Ok, let’s keep this short and sweet as we’ve covered Oceanhorn extensively in the past already. But after all the teasing publisher FDG Entertainment had been doing surrounding the release date of this highly-anticipated action RPG, I figured some of you out there would like to know that they’ve officially nailed down the release date of Oceanhorn as November 14th. That’s this Thursday, but as savvy iOS gamers already know, that means it will actually start making its way across international App Stores early Wednesday morning before arriving in the US App Store at around 11pm EST tomorrow night.
Also worth noting is that the price for Oceanhorn will be $8.99. This is for what has been pegged as a 10+ hour experience, and as previously stated there will be no form of in-app purchases whatsoever. For all those people who are salty towards the free-to-play trends and beg for a “pay once for a full game" experience, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. If something as attractive as Oceanhorn can’t do well at a sub-ten dollar price point, well, let’s just say we’ve got a lot more virtual coins and timers in our gaming futures.
Of course, that all depends on if Oceanhorn is actually a good game and all, but so far it appears that it will be more than up to expectations. It’s just a short wait now, so in the meantime be sure to see what’s going on in Oceanhorn’s forum thread.
In the case of the MC and Nova games, we'll never actually get those games that they copy on iOS, so I'm fine with that kind of stuff.
You never know. Halo could be ported to iOS, but they'd have to take major elements out of the game. As long as it has key elements that make it Halo, then it'd still be a good port. The same thing for CoD. Have you seen Strike Team? I mean, it's a spinoff of BO2, without a few weapons, multiplayer, and campaign. If they REALLY put time into it, they could make a full scale CoD game for mobile.
I know what you mean, I loved everything about CoD:ST, but it's not a normal CoD game. I'd love Halo and full CoD games on iOS, but it just doesn't seem likely. I'm still hoping, though.
I have no problem with them at all. But when a major console developer decides to make port their game to mobile devices, they never fail go amaze me. Spinoffs are awesome, so long the game they're copying doesn't make it to mobile, cause the mobile ports will always sink the copier's ship.
Gta Vice City didn't sink the Gangstar series.
Seriously? GTA Vice City is ORIGINAL, has a better storyline, better voice acting, and is a full-on port of the original console game. Gamgstar Vegas (or Gangstar IV) is just GTA IV physics & dynamics, and a catch on to GTA V, cause, you know.. Whenever a major console franchise releases a new game, Gameloft does too.
You didn't quite master reading comprehension, did you?
The poster said that the release of Vice City didn't sink the Gangstar games. Both franchises are still going strong on ios. He said nothing about which is better.
Well, I accept this. "Ideas are meant to be stream" - I forgot who made this quote.
If its made well and that original game isn't already on the platform, then why not?
because its coming dangerously close to ripping off another game?
So? If I already have and enjoy a game on one platform, and would like a version close to it on my iPod as well I see no problem with that. If the original developer eventually decides to port their own game over I'd pick that up too. In the meantime though I'll be enjoying games like Oceanhorn.
Well its ripping off another companies IP. And Nintendo has a portable Zelda game coming next week. Doesn't that seem wrong at all to you?
Just because you use some elements from a game doesn't mean you're ripping it off. If someone has a heart system in a game where you find pieces to gain more health, someone who hasn't played Zelda would think, "Hey, this is neat!" Nintendo games "defined" several genres, but if someone uses parts of that to make their own unique game, it's not a ripoff or a copy of their IP. The only way it would be is if they took practically everything from Zelda and named the game something like "Zelda Legend."
Is that portable zelda game coming to IOS?
Got no problem with that when the developer admits it.
*if
I haven't played Oceanhorn yet, but I loved Sacred Odyssey, Gameloft's version of Zelda. I used to like Gameloft's before they went overboard with the freemium junk.
Gameloft has always had freemium games going on the side, so I don't know what you're talking about with their recent 'junk'
Do you mean games like Iron Man 3 and Thor, that not only are free but have fully voice acted storylines? Or do you mean games like Asphalt 8, a cheap racer that although not as realistic as Real Racing 3, is a much more pleasant gaming experience, when it comes to 'pay-to-win' situations?
