Twilight Princess HD

[Red Hawk]

Nintendo recently announced that they are remaking Twilight Princess in HD for the Wii U. Twilight Princess was always a game that deserved to be played in HD, so I'm glad it will now be possible (without having to deal with the glitches, workarounds, and stutter from trying to play it in HD with the Dolphin emulator).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU4rizKpxfM

Now I'll admit, the visuals here don't look too impressive. It is still an upgrade though -- Youtube channel Gamexplain did a head to head comparison between the Wii U trailer and the Wii version of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjP7qxsSzk

From the comparison, it's clear that higher resolution textures are being used, the lighting model may be a bit different, and there's much less environmental level of detail (LOD) blur going on. Disappointingly, though, there seems to be no improvement to geometry and meshes. This is most obvious with the close up of Wolf Link, how his mane is just as angular and low-poly in the Wii U version as it is in the Wii version. I do hope that the underwhelming visuals mean that at least it will play at a smooth and crisp 1080p, 60 frames per second.

Anyways, I'm still excited for this HD remake of the game, since I've decided to finally pick up a Wii U with the Super Smash Bros/Splatoon bundle that's hitting shelves on Black Friday. The game comes out March 4, 2016.

 

[Black Octagon]

Better 10 years late than never, I guess.

 

[Sonikku]

This announcement makes me happy. I should have bought the game on Gamecube, but never did. I always held out for the wii version because I viewed the widescreen support as the "definitive" version. But I never could get a wii until about 3 or so years in it's life cycle, by which point I was kind of over the thing. I do hope they do a little more for it though than just a fresh coat of paint however, friends have told me the final boss was under tuned and diminished the epicness of the finale. This would be a good chance to make a nip here and a tuck there.

 

[Fulle]

This one has always been flawed for me. The Gamecube version isn't widescreen. The Wii version is widescreen, but still low res, and has the stupid motion controls. Dolphin emulation of the Gamecube version has various little problems. There simply wasn't a way for the game to be played properly.

So it'll be nice to finally be able to have a working copy of Twilight Princess for my daughter to play. She had a lot of fun with Ocarina of Time when she was 6, and 2 years later, Twilight Princess could be a great game for us to play together.

- Only thing, though, is that this release seems like it was pretty low budget. The majority of the improvement, comes from less texture blur, and the game running at a higher resolution. Some textures have clearly been redone as well, but the 3D assets are largely the same. It reminds me of the Final Fantasy X remaster, only with a bit less 3D model cleanup... but if I recall correctly, that released at $40, which was a bit more fair. Nintendo's going $50, and is trying to get some extra $$$ from Twilight Princess amiibos. It's a little off-putting, how money grubbing they've gotten.

 

[Sonikku]

Their installed base is low so they have to milk the ones they've got for everything they're worth, all at minimal cost.

 

[007ELmO]

Wind Waker was a tremendous game. I never got far into Twilight Princess, I will be honored to play it in HD for essentially the first time. This will hold me off until a new Zelda releases, hopefully coinciding with a new console.

 

[slag]

Wind waker sucked donkey balls and the whole sailboat theme was crap.

I beat twilight princess back on the wii when it came out. After watching the youtube video above, I can't believe they are going to remake this game for the very very minimal graphical upgrade shown. I mean, its not mind blowing or even earth shattering, its barely a change at all and I don't see the hype around it. It looked great on the wii, and I wouldn't spend even $10.00 to buy the "enhanced" version for the wii u. I don't think many would.

 

[JD50]

It's worth it just to use normal controls. I mostly skipped out on the Wii due to 1) motion controls and 2) shitty graphics on HD TVs.

 

[007ELmO]

Wind waker sucked donkey balls and the whole sailboat theme was crap.

I beat twilight princess back on the wii when it came out. After watching the youtube video above, I can't believe they are going to remake this game for the very very minimal graphical upgrade shown. I mean, its not mind blowing or even earth shattering, its barely a change at all and I don't see the hype around it. It looked great on the wii, and I wouldn't spend even $10.00 to buy the "enhanced" version for the wii u. I don't think many would.

You're one of few then, the cell shading on Wind Waker was spectacular, at least on my setup...xD.

