Rumor: Patent hints at casual Zelda title

This is nothing at all like Alone in the Dark's system, though.

AitD's system, if I understand it, was you could basically skip right past a level for whatever reason.

There's no skipping involved here. At best, you let the CPU take over, which means you may or may not forfeit your ability to save (I personally don't think they won't let you save if you use Digest Mode)

You also have the option to watch videos either by Nintendo or other users on how to solve do something. At some point, you get the ability to go back and replay sections of the game at your leisure with proper attributes.

But there's NOTHING here that suggests that if you're in, say, the Water Temple in Zelda, you can hit a button and skip over the Water Temple while gaining whatever treasure the boss has.

It still doesn't beat the greatest leap in logic thus far, the "Dear Core, wait 2-3 years" article

The day that is surpassed shall be an epic day indeed

So, as far as can tell, Nintendo is re-patenting the cartridge.

I have no idea why it spends so much time talking about the kind of games that would go on said cartridge

I guess that being able to go back and watch the cut scenes WOULD be a plus in a Zelda game. It's always bugged me that you can't do that.

Dear Nintendo,

If I were locked in a room and I could only choose one series of games to play for eternity...it would only be Zelda.

Now, I've been a huge Zelda freak since I laid eyes on LttP. Up until Phantom Hourglass, no Zelda game ever let me down. But PH greatly did, in that it felt gimmicky with only the touch pad to control.

It felt...too casual for my liking.

Please...please...for the love of God...don't whore out Zelda to the casuals like this. I have nothing against your philosophy for the casuals. But Zelda definitely isn't a game for them. It's for your loyal Hardcore Zelda nuts (like me) who strive for the challenging dungeons, the challenging boss battles, and the long hours spent trying to uncover the hidden treasures throughout Hyrule...

Please Nintendo...don't do this to Zelda. I always shed a small tear of joy when I hear the overworkd theme from LttP...it shows what a lasting impact the series has made in my life...Please Nintendo...don't do this...

Sincerely,
religiousjedi

The only reason i even got a f****** wii was so i could play zelda, same with my DS, i cant imagine a way to f*** a series up better then this. goddamn casuals

It's unfortuante that this "casual games" schtick that Nintendo is on is really making me sick. And it's for the same reasons that i quit defending the Wii and got myself a PS3 and XBOX 360.

I enjoy playing games on the Wii, I love MP3: Corruption, and loved Twilight Princess, however, I want to play real games and that's where my 360 and ps3 hit perfectly.

I respect that Nintendo wants to broaden the market, from a business standpoint, it's gold. However in their quest to broaden the market i feel as if they have completely neglected the rest of the market. Aka the people who have been playing since the NES.

I own a DS and yes, I play it. But not all that often, last month I bought a PSP, why? Cause i wanted a library of games with substance. Yes there are those games on the DS, which I buy, however they are becoming few and far between. Throughout last generation I owned a gamecube, I loved it. There weren't always the amount of AAA games, but there were still games to play that I enjoyed. However with the Wii, there are games to play, but the majority of games coming out on Wii are more of these Casual games, what did I do? I've jumped ship. While I was never a Nintendo Fanboy, I certainly defended Nintendo, and I bought a new nintendo console on day 1 or 2. (for reference, those were DS Fat, and DS Lite)and I still plan on buying the DSi on day 1. But i play the majority of the games on XBOX and PS3. Not because i only play Halo by any means in fact, hell no. I am looking at my collection of XBOX games and it includes DOA3, KOTOR, Fallout 3, SC IV, COD4, Star Wars: TFU, Lost Odyssey, NCAA 09, Gears of War, Madden 09, Too Human, Mirrors Edge, GTA IV, Orange Box, Fable 2, Halo 3, Left4Dead.

Nintendo, continue to make your "Casual" games. I will stop buying, you've already slowed me down considerably. I suspect i'm not alone here, further ignoring of the gamers who want REAL GAMES, not this easy, casual, bullcrap you've been spouting about, will eventually put you in a stagnant state, because the common market will only hold you up for so long before you're taken over by the next mainstream market fad.

Cool.

Of all the attempts at cool features in AloneintheDark, the menu system was about the only one that worked.

Not that any of these are new features. I remember a few text adventure games that had a built in hint system.

Features almost ALL games should have:
- Rewind time feature.
- Jump to episode feature (but without spoilers)
- Recap feature (maybe with a SoT style fast foreward ability)

I have a whole pile of games (including Majora's Mask) that i've never finished because i got distracted part way through, and now i can't remember what the heck i'm supposed to be doing and why. A fast recap feature would let me get back in.

But movies on the othere hand, they have become far too casual. Not only can you now use a menu to skip to DIFFERNT scenes of the DVD, but you can also pause and even REWIND a bit of the movie.

Its sad that they've dumbed down movies in this way. Back in my day people had to watch movies in one sitting in a smokey old theater.. none of this pansy fast-forwarding!!

Can't believe sony has dumbed down movies like this...

