Gametrailers.com recently spoke with Nintendo Reggie Fils-Aime to ask him about all the games coming out this Winter season, such as Super Mario Bros Wii and The Legend of Zelda, Spirit Tracks. He also debunks (again) the possibility of Wii HD coming out next year. Good interview with lots of new info!
Two of Nintendo's most anticipated only holiday titles, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, now have concrete release dates.
Yesterday, at the annual Tokyo Game Show, Nintendo announced that New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the first 2D console Mario platformer since Super Mario World, and the first multiplayer Mario title, will be released in America on November 15, 2009.
A few weeks ago, the Big N also announced a released date for the hotly anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, known as The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Spirit Tracks will be making a stop on American shelves on December 7, 2009.
After the break, you'll find press releases for both news items, as well as the final boxart for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
It's no secret that Nintendo generally holds media summits and press briefings in early October. It's also no secret that a new Zelda title is in the works, and the only bit of information we have to go on is a piece of art released at this year's E3 conference. Put two and two together, and what do you get? A Zelda trailer at the October conference!
It may sound like wishful thinking, but Infendo is claiming that an "inside source" has told them the trailer will indeed debut in October, and will shed some light on the mystery of why Link didn't have a sword in the released art.
That is, of course, if Miyamoto gets his way (and we all know he nearly always does...). According to a GamesIndustry report, Nitendo's greatest mind, 'Shiggy' Miyamoto, has said that he wants to make the MotionPlus add-on to be a requirement to play the next Zelda installment (something we all expected, anyway), sort of like what Red Steel 2 is doing. I guess they'll wait to see how Red Steel 2 does, but even if it flops, if Miyamoto wants it, it will probably be a reality.
The goal at this point is that we would make Wii MotionPlus required in order to play Zelda. The bigger hurdle for us is not really whether people have a Wii MotionPlus or don't have it, it's whether or not the experience is one where people will think they want to have a Wii MotionPlus in order to experience it. - Shigeru Miyamoto
Now, there are just a few things to 'draw out' from this seemingly harmless comment. First and foremost, why would you need MotionPlus if not for sword-wielding? Ergo, the sword, not present in the initial artwork, is likely to be, nonetheless, an important element throughout the game. Second, this means that the game is sooooooo freakingly in the early stages that, although MotionPlus was announced a very long time ago, the dev team is only JUST considering it; this only means that the promise for a new Zelda on the works two E3's ago, was an bag full of... well, nothing pretty. This only shows that the game was NOT in development then (or that the Zelda team is REALLY slow at its work).
You wanted it, you've got it. The first concept art for the upcoming (but not soon enough) new Wii Zelda, showing a swordless Link and a creepy female character (or is it a very queeny he?). Link doesn't look that much older to me, does he?
Shigeru Miyamoto can't stop thinking about Zelda. He semi-announced it in a developer roundtable, and even showed off the first piece of art. Now, he has some more textual teases for us, in the form of an IGN interview.
Speaking to the IGN Nintendo team, the legendary game designer had this to say about a radically different Zelda for Wii:
Miyamoto: Well, the story setting for this Zelda is, of course, in a completely different era and Link is older than he was previously. More approaching adulthood. There is one hint. Maybe from the art work you can see that he's not holding a sword.
IGN: Has he lost his Master Sword?
Shigeru Miyamoto: [Laughing] I just wanted to make sure that you understand we are making it. That's all I'm going to say on that subject.
A Zelda game without a sword? Madness! We want to hear your thoughts in comments.
Well, there are some things that just don't seem like they'd be good. This is one of them. An 8tracks playlist that made me go "....uh.?"
I clicked play, and half way through the first song I started writing this post. If you like mainstream rappers when they happen to pull a decent set of lyrics and if you're old enough to responsibly hear bad words and not repeat them with meaning, then get ready to octo-rock. To be honest it's more interesting than amazing, because you've heard all the songs and lyrics mashed up in here, but it's a new way to listen to some relaxing beats. And frankly, it will make you smile.
The Speed Gamers have started their 72 hour Zelda Marathon! They are raising money for Alley's House. Here are the details:
Our Zelda Marathon starts on March 13th @ 6 pm cst, in which we will be trying to complete all 13 Zelda games live on webcam in 72 hours! You can view the marathon here on our site, and chat with us while we are playing! We will be raising money for Ally’s House, a group which helps with medical and other expenses of the families with children undergoing Cancer treatment. We have raised over $15,000 for various charities. Zelda themed prizes such as T-shirts and games will be given away during the marathon to the viewers. Our first Marathon was on March 14th 2008, so this will mark our 1 year anniversary of TheSpeedGamers! Hooray! We will be doing something special to mark the event.
