Zelda Dungeon » Nintendo News

Zelda 25th Anniversary Poster Set Shipment Delayed

Destiny — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:02:33 +0000

Remember those awesome Zelda 25th Anniversary posters that are a coin reward from Club Nintendo? Well if you’re waiting for them to arrive or wanting to order them, it seems we will have to wait just a bit longer to get our fancy posters. According to Club Nintendo, due to a lot of orders from us fans, their shipping is currently delayed and won’t be shipping back until the third week of February. Too bad, I was really looking forward to getting mine, but I’m sure these posters are well worth the wait in any case.

So are you impatiently awaiting your set of fancy posters? Planning on ordering soon? Still trying to get points? Tell us in the comments!

Source: Club Nintendo’s Official Website

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Deku Baba

New Translations From Hyrule Historia

Jesse — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:16:31 +0000

The amazing people over at GlitterBerri have been hard at work uncovering all of the details hidden within the Japanese text of Hyrule Historia. As each day passes they come closer to getting every page translated. Since our last update on their progress, they have fully translated five different sections and are still hard at work at bringing us even more.

From a statement from Shigeru Miyamoto to mysteries of the Triforce and the Palace of the Twilight, the new translations from Hyrule Historia may uncover more exciting details of the Zelda series than previous sections of the book. Make the jump inside to read a few quotes from Miyamoto and to find out more about what was uncovered in the translations.

Miyamoto’s Statement
- Link was named “Link” to convey the meaning of someone who connects. The idea was of a character that would cross time and link the energy spread around the world.
- Link is meant to represent the player.
- Impa’s name came from the verb “to impart.”
- Impa, Link and Zelda were the original “three guardians of the Triforce.” The Triforce relationship nowadays is between Link, Zelda and Ganon, but that was established in Ocarina of Time; the first Ganon was a villain looking for the Triforce.
- Miyamoto fears that, with increasing production values, the most important parts of gaming will be neglected.
- He believes what matters in a videogame is the game system, the action, the sensations, the creativity, and the production values.
- He’s been watching over the Zelda series like a guard to ensure the series goes in the right direction.
- As long as players are still interested in Zelda, new games will continue to be born.

The Sorcerer’s Birth and the Tempering of the Four Swords

As this year marked the 100th year of the Picori Festival, the festival was more magnificent than ever before. The winner of the annual swordsmanship tournament was a man of unknown origin named Vaati.
Vaati was after the Bounded Chest. He broke the Picori Blade and opened the chest, but the Light Force that he was looking was nowhere to be found. Instead, a horde of monsters came gushing out of its insides.
Vaati turned Princess Zelda to stone and set out to look for the Light Force all over the human world.

Those Chosen by the Triforce

Although young, Princess Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, possessed the power of someone chosen by the Gods. One night, she had a premonition of Hyrule’s future in her sleep.
Ganondorf was after the Sacred Realm’s Triforce, which could lead to the world’s destruction. Princess Zelda believed in that prophecy, but his father, the king of Hyrule, did not. Princess Zelda and her nurse Impa took it upon themselves to keep an eye on Ganondorf when he visited the castle.

Those Chosen by the Triforce (continued)

While Link gathered the three spiritual stones, Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle. He took that strong measure in order to take away by force the treasure protected by the royal family and that led to the Sacred Realm.
As Princess Zelda escaped from the castle with the help of Impa, she saw Link. Princess Zelda prayed for the Triforce to be protected and threw the ocarina to Link.

The Palace of the Twilight

To enter the Twilight Realm, Link travelled to the Mirror of Twilight. There, Midna noticed that the Mirror of Twilight had been destroyed by Zant. She learns that Zant’s powers come from Ganondorf, who had been banished to the Twilight Realm long ago.
Midna and Link collects the shards of the Mirror of Twilight, which had been scattered both throughout Hyrule and in the ancient City in the Sky.

The Resistance

•Twilight Hyrule Castle
Zant had been defeated, but the battle wasn’t over yet. In his mission to cover the world in twilight, Zant had managed to hand over the control of Hyrule Castle to the King of Darkness. With the help of The Resistance, Link advances through the twilight covered fortress.
•Ganondorf’s Full Recovery
Ganondorf, the King of Darkness, had once again returned to the Light World and sits waiting in the throne room of Hyrule Castle. He fights Link taking on many different forms, at first possessing the body of Zelda and later attacking him as a beast and on horseback.
Princess Zelda, whose spirit had been residing in Midna up until that point, covers Link using the Light Arrows.

Ganondorf’s Repeated Revivals

•Ganondorf’s Secret Plans
After hundreds of years, Ganondorf, who had been sealed away when Hyrule sunk into the ocean, is revived again. Ganondorf attacked the temples of the Great Sea, killing the two sages who had been praying for the Master Sword.
Once he was out on the open sea. He set up a base in the Forsaken Fortress and began searching for the one granted the Triforce of Wisdom, the descendant of Princess Zelda.
•The Descendants of the Royal Family and the Pirate Crew.
For the sake of preventing Ganondorf, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is awakened from his seal by the Goddesses. Calling himself “The King of Red Lions”, he posses a red boat and sets out to search for a new hero and the descendant of the royal family.
In this era, Zelda -the descendant of the royal family- had been brought up as Tetra, the captain of a pirate crew.

Searching for the Four Elements

•The Picori World and the Elements
Feeling guilty for the trouble Vaati has caused, Ezlo takes Link to　magical portal, which upon entry makes Link shrink to the size of a Picori.　Thus, Link was able to enter Minish Village.
The Picori Blade could be repaired, but to break Vaati’s curse it had to be infused with power to become a holy sword.　Link set out to search for the four elements hidden all over the world to infuse them with the sword in the Elemental Sanctuary.
•Vaati’s　Ploy
Vaati, being unable to locate the Light Force on his own, took control over the King of Hyrule and force every soldier in the kingdom to look for it.
He learned from the legends of the Wind Tribe that “when the Four Elements are gathered, the path to the Light Force will open”.
Since he knew that Link were already gathering said elements, Vaati decided to bide his time and let Link do all the work for him.

Above are the beginning paragraphs for each newly translated section of Hyrule Historia. To dig deeper into each section and continue reading just click the bold link above each paragraph. I have to give full thanks to the people working over at GlitterBerri for all they have done to translate this book for all of us Zelda fans. Their work is greatly appreciated! Although all of the recently translated pages are full of info, I found Miyamoto’s statement to be the most exciting, but what do you guys think? Which section did you find to be the most informative? Which did you enjoy reading the most?

