How would you feel if they made Link talk?

[Cook Kirby]

Link can't talk! In the majority of Zelda games he's always been a silent hero...so he should stay like it!

 

[Spinner]

Link can't talk! In the majority of Zelda games he's always been a silent hero...so he should stay like it!

Yes he can talk, it's just not in text. It can be agreed on though, that he should remain that way.

 

[LordoftheMorning]

Meh PT's voice is fine. Link could speak if the people making him speak understood the sanctity of such an endeavor.

 

[Yuna-Maria]

In any case, when a protagonist is silent, they feel more epic. They feel like special characters, whereas ones that speak don't feel so epic. They feel normal.

So, someone talking makes them a weak protagonist? Does not compute. Let's recap.
Exhibit A: Link
Link is dull, boring, lifeless, and poorly designed. His games are, for the most part, boring and lifeless as well(once they made the jump to 3-D anyway). Were Link to have a voice and a personality, he'd have a reason to do the things he does other than "because Miyamoto told you to." He has no motivation and no reason to exist. He's about as epic as a cardboard box(sans Solid Snake).
Exhibit B: Mario
In his early years, Mario was simply an enabler by which the player could experience the game. He had no charm other than his friendly, "everyday guy" look. When he was given a voice in Super Mario 64, he seemed to develop as a character right then and there. The player was much more acquainted with Mario. They discovered he was cheerful and amiable in the face of insurmountable odds, had a strong sense of right and wrong, and could be considered a Samaritan. The last one we knew already, but otherwise, Mario had no personality and no real character until then.
Exhibit C: Sora
While I'm not a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, I think that Sora, as a protagonist, had a lot more to him than Mario and especially Link. Most of the characteristics of Sora are shown through the things that he says: he's curious, he's eager, he's energetic, and he's competitive. Throughout the events of the game, Sora develops further as a character, and grows from a cute little boy into a pissed-off teenager. Irritating, yes, but true to life.
Exhibit D: Sonic The Hedgehog
In his first couple of games, Sonic showed a minimal degree of personality. He was visibly impatient and seemed to let adrenaline drive his actions. However, in his later cartoon, where he had a voice(no gooooooooood!), he was much more vibrant, and that personality that was given to Sonic(a well-known enforcer of justice who was snappy and prone to one-liners) was transferred to later games as well.

Final Thesis:
Characters without voices are not epic, they're the result of game developers placing more emphasis on gameplay than story. That's fine. I enjoy games for their gameplay, not their sappy, melodramatic plots, Final Fantasy VII(screw that game). However, to say a protagonist such as Link has more substance and "epicness" than a protagonist such as Sora is an inane and unfounded claim. That's my story. I'm stickin' right the hell to it.

 

[Son1x-]

As long as they wouldn't screw his voice, which I think, would be highly possible.

 

[Immortal_One]

Honestly, it would just be too different. He's never spoken and never should, just because that's the way it should be and will be.
If he did speak, 50% of Zelda fanboys would hate the voice and the fact that he spoke, 40% wouldn't really care, and 10% would be SEEEEW HAPPY :D :D :D :D :D :D

I'm in that 50%.

 

[derek.haines]

If he did speak, 50% of Zelda fanboys would hate the voice and the fact that he spoke,

If there's any mercy they won't for just that reason: The internet fanboy outrage would be unbearable on levels currently unimaginable. It would be months before it would be safe to set foot in a forum again.

 

[M@v]

Link talks in wind waker once in a blue moon, but its only a few words. One of them is in the Tower of the Gods, when you scream "Come on!" to the stautes.

But yeah, they have explained why he doesn't talk; YOU do the talking. Whenever link is talking in dialouges, the other person talks, then its silence, then its "O RLY?" or "OMG!" you get the idea.

 

[Donut!]

Link should not talk. We know that the reason for him not talking is for the player to almost channel themselves (for lack of a better word) through Link himself. I think this works quite well, I have always personally felt a pretty strong connection with the character, the same with Samus. I think intermittent phrases from time to time is alright, but there is something inherently wrong with giving Link actual dialogue.

IMO...

 

[Eternal phoenix Fire]

Of course Link shouldn't talk.

If he did the earth would explode.

 

[shadowtroop]

the best scene ever would be before link dies, whispering, to his son.

Remember...w-what...Your..... purpose................is.............................

 

[E.G.G.M.A.N.]

Of course Link shouldn't talk.

If he did the earth would explode.

Well excuuuuuuuse me princess. I can't believe nobody mentioned that yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPxY8lpYAUM

 

[Pluvia's other account]

If they do make him talk then they should give him a really obnoxious voice and make him a complete *******.