Secondly, there are some of us who never played TP, I would easily pay $10 for an "enhanced" version.

 

[Rakehellion]

It looks exactly as crappy as the Gamecube version.

 

[Fulle]

It looks exactly as crappy as the Gamecube version.

The Gamecube version was running at 480p at 30fps, and had some pretty severe background texture blurring.

The Wii U touch up, is likely to be running at 1080p 60fps. The Wind Waker HD was 1080p, 60fps, with 30fps animations. There's much stronger AF, and it looks like some textures have been redone... and there's expected to be some lighting engine improvements.

Then there's the obvious that the Gamecube version didn't run widescreen (although the Wii version had the option).

So.... yeah, I agree it's an inexpensive touch up job on display here, but it should look quite a bit better than if you were running the game off a Wii, or Gamecube.

 

[cmdrdredd]

You're one of few then, the cell shading on Wind Waker was spectacular, at least on my setup...xD.

Secondly, there are some of us who never played TP, I would easily pay $10 for an "enhanced" version.

Wind Waker was easily the worst zelda game after skyward sword to me.

 

[slag]

Wind Waker was easily the worst zelda game after skyward sword to me.

This man speaks the truth.

 

[sweenish]

Wind Waker was easily the worst zelda game after skyward sword to me.

As long as the CD-i games exist, statements like this are always ridiculous.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Almost nobody played the cd-i games so they don't really count.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Wind Waker was a tremendous game. I never got far into Twilight Princess, I will be honored to play it in HD for essentially the first time. This will hold me off until a new Zelda releases, hopefully coinciding with a new console.

Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda game, though I think the timing of it with my age was the biggest factor.

 

[CZroe]

I never understood the hate for Wind Waker. The graphics were amazing, the colorful atmosphere was classic, and the sailing was a return to form for Zelda (more open world exploration, less hand-holding). Even as an owner of the CD-i games, I'll still call out Skyward Sword and say that it deserves the hate it gets.

I immediately noticed in the first trailer that the blur and bloom effects were mostly missing. I hope it isn't going to be like other sloppy ports (PC Resident Evil 4 had no lighting, Wii Metroid Prime had no overheat effect, Wii Okami had no canvas effect, etc).

I also don't understand the aversion to motion controls for Twilight Princess. They work very well. I had Twilight Princess on GameCube and Wii and much preferred the Wii version specifically for the motion controls (well, that and widescreen support). That said, I'd love to see Motion Plus controls like Skyward Sword added, but something tells me that isn't likely. They didn't even add Wii Remote support to Wind Waker HD. I've wanted Wind Waker with Wii Remote support since before the Wii even launched: https://youtu.be/VmOg41l7EMI

Another thing I'd love to see but we probably won't get judging from the trailer is more realistic horse controls for Epona and such, like Arrow in Shadow of the Colossus. A fur effect could have masked the low-poly models and made Epona and Wolf Link look MUCH better.

Nintendo always misses these opportunities. They should have remade Four Swords Adventures before making Tri-Force Heroes. They should have made Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks with the "tiny planet" effect from Animal Crossing DS, etc.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Well the game had a cute factor to it that I didn't like at all. Plus I hated sailing around. Just hated it. I also found the story to be pretty uninteresting even for a Zelda game.

As for twilight princess on wii, they made link right handed. That made it a terrible game to me from the beginning. I have this thing about changing a characteristic of a main video game entity that just makes it feel all wrong.

 

[Red Hawk]

Wind Waker was easily the worst zelda game after skyward sword to me.

Wind waker sucked donkey balls and the whole sailboat theme was crap.

Booo. :thumbsdown:

I beat twilight princess back on the wii when it came out. After watching the youtube video above, I can't believe they are going to remake this game for the very very minimal graphical upgrade shown. I mean, its not mind blowing or even earth shattering, its barely a change at all and I don't see the hype around it. It looked great on the wii, and I wouldn't spend even $10.00 to buy the "enhanced" version for the wii u. I don't think many would.

It's not exactly hype, I just think it's cool that it's coming out. Also, have you tried playing a Wii game on a large 1080p television? I have, with Skyward Sword. It looks awful. Aliasing out the wazoo.

