Legendary games designer Shigeru Miyamoto has admitted that Toon Link who has appeared in the fantastic Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks ultimately hasn’t appealed to every Zelda fan out there.
“As for the [Toon] Link, I call it Link-eyed cat. I’ll admit it took courage to enter this design more cartoon. In the end if we took this decision is that the time we really wanted to make a game typical Nintendo.”
“An adventure that represents the soul of our society. So Link is a boy rather usual class, it was completely reinvented with a more streamlined look. Besides, it allowed us to create a real distinction between his adventures on home console and portable. Each has its own identity the coup and that is just fine. So yes, well I know, there are plenty of people who hate cartoon version … but there it is!”
– Shigeru Miyamoto, Google Translation
Miyamoto is admiting lots of things lately…. Stop this, man.
To hell with the people that don’t like cartoon Link, I like him!
AGREED! Toon Link is win, only the Hero of Time look beats it IMO.
Why change a Character that looks so awesome? The cartoon version Just pushes hard core players away! Imagine if they did this to Samus *shivers*
So let them be pushed?
and about Samus. They already did? (other m)
Samus doesn’t look cartoony in Other M…
If it pushes them away then theyre not really hardcore
If somebody doesn’t play a game because it doesn’t look the way they want it to, then they don’t deserve the satisfaction of experiencing the game at all. I know a guy who called himself a Zelda fan until The Wind Waker came out, then he said “I’m not gonna play a Zelda game without Link in it, they replaced him with a little shiny girl. Wind Waker is not a true Zelda game”. It’s so sad that companies like Microsoft & Sony have warped so many people’s minds into thinking that video games are supposed to look a certain way or they lose their validity.
What??? Sony? Microsoft?? They make good games and bad games…just like Nintendo does….they carry MANY varieties of games just like….Oh wait no….their games look great just like…oh wait….no….NINTENDO HAS LOST THEIR MIND…they are too old and their technology has now gone from charming gimmick, to shitty, gimmicky way of selling software that has been designed with gimmick in mind. Nintendo is sucking a lot of dick now, I DON’T blame ANY ONE (I’ve been a Nintendo fan since late 80’s), for wanting to shelve out 50 bucks on something that a child didn’t draw in his kindergarten class. It is NORMAL.
Then You have no concrete belief on what a zelda game should be. You imply how people are not true zelda fans because they don’t like the toon Link design. That is because they have have a belief what link should look like. He should carry the essence of a great hero; someone who can be looked at as a serious figure. Toon Link does not carry the elements of a serious hero in the eyes of people who do not like wind waker. These type of fans want to play a game which looks like the way they desire is because it follows the elements which was constituted for the whole series. When Ocarina of time came out it set a standard how Link the Hero should be and look like. Toon Link just shakes the very foundations of these standards.there has to be concrete ideals on what any game series should be and look like. Otherwise then it no longer seems to be that game.
Let those idiots go. I pay money to PLAY games, I don’t pay money to WATCH a pretty package that plays like shit. The games Toon Link has appeared were all excellent addition to this already legendary franchise. I don’t give a damn what Link looks like.
Google translation fail. :P
I for one always liked the art style of Wind Waker and its DS spin-offs. The exaggerated cartoonish design allows for more room when expressing characters and places. Would Link being shot out of a cannon and into a wall have just as much of an amusing impact if it was done in the style of Twilight Princess or even Ocarina of Time? And I think Nintendo have so far done well with matching the art style to the general feel of each Zelda game.
Also, the Wind Waker Ganondorf is still my favorite of his many appearances. He’s very human in that game; very real in his desires and motivation. :D
And he also had the best death scene of all the Ganondorfs.
I hated toon Link too, up until I was five minutes into Wind Waker. He quickly grew on me after that.
That makes it sound like Toon Link will never appear on a home console (other than spin-offs like Smash Bros)…This saddens me a little. Despite all the criticism Wind Waker is an amazing game, and it’s graphics still look amazing today.
i hated Toon Link when i saw him first in 2001. but when a i played Wind Waker, i started to love him xD
and now he’s my favorite fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
I enjoyed the toon link. I am wondering how many people who disliked the toon link actually played any of the games? I think for a majority of the people who ‘hate’ toon link are actually just hating the fact that Nintendo changed the art direction between the e3 showings without notice… So in a way the ‘toon link’ was doomed the very first cell was shown because the audience was not expecting something different and people in mass do not like change… I think wind waker was a great game and amazing to look at and play through. Can you imagine toon link in HD?
I like Toon Link more than the other Links, actually.
Is this animosity also being applied to The Minish Cap and Four Swords games which also use the Toon Link design? Because it seems so long as it’s in 2D graphics, there are no complaints.
Miyamoto can deflect the criticism with his pseudo-defiance, but there’s no dancing around the fact that Nintendo’s choice to deviate into that still-baffling art direction (despite the success of OoT & MM) is a major reason why the Zelda brand doesn’t have nearly the same clout among gamers that it used to. They shot the Zelda brand in the foot, plain and simple.
I think you’re wrong there. Twilight Princess did well and so did the DS games Toon Link appeared in after Wind Waker. I think the Legend Of Zelda was voted the #1 video game franchise of all time on a recent poll too.
I’m one of the few who disliked him, I’ve played every zelda game(Including CD-I), and Wind waker just didn’t sit right with me, by no means is it a bad game, I just don’t think Cel-shading is right for Zelda, I personally liked Twilight Princess, and Hope for another non-cel-shaded zelda game in the future, I plan on getting skyward sword, but if it’s too much like Wind waker I’m going to return it.
Although I didn’t care for Wind Waker, I like Toon Link. I think Miyamoto shouldn’t give in to people’s opinions so easily. We still have the main “Link”, so why are we still complaining?
