The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

[speedfreak]

Bump

Sorry for the double post but we have some interesting news from Iwata himself.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1058479p1.html

So Zelda Wii is actually going to release in 2010! I find it hard to believe, but not impossible. They have said numerous times that the game is far into development. Plus it has been a while since TP, and Nintendo have adopted the strategy of announcing games when they are nearly complete instead of a couple years too early (to avoid the hype backlash ala Zelda TP I presume). They announced NSMBWii only half a year before it released and they also got Zelda ST out the same year it was announced. Actually I can't think of a Nintendo game since Zelda TP that hasn't been released within (or close to) a year of it's original announcement. I really hope this news is true because as I've said before, 2011 is too long to wait. If Nintendo were really going to make us wait until 2011 for a new console Zelda I would prefer they just hold it for their next console.

If we get Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid Other M, Zelda Wii, and quality third party efforts like Epic Mickey all in the same year it would be truly amazing. The Wiis 2010 line up was already looking killer without Zelda, but now it looks to easily be the best year yet for Wii. Fingers crossed that we're playing Zelda by years end.

Edited January 7, 2010 by speedfreak

[Marcello]

Wasn't it said from the beginning that its coming out this year?

[speedfreak]

Nope. Hardly anything was said, especially nothing concerning release date.

[SuperLink]

Wasn't it said from the beginning that its coming out this year?

Nope Miyamoto said they would try for 2010 but it's very unlikely.

Personally I still don't believe it'll make 2010 despite this. Nintendo are just saying this to add to our 2010 awesomeness list. It'll be pushed back to 2011.

[speedfreak]

We should know for sure by E3. We may even see a Zelda Wii trailer at GDC in May. That's where Iwata first showed off PH and ST.

I'm hoping for Super Mario Galaxy 2 in March or April, Metroid Other M around August, and Zelda Wii for holiday 2010. Nintendo were talking about needing to have a more consistent flow of quality titles not too long ago. They've made so much damn money with the Wii/DS there is no reason they shouldn't be able to output 3 AAA titles in one year. It's too late for me, my hopes are up............

Edited January 7, 2010 by speedfreak

[PSI Wind]

Thank GOD I have a family member that has 2 jobs and can get all these games easily .

But seriously, Im going to HATE this year now. SO many good games coming out this year O_O.

Edited January 7, 2010 by PSI Wind FTW!

[JaidynReiman]

All of a sudden I saw this same thing on MSN and I was thinking "huh?! Already?!"

Cool, regardless. This means that we should be learning something new very soon. (Now I just need a Wii...)

[speedfreak]

Either GDC (March 9-13) or E3 (June 15-17), I really don't think we'll see anything before then. We might start to see something on Galaxy 2 or Metroid soon though. I hope one of those two releases before E3. If Zelda is truly coming out in 2010, it will be holiday for sure.

[Xnic]

I'm a little worried about the 2010 release date... Twilight Princess was delayed several times. I didn't overly enjoy Twilight Princess either, so I'm not going to get excited until I actually see some actual game footage and story details.

On that note, I agree with speedfreak about getting info about it. I presume that it'll be GDC before we get some information about it. Unless Nintendo makes a big press conference beforehand, which is doubtful...

[Agent York]

I'm a little worried about the 2010 release date... Twilight Princess was delayed several times. I didn't overly enjoy Twilight Princess either, so I'm not going to get excited until I actually see some actual game footage and story details.

On that note, I agree with speedfreak about getting info about it. I presume that it'll be GDC before we get some information about it. Unless Nintendo makes a big press conference beforehand, which is doubtful...

The game has been in development for at least 3 years now, according to old previews almost 5. I think it is coming out in 2010, and they are trying to create the opposite of Twilight Princess in hype, revealing it close to release date so hype doesn't get so high.

Also, Twilight Princess was made as a game to "beat" Ocarina of Time. They've done that, so this one will most likely be a "Weird" title like Majoras Mask, a title that breaks away from the formula to creat new original ideas, creatively aesthetic values, and bigger focus on different areas. Which would be great, I think the "weird" Zelda games that break formula are the best.