For me, it started with Order & Chaos, actually. I paid full price for it, spent quite a bit of time playing (maybe too much), but they just kept adding more and more IAP-only equipment that was better than anything you could get without real money. Big turnoff, especially for an MMO.
And then there was Dungeon Hunter 3 with its IAPs at every turn. I'm not sure if those games have improved since then, but I lost interest.
Part of my disappointment with them may also be due to the fact that the last games I played were the Dark Knight and Amazing Spider-Man, which both ended up not being worth the huge amount of space they took up (they look great and the swinging and gliding were fun, but not enough to keep them on my phone). So I admit, it might not just be the freemium that's turned me off from Gameloft.
I would love to see a quality sequel to Sacred Odyssey, but not keeping my hopes up.
(Poorly) Voice acted storyline doesn't mean it's not freemium garbage. Thor was horrible.
This is inaccurate. They did not ALWAYS. And many of their older games are abandoned. No updates, no sequels. Older Gameloft fans have seen a shift in their marketing strategy.
As long as the game's good I don't care.
Gangstar Vegas is still great even with GTA available on iOS. And even talking about PC only, Saints Row the Third is heavily inspired by GTA and I like it more than Rockstar's games.
There's a very simple answer to the question is the game any good? If it's good it's paying homage to if it's bad then it's a complete rip off!
Nothing is original, and at a certain point the similarities just describe a genre. Look at Match-3... there are tons of Match-3 games on the store. Think of the first game that was a top-down shooter - now they're everywhere. Do we laugh at Battlefield and Call of Duty because they're just rip-offs of the 1st first person shooters?
Some games are homages, and I think this fits into that category somewhat. You have the heart meter, some similar things like the sailing... but it's okay. It's not trying to be Zelda, it's merely trying to present a quality game in the same genre with some clear nods to the series.
This game does look dangerously too close to Zelda ( and suspiciously releases just before an eagerly awaited portable Zelda game)
I don't think there's absolutely anything wrong with developers drawing inspiration from other developers. In Oceanhorn's case, Nintendo has not released (and, of course, understandably, will not release) any Zelda games on the App Store. Because of that, it's cool to have a game of a similar style to the Zelda games we've all known and hopefully loved on our iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc. And if the developers that had been the initial source of inspiration choose to port their games onto the App Store, then that's even better, as we the consumers are graced with a more quality gaming experience (unless the recreation exceeds the creation in its magnitude, in which case, that's rad and who can complain)
.. And honestly, is any thought or idea ENTIRELY original anymore?
tl;dr if the copy is enjoyable to play then who cares if it's a copy
The idea that this shouldn't be a problem and isn't hurting anyone doesn't really hold up when Nintendo has a majorly promoted and highly anticipated 3DS Zelda Game coming next week. This kind of confuses the situation.
They have been making Oceanhorn for 2 years now; the Legend of Zelda new game was announced MUCH more recently. Also, they're for completely different systems. I doubt someone with just a 3DS would go and buy an iOS device just for Oceanhorn. Besides, because it's Nintendo, Oceanhorn will, at the most, barely effect the Legend of Zelda game.
I don't like them and I think they do more harm than good. The one thing they all have in common is that they aren't as good as the games that "inspired" them. This is largely due to controls. We need to stop trying to force traditional game archetypes onto this platform and start coming up with new ideas. What happens is games like oceanhorn get released and if they don't do well, we just get flooded with more crap like candy crush.
We're getting controllers.
We can already play console quality games through our phones and tablets. Why bother getting a dedicated handheld console?
Because it plays and looks like shit compared to other handheld consoles?
Off the top of my head, FIFA 14 on IPhone looks nothing and doesn't play even close to a PSVita FIFA 14, even FIFA 11 for it.
Kill zone Mercenary for Vita looks and plays waaayyyy better than MC4 or MC5 when it comes out.