Source: Hyrule Historia Translations

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New Club Nintendo Reward: Golden Nunchuck

Mases — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:17:34 +0000

After the special edition of the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was announced nearly 4 months ago, fans quickly were raising the question, what about a golden nunchuck? While we never did get one for Skyward Sword, it turns out we are in fact getting one now! Better late than never I guess. The Golden Nunchuck was announced at the Japanese Club Nintendo website and it will be available for 600 points.

However, there is currently a promotion where if you purchase Skyward Sword and register it on Club Nintendo, you can get this Golden Nunchuck for just 400 points. This offer is valid through February 20th of 2012. As of right now this seems to only be a Japanese special offer and we aren’t sure if this will make its way over to other regions. Go ahead and make the jump to find some larger images of the new Golden Nunchuck.

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Iwata Wants To Complete Zelda Wii U In 3 Years!

Jesse — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:06:07 +0000

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is finally here and released after a long 5 year waiting period since the last console release. This was the longest since A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time which lasted an incredibly long 7 years. Luckily to help bridge the gap between Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword we had several different releases on the DS and 3DS to get us by, but now that the wait for Skyward Sword is over and thanks to the Zelda Wii U demo, we now begin the long wait for the next console Zelda title.

On one of the segments of Iwata asks, Iwata asked if it would be possible to complete a brand new Zelda game within 3 years. To read the discussion from the segment for yourself be sure to keep reading after making the jump!

“Aonuma
I really don’t know what to do! (laughs) For the next one, if we will build on the methods we established this time, we might end up getting into a rut.

Fujibayashi
That’s difficult. I’m thinking about the next game, too, and I feel like the hurdle is really high.

Aonuma
But there is a lot left that we didn’t do this time.

Iwata
You have limited time and people, so there’s bound to be something left over. But five years is a long time. (laughs) Can’t you do it in three years next time?

Aonuma
Sorry! You’re right! (laughs wryly)

Fujibayashi
Sorry, I’ll think of something that can happen in three years!”

So is it really possible to fully complete a Zelda title in less than 3 years? We know Majora’s Mask only took 2 years to complete, but it also used left over ideas and the same character designs from Ocarina of Time. So why couldn’t Zelda Wii U do the same? It would be nice to re-explore the world of Skyward Sword, see if Link went on an adventure after the end, see the formation of life in Hyrule by the Skyloftians and all without dealing with jagged edges would be amazing! If you fell inlove with Skyward Sword like I did than I’m sure you would love to see a follow up with the same characters you connected with or it could be a brand new game on it’s own and reuse the same character designs as OoT, WW, Tp or SS.

How do you long think a new Zelda Wii U game would take to complete and release? Do you think they could actually make another perfect Zelda title or would it end up feeling rushed? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below and remember to check back for more updates!

Source: MyNintendoNews Via ZeldaUniverse

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Win a Free Nintendo 3DS – Ocarina of Time 3D Bundle

Mases — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:57 +0000

A few weeks back, the guys over at 3DS Focus posted about an Ocarina of Time 3D Bundle. At first it was mentioned to be released in Europe, but we later got confirmation that it was coming out in both the United Statues and Australia. In America, it was confirmed via the Black Friday GameStop advertisement. I have since traveled to my local Gamestop and while the bundle is supposedly one week away, the employees and even the store manager have no idea of its existence! Even after showing them the advertisement, they couldn’t confirm that their store would be getting these in. With just 6 days until Black Friday, there seems to be a bit of uncertainty as to what degrees all GameStop’s will have these.

So even if you cannot afford to buy a Nintendo 3DS right now, you could be in luck! The guys over at 3DS Focus are now giving away a Nintendo 3DS of their own! How can you win your own Nintendo 3DS? Well, jump inside to find the details.

HOW TO ENTER

STEP 1
‘Like’ the 3DS Focus Facebook page at www.facebook.com/3DSFocus Already a fan? Go to Step 2.

STEP 2
E-mail your full name to 3DSFocus[at]gmail.com with the subject header ’3DS Competition.’

STEP 3
Copy the following sentence and paste it into a Facebook status update, encouraging your friends to get in on the action:

WIN a NINTENDO 3DS or FOUR 3DS GAMES! ‘Copy and paste this sentence as a status update, ‘Like’ the @3DSFocus Facebook page, and e-mail your name to 3DSFocus@gmail.com to enter! T&Cs at www.3dsfocus.com/2011/10/win-3ds.html

STEP 4
You’re done! Sit back, wait, and cross everything. In the meantime, feel free to ‘Like’ or Tweet this post via the buttons above

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DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING

STEP 1
Tweet the following: WIN a Nintendo 3DS or 4 3DS Games of Your Choice! Enter at http://bit.ly/3dsfocus #win #competition #sweepstakes #3ds

STEP 2
Send a link to the tweet (grab it from the “xx hours ago from xx” line underneath the tweet in your timeline) and send it to 3dsfocus@gmail.com

The competition ends on midnight December 15, 2011, so with any luck you’ll get your prize before Christmas! Good luck!

Source: 3DS Focus

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Nintendo Email: Celebrate Skyward Sword

Knowlee — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:45:07 +0000

Nintendo has circulated an email informing people about a celebration of the launch of Skyward Sword. It is set to take place at Nintendo World in New York City from 9am to 1pm. They have many different things planned for the celebration such as: completing a Zelda Trivia challenge, taking a picture with the Master Sword, and getting a gift with the purchase of Skyward Sword.

To see a picture of the email and my thoughts please take the jump.

I personally think this is awesome. If I was able to I would most definitely attend this celebration and see if I could meet other fellow Zelda fans as well as doing all of the things that they have planned for the event. Sadly though I live too far away and do not have the funds to use to get me to New York City in order to go to event.

So how about you guys? Are you attending the event? Or are you like me: unable to attend due to the distance and lack of funds? Please tell us in the comments section below and stay tuned for more Zelda news!

Update: Zelda Dungeon will be live at this event, so if you see someone running around in an awesome Zelda Dungeon t-shirt, feel free to say hello!

Source: GoNintendo

Zelda Universe: 25 Years In 25 Days – 1998

Jesse — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:36:40 +0000

Our great friends over at Zelda Universe have released yet another great year in their 25 years in 25 days segments. Today’s year is 1998. This is the year that seemingly changed gaming forever and created a bench mark for almost every title released after to be compared to. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered one of if not the greatest game ever and is still praised by fans to this day.

