Miyamoto: Link will always be the hero in mainline Zelda games

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

No one seems to say this with Mario do they? Odd.

[Poppincaps]

Oh here we fucking go now the thread has devolved into everyone calling eachother sexist or PC. Fuck off.

That's how things go whenever you mention feminism on these forums. You're either sexist scum or a PC cry baby.

[Edge-]

That's how things go whenever you mention feminism on these forums. You're either sexist scum or a PC cry baby.

Which is probably why we should keep discussion on-topic and specifically about videogames.

So please do that, folks : )

[Rennadrel]

No one seems to say this with Mario do they? Odd.

They did that already. It's called Super Princess Peach, a DS game. It was actually pretty fun, reminded me of the old Gameboy Mario games.

[Tech614]

No one seems to say this with Mario do they? Odd.

Because they couldn't. Mario games had playable female characters before the internet thought to bring their lame plight to the world of video games.

Super Mario Bros USA(Super Mario Bros 2 in US) had playable Peach... on the NES. Super Princess Peach was a thing on the DS and Peach/Daisy/Rosalina have all been playable across a wide variety of Mario releases including main line ones.

Nintendo did all this on their own, with their own artistic vision not by being told they should do it by idiots.

[Jester Joe]

I think the whole problem was the dude saying that if Zelda was the main character, what would Link do?

As if somehow, these developers were inept mentally at thinking up a story or a reason for Link to do
something other than being the main character for once. Its lazy, its full of bullshit, and it just shows that
Japan is still 20 years behind on their gender views.

I mean, god forbid they try something else. We've only had the same exact concept for what, 30 years or
so? Would it **really** be so bad if they did something different once?

It doesn't matter whether or not you think it would be really bad to do something different.

They have absolutely no reason to change their game. If they want Link to be a pig in a suit next game, they can do it, and no amount of complaints can or should change that.

It's theirs. They made it. They can do whatever they want with it.

[ThatsOurEric]

It doesn't matter whether or not you think it would be really bad to do something different.

You're absolutely right.

But it'd still be in their best interest to try something different.

They have absolutely no reason to change their game. If they want Link to be a pig in a suit next game, they can do it, and no amount of complaints can or should change that.

See that's not true, and that's where you're wrong.

There's been a fairly large demand from fans to play a female Link, or at least, have the option to do so.
Combined with all those rumors about the newest one having a playable female Link, I can understand
why there'd be a big buzz about it.

Now if they want to keep the current status quo of the game because they want to keep it a tradition
or what not, that's fine. Hell, if they just simply said, "Because we don't want to," you know what?
Fair enough. Even though in the end, we'd like a reason why, it's still at least a substantial enough
reason for the time.

And chances are, if they added a female playable Link, or even had a gender option, most people
wouldn't really bat much of an eyelash. "Whatever, we got a Zelda game."

But they didn't say that, and the problem is the reason they gave. We didn't excuse Ubisoft and their
bullshit excuse of not having a female playable character because, "making a female model is too
hard", I see no reason for us to give a pass at Nintendo for saying, "But what would Link do?" It's
practically the same thing.

"If we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" - Eiji Aonuma

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid. You're THE CREATOR of the
game. Is it really impossible to CREATE something else for Link to do? Really?

It's theirs. They made it. They can do whatever they want with it.

Well duh.

[Treeskee]

"If we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" - Eiji Aonuma

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid. You're THE CREATOR of the
game. Is it really impossible to CREATE something else for Link to do? Really?

Kinda grasping at straws with that don't you think? ...And I guess sure they could make him do something, but I really don't see a point. No matter what happens someone will complain. May as well stick with what works.

Also I'd like to see where it shows a fairly large demand to play a female link or even an option.

[unholytestament]

"If we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" - Eiji Aonuma

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid.

It's sexist for them to imply that the character who traditionally fights the major conflicts of the series needs to have something to do should someone else step in to take his place?

How so?

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

You're absolutely right.

But it'd still be in their best interest to try something different.

Wait, are you sure? LoZ is one of the biggest franchises ever.

- - - Updated - - -

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid. You're THE CREATOR of the
game. Is it really impossible to CREATE something else for Link to do? Really?

What? No.....

[Jester Joe]

You're absolutely right.

But it'd still be in their best interest to try something different.



See that's not true, and that's where you're wrong.

There's been a fairly large demand from fans to play a female Link, or at least, have the option to do so.
Combined with all those rumors about the newest one having a playable female Link, I can understand
why there'd be a big buzz about it.

Now if they want to keep the current status quo of the game because they want to keep it a tradition
or what not, that's fine. Hell, if they just simply said, "Because we don't want to," you know what?
Fair enough. Even though in the end, we'd like a reason why, it's still at least a substantial enough
reason for the time.

And chances are, if they added a female playable Link, or even had a gender option, most people
wouldn't really bat much of an eyelash. "Whatever, we got a Zelda game."

But they didn't say that, and the problem is the reason they gave. We didn't excuse Ubisoft and their
bullshit excuse of not having a female playable character because, "making a female model is too
hard", I see no reason for us to give a pass at Nintendo for saying, "But what would Link do?" It's
practically the same thing.

