Breath of the Wild's modding scene is still relatively small. It's not a PC game, but thanks to the rapid development of Wii U emulator Cemu, Nintendo's latest Zelda has become home to character replacement mods and meme videos that would never be possible on a console. The mod scene is fronted by only a handful of prolific modders, but the number of active contributors grows every week. Whether it's the off-the-wall personalities of the folks in the community or a side-effect of spending long hours on a passion project, Breath of the Wild's mod section is weird.
Like Naruto running around Hyrule with floppy arms or Shrek as a Hinox or wielding a guitar or Goku riding on a cloud shield kind of weird. The parade of odd characters being swapped in for the Hero of Time makes for a ton of great showcase videos, but distracts a bit from just how much work goes into creating each submissionâSaiyan, ninja, or otherwise.
A model HylianEmulating Zelda
If you're wondering how people play Breath of the Wild on PC, check out our article on how the developers of Wii U emulator Cemu got it working, and a more recent look at a 60 fps hack.
At the time of writing, there are over 160 mods for Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Gamebanana, which has become the go-to host for BotW modding. Three were posted in the last day. Eleven in the last week. The majority of current mods revolve around swapping the game's assetsâtypically the first achievable task in modding any game. Most replace Link with various other characters or swap out weapons with new models and textures.
Fitting new character models to Link's body is challenging for a number of reasons, starting with geometry. With the tools currently available, new models are restricted to have no greater polygon count than Link's original model. Getting new characters to work, even conceptually, is a matter of fitting a square peg in a Link-shaped hole.
Shrinefox, who has already made a slew of videos on modding Persona 5, turned to Breath of the Wild earlier this year. While talking about the Playable Mipha mod, which replaces Link with another of Hyrule's champions, Shrinefox explains just what went into making Mipha work.
Legend Of Zelda Wiki
'Since the only way to use Link's animations as [Mipha] without the game crashing was to rig her to Link's skeleton, I had to convert Link's model (as well as Mipha's) so that I could work with them in 3ds Max. It took a lot of careful planning of how many vertices and polygons comprised each part of Link's geometry before deleting it all and replacing it with Mipha's. Actually rigging those pieces to Link's bones took a couple weeks of trial and error to get exactly how I wanted.'
Use speaker as microphone. WilianZilv, whose Link replacement mods range from strange (just, uh, watch the video above) to nostalgic, explains the other time-sink involved with adding a new player character. Spending a couple weeks hooking up a similarly proportioned character to Link's animation skeleton, it turns out, is the 'easy' way.
Legend Of Zelda Mod
'The easy way to make skin mods is to edit the 3D model to make it fit Link's skeleton. That was a must do to make skin mods. Juliet from Lollipop Chainsaw is a lot taller than link. She has really long legs compared to Link's. With the old way, I would need to modify her proportions by a lot (which by the way was my first attempt to put her in game). But [that] causes the model to look weird. We need to change the positions with a hex editor, which is pretty boring. We change the value, save it, import it to 3ds Max and then we see the result. We do it over and over again until we get the expected result.'
Heroes of Time
So far, changing properties on certain weapons and armor has been the next natural step. WilianZilvâs Mario and Cappy mod doesnât just replace Link with Mario. It changes the behavior of a boomerang to create a shorter, straighter flight path that looks like Marioâs hat toss in Super Mario Odyssey. Properties and values like these can be edited, so long as someone has figured out where theyâre located. Shrinefoxâs Mipha mod lets the player swim up waterfalls without wearing the tunic that ability is normally tied to. Makes sense, for a natural Zora.
Some problemsâskeletons that look like they've been stretched on a rack when hang gliding and climbingâhave yet to be solved. Tackling more complex projects will take time and commitment from skilled volunteers. Shrinefox has hope that Breath of the Wild will eventually dip into more advanced modding territory, but cautions that it could take years of off-and-on progress, depending on who steps up to the plate.
'It's impressive that we have something that already supports such a new (and highly acclaimed) game. So skilled developers already have the resources they need available and it's easier than ever for them to share their work and findings. No question there will always be motivated people, but it's all about getting the right ones involved at the right time.'
WilianZilv shares the same sentiment, but with with ambitious hopes for what modding Breath of the Wild could eventually achieve. 'What I'm really looking forward to is scripting mods. I really want Breath of the Wild to be in the same level as GTA V and GTA IV. Flying mods, super power mods, etc. Now it is not possible, but I'm hoping someone makes an API so we can work on that.'
As steady progress is being made and larger projects are being whispered about around the community, modding Breath of the Wild could have a grander future than whatâs been possible with previous Nintendo games. Still, thereâs always risk that the right elements wonât arrive at convenient times, delaying the flash in the pan of sudden progress.
