Hyrule Warriors (Legend of Zelda and the Dynasty Warriors sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!)

[SuperLink]

For a game about Zelda, we've seen a whole lot of nothing about the titular character (God, I hope that doesn't become a pun.)

This is also nothing new for the series (unfortunately)  (though I guess her character isn't necessary in some games)

 

This time I think her part will be pretty big, I imagine they're gonna show her a lot at E3 and probably playable too.

[G-Force]

For the record, I was not trying to say that Nintendo doesn't deserve any blame, just that Tecmo Koei deserves more of it.

 

And to be honest, I don't think we know the exact scope of Nintendo's "no on disc dlc" policies.  As far as we know, it may only extend to games they develop in house, or maybe they just don't want to risk souring one of their few third party relationships by trying to meddle with their business practices.

 

 I don't know, I just think it's a bit premature to start freaking out on Nintendo's dlc practices.  They seem to be doing sort of ok with it thus far, and the details surrounding this particular game create enough of a grey area that I think it would be wiser to just let this one slide.

[SuperLink]

Either way I'm going to make it as known as I can to Nintendo that this isn't a practise I'm ok with. Letting it slide for one game is well and good, but them doing it at all leaves them inevitably open to feedback. And feedback I will give them.

 

I'm not exactly going to be boycotting this game, I love Zelda, Zelda characters and Zelda fanservice too much to even consider boycotting it, but you can bet I'm going to point out my distaste for the method on Miiverse, Facebook, wherever, ask them to seriously consider not doing it again, and avoid buying the dlc completely unless it's "true" dlc like Mario Golf's.

[VO.SUPER]

Fun fact. Shia's official render shows that her outfit is very similar to veran.

Veran's outfit is quite different. One: She wears a low hanging top, but it doesn't reveal her entire chest area. Two: You can't see Veran's legs. Three: her outfit is based off the poe sister from Ocarina of Time.

[Wraith]

Other M being brought up in the first place as a reason why this game will be inherently sexist is kinda bullshit. Samus gets fanservicy shots in MOST metroid games. A few ass shots in Other M wouldn't have caused as much of a shitstorm if it weren't for that terrible characterization on top of it. You know, that thing that was Nintendo's fault. Aside from that, Impa, one of the franchise's key females, looks fine. Shia having boobs shouldn't spell the end of this game having a decent plot.

Also, in regards to the premise, if we treated Majora's Masks's premise the way we're tearing apart this one, you could say Skull Kid's motivation basically boilled down to "my friends wont hang out with me time to kill everyone". Petty, selfish emotional drives have kind of been a thing in the series for a while now?

[Carbo]

Other M isn't sexist because of some raunchy butt shots. It's sexist because Sakamoto's writing has some incredibly disconcerting implications. There's a difference between "sexy" and "sexist".

If Team Ninja isn't responsible for anything other than design and (hopefully) combat then the onus of any potential sexist marketing/story will hardly be on them and their history with a game that probably inspired matricide.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Carbo
Original post confused DoA5 with SCV

[SuperLink]

Other M being brought up in the first place as a reason why this game will be inherently sexist is kinda bullshit. Samus gets fanservicy shots in MOST metroid games. A few ass shots in Other M wouldn't have caused as much of a shitstorm if it weren't for that terrible characterization on top of it. You know, that thing that was Nintendo's fault. Aside from that, Impa, one of the franchise's key females, looks fine. Shia having boobs shouldn't spell the end of this game having a decent plot.

The core difference between the imagery in Other M and most Metroid games is that most Metroid games show Samus as quite a well-build woman in a fairly natural or relaxed pose for a fraction of the entire game length, and that's only if you did well.

 

In Other M, the camera focuses needlessly on her butt, her figure, other such crapperies, even in action sequences she removes her armour for almost no reason besides the directors wanting to remind the player that she is an attractive anime female with anime breasts and anime ass, you know, just incase you forgot. Which is where the game isn't just worse in character but also in imagery. But you're still right that it wouldn't have caused as much of a shitstorm if she had better character and more agency.

