Introduced in 1986, the Triforce first made its appearance in the original Legend of Zelda title. It was was a introduced as a sacred treasure held by the royal family, and later turned out to be the symbol of courage, wisdom, and power. Twelve years later, the origin of the Triforce is finally revealed in arguably the greatest game of all time: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.Three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, gave the gift of land, water, and life to the world known as Hyrule. Upon finishing their creation, they departed for the heavens, leaving behind the Triforce at that mystical point. It became the symbol of divine providence for the people, the power believed to be sustaining and guiding their destiny. So, how could such an important object be merely thrown away? After all, it was ingrained into the three main characters of the Zelda franchise.
The answer lies in the fault of the world the Triforce represents. It created a seemingly never ending cycle of greed and lust that forces the three parts of the Triforce to directly collide with each other, much like when the symbol was created. It locked Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf into the realm of Hyrule while not allowing the classic plot line of the series to move progressively forward. How could the Zelda world exist without its symbol of creation?
In some respects it already has. Look no further then within the series itself. Majora's Mask represents a time, a world, that didn't revolve around some divine providence. In this world, the characters all carried a lot of personality. There were many different views on the world at hand, and there was no mystical Triforce to be found. The story had a much darker tone, and everything we had become accustomed to, even Zelda herself, seemed not to matter anymore. This was a new world, a world that needed someone like Link to come along and truly make a lasting difference. A world that contained a evil that could be beaten once and for all, and lead to troubled and confusing endings that still leave many today wondering what all the undertones of the game really mean.Of course, I can't simply make a plea for another Majora's Mask game. There can be but one, but it's the same sort of argument for the franchise as it stands today. There can be but one A Link to the Past and one Ocarina of Time. In some respects, even Nintendo has realized this to a point. Phantom Hourglass did not revolve around the Triforce, for example. The Minish Cap added a confusing twist that seemed to occur before the Triforce was prevalent as well.
The Triforce is restricting in a sense. It hasn't allowed our hero to go to far beyond his humble abode. While many of us can accept that this is just the ways things are suppose to be, I for one will always be looking for something more. I want my next tale to have a new story, a new world. The one that Zelda and Link find that doesn't revolve around these ancient powers held within them. New adventures, lands, and enemies to conquer. A new Zelda for a new world. In this world, the Triforce does not matter anymore.
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This is total nonsense. Do you really think the series can progress by cutting out fundamental elements? Sure, MM and LA were fun diversions, but they only shined because they were accompanied by games which had that classical story element.
The main games were always compelling because they featured the Triforce and the many events and mysteries surrounding it. Cut that away, and what we have left is an uninspired game devoid of backstory and mystery. The only way to accomplish what all other Triforce-related Zelda games had is to invent something that functions the same way as the Triforce, in which case I may ask, why bother getting rid of the thing in the first place?
Zelda needs to evolve, and to just blattently get rid of its fundamentals is not the way forward.
they're already getting rid of fundamental elements, bro--originality, entertainment value, npc interaction. the last two might be gone for good, but they can at least try to craft an original story with new titles, and reusing old, boring story elements like ganondorf and the triforce isn't how that's done. they've both become cliche in my mind. oh, ganondorf is back? oh, the triforce broke again? really? who cares. get some new ideas.
And that is exactly what I want back: originality, entertainment value and npc interaction. Getting rid of "old, boring story elements" is only going to lead to even more boring story elements. Ever played Phantom Hourglass? It has exactly what people have been suggesting: no Ganon, no Zelda, no Triforce and a completely new storyline. What did we end up with? Some rehashed forced plot-device to go to even more temples and get more magical artifacts. Had it more of a connection to the Triforce or the Great Sea's past or anything, it would have been a lot more interesting.
i'd like to think nintendo still has it in them to make an original storyline that doesn't suck, but it seems they're too busy worried about innovating or w/e. and that'd at least be cool if the games were fun, which they really aren't. ph was mildly entertaining for its first run-through, but after that, not so much--and now we're getting more of the same with st.
What's this? ANOTHER rant? I have yet to see a week go by without one.
The triforce will always exist like it or not..
I liked Phantom Hourglass's story....it was the forced stylus controls and the frequent revisiting of that damn ocean temple that I didn't like. Also the windfish ending (link's awakening anyone?). It's not like the next game needs to get rid of the triforce. They don't need to say it doesn't exist anymore. They just need to not focus on it.