You can't make everyone like his voice, but you can make everyone hate it.

 

[Kyuubi9t]

I've always thought Link to be a boring character, and while originally he was meant to be defined by the player(in games like Link to the Past), over time, he's just been a bland, silent, lifeless hero. Were he to be given a personality, then I might think the Zelda series is good.

+1

Anyway, link is a different person in like every Zelda game right? They would need a whole team of voice actors

 

[F8AL]

Of course Link shouldn't talk.

If he did the earth would explode.

CD-i games?

 

[Vaniix Raiser]

Well excuuuuuuuse me princess. I can't believe nobody mentioned that yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPxY8lpYAUM

Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuse me for getting to that one before I could. I actually liked this version of Link, but it wouldn't work at all in a game.

With a silent hero, the player is able to act and speak through the character more easily (note that in OoT and such games, the player was able to make short dialogue choices that really had no impact on the game whatsoever, but was still responded to by the characters spoken to).

I always thought that when you ran up to someone and pressed the A button to talk to them, it was like "Hey, what's up?" or "Tell me something." Really, that's about all he needs. Besides, you could hold up an item to the other character, it kind of warrants a response. If a kid came up to you and showed you a chicken spinning right round round round in their hand, and says "Hey! Look at my blue chicken that I carry around in my pocket!", wouldn't you try to at least say something to make them go away? Same question goes for kids with weird masks.

But, still, a few (I mean, maybe three at most per game) one-liners wouldn't hurt. It doesn't even have to be funny.

Zelda: Link! I have to give you Light Arrows again? Why do you keep misplacing your stuff?!?
Link: Hey, excuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!

 

[Darkslash]

This is like Seeing Master Chief's Face, Probably won't happen.

Plus when you get a character with a voice you feel totally unrelated to it. Maybe that's why i don't like Halo much. They try to get the player to relate yet you get this voice that can do the total opposite on what you want.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I shall grant your wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mHw5g55oC4

Sure it has already been posted or something though

I like link the silent antagonist.

 

[Spire]

Who's Link?

 

[derek.haines]

I shall grant your wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mHw5g55oC4

Sure it has already been posted or something though

I like link the silent antagonist.

That's why Link shouldn't talk: Whenever he does, he makes a complete douche of himself. It's good that he's learned just to keep his mouth shut.

 

[urdailywater]

Who's Link?

Wut.
.....

 

[Vaniix Raiser]

I shall grant your wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mHw5g55oC4

Sure it has already been posted or something though

We've got all three (or two) versions, now. That's Wand of Gamelon, Faces of Evil, and the 80's TV cartoon. Out of the three, the TV versions, I like the 80's the best, but like I said, it works best on TV, but not in the game.

 

[Fire!]

It would be best that everyone EXECPT Link would talk. So voiced actors for Zelda and Ganon= Win

 

[ZeroFox]

Yeah he should stay quiet. It would feel weird if he suddenly started talking.

 

[Bowser King]

It would be best that everyone EXECPT Link would talk. So voiced actors for Zelda and Ganon= Win

Agreed. I would love to hear a deep dark voice for Ganon (the person who does his laugh would fit perfectly).

-Bowser King

 

[E.G.G.M.A.N.]

I shall grant your wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mHw5g55oC4

Sure it has already been posted or something though

I like link the silent antagonist.

I can't wait to bomb some dodongos!

 

[SpitFire15]

I guess I'm one of the few who thinks Link should be given the ability to speak.

Seriously, who the hell decided Link's voice nowadays would suck because of a lame-*** cartoon and some piece of **** CD-i game? Both of those came out nearly two decades ago, so it's not like they matter anymore. It's not like they can't find a competent voice actor for him in the present time. Link should have the ability to talk, because like Lobelia Mk IV said, he would actually show some personality. In every game it's the same. Link just goes off to dungeons like it's his afternoon job; you don't sense any actual motivation coming from him. I don't want Link to represent me (he already does that as an avatar), I want Link to represent Link. Giving Link a voicebox instead of grunting and yelling brings life to Link and breaks out from some of the monotony of previous installments of the franchise. It was cool a few years ago, but now I think it's time to change it up a bit.

One of the reasons LoZ:TP felt dry was because no one said anything. If you could actually hear Link, Zelda, Midna, Ganon, etc. speaking to each other instead of just reading a dull text box, you could get into the game better.

And whoever placed Mario as a slient protagonist with Link, they're wrong. Outside of the 2D and Paper Mario games, Mario actually speaks. Sure, he only talks in one-liners, but at least he has been given the ability to express himself vocally.