 

Also on the point of Impa, Impa has historically been one of the series' more "booby" characters too (when she's not an old lady that is). Her outfit in Ocarina of Time was pretty revealing, the fact that they specifically chose the design of the least revealing Impa to play as is almost reassuring.

 

I guess the point is, Shia's design is definitely somewhat problematic, but I won't be passing negative judgement on her or the game's writing unless I get the feeling from my own experience with the game that she as a character is defined by her sexual appearance. Because as things stand right now, she sounds like a victim villain and I want her to be likeable.

[Mogtaki]

She had a similar weapon in Skyward Sword, didn't she? I don't remember it being anywhere near as thick though.

 

I'm not sure, sadly I've barely done that game because a number of reasons so I didn't get to see her.

 

Maybe you can tell, maybe?

 

[Solkia]

Wow, last time I looked in this topic, people were hyped as shit.

 

So other than the Dynasty Warriors combat, is it still an adventure game?

[Sami]

Other M being brought up in the first place as a reason why this game will be inherently sexist is kinda bullshit. Samus gets fanservicy shots in MOST metroid games. A few ass shots in Other M wouldn't have caused as much of a shitstorm if it weren't for that terrible characterization on top of it. You know, that thing that was Nintendo's fault. Aside from that, Impa, one of the franchise's key females, looks fine. Shia having boobs shouldn't spell the end of this game having a decent plot.

Also, in regards to the premise, if we treated Majora's Masks's premise the way we're tearing apart this one, you could say Skull Kid's motivation basically boilled down to "my friends wont hang out with me time to kill everyone". Petty, selfish emotional drives have kind of been a thing in the series for a while now?

If you were the developer of Majora's Mask, and was asked to quickly give a premise about the story, what would you talk about? Having 3 days to stop the apocalypse, or the first ten seconds of the game?

The fact that this is what they chose to talk about when advertising their game doesn't inspire me with confidence about the direction they're taking it in. Call it cynicism, but the fact that of all things to talk about, that's what they chose... that doesn't bode well. And as Azu pointed out earlier, as of now the whole game just feels very "anime". The plot and character designs look a lot like something you'd see in one.

Other M isn't sexist because of some raunchy butt shots. It's sexist because Sakamoto's writing has some incredibly disconcerting implications. There's a difference between "sexy" and "sexist".If Team Ninja isn't responsible for anything other than design and (hopefully) combat then the onus of any potential sexist marketing/story will hardly be on them and their history with a game that probably inspired matricide.

I don't disagree with this, but as of right now I don't feel they've really given much reason to believe this game will be different. Very well could be, and that'd be great, but I don't think "evil scantily clad witch is thirsty and turns evil" is a good place to start for any game, let alone one by Team Ninja or Tecmo or whoever's working on this thing.

[SuperLink]

If you were the developer of Majora's Mask, and was asked to quickly give a premise about the story, what would you talk about? Having 3 days to stop the apocalypse, or the first ten seconds of the game?

The fact that this is what they chose to talk about when advertising their game doesn't inspire me with confidence about the direction they're taking it in.

This is a very good point.

 

But on the other hand it's possible it could be regional marketing. Everyone, including us, Nintendo, and Tecmo, all know Zelda doesn't sell great in Japan. Perhaps they figured that focusing on this kind of "moe" plot detail will gain additional interest from otaku gamers or Tecmo's usual demographic.

 

For all we know, the plot synopsis we're given at E3 could be pretty different or have a different angle to it. If it doesn't though then yeah I agree. (I'm far from certain that's what they'll do haha)

[Chaos Warp]

Wow, last time I looked in this topic, people were hyped as shit.

 

So other than the Dynasty Warriors combat, is it still an adventure game?

Speak for yourself, I still am. Some level of fanservice and a stupid plot doesn't really bug me as long as the hack-n-slash Zelda gameplay I've wanted for so long is still up to par. 

