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[georly]

Will get both. Will play male on one, female on the other. Can't wait.

Hope voice acting is as good as KI:U. What else has NOA done with good VA?

Link is never the same but Link IS male.

Link is the hero chosen by the triforce. Doesn't have to be male. There is nothing link does that a woman couldn't do.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Since there now is a "Linkle", it would certainly be strange to have also the name "Link" as a female name. However, there is the male version of Andrea, Andreas, and Andrea still can be used for a man, so I don't know.

And the name Linkle exists in a spinoff game in which each version of Link has some other qualifier — each character is essentially a new moveset.

 

[Alex_Mexico]

Soooooo

Could this have been a female character model all along?

I was just thinking that. too.

It could've been a way to gauge interest and when they saw the largely positive reaction to this very female looking character AND everything surrounding Linkle in HW since we saw her for the first time in that art book, maybe Nintendo got the message that it would be a good idea to include a female Link.

I also hope we get female Link, and not Linkle because thats another character who's not the reincarnation of the Hero of Time.

 

[Zero-ELEC]

The Zelda universe story makes no difference at all. This is an established brand and an established character with a long history.

I'm not arguing the hero cannot be a woman. I'm arguing Link cannot, and will not, become a woman and people need to temper their expectations and assume it's two separate characters, as the leak implies.

Are we reading a separate leak?

 

[MK_768]

Soooooo

Could this have been a female character model all along?

Maybe. Could just be an androgynous model.

It's sad to see a few people care so much about Link being a female this go around. It's also sad to see that these same people can't understand why Link can be a female.

At least the closet sexists are coming out of the closet now.

 

[Instro]

MM's tangential writing is on Koizumi, who has left Zelda for Mario.

No idea if it was mostly him or not, I'm assuming it was, but Koizumi is certainly one of the best writers they have. It's unfortunate that he hasn't been able to add that kind of flair to his games since Galaxy.

 

[Joelstinton14]

Why can't Mario be a woman? Or Sonic? Why can't Samus be a man?

Exactly the same thing. And no, Link isn't an avatar. He is a character like the rest. Established and part of a brand.

Well they are different characters all together, so i don't think we can compare them.

The reason why we have this conservation, and why it is a reality is because especially from Windwaker onwards, (my memory of OoT and MM are hazy at best) the series as gone to great lengths to establish that to be the hero, it is about having the right character traits. They literally spell out that anyone could be the hero, sometimes our understanding of who and what that hero is changes.

I do understand that on a visual level he is really recognisable character though.

 

[Nibel]

Nintendo World Report's Neal Ronaghan says he heard similar stuff from multiple sources. It might be worth mentioning in the OP.

https://twitter.com/nron10/status/718440249882386433

https://twitter.com/nron10/status/718448543833296896

Thanks oddduck

 

[PtM]

Partly because of the character, yes.

Bwahaha!

 

[AntMurda]

Will get both. Will play male on one, female on the other. Can't wait.

Hope voice acting is as good as KI:U. What else has NOA done with good VA?

Star Fox series? What about Fire Emblems?

 

[Diprosalic]

I honestly don't care about voice acting. It's just kind of whatever.

As far as gender choice goes, I dislike it. I dislike character customisation in general. I prefer set characters, of whatever gender.

Will buy on NX, assuming all of this is true.

yeah, came to post this. character customisation is bad, if they want a female Link they should only have a female Link (and i would like it)

 

[Baloonatic]

All these things sound positive as long as the voice acting is decent. If not then hopefully there is an option to disable it.

 

[Wishmaster92]

Holy shit haha

 

[Crocodile]

I legit don't get the logic/rationale that people are using to say they would legit prefer a slight (if that) model change to Link is preferable to Zelda. Like at that point, shouldn't you just go all out with a "create-a-character" (which seems kind of awful to me but whatever). I don't get it.

You mean the choice between Link and some new female character.

The rumor doesn't say female Link. It says pick between two characters. Link cannot be female. Link is a man's name. Link is a man. He's always been a man. He'll always be a man. A company doesn't gender swap a 30 year old character, one of the most well known and established video game characters of all time.

People need to really go into this full on assuming it's Link + Other Character. Anything else will just leave them disappointed.

I mean, I don't see anything strictly male about the name Link. Link =/= say Adam

But yes, throwing away 30 years of an established character is not a thing companies do often and mean it (i.e. not a joke or non-canon character). There is a reason female Thor isn't a gender-swapped Thor Odinson or Female Hawkeye is Kate Bishop, not a genderflipped Clint Barton, etc.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Link cannot be a man. She just can't.

They're different each time.

Samus is one storyline.

Mario is the same.

Link is different every time. Not a man or woman, but a hero.

And I'm thinking WAY too much about this.

 

[kuroneko0509]

Aonuma: laughs

looool (I guess this is the 1st time I got avatar-quoted)

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Link is never the same but Link IS male.

