Don't worry, I'm still alive.

Worry not, I haven't faked my death via an imaginary submarine accident yet. (free candy for those who get the reference).

I have been dealing with work and classes, and it has all been about as pleasant as a hole in the head. Thanks to a retarded amount of stress from my programming classes and instructors, I have been unable to work on Ballad of The Wind Fish this week. I have been working more hours to avoided getting my butt kicked out of Australia and need to slow down on the project to catch my breath.

Over the next few days, I will be slowly and gradually cleaning some things up and adding some content to the game but don't be alarmed, the official alpha demo 01 is on its way. I am a bit disappointed I have been unable to release it yet, but I can only do what I can manage.

Thanks tons for the support and patience!
Tomorrow is my Friday and I only have a 3 hour work shift, so I will be able to get quite a bit of work completed for BoTWF. Stick around! I will be posting a countdown timer when the time is right so we'll all now when to expect the download link to be posted.

Cheers!
Jerrel

Quikie

Heya howdy everyone.

Woahey! My new drawing tablet just arrived in the mail tonight! I will finish up a few textures, drop in some more content

Sorry for the lack of updates. Classes are on again so I have less free time.


I will be posting a new alpha demo within the week, possibly tomorrow or the day after.

I am also working on another project of mine titled Through The Storm, which is a realistic winderness survival horror game. I will probably open another blogspot for my other games or something.

Game Menu Further Developed

Howdy do. A quick update before I run off to work : I've been working on the game menu further, and it is now possible to access the Siren Instruments and bottles/ocarina (though the graphics are obviously not complete.)

Expect a new demo in a few days. I'm just tying a few loose ends and adding more content.

Work on NPCs has commenced

I've begun work on modeling and programming NPCs. The NPCs run on an alternate physics and AI engine, and I've finished that up today. By tomorrow I should have the first NPC model finished, but again, as the same with the environment graphics, I cannot texture anything completely until my new drawing tablet arrives via the post.

As you can see, Bow Wow is now in Mabe Village and wanders around while chained to post. The Village is really starting to seem more full. As I add more NPCs and little envinronmental details, the village starts to feel more and more like the real thing.

Cheers!
Jerrel

Surprise!! Bow Wow!!

Howdy do everyone. I took a break from working on the game graphics and refining the models to match the new concept for the game style, and decided to model Bow Wow. I'm pretty happy with the model as it does sort of look like a proper Chain Chomp (in my opinion). It will take days to program his AI, and even longer to test and debug it. Also, I will be programming the use of Bow Wow as an anchor to aid in underwater adventures and exploration. W00t.

The next demo should have every game item except for the Fire Rod (unless I feel like adding it in before hand).

Tomorrow I will be working on building more indoor areas, fixing up textures, coding and implementing a new, more extensive lighting adjustment module, and after that I will model and implement the first NPCs. Shortly afterward, we can expect a demo.


Thanks for checking in!
Jerrel

Link Version 3

Hi everyone. It's been hours and hours of meticulous work, but I've finally finished what I consider 'Link Version 3'. I personally like this look much more than the previous versions. I've made many minor adjustments to the model, and have decided to go with A Link To The Past artwork color scheme and style. I may make further minor adjustments in the future.

Please leave comments and let me now what you think!!

Graphic Style to Undergo Further Refinement

Howdy everyone.
Thanks for the support. For the time being, I will definitely keep this project running.
I have been contemplating adjusting the graphical style of Ballad of the Wind Fish. At first, I really wanted a cross between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, but leaning more towards OoT's realism and more structurally sound look, but after examining Wind Fish, I've decided to try and lean a little bit more towards Wind Waker / Phantom Hourglass's exaggerated, wobbly stuff graphical style.

My reasoning for this is due to the Wind Fish's texture style, which is a hand drawn / coloured penciled look. In my opinion, the overally look of Wind Fish might jive better, and seem more fitting if I just exaggerated proportions a tiny bit. I will post screenshots tomorrow and see what y'alls think.

It will take a painstaking amount of time and adjusting beforeI find just the right balance between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time graphical styles.

Also, I will be re-texturing Link tomorrow so his hair is a closer color to his standard yellow (since I based the model off only one game art), and I will 'try' to get his eyes to look more like OoT / TP.