1998 laid the foundation down for almost all future title, but if we look past Ocarina of Time what else did this year have to offer? If your interested than be sure to make the jump to find out!

Link’s Awakening DX was the first Zelda game to be remade in the United States and Europe with only the re-release of The Legend of Zelda in cartridge format for the Famicom to beat it in Japan. Taking after Super Mario All-Stars, a re-release of the first three Super Mario games, LADX went above and beyond the call of duty to lure gamers who already owned the original title to buy it, and namely that was the secret Color Dungeon, a dungeon that you could only play using a Game Boy Color. Yes, you could actually play LADX on an original Game Boy thanks to its dual-mode graphics, but the game could detect if you were playing in black and white and wouldn’t let you into the new dungeon. The same sort of thing would be done in the Oracle games by granting special features to those playing on the Game Boy Advance as well. The reward for beating the dungeon was pretty significant as well: a new suit of armor, coating Link in red or blue based upon your choice, which gave the player a permanent offense or defense upgrade much like the Piece of Power or the Guardian Acorn.

Taking the world by storm, Ocarina of Time released in November (or December if you lived in Europe like me or Australia like Cody) of 1998. Ocarina of Time was the first 3D Zelda game, so needless to say it would set several standards for the series. And for many Zelda fans today, OoT was their virgin experience with the Legend of Zelda series. In fact, back in ’98 and in the years soon thereafter, many people on the Zelda forums would accidentally claim, “Why of course I’ve played the first Zelda game; Ocarina of Time is one of my favorites!” The game is still to this day the game that future Zelda games—games like Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and yes even Skyward Sword—are compared against, perhaps fairly or unfairly so. However, what earlier games like The Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past had not yet already done for Zelda, Ocarina of Time would cement the remainder of the “modern Zelda” characteristics into place.

1998 was definitely a head turning year for video game fans that none of us seen coming. I was 10 back then and from the moment I first picked up that odd shaped controller it became glued to my hands and Zelda started consuming my childhood! If you want to check out everything 1998 had to offer than go check out Zelda Universe’s full article on the year and don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Also be sure to check out the new updates in our Skyward Sword Walkthrough and the Zelda Wiki everyone has been working on!

Source: Zelda Universe

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Zelda Universe – 25 Years In 25 Days: 1997

Jesse — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:10:25 +0000

As you may know our great friends over at Zelda Universe have been doing a special countdown for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword offering a highly thought out article going through the many years in Zelda history and giving details on all the Zelda related events that went on during that year. This is a great idea from Zelda Universe giving fans something to read, think about and discuss each day to get our minds off of that long awaited release date!

Today they released year 1997 which for many of us had nothing special about unless you were one of the few able to play the BS Zelda games, but little did we know that Nintendo was working on the game that would change our lives forever. That’s right The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was due for a 1998 release and we were just one year away. So what exactly happened in 1997 to make it so great for Zelda? Make the jump to find out!

So what did happen in 1997? Well, if you were fortunate enough to live in Japan and had a Super Famicon with a Satellaview, you could be part of the slim minority on planet Earth to have played the BS Zelda games. First off, the ‘BS’ in the name stands for “Broadcast Satellite,” not what BS typically stands for. (The offensive term in question obviously being “Beijing Studios” since calling the games “Beijing Studios Zelda” is ignorant as they were made in Japan.) BS Zelda were re-releases/spin-offs of previous Zelda games, downloaded through the Satellaview system to be played on the Super Famicom.

BS Zelda gamers were some of the first to experience an online multiplayer component on a console. While only one person at a time could play the downloaded ROM, players’ point scores were ranked against each other, with prizes handed out to the best of the best. On the downside, the window of opportunity was very short to download the game at all. In addition, each download could only be played at predetermined periods of “Zelda time”, typically lasting one hour. Perhaps this was done so no one could rig the online scoreboards or to simply prevent the player from enjoying the games at their own convenience. In any case, I’m sure this limited download/playing time was agonizing for eager children not in control of their own schedules and family electronics.

Personally I never heard any rumors of upcoming Zelda games until the advertisement for Ocarina of Time, but as soon as I picked up the controller I was hooked and kept digging for more info on it and URA along with MM. Since that was all a year away I was still spending my days exploring the world of Hyrule and going on silly adventures with Mario on the SNES. What about you? How did 1997 go for you? Curious on how it went for the world of Hyrule? Than go check out Zelda Universe’s full article on the year by clicking the link or the banner above and don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Also be sure to check out the new updates in our Skyward Sword Walkthrough and the Zelda Wiki everyone has been working on!

Source: Zelda Universe

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Skyward Sword Will Not Be Left Handed?!

Jesse — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:25:54 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I made a news post about IGN mentioning we would have the option to choose between playing with our right or left hand at the beginning of Skyward Sword Story. I’m sorry to say this, but as it turns out they had their information wrong. Nintendo officially announced the choice to play left handed would not be in the game. This is a big let down for lefties after being unsure of the option for over a year and finally being told some great news just to get it stripped away a month from release, but I’m sure even without the option to choose this game is still going to be amazing!

Stephen Totilo of Kotaku was one of the lucky few that had some hands on experience with Skyward Sword and even discussed the game with some Nintendo Representatives. He discussed his experience with the game and its compatibility for left handed people and the reps never mentioned a left handed mode. Confused on whether or not it was going to be included in the game he sent an email to Nintendo public relations and linked them the IGN video. When Nintendo responded they officially confirmed a left hand mode was not an option. To read the full story from Stephen keep reading after the jump.

Last week, I wrote about my experiences as a left-handed person playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. To save you the re-reading, I’ll let you know that I survived.

I had some trouble playing the game, which seemed tailored for righties, but I got used to it. Some readers, however, wondered if there was a lefty mode. Some even pointed to an IGN report that stated that there is one. I was surprised that none of the Nintendo reps who sat with me while I talked about the game’s compatibility for left-handed people had mentioned a lefty mode. None of them was a developer on the game, but they were knowledgeable folks nonetheless.

I e-mailed Nintendo public relations to be sure and even linked them the IGN video, which makes verbal mention of it but doesn’t show it, to make sure we were talking about the same thing. Now I’ve got an official response: Nintendo confirms there’s no left-handed mode in the game. Go figure.