"Sure, MM and LA were fun diversions, but they only shined because they were accompanied by games which had that classical story element."
'Fun diversions'? These are my top two picks for the series in general, and I'm not a diehard fan of either OoT or ALttP - I didn't even like ALttP. MM and LA could stand on their own two feet even if they weren't direct sequels to OoT and ALttP; it's the independent and unique method of delivery that makes them so well-loved by fans, and that really has nothing to do with these games' predecessors.
That said, I don't think the best route is to get rid of the Triforce - I think it would be better perhaps to even give it MORE of a role in the story than simply the object of the game. TP's story was interesting since it showed how the characters' Triforces protected them in times of danger, but it getting shoved into the backseat and barely being mentioned made that aspect of the game seem shallow. Maybe more liberal use of the Triforce parts' specific magic powers might make for an interesting sequel (and wouldn't necessarily need to include Ganon).
Face it, every game is nothing more than a fun diversion. But the reason LA and MM are so popular is because Nintendo is overusing the classical plot elements and gameplay, and it is somewhat getting stale, so people automatically turn to the exceptions of the rule.
How well you like them is your opinion, but those two games would most certainly have been overlooked if there wasn't "Zelda" printed on the front of their covers. In case you don't believe me, please look at masterpieces such as Alundra. Interesting gameplay, a VERY intriguing story, well-developed characters, yet hardly anyone knows about it.
Gah, the one thing that bothers me about the argument against the Triforce is that everyone thinks it can only be used in one way. Link has a piece, Zelda has a piece and Ganondorf has a piece. It really shouldn't be like that, it was awesome in OoT but when TWW and TP repeated it, it went bland.
Just give Ganondorf the entire Triforce, or Link the entire Triforce or have the Triforce lost in Hyrule again...it would drastically change the story. I always thought it would be more epic than any non-triforce having Zelda if they went with a war over the Triforce theme. Like the wars that ALttP and TP talk about. I want to see Hylians go corrupt over power, betraying Zelda and even Link.
They could do SO much with the Triforce but they'd rather repeat exactly what happened in OoT? I don't think so...
actually, seeing someone get the entire triforce and going batshit insane would be AWESOME
Are you kidding me?! To have a Legend of Zelda game the Triforce has to be in it otherwise Link would probaly just be a farm boy like in TP and when darkness comes over hyrule he wouldn't go out to do anything about it
That's the one problem about all these useless rants: complaining that the games need originality and thus we go to 'drastic' measures and take something away. That's basically an unoriginal idea imo.
The problem's not the repeated material: hell, this is Zelda, let's not even start with the items/ideas/characters that keep coming back over and over again because the final solution is to play another entirely different game, end of story.
Eventually even the title gets old. Really, playing another game is the real solution.
I do wish that no matter which elements they push aside or keep in the plot, they'll DO something different about it.
Doesn't matter if the Triforce's gone if they replace it with some other random object to fight over in the same way they did in ALttP or OoT, would actually be better if they made the Triforce even more important like someone else mentioned.
Giving all the three pieces to someone isn't a good idea imo though: kind of no way to fight against a full Triforce.
Doesn't matter if they leave Ganondorf in the Dark Realm or wherever if he's replaced by just another vilain who takes the princess and locks her in a tower because he wants to take over the world.
The problem's not the material, it's the way they use it.
Many ways to make another Zelda game epic without having to sacrifice what most fans are obsessed about.
The Triforce can stay the most important relic in Hyrule, Ganondorf can stay the definition of Evil for Hylians, but the main vilain can be someone else who does not give a care about those two. Maybe he won't even care about dear princess Zelda. That is something I agree about: makes things interesting.
But the Triforce, Ganondorf, the name Hyrule itself should stay part of the universe's History.
Plot? No, there are other Zelda mysteries that could be worked with.
History? Yes. The same way we, in our world, still obsess over ancient pagan relics and the deceased conqueror Genghis Khan, even though they are the least of our problems.
Adding to everyone "pro-Triforce", Zelda is a very long series of games, and as such, it is doomed to have some overused elements... Every series that become so long gets stagnant over time...