I have been studying WW / Phantom Hourglass and Oracles of Seasons tonight, trying to think of a way to fine tune Wind Fish so it feels as close to a real Zelda game as possible. This is just my rant, but the Oracle games for the GBC aremost blatantly the black sheep of the Zelda series (the CD-i games DO NOT COUNT!!). The development team behind OoA and OoS obviously did not study Zelda as closely as they should have. The story-telling was completely out of style, the game features were painfully uncharacteristic to the Zelda series, and the overally structure and design made me feel like I was playing a bastardized fan game using Link's Awakening Graphics.

^ This is what happens when you hand a very specific series, such as Zelda, to a foreign game development team and expect them to get it all right.

The Oracle Effect, as I will dub the aforementioned "let's have a completely different team make our game and see what happens" is what I would like to avoid AT ALL COSTS. If there are any fans of the Silent Hill series, they might know what I mean when I say that we can also call this The Homecoming Effect.

On a lighter note, I will be modeling, animating and incorporating the first NPCs very soon possibly tomorrow.

Thanks for tuning in, and check back soon for further developments.

Jerrel

Mabe Beach, and Grim Future for Project

Hi everyone. Mabe Beach is up, but as you can tell from the screenshot, obviously, the texturing is not completed. I thought you find folks would like to see how the progress is coming alone. My drawing tablet has broken, as I stated a few days ago, so texturing models will have to wait until my new tablet arrives in another week or so. Yes. I know. Lame to the max.


Also, I have some grim news concerning the future of this project. This project is on the edge of termination. I am very strongly considering dropping it indefinitely and continuing to work on my original games. Why, you ask? There are inconsiderate, egotistical internet users who find it fitting and acceptable to ignore my repeated, polite and explicit requests to remove leaked videos and information about this project. As such, the Wind Fish has far more negative reputation than positive, and on top of that, many videos and articles are completely lacking accreditation to me as the author, and some are even crediting other people.

Why should it matter to me, you ask? Because I'm working on this project for FUN. The issues stated above take a LOT of the fun out of this project for me. I will have just as much fun, if not more, working on my own, original games, which no one will care about anyway because they re not Zelda remakes, so I won't have to fear the threat of leaks.

Thankfully, one of the major video leaks, which has resulted in the majority of negative press, has FINALLY been removed from the gametrailers website, but not before spreading and causing splash damage. Thanks to everyone who helped me get this video removed from the gametrailers website.

I appreciate everyone's support, and thanks so much for checking in. A new alpha demo will be released within the week. Obviously there will be tons of missing content and a few glitches, which is to be expected.

Cheers
Jerrel

April 19 : Fishy Updates 3

Howdy all. It's been a long, busy work week.

Today has been a frustrating day as I fine tuned the game physics, primarily making the hookshot physics as reliable as possible. A few days off from work this week will give me some time to tidy up some game maps and get a small demo ready for release.

I've been working on more animations for Link, refining swimming physics, and I'm currently adding Link's climbing animations so he can move up and down ladders and vines and such. The environments will require a few days or adjusting, fine tuning, and further texture mapping. Also, I need the camera to be as sexy as possible. Ohyeah, random info if anyone wants to collect tidbits, when Link jumps into the water after obtain the flippers, he will equip them and wear them while in water.

Oh yes, I've revamped Link's walking and running animations after carefully studying Link in Twilight Princess. Wind Fish Link's movements now very closely resemble his Wii-counterpart. I've also increased Link's moving speed so the game feels much smoother, and handles very much like WW and TP, and less like Resident Evil 1.

In the screenshot above, we see Link swimming and climbing. Yes, he can now climb in the same manner as Link from TP. For a test, I had him climbing houses, just like in real life.

I have yet to program diving and the Bow Wow anchor, but we can expect that soon.

Cheers, thanks for checking in!
Jerrel

Very First Dungeon WIP Screenshots AND Fire Rod Test!!

Bon jower everyone!
Here are the VERY FIRST screenshots for Tail Cave dungeon in Ballad of The Wind Fish. Please note that the room is unfinished and most textures are incomplete. My drawing tablet has broken and I am awaiting delivery of a replacement. Also, I was working on the textures for the walls this evening when my computer crashed for no reason and corrupted the image file I was working on. I didn't feel like redoing everything just now, as I spent over an hour drawing JUST the one batch of vines. Note that I will need to draw up many variations of vines to keep the environment interesting.

For a bit of commentary, the dungeon, so far, is turning out how I expected it to. I still have yet to texture everything in the room, and I want to have moss all over the walls and floor and columns to give it an aged, abandoned look. Yes, I do realize, the dungeon is quite dark, but as an artistic decision, I feel that it offers a strong contrast to the overworld, which is bright, colorful and inviting. I want the dungeons to feel distinctly different and make strong use of lighting, since the overworld uses global lighting and minimal shading.

