Is the overall gameplay experience affected due to the different

characteristics of Toon Link and Adult Link?

(With reference to a particular game or character illustrate how meaning is conveyed through

the bodies on screen)

To start I would like to describe the meaning of the word caricature, as it is a word that will

be used within context throughout the essay. The word caricature means for a character to

be represented differently through various means, e.g. body language, story driven

personalities or even graphical enhancements. This essay will examine clearly the

differences of the representations of Toon Link (from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker) and

Adult Link (specifically from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) and also analyse how

the differences are conveyed in these two separate games.

The first comparison I would like to address is the difference in character design between

the two Links. Toon Link is clearly celshaded, as is the rest of the world in the game Wind

Waker, and the details that make up his character are lessened so that the player will focus

on the expressions that come from Toon Link. The fact that his demeanour is clearly baby-

like immediately allows the player to connect with them, as the expressions that Toon Link

pulls towards a situation shows what exactly he is feeling at that precise moment, and often

more than anything Toon Link will react abruptly and with exaggeration, something that no

other Link has done before. His cartoon characteristics and personality are clearly shown

throughout the game, and therefore the player is able to connect emotionally towards this

character. The fact that the character you are playing as is more attractive than everyone

else in the game also says a lot about how the design of Toon Link is portrayed, as it makes

him seem more likeable compared to the denizens of Hyrule.

(hollowdleaf, ToonLink.jpg, uk.ign.com, 19th

June 2011) (User Josh, Moblin.png, zeldawiki.org, 6th August 2010)

The only exception to this rule would be Tetra, who later on turns out to be the descendant

of Zelda. Her physical characteristics rival that of Toon Links in terms of the babyface and

abnormal physique, which makes her just as likeable to the player as the main character and

she easily plays to the typical stereotype of the babyfaced support character, being very

submissive and eventually vulnerable towards you as the player. Catherine explains in her

book (p10) that we see this as an overgeneralization towards these types of characteristics

as they are attributed traits of a child into an adult, or in this case young adults. An easy

contrast of this is the many enemies that cover Hyrule as they appear grotesque and

menacing, which you would expect from an enemy that you would have to fight. This

contrasting between the unattractive enemies and the babyfaced main characters is

explained in Catherines book (p10), where she talks about how the differentiation between

good and evil is often portrayed as evil figures with grotesque features that allow the player

to easily dissociate the good characters from the evil ones. While this type of

characterization is different from other Legend of Zelda games, it is one that only differs in

design and not in terms of gameplay, as the many features that the player has grown

accustomed to do not change the overall gameplay experience, but enhance it and also add

a new perspective for the gamers.

Given that the previous instalment of the Legend of Zelda series turned to celshaded

textures and overgeneralized characters, it is quite interesting to see that the next game

also offered a new kind of experience for gamers. Adult Link in Twilight Princess is a major

example of attractiveness and how the player can relate to a character whose only emotions

are shown through facial expressions, if any. The character himself is one of little emotion,

apart from the few scenes where he interacts with the citizens of Hyrule and gives them a

little smile or nod to show that he agrees or accepts their problem. This is a major contrast

towards the previous Link, as emotions were easily conveyed through the many facial

expressions that Toon Link showed, and therefore makes up a different experience for the

player. However, the fact that Adult Link qualifies as attractive automatically establishes him

as the main character and that he is warm and sensitive towards the needs of everyone

around him, described by Catherine as the halo effect. The character design of Adult Link is a

lot more masculine compared to his previous self, due to the characteristics of his jawline

and slightly muscular form and this gives a more realistic feel to his design.

(simdrew1993, twilight_princess_link.jpg, modthesims.info, 25th

November 2012)

In Twilight Princess the different characters you meet often follow a similar design to Link,

giving off a more realistic feel of design in comparison to the previous instalment. The world

of Hyrule isnt nearly as bright either, being portrayed as a gritty and dangerous place where

life is only truly found in the towns and villages that span across its landscape. A similar

design choice has fallen upon Adult Link, where the bright shades of green that used to

colour his tunic have now been changed to look grainier and lifelike and his hair colour has

now been changed from blonde to brown to accompany this style. You could say that Adult

Link has become the stereotype of a man in terms of design, with a lack of facial features to

hide his expressions while also giving the character more depth. Catherine explains (p13)

that given this situation we are able to assess the character through our own prototypes

and make a quick assessment to judge whether the character is approachable. In this case,

players are already under the impression that Adult Link will be friendly to everyone around

him, and the fact that he falls under this stereotype allows for the characters in Hyrule to

help him through their own quick assessment of his character. Given this it is easy to see

that the players will be under their own preconceptions when playing the game, and so the

design choices for Adult Link will not affect their overall gameplay.