Linkle could "work" the same way aka never being the same but always being female.

imo having different gameplay and characteristics is way better if you want a good representation of women and also something more interesting for players.

It's not like a woman is a man with boobs and no penis... people, come on. Women and men are different and it's a good thing so embrace the differences and don't try to make everyone having no genre at all so you could claim everywhere that you're the most inclusive person in the world.

... anyway we'll see, I'm just hoping for something interesting story / gameplay wise (at least one)

Having the same gameplay would be fine too. There hasn't been any game mechanics that are tied to gender so far in the series.

Horseback riding might be easier for someone without testicles though.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Praying this is the time for my goddess Zelda to get her chance.

 

[Anth0ny]

Aonuma teased this shit years ago:

That trailer for the new Legend of Zelda for the Wii U sure looked great, didn’t it? But what was up with Link? He wasn’t wearing his iconic green tunic or hat. Why did Link look so weird?

“No one explicitly said that that was Link.”

That’s what Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma told me when I asked him about Link’s, or whoever it is’, new appearance during an interview at Nintendo’s E3 booth. He said this with a smile and a laugh. Could the bow-wielding hero we just saw not be Link, the star of every game in the series history?

I always thought that was his cryptic way of saying "It's female Link".

 

[-Horizon-]

If the rumor is true, the name for female Link will probably still be Link but you know, still let you change it if you want.

Can't wait to see the new timeline

Set after Skyward Sword is my guess with them resettling the new frontier of the land below the clouds aka hyrule.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Are we reading a separate leak?

I hope we are

That second tweet doesn't say female Link, now does it

 

[foxuzamaki]

Aonuma: laughs

Hahaha

 

[MK_768]

Why is Mario and Samus being brought up? They're set characters already. Mario is a character and so is Samus.

Link is only reborn game after game and can be any gender.

Basically. It's a hard concept for the closet sexists to understand. Mario and Samus is one character. How many Link's have there been lol?

 

[BD1]

Happy about the NPC voice acting. It's been a looooong time coming. I thought Skyward Sword's presentation really felt antiquated without it.

Can't wait for this game!

 

[Griss]

Link being female would only change the first bit and a couple words in the middle.

Sure. Which is why, as I said, I'd have no problem with it so long as it didn't become 'create-a-character' and retained the core design.

Just like the first game that had him blonde instead of with brown hair (aLttP), or the first game that had him as a young man instead of a kid (OoT) or the first time he was right handed instead of left handed (SS).

Well, I only agree with the first one (he was a young man/teenager in the Zelda II game as well imo and no one notices or cares what hand a character uses) but your point that they can change things is spot on - so long as they still fit the overall character.

A change to female would be fine so long as the rest of the character design was in place. But a choice? Now you're just asking the player to design link. Now he's moving towards a create-a-character. And my point was that his design is more established than that.

 

[Alex_Mexico]

Will get both. Will play male on one, female on the other. Can't wait.

Hope voice acting is as good as KI:U.

Killer Instinct: Underground?

What else has NOA done with good VA?

Metroid: Other M

Spoiler

Star Fox 64

 

[TimeEffect]

I can understand complaints by people who dont want Link to be an "avatar" and want to maintain him as the character he has always been.

That said, making female Link sounds easier than making a new character or writing a separate story for Zelda. And ultimately, will it hurt anyone if there is a female Link? Sounds like most people will accept a canon version of the history anyway.

Also, would that mean that female character needs to save a Prince? I'd like to see a young boy needing to be saved by a heroic woman.

I imagine Link is too iconic to have to make Zelda/new female character the star too. I guess it's a lot easier to market a game with non-gendered Link on the cover.

 

[NinjaCoachZ]

I hope we are

That second tweet doesn't say female Link, now does it

Nah but this does

Hope voice acting is as good as KI:U. What else has NOA done with good VA?

Codename STEAM, Xenoblade, Xenoblade X, Star Fox Zero and 64 3D, Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates.

If you want to count second-party stuff there's Wonderful 101, Fatal Frame V, and Bayonetta 2. And I think they were responsible for Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright's localization?

 

[Grief.exe]

Link is never the same but Link IS male.

Linkle could "work" the same way aka never being the same but always being female.

imo having different gameplay and characteristics is way better if you want a good representation of women and also something more interesting for players.

It's not like a woman is a man with boobs and no penis... people, come on. Women and men are different and it's a good thing so embrace the differences and don't try to make everyone having no genre at all so you could claim everywhere that you're the most inclusive person in the world.

... anyway we'll see, I'm just hoping for something interesting story / gameplay wise (at least one)

It's alsp more expensive to embrscethose differences from a game development perspective. Much cheaper to simply create a female model.

 

[Sami+]

I get your point, but being a big Zelda nerd I'll interject and say this picture isn't accurately showing all unique Links. LoZ and Zelda 2 are the same Link. Pretty sure LttP and Link's Awakening are the same too. Isn't the Oracle Link the LttP one as well? What about Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass?

