GDC: Eiji Aonuma Talks Zelda

Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Role Playing Games, Wii,

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess represents somewhat of a rebirth for the franchise, and its creator, Eiji Aonuma, talked about how the turnaround came about. While the Zelda series has certainly hit more high notes than other series, Wind Waker and Four Swords represented a sales disappointment for Nintendo. According to 1up’s report on Aonuma’s talk, the Japanese turned away from Wind Waker because of its complexity, while US audiences couldn’t seem to get past the cartoony look. Nintendo was determined to turn this around with Twilight Princess and the return to a more realistic look was only part of the equation. A number of the design decisions, such as the dual world and the Wii remote controls are discussed by Aonuma, giving some great insight into how Nintendo turned the feedback they were getting from Wind Waker into the massively popular and critically acclaimed Twilight Princess.

Read More | 1up

Gallery: GDC: Eiji Aonuma Talks Zelda

Twilight Princess Previews Hit The Web

Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Adventure, Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Wii,

Nintendo’s embargo on all things Zelda ended on Friday, and those people who were invited up to Nintendo HQ to preview The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess were finally able to talk about what they saw and experienced. Overall, the tone has been that Nintendo has released another masterpiece in the Zelda series. Some sites were more effusive than others, with some believing that this release is close to being the “greatest Zelda ever.” Some were a little more cautious about their praise, citing such issues as the quality of the graphics and the adjustment needed for the Wii-mote. Most everyone agreed that this should be one of the longest Zelda outings ever, clocking in with at least 50 hours of gameplay. Overall the previews have been very positive, and Twilight Princess looks to be the launch title to have this holiday season. Those gamers looking to avoid spoilers may wish to stay away from some of the previews; Wired’s Game|Life blog does a very good job in avoiding plot points and details over giving an overall impression of the game, and GameSpot contains the majority of their spoilers to a single page within the preview. Other previews, though, seem to sprinkle the plot points through their coverage, so those looking to go into the new Zelda fresh might want to stay away. Still, reading through all of the coverage for any new details of the game will be really hard to resist for fans of the series. The previews are (in alphabetical order):
Read More | 1up
Read More | GameDaily
Read More | Game|Life
Read More | GameSpot
Read More | GoNintendo
Read More | IGN
Read More | Kotaku

Gallery: Twilight Princess Previews Hit The Web

New Legend Of Zelda Trailers Online

Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Trailers, Wii,

Nintendo has posted a couple of new trailer videos for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the Wii. The first shows off the introduction to the game, with Link riding through the game world. The second offers some tidbits of the gameplay and the cutscenes for the game. Also available on Wii.com are some gameplay experience videos, with other players taking on the new Zelda on the Wii. The new videos definitely recall the previous incarnations of Link on the Nintendo 64, with new twists and upgrades for Nintendo’s new console.

Read More | Wii.com

Gallery: New Legend Of Zelda Trailers Online

Zelda.com Updated With Twilight Princess Info

Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Adventure, Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Screenshots, Wii,

Nintendo of America recently updated their Zelda.com site with new information about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Much of the information has been previously released elsewhere, but the company has also added a bunch of new screenshots of the game, showing off more of the action. The Wii version of the game is scheduled to launch with the console, while the Gamecube version will be released on December 12th in the United States.

Read More | Zelda.com via GoNintendo

Gallery: Zelda.com Updated With Twilight Princess Info

45 Minutes Across - Is Zelda: Twilight Princess another Wind Waker?

Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Adventure, Nintendo, Nintendo Gamecube, Rumors, Wii,

According to a rumor listed on IGN.com, the world of Zelda: Twilight Princess is going to be big - VERY big. Listed in their Fall 2006 games preview, they state “Twilight Princess will not only be bigger - a horse ride from one side of Hyrule to the next is rumored to take 45 real minutes - but much more ambitious than ever before.” While at first blush this sounds like great news - Nintendo fans have been looking forward to a good long adventure game for a while - it brings up some uncomfortable questions. Could the world of Twilight Princess be as bleak and desolate as Wind Waker was? Will the player be forced to endure hours of trekking to arrive at plot points in the game?

I for one am looking forward to a good long adventure from Nintendo in Twilight Princess, but I’m just hoping that adventure doesn’t mainly consist of wandering aimlessly in an overly huge world.

Read More | IGN Wii

Gallery: 45 Minutes Across - Is Zelda: Twilight Princess another Wind Waker?