In LoZ: The Wind Waker, Toon Link uses a variety of expressions that give shape to easy

readings of his current emotions in the game, but a lot of these emotions are not just shown

through facial expressions. The way that Toon Link responds to actions that are happening is

rather exaggerated, often played out in the form of a cartoon in which he would jump from

the sight of an enemy surprising him. This gives the player an immediate reaction to the

surroundings and allows for them to plan for what lies ahead, but doesnt tamper with the

gameplay experience, but rather shows a more excitable Link that the player will connect

with. While the player connects rather easily towards Toon Link, unfortunately this is not

the case with the denizens of Hyrule, which see the hero as a child and nothing more. His

babyface and skewed features give off this impression, which consist of a child with a sword,

and a normal reaction would be more of a nurturing kind rather than to take him seriously,

and this makes it hard for NPCs to accept his heroic efforts until he proves himself loyal. This

is often the case with Toon Link and after proving himself to the many characters he

engages with he is eventually given the respect that the Hero of Hyrule gains throughout the

series, which is a trait often comparable to the Hero of Time in LoZ: Ocarina of Time.

(primedcuber, wind-waker.jpg, www.ign.com/boards/threads, June 13th 2013)

While his actions might be considered cute it doesnt taper from the fact that he

accomplishes more than most other variations of Links, and this is a direct contrast to any

other Legend of Zelda game because of the fact that his mannerisms and features only

portray a visually-different Link, but under the surface he is still the same Link. A quote from

an interview with the development team of Wind Waker (Reece, 2013) stated that, While

Toon Link may look cute, his actions are always manly and cool! meaning that the design

behind the character was less of a coming-of-age persona and more of a rise-to-the-

occasion one. With each new Link, that is brought into the Zelda Universe, comes a new

personality and the actions and expressions that surround Toon Link as a character allow

the player to connect emotionally in a way never previously done, thus creating a more

memorable experience.

There is a significant difference between the representation of Adult Link in terms of his

mannerisms and body movements, which are implied as being more trained and skilful. This

gives the impression of a more experienced and adult version of himself, compared to his

previous manifestations and the way that he acts towards other characters throughout the

game gives the player an understanding of where he stands in terms of social stature. For

example, Adult Link appears to have a close group of friends that all approach him for help

whenever he sees them, and yet when a new character is introduced they immediately

enter the same frame of mind with him due to his courageous actions, and because of these

actions he is accepted into a new group and continues to help out this group anyway he

can. In the book Better Game Characters by Design, it states (p167) that, Posture and

movement communicate who people are as social individualswhat they will be like to

interact with and what to expect from them. This is due to Adult Link and how his character

is conveyed towards his friends, and how his social demeanour never changes throughout

the game. This is a direct contrast to Toon Link and the way he carries himself, as he is

portrayed as a child and isnt taken as serious unless it is coming from a supporting

character that knows about the situation.

(Bentendo, LinkEponaTP.jpg, Nintendo.wikia.com, April 18th

2009)

While Adult Link exemplifies the point of adulthood and Toon Link is designed as a child,

their underlying features and the way the world acts towards them give each game a

different mood that supports those features. Twilight Princess gives off a more grungy and

realistic feel of the world, in both design and aesthetics and Wind Waker contrasts this with

a bright and colourful world, but in the end both games answer the call of a hero (even with

very different personalities) that share a common goal, to save Hyrule from the incoming

threat. When the player enters the game they understand how to play it immediately and

what is to be expected of the protagonist, and the fact that each new game offers a

different personality and design gives the player a new perspective on the world they are

traversing, giving them a better and more vibrant gameplay experience.

References

REECE. 2013. IWATA ASKS: NINTENDO ACKNOWLEDGES THE ZELDA CYCLE, DISCUSSED

GIVEN LINK EYE-BEAMS IN WIND WAKER, AND MORE. [WWW]

http://www.zeldauniverse.net/zelda-news/iwata-asks-nintendo-acknowledges-the-zelda-cycle-

discussed-giving-link-eye-beams-in-wind-waker-and-more/ (12th December 2013)

ISBISTER, C. 2006. BETTER GAME CHARACTERS BY DESIGN, A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH.

LONDON: CRC PRESS