Zelda Wii U rumors: More talk of Wii U / NX release, play as a male / female, voice acting

Emily Rogers – who most recently revealed that a new Paper Mario was heading to Wii U prior to the announcement of Color Splash – has come forward with a new set of rumors about Zelda Wii U.

[AKR]

Should be interesting to see where this goes. I don't know what to think of the gender difference, but maybe the alleged female design might be Linkle? Or something similar...

As for the voice-acting, Aonuma recently said that it was something he was CONSIDERING. Even if he did decide on it, wouldn't that take a while to record dialogue?

[HomeofGaming]

they must had delayed it for that and to get it ready on the NX

[Maybay]

Monolith Soft Accomplished a lot with Xenoblade Chronicles X. I'd have to assume that they've inspired Nintendo into creating something more meaningful.

[pcz]

xenoblade is fantastic, but i would rather nintendo take inspiration from Ni No Kuni

[R00bot]

Monolithsoft have actually helped the Zelda team out in previous Zeldas, such as Skyward Sword, so I wouldn't be surprised if Zelda Wii U surpassed Xenoblade Chronicles X technically.

[Phunkydiabetic1]

Linkle. You have got to be shitting me. Linkle?! They have a female version of Link called Linkle?!?!

Pffff hahahahahahahahahahaha

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

She's her own character, an alternate-universe one at that, made for the game Hyrule Warriors Legends.

Where have you been these past few months? Or do you just not read Nintendo news?

[Savsky]

Linkle is probably the gayest sounding name I have ever heard but those weaboo/androgynous loving Nintendo fans love her.

[Relientk77]

I hate the name Linkle it sounds so stupid

[Phunkydiabetic1]

@wonderfulmonkeyman

Hyrule Warriors Legends doesnt interest me in the slightest so I havent heard of this ridiculousness. I went and looked it up and yes, it is just as lame as I figured it would be.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

It's still a WHOLE lot less "lame" than turning Link into a gender-swapped clone would be.

She's got her own persona, her own combat and weapons style, and is clearly not a replacement for the Link that long-time Zelda fans know and love.

That's what Zelda U needs, if it needs a female role at all; a new character, or at the very least the opportunity to play as an established female like Zelda or Impa.

Say no to gender-swap clones.
They're worthless compared to new and established characters, and would do far more harm to the sales of the series as a whole than the latter two choices would.

[Wallow]

I still find it ridiculous and stupid that they made a female link when we already had one. Aryll remember her. I rather play as her then some character named something as stupid as linkle.

[LOL_WUT]

Might as well make Zeldan while they're at it. ;)

[FullmetalRoyale]

I'd be down if her name was just Link. A cool chick inheriting the fight of Link would be interesting to me, but I'd always go with a left-handed, ears pierced male personally.

[ColonelHugh]

Link isn't always left-handed, in the motion-controlled games (and the cartoon) he's right-handed, and in A Link to the Past and Minish Cap he is ambidextrous.

[3-4-5]

* I'd rather they just keep link a male.

The females in Legend of Zelda games are always extremely important to the series anyways, it's not like they don't exist within the games.

No need to force it, but if it is a choice it's a choice that is going to be for like 5% of people who complain about everything.

* Most of the people who want to see Link be a female don't even play Legend of Zelda or even video games at all....they just like arguing.

* If it's in.....I'm still buying the game regardless.

As long as we aren't forced to play as a female and I have a choice to keep the intended legacy going then it's all good.

* Definitely buying this for the NX though. Day one.

* I'm ok with other characters being voice acted as long as they leave Link to be the silent protagonist.

* IMO most voice acting in games is very cringeworthy and cheesy and takes away from the experience. It's often overacted in a very amature way.

* Either way......We are getting a new Legend of Zelda game and this is great news. Can't wait for the reveal.

[greenmiker]

If next Zelda comes to NX, day one by for console and game.

[LOL_WUT]

That'll definitely make the console more appealing at launch. It's the obvious thing to do IMO ;)

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Ten bucks says everyone outside of Nintendo fans are just going to say "Not enough to make me want the console" though.

They'll also say the same despite the NX getting some multiplats at launch, because they'll be getting those same multiplats elsewhere.

Nintendo really needs to push for exclusives in their launch this time around, IMO.
It's the best way to gain wide-spread appeal early on; offer up games only on that console, that Non-Nintendo fans will care about.
Preferably made by contracted third parties.

As for me, I'm hoping that the NX will get its own Zelda at launch instead of Zelda U.
To me, that just seems lazy to skip giving the Wii U its own unique Zelda when every console prior had at least one of its own.