3DS has plenty of 1st Party games that will never be released on iPhones, or any where else for that matter. Plus, 3D.
No matter what you say, dedicated handheld gaming devices are completely better than mobile gaming.
I think that the phrase "heavily inspired" is a little lenient. It upsets me that a studio with obvious talent went to such lengths to "borrow" from a game that was always going to be superior to it. So what if Nintendo decided not to bring the original to iOS? If gamers want to play Zelda and don't own a Nintendo console, why should Nintendo let their property be copied. BUY A 3DS. Rant over.
This is especially suspicious with A Link Between worlds coming next week.
This is such a dumb argument, no offense to you whatsoever. Nobody who was planning on buying the new Zelda game is going to say "well, now that Oceanhorn came out looks like no Zelda for me".
Maybe, but if Nintendo were to make any argument in court, that's EXACTLY what they would say. ;)
You keep repeating that over and over. These guys worked on Oceanhorn for 2 years. I'm so sure they timed the release to coincide with a game that wasn't even announced until after this one was in production. There's nothing 'suspicious' about it.
Anyhow, people have been 'borrowing' game mechanics forever. I don't mind if they put on a different spin or an innovation on it. But if you're just gonna slap a coat of paint on a game and call it something 'new' (yeah, I'm looking at you Tiny Death Star), then no thanks.
There's nothing wrong with bringing a console experience to iOS. It might be the only way to ever play that game on iOS. In the case of Oceanhorn, it's not gonna stop anyone from buying the new Zelda game when it comes out.
It's not just the mechanics it borrowed though. It wholesale stole the imagery, design and even some sound effects. It's okay to feel fine about that though, as long as it isn't your intellectual rights being dumped on right?
Yes, you're absolutely right.
*eyeroll*
You do know that when a game begins development has nothing to do with its release date, right? Releases are decided upon to maximize sales. Since this games launch date was set fairly recently, I'd be very surprised if they weren't trying to ride the Zelda fervor a little. Close enough hit hat people are thinking of that kind of game, far enough back that it hits a sweet spot between Wind Waker HD and the new one.
I'm not insulting them for this. It's smart marketing, and how the industry works. Acting like they have nooooooo clue what this "Zel-da" thing is is silly. But that doesn't make them bad in any way.
As long as their role models are not on the market, I have no problem with it. Take Gameloft, for example (which you already did): if it wasn't for their heavily-inspired games that took a lot from NFS, GTA, FF, Sims, and other AAA titles, mobile gaming until 2007 would mostly revolve around colorful remasterings of Snake and Tetris.
What Gameloft managed to do within constraints of J2ME (it's called JME today) is downright impressive, so no - I didn't particularly care about their role models then and as long as they keep publishing quality stuff - I won't in the future.
If they are trying to bring the gameplay of great games to ios, that's fine. But when these companies use names and logos that are similar to the famous console version for the sole purpose of drawing in people, and they don't spend any time on actually developing a quality game, that is not good.
Maybe Oceanhorn is a straight up Zelda ripoff, but i really like it. I've been wanting a game like Oceanhorn for quite some time. None of the other attempts of making a Zelda clone really did it for me. So i welcome Oceanhorn for all that its worth.
Gameloft does a good job of taking inspiration from famous console games and developing similar ios versions. What annoys me about Gameloft is it's habit of making games with so many timers and gimmicks trying to get you to use iap.
I feel like gryphon has been liking his own comments and disliking those with different opinions. Too many one-minded people here. Take this into perspective: do you want an extensive, premium, long-awaited game like Oceanhorn, or do you just want more freemium junk. If you complain about Oceanhorn, just don't buy it. I bet you haven't played it anyways; you're like those people who see a game based on another and hate on it without trying it. (Like what happened to SurvivalCraft for many people.)
Agreed!
Too bad you have to buy it to try it.
What if oceanhorn had not of been approved by apple because of IP theft, after two years?
