Character... Speaks(?) For Itself
They say character speaks for itself... and I guess that's true. But what if your characters don't speak at all? Alright, I know that isn't really what the saying means. What it means is that the way you act tells people what you are more than what you say does. But the point still stands - how does one of the most popular characters in electronic gaming get away without saying a word?
It's true, according to Electronic Gaming Monthly, Link is the second most popular character in all of gaming - regardless of the gaming platform - second only to Mario. And he never says a word. In this age where even cameo characters are spouting prose and voice actors for gaming are almost as plentiful as those for anime our faithful hero has yet to say a word. In fact, no Zelda character has ever opened his/her mouth. Their conversation is limited to grunts, sighs, screams, and the occasional "ooooohhh" - oh, and a few rather freaky giggles (great fairy).
My family has a ball with this. You should hear us at the dinner table after playing Z:OoT. "Mmmm?" as I point to the salt, "Eehhhh?" - my brother's Hylian version of "what was that you wanted?" It's a riot, but I bet it'd freak out the neighbors.
The point is, it would seem as though Zelda is falling behind the times, and yet, clearly, it still ranks on the top of the list. So then, dialogue can't be as important as they claim. Or is it just that Zelda has so many good points to outweigh that.
What is it we really love about the Legend of Zelda series? Yeah, we're old school and like some puzzles mixed in with our mindless killing. And who doesn't love green tunics and pointy ears? But I'm thinking it's the spirit of the game we love. Link never has a choice - but he never complains. He faces every adversity boldly (except, maybe, falling off cliffs - "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH") He's willing to take on endless, seemingly meaningless, side jobs just to make other people happy. And he never asks for anything in return for risking his life to rescue the dumb princess who always manages to get in trouble again... So, basically, I guess we love Link - and the games that showcase him - because he's such a good guy.
Hmmm... maybe character really does speak for itself - as the saying goes.
Then again, it might just be that everyone loves mocking the bomb-chu girl as much as I do ^_^