zelda
December 7th, 2009 at 01:00pm
Under DS
Nintendo is creating a deep rut for the Zelda games by turning every new development since Ocarina of Time into a compilation of overused tropes. The fact that people liked the first N64 outing, for example, is no reason to include a magical instrument in every subsequent game. The same goes for the chatty sidekick, and (especially) the tradition of forcing Link to walk around and meet everyone in town before someone finally hands him a sword. Even the train in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which seemed out of place when the game debuted, is a variant on the oft-repeated vehicle gimmick, including conveyances like Epona, the King of Red Lions, and the S.S. Linebeck.
As a result, I groaned a little when I started playing Spirit Tracks, seeing all these common Zelda elements played out for the umpteenth time. But as I played the game, I forgot all about my gripes, won completely over by its charm and by its excellently designed challenges. The great game shines through all the cruft Nintendo has thrown on top of it.
Continue reading Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: the-legend-of-zelda, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
December 5th, 2009 at 06:30pm
Under DS
Eiji Aonuma has spent a lot of time developing Legend of Zelda games. In fact, he’s been in a managerial role on the franchise ever since the series’ arguably most popular installment, The Ocarina of Time. So when Mario creator (and his boss) Shigeru Miyamoto asked Aonuma and his team to develop an “Ura Zelda” (a flipped version of Ocarina of Time — what would eventually become the Master Quest), Aonuma protested. Miyamoto’s compromise, though, instead turned out to be a much greater challenge — produce a sequel to OoT within one year.
“We were supposed to make its sequel in a year … at first, we had absolutely no idea what sort of thing we were supposed to make, and we just kept expanding our plans,” Aonuma told Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata during a recent Iwata Asks column.”in the beginning, it was all trial and error … ultimately, we adopted the ‘three-day system,’ and made it so that, if you couldn’t clear the game inside of three days, the world was destroyed.” Aonuma claims this concept was what allowed Majora’s Mask to be created and released just 18 months after OoT came out. He also adds that lessons he learned from the development of Majora’s Mask — from having to remember a sequence of events in order to proceed, to “deep, compact play” — helped to shape the development of the most recent Zelda release, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
We’d like to say that Aonuma will have a break from the series after serving as producer on Spirit Tracks, but he’s the man in charge of the upcoming LoZ game for the Wii. We’re sorry, Mr. Aonuma! Keep on truckin’!
[Via Gamasutra]
Nintendo’s Aonuma: Majora’s Mask the result of Miyamoto challenge originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: Eiji-Aonuma, legend-of-zelda, majoras-mask, ocarina-of-time, shigeru-miyamoto, spirit-tracks, the-legend-of-zelda, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Nintendo’s Aonuma: Majora’s Mask the result of Miyamoto challenge
December 1st, 2009 at 08:15pm
Under DS
Nintendo must have found a really cheap wholesaler for wooden boxes, because, much like it did for Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, the publisher shipped out press copies of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in handsome wooden cases. No puzzles were required to get into this treasure chest, however.
Along with the treasure chest, Nintendo sent a Link t-shirt. In a separate mailing, the company sent another wooden gewgaw: a train whistle, just like the one you got from any museum gift shop ever. In a truly superhuman display of discipline, we’ve managed to leave the whistle untooted so future Joyswag winners won’t be subject to blogger cooties.
The real-life treasure of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: shirt, swag, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, train-whistle, treasure-chest, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading The real-life treasure of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
November 24th, 2009 at 07:15pm
Under DS
As with all the things in our life we love the most, we’re not sure if Zelda machinima “The Legend of Cool” is supposed to be a joke or not. But if you can watch Bucky Studios‘ delightful blend of Ocarina of Time, the freshest beats since “Ski Dance” and utterly earnest singing after the break and not walk away with a spring in your step, we can’t help you.
Also, “Now get in my mouth and fulfill your destiny” is the new thing that you should say all the time. You’re welcome.
Continue reading Dance music and Zelda combine for The Legend of Cool
Dance music and Zelda combine for The Legend of Cool originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: bucky-studios, legend-of-cool, nintendo, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Dance music and Zelda combine for The Legend of Cool
November 23rd, 2009 at 05:00pm
Under DS
With the game pulling into the station on December 7, we visited Nintendo of America to get one last pre-launch look at The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The latest trailer for the game revealed the Spirit Tower, a central hub of mini-dungeons that must be cleared in order to restore the train tracks that lead to the world’s main temple dungeons. What we saw was the latter — more specifically, the second of the game’s dungeons, the Snow Temple.
This dungeon made heavy use of Link’s ability to create whirlwinds — the actual mechanic behind them is blowing into the DS microphone, but, thankfully, it doesn’t require you to lean in incredibly close to the system or blow especially hard for it to work. Once the ability is selected by tapping it on-screen, it stays active, and dragging the stylus around Link makes him rotate, a yellow line indicating which direction the whirlwind will go. This mainly came into play when we needed to cross pools of water atop floating blocks. Like fanning a leaf in Wind Waker, firing off a whirlwind in Spirit Tracks sends Link sailing in the opposite direction.