Now that's a crazy thought...and its a real risk they took when deciding to spend years cloning a well known IP.
Then they would have released it on Android.
It isn't that easy to release a game made for iOS on android. It isn't just, ok...let me hit the android button.
Also, premium games don't sell on android, so they would have had to rethink the entire strategy.
Judging from the video, I think it's safe to say it's different enough from Zelda that they weren't in any danger of that happening. Now if the little dude had blonde hair and a little green hat....
Well sure they were in danger of it happening. Look around the net. There's literally thousands of cases of apple not approving apps for reasons much less than this (but then they allow crazy broken clones that even steal the name of the originator onto the App Store). All it really would have took is Nintendo getting word of the game, and deciding to put a few Million into lawyers. They would have issued a cease and desist, contacted apple...and apple would have bowed down.
If the devs refuse to bring out Zelda then I say to other devs BRING IT ON! They are only losing $$$ if they choose not to bring out these games. If they don't take the chance to make a cool fortune then others will.
As long as the the games they're inspired by are great, and the homage is solid, I say Yay!
I first thought it read "Heavenly" inspired games. I'm much more interested in those now.
Totally. But if there was a big scandal about those game it could be called Heavensgate, and well we all know grow that ended
I don't mind games that are similar to others. It happens every day. However, I do get angry when the developer clones their own game (such as the upcoming Boom Beach).
who is that by?
Have you actually played Boom Beach? It's actually quite different from Clash of Clans in key ways. Hardly a clone.
"On the other hand, some people absolutely appreciate that Gameloft is
trying to bring experiences to mobile that otherwise might not ever be
available."
I'm one of these people. I wish Gameloft would crank out more $7 copycat games and movie tie-ins and less freemium crap.
Don't understand why people complain about Zelda clones but not about any other games that are clones... there arent enough Zelda clones out there!
I have no problem playing a "heavily inspired" game if it is still fun to play, has great gameplay mechanics, graphics, music etc. Although I have yet to play Oceanhorn, I played the entire game of Swordigo (another iOS title inspired by Zelda), and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
What I do have a problem with is a game like "Better Than Portal," which is clearly NOT better than Portal, and is just trying to profit from the success of the game they're copying. (Granted I haven't personally played "Better Than Portal," but I'm basing this on TA's review and my own impressions from screenshots.)
Although Oceanhorn may be "heavily inspired" by Zelda, I think it's safe to say the game developers were still looking to make a fun, high quality title, not just a cheap knock-off to profit from Zelda's success.
Well if the origin producer doesn't port to the new platform why we have to wait forever? As long as the clone is good enough, I don't care.
I still don't get the idea behind it, besides the attempt to cash in on it.
A lot of work goes into it, so why not put all of that effort towards something original? Because they don't want to 'design' something new or maybe can't? They are scared of the risks involved? I say take the risk and make an original. The appstore is already filled with too many clones...
I feel as if they love zelda a LOT. Like so much they wanna create a game that basically is zelda.
"Heavy Inspiration," done right, is absolutely required in this space. It is extremely difficult to get controls right on touch devices, so when a classic franchise is reimagined/sourced for this form-factor with controls that work well, it should be welcomed with open arms. Take a game "heavily-inspired" by Animal Crossing on iOS, for example. With a good control scheme, it would be very profitable. Players want to take a great experience with them. If the first-party developers can't (or won't) deliver the experience on a prolific platform, then second/third-party developers should make the most of it. If they can deliver the experience as well as Oceanhorn does, players will pay a premium for it. Capturing an experience like Zelda, Metroid, Animal Crossing, or Sonic or creating a new experience like Angry Birds, Words With Friends, or Plants vs Zombies is what the mobile games medium needs.
I've never played Zelda in my life and yes I am 27 so I've had chances so to me on my iOS device this game is the only one exactly like it so I could care less where it's inspiration or copying came from.