It looks exactly as crappy as the Gamecube version.

No, it doesn't. Either you didn't watch the comparison video or you've got the wrong definition of "exactly".

The Gamecube version was running at 480p at 30fps, and had some pretty severe background texture blurring.

The Wii U touch up, is likely to be running at 1080p 60fps. The Wind Waker HD was 1080p, 60fps, with 30fps animations. There's much stronger AF, and it looks like some textures have been redone... and there's expected to be some lighting engine improvements.

Then there's the obvious that the Gamecube version didn't run widescreen (although the Wii version had the option).

So.... yeah, I agree it's an inexpensive touch up job on display here, but it should look quite a bit better than if you were running the game off a Wii, or Gamecube.

Ehh, looking further into it, it turns out that Windwaker HD was just running at 30 FPS, Eurogamer's tests showed this pretty conclusively. So that's probably what we can expect from Twilight Princess HD. The biggest improvement to WW HD beyond higher native resolution and textures was probably the dynamic lighting and shadows, and even self-shadowing. I hope we get that from TP HD.

I never understood the hate for Wind Waker. The graphics were amazing, the colorful atmosphere was classic, and the sailing was a return to form for Zelda (more open world exploration, less hand-holding). Even as an owner of the CD-i games, I'll still call out Skyward Sword and say that it deserves the hate it gets.

I immediately noticed in the first trailer that the blur and bloom effects were mostly missing. I hope it isn't going to be like other sloppy ports (PC Resident Evil 4 had no lighting, Wii Metroid Prime had no overheat effect, Wii Okami had no canvas effect, etc).

I also don't understand the aversion to motion controls for Twilight Princess. They work very well. I had Twilight Princess on GameCube and Wii and much preferred the Wii version specifically for the motion controls (well, that and widescreen support). That said, I'd love to see Motion Plus controls like Skyward Sword added, but something tells me that isn't likely. They didn't even add Wii Remote support to Wind Waker HD. I've wanted Wind Waker with Wii Remote support since before the Wii even launched: https://youtu.be/VmOg41l7EMI

:thumbsup: on liking Wind Waker. Regarding the motion controls though...I never really tried the motion controls for Twilight Princess, I originally played it on Gamecube. Motion controls in Twilight Princess are a textbook example of a tacked-on feature, since Twilight Princess was primarily developed and designed for Gamecube and only ported to the Wii late in its development. It frustrated me that they took out the standard controls and just had the motion controls in the Wii version. Adding Motion Plus responsiveness to TP HD won't change the fact that the game simply isn't designed for motion controls.

Skyward Sword's controls are supposed to be better, and gameplay is at least designed around them so there's at least a point to it. But they definitely frustrated me at times when playing. I'm just much more accustomed to a standard controller, and I see no appeal in waving a controller around.

As for twilight princess on wii, they made link right handed. That made it a terrible game to me from the beginning. I have this thing about changing a characteristic of a main video game entity that just makes it feel all wrong.

Well the HD version fixes that, he's back to being left handed. 😉 In fact, being left handed indicates that they're leaving wiimote motion controls out of the game entirely.

 

[CZroe]

:thumbsup: on liking Wind Waker. Regarding the motion controls though...I never really tried the motion controls for Twilight Princess, I originally played it on Gamecube. Motion controls in Twilight Princess are a textbook example of a tacked-on feature, since Twilight Princess was primarily developed and designed for Gamecube and only ported to the Wii late in its development. It frustrated me that they took out the standard controls and just had the motion controls in the Wii version. Adding Motion Plus responsiveness to TP HD won't change the fact that the game simply isn't designed for motion controls.

That's the thing: even though it was tacked on, it worked GLORIOUSLY, especially aiming, and since this port was only made for the Wii U it makes sense that they could make it even more like Skyward Sword's controls. It's about like playing the PC port of an FPS originally intended for a console: the mouse and keyboard are a HUGE improvement.

Skyward Sword's controls are supposed to be better, and gameplay is at least designed around them so there's at least a point to it. But they definitely frustrated me at times when playing. I'm just much more accustomed to a standard controller, and I see no appeal in waving a controller around.

