From a gameplay standpoint, The Legend of Zelda for the GameCube takes all of the concepts from Ocarina of Time and refines them to perfection. Fans of the N64 games will pick up the controls right away, but will be pleased to find a wealth of new features and goodies. Check it out.
| Quick Control Overview | |
| A Button: | - Swing Sword |
| B Button: | - Action (context sensitive) |
| X Button: | - Use Items |
| Y Button: | - Use Items |
| L Button: | - L-Targeting - Switch to Manual/Auto Camera |
| R Button: | - Shield - Action (context sensitive) |
| Z Button: | - Free Look - Hint (in certain areas, ala Navi) |
| Control Stick: | - Move Link - Move Menu Cursor |
| C Stick: | - Change Camera Angles |
| Control Pad: | - Subscreen Shortcuts - Up: Map (locked in E3 demo) - Right: Select Item - Left: Quest Status - Down: Return (exit subscreens) - Field Control - Down: Turn On/Off Mini Map |
| Start Button: | - View Subscreens |
The Evolution of the On-Screen Layout
The first picture on the left is what was shown in the original Zelda video from Spaceworld 2001. The second shot is from Nintendo's E3 B-Roll tape given to the press, and the third shot is what was actually present in the E3 demo.
The different display layouts seen in various builds of the game.
It's anyone's guess which of the last two screens is more recent. One could make the argument that since the last one was the one that people could actually use in the demo, it's naturally the most recent. However, we could've been playing an older build of the game than what's currently in development. Also worth noting is that in some of the shots featuring the second layout, Link has hints of blue in his eyes - something completley absent from the E3 demo. If this is a new addition, it would imply that the second layout is the most recent of the three. But either way, I doubt we'll end up seeing any of these layouts in the final version of the game. Anyone remember how many Star Fox Adventures went through?
(For those curious, the items in the first shot are the Bow, Bombs, and Megaton Hammer. The items in the second shot are the Grapple and the Boomerang. The Boomerang wasn't playable in the E3 demo.)
Context Sensitivity
Just like in the N64 Zelda games, certain buttons will change their functions depending upon your circumstances. This time around both B and R can perform various actions. From what little was shown in the E3 demo, the B button can be used to talk to people, roll, drop from ledges, put down items, climb on top of boxes, attack, and sidle. The R button would throw an item you're carrying, defend with your shield, push a box, and crouch. I'll go into a few of these functions a bit more thoroughly later on.
Stealth
Link has a variety of new moves to help him move around without being seen or heard, and it seems that he'll need to utilize every last one of them in order to rescue his sister. Most notably, Link can now hide under objects ala the cardboard box in Metal Gear Solid. In the stealth stage of the E3 demo, Link hid under a barrel to avoid detection from spotlights. You can also sidle up against walls by pressing against the wall and waiting for the B button to read "Sidle". You can then sneak with your back against the wall and peek around corners. Pressing R while sidling makes Link duck down. And I must say, the animation used when Link crouches against a wall is among the most hilarious things in the game.
Pressing R while you don't have your shield out will make Link crouch, at which point you can crawl around with the control stick. This is the only way to approach certain characters or enemies, as being close to the ground hides you from their sight. You can also crawl through small tunnels this way. Lastly, you can inch hand over hand while hanging from ledges by dropping down and pressing the control stick to the side slightly.
Swordplay, and the Nuances of L-Targeting
Basic swordplay is identical to Ocarina of Time. Pressing the A button in tandem with various directions on the control stick will result in a variety of different attacks. Lock onto an enemy with L, and your attacks change ever so slightly. Again, just like in Ocarina of Time. L-Targeting itself functions like a very refined version of Z-Targeting. Arrows will be hovering over the heads of all the enemies in range, and you can press L to lock onto whichever one you're facing. At that point, the arrow will change size and color to indicate that you've chosen to attack this particular foe. You can then strafe around them and stab at them wildly with your sword. Press R to pull up your shield and defend against attack, and press X or Y to use any item that you previously equipped.
While L-Targeting, the B button takes on a myriad of functions. If you're standing still or walking towards an enemy, pressing B will execute a jumping sword strike, significantly more powerful than a normal attack. If strafing left or right, pressing B will jump to the side if you're holding a weapon, and roll to the side if you don't have one out. If walking backwards, B will make Link perform a backflip dodge. Again, all staples from Ocarina of Time. There's a new addition to the system, though. Depending upon the enemy you're fighting, you may be able to perform a special dodge/counter attack. For example, there were some piggish rat creatures in the demo that came at you with swords and clubs. Right when one of them would lift their arms in the air to strike, the B button would change shape - taking on a starburst appearance. If you pressed B during that split second, Link would roll around to the side of the enemy and deftly avoid the blow.
When the B button starbursts, press it to dodge to the side.
However, this isn't any normal dodge. If you pressed A at any point during the roll, Link would jump and corkscrew into the air with his sword above his head - striking the enemy from behind. Much like Ryu's uppercut in the Street Fighter games. Presumably, different enemies will allow for Link to do different counter attacks in this fashion. In fact, that's most likely how Link managed to jump over the Moblin in the original Space World video and perform his summersault slash.
Also worth noting is Link's new and improved spin attack. If you hold down the A button, Link will strike a sword stance and his blade will begin to glow with energy. If you let go of A when it just starts to charge, Link will spin in a circle and cut up everything around him. If you let the blade charge fully, Link unleashes a much more devastating attack. He actually spins out of control and skids all over the ground - screaming wildly and cutting up everything in his path. You can direct him slightly with the control stick while he skids about, though he goes so fast that it's difficult to aim him well. Once he finally runs out of steam, he'll hunch over and regain his breath before being able to move again. It's really quite entertaining to watch.