So if you have some money, please go to TheSpeedGamers.com and donate! Hit the jump for the live video of the marathon!
Our friends over at the The Speed Gamers wanted us to remind you that in 2 weeks, they will be having their 72 hour Zelda Marathon! From the site:
Our Zelda Marathon starts on March 13th @ 6 pm cst, in which we will be trying to complete all 13 Zelda games live on webcam in 72 hours! You can view the marathon here on our site, and chat with us while we are playing! We will be raising money for Ally’s House, a group which helps with medical and other expenses of the families with children undergoing Cancer treatment. We have raised over $15,000 for various charities. Zelda themed prizes such as T-shirts and games will be given away during the marathon to the viewers. Our first Marathon was on March 14th 2008, so this will mark our 1 year anniversary of TheSpeedGamers! Hooray! We will be doing something special to mark the event.
I will likely post this again the day of the marathon, but if you have some free time that weekend, definitely go show them some support!
Also, if N+ were to do a game marathon, how many of you guys would tune in? If the support is there, then me and the Cap'n will probably try to get a marathon of some kind planned for the future...
Yesterday there was SpeculatioN+. If you explore the countdown there are ...oddities. The countdown ends on Friday, and is on a Sega website.
This other countdown also ends Friday, but is on a Marvelous Entertainment website, the developer of No More Heroes, and creator of our beloved Travis Touchdown (twitter link). This other countdown, on the Marvelous Entertainment site, seems to have a Legend of Zelda look to it, while the Sega countdown has a Mario-esque feel. Could Sega be publishing a Marvelous developed title? ...And is it at all related to the Nintendo franchises?
I cannot believe I havent shared this with Nplussers sooner! I uploaded this video to YouTube 2 years ago! it has about 60,000 views already. And if any of you can find the full length audio track of this I would love it if you could hook us up. I believe the group is called "gameboys" and the title of the song is "Deru deru Zelda no densetsu"...
He's the man who brought us the legendary Ocarina of Time. The producer of the Legend of Zelda series is very proud of that monumental game, as he should be. And now we can all be proud of him. In a recent interview, Aonuma stated that he will stop at nothing to make a game better than Ocarina, and that's the reason that he has stayed on the team all these years.
Originally posted by Eiji Aonuma:
"I’m happy that a title I worked on some time ago remains highly praised to this day, but that also shows how none of the subsequent games in the series have surpassed it," he explains. "As someone who is still working on the series, I have mixed feelings about that. Because I haven’t yet surpassed it, I can’t quit. Surprisingly, that simple motivation may be the reason I continue to work on the Zelda series."
Im not sure how everyone around N+ feels about game music, but I absolutely LOVE it! Probably half of my Ipod is dedicated to just video game music! (Don't believe me? Just ask Captain Seagull!) Well, this morning I was linked over to the Zelda Reorchestrated site where they have posted volume three of their Legend of Zelda Soundscape Albums! So if you are a fan of Zelda and fan remixes of music, you should check it out and let me know what you think!
Well, this is just plain bizarre. FanFiction taken to the extreme. Newcomer writer Luke Cuddy, a VERY GEEKISH fan of The Legend of Zelda apparently got tired of writing fan fiction tales based upon his obsession knowledge of his favorite game saga. Now, he's writing about his favorite game AND pop philosophy (yes, there IS such a thing).
But that's not all! Not only did he write such a book, but he also found a publishing house for it! (OpenCourt being said publisher) And it is going to come out November 28th, this year, at only 13 bucks. Well, if you are geekish enough to want to read this, you probably already knew about it and have pre-ordered two copies (one just to be safe).
I+ is a group for those that are interested in, developing and curious about discussing independent media such as games, music, movies, literature, and everything else in between.
We want to hear your thoughts in comments. 
Well, there are some things that just don't seem like they'd be good. This is one of them. An 8tracks playlist that made me go "....uh.?"
The Speed Gamers have started their 72 hour Zelda Marathon! They are raising money for Alley's House. Here are the details:
Our friends over at the The Speed Gamers wanted us to remind you that in 2 weeks, they will be having their 72 hour Zelda Marathon! From the site:
Yesterday there was SpeculatioN+. If you explore the countdown there are ...oddities. The countdown ends on Friday, and is on a Sega website. 
Im not sure how everyone around N+ feels about game music, but I absolutely LOVE it! Probably half of my Ipod is dedicated to just video game music! (Don't believe me? Just ask Captain Seagull!) Well, this morning I was linked over to the Zelda Reorchestrated site where they have posted volume three of their Legend of Zelda Soundscape Albums! So if you are a fan of Zelda and fan remixes of music, you should check it out and let me know what you think! 
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