[VO.SUPER]

Wow, last time I looked in this topic, people were hyped as shit.

So other than the Dynasty Warriors combat, is it still an adventure game?

I still am. As stupid as the backstory sounds, I'm hoping the actual character interaction will be enjoyable. And since it'll be my first DW experience, I can enjoy it with fresh eyes.

[Carbo]

Link's design sticks more out to me than anything else right now.

The glossier focus on primary color palette, smoother structure, less potruding lips and oval shaped face with the more pronounced eye make-up seems a lot more bish-y than the previous incarnations. I guess they're trying to capitalize more on a female audience.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Oh, that is a positive about this game. A female villain. Very, very few female villains in the Zelda series.

There's so few female villains in OH so many franchises. It does tend to get quite annoying.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Ya, I would argue don't judge any of the practices till we hear the NA/EU marketing plans, since like its been stated, Tecmo-Koei is marketing it in japan, and the Warriors series is HUGE there, so their going to use their normal techniques. When Nintendo brings it over here, expect a Nintendo style Zelda marketing plan NOT a Japanese TK one

 

also how the game came to be

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/05/22/nintendo-tecmo-koei-discuss-hyrule-warriors-came/

 

Nintendo And Tecmo Koei Discuss How Hyrule Warriors Came To Be

By Sato . May 22, 2014 . 1:35am

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This week’s issue of Famitsu magazine has a lot to share about Tecmo Koei and Nintendo’s upcoming collaboration, Hyrule Warriors. The game, known as “Zelda Musou” in Japan, is part of Tecmo Koei’s Warriors series of games, which employ the concept of a single character doing battle against dozens of enemies as once.

In Japan, the Warriors—or “Musou” games, as they’re referred to there—encompass a wide range of franchises, ranging from Tecmo Koei’s own Dynasty Warriors to collaborations with other companies, such as One Piece: Pirate Warriors or Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. This week’s Famitsu features an interview with three key developers working on Hyrule Warriors, including Eiji Aonuma, known for directing and producing several Zelda games.

Aonuma, who is currently taking on the role of Hyrule Warriors’ supervisor, is joined by general producer Hisashi Koinuma and producer Yosuke Hayashi, both from Tecmo Koei. Famitsu starts out the interview by expressing their surprise upon first hearing about a collaboration between The Legend of Zelda and the Warriors series. They ask how it all began.

“Warriors has teamed up with series such as Gundam, Fist of the North Star and One Piece, and I thought about doing something with Nintendo,” explains Koinuma. “While thinking about what would make for a good collaboration, it was Hayashi that proposed [the idea] by saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to do a collaboration with The Legend of Zelda?’”

Koinuma explains that it was from there that they eventually spoke with Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto from Nintendo, who agreed on the collaboration to create Hyrule Warriors.

 

“This presentation was actually from several years ago, when they showed us One Piece: Pirate Warriors,” says Aonuma. “At first, when they said that One Piece would become a Warriors [game], I wondered, ‘How will that turn out?’ but once I actually played it, I felt that they did a good job of implementing the Warriors system.”

 

“So, it sparked my interest when I thought: ‘I wonder what a collaboration with The Legend of Zelda would be like.’ Shortly afterwards, Miyamoto told me, ‘The folks at Tecmo Koei are talking about a Zelda Musou. Are you interested?’ and I responded with ‘definitely!’”

 

Famitsu mentions that it seems like Nintendo were being very forward-looking about the entire affair

 

“Yes, given Tecmo Koei and their ability to plan things out, along with many other titles they’ve shaped into the form of a Warriors game, when thinking about how The Legend of Zelda could be reborn [in such a way], we had far more expectations than uncertainties.”

 

Next, they ask Tecmo Koei how they decided on a Zelda collaboration, when considering the numerous titles Nintendo have.