I have had a few people wondering what dungeons were going to look like in this game, so here is your answer. Feel free to post comments and questions concerning the dungeon style or anything else!

This is a test render of the Fire Rod. This isn't the final texture but I figured I'd post the Fire Rod Model for anyone curious about it. since I've been talking up the Ocean Rod like sliced bread, some people were under the impression that I had replaced the Fire Rod. Not to worry!

Cheers
Jerrel

First Tail Cave WIP Render...

Howdy.
Progress is coming along nicely with Mabe Beach and Tail Cave. I promised some screenshots, but I overestimated my free time today. I've been modeling and building the Tail Cave and Mabe Beach, but I haven't finished drawing the Texture Maps yet. The rendered image above is taken while I was working for the antechamber for The Tail Cave. Obviously, it's a WIP, and missing the Statues and the rest of the textures. The final product will havemoss covering the columns, walls and floor, and there will be vines and weeds everywhere, but here you can see the progress of how the dungeon is turning out.

Cheers!

Surprise Update April 15 - Lost Woods and Tail Cave News

Hi everyone, thanks a lot for helping me out and trying to get rid of this Unauthorized Leak Video. It irritates me to NO END that this user and the website are both totally unresponsive to my messages. Every message and report you guys send helps in the effort to try and keep this project just a bit more under the radar, a bit less illegal and ALIVE.

Despite being out all day, I did manage to get quite a bit of work done while traveling on the train. Updates are as follows:

*Link's Water Treading and Swimming Animations are Complete.
*Lost Woods has been completely redrawn and the maps have been designed.
*Tail Cave has been redrawn and the maps are 80% complete. Please read below for Tail Cave Details.

Before you scold me for uttering blasphemy due to my ideas of creating themes and expanding on the personalities of the dungeons, keep in mind: 1) This is just a fan game, not even a real Zelda, and 2)I'm developing this project as a 'What would the game have been like if Nintendo made it as a modern game and not an early 90s handheld game?' type of idea.

Tail Cave
Tail Cave appears to be an ancient, underground Template, long since abandoned. Time has eroded the once pristine sandstone walls and tiles, leaving behind a broken, crumbling ruin covered in soil and foliage. The environment crumbles into what the name describes the location as : a Cave. The Tail Cave will seem much larger due to platforming and height level variations, and certain 'empty' rooms will be redesigned for length and purpose. The overall structure and purpose of the dungeon, however does remain very accurate. The graphical theme of the Tail Cave will have a disarmingly royal environment at times, and eerily broken and abandoned in other places.

The Tail Cave will also face some pacing adjustments, so you will not end up sprinting through it in 5 minutes. I'm looking at a Deku-Tree length experience, or something similar, but definitely not the Forest Temple from TP. That dungeon lasts like 40 hours and is about as an enjoyable as a hole in the head.

The next few days I will continue to work on Mabe Beach and Tail Valley (a small, added transition area leading to the Tail Cave,) but I've decided to hold back the demo a few days so I can build the first few rooms of the Tail Cave. I'm itching to get the environment together and I'm sure everyone wants to see what the dungeons will be like in this game, so please be patient with me and wait just a few more extra days.

Thanks for checking in and offering support!

Cheers everyone,
Jerrel

Update April 14 : Mabe Beach Has Been Modeled! W00t!

Last minute update, I've finished modeling Mabe Beach, yarr! I will have to make quite a few adjustments and fine tunings to the terrain, but for the most part, the terrain is complete! A few hours of level building, planting enemies, trees and seashells here and there and I will post some new screens, and perhaps a new video as well. After I've polished up the Leever AI and the 3 maps that the game current consists of, I will be posting a new public Alpha Demo.





Greetings and salutations. The updates today are pretty tame. No new items or bad guys, but I've added slashing effects to most of Link's attacks, again, aiming for that cartoonish, hand drawn look. I've been doing adjustments to graphics, building Mabe Village further, and the past few hours has found me modeling Mabe Beach.

I think for anyone familiar with the game, they might find themselves a little confused, as I've redrawn the beach to look and feel like an actual beach, and not just a flat, horizontal strip of tiles representing sand which meet more tiles, representing the ocean. A little bit of exploring might assure you that the new Mabe Beach map actually is based off the original.