Most of the games on the store are just mobile copies of console versions or flash but I don't generally see a big fuss about this. There are piles of CoC clones that are exactly the same in every-way pretty much bar graphics...so do I care that Oceanhorn is very similar to Zelda? Not at all because I'll still never play Zelda unless it's released on iOS. Besides if people like this game that much and have never played Zelda maybe they'll make the effort now knowing they'll like it.
"I've never played Zelda in my life and yes I am 27"
Poor you! That is so sad. Like hearing a tsunami survivor tell his story about how all his family died except him.
I guess I am on the fence on the issue. If the game is like another but plays real good I will play it. It will not stop me from stocking up and playing the original games on my 3DS or my wiiU. If someone also decides to sue another company because it is a obvious they ripped too much I will definitely understand their perspective. Let the courts decide. In the meantime I will be playing games on my 3DS and my iOS. If they play like crap or have a big paywall then I delete or don't buy it.
There is just too many games borrowing and from each other and even themselves with remakes (the new Zelda is awesome for both 3DS and WiiU but come on... Let's see some new stuff Nintendo!
I could keep on but basically if it is a good game I am playing it so I guess if it's a good copy of a original I am playing that too. When I get tired of crappy copy's or get spoon fed too many sequels or remakes I am going to start looking elsewhere.
Inspiration is good, but Oceanhorn isn't inspired. Inspiration means an idea influenced by an existing source; the key term here is "idea." Some kind of independent concept or thought spurred on by an existing one. The fact that you're actually saying Oceanhorn "carves out its own identity" is worrisome. I know Oceanhorn doesn't carve out it's own identity because I have played other games that genuinely qualify as being "inspired" by Zelda. Okami, Beyond Good & Evil, and Outcast are examples of games that are genuinely inspired by Zelda rather than being copycats. You can't fool me; I've played better.
BG&E has an extremely similar structure to zelda; there's a very zelda esc progression where you go through dungeons solving puzzles, you finish off each dungeon with a boss fight, and you have a condensed hub like overworld linking all the dudgeons togather. Really nearly the same basic structure and flow is here, but between photography, stealth, hovercraft upgrades, partner mechanics, the french comic book presentation and a science fiction setting its easy to forget just how similar the game is to Zelda. This game basically has zelda dungeons, but Jade doesn't literally lift round bombs over her head and throw them at little cracked walls, followed by a "doodolydoodoo" noise. Now what happens in Oceanhorn?
Oceanhorn is actually what I'd call "heavily uninspired." It doesn't develop ideas from existing sources, it just replicates things that already exist. Its like the game is tracing. This kind of uninspired copycat mentality makes gaming worse. It makes iOS as a platform worse. We should be getting "heavily inspired" games; we should be getting games with ideas sparked by existing examples rather than games that do nothing other than tracing over the lines left behind by other games.
I agree with you completely. Good or bad, this gameplay creation style is such a cheap shot. What I take from this is that Dev's simply don't have the drive and prowess to create their own ideas and, instead, is worth more to them to make money off of someone else's game inventions. This industry is weakening at the knees a bit (Dev's, get your money quick and cheap--hurry!) and all the dorky comments from these young kid gamers don't really know what's going on in the industry outside of their subjective, small world mobile life (not surprising).
I completely see your point. And Oceanhorn does toe that line. I suppose I give it slack for at least doing it well. I mean, Mighty #9 is going to be a shameless Mega Man clone, but I hope it is good since it is being made by the creator of Mega Man do deliver the type of game fans want and that Capcom of late flat refuses to. There's a difference between "same soul, different skin" to, say, Gameloft. I have many of their games. I like some. But their brutal release schedule and low price keeps them from hitting that AAA mark that they present themselves as. They feel like the mockbuster version of the movie you just saw in theaters, that airs Saturdays on SyFy. Snakes on a Train, Transmorphers, Thor: God of Thunder, you get the idea. Some big names have done the "spiritual successor" thing quite well. Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon were attempts by former Square Enix employees to evoke classic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, in an age where Square Enix had grown obsessed with MMORPG mechanics. The original Donkey Kong was meant to be a Popeye game, but the license was denied. So it got a Ruskin. After it's success, they got that license. If anyone remembers arcade Popeye, that's why it feels like a Donkey Kong sequel with a Popeye license.