Ummm, I'm all for f!Link and all (especially since, like you said, most of the Links are different Links) but The Adventure of Link's Link is most definitely The Hyrule Fantasy's Link.

My b on Zelda II then I guess. I did say "almost" always. I know WW and PH is the same guy, as well as OoT and MM. Stand by my point tho, the vast majority of the time they're different dudes.

But when you post that image, it makes it clear that there's way more established about the Link character than just 'wearing green'.

-He's male
-He has blonde or dirty blonde hair, typically messy
-He's a young boy or young man between 10-18 years old
-He's slim and fit
-He has blue eyes (when the art style can show irises)

I'm fine with making him female but there's no denying that you would be utterly changing the established template of who 'Link' as a recurring character is.

The dude doesn't even talk. I really don't see how having a penis is anything more than a cursory detail at most.

 

[Brinbe]

Earth-shattering.... meh, welcome to the 21st century I guess? Not really anything surprising or worth going crazy about. Good to have the option for a female Link though.

 

[SomTervo]

I can get on board with the voice acting if it's good and can be turned off but choosing between male and female I don't like. That's not because I have anything against the character being a girl but it needs to be either or and not a choice.

What difference does that make? I think I agree with you but I can't really place why. They would be showing more conviction if they did either/or.

 

[Effect]

VA for everyone but Link is the safest choice and pretty much what everyone wanted for a while anyway.

 

[klier]

Female Link to save the prince?

Yuuuuck.

I'll play as Li k and forget about any other options. This is stupid. Do like the rest of the rumors, though.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Hope voice acting is as good as KI:U. What else has NOA done with good VA?

uhhh...Punch-Out Wii I guess?>

Female Link to save the prince?

Yuuuuck.

I'll play as Li k and forget about any other options. This is stupid. Do like the rest of the rumors, though.

What in the world is going on today?

 

[Lunar15]

Yeah, the series needs voice acting in cutscenes REAL BAD. It was so noticeable in TP and SS.

 

[Astra]

This is great news. Having an option can only be a good thing.

I think it would have been cooler if you could choose to play as either Link or Zelda, and the story would change a bit depending on who you chose.

When will Zelda have her moment?!

 

[foxuzamaki]

looool (I guess this is the 1st time I got avatar-quoted)

Oh yeah, what happened to your youtube channel?

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Basically. It's a hard concept for the closet sexists to understand. Mario and Samus is one character. How many Link's have there been lol?

Yep, call me a closest sexist because I understand how a 30 year old brand works. Go ahead, it helps

 

[Nightbird]

Why can't Link be a girl?

You know it's a different one each time?

How come I, who hasn't played a single Zelda get to completion, knows that, but some hardcore zelda fans don't?

 

[Hot Coldman]

We're all in agreement that Dorf needs to be voiced by Clancy Brown, right

 

[Nachos]

Okay let's pretend Voice Acting is a thing.

Who voices Zelda and Ganon?

Erica Lindbeck and Keith David.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

Female Link: Fucking awesome.

Voiced NPCs and NX: Could care less about.

 

[phanphare]

The Zelda universe story makes no difference at all. This is an established brand and an established character with a long history.

I'm not arguing the hero cannot be a woman. I'm arguing Link cannot, and will not, become a woman and people need to temper their expectations and assume it's two separate characters, as the leak implies.

well I hope Nintendo doesn't share your sentiments, I think it'd be awesome if Link could be female and I don't think it contradicts anything within the Zelda universe or causes all these problems that you seem to think it does.

honestly if you don't like it just pick the male Link and pretend the female option doesn't exist

 

[balgajo]

Thinking about it again and considering it true for a moment. What the hell is going on Nintendo? They fucked with XCX and lost a huge opportunity of putting Elma as the main character. Now they will do the same thing with Link. They will kill my hype about my top 2 most anticipated game from this generation.

 

[C.Olimar788]

Aw man, I really hope this is true! VA in Zelda is absolutely mandatory at this point, but I would have guessed Nintendo would skimp on it because, well, it's Nintendo. Gender choice for Link is rad too, as Link being male is honestly less important to his character than him being left-handed, and Skyward Sword already tossed that out the window.

 

[Heartfyre]

I'm totally fine with VA in this game so long as they do it right.

AKA, so long as NoE do it.

 

[Blood Diamonds]

I hope we are

That second tweet doesn't say female Link, now does it

wow i guess Link isn't in this game since it doesn't say male Link either... holy shit bruh

 

[thomasmahler]

Kinda makes sense to test Linkle in another game to see if people like her before they'd put them into the mainline series, so I'd guess they put Linkle in there.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Yep, call me a closest sexist because I understand how a 30 year old brand works. Go ahead, it helps

If this is real you're going to be eating the biggest crow. Like probably the crow from the beginning of Dark Souls. That much crow.