"If we have Princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do?" - Eiji Aonuma

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid. You're THE CREATOR of the
game. Is it really impossible to CREATE something else for Link to do? Really?



Well duh.

You're missing the fact that he said that because Link is the reincarnation of the hero's soul. He was literally cursed by the original Ganondorf for the cycle to repeat, same with Zelda.

It has nothing to do with anything you're saying, and all to do with the original curse. You're nitpicking that single statement and ignoring the rest of it.

[Mister Cheese]

That's all that they were: rumors. And they were baseless at that with no source.

At worst, the line is borderline sexist, but ultimately, its just fucking stupid. You're THE CREATOR of the
game. Is it really impossible to CREATE something else for Link to do? Really?

I love how you're calling Miyamoto and Aunoma sexist for giving an excuse because they were afraid of just saying "we just want link to be a guy. K? K." Nothing WILL EVER be good enough. Why bother?? They don't need to give a reason beyond that. Why the hell should they? It's their game. It's been like that for 30 years.

[unholytestament]

That's all that they were: rumors. And they were baseless at that with no source.

Oh they had a source: All the game journalists that would rather play gender politics than actual video games. It started with the the "Link looks like a girl in the new trailer!" to "well Nintendo said Link isn't a girl, BUT SHOULDN'T HE BE?!" and now we're at the "WHY THE FUCK ISN'T LINK A GIRL YOU SEXISTS?!" stage with a bunch of people choosing to shit all over artistic freedom to force gender politics where they aren't needed or wanted.

[Mister Cheese]

Oh they had a source: All the game journalists that would rather play gender politics than actual video games. It started with the the "Link looks like a girl in the new trailer!" to "well Nintendo said Link isn't a girl, BUT SHOULDN'T HE BE?!" and now we're at the "WHY THE FUCK ISN'T LINK A GIRL YOU SEXISTS?!" stage with a bunch of people choosing to shit all over artistic freedom to force gender politics where they aren't needed or wanted.

Wasn't this before Linkle was a thing?

I would also like to point out that despite Link not being female he has always had a strong female... person helping him out in the last few games. Mainly Navi, Tatl, Midna, and Fi(debatable I can't stand her). I hate to bring up identity politics for this but this thread is veering towards it because that's how this shit usually goes.

[The Casualty]

I love how you're calling Miyamoto and Aunoma sexist for giving an excuse because they were afraid of just saying "we just want link to be a guy. K? K." Nothing WILL EVER be good enough. Why bother?? They don't need to give a reason beyond that. Why the hell should they? It's their game. It's been like that for 30 years.

More than that, the poster you quoted thinks that they deserve an explanation. It's their game. The fact that they chose to give an explanation is nice, but they don't have to justify anything about their creation or direction of the series. If they were afraid of what they really meant, they could have just not said anything at all.

[unholytestament]

Wasn't this before Linkle was a thing?

It was when the trailer for the Wii U/NX Zelda game was first revealed. The one where he's chased by the giant spider golem thing.

And Linkle was an amusing can of worms. They just couldn't decide which narrative to push. Some were complaining about her being a Ms. Male character and others complaining that it was a side game no one cared about (and a fine fuck you to that camp in particular).

I would also like to point out that despite Link not being female he has always had a strong female... person helping him out in the last few games. Mainly Navi, Tatl, Midna, and Fi(debatable I can't stand her). I hate to bring up identity politics for this but this thread is veering towards it because that's how this shit usually goes.

Gender politics is the entire argument. Without it there's no reason to question Link being male in the first place, as the series has a long history of strong female characters as does Nintendo's other franchises, and there's much less reason to question the developers' reasons given for why he will always be male.

[Kyanion]

So are we just going to forget that: These games exist? and this one

And before you yell but it isn't canon and Miyamoto says blah blah blah, these games came out in 1993 and 1994 when there was only 4 games in the entire series at that point. Link to the past was in 91 and a gameboy game came out in 93. Nintendo let Phillips use the Zelda/Link/Ganon characters, tossed out 3 games and that it was it for Zelda games until Ocarina in '98.

So yeah it might be established NOW that Link can be the only main character but that wasn't the case very early on in Zelda's lifetime.

[Edge-]

So are we just going to forget that: These games exist? and this one

And before you yell but it isn't canon and Miyamoto says blah blah blah, these games came out in 1993 and 1994 when there was only 4 games in the entire series at that point. Link to the past was in 91 and a gameboy game came out in 93. Nintendo let Phillips use the Zelda/Link/Ganon characters, tossed out 3 games and that it was it for Zelda games until Ocarina in '98.

So yeah it might be established NOW that Link can be the only main character but that wasn't the case very early on in Zelda's lifetime.

Nintendo doesn't like people remember that those games exist. Please stop remembering that those games exist.

[Kyanion]

Nintendo doesn't like people remember that those games exist. Please stop remembering that those games exist.

The funny thing was they were actually decent for their time. They got shredded by people discovering them much later on down the road.

[Belize]

Or just leave it alone and come up with new stuff.

Innovation?

ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE!?