This is no tragedy. What it means, I guess, is that Link will hold his sword in his right hand as he did in the Wii version of his previous Zelda console game. Prior to that, he’d been a lefty in all of his most famous games.

This lefty/righty thing is an issue because Skyward Sword requires players to use a Wii Remote with Motion Plus to swing hero Link’s sword with finesse, the kind of finesse a left-hander like me might not feel when wielding the Remote in one’s right hand. This wasn’t an issue with the previous Wii Zelda, Twilight Princess. That game tolerated cruder, less careful gestures and had a more limited and less interesting move-set as a result. A lefty like me could easily just put the Wii Remote in their left hand to play Skyward Sword, but that forces the Wii’s Nunchuk to go in the right hand, and makes you move the character with your right thumb on the Nunchuk’s thumbstick. That configuration had felt unnatural when I tried it. I didn’t like it, but some Kotaku readers said that they might want to play Skyward Sword with the Remote in their left hand… as long as the game would put Link’s sword in his left hand. That’s what this lefty mode would have been, but it’s not in there.

Without the lefty mode, Link will keep his sword in his right and the player will simply have to decide which hand to put the Remote in and which will wield the Nunchuk. I’m putting the Remote in my right.

My fellow left-handers, do not fret. I was okay. You will be, too.

Yes, I know this does suck, but it really is not the end of the world. He is left handed and had a great time with the game and I’m sure you will too. Everyone will still be able to enjoy Skyward Sword to its fullest potential and it will still be an amazing game. I know it is probably a huge let down to a lot of the left handed fans of the series, but just like with every other game we are going to have to use our left hand to move and the right hand to perform actions.

With the bad news out of the way we can continue our countdown to the release of Skyward Sword and hope it lives up to all the hype it is creating. How big of a let down was this for you or did you always plan on playing it right handed to begin with? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and remember to keep checking back for more Zelda updates.

Source: Kotaku via GoNintendo

New Skyward Sword Footage and Details to Appear on GTTV

Jesse — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:42:23 +0000

It seems the president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, is going to be appearing on Game Trailers TV to talk about Nintendo’s upcoming releases for this holiday season. One of which being The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. GTTV promises “exclusive new footage and details on the forthcoming Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii.”

This could quite possibly be the last big spoiler we get from Nintendo before the long awaited release of Skyward Sword. I know it has me excited and wondering what exactly is going to be announced and what new footage they are going to show. Last time Reggie made an appearance on a show it was with Jimmy Fallon and I’m sure we all remember how that went. Hopefully this time with more professional people he can actually have a chance to tell us about Skyward Sword and maybe even some info on the Wii U or other important Nintendo titles. Keep reading after the jump for the full quote from Nintendo Everything and the date of this exciting event.

Every so often, GameTrailers TV focuses on Nintendo for a full episode. This year’s show will air on October 27 and will feature Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. GTTV promises “exclusive new footage and details on the forthcoming Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii.”

Additionally, Fils-Aime will chat about Nintendo’s holiday lineup for Wii and 3DS.

Reggie usually has some interesting things to say, so that, along with the new Skyward Sword footage, means that Nintendo fans should tune in to GTTV in a couple of weeks.

So what are your thoughts on this? Are you going to be able to handle even more video footage and info about Skyward Sword? Tell us how you guys feel in the comments below and remember to keep checking back for the constant Zelda news coming to us.

Source: Nintendo Everything

Related: Skyward Sword Guide

Skyward Sword Limited Edition Is Very Limited: Short Supply

Setterwind — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 09:00:31 +0000

If you haven’t put The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Limited Edition on preorder yet, you had better get moving because they aren’t going to be available forever. Nintendo of Europe warns us that there is getting to be a short supply of games to go around.

“*Stocks are limited and the limited edition bundle will mainly be available to fans who pre-order from GAME or Amazon. It is possible that part of the stock will be available at retail following the pre-order period.”

-NoE

This shortage may very well be only in Europe seeing as how Nintendo of Europe is the one who said this but it may also be everywhere. Letting everyone know just to be sure. Wouldn’t want anyone to be left out now would we? Have you preordered yet? What was your reason for wanting the Limited Edition? The gold Wiimote? The Soundtrack? Comment down below and let us know!

Source: Nintendo of Europe
Via: GoNintendo

Skyward Sword: Official Gaepora Artwork

Vince — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:09:01 +0000

Another piece of artwork? Why yes, this time it’s none other than the headmaster of the Skyloft Knight Academy and Zelda’s father, Gaepora! The official artwork was recently posted on Nintendo of America’s official twitter page. Though Gaepora looks a bit rounder in the artwork than in previous trailers and screenshots he’s still looking wise and more stylish than ever.

Another interesting detail we can pull out of the artwork is the book Gaepora is holding, it looks familiar but what could it be?

Be sure to take the jump to read our thoughts on the subject.

By now we have all made the connection between this Gaepora and the Kaepora Gaebora from previous Zelda installments that appeared as a wise owl. Kaepora Gaebora being the creature that guides Link in his many adventures has always been known to have a vast knowledge of Hyrule, but how did he obtain this knowledge? The book featured in the artwork could be a hinting as to why that is.

You may have noticed the book being held bears an awful resemblance to an item of great importance from A Link to the Past, the Book of Mudora. Those of you unfamiliar with this item should know the book is a collection of ancient Hylian stories as well as a translating guide for the Hylian language. Seeing that Skyward Sword is said to be the earliest game on the Zelda timeline it would make sense why The Book of Mudora would make an appearance. From the various impressions we’ve read so far it is known that there are many possible references to games such as The Minish Cap and Link’s Awakening, so why not A Link to the Past.

One last thing that I have noticed which furthers my opinion that the book in the image is the Book of Mudora, is the Ocarina of Time 3D easter eggs. You may have noticed the various Skyward Sword easter eggs that appear in the game but did you notice the ones in Impa’s house. In the 3D version of OoT Impa’s house contains many hints that weren’t in the previous version. There was also another addition which laid on top of the table, a strange green book that had a Shekiah symbol on it. Could this have been an early hint to the books appearance in Skyward Sword?

So what do you guys think? Will this book be the Book of Mudora? Do you like the new artwork? Post your thoughts below!