“With Koinuma and myself included, we have many fans of The Legend of Zelda in our company, and that would be the ultimate reason,” replies Hayashi. “The basic fights in The Legend of Zelda series involve one-on-one fights, so ‘having over 100 enemies like the Musou games would surely make things interesting,’ was something we discussed among the staff.”

“You can say that luck also played a role,” adds Koinuma. “The title that our company wanted to do a Musou game collaboration with the most just so happened to be the one title that the folks at Nintendo said ‘we can entrust them with this one’ to, so we were both able to come to an agreement regarding The Legend of Zelda.”

Hyrule Warriors will be released on August 14, 2014 for Wii U in Japan. The West will be getting it at a later date.

Read more stories about Hyrule Warriors & Wii U on Siliconera.

Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2014/05/22/nintendo-tecmo-koei-discuss-hyrule-warriors-came/#iXqSBGP10VX1boWF.99

[Diogenes]

If you were the developer of Majora's Mask, and was asked to quickly give a premise about the story, what would you talk about? Having 3 days to stop the apocalypse, or the first ten seconds of the game?

If I were teasing the game's story, I might just talk about the first few bits. Link, fresh out of OoT, is attacked by a strange masked man, and chases him into a mysterious new world. There's enough of a hook in there without giving away the big gimmick.

[VO.SUPER]

I'm not holding myself on that hope of that different dlc strategy, even if Nintendo is publishing it. 

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Speak for yourself, I still am. Some level of fanservice and a stupid plot doesn't really bug me as long as the hack-n-slash Zelda gameplay I've wanted for so long is still up to par. 

This exactly, also its extremely unlikely she starts out in that outfit, there is a 95% chance she has an alt that's her guardian robes or something like that 

 

also in regards to outfit layouts, took a sampling from Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper for those that missed

 

so those roster pics I promised from warriors orochi 3 Hyper, sorry about not having the actual pics showing, but SSMB doesn't support the extension, and I don't have have the time to rehost them(or a good site to use), if someone else wants to and/or combine them, feel free you have my permission

 

Tried to get a decent sample, but there are more than 130 characters

 

here is the main female I use in normal, and the alt I usually use, I've leveled her up so high the special attack with those hoops are nearly instant death for minions XD

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR8_uvk2Bv-Zes

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9AccYR1BwigP

see, realitively non-fan servicy woman, the roster is about 2/3s armored/ full clothing woman, and the rest on the more fanservicy side are the ninja's and assassins mainly, and the main villain of course

Here are some males, I tried to get some that the ladies might think are fanservicey but how am I supposed ta know?!

 

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BpEULTvhrYi

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BslYhPD65O3

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BujcPjlwqQn

 

Female Fan-service-ish, but ninja

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BwMs-J_fQDg

And the villain-ness, the HW one is nothing new

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9Bx1wcOZsDyQ

 

But her tag-along admirer(don't ask me why, I don't get Japanese stuff) is dressed appropriately

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BzqAUZ4XX01

then again it is proably a 13 year old

 

And Achilles! Because you don't mess with Achilles!

https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzR9BqtIh0l6kSn

 

and that's just a sampling of the 130+ characters in the roster

[YoshiUnity]

Honestly, as far as the story goes, I can deal with it as long as it proves entertaining in some way. It doesn't bother me all that much that summary doesn't all that great. As I said in the OP, I wasn't expecting much more than a plug-in just to get the characters from Point A to Point B. That being said, I always prefer a great story over a average one. So if it proves to entertain in the end, then I'm good.

 

The potential of the gameplay is keeping me hyped, so I'm still very interested. Really looking forward to seeing more of it when E3 comes around.

[Marcello]

Another artwork:

 
 
Also, I saw something interesting on NeoGAF. Someone pointed out that both Impa and Shia have slightly darker skin (Shia's seems to be a bit darker than Impa, but both are darker than Link or Valgia), white hair and feathers. Could Shia be another Sheika? And maybe have some relation to Impa? Thinking about it, Shia does sound a bit similar to Sheika..