"Introduced in 1986, the Triforce first made its appearance in the original Legend of Zelda title. It was was a introduced as a sacred treasure held by the royal family, and later turned out to be the symbol of courage, wisdom, and power. Twelve years later, the origin of the Triforce is finally revealed in arguably the greatest game of all time: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."
Actually, the origin of the Triforce was revealed in A Link to the Past's manual. Ocarina of Time just named the Goddesses.
Anyway, while it'll be good if the series focused on different villains and plots, removing the Triforce completely would be going too far.
Just my two cents, but i honestly think that we need the triforce. Killing the triforce would be too derastic a change. Majora's Mask was tottally awesome, and the idea of a new, triforceless land sounded great. Then came Phantom Hourglass. Suddenly, the triforce was my only friend. The idea of a new land rocks, and if we find new ways to use the triforce, were all good. If that thing breaks again, i will retair my sword, but if something else happens to or ala the triforce (no floods, please no floods. Flooding killed the Adult half of the timeline) would bring new life into the series.
The Triforce, is something that will always be with any Zelda game. No matter where it goes, there will always be at least ONE hint of the Triforce somewhere. And in the next game, Zelda for Wii, we've already seen a poster of a girl that looks like the Master Sword, which means the Triforce is not far behind. So I just have to say that, the Triforce may not always be the center of EVERY Zelda game, but it will always be there, no matter what. Power, Wisdom, Courage.
It's a bit irritating how opinionated some of the articles have been recently. I'm not saying one should point out the role of opinion every other sentence, or even that acknowledgment of such a basic fact is completely necessary, but a few instances of 'I think' or 'It seems to me that' would be nice.
As for the ideas presented in the article... I disagree. Every Zelda game in which some random hero saves a damsel in distress from an unrelatable evil is evidence that a story can be good even if it has some cliche fragments in the plot.
The trick is to do something creative, and you can do that without dropping those elements which have made a series great. It might be harder, or maybe not. But if you're not going to continue the story presented by previous installments, and make an effort to expand and improve on it, why continue a series at all?
In the end, it seems to me this is just another desperate attempt to save the series from an apparent decline by overcompensating, and trying to put unnecessary distance between the next installment and the series itself. It might be more elegant than 'Make Link a girl', 'Add more RPG elements' or 'In SPACE!', but it's still hard to take seriously.
Others have probably already said everything in this post worth saying, but there's one thing I couldn't find that I feel I should add: Nayru gave Law to Hyrule, not water. Or at least, that's how it is in the version I played.
if you don't like it don't play it? let the others who enjoy Zelda and every aspect of it play it.
really all this ranting is doing nothing. if you have complaints mail it to the makers of Zelda. Then just see how far that gets you...
dude above me: SCHOOL'S OUT
dude above the dude me: saying "i think", "in my opinion", etc is cut out of most people's writing habits by the 9th grade; we know it's your opinion because you're the one who wrote it. and acting like we love every zelda game and pretending we think the series is infallible is ridiculous, because we don't. at all.
I'm breaking my golden rule: Don't comment on your own article. Oh well.
I never once said I don't like Zelda, and people that read my last couple pieces that feel that I am some sort of zelda hater really doesn't grasp it. It's the fact I love this series so much that makes me want it to change. Now, do my drastic changes have to happen to make the game fresh? Of course not. My next piece will touch base on one of many possibilities not revolved around removing things from the game.
The reasoning behind these drastic thoughts is that in order to make Miyamoto realize that new elements need to be added. Deeper stories, and more engrossing worlds. Why do I suggest getting rid of Ganondorf, the Triforce, and maybe even Hyrule? Because I feel it's the only way Miyamoto will come up with completely fresh concepts for the series. What makes a Zelda game BE a Zelda game is not the triforce, and it's not Ganondorf. If this was true, it would be prevelent in every single Zelda game every made. Instead, almost half the games don't even HAVE Ganondorf, and there are shining examples of games that don't have the triforce really involved.
It is because of the success of the games that are not like that, that it would be great for them to take a break and come up with new fresh concepts. Take the triforce: It is suppose to give Link courage.
Can't Link be courageous of his own self being? In TP he was trying to saved his friends from the village. He didn't need the triforce to make him want to do that. He didn't need it to get attached to midna and find a deeper reason to do what he does.