Continue reading Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: nintendo, the-legend-of-zelda, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
November 20th, 2009 at 03:00pm
Under Wii / Nintendo
Filed under: Arcade
The latest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, featuring what appears to be the game’s introduction, highlights what is certain to be one of the most bemoaned features of the new game: the Tower of Spirits. Yes, like Phantom Hourglass, this game has a central dungeon area to which you’ll return throughout the game, though players will be able to skip areas they have already completed this time.
The trailer also seems to suggest that all the train tracks are magical shackles placed on the ground to imprison an evil presence. So that’s why there are train tracks around! We would have guessed “interstate commerce.”
Introducing the Spirit Tower in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: spirit-tracks, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, Wii / Nintendo, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Introducing the Spirit Tower in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
November 19th, 2009 at 03:29pm
Under Wii / Nintendo
Our absolute favorite thing about the Zelda series is how much it saves us on strategy guides. See, you can pretty much follow the walkthrough for Link to the Past to beat every installment in the franchise released thereafter. (Get the sword! Get the shield! Beat the Forest Temple! Get the power bracelet! Beat the Fire Temple!) However, in a recent interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, series producer Eiji Aonuma revealed that we can expect some big changes from the franchise’s next iteration — changes which he hopes will be revealed during next year’s E3 showcase.
Aonuma explained that, in order to try and keep the series fresh, he and Shigeru Miyamoto “have been trying something new in terms of the structure of the Wii version of the new Zelda game this time.” You know what that means. They’re going to put the Fire Temple before the Forest Temple. We’re kidding, of course — that’s just crazy talk.
Zelda producer teases surprises for next title at E3 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: e3-2010, Eiji-Aonuma, miyamoto, the-legend-of-zelda, Wii / Nintendo, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Zelda producer teases surprises for next title at E3 2010
November 8th, 2009 at 04:30pm
Under Wii / Nintendo
We all know that home console Zelda games take longer to develop than most small, fledgling nations — still, we’d secretly hoped that Nintendo would pull a hat trick next year, releasing new Wii installments in the Metroid, Mario and the aforementioned Triforce-centric series. Sadly, a recent quote from Reggie Fils-Aime has made us doubtful that this scenario will be realized — speaking on GameTrailers TV, Fils-Aime explained that Nintendo hasn’t “committed to Zelda for 2010.”
So, feel free to keep that hope in your heart that you’ll be Ganon-thwarting once more within the next 365 days — but don’t get too upset if it doesn’t happen. Much like a college-aged Lothario, Nintendo’s remaining non-committal. You might say the company’s as free as a bird, darling — and this bird, you cannot change.
Nintendo ‘hasn’t committed’ to new Zelda for Wii in 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: 2010, gametrailers-tv, miyamoto, nintendo, Wii / Nintendo, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Nintendo ‘hasn’t committed’ to new Zelda for Wii in 2010
November 6th, 2009 at 11:59am
Under DS
Nintendo’s new The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer (after the break) reveals a more exciting innovation than the whole train thing: You’re not exactly rescuing Zelda in this game. In fact, she travels with you the whole time … in spirit!
In one of the craziest Zelda trailers we’ve ever seen, some wizard shows up and turns Zelda into a ghost, and then she sort of mopes around as an apparition until some guy with wheels suggests that she go on a road trip with Link. If you were wondering how Link could gain control of the Phantoms in this upcoming DS game, it’s not through a musical instrument he finds in a treasure chest (the usual Zelda route), but rather it’s because Princess Zelda possesses them.
Continue reading Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer, now with more Zelda
Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer, now with more Zelda originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue Reading Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer, now with more Zelda
Tags: action-rpg, legend-of-zelda, spirit-tracks, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer, now with more Zelda
November 4th, 2009 at 11:45am
Under Wii / Nintendo
Japanese purchasers of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will receive a transparent quill stylus as a gift when they put down their yen for the game. AndriaSang reports that the stylus will be given out on launch day as an “early buyer bonus,” but there’s no need to pre-order.
If the plastic quill seems familiar, it’s because Nintendo used it as a bribe back in 2007 for registering Phantom Hourglass and filling out a survey. Spirit Tracks choo-choos into retail on December 7. We’re currently unaware of the quill being offered as a pre-order in North America but if the retail masses out there know differently, please let us know in the comments.
Japan receives special Zelda Spirit Tracks stylus with purchase originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: japan, spirit-tracks, stylus, the-legend-of-zelda, the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks, Wii / Nintendo, zelda
By Mister-X
Continue Reading Japan receives special Zelda Spirit Tracks stylus with purchase