You don't really wave it around. The motions are more akin to pushing a button except that aiming is DRASTICALLY improved (aiming uses the IR camera and not the accelerometers).

The Wii Nunchuck/Wii Remote combination is a better controller even for most traditional games. You still have a thumbstick with buttons on your left hand and plenty of buttons on the right to make it the equivalent of an N64 controller. The pointer is much better than any second analog ever was.

Well the HD version fixes that, he's back to being left handed. 😉 In fact, being left handed indicates that they're leaving wiimote motion controls out of the game entirely.

It would make sense to demonstrate it that way even if it supports both, so I can't use that to conclude that there is no Wii Remote support. History is our biggest indicator: Wind Waker HD didn't so Twilight Princess HD probably won't. 🙁

 

[Red Hawk]

That's the thing: even though it was tacked on, it worked GLORIOUSLY, especially aiming, and since this port was only made for the Wii U it makes sense that they could make it even more like Skyward Sword's controls. It's about like playing the PC port of an FPS originally intended for a console: the mouse and keyboard are a HUGE improvement.

You don't really wave it around. The motions are more akin to pushing a button except that aiming is DRASTICALLY improved (aiming uses the IR camera and not the accelerometers).

The Wii Nunchuck/Wii Remote combination is a better controller even for most traditional games. You still have a thumbstick with buttons on your left hand and plenty of buttons on the right to make it the equivalent of an N64 controller. The pointer is much better than any second analog ever was.

It would make sense to demonstrate it that way even if it supports both, so I can't use that to conclude that there is no Wii Remote support. History is our biggest indicator: Wind Waker HD didn't so Twilight Princess HD probably won't. 🙁

As far as motion control aiming goes, Wind Waker HD did include it through the Wii U gamepad, and the 3DS versions of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had motion control aiming too. So I'm pretty sure that's something that will carry over to Twilight Princess HD.

 

[CZroe]

As far as motion control aiming goes, Wind Waker HD did include it through the Wii U gamepad, and the 3DS versions of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had motion control aiming too. So I'm pretty sure that's something that will carry over to Twilight Princess HD.

Nooooo! That was the worst part about the Wind Waker HD adaptation and it causes all kinds of control problems. The Wii Remote's pointer is not the same thing as the accelerometer or Motion Plus at all. Neither the Wii U Tablet nor the Wii U Pro Controller has a pointer function. The tablet does have built-in IR LEDs simulating the poorly-named "Sensor Bar" in case you use it as a display for a traditional Wii Remote.

If you aren't POINTING a Wii Remote's IR camera at the Sensor Bar then it doesn't think you are trying to aim with the pointer so it doesn't screw up/interfere with your analog aim. It also doesn't instantly aim at the floor or some random place when the game enters aiming mode. Don't get me wrong, I love the improved accuracy and speed over the Circle Pad or Control Stick, but it is not OK for unintended motion to conflict when you use those.

IOW, I expect motion aiming like the other remakes too, but that's not a substitute for what I want AT ALL.

 

[Fulle]

@Red Hawk

Thanks for referencing the Eurogamer article on the Wind Waker performance. I must have been remembering what was said right before the game launched, and should have double checked.

 

[crisium]

I'll consider getting it. I tried playing the GC version on Dolphin, but I lost interest early on.

Majora's Mask is my favourite game ever, but the only other 3D Zelda game I have actuallybeaten is Ocarina of Time. I also tried Skyward Sword but lost interest too (got further than TP though). WW does not look appealing. MM is not like a traditional Zelda game though so I shouldn't be surprised the rest of the 3D games don't really do it for me. I have beaten several of the 2D games though, and I think the series is a better fit in 2D.

I hear TP is a lot of OoT though which is a good game, so I should try it...

 

[Rakehellion]

No, it doesn't. Either you didn't watch the comparison video or you've got the wrong definition of "exactly".

Or maybe you're just overly impressed by what's a minimal resolution improvement. Forgive me for thinking a game today should look better than one released two generations ago. Oh, and they're charging 60 bucks for it too? Great. They were giving away the Gamecube version of Ocarina of Time for free in a bundle.

Can't wait for them to release A Link to the Past HD: Lanczos Remastered Edition for $99.99.