He didn't need it in TWW when his sister was kidnapped. Arguablly, OOT was the last time we really saw where Link may have needed the courage the triforce supplied since most of what he was doing to save the world was not necessarily what he WANTED to do. He needed that push.
While I agree that things can be much more engrossing (maybe someone gets the entire triforce and you have to try to stop them), or possibly things like teaming with Ganondorf, or a deeper story (like Ganondorf having a reason to do what he does such as in TWW) - the fact remains it's highly unlikely we see things like this. Remember, Miyamoto cares about gameplay, not story. Meaning? These drastic steps would be for the creator to be forced to come up with new ideas.
As for telling me I should keep these rants to myself or send them to Nintendo: Really now? The rants are intended to create discussion - and my last two pieces have done that. The Ganondorf piece in particular really had solid discussions going on about things. They are meant to get fans to talk about the series in ways they normally never considered: Instead of simply sending it to nintendo as they throw the letter away before opening. They don't care what one person has to say... unless it's Miyamoto.
'saying "i think", "in my opinion", etc is cut out of most people's writing habits by the 9th grade; we know it's your opinion because you're the one who wrote it'
It's not a question of whose opinion it is, it's a question of whether the context would suggest that it is an opinion or a fact. Yes, it isn't strictly necessary to specify which are which; I acknowledged that. But to speak of opinions as facts implies arrogance, and if someone I perceive to be on the wrong side of an issue is arrogantly acting as if there is no other side, I take offense.
As for your choice of how to state this particular point... I'm not impressed. I doubt the accuracy of your statement, and question its relevance. 'Most people' are stupid, and I wouldn't put too much faith in education right now. Besides, I suspect your intention was more to belittle me than to argue your point, and so a more appropriate response would probably be that most people understand the basic principles of capitalization long before the 9th grade.
'and acting like we love every zelda game and pretending we think the series is infallible is ridiculous, because we don't. at all.'
Yeah... What's your point? I never said otherwise. I did say they were all good, and that it was a series which had achieved greatness. I don't think either of those are much of a stretch. But I certainly didn't say each game was deserving of love, sincere or otherwise, or that the series was infallible.
damn bro you got me with that caps thing
I apologize Jisaan. Maybe I should type like I'm in 3rd grade so everyone understands me.
It's clear it's an opinion piece. I am saying, in this case, I would like to see the triforce go away. How is that stating anything as a fact? Or the appearance of one?
Meh. I knew most everyone would disagree... so what? It's my thoughts. Anyone who can't distinguish between what an opinion is, and what a fact is, especially in this case, I could care less about that crowd. I'm not writing for 5 year olds.
I think I need to step in here...
What someone mentioned before is absolutely right. You can't cut out the Triforce, it makes Zelda what it is. However, the game CANNOT be centred on the Triforce, or else we'll just get another rehashed LttP with a few semi-interesting plot twists. Look at Twilight Princess. That managed to have the Triforce as a basic background for the story, but the involvement of the Twili made the plot new and original. The only bad thing about TP (other than the distinct lack of interaction between NPCs) was that they stuck Ganondorf in there, pretty much at the last minute. Zant was probably the most original villain in Zelda that's come along in a dog's age. He was motivated by revenge and lust for power, and gave up his life to serve an evil god. Then he was thrown aside, just to placate the die-hard fans who can't accept change.
I think that the Triforce is seeing a decline of importance already. Twilight Princess didn't even mention it by name, it wasn't Ganondorf's goal. He had the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom in front of him, yet he did jack shit about it. It played a more careful role - because of the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf was sealed in the Twilight Realm. Because of the Triforce of Courage, Link turned into a wolf instead of a spirit. In LoZ and WW, we see that the pieces can be split further. In ALttP, we see that the Triforce doesn't always have to be split. The Triforce is there, yes, but we always see its role changed. Always. Out of all the games, OoT and WW are most similar in how they play out the Triforce's role.
I'd like to see games without the Triforce, and I'd like to see games putting the Triforce into different roles. Nintendo has shown that they can use this element much more effectively and flexibly than, say, Ganondorf. For me, that makes the Triforce a very important ingredient to distinguishing a game's story while also remaining relevant to Zelda mythology.
