Link's non-Lefthandedness

[Darth Wyndisis]

One of the first things I noticed in the Wii version of TP was that Link is not left-handed like in all other games.  Is it just for the Wii version because most people are right handed and thus use the "sword" with their right hand.  Is he left-handed in the Gamecube version?

[Hi no Seijin]

That would be it, Wyndisis.  Most people are right-handed, so the entire Wii version was mirrored to reflect this.  So Eldin is in the east in the Gamecube version, and Snowhead is in the west.  And many, if not all, people consider the Gamecube version to be canonly accurate as far as the map goes.

[DW]

yeah the gamecube version is the most canonly accurate, seeing as how it was made first, right?

[Eralk Fang]

Exactly, Shikamaru Nara. The GameCube version of the map is the canon map for Twilight Princess.

Fun fact: Zelda and Ganondorf are traditionally right-handed, just as Link is left-handed. In the Wii version, Zelda and Ganondorf are left-handed, due to the mirroring of the game.

[MagmarFire]

What I don't really see, though, is why Nintendo didn't just mirror Link horizontally instead of the entire game. On the other hand, it makes both versions different, so playing a different version than yours can renew the interest in the game itself.

[Bboy94]

Because then the door would open on while he puts his hand up to the wrong side.

[DW]

good point. and all the cutscenes would be weird...in the bridge duel he would knock the ogre off by swinging to the other side...

[Mysterious F.]

Yeah, they had to reverse everything or else you could kill things by swinging the other way.

[DW]

which would be wickedly awesome. It would be like you're a magician. You could just imagine though, the boomerang would float on the other side of his head...

[MagmarFire]

Hm. Good points that I have not thought of before. Thanks for clarifying, guys! :D

...But after thinking about it for a while, I thought that if Link would be reversed, wouldn't his hitbox (this is what I call the space that dishes out damage when it gets into another character's collision rectangle) be reversed also? If that is the case, then you wouldn't have to swing your sword on the other side to hit an enemy.

You could probably reflect doors horizontally, too, but depending on the system, it would probably be tedious to do that to every knobbed door in the game.

[Bboy94]

I bet there is some way you could do that with say a future Action Replay or something.

[JDog]

You know what, I just now noticed that, thats good to point that out. :D

[Fishalicious]

Yeah, that's it.

It's a shame you can't flip it, though. owo Because... well, it's EXACTLY the same using your left hand, and it makes me feel alienated. >>;

[Eralk Fang]

Hey, I'm left handed. Lefties unite, Fishalicious!

[Evilslayer]

Fun fact: Zelda and Ganondorf are traditionally right-handed, just as Link is left-handed. In the Wii version, Zelda and Ganondorf are left-handed, due to the mirroring of the game.

Ganon is ambidextrous.

What I don't really see, though, is why Nintendo didn't just mirror Link horizontally instead of the entire game.

Because then they would have been forced to delay it for another 6 months. At least! It's not just Link that is the issue. They would have to program the enemies to react to his right-handed sword-swings. And they would have to make changes in the cut-scenes.