Well, have a warm drink and kick your feet up. It should about two or three days before the map could be considered playable, but the textures and graphics should all be there, and we will get to have Link swimming. On that note, I'll have to spend a few hours on Link's swimming animations, which will be familiar to his existing, physically impossible because I've tried it in real life and it didn't work, swimming style. Yay for swimming.

Cheers Everyone,
Jerrel

Ohyeah, I posted the comparator image of all the Links just for fun! The best part about our Ballad of the Wind Fish Link is that we can make graphical adjustments to him. The other Links, not so much.

Update April 13 : Alternate Terrain Style?

Leever has been modeled and is currently being programmed into the game.





Howdy. Today was a painful day as I spent tireless hours trying to develop a new graphical style for texturing the terrain, and the result is seen here. I've also adjusted the lighting so that while outdoors, objects and buildings will be lit with equal light from all directions to help the game have a more graphically equalized look. Link's personal shading and lighting still needs fine tuning.

I've also animated Link's charge power slash, and in terms of epicness, it might seem similar to his attack from Smash Bruddas. I have also added enemies which can knock Link of his feet, and the recovery animation took 3 hours to acheive one of the coolest animations I've ever done.

Later today I will be adding the Rupee display, have rupees pop out of grass, rocks, and pots, and model and incorporate the Lever enemies.

Heartache, however, as the Tablet which I draw the game's textures with seems to be broke, as I can no longer draw in the right half side of it. The game may face unexpected delays until I can obtain another one, which may no be anytime soon.

Please, for the love of Lon Lon Milk, leave some comments and let me know what you think of the terrain's graphical adjustments.

Cheers
Jerrel

Updates April 12 - Link Version 2 and Beach Urchin Enemy

Happy Easter everyone! I spent most of the day celebrating Easter with friends and strangers and overcoming awkward social situations. With a few hours, I've updated Link to Version 2, which features a different 'neutral' look on his face and now has the stitches on his tunic. I've also completed the Beach Urchin Enemy. Honestly, I could not find the actual name or concept art for this enemy so I just winged it.

For anyone interested, the Beach Urchin will be appearing in more areas in Ballad of the Wind Fish, and will actually have an attack!!! When provoked, they will roll rapidly and charge at Link. a trust Shield will keep Link standing, of course! (A Guardian Acorn will even deflect them, but why waste the Acorn??? The game starts with a max capacity of 5 guardian acorns, and you must find upgrades to capacity throughout the game.)

Feel free to leave some comments and let everyone know what you think!

Cheers everyone!!
Jerrel

Grand Opening

Welcome, and thanks for visiting.

This is the official Blogspot for The Legend of Zelda - Ballad of The Wind Fish fan-game project.

This game is neither supported nor endorsed by Nintendo, and all resources except for the game soundtrack are completely original.

This project hopes to recreate the 3D Zelda gaming engine and environment while retelling the story of Link's Awakening for the Gameboy and Gameboy Color. This "3D-Remake" will feature all content from the original Link's Awakening while incorporating new gameplay features and concepts to create a fuller, more involved adventure.

The only new item being added to the game is the new Ocean Rod, which can be used as a magic weapon, or in conjunction with the Roc's Feather to vault Link high into the air. Objects and tools that existed in the original Link's Awakening, such as Bow Wow, Guardian Acorns, and the magic flying Cuckoo have been incorporated as inventory items.

To fully incoporate Link's Awakening's feature to combine certain items, Ballad of The Wind Fish allows players to combine more items together to create more uses and functions. For example, the Powder and Boomerang can be used together to create a magic Boomerang attack, and the old Bomb and Arrow missile trick is now an actual game tactic.

The artistic direction hopes to mix the original sprite based charm with Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker detail and grandeur, all the while creating a unique, drawing with colored-pencil like look.

Please stay tuned for updates, and thanks for checking in!

Cheers
Jerrel

Game Information

Curious to know what Ballad of The Windfish is all about? How will it differ from the original Link's Awakening? How will it differ from Zelda games? Read on.

*Two side items can be equiped at a time, and the sword and shield are always equiped.

*Pegasus Boots and Power Bracelet no longer take up a slot in the inventory and are activated by game commands.

*The Siren Instruments are now equipped as items, and have functions similar to the songs in Ocarina of time. The instruments are used to access new areas, advancing story, solve puzzles, and unlock hidden items, heart pieces, and item upgrades. For example, the Lily's Bell (which has already been featured in previous private Beta releases), can activate special blocks, platforms, and doors, which would otherwise be immovable. These blocks can help Link reach new areas and solve puzzles.