Interesting article and discussion. I personally find the issue not found in the Triforce, or even Ganondorf, but the culmination of those parts, and others, into one. The use of the Triforce has led the eventual outcome of half of all Zelda games to become predictable. Another person possessing the Triforce, a villain who throws aside the Triforce, even the Triforce as a sentient entity would inject at least a little more life into the series, without sacrificing a fundamental part of the it.
Granted, perhaps I am holding on to the concept of the Triforce too much. I admit that at this point, taking away a staple of a beloved franchise would make me feel a little lost. However, MM pleased me, and there was no Triforce, no Zelda, and no Ganondorf.
There is a loss in prevalence with the Triforce as the years go by. WW was the last game to feature it prominently (though I must say it was done quite well in that game). The Triforce might just end up fading as a plot element, and just occurring as a theme in the series. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.
Should be obvious who I'm responding to, so I won't bother with quotes.
First of all, I hardly think sarcasm is necessary. I was attempting to provide constructive criticism, and while you may not agree with my conclusion, I don't see any benefit in mocking it. That said, I reread the article, and other than the bit about the Triforce overstaying its welcome, I don't see anything that implies an inability to differentiate opinion from fact. So I apologize.
As for why I made that mistake... I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps I'm simply unaccustomed to articles based on opinion, and seeing three such articles which I happened to disagree with in a relatively short period of time was the real cause of my irritation. Whatever it was, I suppose I didn't give the article a fair chance, and ended up exaggerating the one rational complaint I had.
But really, this is hardly the place for psychoanalysis, or pointless arguments about some minor technicality. I've already said everything I had to say about the article itself, so if there are no further objections, I suggest we drop it.
Abyss Master: The only issue I see is that the triforce of wisdom did litterally nothing to Zelda in the twilight realm. It allowed her to what, be who she is? Yet when Zant came along magically link could be a wolf, or himself, whenever.
Honestly - I am not entirely positive the triforce itself had a whole lot to do with why Zelda was unaffected, or why Link turned into a wolf. More or less - seems to me other magics were at hand here.
MB3000: That's sort of my sentiment as well. I understand if the triforce was kept in as sort of a recurring theme, but the eliminating it idea would make nintendo have to come up with a fresh plot line for the game other then "here's the triforce, Ganondorf wants all of it, it's the source of his power, link's, and zelda's", oh and evil guy never gets it, and there is zero sense of you actually not being able to win.
Zant, especially after he almost killed Midna, really made me feel like I didn't know if I would win. Then Ganondorf showed up.
Thanks Nintendo. Still, my ideas are to FORCE change. It can happen without the forcing of it.
He's right. Nintendo needs to take out the triforce element in the game and focuos on something else. Such as the Sacred realm and the godess. But it would be hard. The Triforce is the simbol of the Legend of Zelda series, and that is sorta like making Mario German, not Italinan (though that would give use Italinas a good name). My point is some fans would fall in love with it, others would hate it and start world war three. This could be the idea that saves Zelda from the endless list of Nintendo failers, or this is the idea that makes Zelda go on the list.
I still say the Triforce has way too much potential to be simply thrown out. Look how it was used in ALttP's manual, when someone says Triforce I shouldn't have to think Link, Zelda and Ganondorf. The Triforce should be a battle across the world, not limited to ONE dude that really likes shiny triangles.
I love Link's Awakening and I love Majora's Mask. But if every Zelda game was a LA or a MM, I would be extremely upset. What makes LA and MM amazing is the rarity. And with other Zelda games that try to ditch what I love about Zelda and fail to make a good plot while doing so (PH, OoS...>_> ) Well, those games are really lacking too me. What pulls me into a Zelda's plot is always Hyrule's mythology, and past legends...Sometimes I could REALLY care less about an evil wind mage being unleashed.
And no matter what Zelda can never pull another TP. If you're going to add the Triforce, make it important to the plot or don't mention it at all. Same goes for Ganondorf.
Nathan: I think we can safely say from Link's Triforce mark glowing that it did in fact interfere with the influence of the Twilight, as we only see the Triforce marks glow when they react to something (except when Ganondorf flashes it for Link and Midna, where it seems like he's just showing it off). I won't really dwell on the Triforce of Wisdom's role - it may have been what let Zelda keep her human form, and it may not have been. I think that each Triforce part acts and reacts differently, instead of all of them granting the same uses and effects. That's a whole different discussion though.