[JaidynReiman]

Shia being a Sheikah? Does not surprise me whatsoever, that's something I noticed right away. Her hair color and everything look quite similar to Impa. Shia actually looks like she could be Impa's sister or something. That said I still also think that Shia is intended to be the Poe Sister Meg as well, the similarities are too jarring.

 

Also, I decided to check if we can see Shia's eyes. Seems that we cannot see Shia's eyes at all. The eyes on her mask are red, though, and at one point in the scans they glow red, so perhaps she has red eyes? That'd be an even further connection (Sheikah always have red eyes).

 

 

The monsters in that screenshot are clearly based on a variety of games, though we basically already new this. The Stalchilds look just like the ones from OOT/MM. Also, there's a dragon in the second shot. It looks familiar, but I'm not sure if its an existing one or not. Definitely not Volvagia of course.

[SuperLink]

Remember how I said the new info and plot synopsis might be specifically tailored to appeal to Japanese audiences and otaku? Well.
 

Japan may not be huge into the Zelda series, but they certainly enjoy their Dynasty Warriors. I guess the combination of the two series' is just too much for Japan to ignore! All three versions of Hyrule Warriors now sits in Amazon's top 10, with the most expensive special edition sitting in 1st place!

Yep. Sounds like "boob witches" and "love triangles" were just what Japan wanted to hear. It probably won't remain in the top spot for very long, but I reckon it'll get a few bursts of popularity like this up until launch if Nintendo and Tecmo keep it up.

[Marcello]

The monsters in that screenshot are clearly based on a variety of games, though we basically already new this. The Stalchilds look just like the ones from OOT/MM. Also, there's a dragon in the second shot. It looks familiar, but I'm not sure if its an existing one or not. Definitely not Volvagia of course.

 

It's Argorok from Twilight Princess.

 

Character Profiles:

 

Link,The Hero; Link is an exceptionally strong soldier in the Royal Army of Hyrule. The power of the Triforce of Courage hides within. He is a kind individual who can speak with fairies and he has within him a strong sense of justify that makes hi firmly stands his ground against evil, even if they are stronger than he.

He mostly uses a nimble battle style that relies on footwork to mess with his opponents. In this game, he can make use of various weapons, but his main weapon will always be a speed-type sword.

Impa, Commanding Officer of the Hyrule Imperial Guard; Impa is the commanding officer of the Hyrule Imperial Guard. She is the attendant and vassal of the Princess Zelda. Leader of a family charged with supporting Hyrule's royal family from the shadows, she cares not for herself, and works exhaustively for the family and the Princess.

Starting from pulling out her long sword back handed, she disposes of her enemies with exact precision in quick, feverish succession. She is a sword master, with precise movements and footwork.

Shia, The Black Witch; An evil witch, who had her good soul chased out of her by dark forces. She has a strong sense of self, clearly states her desires, and a provocative and aggressive personality. She wants to make the whole world hers, but especially she wants to make Link hers.

Wizro, The Dark Sorcerer; A ring that increased its power over many centuries by luring in numerous owners and absorbing their powers, Wizro was reborn as a sorcerer with Shia's dark magic. It has pledged allegiance to Shia, who is effectively its mother, however, it has a tendency to follow those in power thanks to its many experiences.

Wizro will attack with magic pulses like bullets, or magic from up above.

Valga, The Incandescent Evil Warrior; Valga is a close associate of Shia's. He traded his good soul for incredible strength in a deal with her. Differing from Wizro, Valga will face you head on like a true soldier, believing he can win. He looks for strong opponents and 'heats up' any battle he is in.

With his lance, reminiscent of a dragon's claw, and a bellowing war cry he will come at you with heavy blows repeatedly.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=112994998&postcount=543

[Carbo]

Shia, The Black Witch; An evil witch, who had her good soul chased out of her by dark forces. She has a strong sense of self, clearly states her desires, and a provocative and aggressive personality. She wants to make the whole world hers, but especially she wants to make Link hers.

You and I can rule this city Spider-Man