If it's not lifting direct assets from the game, I think it's fine, especially since there's no first party / Nintendo IP on the market.
I feel like this article was made because of what I said on the review for Oceanhorn.
There's a reason oceanhorn evokes strong feelings of Zelda, and that's because Zelda absolutely owns the genre. Similar to how every open world game is compared to GTA. It's just the downside of a good quality series out muscling any competition in that genre.
GT racing 2 is an exact copy of rr3
I personally like heavily inspired games of famous titles. Like a lot of people, we don't own every console from various companies which have there own exclusive games. So having other developers creating these faithful clones is a welcome bonus. It just means you can enjoy what you potentially never will without waiting forever for say Nintendo to release any of there old games to iOS. We need more of this to happen.
I like "heavily inpired" games, sometimes, more than the original.
Actually a lot of the game is to pay attention to. It is not simply a pointless game that we have. It is more than the gadgets that we are blind. This is really very good
I don't care about Nintendo games on iPhone Just get a 3DS and you can play all the Nintendo games you want!
I would rather they didn't but I bought Oceanhorn anyway and am really enjoying it.
Many games have taken those individual elements and incorporated them but not so many have taken a whole chunk of them. That's probably what causes people to call this game a rip-off. It's a bit dodgy in principle but I can't really find anything that's wrong with it especially when it's generally a well executed game. I don't think Nintendo gets to have a monopoly over the concepts introduced in Zelda.
Nobody who wanted to play Zelda is going to not buy it just because they already have Oceanhorn on iOS.
Honestly, as long as Activision isn't making a good CoD game, not that sorry excuse that was Strike Team, I'll continue to support Modern Combat and Gameloft. Why not? They make great games.
Being original is comically easy, you just need a functioning imagination. Those who don't have that, steal and copy. It's really too bad.
As long as the game of inspiration is not on the same platform I see nothing wrong with it, Nintendo says they'll never release their games on other platforms so its their fault.
I think its awesome...all of my gaming is on the move so i do not have a gaming console... And i get jealous when i see games coming out so this is the closest i get... And i dont have to spend $60 its hilarious reading comments about people bitching spending $7 wanting it to take up Zero space and have a long campaign
I think it's gross and only highlights all the small touches and polish that the original developers put in. Al so why the hell doesn't it synch progress between iPad and iPhone?!
Since I can't get Zelda on my phone I'm all for this!
I have no problems with developers copying a game entirely. As long as they don't pretend that it was all their idea...
There are dozens of awesome games on home consoles that will never make it to iOS devices for whatever reason, but that I would love to play. If a dev can imitate it closely, I have no problems what so ever!
As long as there is no breach of intellectual property then studios can release what they like. If the market likes it they will play it. Like the music industry, songs are a composite of elements taken from prior ones, some stand out as shaping new sounds and ideas but everything borrows from the collective.
The reason I avoid Gameloft games is because they are terrible games, not necessarily due to the copy-cat tactic they employ. Yes, I have played them, and they didn't gel with me, before the "you've never played them" argument gets thrown in. Anyway, I'm not so sure that "heavily inspired" is such a big deal. Look at the way car companies blatantly copy each other, purely on aesthetics. For example, I'm seeing Hondas looking more like BMWs in terms of exterior design. Most of the time, "heavily inspired" turns into "shallow clone" in video games. That's what gets me the most. I don't mind playing games that are similar in aesthetics or gameplay as long as they aren't just...bad. Oceanhorn is a rare example of a heavily inspired game that does things very, very well. Oddly enough, even the story progression screams of Nintendo aesthetics. And they made a very good choice with the composers. Oceanhorn actually has heart and soul, as opposed to many of the uninspired Gameloft clones. I just think that if you're rubbed the wrong way by it, it would make more sense if you were the actual developer for the game in question. Otherwise it's just armchair whining.