If they implement this into any of their big franchises [Zelda especially], I'm done with Nintendo. I should have learned me lesson with the gc.

Coming up next from Nintendo: It's shit in a box! Shigeru Miyamoto has literally shit in this luxurious white box, now covered with the sterile new gray Nintendo logo, and now you too can have a piece of Shigeru Miyamoto's own personal shit.

Not only that, but this shit is fun for everyone! Shigeru Miyamoto's shit in a box is accessible for all age groups, and players with all sorts of playing backgrounds. Now you too can experience the joy of Shigeru Miyamoto's shit in a box without having to worry about the frustration of challenge or higher logic. Yes, and that means even your pet can engage in shit in a box, where before your pet was stopped by the inability to use greater mental functions, shit in a box is now available!

Buy it in stores now! Though we don't be able to maintain availability throughout the holiday season, so act fast now! New, Shit in a Box!

All we can do is wait and see. No sense getting all upset over what could be nothing.

Im impressed how stupid some people can be. For one this title is really misleading, the patent declares they are going to make a propper zelda game but it provides an OPTION to let the game take control of itself so you dont need to complete it. Technically the game can be easy and hard, it is no different from an easy and hard mode and unless people are going to start calling games like resident evil 4 casual for that option then really please read the patent before you say anything or just keep it to yourself.

For the idiots who claim Wii owners don't use their brains. I dare you to play through One Piece Unlimited Adventure (Yes an Anime game) without looking up anything online. I gaurantee you'll have to think a lot harder than you do to shoot mindlessly on Gears of War or Resistance. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that One Piece Unlimited Adventure is harder than any game that Sony and MS fans are calling HARDCORE. Its the first time since OOT that I had to look up how to get past a puzzle. With all the Development, cooking, fishing, and bug catching required for some parts, its hard to know what you need sometimes, but Since I'm a fan of the Anime I wanna see what happens next in its original story.

Everyone on here that thinks this new system will make the next Zelda game easier is a complete moron. This entire patent provides the OPTION to have a hint, or get help in beating a puzzle. Let me reiterate, it is an OPTION. You don't have to use it if you don't want. This allows casual players to be able to experience the game and at the same time, allowing hardcore the choice to beat the game WITHOUT the hints and help. It is the best of both worlds. Once again, for all the morons out there, the hint system is an OPTION.

Jesus, I forgot what a mire Joystiq comment boards can become when a console wars worthy newspost comes along.

Really, it all comes down to implementation. If the hint/digest/skip features was optional, I see this empowering Nintendo to make a Zelda game that is harder and more non-linear. If you are going to make a game that appeals to as broad a stroke of Wii owners as possible, there are two approaches. The first is to simply find a median difficulty: dummy down the combat/platforming so that death is rare and hold the player's hand through many of the puzzles and dungeons (NPC: I bet if you did something to that unlit TORCH that locked DOOR might also do something).

The second is to a modicum of difficulty, but provide the option(s) for those inclined to flatten the difficulty curve to an incline of their choosing. The usually route down this path is the "difficulty level" option when you start a game. But a hint system+ goes to the same ends, and is probably more applicable to a series where the puzzles have usually been the greater source of the challenge. The irony is, contra Joystiq's headline, that having an optional hint system in a game, just like a sliding scale difficulty level, gives a game developer the appropriate cover to make a more "hardcore" game. I will note that Metroid Prime and its lesser spawn have been able to retain a greater level of non-linearity/difficulty/"hardcoreness" precisely because they have an optional hint system that tells you exactly what to do if you want (well, less than optional in the third installment, but that's a topic for another day).

However, if these features are not optional or are accompanied by an unaviodable Wii Music style simplification to woo grandmas, then we can grab the pitchforks and burn effigies of Reggie. Maybe I am being too optimistic here, but that's not the way I interpretted the substance of the Joystiq post.

If they ruin Zelda -- I will go to Nintendo Offices and start shooting --- my mouth off. Rant like a fool, pointing fingers at people and shake my fist at god for having made such a mockery of my favorite and beloved, "Hero of Time".

Or

Maybe I'll just stay home and be pissed-off, then re-play a Final Fantasy Title.

I remember beating OoT when i was 7. Zelda has always been my favorite game series for the past 8 years jesus i own a fucking master sword replica im obsessed. For god sake we can't let the morons of todays world let nintendo make zelda into a game like wii sports where all you do is flail and you get points. In fact i don't want morons soiling the greatest game ever... i don't want to see anyone that hasn't played wind waker(AT LEAST) playing a new zelda title.

Zelda is not a game that is meant to be casual, like all the frickin puzzles, time limits and stuff they all add a thrill to the game especially when a fucking tower is collapsing around you (OoT anyone?). TP was an amazing storyline but the bosses were wayyyy too easy but the whole wii aiming thing was awesome. I swear if i don't die atleast 20 times in the next zelda game i am going to be pissed. BRING ON THE HORDES OF MONSTERS!!!

A newish story line would be sick. and possibly voicing the cut-scenes? but cornyness could be a huge factor considering convos about faries and magic potions.