Source: Nintendo of America Twitter

Related: Skyward Sword Walkthrough

Zelda Symphony Concert Coming to Australia

Mases — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:37:54 +0000

A few months ago when the Zelda Symphony Concert was first announced we soon found out that there will be dates in both London and Los Angelos. We haven’t gotten any other definite locations yet, but we do know that Nintendo has a nation-wide tour planned in 2012. What about the rest of the world? Nintendo of Australia has setup a mini-site dedicated to the 25th anniversary and it is similar to that of the European and American versions of the website.

The notable differences with the site is that there is no image button for the Orchestral Concert Tour and some buttons are re-arranged on the site. Also, there is no link for Link’s Awakening DX on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, but instead there are links to the Australian pages for Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, and Twilight Princess. The anniversary page does have the same links to the history page, flipnote contest, and downloadable wallpapers. The Australian site does have a few text links at the bottom of the page and if we look closely at the source code for these, we see something that catches our eye.

The highlighted part in green text seems to indicate that there will be a text link in the footer of the webpage eventually. However, the current coding makes it so that none of this displays at all on the page for the viewer. So in basic terms, they have already prepared coding and will need to just make tiny changes once the link is up.

Does this mean that the concert tour is coming to Australia? Well, it sure seems like whoever designed the website surely thinks so. Unfortunately it is still a waiting game as there hasn’t been any word from Nintendo themselves. Be sure to check back for all the latest on tour dates for the Symphony Concert.

Source: Nintendo of Australia via Vooks

Related: Skyward Sword Guide

Make Your Own Zelda Flipnote

TheGreen — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:51:55 +0000

Nintendo today announced a competition for the Zelda series 25th anniversary using the DSi software Flipnote Studio. To enter the competition you’ll need a DSi or DSi XL with internet access. Nintendo is asking for creative, fun and exciting flipnotes to be submitted. The best will be shown on Nintendo’s website!

The judges will include notable Zelda figures including Takashi Tezuka, Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shigeru Miyamoto. The competition opened today and will close tomorrow the 9th of August so be sure to get your entry in on time.

This competition is another great way to celebrate Zelda’s 25th anniversary and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with! Check back to Zelda Dungeon for the results of the competition.

Souce: Video Gamer

Nintendo 3DS Price Cut

TheGreen — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:55:05 +0000

Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™ system to $169.99 in the United States. The new price takes effect Aug. 12 and makes an outstanding value even better.

That’s right, starting August 12th you’ll be able to pick up a new 3DS for only $169.99. For many of us who recently bought the 3DS (myself included) this may be a bit upsetting, but you won’t be upest for long:

But what about the 830,000 of you who already own a Nintendo 3DS? You’re some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and we’re rewarding you for getting in on the action early with not one, not 10, but 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop!

20 games from the 3DS eshop may not be the same as the $80 price cut, but I certainly think it’s worth more than that. But to sweeten the deal on what Nintendo is calling the ‘Ambassador’ program they’ve also stated that 10 of these games will be exclusive to 3DS owners in the Ambassador program and other games will be released to Ambassadors early.

See a list of games exclusive to the Ambassador program after the jump.

Here’s a list of the eshop games that will be released with special privilages for 3DS Ambassadors.

Games that will come early and free to Ambassadors:
-Super Mario Bros.
-Donkey Kong Jr.
-Balloon Fight
-Ice Climber
-The Legend of Zelda

Games that will be exclusive to Ambassadors for the Gameboy Advance Virtual Console:
-Yoshi’s Island
-Super Mario™ Advance 3
-Mario Kart™: Super Circuit
-Metroid™ Fusion
-WarioWare™, Inc
-Mega Microgame
-Mario vs. Donkey Kong

This will be a great opportunity for people who haven’t picked up the 3DS to get one, and at an amazing price. For those of us who already have a 3DS, if you access the eShop before August 11th you’ll automatically be registered for the Ambassador program which will get you 20 free downloaded games which will included The Legend of Zelda. This is great news to hear for retro Zelda fans and a great opportunity for newer fans to see where the franchise began.

Let us know what you think of the price cut and the Ambassador program in the comments below.

Source: Nintendo
Related: The Legend of Zelda Walkthrough

Link’s Awakening for $3.99 on 3DS eshop

TheGreen — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:50:17 +0000

Recent statements from Nintendo have clued us in a bit more on the pricing for games from the 3DS’s eshop. They haven’t explicity stated which games will be included in the eshop, or the pricing for those games, but they’ve given us a ballpark range for the games with the rock bottom price for any game being $1.99.

From the information released we learned the prices of the following games:
-$3.99 Super Mario Land
-$2.99 Alleyway
-$2.99 Radar Mission

All three of these games were made for the original Gameboy, and from everything we’ve heard the eshop will rely heavily on vintage Gameboy games. The main question to come out of this is will there be a price hike for Gameboy Color games? My favorite Gameboy Color title, Link’s Awakening DX, has been confirmed by Nintendo, and even though a higher end Gameboy game like Super Mario Land is going for the great price of $3.99, I can’t help but think that these especially low prices are used as a selling point of the 3DS and the eshop, meanwhile, titles that are released after the eshop launch will be priced higher.

Another worry of mine is that Alleyway is priced higher than the base price of $1.99. I played Alleyway on the original Gameboy and it’s pretty bare bones even for a Gameboy game. I’m not saying that the game isn’t worth the $2.99 price tag, but I’m worried it will open the door for games to sell at higher prices, especially games for the more recent Gameboy Color.

As for Link’s Awakening, I expect it will be one of the better games for the eshop and in reality it would be worth getting for quite a large amount, but let’s hope that this game and other great Nintendo titles follow suit and keep the relatively low price tag set by Super Mario Land.

Source: Wired.com via Zelda Universe
Related: Link’s Awakening Walkthrough

Nintendo Only Shipping 150,000 Copies of Ocarina of Time 3D at Launch

Djinn — Sat, 07 May 2011 22:59:20 +0000

Recently leaked information over on Andriasang has revealed that there would be a very limited amount of copies of Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D available on the release date. Their sources revealed that Nintendo will be shipping less than 150,ooo units for the initial release and will be sending small shipments to all retailers of the long awaited update.

The announcement comes after a very recent leaked rumor just days earlier that there might be a smaller than usual shipment of copies available upon the launch date. Now their sources have divulged even more information on the estimated number of copies that will be made available. This will no doubt cause an influx of pre-orders as there are now fears of stores selling out shortly after release. This decision is theorized to have been made in an attempt to avoid any eventual bargain bin sales as seen with Spirit Tracks by withholding the quantity to a smaller amount increasing demand. There is still the likelihood of further shipments in the near future from Nintendo to alleviate this shortage.