Nathan: Yeah, I see your point. Twilight Princess did leave me wondering a little if Nintendo was perhaps afraid of the innovation for which they were once renowned. Even though I don't think that Nintendo was in any financial trouble at the time, I hope that with the piles of money they've gotten off of the Wii and DS (or so I've heard), they can afford to take a risk of sorts with the new game. I suppose a removal of the Triforce would force a new plot line, and I can sacrifice a fundamental element of the series if it can lead to a worthy addition to it.
Out of curiosity, though, I would like to know your opinion on WW. It featured the Triforce just as prominently, if not more so, than the games before it, yet many people see it as a breath of fresh air, so to speak. Any thoughts?
The games are only boring due to the nondiffering storyline. What they need to do to appeal in tota is make game like OoT where you can travel through time, but like MM make the final villain be the triforce (something like the Majora's mask), but its been imbued with dark power. The first three temples could be sort of tributes to Din, Faroe, and Nayru. Anyone see whare I'm goning with this. Or maybe change the game so you can play as a girl (Zelda) or a boy(Link) and whatever you pick, the oppisite being the Victim of whatever happens. Or the oppisite could be like Tetra from WW. They need to do more than combining favorite things (Four Swords Advebture on GC) or making a leftovers game (Twilight Princess)
By nick on July 7, 2009 1:40 PM
actually, seeing someone get the entire triforce and going batshit insane would be AWESOME
^ This reeks of win.
By the way, while it's on my mind, is it just me, or is Ganondorf the only one who seems to gain any sort of ability from his portion of the Triforce?
Zelda's only exhibited abilities seem to be telepathy and the light manipulation (and occasionally the ability to disguise herself as a trap). These seem to be abilities that she inherently possesses, outside of the Triforce's influence. She's the crown princess of the Hylians - the Triforce of Wisdom may as well be a birthright if nothing else.
Link, on the other hand, works himself to the bone to gain the power that he eventually comes to possess. He doesn't doesn't get any god-given handouts, at least not in the same vein as Ganondorf. The Triforce of Courage is more of a herald than anything else, a sign that this boy is going to become a hero. He isn't courageous because of the Triforce of Courage - he has the Triforce of Courage because he is courageous, and the epitome of it at that.
Seems to me that the only real power resides in the Triforce of, well, Power. The other two are merely marks of the virtues that one requires to be worthy of wielding it. Probably why we've never seen Ganondorf become the one true ruler - the Fates are against him.
The Triforce isn't the problem.
I think that the triforce does not neccesarily need to be thrown out but that it should have a less predictable role. It's always the same three people that get it and they always have the same personalities. Yes the triforce is distributed to those that most mirror or admire the different components but what if Ganondorf died and someone else got the triforce or what if an evil person got one of the other triforce parts, wisdom can be a corrupting influence as well, and courage taken to an extreme can turn into foolhardiness.
I think getting rid of the triforce is a horribly idea. There are a great deal of games that don't revolve around it and there are future ones too, but Zelda just isn't Zelda without it.
Getting rid of the Triforce would be an insanely dumb idea. I mean, honestly, it holds down the plot line of the games.
Sure, Majora's Mask didn't have it, and that is probably my favorite Zelda game, but you have to think; Zelda WAS mentioned in the game. She re-taught you the song of time.
To just completely disregard the legacy of the Triforce would be completely incompetent of the creator himself, seeing as it would make many die-hard fans basically uninterested.
For once, I 100% agree with you, Nathan.
The Triforce locks the series in a small box. We have seen the effects that occur when the grass grows through the cracks in The Minish Cap, Link's Awakening, and Majora's Mask.
Now I'm not saying that the Zelda games revolving around the Triforce are bad- they're some of the best games out there. It's just that they seem to have lost their aspiration to reach new heights!
Nintendo may actually be on to something with the upcoming "Spirit Track" game. A train? Just as cool as a "boat", in my humble opinion.
I don't think that the Triforce should be removed, or anything, but I do think that by cutting by on "old Zelda" artifacts, Nintendo may have an opportunity to reach out farther than they ever have before. To be honest, an absolute timeline might help solve some of the problems.
The Triforce could have a beginning, and also... an end.
