept your point that developers are allowed to make want they want to make. I appreciate and respect the work they put into BOTW and TOTK, but again, not everyone including myself have the time to play super long games. I just wanted to make that clear.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
I mean, I said that with plenty of snark and sarcasm attached, essentially saying "no matter what type of game that devs make, people won't be happy and will complain" which is very much the case. I have no problem criticizing gamers because I AM a gamer as well haha. I wouldn't take it all that seriously, though. That being said, I even said I too prefer linear Zelda games. I mean, I get it when it comes to a lack of time. I work 2 full time jobs, one of which is IN Gamedev. I'm also the editor for another KZitemr while also trying to make my own. Meaning I have very little time to play long games, BUT... I also have to recognize, that those are my choices, and these game devs shouldn't cater to just me purely because I've chosen to do all this with my time haha. It's just one of those things where it's like, yeah, sometimes it's nice to just play a shorter game, purely because you can get through it without the looming backlog, but ultimately, OUR life choices aren't going to have an effect on what a game dev wants to make, ya know?
@Lukandon
8 ай бұрын
@@SimplyAJ Fair enough. Apologies for the misunderstanding. I understand the point you're making. I'll just have to keep grinding at my games as I go. I'm not sure what's going in the heads of these game devs though thinking people have time for long games. Man, I don't know how you manage all that. 2 full time jobs? Insane.
@SimplyAJ
8 ай бұрын
@@Lukandon It's not easy, and is the reason as to why I don't get as many videos out as I'd like to. Hoping to change it eventually, though! But yeah, all good man, no worries! The long games thing is definitely dependent on the dev. Some of them, IE Capcom and what not, are just doing it as a live service, hoping to keep people playing the same game forever to continue making money from players. It's gross, and I'm not a fan. As for Zelda, I honestly just think it's the game they wanted to make, so they did it haha.
@secundus1927
8 ай бұрын
Yeah I don’t see it the same way. If a painter is painting a dog or something in a manner you don’t like you can go to another painter. We can’t just get some else to make Zelda games. If he wants to make a different kinda of game make a new franchise. Don’t hold the old one hostage.
@secundus1927
8 ай бұрын
Also I don’t this is quite the same as an author writing a book. This more like someone buying the rights to story from a previous person (Miyamoto) just so they can rewrite it to kill off the character they didn’t like.
@thomasffrench3639
7 ай бұрын
They held open world Zelda hostage for decades with the linear Ocarina of Time and arguably Link to the Past, so I don’t get the idea that you need to create a new IP. Also if they don’t want to make a game, you can’t force them to make a good one, that’s just how things work.
@108kitsune
8 ай бұрын
Cant wait for more poorly performing empty Zelda maps!
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