What must make the final cut? What would you be okay with letting go? What must go?

Well I think that the obvious things that can and should be cut are the side quests- the hunt for Gold Skulltulas (skulltulae?), the trading game for Biggoron's Sword, and similar.

Winning Epona has to stay, though. In general, anything that makes Link more of a person and emphasizes his relationships needs to make the final cut.

That's why I would also advise that learning Song of Storms- how old Link learns it from Windmill Guy who heard it from young Link- should stay. It's a headache and a time travel paradox, but it also highlights the difference in maturity that happens in seven years. When Link uses the Master Sword to travel back to when he was young, he can kind of escape his responsibilities for a few hours. He should use it that way. So, y'know, the only think young Link needs to worry about is driving that crazy Windmill Guy crazy. Saving the kingdom is future Link's problem.

I do like the Windmill guy for the time travel aspect because there aren't any other paradoxes; the time travel is pretty clean (no conflicts). The problem is it's very hard to include Windmill guy because he's so out of the way.

Not if you include it with the Shadow Temple and getting the Lens of Truth. Link has to return to the past and go to Kakariko anyhow- it would make sense that, once he gets there, he gets a little bit distracted. He doesn't *get* to chase cuckoos as an adult.

Okay. I was going to bring this up in the Temple thread, because it pertains to the Water Temple (which I actually just advised that you cut) but my point actually belongs here.

Lake Hylia is important.

It was always one of my favorite places, the first time I played. It was beautiful, and you can watch the sun rise, and it just... Link grew up in the forest. He's never seen so much water in one place before. It's a really breathtaking, wholesome place.

So even if the Water Temple needs to be cut, the fact that the lake is drained has to stay. Going there and seeing a huge pit of despair where such beauty used to be... it has to break his heart. And it has to strengthen his resolve. Not to mention, the scene with Sheik after the lake is refilled is one of their best.

That scene with Shiek afterward is one of the biggest character moments for Shiek.

That is an excellent point about Link never seeing that much water before.

I'm gonna go against the grain and say; Leave in the bunny guy! Just have him run through the background in one of the Hyrule Field scenes. Link might not even notice him. lol

when you say the bunny guy, you mean the mailman?

Must stay in:

1. The Music
2. Fishing at Lake Hylia
3. The Zoras
4. Fairies
5. Lon Lon Ranch and every single inhabitant
6. All Three Swords (Four? I'm old)
7. Link as orphaned
8. Saria
9. All forms of Ganon
10. Link walks alone

I swear, this will not be a dissertation, justt a couple of notes per item.

1. Let's be honest, cut the music of the game from the film, you're left with nothing. The music is what makes it majestic, honest, beautiful, and tragic. All music must be kept as it appears in-game. No exceptions.

2. I've always felt that a beautiful part of realizing one's true potential is that of the small accomplishment. The A on the paper. The climbing of a tree/mountain. For some young men, catching your first fish is the day you realize there's nothing you can't do. It's man against nature and man wins (only to free it of course or exchange it for items).

3. The Zoras are the first non-humanoids Link encounters and as such must remain. They are fanciful, they are magical, they are walking fish for goodness sake. Not to mention, Ruto is an intrumental character. She is Link's innocence lost, and she too must remain.

4. Um, it's not Zelda without a fairy nearby. I'm not asking you to keep Navi (though every good story does need a sidekick), but fairies should be both instrumental in his development and in his healing. And at some point, the dear boy must fall ill or become fatigued, and collapse casting a small fairy inside a bottle on the ground, smashing it as he falls, which, to the audience's delight, quickly revives him. But it must be a surprise. It must serve as magical.

5. Lon Lon Ranch, Malon, Talon, Ingo, Epona, the cows, the chickens, the hay bales the secret windmill area; everything must stay. First of all, this is the fable within the fable: a ranch changes hands after the lazy father cannot make ends meet (or whatever it is) and the farmgirl fights back against the evil relation. This is the story within the story (yes i know there are many of those) and it's integral for the audience to see this. It's also vital that Link see this so that he can see what he'll never have. This normal life. With three cows, a wife who actually works, owning property, having roots. This is not his path, but one he must sacrifice.