[Germany7]

;)

[EddieNX]

I'm getting one day one regardless as the Nintendo fanboy in me will take controll... New Zelda could defintely benefit from the NX's specs!!!!

[Spyroo]

It will be even better on PC ;)

Wii U emulator near 100% complete thus can play the game for free and at 4k 60fps and mods.

[EddieNX]

Or you could just play it on a Wiiu or an NX like a normal person

[clouds5]

If they don't bring the next zelda game to the wii u, I'll probably never buy another nintendo system...

They kinda owe us wii u owners at least that.

[sk8ofmnd]

Its a huge mistake not having a zelda or metroid... Hell i would have been fine with a remastered metroid prime 1,2, and 3 on the wiiu... But nope. Although if they launched the nx with zelda and metroid id get on immidiately. But thats prob wishful thinking

[-Foxtrot]

If there is a female then I'm sorry but it would not make sense in the slightest and would not make sense to the lore they basically set out and established in the last game with Skyward Sword.

Hylias chosen Hero was male, he then was reincarnated as Link, Link is a male, Demise cursed Link to go through the same cycle of hatred, every single game after this Link has been reborn as a carbon copy because of this cycle.

Cycle Definition:

"a series of events that are regularly repeated in the same order"

Keywords: "SAME ORDER"

If they want a female so badly then use Zelda more

[2pacalypsenow]

Next Metroid game should have a male protagonist too while their at it

[-Foxtrot]

Pffft...transgender come on you misogynist, transphobic, sexist pig ;)

[2pacalypsenow]

should be "gender fluid"

[DDMNeo]

Federation Force? Granted I don't know if they've given the characters names, so one might be female? Honestly you could easily have Metroid game with a male character. There's plenty of other bounty hunters out there.

[RiseofScorpio]

Sammy Aran lol.

[sk8ofmnd]

Lmao preach it brother. Lets make mario marioeesha too 😹. On topic linkle sounds so bad lol. Why not just make it his sister from ww

[Relientk77]

What about Mario, they can change that to Maria

[annoyedgamer]

No that's racist.

[NovusTerminus]

I agree, if they wanted a playable female, put Zelda in. I would not mind at all!

[-Foxtrot]

Yeah. They could easily do a timeline where the main Hero fails in battle HOWEVER Zelda manages to fight him off herself.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawk...

The "Hero is Defeated" timeline could split into another one like how the "Hero is Successful has split into two split timelines

This would result in a new split timeline where the hero fails, however Zelda managed to fight herself and win.

In this new timeline the bloodline would decide that the Hero can't always be relied on and that they must take matters into their own hands incase so from then on all descendants of the royal bloodline would be trained to fight.

So you could easily have a game with Zelda as the main character who bumps into Link and they go on their adventure together.

A Zelda led timeline

[NotoriousWhiz]

Yes! Let us play as Sheik in a game that isn't Smash bros.

[DDMNeo]

-Foxtrot, I like your idea, but I don't think it's all that necessary if they want to think of a reason to make Link female. I mean based on the plot of the games you could keep all scenarios with a Link of either gender. Some things might change, because I don't think Nintendo is ready to deal with openly gay main characters (because that cuccos clown guy isn't a main character). Though it's funny they're totally down for Nabooru being a pedo creeping on young Link.

[Concertoine]

I honestly think the whole Zelda timeline is total BS anyway. I wouldn't care if they included a female link. As far as I'm concerned they are stand alone games.

I know Nintendo promotes the timeline but it seems more like a background thing. They make like 1-2 references per game and even then it seems like a stretch.

[-Foxtrot]

Well you might think that but Nintendo just spent their last game adding onto it and actually make use of it.

So why would they go against something they've literally just spent their last game explaining.

[Perjoss]

It doesn't matter, as long as the game is good. Even people that spend a hell of a lot of time piecing together Zelda timeline and lore say its all bonkers anyway. But sure lets assume "Hylias chosen Hero was male" is something that is set in stone, why can the hero not make a female friend along the way and we sometimes get to play as her?

[Gazondaily]

"Hylias chosen Hero was male, he then was reincarnated as Link, Link is a male, Demise cursed Link to go through the same cycle of hatred, every single game after this Link has been reborn as a carbon copy because of this cycle. "

Yeah but this is a fantasy game. There is no reason why a Kokiri Shaman can apply some Bruce Jenner type magic spell to alter the sands of time or some shiz.

[ZaWarudo]

I didn't even know Legend of Zelda had a whole lore thingie.

And i don't see what the big deal is, so what if it isn't lore friendly? (lol zelda lore) just assume it's non-canon, kind of like the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable.

