ITP 499x - Video Game Production
Prof. Anthony Borquez
05/05/2003
When I began researching this paper, I really only wanted to have a chance to play the new Zelda game, Windwaker , for GameCube. I've been a fan of the series since I was a child, and I wanted a chance to apply what I was learning about video games in class to the new game in order to find out why the series is so good. I looked into the history of the franchise, the level design, character design, and sound design of the Windwaker, and also a bit of how the AI has evolved through the games and in the Windwaker itself. What it all lead me to was a greater understanding of just what goes into a video game, especially one of this caliber.
Way back in 1985, Nintendo was newly on the market and trying to make its way in the console business. Shigeru Miyamoto created the concepts for many games that would lift the company into eternal fame, and one of those games was the Legend of Zelda . This game was a clear separation between the home system and the arcade, featuring a longer, more focused effort needed to beat it. Best of all, the story was simple and grand, and the various media packaged with the game enhanced the play as well.
Following up their initial hit, the Nintendo team created the Legend of Zelda II , which was not as loved as the first, mostly because the style was too different, taking away the exploring feel, and replacing it with side-scrolling. In 1992, the SNES system was graced with what is considered by many to be the best Zelda game ever (if not the best game of all time.) A Link to the Past expanded the world of Zelda, expanded the story, and expanded the audience. The game was absorbing, and once again, the media packaged with it and its player's guides, provided a wealth of back-story not told in the game. The overall feeling was that of immersing yourself in a good adventure story.
After some limited success with a GameBoy title, history came to the age of the 64bit system, and Nintendo brought forth 3D Zelda. The Ocarina of Time for N64 was a tremendous hit, and its graphics made it a whole new experience for fans of the series. Its sequel for the same system was less of a success, but Majora's Mask still maintained the adventure and morals of the ongoing Zelda series. And then came the wait... The hype built up around the latest incarnation of Link and Gannon was tremendous. Even when Miyamoto announced that the game's graphics would focus more on showing emotions, and thus would look more like a cartoon, the fans still waited anxiously. And it was worth it. Having played less than a quarter of it, Windwaker seems to me to be all that was hoped for, and more. A game that carries on in the footsteps and takes new steps as well.
Even in all its incarnations, a few key elements have remained constant in all Zelda stories. First and foremost is the hero, Link. The small boy, dressed in green, has always been the "link" between the player and the world, inspiring feats of bravery and daring. Second, is the Evil One, Gannon. The pig-faced lord of darkness has always been there, looming on the horizon, waiting in fear for the one person who can stop him. Thirdly, the Princess Zelda has rounded off the triumvirate. The gentle, intelligent, damsel in distress, who holds the keys to solving the secrets of the universe. These three characters stand for the other element always present in the games, the Triforce. Made up of three golden triangles, the Triforce represents the ideals of Wisdom, Courage, and Power. Link has the Courage to take the long journey necessary to gain the Wisdom needed to control the Power he receives, and uses them all together to defeat Gannon. Because of that, he wins, the player wins, and balance is restored to all.
All of that carries the fairly straightforward messages of not rushing into big decisions, and keeping the faith in your own cause. What's great about the Zelda games is that the point of the game is strong and viable, and yet all encompassing, and general enough to appeal to a wide audience. The creators found a great way to teach their thoughts on life to a willing audience. From the start, the audience accepts the game as story, simply because its title of "Legend." As the story progresses, they realize that they are controlling the events of it, at least in as much as they perform the actual battles. In reality, they are controlling the story, and so they pay more attention to the story being created, and the themes attached. It is a very subtle way for the designers to put in things that they feel need to be taught.
Windwaker's teaching system works on two levels. First, are the many hints and tutorials given as to how to play the game. This includes how to fight, how to use an item, hints as to what to do next, etc. Second, are the many reinforcements of good gaming/living. When you are curious and complete a mini-quest that gets truant children back in school, you are rewarded for your efforts. This reinforces the gamer's trust in the mini-quests, but also lets the player know that children should be in school. It is the second, subtle teaching system that is the most fascinating to study.
In the newer Zelda games, for example, there is a focus on learning music. In the Ocarina of Time , the player learns melodies that, played on the ocarina, are simple patterns. This way the player equates music with being simple and isn't daunted by the thought of it later in life. In Windwaker , they take it a step further, introducing rhythm into the mix. Now, you have to know what time signature the melody is in as well. But its still not presented as difficult, and it becomes common knowledge later. All this leads to a greater experience in playing the game as a whole because you are engaged in thinking and learning on so many levels. The quest really becomes about discovery and learning, with the eventual goal often hidden or very distant.
The Windwaker distinguishes itself from the rest of the series on many levels, not the least of which being its different time frame. In order to incorporate new technology into the world, boats and such, the story was moved far into the future from the past games, where even Link's traditional green becomes simply a cultural thing, and not clothes he would normally wear. Putting the story in the future begins to prepare you for the immense battle at the end of the game, for if Gannon could survive that long, he must be truly evil and difficult to defeat.