*Item combination will play a roll in gameplay. Combinations such as Bombs and Arrows, Fire Rod and Arrows, Ocean Rod and Arrows and others will be integral to solving puzzles, progressing, and obtaining hidden heart pieces and magic containers.

*The Guardian Acorns existed in the original game, but only as a random pickup, lasting temporarily. The Guardian Acorns in this game are thrown like a Deku Nut and create a temporary barrier which halves the damage which Link receives, and also deflects magic attacks.

*The Cuckoo Balloons function similarly to when Link obtains that blue Cuckoo to fly around areas, and operate like Cuckoos in OoT, in terms of aerial gliding. The Ocean Rod can cause objects to spin, be used as a weapon while underwater, and launch Link high into the air when he jumps (allowing him to reach new areas).

*Bow Wow is now an inventory item. When Link 'uses' the item, he throws Bow Wow out onto the field. Pressing the item button for Bow Wow will cause him to charge in the direction that Link is facing. He will attack whenever Link swings his sword. This gameplay mechanic will be useful for enemies who cannot be attacked from the front, as Link can set Bow Wow down onto the ground and have him attract the enemy's attention wile he runs around and attacks from behind.

*Link will be able to swim in water right from the start of the game, but will not be able to dive until he obtains the flippers. Using Bow Wow in water will allow Link to sink to the bottom and swim around as far as Bow Wow's chain lets Link swim. The Blue Tunic will allow Link to breath under water. Using Bow Wow as an underwater anchor will be required for certain boss fights and puzzles. The Ocean Rod gains a sword-like function underwater.

*To use the shovel, the player holds down the item button, and Link will stab the shovel into the ground, holding him in place. By releasing the button, Link can dig up items. However, if a powerful wind were to push Link off a ledge, or a powerful enemy attack were to knock Link off a platform, Link could use the shovel to ground himself and stop from falling. The shovel can also be used to uncover hidden switches and underground caverns hiding items!

*There will be alternate swords and shields available to Link throughout the game. Similar to the Giant's Knife and Biggoron Sword in Ocarina of Time, these alternate swords and shield are stored in the inventory and can be swapped over at any time. There are 3 different alternate swords to obtain, but only one can be carried at a time. Each sword possesses a unique trait and enhanced combat mechanic. The alternate Shield will be kept a secret, but I will say that the alternate shield will be more offensive than defense and allow Link to perform a special attack while using the pegasus boots.

Behind The Scenes Development Images!

For anyone interested, I will be posting behind the scene images, so if you are one of those types who feels like they have to collect one of each of 150 different animals, this would be the blog for you.

Link's Arsenal so far. The only items missing now are the Guardian Acorn, Mirror Shield and yet to be announced upgraded swords, alternate swords, and alternate shield.

Updates, April 11, PLEASE READ

Hi everyone. My name is Jerrel, I am a casual gamer and a fan of Zelda games. I am not a professional programmer or game developer, and I am not Nintendo. I've already gotten a lot of negative feedback because apparently the screenshots of the two-week-old ALPHA build of my game that was leaked onto the internet by my testers apparently are not up to Nintendo standards, and because of this, people are angry with me.

I did not officially release any builds of the game or information to the public. It was leaked by testers and fellow game developers who agreed to keep the project private.

I apologise if my two-week-old, unfinished, work in progress project has upset anyone, but really, I'm just doing this for fun.

If you'd like to stay up to date with the production process, create an account and comment and post, chat and discuss your thoughts with everyone. I will be posting regular, near-daily updates on the project progress.

Again, keep in mind, I'm one guy making this game just for the fun of it in my spare time. Hold the drama and chillax if you don't like this project. In fact, make your own blog and cry about how you hate my game. That's fine. It's not a real game anyway, if that makes you feel any better.

I will be working on the Mabe Beach for a few days, as well as detailing the Mabe Village and Library areas further. I will be adding the Urchin enemies, as well as start incorporating the game script into the game.

Stay tuned for updates!

Cheers everyone!
Jerrel

Alpha 002 Screenshots

Here are the first official press release screenshots from the ALPHA 002 build of the game.
Please keep in mind the game is in Alpha stages and these screenshots may not accurately represent the final product.

Link turns to the camera to show everyone he means business.

Hookshot.


The Ocean Rod consumes magic and can be used to attack enemies, or to allow Link to perform a super vertical jump.

A view of Mabe Village in development shows us that Bow Wow is missing!

Indoor environments will be shown top down, for nostalgia as well as to provide players with a better view.