WilianZilv, after churning out numerous mods in just a few months says, 'I did a lot of mods in a short period [and] now Iâm out of creativity.' The Breath of the Wild modding community will need to keep attracting the weirdest and wildest modding talent or weâll be forced to endure a future with much less of this.
Midna (Japanese: ãããHepburn: Midona) is one of the main protagonists in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a 2006 video game in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. She is a member of the magic-wielding Twili who joins forces with Link to prevent the kingdom of Hyrule from being enveloped by a corrupted parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. While Midna appears as an imp-like creature in the majority of Twilight Princess, her actual form is humanoid. She was designed by Yusuke Nakano and voiced by Akiko KÅmoto. Midna's first appearance was in a trailer for Twilight Princess shown at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3); at the time, her gender was unknown, leaving some journalists confused about it.
Midna was generally well received by critics and gamers alike. Her role in Twilight Princess has been compared to that of Navi, who accompanies Link in the 1998 game Ocarina of Time. Midna makes minor appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors.
Concept and design[edit]
The concept of Midna came from another game Nintendo was working on before Twilight Princess, which was eventually abandoned.[1] Eventually re-purposed for Twilight Princess, Midna was illustrated by Yusuke Nakano[2] and voiced by Akiko KÅmoto.[3] In describing the character, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess director Eiji Aonuma called her 'tsundere', which means a character who starts the story as snobbish and brash, but becomes gentler and kinder over time, a character archetype both he and Shigeru Miyamoto, co-creator of The Legend of Zelda series, are fond of.[4] When asked by Game Informer editor Billy Berghammer if Midna would make a follow-up appearance to her role in Twilight Princess, Aonuma found it unlikely that she would return due to the game's ending, but added that if there were enough demand, the developers may consider it.[4]
Midna's original form is a turquoise-skinned woman with body markings on her limbs, orange hair, and red eyes. As stated in The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, her design has an 'air of the Middle East' as opposed to Princess Zelda's Westernized design.[5] She wears a South Asian-like attire composing of black gagra choli with a trailing black veil. However, after being cursed by Zant, Midna became a diminutive 'imp'.[6] Other than her lack of clothing, save a fragment of the Fused Shadow relic as a mask, Midna bears elements of her original form. While in her imp form, Midna frequently speaks in sinister and sarcastic ways, often acting uninterested in Link's plight unless they suit her needs. Her bright orange hair is her main method of physical control while she is in imp form and often uses it to deal physical damage or control Link while he is in his wolf form. Her on-screen dialogue is often accompanied by a babble of pseudo-speech, which was produced by scrambling English phrases sampled by KÅmoto.[7]
Appearances[edit]
Midna's game of origin, Twilight Princess, reveals her backstory as being the next in line to rule the Twilight Realm, making her the eponymous 'Twilight Princess'. However, the power-obsessed Twili Zant usurps the throne from Midna using powers granted to him by Ganon to turn their people into monsters. Stripped of her power and turned into a diminutive imp-like creature, a vengeful Midna finds a fragment of the Fused Shadow prior to witnessing on Link's capture and transformation into a wolf by Zant's Shadow Beasts. Seeing use in him, Midna rescues Link and convinces him to help her find the other Fused Shadow fragments to regain her birthright.[8][9] Over time, Midna becomes less insensitive and sassy toward Link. After obtaining the last Fused Shadow, Zant catches the two of them off-guard and seizes the Fused Shadows, exposes Midna to the Light Spirit Lanayru and makes her fall ill; and curses Link to remain in wolf form, causing him to seek the Master Sword to reverse this.[10][11]Princess Zelda heals Midna, causing her to disappear. After obtaining the Master Sword, Link and Midna begin their search for the Twilight Mirror.[11] Upon discovery of the mirror, they find that Zant has broken it and scattered its pieces. After the mirror's restoration, Midna and Link travel to the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant.[12] The two of them travel to Hyrule Castle to defeat Ganondorf, the source of Zant's power. After defeating Ganon's Bestial form, Midna uses the power of the Fused Shadows to attempt to finish off Ganondorf, but is found to have been unsuccessful when Ganondorf approaches Link, crushing the fragment of the Fused Shadow that Midna wore on her face as a mask. After Ganondorf is defeated and Hyrule Castle is destroyed, Midna is restored to her original humanoid form. She returns to the Twilight Realm and shatters the Mirror of Twilight, separating the Light and Twilight Realms and preventing a potential repeat of Zant's actions by someone else.