In all Zelda games, the world/quest design is immense. Moving off of the triforce themes, the hero has to have a long enough quest to satisfy, and so a journey through at least nine levels is usual. The individual dungeon levels are diverse in many ways. Often, an element of some sort becomes the basis of the level. The elements of fire, water, and wood, create some of the first levels played in the games. Later, those three elements are split apart into several different categories, scattered across the map, and given their own character. What results is a grand quest in any style of game, but more so here because of the investment in the character.
So much time is spent with Link, learning what he learns, that he really becomes the player's hands in the game. Even though the camera keeps the two separate, the focus is always kept on Link, and so the player uses his limitations to learn from and eventually to win with. The adventure has to be so long because of the difference in difficulty between the first and last levels. So much has to be learned, but what is nice about video games is that you are slowly brought into the world, learning how to play as you go along.
Even learning basic controls can be tough on new players, and so the intro level must be a well-planned thing. I played both Metroid Prime and the Windwaker in order to get a feel for how the intro levels worked on each. In Metroid , it was full immersion from the get-go. The first level gives you everything and puts you in a high-tension situation, giving you a time limit and everything. It is very tense. Windwaker takes a different approach, starting you off in Link's home with no danger present. This gives you a fair amount of time to learn the simple controls, and take the tutorials for the more complex controls. There is no stress until you are ready to move on. This serves the general audience far better than complete immersion.
In terms of A.I., the enemies' skill level can be hard for new players to deal with as well. What is nice about the technology available and used here, is that the enemies slowly get harder, teaching you new techniques to defeat them with each new item you get, or each new level you reach. At the start of the game, the simple swordplay is used briefly, even before your quest begins, and gives you a feel for how to fight multiple enemies. But it is not difficult. The first major boss you fight doesn't appear for a long while, and many new skills are learned before you have to fight a complex enemy. Basically, the designers ease you into the world before making you fight to survive. They teach you slowly what you need to know to beat each boss.
This is part of the level design. Each dungeon has many rooms with a small puzzle to be solved in each. When you gain the boomerang, for example, each room you pass through on your way to the boss has you use the boomerang in different fashions, so that when you fight the boss, you are confident in using the boomerang, and can defeat him. The positive reinforcement of playing correctly increases the player's awareness of learning what to use, and players actually become quicker at noticing when a clue is given to them.
Now, in order that the player notice what is being taught to him, or to act upon it, the attempt is made to create as realistic a world as possible. What video games have been doing lately is combining cinema style music and sound effects with their game play. So, when the character gets close to an enemy, the enemy music starts playing. What is innovative about Windwaker 's sound design is that it changes in the middle of a level to suit the mood. If a storm approaches at sea, the music will change to a minor key. If you steer too close to a nest, the seagulls will call out at you and follow you, their wing noises growing the more that arrive. Basically, the sound serves the mood the designers want to create. The tense moments created during boss levels are often made more so by the music. And the sound effects can add their own score, if the designers mix them well. The use of the audio elements in Windwaker is truly stunning, working on many levels.
Another amazing feature the new game has is the emotions readable upon the character's face. Because the P.O.V. is third person and changeable, it is often possible to see Link's face. So, the designers put in a feature where his eyes will look at his next target, be it an object, a person, or a door. This is another subtle hint or clue that the player can use or not. Again, by giving lots of hints and rewards for divining secrets, the player learns what is good playing and what is not.
One thing taught early on is that it isn't good playing to run in and go crazy with your sword. The game focuses on knowing your limits and planning your battles. During the first dungeon, for example, your sword is immediately taken away from you forcing you to sneak around, using shadow and cover to hide yourself. This also allows you to have time to listen when you can't see, and to trust what is given to you in shadows and noises. This is an important lesson for early in the game, even more important than the typical slash and move on lesson taught in most games. On a philosophical level, it teaches that the most obvious approach won't always work, and that planning and thinking ahead is key to success. By putting this level as the first dungeon you visit, it sets up a precedent of caution from the start.
The best part about the Zelda series has always been, for me, its lessons of taking your time with learning, and meeting your enemies as prepared as you can be. I've really taken away the concept of Wisdom, and the enjoyment of gaining of insight into things. Finally getting to use that concept in breaking down how the game taught me was a real eye-opener. I think people rarely realize how much children can learn from video games. I will say that I am glad that Miyamoto, at least, seems to know the value of teaching good morals, and that the tradition of that teaching has been held onto. The effort obviously put into Windwaker puts it into a class all its own, as a truly good game should be. Beyond a fun experience, the Zelda series is a wonderful teaching tool and challenging enough to satisfy even the most experienced gamer, and I hope that its value will be realized even more in the years to come.