The Future of Gaming: Zelda Go

While Pokemon GO captured the attention and hearts of the world it left myself wondering how the medium could be done better. With fun animated creatures to catch in the real world we got a glimpse into the beautiful world that could be created around us. Then the game slowly stagnated in its content. We caught them all, yes even the festive Pikachu, and yes the new update that was supposed to release a new wave of Pokemon. Instead we got seven new Pokemon, only available to be hatched from eggs, and new eggs at that. The numbers show Pokemon Go still makes money, and its active user base is relatively strong, it lacks in content and game play, and I really want to see an Augmented Reality game with more brain sustenance.

How then does Augmented Reality move ahead from Pokemon Go?

A new game is needed, one that will capture the attention of the world in the same way that the world of Pokemon did. This limits the list of games we could choose from for the next input into Augmented Reality. I believe that what could be the most successful title belongs to an organization that has already worked with Naintic. Roll in Nintendo again.

Nintendo has an arsenal of games it could pull from that would be able to draw the worldwide attention and adapt well to Augmented Reality. Imagine Metroid, Donkey Kong, Mario, Kirby…

Yes, all of those would be good, yet I obviously left out perhaps the best suited Nintendo franchise to enter the Augmented Reality world.

Zelda.

Do not worry, I will not just leave it there, we are going to sit down and see how Zelda would look in Augmented Reality.

Zelda Go

Backstory:

The game starts with a bang, as it always does. Ganondorf and his minions have attacked Earth through a magical portal. Using Ganondorf’s magic they threaten to overthrow the worlds government’s. There is chaos on the streets as Ganondorf has kidnapped ten’s of thousands of hostages from around the world, mostly the Children of the worlds most prominent politician’s and business owners. He calls them his Zelda Ultimatum. Give control of the world to Ganondorf and your children will be safe, do not… and you will never see them again.

The Zelda Children are hidden in safe locations, designated Dungeons, scattered around the world. To save the world the Zelda children must be freed from the Dungeons, so that Ganondorf can be overthrown.

You are small Link in the great chain of the world, alone, you can accomplish nothing. Yet linked together with others, pooling your resources, skills and knowledge, together you can triumph over Ganondorf.

Gameplay:

In your area of gameplay there are many dungeons, each dungeon growing more difficult than the last. Your objective is to solve the puzzles and defeat the monsters of the dungeon’s to free the Zelda Children locked therein. Some dungeons a single player can defeat, yet as the dungeons grow more difficult, more than one player would be needed to attempt to free the Zelda Children.

As this is Augmented reality, you are your avatar. You would start the game by taking a scan of yourself with your mobile in the series of several pictures. As you progress in gaining new items and weapons, they would be seen on your avatar by another player in the game who was looking at you with their own device.

Designed to be played holding your phone in one hand while traveling, and two hands while taking over a dungeon.

You will engage creatures in your travels that you must fight. Each motion of your finger will be important during these fights.

Swipe Forward to attack

Swipe left/right to dodge

Swipe back to block

A button for simple special attack

B button for secondary special attack

You will also engage in the destruction of as much pottery as you can imagine. The more you travel the more pottery that will show up. Smash the Pottery, smash it well.

Dungeon Gameplay:

As dungeons are stationary and consist of a vast array of puzzles and monsters, two hands will be needed to play. This will be a more traditional Zelda experience, yet with the puzzles more streamlined towards mobile play. Each Dungeon will have a boss that must be defeated to finalize the dungeon and free the Zelda children of that area. I see the bosses as progressive, starting off so that a single player can defeat them, however as the dungeons progress many players will be needed to defeat each boss, much like a WoW raiding party.

The intention of Zelda Go will be to grow a community of Links. Each player will be bringing their own unique perspective to conquer Dungeons and eventually the boss fights. Ganondorf. That’s all for now. Let me know what you think and where the game can improve, maybe what I missed out on. Fishing anyone?

 

4 Comments

  1. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on this.
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  2. I have been thinking about this for awhile as the Legend of Zelda being the best case study for augmented reality. You seriously could just use Link to the Past as a model for success. Link should be weak in the beginning but only through explanation of the Augmented Hyrule, and defeat of a dungeon’s boss can he strengthen. Different locations will have puzzles for players to increase there life or obtain weapons, etc. This would be in addition to the dungeons.

    I like the idea of partnering with others who are at similar stages of the game to defeat dungeons.

    If you come across another player however in the world, you could battle them to potentially take items from them OR partner with them on the next dungeon. I’ll look forward to see how this comes along.

  3. Hi Brian,

    I agree, Zelda could be a cornerstone for Augmented Reality. I completely agree on how the game should progress. Link should not start off as a one man army as he eventually develops into. Instead the game would reward those who play and attempt dungeons, and yes ultimately explore the Augmented Hyrule(earth).

    PvP is a difficult matter. I feel if the game were fully Augmented then PvP would be rampant. However, Zelda being a fairly friendly title, PvP would have to be curbed quite considerably. I will discuss this in the next section. Thanks for your comment.

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