Letters: V3 #003
January 15th, 2010
Ice says: Welcome, Zelda fans! I've been busy with some reformatting and reorganizing behind the scenes, but my inbox was telling me it was time for a new edition of Letters. Sheikah, former IZC staff member, agreed wholeheartedly and kindly volunteered to help out with answers!
For anyone who doesn't remember, Sheikah was a talented artist, contributor, and bubbly personality that spent more than two years helping out at IZC. We're glad to have her today!
Mido writes: Hi Ice's Zelda Crew. It's nice to see the central back. I was a visitor a few years ago. I loved the site then and I love it now.
I read your Spirit Tracks review and I thought you were pretty accurate, but by your own admission you haven't gotten very far on it. I was wondering if you've beaten it yet, and if so, have your thoughts changed? My thoughts changed once I got to the end and I think it's a pretty good Zelda game.
I seem to remember reading that if you didn't like the game you weren't going to talk about it on the site. Will you give hints and strategy like you used to for the other games? Is the strategy for the other games coming back? I don't remember if the section was called Games or Strategy...
I'd like to hear more about what you think of Spirit Tracks.
Ice replies: Maybe that's what "IZC" should stand for now. "Ice's Zelda Crew."
Sheikah: Well, IZC was never a one-man band, after all! Though, Ice certainly did more than his fair share of the work while the rest of us goofed off. *laughs* Most of the time.
Ice adds: Tell me about it =)
Mido, I've played a bit more of Spirit Tracks, and I still feel like I'm just going through the motions. I discussed the game with someone who already finished it, and he said that the game gets harder/better toward the end, which is kinda what I'm picking up on in your letter, too.
We'll still cover the game in some respects, regardless. There will still be a few articles about it and whatnot simply because it's a Zelda game. I wouldn't expect the level of obsession that games like Link to the Past get, however.
The Games/Strategy (we've called it both) will come back at some point. I think IZC will most likely focus on the worlds, mysteries, and opinions surrounding the games rather than giving walkthroughs or anything like that, though. I shy away from walkthroughs because the Zelda games are meant to be figured out on your own.
Sheikah muses: It's been a loooong time since I've sat down and played Zelda all the way through, so sadly, I haven't gotten to try out Spirit Tracks just yet. The last game I played was Twilight Princess, though "played" is certainly a relative term.
I definitely agree that a game like Zelda was meant to be experienced, and you can't truly "experience" something if someone's in the background, telling you what to do. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.
Ice nods: So say no to walkthroughs.
Alayna writes: Ice's Zelda Central for as long as I can remember has always been a great website. I think it hit its peak a few years ago when it brough the exciting interactive Zelda quest to the museum pages on the site. I remember going through the secret path in the garden and being in the lost woods and finding the cemetary and finding the boat and everything. Now I see everything is back, but the secret place in the garden is gone. There are some things missing too like the cinima(sp?). Everything else is the same and nothing has changed. I was wondering what was going to happen? I want to finish the quest I started years ago.
Ice replies: And you'll get your chance, Alayna. I can't deliver a timeframe right now, but I'm working on ways to make the world larger, more dynamic, and more interesting. You'll be able to keep the rewards you find, and some of them will change how the site operates and how much control you have over it ... I really can't give away too much right now.
Sheikah snickers: And what Ice means by that is.. The hamster fell off the wheel and is having trouble picking himself up again. Er.. I mean... Ice has lots of ideas about the new Interactive Hyrule, but he can't give away all of his secrets!
Just keep an eye out! I'm sure you'll be surprised!
Ice grins: You know he hates being called "The Hamster." His name is Spanky!
Well for those of you who weren't around for the original Hyrule or IZC Interactive, don't sweat it. The new version will be the best one yet!
Rob writes: RED ALERT
THE KID IS BACK
ICE"S ZELDA CENTRAL
I"m a big fan. Welcome back
Ice replies: It's good to be back.
Sheikah reminisces: It has been far too long...
Howard writes: I'm surprised to find out that you don't like (LOVE) Spirit Tracks. I thought you guys were supposed to love everything Zelda. Why come here if I'm not going to get enthusiastic game coverage?
Ice replies: Are you THE "Howard?"
We don't have to like everything Zelda. In fact, it's our responsibility as old-timers to hate the new stuff. Even when the site started, a lot of people hated Zelda 2, much to my chagrin.
Sheikah replies: Zelda 2 was my first Zelda game; I could never say that I hated it. I never cared for Wind Waker, personally. I, like many others, didn't much care for the cel-shading... As a former artist, it just didn't say "Legend of Zelda" to me the way Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess did.
Or.. maybe it was the drugs from having my wisdom teeth out. I didn't actually play the game myself; I watched someone else do it, and I'll admit that I slept through much of the game.
Not that I'm proud of that or anything! I swear! *laughs*
Ice replies: Great, now I'm going to get letters from angry Wind Waker fans. I'll just tell them Sheikah got her "wisdom" teeth out, and thus lost her "wisdom" ... heh heh heh
Anonymous writes: any news on the zelda movie?
Ice replies: As far as anyone knows, there are no plans for a Zelda movie. There are a couple fan-made ones out there that look pretty decent.
Sheikah adds: I think that a Zelda film would be quite interesting. I haven't looked at any of the fan-made ones myself, but I'll have to check those out at some point.
Ice says: But think about this. Do you really want Hollywood anywhere NEAR the Zelda series?
Sheikah shakes her head: It'll be a cold day in...Hyrule before I allow Hollywood to go anywhere near Zelda.
Ice says: We've talked about this on the site before. It's not a good recipe. Look at previous game adaptions.
Sheikah adds: Look at what Hollywood has done to video games made into films; Super Mario Bros. and, a horrible example, Mortal Kombat. Do we really want Zelda to suffer the same fate?
I, personally, think that a CGI or animated film might be interesting. Animation stretches beyond the realm of what a live-action film can do, even if Zelda itself is a fantasy. I thought that Final Fantasy: Advent Children was very well-made, and I think that Zelda could be the same-that was made where the games themselves were: Japan. The creators of the game worked VERY closely with the animators and the result was a piece of work that Square-Enix could be proud of.
I believe Zelda could be that way, too. Just don't let Hollywood near it!! Though the English dubbing for FF:AC was quite well-done. I was very skeptical when i heard that they were releasing an English dub, but I was surprised.
Ice concludes: So there you have it, our opinion on a variety of topics! It looks like more Zelda movie discussion may be brewing ... I smell an editorial or two!
We had a lot of fun today, and you can too! Be a part of the next Letters edition by sending me an email.Thanks for reading.