While this is a shocking development to hear at first, I am not too surprised. We have seen shortages of both the Wii console and Super Mario Wii in the past; and while yes they were hard to come by early on, they did eventually become available. Shortages such as this one do wonders to drive up presales and increased demand by the time of the second shipment. I believe this is only temporary and the game will be readily available in no time at all.

Source: Andriasang

So what do you think? Is this an intelligent move on Nintendo’s part? Have you preordered your copy of Ocarina of Time 3D yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Related: Ocarina of Time 3D Walkthrough

Zelda Augmented Reality Card

TheGreen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:48:12 +0000

As recently seen in the Official Nintendo Magazine, Nintendo revealed six of their Augmented Reality Cards. One of these cards was shown in the features trailer for the 3DS, and can be seen in video below at the 1:50 mark. All six cards seen below come with every 3DS and all of them are Nintendo favorites.

The card we’re interested in is the Link card of course, but no one is really sure what to expect. In the video below, a creature is seen moving around attacking the 3DS, but can we expect something similar with Link? Will we help him fight off some octorocks? Perhaps these character cards will just be 3D statues that seem to sit on the table in front of us. I think that these cards will be a nice added feature to the system. As the trailer shows it could be anything from a neat little game or figurine replacement to a whole culture of trading cards. I look forward to getting my hands of some of these to see what they’re all about.

While there is some impressive technology going on with this feature, the simplicity of it is what I find truly impressive. Just pointing the camera at the card is enough to initiate an epic battle with a dragon! Just watch the video to see what I mean. And who knows what adventure we could get into with Link, Mario and Samus. What are your thoughts on the augmented reality cards? What do you hope to see them do? Do you want simple figurines that you can explore by moving around them? Or a moving changing action scene set against the backdrop of your kitchen table, or your desk at school? Let us know in the comments.

Link’s Awakening Release Date Confusion, Confirmed for Launch?

TheGreen — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:49:19 +0000

UPDATE: Derp. As it turns out, several online gaming news centers reported false in formation. The Virtual Console, as we now know, is in fact part of the e-shop. Therefore, the Virtual Console, and Link’s Awakening, will not be available in March as we had hoped.
Source: My Nintendo News

A while back, Zelda Dungeon reported that the 3DS e-shop and Virtual Console would be available on the day of the 3DS launch: March 27th for the states. What we failed to report to you all is that for a time, the launch of the e-shop and Virtual Console would be delayed until May, at which point 3DS owners could get it on their 3DS with a downloadable upgrade.

Well today, more news has come on the subject! As it turns out, the virtual console will be available at the time of the 3DS release! So far the only confirmed titles for the Virtual Console are Super Mario Land and more importantly, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. The only trouble is, no one from Nintendo has given us a straight answer on whether or not these will be available on the 27th or not. It is, however, expected that we will see several other titles on launch day.

My fingers are crossed! Who else is getting the 3DS on March 27th (25th for Europe)?

Source: Gamerzine
Related: Link’s Awakening Walkthrough

Nintendo Europe 3DS Event

TheGreen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:51:35 +0000

Today, NintendoEurope is holding a press event and the star of the show is the 3DS. You can watch the event live here. The presenters are discussing everything from features on the new machine to new games. Tune in for the amazing game trailers.

The event so far has been interesting and telling. Here’s some of the things we’ve learned so far:

-The 3DS will come in Black or Blue
-The 3DS will cost $249.99 in North America, and prices aren’t set in Europe.
-The 3DS will be released in North America on March 27 and March 25 in Europe.
-Nintendo plans to have a steady stream of Gameboy and Gameboy Color games on the 3DS’s e-shop/virtual console.
-The 3DS will have pre-loaded games including the new Face Raiders.
-The 3DS is capable of taking pictures.
-The 3DS will have a web browser and video capability with a future software update.

Only a small mention of Ocarina of Time 3DS has been made. It was simply stated that it’s been “remastered” with all new “updated graphics.”

It’s funny that Skyward Sword was rumored to be released on the same day, but as it turns out it will be the debut of the 3DS. Here at Zelda Dungeon we’ll continue to keep you updated on this news throughout the event.

A March Release for 3DS, No Sign of Ocarina of Time

TheGreen — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:00:02 +0000

Nintendo of America recently released some information concerning the 3DS. Here’s a quote from their press page:

With the new Nintendo 3DS™ system set to launch in the United States in March, Nintendo has strong momentum heading into 2011. Nintendo 3DS lets users view 3D images without the need for special glasses. More information about the system will be made available during a Jan. 19 preview event in New York.

The quote confirms the release and satiates our hunger for the 3DS. It also mentions that Nintendo is holding an event on the 19th, so be sure to check back with Zelda Dungeon for any breaking news.

We already know that Ocarina of Time is not a release title for the 3DS, but we hope to learn more about it from the upcoming event.

Source: Nintendo of America
Related: Ocarina of Time Walkthrough

RUMORED Nintendo Press Conference

Axle the Beast — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:50:41 +0000

The pictured tweet, if Google Translate can be considered reliable, translates to:

Nintendo France has a mysterious teaser press event in Amsterdam on January 19 … 3DS? Other?

It’s a tiny message on Twitter, but it’s interesting even if it’s just a rumor. If it turns out to be true, what might Nintendo talk about there and why are they holding this press event? This may or may not have relation to Skyward Sword or Ocarina of Time 3DS. Even if it’s general Nintendo news, it could have implications related to Zelda so one way or another this could be good… if it’s true of course.

This is somewhat exciting for me, as it could imply very cool news. Just to Zelda fans or even to the general Nintendo fan, this is an interesting prospect. And what could a date so early in the year mean? Especially intriguing when you consider the Zelda titles supposedly going to be released early in 2011. At the same time I’m incredibly skeptical. It doesn’t seem like this is coming from a source that is any kind of authority. At the same time, it’s something of a bold and oddly specific statement, so who knows?

Source: GoNintendo

What do you think? How believable is this rumor? What are your thoughts? And if you believe it, what do you think it could mean; why are they holding this conference? Post about it in the comments!