[DarXyde]

Assuming Demise' curse cannot be altered.

The Hyrule Historia does treat some of the games as tangential "what if" scenarios.

[browngamer41]

Who gives a shit? Out of everything we've heard so far on this title this is the problem? Don't play as her, problem solved- seems like a ridiculous reason to hate on an amazing looking game...

[-Foxtrot]

Hate? Why are you twisting it into that

Good grief

[DDMNeo]

Honestly, considering Demise reincarnates at a whole different species I think there's room for a gender change. Also considering only one link has actually hooked up with Zelda for sure it's not like they need to have him impregnate the princess. ALso, I don't think they ever use any pronouns to talk about any of the heroes. Could be wrong, but I thought it was always just "hero of time" or just hero.

[-Foxtrot]

He says "spirit of the hero" and "blood of the goddess" when he curses them so there can't be a gender change when the hero's spirit came from a guy Hylias chosen hero

[DDMNeo]

Ok so I think you're reading into this too heavily.

First off it's the "spirit of the hero." If you look at something like Avatar, where the base spirit is male, the reincarnations that share this spirit have varied in genders. It's likely they'd take this path. Also, hero can be used as a gender neutral description when being vague. Which most mystisistic storylines and curses like this tend to be.

Second "blood of the goddess" is pretty vague. I mean this can mean any of her descendants. Yeah, the other games have used the princess for this, but that means there's an opening for a gender swap here too.

I'm mostly saying there's loopholes, so it's possible. The bigger issue is you being such a big nerd about this. Have you ever heard of retconning?

[-Foxtrot]

I'm not reading into it too heavy, just what I was told in Skyward Sword

Look if Nintendo are going to make a game which focuses on the lore and expands on it, giving a reason why there are so many Links and Zeldas spread out across time then they obviously want people to invest in it.

It's common sense.

[Metallox]

"Hylias chosen Hero was male".

No, they didn't. Otherwise the series would get intense criticism by SJWs for this particular reason.

[Relientk77]

I hope Zelda is on The NX

[DragonDDark]

I hope that it comes to the Wii U.

[sk8ofmnd]

I honestly could care less if it comes to the wiiu. Many ppl myself included, bought a wiiu because we though it was going to release holiday 2015 then they pulled the wool over our eyes.

In all reality im betting the game was finished then they delayed it so the nx could have a zelda launch game. Going from 720 to 4k must be taking a lot of resources /s

[BosSSyndrome]

Sounds great to me.

[UncertainCategory]

Voice acting in Zelda is LONG overdue. Watching the characters just mouth silently in Twilight Princess hurts.

Also female link sounds awesome. The Zelda 'Timeline' cycle is boring. Same protagonist and enemy in almost every game.. It's time to shake things up.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Gender-swapping Link doesn't "change things up", it just ruins the canon storyline for anyone smart enough to know the meaning of the phrase "Spirit of the Hero".

Now, if they put in a female character to play as, that is NOT Link, then that would be just fine.

There have been instances in the timeline where someone who isn't directly connected to the Spirit of the Hero has become the new Hero of that age.[Wind Waker, specifically]

They could easily do that again, with a female character instead of a gender swap of an established role, and easily please both fans and new-age hippies alike.

[UncertainCategory]

Does it really ruin it? There are plenty of other stories out there where the 'spirt' of a character is reincarnated as the opposite sex.

Avatar for example, Aang was reborn as a Korra.

It will be interesting to see what they do. There was A LOT of talk around the gender of Link in this game after the first trailer was released.

[DDMNeo]

You understand the concept of reincarnation doesn't lock you to a gender. Nor does it lock you to a species. Something that the timeline does due, as Demise's demon ass is reincarnated as a garudo.

[Sylth01]

Can't argue much about the same protagonist (they really only come in two forms: kid and adult, with various backstories), but your mention of the same main enemy in every game got me thinking about who was the 'end boss' in each game. It's more varied than you would think. There's:

Demon Train/Malladous
Ghost Ship/Bellum
Demise
Yuga
Ganandorf/Ganon (6)
Vaati (3)
General Onox
Veran
Majora
Nightmare
Dark Link

Considering most would think of Ganandorf/Ganon as the primary antagonist in any zelda game, that's not a bad spread. Ganon-type end bosses are outnumbered 2:1 by non-Ganon end bosses.

Source: http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki...

[UncertainCategory]

Edit: You're totally right, I'll take that back.