 

[Dash_Fox]

Screw voice acting! I want to make up my own voices, seriously. It allows me to do something that video games have been lacking a lot in lately, that is use my imagination!

Think about it, Link the character is named "Link" because he's supposed to be a "Link" between the player and his imagination for the video game. I wouldn't feel like I was in the world of Hyrule or I was doing anything at all but looking at a T.V. screen and moving a joystick with my hands if all the characters, especially Link, talked. Because then I couldn't use my imagination to fill in those gaps for my self. This is why Final Fantasy has turned me off recently, voice acting is complete fail.

Or maybe I'm just a nostalgia-*** who has to see the true light of games and **** using my imagination.

 

[Darkslash]

Dash_Fox i agree with you. I some times yell out HYAAAA playing Link. Same with Mario"LETS A GO!!" Can't do it wih Fox becuase he already screams.

So thats why i REALLY don't want Link to talk. Becuase I AM LINK, or that what he makes me feel

 

[E.G.G.M.A.N.]

I guess I'm one of the few who thinks Link should be given the ability to speak.

Seriously, who the hell decided Link's voice nowadays would suck because of a lame-*** cartoon and some piece of **** CD-i game? Both of those came out nearly two decades ago, so it's not like they matter anymore. It's not like they can't find a competent voice actor for him in the present time. Link should have the ability to talk, because like Lobelia Mk IV said, he would actually show some personality. In every game it's the same. Link just goes off to dungeons like it's his afternoon job; you don't sense any actual motivation coming from him. I don't want Link to represent me (he already does that as an avatar), I want Link to represent Link. Giving Link a voicebox instead of grunting and yelling brings life to Link and breaks out from some of the monotony of previous installments of the franchise. It was cool a few years ago, but now I think it's time to change it up a bit.

One of the reasons LoZ:TP felt dry was because no one said anything. If you could actually hear Link, Zelda, Midna, Ganon, etc. speaking to each other instead of just reading a dull text box, you could get into the game better.

And whoever placed Mario as a slient protagonist with Link, they're wrong. Outside of the 2D and Paper Mario games, Mario actually speaks. Sure, he only talks in one-liners, but at least he has been given the ability to express himself vocally.

It's not that they can't find a competent VA, it's that they won't. It's not as though they actually care about the quality of their voice acting, people will still buy the game regardless, it's just more money for them to shell out.

 

[egan]

I personely dont think he should talk also, it would ruin the mystery and it would feel like something is just missing and id be sad becaus of that

 

[Banjodorf]

I would lose all faith in the world.

Link.Must.Never.Talk.

 

[MasterToshima]

Wow the last time I checked this thread I think it didnt have 2 pages.

THx everyone yo, for the replies and your sincered opinions...keep replying because this is my longest lived thread ever

Also my opinion is that link should talk, but not too because that would only make him annyoing, link should talk

 

[marthmaster59]

look what happened to bowser in mario sunshine

 

[Hotmarth18]

I wouldn't like it one bit.

He should stay quiet for our god's sake.

 

[towelie892]

It would be best that everyone EXECPT Link would talk. So voiced actors for Zelda and Ganon= Win

This.

By the way, when did Link talk in Wind Waker? (from the first page)

 

[Skler]

Link talking would ruin the actions speak louder than words thing he has going for him. As far as his personality goes talking wouldn't really help. What would he say? "I'd love to go kill things and solve puzzles to save the world!" Link is pretty simple, he saves the world because the gods tell him to. He can express emotions without words so why bother having him talk? I don't want Link to have a monologue where he tells me how saving the world makes him feel. I'd rather just have him smile and let out a grunt or frown and let out a grunt.

SKRAAAAAAAAAAA!

 

[E.G.G.M.A.N.]

This.

By the way, when did Link talk in Wind Waker? (from the first page)

I think he says "come on" when he is accompanied by another character. But that's it.

 

[justaway12]

link shouldn't talk he can talk outside of his game's in nintendo land but not in the game's for some reason i won't care if zelda talk's but link is different hes the main character that is a big difference (IMO)

 

[Xebenkeck]

First off i would like to say i dont think he should talk. However everyone else in the game should, i.e. villagers ganon, zelda.
To avoid the talking all they would have to do is make your partner(fairy, midna, etc.) do the talking.

However, i would like to see it done once, in order to see whether it could work. I think it could if they took some serious time into it. When he talks in the wind waker-hes yells "come on" to medli makar, and the statues- it actually didn't bother me and i felt it worked quite well. But if they were to try it as i suggested, limit his speech to things like come on, ok, etc.