Rumor Predicts a March Release Date for Skyward Sword

TheGreen — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:38:00 +0000

Everyone knows that Nintendo isn’t exactly an open book when it comes to their plans and business schedules, but there are a few things that LiveWii, a French Nintendo site, has gathered from their recent activities. The most notable of these is a pattern of releasing one major Wii game per month (in Europe). Starting in October we’ve seen Wii Party, Fling Smash and Donkey Kong Country Returns (that one’s on my x-mas wishlist). Scheduled for January is Mario Sports Mix and Kirby’s Epic Yarn will be released in February. What could Nintendo possibly have scheduled for March? Well, we (the collective Zelda community) hope we will see Skyward Sword! If this pattern continues, then there’s a good chance we can see Skyward Sword early next year instead of the next Holiday Season.

This pattern doesn’t hold up as well for Japan or North America, but the release schedules for Europe do seem to be a bit more planned out then most. In some instances Europe sees the first release like they did with the Wii Remote Plus, but other times won’t see a release until months later as with Kirby’s Epic Yarn which will arrive in Europe a full 4 months later than it did in North America and Japan.

Either way, let’s hope for the new game to be finished sooner rather than later. Let us know when you think we’ll finally see Skyward Sword.

Source: LiveWii.fr
Source: GoNintendo

Wii Remote Plus

TheGreen — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 19:05:00 +0000

The release dates have been announced! The newly designed Wii Remote Plus is going to be available November 11th in Japan, and surprisingly, Europe will see the new device before the land of the rising sun! The release for Europe is set for November 5th. Even more surprising, the new Wii Remote Plus will be available to Americans on October 29th! The only catch is that you also have to buy the Mario 25th anniversary Wii console to go with it, and the remote will be red. Otherwise, the Wii Remote Plus will be available in a variety of colors.

Here at Zelda Dungeon, we’re concerned with how the new device pertains to Zelda! Since Skyward Sword has been in the making for so long, I’d expect that at the beginning of it’s development they made the decision to make the controls work with the Motion Plus controller. It would also make sense that the Wii Remote Plus was developed with Skyward Sword in mind, making the controller less bulky and easier to use. In fact several reports make this same claim. It’s clear that Skyward Sword’s release date has been pushed back so it’s logical to think that the original plan was to release the new remote with Skyward Sword. Fortunately for us, Nintendo’s got a lot cookin’ and it appears the the Wii Remote Plus was finished before Skyward Sword was ready to hit the shelves.

The new device will be available on November 19th and can also be purchased in a bundle with Fling Smash. The US release will happen 8 days after the Japanese release and a full two weeks after the European debut. What do you guys think of the new remote? Will you buy one? Do you already have the Motion Plus accessory? Do you want to play Skyward Sword with the new Wii Remote Plus? or would you be fine using your Motion Plus? Let us know in the comments.

Source:JoyStiq.com
Source:NintendoLife.com

Game Trailers Bonus Round: Nintendo, Zelda Wii, 3DS, and more

Mases — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:48:36 +0000

Part 3 of the Game Trailers Bonus Round’s preview of E3 is now online and it covers Nintendo. There is quite a bit that is talked about during this issue but it mainly touches on a Nintendo Wii HD, the upcoming Zelda title for the Nintendo Wii, the Nintendo 3DS, the Vitality Sensor, and more. E3′s press conference is set for Tuesday June 15th, just 8 days away, so be sure to check back here at Zelda Dungeon, where we will keep you up to date with all the latest Zelda news and information!

Nintendo DS Successor Announced: Nintendo 3DS

Mases — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:24:35 +0000

Nintendo of Japan has officially released a document citing that the successor to the Nintendo DS, temporarily known as the Nintendo 3DS, will release by March of 2011 and will feature 3D effects without the use of glasses. Shown below is the full quote of what was released by Nintendo of Japan.

Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Minami-ward of Kyoto-city, President Satoru Iwata) will launch “Nintendo 3DS”(temp) during the fiscal year ending March 2011, on which games can be enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses.

“Nintendo 3DS”(temp) is going to be the new portable game machine to succeed “Nintendo DS series”, whose cumulative consolidated sales from Nintendo amounted to 125million units as of the end of December 2009, and will include backward compatibility so that the software for Nintendo DS series, including the ones for Nintendo DSi, can also be enjoyed.

We are planning to announce additional details at E3 show, which is scheduled to be held from June 15, 2010 at Los Angeles in the U.S.

Pretty shocking to hear this right now as I wasn’t expecting an announcement of this type until E3 of 2010. 3D effects seem very intriguing and I’m not exactly sure what to think of it until I see the unit in action in just a couple months. E3 is set to begin in less than three months and who knows what will be announced when they reveal the console. It’s hard to believe we’ll be seeing anything Zelda related for the Nintendo 3DS, but at the very least we will be able to get glimpses of what Zelda could be like on the new handheld console.

Zelda Wii To Utilize Vitality Sensor?

Mases — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:22:41 +0000

In a recent interview with games™, Shigeru Miyamoto hinted to the possible inclusion of Zelda Wii Utilizing the Vitality Sensor in the upcoming adventure. The vitality sensor was announced back at E3 2009 but there has been very little information concerning the device since. At the time, the president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, stated that video games may sound be used as a form of relaxation. Sure, video games are meant to be relaxing in a way, but I’m not quite sure Zelda Wii, with the utilization of the Wii Motion plus is the type of game you’d want to sit back and relax with. Miyamoto had his to say about the Vitality Sensor.

“So maybe you might like to ask me to incorporate the Vitality Sensor into Zelda so that as you become more scared, the enemies become even tougher.”

With both Zelda Wii and the Vitality Sensor likely to be featured at E3 2010, it seems that this will most likely be the next time we get any type of information in regards to either of the two planned items. In my opinion the Miyamoto quote seemed like more of an out of the blue response and there really is no connection between the two items. However, it does make you think outside the box and perhaps the vitality sensor can be used in more interesting ways than originally thought possible. You can check out the original article with the interview over at NOW Gamer.

Nintendo Power’s 2009 Awards

Mases — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:33:59 +0000

Nintendo Power’s 2009 award winners have been revealed and Spirit Tracks was able to take home two prizes. Spirit Tracks won the award for DS Game of the Year and also won the award for Best Adventure Game. Additionally, Nintendo Power put together their Best of the Decade list.

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
5. Super Smash Bros Brawl
6. Metroid Prime
7. Elite Beat Agents
8. Metroid: Zero Mission
9. Mario Kart Wii
10. The World Ends With You

In terms of primarily single player Zelda titles, we’ve gotten 8 Zelda titles this decade. While I don’t think that the top two were Twilight Princess and the Wind Waker, it was nice to see two Zelda titles make the list.