Items
While items like the Boomerang were briefly shown on video at E3, only three items were featured in the playable demo. Just like in the N64 Zelda games, you assign items to certain buttons on your controller and activate them by pressing that button. Since there are no C Buttons to be found this time around, the X and Y buttons take the job quite nicely.
Grapple - The grapple seems to be the next generation of the Hookshot, and has quite a few new features. Upon being selected, you'll enter first person perspective and a red dot will appear in the middle of the screen. If you can grapple to a location, the red dot will turn into a yellow sunburst. Press the button again and Link will throw a metal claw towards the target, with a length of rope slinking behind it. If you're in L-Targeting mode, you'll be able to see Link twirling the grapple around in circles as he aims it towards whatever you happen to be locked onto. Once the grapple connects with, say, a wooden beam or or hanging dragon tail, Link will be pulled into the air and swing back and forth from whatever he's hanging on. You can increase the arc of your swing by pressing the Control Stick to the left and right, and you can jump off by pressing B. If you press and hold R, You'll slow down and eventually just hang still on the rope. At that point, you can climb up and down it by pressing up or down on the control stick. It was definitely the coolest item demonstrated at the show.
Telescope - Works just like the observatory telescope in Majora's Mask. Given to Link early on by his sister, you can zoom in and out with L and R. Depending upon what you look at, you may trigger certain events.
Game Boy Advance - Only available in the Dungeon and Boss Battle stages of the demo. By using the GBA item, you can summon Tingle and basically play the game cooperatively, with one player using the Cube controller and one controlling Tingle via a GBA connected to the system. More about this later.
Enemies
There were quite a few different baddies in the E3 demo, including Moblins, birds, rats, rat-pigs, etc. Typical Zelda fare. There are a couple new things worth noting, however. First off, you can disarm certain enemies. The rat-pigs in the dungeon level carried either large swords or wooden clubs. By dealing them a strong blow, you can knock their weapons out of their hands and go pick them up yourself with the B button. The new weapon then replaces your sword as your primary attack. The enemy sword was much more powerful than your standard one, and could be used to break through wooden walls. The club worked much like a deku stick in Ocarina of Time, and could be set ablaze to light torches or lead the way in dark territory.
When you kill an enemy, they explode in a fantastic display of purple smoke and energy, all of which then crystallizes into a colored orb. The orb cycles between red, green, and yellow several times before finally disappearing. Depending upon the color it is when you hit it with your sword, a different item comes out. When it's red, you get a heart. When it's green, you get an amount of rupees. When it's yellow, you get either a heart or rupee. I'd assume that this final color's contents are just temporary for the E3 demo, however, and will probably give you consumable items like arrows or bombs in the final version of the game. This whole system helps to eliminate the frustration of not getting what you want out of an enemy, since you can choose whichever type of replenishment you desire.
The New Navi
Since Link doesn't have any fairy companion this time around, he has a new way of getting advice in sticky situations. A special rock on a string was given to Link by the pirate girl in the demo. Throughout the game, different people will be able to contact you through this magical rock and give you various bits of information. If a situation demands as such, a little Z Button icon will flash in the upper right hand corner of the screen, indicating that a tip awaits.
Camera Controls
Since the L and Z buttons have the same functionality that the Z and Up-C buttons respectively had in Ocarina of Time, they can similarly be used to center the camera behind Link at any time, and enter a first person perspective for looking around. Or, if you prefer, you can use the C Stick to control the camera freely - ala Mario Sunshine. You can swivel it around and zoom in and out. Also, upon entering this "Free Look", your on-screen map display will zoom out to show the entire map instead of what is closest around you.
The GBA Connection
There was a single Zelda kiosk tucked away in the middle of the Nintendo show floor that had a GBA hooked up to it. Hardly anyone noticed it, and Nintendo hadn't even mentioned that this Zelda game would interface with the GBA. It's a damn shame it flew so low under the radar, though, as it was one of the coolest features around.
In the dungeon level of the Zelda demo, you could choose a GBA item from your inventory. After setting it to X or Y and pressing the appropriate button, a little window came up indicating that you were "calling Tingle". That's right, the crazy 35-year-old man who thinks he's a fairy. The GBA then booted up and displayed all sorts of crazy crap in Japanese, but then eventually settled with a map screen identical to the one you use on-screen in the GameCube game, and various commands displayed on the right. At this point, an eye design appears on the ground next to Link in the GameCube game, and a little square appears on your map screen. Whoever's using the GBA can move the little square around on the GBA map, and the eye pattern moves around respectively in the GameCube game. You can only move around on one plane, which means you can't go up or down manually. Then only way to do so is to press A so the little icon locks to Link's position and follows him around. Then, when Link climbs a ladder or walks up a hill, the eye pattern will follow him.
So what can you accomplish with this little helper? Quite a bit, as a matter of fact. By pressing Start on the GBA, a menu will pop up displaying various items. I've constructed a crude representation of what the icons looked like, from what I jotted down on the show floor.
The first item was the only one that you could use in the demo, and represented an explosion. You could move your little icon around on the map, and press B on the GBA to detonate a hefty blast. You could use it to knock down wooden walls, you could hunt down red dots on your map and blow up enemies before Link got to them, and you could chase Link around and try to blow HIM up, since the blast would damage him as well. Next to the blast item was a number. A 10, if I recall correctly. When you used the item, it took 10 rupees out of Link's pocket. Presumably, this is how you limit the use of all the items through the GBA.
The second item looked like a bomb, though I'm not sure what kind of differences it would have from the blast item. The third one looked like some sort of potion, and the fourth looked like a horn. That last one could be especially interesting, if you could move away from Link and use the horn as some sort of lure to get enemies away from him so he can sneak by. Of course, it might not be a horn at all. But it would definitely be a neat addition to this already amazingly entertaining little co-op mode.