Alter
I think that taking the Triforce out of Zelda, would be like taking stars out of Mario. They are an integral and important part of the world, the games, and the characters.
First of all, @MDK: Thank You! I was just about to correct the Article Writer on the Triforce of Courage bit. Link isn't courageous because he has the Triforce of Courage. He gets the Triforce of Courage because he's courageous.
Second, I agree with the Article Writer, to an extent. Zelda is a game. The reason we like it is because of the gameplay. We like the mythology, the characters, the lands because they are the backdrop of that gameplay (Adventure). The Triforce and Ganondorf and all the repeated elements are holding the series back (look at the sales if you need any unbiased proof).
Getting rid of the main story isn't necessary if the team is willing to experiment. The problem is someone there isn't willing to do it (if the story of Miyamoto forcing Ganondorf into Twilight Princess is true, then someone needs to over right that guy. He isn't infallible, despite his contributions (did you know no 2D Mario games were made for over 15 years because he didn't want to?). The team uses it (and everything that comes with it (classic Hyrule (i.e. ALTTP/OOT) as a crutch. That's why the dungeons are almost always fun but the journey to get there is usually boring (remember in Z1-LA where the journey was just as much fun as the dungeons?). That's why AW recommends such a drastic change. It's not that he (or anyone) wants the main story to be gone, so much as this might be the only way to wake the team up.
What they need to do is take the time to ask themselves what Zelda is really about (A boy and his sword, stepping out into the world for grand adventure) and build a game around that. Start with great gameplay, and then add from there. Make sure there isn't any fat (unnecessary fetch quests, insanely long intros, forced progression, too long cinematics, too much time in between not doing anything) and make sure there is much rich meat (interesting puzzles, fantastically large and populated world (especially the overworld, which we haven't gotten since LA), well used weapons (cut it down. The Skull Hammer was barely used in WW, and the Boomerang, Staff, and Spinner were barely used in TP. Make useful items, not gimmicky ones, and a rich (but not overbearing) story).
I really hope the team takes some chances with the new Zelda game. With the Wii, they have a new control scheme to play around with and a new audience to soak in The Legend.
P.S. This old TP trailer is what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpHHwS_CA-0
Whoever killed that game deserves to get their ass kicked.
I don't think, I know that this game coundn't exist without the Triforce, or Ganondorf. It's just a matter of adding to the story and deepening the plot of the overall series that is necessary to keep fans interested. Like maybe there could be an evil Hylian that Ganondorf serves. This Hylian could have bestowed upon Ganondorf the power of the Triforce, using him as a very powerful puppet to blot out all light while he watches (probably not). There are endless ideas Nintendo could come up with. Nintendo will think of something to keep fans interested by any means possible and I believe that the future Zelda games are going to hold pleasant surprises for the gaming community.
P.S., I totally agree with FistfulOAwesome. Just a few touchups like the ones he mentioned would make the next game AMAZING.
And while I don't believe Zelda is Zelda without the Triforce, what MDK says is true. But remember that everything Link does in TP was foretold in a prophecy that revolves around the Triforce. And without the Triforce, there would be no Ganondorf and no sacred powers given to Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf. It would be a completely different story and a completely different game, unless the actual plot revolved around the Triforce being lost. It would make zero sense to suddenly take the Triforce away unless Nintendo had a reason for it that coincides with the game.
Just another thought. What would getting rid of the Triforce and other elements of the game mean. What would happen to the Legend of Zelda series? Removing the Triforce creates a completely different game. And you never know, the series might reach a conclusion soon and a sequel to the Legend of Zelda series will begin. It makes no sense just to make all these Zelda games and drop the Triforce and never reach any kind of conclusion. IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE TRIFORCE FROM THE SERIES, A NEW SERIES HAS TO BE MADE.
dont get rid of the triforce all together, just push it into the background and bring a new force or element into the game series, in TP twilight and magic were in the foreground but the triforce was still part of the game
I believe that the story in itself might be undermined if such an a thing were to occur, take away the triforce, you take away the fate that turns Zelda and link into heroes of Hyrule. Thus, their purpose is lost. You got two main charectors whithout a purpose what do you do? I see your point in that the triforce can be restricting to both the charectors and the story line as far as progression within the series, but at this point in the storyline, if you take away the triforce you kill their intire universe then and there. It would conclude the series. Bottom line: No Triforce = no drive, purpose, or test for the charectors. The end of The Legend of Zelda all togther.
