Nintendo Press Conference Part 1 - Zelda's 25th
Nintendo’s press conference was packed with information that would make for an extremely long wall of text summary, so I’m splitting it up. I cannot escape my Nintendo bias in this process, so forgive me as I start with my beloved Zelda.
February 22 marked the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda franchise, yet it came and went with little fanfare. Miyamoto delivered on his promise to honor his epic series at this year’s E3 with news of four distinct Zelda releases and various fun things to buy. Note that I’ve put myself into a media blackout towards Skyward Sword following the latest trailer, details there will be minimal.
Skyward Sword has been confirmed as a release for Holiday 2011. I suspect this means mid-November, but you may want to hold off on your pre-order until bundle details are shared. One of the anniversary collector’s items is a golden Zelda-branded Wii Remote, though purchasing details were not shared. Since Skyward Sword requires Wii MotionPlus, a relatively under-adopted peripheral among the hardcore consumer, this golden remote will likely be bundled with the game and sold for a $60, give or take $10. Note that the peripheral is still sold separately, but all new Wii remotes have the technology built-in. The bundle will still provide a good deal on a new Wii remote, which are being carried over to the WiiU, so it’s probably worth your money anyway.
Link’s Awakening (DX) is the first title coming to the 3DS Virtual Console for GB and GBC games, available now for $5.99. This particular title is rather dear to me as my second Zelda game ever and the inspiration for this site’s (former) name. Remember, there’s a special ending if you play without dying once, THIEF.
This September, Four Swords, the game originally packaged with Link to the Past GBA is coming to DSiWare for free. This precursor to the Gamecube standalone Four Swords Adventure is regrettably the only Nintendo-made Zelda game I haven’t played and with the demise of the GBA, that has become rather impossible to fix. The problem with the game was its expensive entry-level, requiring friends with GBAs, the game, and link cables, but by providing it on the DSi and 3DS, it becomes at least capable of local multiplayer. It is unclear whether or not there will be online support (squee). The game itself is on par with any Zelda title in terms of quality and fun.
And of course, Ocarina of Time 3DS is still coming June 19. Previously vague details of the game were shared at Nintendo’s press conference. Master Quest will be included on the cartridge with actual ramped up enemy difficulty and a mirrored Hyrule, making it harder to navigate. I’m not particularly excited about that “feature,” having played both the Gamecube and Wii versions of Twilight Princess - it’s not exactly harder, just a little confusing. There’s also a boss challenge feature that keeps track of your completion times. The game is great. And now, it’s available for a wider audience!
Miyamoto also announced performances of Zelda music by an orchestra around the world. Few further details were given regarding locations, but that information should be provided soon. An apparently limited release of the Ocarina of Time soundtrack will be provided as a gift to the first OoT3DS owners to register the game on Club Nintendo. Following that, an album featuring recordings of the Anniversary Orchestra will be made available. Music is great.
Part of the WiiU demonstration video included footage of an HD Zelda, a demo reel with connections to Twilight Princess. We can assume there will be a Zelda title for WiiU at some point, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume such a game is in progress already. Certainly don’t expect it at launch, but look forward to the UI advances and HD glory. The demo’s presence at E3 is merely a demonstration of the WiiU’s screen swapping (playing on either TV or controller) and UI management capabilities.