6. The Four Swords (a deku stick, The Kokiri, The Biggoron, and The Master) all are symbolic, much like other elements. in order, there are a primitive first line of defense, a weapon that represents home and tradition, a sword only wielded by a man of much strength (machismo), and the weapon wielded by the Hero of Time (the chosen one). All have purpose, therefor all must remain.

7. Link must remain an orphaned child. This can later be used to explain a lot of his disbelief or his inability to form trusting relationships, and also to explain his valor. Small town kid makes good.

8. Saria. She is the sister, mother, grandmother, and soothsayer of this tale. She represents all that is good and wholesome. You can cut out the great Deku tree and every other extra in Kokiri, because she's all the green you need.

9. Much like the other manifold symbols in the story, Ganon must evolve just as link evolves. We must see him go from man, to ruler, to wizard and to beast. This is the path of self-destruction he chooses and therefore the lesson can be told.

10. in the end, Link must walk alone. That means no "happy ending" for him. He must either return to his child form or he must continue doing good by his lot in life. He is the Hero of Timem after all. Who ever heard of
Mrs Hero of Time?

For my list of things that can go, see me later.

- J.

The bunny guy isn't a mailman in Ocarina. He's just a guy who runs back and forth across Hyrule Field. You can give him the Bunny Hood from the mask shop to make him run faster.

Then again, the mask shop can easily be cut; at this point we don't need the tongue-in-cheek pokemon reference with the "Keaton" mask.

I think Navi should stay, provided we expand her lines a little. Link needs companionship, he needs, y'know... a Jimminy Cricket. As long as she doesn't ONLY say "Hey! LISTEN!"- so long as she actually gives him advice and truly takes care of him. I mean, Link was *dying* for a fairy. He was the only boy in his village who didn't have one. She's a symbol of his childhood and his link to the forest. That said, I really like the "bottle smashes as he falls" idea. Very cinematic.

And I think I've made it clear how much I love Lake Hylia/how much it should mean to Link, so I'm all for keeping a bit of fishing.

Another thing I'd like to see stay is the phases of the final battle-- from the top of the tower, to the escape from the castle with Zelda (awwwwh) to the ring of fire. It doesn't need to be so cut-and dry, but the changing location is very cinematic.

Actually, the bunny guy is there right. haha

Something that should stay in: the very first shots of the game- when the Great Deku Tree summons Navi and makes her go fetch Link, and then the camera follows her as she flys though the woods. Nothing will say "hell yeah, you're watching Ocarina of Time" to the audience than it *starting the way it's supposed to start.*

I think we should keep the big "group hug" that all the Gorons try to give Link when he emerges victorious from Dodongo's Cavern. That was hilarious.

I honestly think cutting the fishing would be a good idea. He is saving the world! He doesn't really have that kinda time!
Also, he meets the Gorons first. Which I think are just as important, if not more so than the Zoras.
I had more but Ima put them in the right categories.

The fishing is a side quest, and would serve no purpose to the plot. Also, if you are playing the game straight through, you do not bother visiting Lake Hylia as a kid (except for that bottle), so as an adult the newly-filled lake wouldn't be a place for fishing (no fish). So while, there could be a nod to fishing (people in the background), it seems unlikely for even that.

*whine* but Link has to visit Lake Hylia as a kid, so that draining the lake has meaning!

Also, there's the Scarecrow's Song. And including the scarecrows could be... well. Either ridiculous or RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME.

I'll admit it now, I've never bothered learning the scarecrow song, nor have i bothered meeting the scarecrows. My experience with them has been strictly MM.

I just... really like Lake Hylia. Watching the sun rise over the water is probably one of my favorite things. *whine* keep iiiiit.