Well, just as I said in the Ganon post, without these elements, its no Zelda game.
the game is called THE LEGEND OF ZELDA, because it features the history of the princess zelda *not saying that MM or the like arent games in the universe or shouldnt have been created* and for there to be a zelda, you need a link, hyrule, the triforce and maybe a ganondorf... coffcoff, anyway.
Maybe turning into simplier and more obvius aspects, such as make Zelda the playable character or expand the explanation of the Triforce or the Goddesses would make it go better, or maybe take place in the sacred realm instead of Hyrule, make better NPCS, etcs, ther are tons of possibilities.
Again, I say that the best way to refresh the history of the Zelda series is that Miyamoto and Aonuma start by the history and not the game, thought this could totally ruin the game if not soing right.
I think Nintendo is just re-using the concepts of Zelda (like FS/FSA, OoA/OoS, TWW/PH/ST, etc. I think they might be doing something alike with Zelda Wii, that is just expanding the SideKick feature that TP used (that also expanded the OoT use of Navi).
Anyway, NINTENDO always does the things we less and more expect, so anything is possible. Oh, and sorry for the randomness, i just cant help it.
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This article is the best article about Zelda that I've read for a long time. You're very right. The Triforce is restricting. I think that it creates an interesting plot for Zelda to revolve around, but Nintendo uses the same ideas, and just stick in a little spice and a new villain. This being one of many reasons, I have converted to Final Fantasy over Zelda. I still love Zelda with a passion, but I feel that Square Enix does a phenomenal job mixing up the story and making it good every time. For the next Zelda Wii, I want Nintendo to open up to something new. Maybe even let Zelda fight a little bit, instead of being the damsel in distress.
I'm not so much for the triforce being taken out - rather, I'd prefer the whole zelda mythology being expanded. We've got a skeleton of a plot going on here over several games, why not build on it?
In my opinion though, in the current storyline, a decent Zelda game would need:
- Link
- Zelda
- Ganon - yes, not ganondorf, but Ganon. Ganondorf was the dude before he was corrupted, and just a human shell for his true form. Ganon is the main baddy that bridges the original zelda with ALttP (Agahnim) and OoT. Ganondorf in human form is kinda the OoT-TP-WW bridge (but TP also has ganon so not quite so).
- The Golden power/triforce.
To make it even better, I really feel that they should create a story that bridges a lot of the Zelda mythos and makes people go "oh, now it all makes sense" while creating more questions. I don't care if it's about one of the many wars (I wanna see the knights of Hyrule duke it out though against the baddies, just as I wanted to see the Galactic federation in Metroid at least before Prime came out), I don't wanna see hyrule flooded though (it'd make a good game, but not what I'm waiting for), and I don't care what weapons Zelda has. Link in a technocratic Hyrule could be interesting.
What I mostly wanna see though is an epic showdown between Ganon and Link, to settle things for at least a while.
Maybe they should make a new version of the original Zelda (with more plot etc), or a 3D ALttP? Maybe I just really like Ganon more than Ganondorf :P (the final fight in Ocarina of Time was my favourite part of the game - it was like "this is where it begins!" Similar thing in Spirit Tracks when maladus ends up becoming a blue version of Ganon)
Overall, fleshing out the story would be much appreciated. Even if it had Okami influences and blends magic and divine power with the scifi world (reference to the Celestials and Moon Tribe technology, e.g. the ark of yamato, in Okami by Capcom). Even if link got involved with a war. Even if Link had to team up with Ganon for some stupid reason (maybe only in kirby does that happen).
But still, the zelda games, metroid games, and Okami are my biggest favourites even if Zelda is a bit weak on plot, Metroid lost in between Fusion, and Okami leaving too much questions and untapped potential :(
This article will create a discussion even bigger than the Ganondorf one...
In my opinion, getting rid of the Triforce is the only way to get rid of Ganondorf, and would lead to an all new story within the Zelda universe... However, how do you get rid of one of the older elements of the series? The Triforce is almost sinonimous with the world of Hyrule, getting rid of it would be like getting rid of Link or something like that...