Check out GoNintendo for some more awards.

New Nintendo DS

Mases — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:19:35 +0000

The October 2nd convention in Tokyo took place today and after rumors of a new Nintendo DS being releases, today these rumors came to be reality. The new Nintendo DS is known as the Nintendo DSi. The new model will be slightly smaller in size than the Nintendo DS Lite and it will have slightly larger screens. The new model has a ton of new features including an SD Card slot for digital downloads, a built in MP3 player, and a .3 megapixel camera, which can take pictures at resolutions of 640×480.

The new DS will not have Gameboy Advanced support as the SD Card slot has replace where the Gameboy Advanced slot had been. The system is scheduled to release on November 1st in Japan at a price of 18,900 yen (approximately $180). No release date for any other regions has been mentioned at this time. Click the link below for more information and even a new video displaying some of the new titles and features that are going to be made available for the DSi.

IGN: New DS Model Announced

Nintendo E3 Press Conference

Mases — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:41:47 +0000

10:14 – And that is it… Nothing from Zelda. What a shocker and a disappointment.

10:09 – Wii Music really doesn’t look good. However, now 6 of them are on stage at once and attempting to play the classic Super Mario Bros song. It looks alright. I really hope that Miyamoto hasn’t been spending ALL his time on this one game.

10:02 – Finally, Shigeru Miyamoto takes the stage along with some crazy guy playing the drums with the Wiimote. Apparently this is what the newest gimick of Nintendo is, Wii Music. Shiggy seems very excited about it, but to me, it looks rather gimicky. I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy it though.

9:56 – Reggie is back on stage and talks about Wii MotionPlus. Wii Sports Resort is announced and is displayed. Wii MotionPlus will be packaged with Wii Sports Resort. The games that come with Wii Sports Resort looks kind of gimicky. I’d much prefer a full blown Wii Tennis or Wii Golf. The Wii MotionPlus actually seems to be working extremely well. The sword game actually looks decent.

9:47 – More talk about how female gamers are leading the way in higher gaming sales. Guitar Hero On Tour Decades is revealed for the Nintendo DS. Able to connect and exchange songs with the first Guitar Hero On Tour. Spore Creatures is shown for the Nintendo DS. The game looks alright, I’d have to take a closer look before giving a more formal opinion on the title. Pokemon Ranger is also given a release date.

A huge announcement. Grand Theft Auto: China Wars is announced for the Nintendo DS. Wow. Seems really intriguing.

9:42 – Three new games are shown. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the first being shown. Doesn’t look like anything too exciting. Two guys are shown swinging the Wii-motes.

Rayman Raving Rabbids is next on the list. It takes advantage of the wii balance board. Looks okay, but kinda gimicky, like the previous titles.

Call of Duty: World at War is next on the list. While I can’t see off first glimpse, I’m certain there is a noticeable graphic downgrade from the PS3 and 360 counterparts. They gamers playing are shown using Wii Zappers.

9:38 – Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage and talks about the Nintendo DS. He continues to boast about the sales of the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Fils-Aime is doing job of being honest about making comparisons between casual and hardcore gamers.

9:32 – Animal Crossing Wii continues and it reveals Wii Speak. This allows users to speak to each other over the internet via Wi-Fi. It is not a headset, but a community speaker that is placed near the sensor bar.

9:27 – Iwata continues about his vision of how to continue the bridge the gap between gamers and non-gamers. Kastuya Eguchi, the creator of Animal Crossing, is shown in an interview. He reveals Animal Crossing for Wii, to be released in 2008. The game looks alright. I personally am not much of a fan of the Animal Cross series.

9:23 – Satoru Iwata takes the stage and talks about Nintendo in the past few years. Talks about how our common sense views have changed. Iwata boasts about Wii Sports and Wii Play.

9:13 – Shaun White snowboarding (exclusive for Wii). Looks gimicky and fun at the same time. The game utilizes the Wii balance board. Shaun actually seems happy to be here.

9:10 – We are underway. A gimicky video is shown watching a bunch of women and old people alike playing the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. Hopefully this is not an indication of what’s to come.

8:59 – The stream is now up and running. It has the Nintendo logo, indicating we are about ready to go.

8:40 – About 20 until the start of the conference. The excitement builds…

I will be updating the index page of the site as the Nintendo press conference occurs. I’ll be briefly mentioning some of the non-Zelda news that has been announced as it occurs. I don’t expect any Zelda information to be released until near the end of the Nintendo conference though, since they usually save their big name titles until the end. The time lists above are all in PST. The conference is scheduled to begin at 9am, so that is 12pm for those of you who live in the eastern timezone of the US. It’s coming soon as it is stated to start in about 20 minutes. If you are interested in watching the conference, check out the live stream of the press conference courtesy of IGN.

Nintendo E3 Press Conference

Nintendo Storms Ahead of Microsoft

Mases — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 07:46:27 +0000

The Nintendo Wii has now officially surpassed the Microsoft 360 in terms of console sales. Even with the one year head start that Microsoft had, they still were not able to hold the console market for even a full year. Perhaps the lack of fan support in Japan is catching up to Microsoft? Nonetheless, this information shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as once next months much anticipated Halo 3 is released for the 360, a flip should surely take place with the 360 most likely to surpass the Wii. Although by years end with Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Galaxy, I can see Nintendo once again claiming the top spot.

One thing is clear from all of this… and that is that Sony is the big loser of the three.

Source: Kotaku

Sheik and Ganondof Confirmed for Brawl?

Mases — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:29:32 +0000

In a recent interview Aonuma pretty much confirmed that Sheik and Ganondof will make an appearance in the upcoming Smash title. Like Link and Zelda, Ganondorf has been re-worked to match his look from Twilight Princess. Sheik on the other hand is quite a surprise since well, she hasn’t been in a game in nearly a decade. It looks like Sheik will be a stand alone character as well and not just be a transformation of Princess Zelda. Nonetheless, it’s nice to see the roster consistently expanding.

Confirmed new characters include Pit from Kid Icarus, Wario, a version of Samus without her suit, and Ike from Fire Emblem. Snake from Metal Gear has also been confirmed but has yet to appear on the official Smash Bros. website. Time will bring us some more new faces to game. Personally, I’m hoping they bring over Sonic and maybe a few more Sega characters. The more the marrier.