Still representing both genders in Nintendo's main RPG seems like an overall good move. I'm sure they can find a way to justify that, Nintendo has rarely disappointed with a Zelda game. :)

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Aang's spirit was of an "Avatar", not a "Hero" or "Heroine".
The very word "Avatar" lends itself to being gender neutral.
"Spirit of the Hero" does not.
Nor does Link, which by this point is accepted as a very male-oriented name, thanks to Nintendo.

There's a very distinct difference between the two examples.

Link was made as a male persona; changing that up steps on too many toes to be a smart idea for the series.

The better option would be to create a new female protagonist that is NOT Link, and is clearly NOT made as a gender-swapped replacement OF him, for players to play as, with Link himself either not being present or having a side-lines role throughout the story if the new girl is chosen as the player character.

That way the new-age hippie feminists get to have their female lead, and long-time Zelda fans don't have to put up with having Link replaced by a gender-swapped abomination that pays zero respect to Link as a character/personage.

[DDMNeo]

I look at it the same way as Avatar does. Hero itself can be gender neutral. It's only when you're being specific that a hero is female that you say heroine. Considering it's all supposed to be some old legend/prophecy I assume it's just as vague as every other story uses that trope. So if that's the case I think it doesn't matter. Link is a pretty blank slate anyway. Even in the new games he has very little character to him, and I'm sure that would continue even if Link were female.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

@ DD
If Hero itself were gender neutral, then the word Heroine would not exist.
We have different gender identifiers for a reason; just because a lot of layman writers mis-use the term to describe female protagonists doesn't make the usage of it in that instance anything less than inaccurate.

And it truly does matter; from not just the storyline perspective, but from the perspective of both long-time fans and the creators themselves, Link is a male personage.
He's not a blank slate, nor is he just another "trope example"; he's got enough character, as shown through Skyward Sword most prominently amongst all the other examples, that people cannot help but relate to him as a male character in and of himself.

It would not be the same if he were female, because that's not what people think when they think "Link".
When they think "main female" and "Zelda game", true fans think "Zelda". Not Link.

For the sake of the welfare of the series, it's better to continue conforming to the fact that Link is, in and of himself, a male role in a set universe.

Replacing him, when new and established females are both better options, does nothing but harm the series by driving away more old fans than it gains in new ones.

Or, to put it in better terms; if you want Zelda U to sell the best it can, you'll leave Link's gender alone and introduce a new female to play as who is NOT Link, instead.

Say no to Alt-Gender Clones.

[DoubleTTB22]

The word hero actually is most often used as a gender neutral term. The word heroine exists because a female hero is sometimes considered to be a novelty, not because the word hero means male.

[Metallox]

" "Spirit of the Hero" does not."

I'd say yes, it can. It's like in Spanish, while there's a female term for hero as well, you can say something like "Spirit of the hero" and still refer to the opposite sex too, because the male term is usually preferred.

With this in mind, and additionally, never in The Legend of Zelda series has been mentioned that the "chosen hero" must be male. Never, seriously.

So there's no canon to follow here at all.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

NO!! make link a girl If you really need to Ninteno,or keep link a guy. Just don't give us the option for both. Link is a character not an avatar.

Female link would mess up the character too but it wouldn't be as bad as an avatar especially if everyone has VA.Prime example is XCX, as much as i love the game, The story suffered because the avatar.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

No, don't change Link.
Just make a new female character that we can choose to start as, one that isn't a gender-swapped Link.
That would be perfect, because Wind Waker also used a character that didn't have The Spirit of the Hero within him as the new hero of that age.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I want to play as Black Link!

[DDMNeo]

I mean why not?

[Tsunade]

Will Link finally talk? Or maybe I missed the part where they explain he cannot talk due to a condition?

Is already time we have a Link that can talk and have a personality.

[LOL_WUT]

He should have a voice by now. It's freaking 2016 time to evolve ;)

[gamerb6]

Lol the day they give link the voice you will only critize it like you do everything Nintendo.
Oh his voice is too deep, his voice is to soft, his voice is too high pitched, why have they given him a voice? etc etc...

Dumb haters

[xMoac]

I hope not ,better we never see a Female link , what next transgender or male Zelda?

This regression will lead towards a dark path , what next? Homosexual marriage in Fire emblem?

Spreading such vile propaganda to children and society is not ok.

[mixelon]

I can never tell if people are trolling when they're acting like this. Won't somebody think of the children!

[deafdani]

Intolerancy is what is not OK, and sadly, you seem to have that in spades.

Homosexual marriage, bring it on. There's nothing wrong with that in real life, so there shouldn't be anything wrong with that in videogames.

[Kalebninja]

"There's nothing wrong with that in real life"

Well that's an opinion that definitely not everyone shares.

[xMoac]

It is wrong both in real life and in games, spreading that propaganda and promotion of that way of life is truly an evil act.

