News
Tuesday 31 August 2010
In Zelda news
I’m not one for watching serial dramas or thrillers, and I’ll admit I’ve never heard of Rubicon (aside from it being a range of fruity drinks), but this clip has been making the rounds on the internet recently, so I’ll post it here for you to devour.
So basically, there’s this clip from this American drama called Rubicon. In the clip, which is taken completely out of context so I really have no idea what anyone’s talking about, a woman and a man clutch pairs of headphones to their ears while the woman says some stuff and cries a little bit. There is then what I assume is an awkward hint at an unrequited romance between the two characters, then the dude points out that she has a Triforce tattooed to her wrist. The following AMAZING CONVERSATION ensues.
“Triforce?”
“I like Zelda.”
VIDEO GAME REFERENCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP9BxOWXDqI&feature=player_embedded
~ Espy
Tags: Media, Video
Saturday 14 August 2010
In Zelda news
Okay, I have a confession to make. I just spent half an hour summarising an interview with Zelda director Eiji Aonuma about Skyward Sword in Nintendo Power. It was witty and insightful and wonderful. Then I clicked submit, and my connection died. The article was lost. I do not have another half hour to spare. So, will you forgive me just this once if I just link you to another site’s summary? Honestly, the effort was all there, but it was wasted thanks to a terrible connection. So… here’s the link.
http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=132259
*bows humbly*
~ Espy
Tags: Skyward Sword, Consoles, Wii, People, Aonuma
Thursday 12 August 2010
In Zelda news
Gamescom, Germany’s E3, is coming. People have paid more attention to it in recent years, so there have been more and more major titles appearing at the event. Nintendo will be there, and among a whole slew of games will be Skyward Sword. Will there be some new footage or a new demo, or will it be the same demo that was at E3? Who knows. Wait and see.
Want to see the whole list of games featuring at the event and their European release dates? What a coincidence! I’ve posted them right below this sentence.
Art Academy: Learn Painting and Drawing Techniques with Step-by-Step Training (Nintendo DS) - Released
Metroid: Other M (Wii) - 3rd September 2010
Tetris Party Deluxe (Wii & Nintendo DS) - 3rd September 2010
Wii Party (Wii) - 8th October 2010
Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo DS) - 22nd October 2010
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) - 2010
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (Nintendo DS) - 2010
Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii) - Q1 2011
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Miniland Mayhem (Nintendo DS) - Q1 2011
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - 2011
Gamescom begins on the 18th of August. Just a week away. See you then!
~ Espy
Tags: Skyward Sword, Events
Tuesday 10 August 2010
In Zelda news
To celebrate the fact that the Wii has now sold 30 million unit in America, Nintendo released a press statement bragging about the fact, and also included the top ten best-selling Nintendo-published Wii games so far. At number ten was a Zelda game! Yep, you guessed it - it was none other than…
Link’s Crossbow Training.
Apparently more people were interested in the Twilight Princess lightgun mini-game spin-off than Twilight Princess itself. Probably the fact that it was bundled with a piece of plastic. Parents assume kids love that stuff.
I’ll admit I haven’t played the game - so it may be quite fun. It’s an amusing anomaly how this ended up, though.
Here’s the full list:
1. Wii Play
2. Mario Kart Wii
3. Wii Fit (with Wii Balance Board accessory)
4. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
7. Super Mario Galaxy
8. Wii Fit Plus (with Wii Balance Board accessory)
9. Mario Party 8
10. Link’s Crossbow Training
Wonder if Skyward Sword will ever make that list…
~ Espy
Tags: Consoles, Wii
Monday 26 July 2010
In Zelda news
Over at Damnlag.com, their staff compiled a list of what they believe the BEST Zelda songs are. Their decision was based on these four ideas: “catchines, compositon, usage in-game, and lasting emotional effect”.
http://www.damnlag.com/the-best-15-zelda-songs/
See any of your favorite songs that you missed? Feel free to comment below to add your opinion!
~ linkthewarrior
Tags: Media, Audio
Thursday 22 July 2010
In Zelda news
The timeline. Mention it in any Zelda forum, and no matter what you’ve all been talking about, the subject will change into a heated debate about which game comes where, or whether there even is one. Try it and see for yourself! Luckily, series director Eiji Aonuma has come to set us right. Sort of.
In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, he had the following to say:
“Yes there is a master timeline but its confidential document! The only people to have access to that document are myself, Mr. Miyamoto and the director of the title. We cant share it with anyone else! I have already talked to Mr. Miyamoto about this so I am comfortable in releasing this information – this title [Skyward Sword] takes place before Ocarina of Time. if I said that a certain title was ‘the first Zelda game’, then that means that we cant ever make a title that takes place before that! So for us to add titles to the series, we have to have a way of putting the titles before or after each other.”
So, there you have it. There is a timeline, but we’re never going to see it. That’s not exactly going to stall any arguments. But still, he does state that Skyward Sword will be set before Ocarina of Time, which a lot of people see as the first in the series. That should be interesting, if only to see it affects people’s vastly-varying theories. Thanks, Aonuma!
~ Espy
Tags: Skyward Sword, People, Aonuma
Friday 09 July 2010
In Community
Hello, how are you all doing? Coping with the lack of E3 news? Here’s something to tide you over.
In my opinion, Mega64 are very much hit-and-miss. But their interpetation of this year’s E3 is very much a hit - I laughed out loud at the end. If I say too much, I’ll spoil it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMyMCVg28I
And yes, it is Zelda-related!