I don't have a problem with games inspired by other games, the only reason I haven't bought Oceanhorn is I bought Wind Waker HD just a month ago and only recently finished it. Give it 6 months or so and I'll probably buy Oceanhorn to scratch that Wind Waker-style itch.
That said, it's rare for me to enjoy an "inspired by" game as much as the original game they are mimicking, although there have been a few exceptions over the years.
As for Nintendo releasing their games on iOS, I can't see it happening any time soon. While the Wii U is struggling, the 3DS is selling really well and with the cheaper 2DS and Pokemon X/Y out they're going to clean up over Christmas. I wouldn't rule the Wii U out anyway, the DS and 3DS both had really bad launches and quickly became huge successes once some good games started to materialise. Time will tell!
Good game or not, these piggyback tactics are cheap. It cheapens the industry, its creativity and thinking power, as well as weakening the longterm strength of this mobile console. Building a game is supposed to be a work of art--an invention, not a reiteration of someone else's handy work.
Most people (both consumers and developers) are so used to it now and expect it. I think it's pathetic. It shows how focus is leaning further away, bit by bit, from true creation and development in this industry, and leaning closer to the increasingly popular belief: Making money quicker and easier is better. Its a stupid dirty way to cut corners, with a lot less dignity and honor involved.
"Angry Candy Ninja Clan Run with Friends!" oh and it's a "Freemium" because everyone loves them...
Based on the comments I just waded through, someone seriously needs to go ahead and re-title this article, " Are you upset that Oceanhorn looks kinda like a Zelda game?"... And no, I'm not. ;-)
Most of the" heavily inspired" are soulless copies (I'm looking at you, Gameloft), but Oceanhorn is clearly a labour of love.
There's a difference between creating a unique and magical experience that is heavily influenced by another game (although I'd like to point out that Oceanhorn is far less similar to Wind Waker than people are making it out to be) and completely ripping it off (a la pretty much every Gameloft game). The former should be seen as little more than intelligent use of flattery (immitation and all that) while the latter, I think, practically constitutes intellectual property theft.
One could argue that there is really no such thing as an original idea, so as long as it's not a wholesale cut and paste-athon, it should be seen as just an homage.
Lazy and greedy game designers.
I personally think it's a rip. I'm a firm believer that all good ideas start from taking inspiration from others but when you just remake something to a lower standard (I don't care what you say it isn't as good as windwaker) that isn't taking inspiration and developing something of your own. As it has already been said, if Nintendo sold games on the App Store they would lose any chance of ever developing new exciting, big games. All they could do is port games and that would be cool for a while and make big money but you have to look at their key drivers - pioneering the way, trying new things, they couldn't do that if they stopped selling their hardware. Look at Sega, they just port the same old games over onto different devices and release mediocre new games onto other systems, when was the last time they did something revolutionary or exciting?
I personally have been wanting a Zelda-like rpg on my device for a long time (specifically an rpg with no level ups, grinding or random loot drops) so this is a prayers answered type of thing.
I've never been bothered by the fact that people ape concepts, settings or gameplay styles, I just hate it when they do that and release a horrible product - I avoid gameloft titles until they're free or 99c because they usually control badly, or have hideous bugs ( their spy game was AWFUL and you could just walk right up walls) and they all have terrible, unfulfilling endings.
I actually love it when a company goes "I like this game, let's make something like it, but better, or with our own flavor."
Hi there! Returning to the original question...I REALLY don't like when a game has so many similarities with other game, it just doesn't feel right to me. Jared pointed out some very close game mechanics and the overall look that inmediately make you think of zelda. To answer the question over whether it is too much or not, for me in this case it is. The game looks awesome and people who buy it will enjoy it for sure, it seems like a great game to play, but that wasn't the question, was it? Anyway I wish the best of luck to the developers they made a beautiful game.
Love Oceanhorn. I wish there were more games like that for iOS