I don't mind two people of any gender living together and having rights. But giving them marriage is just a perversion of the entire idea of marriage.
Ultra-liberals are like far-right people, the extremes of society.

[xMoac]

I don't mind two people of any gender living together and having rights. But giving them marriage is just a perversion of the entire idea of marriage.
Ultra-liberals are like far-right people, the extremes of society.

[Artemidorus]

Just have done with it and demand a female Jesus or a female Santa in the future.

Not allowed to acknowledge anything with original meaning anymore and traditional meanings or values are being killed slowly by whining PC prats who forget anything with historical value.

[BrandanT]

Then don't be intolerant to his ideals. That's hypocrisy. Open minded people must keep their mind open to every ideal that is.

[Kalebninja]

How would a female link lead to a trans link? That doesn't even make sense buddy. I doubt well ever see transgender main characters in any games so don't get too upset, but gay marriage in FE is possible but not entirely likely.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Well, not that I agree with his stance on gay marriage, but a female Link WOULD be a trans Link, because Link is a guy.

Not an androgynous role like Aang and Korra from the Avatar series.

There's really no reason to change Link's gender, which would upset a LOT of long-time Zelda fans, when creating a new female character, that doesn't outright replace Link, would attain the same purpose without the risk of insulting the long-time fans that keep this series going.

[Kalebninja]

It wouldn't be transgender it would be link reincarnating as a female. Reincarnation doesn't limit you to the same gender.

[DDMNeo]

I guess because we already had an animal Link, so that feeds into the whole "gay marriage will lead to people marrying animals" logic.

Also there's currently two trans characters I'mm aware of in all of video games. I'd be ok with more as well. Also fun fact, the person who did a bunch of the death cries for Red Dead Redemption is trans. I've met her a few times, and she's pretty cool.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

"Reincarnation doesn't limit you to the same gender"
If we were talking about Aang, you would have a point.
But this is Link.
He is ALWAYS a He, by virtue of spirit and by will of the series creators and fan expectations.

You'd have to make Link an androgynous Shim in order to get him reincarnated as anything other than a man.
And honestly, that would be even worse than gender-swapping Link into a woman.

He's neither of those things.
He's a guy.
We should let him stay that way and make a new female or ask to play as an already-established one instead.

[Adrian_v01]

@wonderfullmonkeyman

then link could be gay though, right? Cause he'd still be a man.

[Kalebninja]

I'd be so down with a female link, however, I would hope they make the character model slightly different depending on the gender you choose, it wouldn't make sense if there's no difference between male and female link, can't pull an undertale. As for the talking, that's something I've been waiting on for years.

[DivineAssault]

I hope its true.. At least the voice work for NPCs.. Something the game was sorely lacking.. Choosing gender? Ehhh i really dont care but im not using it unless there are gameplay differences.. Additional features are always welcomed even if im not interested in them..

[DC777]

Well maybe they are twins.

[StormLegend]

I'm not happy about any of that.

[DDMNeo]

Honestly I'm sure it would work the same as Mass Effect. Not a lot of difference in the story no matter your gender, and at most you'd have slightly different reactions to the different links in certain circumstances. Maybe some characters will be more flirty to one Link if you're male or female. At the least there'd be some minor dialog difference (ex. "pretty good for a girl") Though either way, Link would just be friends with the princess. I mean it's not like they ever show they actually hooked up, or eloped. Hell, he has no real connection to her in Twilight Princess.

[Artemidorus]

PC people interfering with gaming, I hate it.

[daynnight365]

I wanna tinkle on linkle (heard she was in to golden showers)

[ZeekQuattro]

I've been playing Zelda games since well the original gold cartridge on the NES and I don't have a problem with the game possibly having spoken dialog other than the usual grunts and one liners or gasp an optional Female Link.

[addictedtochaos]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a game were it was established that Link and Zelda were cursed to be reborn in the same form?

[InTheZoneAC]

you know there's a problem when you're slowing the development of a zelda game by introducing a female link...

a zelda game is about link and zelda, stop sidetracking with this bs...

[fitfox]

bought a wii u for this game, never came out, chances of it coming out on NX? lol

[Deios]

They should of named her "Linkabelle"

[NumberTheorist]

Okay, I am getting really tired of this. As a diehard Nintendo fan (who also has a PS4 and Xbox 1), I wish Nintendo would just stop dragging themselves and go ahead and announce the damn thing!

[godmachine]

Really though why not a game where Zelda is the protagonist. Bam another new ip as well

[CoDsuperstar]

the de-testiclization of our male role models must subside.