~ Espy
Tags: Skyward Sword, Consoles, Wii, Events, E3, Media, Video, People, Miyamoto
Friday 18 June 2010
In Zelda news
Gamespot have uploaded a video interview with Eiji Aonuma, director of Skyward Sword, in which he talks about the inspiration behind the title, the plot and just how Wii MotionPlus is used in the title. He also mentions a little nugget right at the end of the video, which is probably the most important point made - the team really want us to experience the game as soon as possible, so he’s hoping for an early 2011 release. That’s a lot more specific than the previous “2011” we were given at the press conference, and pretty much the best 2011 date we could wish for!
Mind you, Twilight Princess was notorious for its delays, and Aonuma said he was “hoping” for an early 2011 release, not “aiming” - a subtle, but important difference. So don’t be surprised if Skyward Sword floats back a few months, or even a year! It’s all for the good of the title, though - odds are, we can rest assured that no matter how long we’ll be left waiting for this game, the end result will be fantastic.
Watch the interview here: http://e3.gamespot.com/video/6266421/
In similar news, in a Kotaku interview with Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime (http://kotaku.com/5566671/nintendo-testing-healthiness-of-3ds-advising-young-children-to-avoid-3d), he confirmed that the 3DS will be released by the end of March 2011. That’s another “early 2011”, then! And if the 3D Ocarina of Time remake is a launch title, we Zelda fans can expect a very busy year start. It’s going to be an exciting quarter.
~ Espy
Tags: Skyward Sword, Consoles, 3DS, Wii, People, Aonuma, Reggie
Wednesday 16 June 2010
In Zelda news
It’s tradition every year for Nintendo to host a roundtable conference at E3, where developers of the recently-announced titles discuss and expand on them. This year, among others, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo’s famed game designer, and Eiji Aonuma, who having directed pretty much every Zelda title since Majora’s Mask, is the most important man in Zelda today, were attending to discuss, you guessed it, Zelda.
So what was revealed? Lots. So here’s a quick recap about went on.
First, some plot details were revealed. In previous titles, Link has been everything from a ranch worker, to an island dweller, to a forest lurker. This Link comes from the sky. He’s an inhabitant of the floating island Skyloft. When we meet him in the game, he discovers that there is a whole new land below his feet, and finds it rife with evil. During the game you’ll travel between Skyloft and this land below (Hyrule?). This adds some meaning to the game’s title, and also the skydiving Link in the trailer. It also may have something to do with Aonuma’s hint from a few months ago that the game will feature flight.
The new art style, and its inspiration, were discussed. Miyamoto revealed that he found inspiration in nineteenth-century impressionism - the likes of Monet, as he claimed to be a fan of the art from that era. He said it not only affects the backgrounds, but the enemies, who have exaggerated dimensions and movements. The lush sky is a tribute to Cézanne. You’ll have to excuse my ignorance, as I have no idea who Cézanne is.
They also discussed the soundtrack, which you’ll be glad to hear is going to be fully orchestrated for the first time in the series. Miyamoto said that after Mario Galaxy 2, it wouldn’t be right not to do the same for Zelda.
Some gameplay aspects were expanded upon, too. The screen-consuming Wiimote HUD which was permanently attached to the side of the screen in the demo can be turned off, so hooray for that. They also said that maps will be easier to follow, as they felt previous games used maps which were difficult to read. Finally, they mentioned that the game will use MotionPlus and the sensor bar to track the player’s actions, even if you’re pointing away from the screen.
They also shed some light on the mysterious Ocarina of Time screenshots that appeared out of the blue yesterday. Miyamoto acknowledged them, and said that they were having a look through their back catalogue for titles that could use a 3DS version, by adding new features or simply giving them an extra dimension. Referring to Ocarina of Time, he said he enjoys the openness of Hyrule Field, and wanted to see how it looked in 3D. He confirmed that the game, and Star Fox 64 3D aren’t just tech demos, but they are being “actively developed”. Whether that development will result in a game on store shelves remains to be seen, but after revealing so much, I don’t think the fans will let them get away with not doing it!
And lastly, in reference to the remake, Aonuma revealed possibly the best news of all. He admitted that the game’s Water Temple stage was tremendously difficult (if you found it easy, you’re lying), and said that the new game could be improved by making it easier. He mentioned the touch screen could make the ability to change boots quicker and easier. Hear that? The Water Temple is going to be easier. Playing Ocarina of Time won’t make you bald.
*UPDATE* The existence of Ocarina of Time 3D has now pretty much been officially confirmed, thanks to this handy tweet from the official Nintendo twitter account: http://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/16268409393
So you can look forward to your 3D classic!
~ Espy
Tags: Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Events, E3, People, Aonuma, Miyamoto
Tuesday 15 June 2010
In Zelda news
NeoGAF forumer Cygnus X-1 has gone through the trouble of downloading and resizing the screenshots from Nintendo’s E3 media pack, which we’re uploading here. The game looks absolutely fantastic, a real return to form and this time playing to the strengths of the Wii hardware.
Rumours are abound that Nintendo are also planning on releasing an Ocarina of Time 3DS remake because of some screenshots found on their E3 press site. Now, these screenshots are definitely real, so the question remains, is it a full game or just a tech demo?
The screenshots are beautiful but also fairly sparse, with Link so far only shown riding around Hyrule field. It’s also odd that Nintendo haven’t yet said anything about this as yet.
Edit: It’s confirmed! A full 3D remake! Awesome E3.
~ Nexus Zero
Tags: Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Events, E3
It’s okay Espy.
Also, seriously? That demo area is somewhere in the main game?
In Skyward Sword Details in Nintendo Power by MSLynk