One of the main goals is to release a core experience and a portable one. This is one of the reasons I chose to write it on XNA. I have always been fascinated how core games, like console and PC, translate into portable, and vice versa. while there are really no example of this, save for port of a console title into a future portable, like the PSONE library on PSP, or the Game64 released on the DS, there have always been hint on long running franchises. I mainly refer to the Zelda series. Their games cover both console and portable, and the portables are full experiences unto themselves. the Zelda series has created certain element that remain common, but it accommodates based on the platform it is in. not counting Zelda 2, the pre n64 games built upon each other naturally. When the n64 hit, they could have kept most of the gameplay intact by adding a fixed camera looking downward. But instead they added an orbit one, as a consequence, they added the targeting mechanic. But overall, most of the element carried over. The console games since then are again natural additions to Ocarina of time. The portables retained the same gameplay as the pre 64 games. Until the DS. For this platform they chose to go with the fixed camera, but it also gain element from the console counterparts. Like the swordplay, liming and lock-on. This was possible because of the touch screen. Then they released Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, the foundation for their console line.in addition, the newest console game, Skyward Sword, relies heavily on the motion control, and if one think about it, it is conceptually similar to the DS titles, links actions depend on the gesture performed. The Legend of Zelda has come up with 2 distinct gameplay scenarios, the 2D scenario, in which the camera is fixed, link moves left/right up/down, and the world is divided into rectangles. Examples of this are games like Link to the Past, Links Awakening, Minish Cap, and Spirit Tracks. And the 3D scenario, with orbit camera, full 3D environment and movement, and heavy reliance on lock-on and context sensitive actions. Samples of these are Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princes and Skyward Sword.

Back to the point. It is not hard to imagine any Zelda Game on any of its Gameplay scenarios. Or more specifically, the 3d games in the 2d scenario, or vice versa. Playing Twilight Princess like Minish Cap, or Phantom Hourglass like Wind Waker. They both share so many common elements. The differences are mainly there because of the platform limitations. But as portables become more powerful, they will be able to handle console style games. Like the Game64 release.

So... I plan to make the same game, only differing on what the platform can support. The Game State Management sample is a good foundation, and it already runs on PC, Xbox and WP7. I decided to write the code myself so that I could learn what's going on. I now have to finish the menu and then, I can just worry about the gameplay. Good thing XNA allow me to separate which part of the code runs on pc, Xbox or wp7, or any combination, or all three.