In Hyrule Warriors, Midna is attacked by the sorceress Cia during her battle with Zant's forces and is banished from the Twilight Realm when Cia allies with Zant. While antagonistic at first, Midna allies herself with Lana and Agitha to help Link and Zelda defeat Cia and restore order, and later to defeat the revived Ganondorf. She is also playable in her true Twili form as part of the Twilight Princess DLC pack. In Hyrule Warriors Legends, a mysterious crystal briefly restores Midna to her true form. She uses her restored power to aid Princess Zelda with help from Linkle, but she is forced to destroy the crystal and returns to her imp form.
Midna makes minor appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the form of collectible stickers and trophies.[13][14] A song from Twilight Princess, 'Midna's Lament', is featured as a song in Brawl as well.[15] She also appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[16] and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an assist trophy.
Reception[edit]
Midna was first revealed in the E3 2005 trailer of Twilight Princess, which also first showed the Twilight Realm and Wolf Link. Her gender was unknown at the time, causing some confusion among journalists.[17][18]IGN editor Matt Casamassina commented that the 'colorful character' clashed with the then-black and white world of the Twilight Realm, though he was excited to see how the wolf-and-rider mechanics would work.[17]
Midna has received mostly positive reception from both the video game press and the public for her role in Twilight Princess. Game Informer editor Andrew Reiner stated that she, along with Link's wolf transformation, had incredible effects on Twilight Princess' gameplay.[19] Fellow Game Informer editor Billy Berghammer stated that he loved Midna, describing her as a cool character due to how she messed with Link throughout the game.[4]1UP.com editor Jeremy Parish stated that the supporting characters of Twilight Princess make up for Link's laconic nature, Midna more so than others. He described her as being acerbic and thoughtful, as well as an intricate character who moves the plot forward for her own means.[20] While America's Intelligence Wire editor Dave Arey described her as intriguing, he felt that she could have been more so if Nintendo had developed her further.[21]GamesRadar listed her as one of the 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that before Midna, the only characters they could relate to were Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganon.[22] RPGamer editor Matthew Rickert stated that he found nothing intriguing or likable about her, complaining about how much more plot time she receives in spite of this, arguing that she offers little help to Link and that it felt like she had replaced Zelda in Twilight Princess.[23]
She has also been praised for her overall role in the series and as a Nintendo character. She ranked at fifth place on the top ten best female video game characters by members of Official Nintendo Magazine's forum. The ONM staff added that she was well loved by Nintendo fans, and her back story made it difficult to dislike her.[24]G4TV editor Michael Leffler called her a wonderful addition to the series, adding that she balances Link out.[25]Nintendo Power, in discussing the ending to Twilight Princess, describes the relationship between Link and Midna as one of the most compelling in The Legend of Zelda history.[26] IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas refers to her as essentially the second playable character in Twilight Princess.[27]
Midna has been compared to several characters in fiction, most often to fellow The Legend of Zelda series character Navi. The Register editor Tyler Stewart made such a comparison, calling Midna annoying.[28] Nintendo World Report editor Jonathan Metts compared Midna to Navi as well, calling them analogues to each other but differed in saying that he did not find her annoying in the least. He added that unlike Navi, she had an actual personality and an ambiguous sense of morality.[29] A preview of Twilight Princess in magazine GameAxis Unwired also compared Midna to Navi, though criticizing her inability to identify enemies' names and weaknesses like Navi could.[30]Shack News editor David Craddock compared Midna to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask partner Tatl, a character physically similar to Navi, calling her 'very sarcastic' and 'very amusing.' Because of this, he found her to be much more interesting than Navi.[31] In the book 'The meaning of video games: gaming and textual studies', author Steven Edward Jones discusses multiple non-playable characters that assist the playable character throughout the game, including Midna. He compared Midna to another wolf-riding assistant named Issun from the action game Åkami, adding that they both seem to be based on Navi. He went further to suggest that these kinds of characters could be based on Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.[32]
Before the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Midna's inclusion as a playable character was a popular suggestion amongst fans. In an article detailing the top ten most-wanted characters for Brawl, IGN editors Phil Pirrello and Richard George ranked Midna third, citing her controlling personality and shadow-based powers, which they say would add some much-needed unconventional gameplay to the Super Smash Bros. series.[33] Midna was also featured in two of IGN's Smash It Up editorials; first as the Reader's Choice and later amongst other dual characters. Both of these were written by Lucas M. Thomas, who also praised the character for her potential as a quality Super Smash Bros. fighter.[27][34] In response to their top ten most-wanted characters list, a group of Midna fans began sending many emails to IGN, causing members of the IGN Stars staff to create an article mentioning their forum as well as their cause to have Midna appear in more video games.[35]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Midna&oldid=899927690'
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