I hope they don’t stop using Toon Link.
It’s nothing but graphics. Those who complain about it are no better than those who complain about the Wii’s graphics.
Link and Toon Link are two different characters. I, personally, don’t have a problem with Toon Link. Wind Waker was a really good Zelda game, but I will admit that lately, Toon Link games have been going down the crapper. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks weren’t all that great. He’s probably most remembered for WW and MC.
It’s good to read Miyamoto has made these realizations. First with the failed 3ds game lineup, poor wii online experience, and now the lame toon Link. Link looked like a failed pokemon as a toon, thankfully that mistake of making him look so bad was made public with this article. Thanks Miyamoto. To the rest of the tools trying to defend a toon Link, you’re the minority. This article proves such.
He’s not saying he doesn’t like Toon Link. He’s saying he realizes some people don’t like him.
And the people defending Toon Link aren’t the minority. There’s a lot more people who like Toon Link than don’t.
I personaly dont like the toon link design but i dont hate it either. My fav design is the Twilight Princess Link.
I love Toon Link he’s my favorite character in Super Smash Bros Brawl and love Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Some people are just stupid
I think Nintendo should keep the toon link look for hand helds.
Toon Link is amazing; I hope he stays around.
Last time I checked, the design has been critically acclaimed in recent years. I don’t have to listen to the people who still choose to be hurt that they didn’t see Twilight Princess @ Space World 2001, because the Wind Waker style will hold up visually in ways TP never will.
I had no problem with it, it looked good.
I’m playing Skyward sword regardless of how it looks, Toon-ish is always a nice touch.
I liked “toon” Link in WW, but not in PH/ST. Just look at the size of that head.
Sorry but I’m one of those who didn’t like Toon Link but I didn’t quit the series because of it. I still play the games and all and he is like very helpful in Brawl. lol
II like the Toon link design better it can be use more in comedy scenes during the game but still right to the story unlike the others also I like the toon link because he seem to have a better sword techniques. (not in Brawl)
I guess the creator of Sonic will [finally] admit that EVERYBODY (fanboys) hates Sonic’s new character design also. Give me a break.
lol i was actullay in the oppasite way. i loved the toon link ones and hated the relistic ones. but after twilight princess i loved all of tehm
I personally dislike Toon Link, other than Zelda 2, WW and ST are the only two games I haven’t beat. I love 3D realistic Link in Oot and MM because of their cheerful scenes and the ones that gave ne nightmares as a kid (I liked TP design but not the game, I do not like the motion aspect, I wanna be lazy every once in a while). For console, I would love darker, scarier, more mysterious games (TP shows this very well). For handhelds, I would love for 2D games to make a comeback. PH and ST did not satisfy my need for Zelda, I don’t want a comical game; People are trying to take over the world, thats not the time to put on a comedy show.
i think its good that ther are different styels of link but if ur a true zelda fan it wouldnt matter
toon link is also good for yonger plaers
toon link is also good for yunger players
Flint$: Why are people complaining? One, because his design is cringe-worthy, despite what TWW and Zelda fanboys will tell you. And two, because he has been featured in every freaking Zelda game released ever since his introduction, with the exception of TP. Give me something new, Nintendo!
“I hope they don’t stop using Toon Link.”
What the flipping fuck? The zillion of Zeldas that feature him aren’t enough for you!?
I honestly really dislike toon link. I admit i havent played any of his games but i played ocarina of time so much when i saw what nintendo had done to him i honestly felt sick. The character may be trying to get younger audiences to play it but who actually want their kids growing up with toon link and thinking the exact oppisite to what im thinking. Look i dont think it would be a bad game but the design of the world ruins it. I couldnt imagin fighting gannon when he looks like something from a 11 am kids tv show. *shutters*
i think ppl still hold a grudge to toon link because they thought they were going to get that realistic link in that released trailer before wind waker was announced. toon link has the funniest cutscenes in all the zelda games. especially phantom hourglass, that game made laugh for so long
Toon Link is my favorite Link, and I am kinda sad the new games don’t have him as character. The Wind Waker is my favorite zelda game on home console, and is it mainly because of Toon Link and all the colorful environnement. At least, in Skyward Sword, the colorful part is all good! :) Hope to see Toon Link in a next Home console game!
Wind Waker was my first game ever! I loved the action, it had the best Legend of Zelda field map in my opinion. Every square had a special quality on the sea chart. I would have rated this a ten out of ten cause the climat graphics at the sea where it a storm was excellent. If WInd Waker had harder bosses and dungeons, it would be the best Legend of Zelda game hands down in my opinion.
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fire shigeru miyamoto and everyone on the zelda team and have shigeru pull a keiji inafune to come up wit his own mighty no. 9’s version of zelda…nintendo has become the modern day apple…it’s like its own steve jobs died and now the CEO (that old guy doing things the old way by refusing to license nintendo IPs for use on smartphone apps, thereby removing a whole generation of gamers from ever knowing nintendo IPs) is simply trying its best to do a zelda version S like the new iphones. nothing new but gimmicks (the wii gimmick for old people and casual gamers, give me a break).
my favourite link is ocarina of time adult 3DS (PEN DROP ON BENCH) BOOM
and twilight princess aye i believe everyone has there own liking to whatever there entitled to but i agree with someone on here that yes toon link isn’t really a good design for link when you really look its real annoying tbh and yes we saw link as a true hero like to catch the true essence what the legendary wielder of the master sword would look like in our eyes hardcore fans it gives us more chills and looking forward to completing the task at hand on games when link looks like a true legend and baddass such as ocarina of time, twilight princess, breath of the wild and skyward sword you feel like your truly a legendary hero chosen by the goddesses