[speedfreak]

I would be happy if Zelda Wii at least incorporates the wonderful array of sidequests from MM and the dark, ominous tone of the story. It would be great for Zelda Wii to have that "living world" feeling that MM had too. Maybe instead of repeating the same three days over they could have the game work on a weekly, 5 or 7 day cycle, where the characters in the world have a different routine for each day of the week. When a new week starts so does each characters specific weekly routine. This way you could have the game structured similar to MM, but you wouldn't have to go back in time and lose progress.

My ideal Zelda would work like that with maybe a few more main dungeons then MM had, an epic story focused on the main trio of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, varying sidequests at least equal to MM (but that kind of ties into the whole living world thing), and the art style of TP with a little added graphical flair.

.......Also no ancient chicken people with saggy breasts please. :/

[Xnic]

According to Reggie, the new Zelda has to be perfect before it's released, which may not mix well for some people who believe the 2010 release date.

January 12, 2010 - Speaking on the Nintendo Weekly show (via Youtube), President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime stated the company will be taking its time with the upcoming Zelda title for Wii, and that it won't see a release until its perfect.

"Right now, it's still in development. But the key message that Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Aonuma is telling us is that it really has to be perfect when it launches," he said. "That really is what the Zelda fan is expecting."

"So for all of those Zelda fans out there right now, I would say enjoy The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and know that the Zelda title for Wii is going to come out when it's perfect," he said.

Fils-Aime's comment doesn't exactly mesh with an earlier report saying the new title would ship in 2010.

Last week, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata was quoted by Asahi Shimbun Daily in Japan as saying the next Zelda for Wii will ship before the end of this year. Nintendo Japan has yet to officially make an announcement on its release date, however.

IGN's Article

Edited January 13, 2010 by Xnic

[Conando]

If it's been in development for as long as it has (apparently before Wii even came out), then it's not too much to expect it to be "Perfect" by the end of the year. It's been given about 5 after all.

[SuperLink]

If it's been in development for as long as it has (apparently before Wii even came out), then it's not too much to expect it to be "Perfect" by the end of the year. It's been given about 5 after all.

Those are just rumours.

I'm not saying I don't believe them, I'm saying people are clinging to the possibility of a 2010 release date too much. It doesn't even bother me if it's pushed to 2011, 2010 is unrealistic especially considering what Miyamoto was saying about it last year.

[speedfreak]

Those are just rumours.

I'm not saying I don't believe them, I'm saying people are clinging to the possibility of a 2010 release date too much. It doesn't even bother me if it's pushed to 2011, 2010 is unrealistic especially considering what Miyamoto was saying about it last year.

Miyamoto is always coy. He insisted we were getting a WW2 right up until TP was announced. The only reason I think it might be true that Zelda Wii will release in 2010 is that Iwata said so. Reggies answer sounded like typical PR BS. I bet he doesn't even know much about it. All I'm saying is why would the head of Nintendo want to hype Zelda for 2010 when he knows how pissed people got when TP got pushed back? Especially since it was his call to announce games closer to release to avoid over hype anyway.

[Patticus]

He insisted we were getting a WW2 right up until TP was announced.

Twilight Princess ran on a heavily modified variant of Wind Waker's graphics engine, and both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks can and should be considered direct sequels to Wind Waker; the former stars WW Link, the latter is set some 70-80 years after. So he wasn't lying at all, he merely... deferred the truth.

I look forward to the day when Nintendo releases a handheld that can run a version of Wind Waker (or a sequel thereof) which looks as good as the original cel-shaded masterpiece.

[JezMM]

I look forward to the day when Nintendo releases a handheld that can run a version of Wind Waker (or a sequel thereof) which looks as good as the original cel-shaded masterpiece.

Agreed. I still want OoT and MM on DS personally. I'm sure it could at least handle OoT. PH and ST are lovely, but damnit, the DS does not do the style justice. I will say that ST was a huge improvement on PH though from what I've seen of it.

[lounge]

I'm so hyped for this. I still remember all the christmas mornings I opened OOT when I was 7, MM when I was 9, and TP when I was 15.

I'm dying for them to show just one screenshot. I know they want to make it perfect, but c'mon... just one more screenshot wouldn't hurt.

[Conando]

Those are just rumours.

I'm not saying I don't believe them, I'm saying people are clinging to the possibility of a 2010 release date too much. It doesn't even bother me if it's pushed to 2011, 2010 is unrealistic especially considering what Miyamoto was saying about it last year.

I don't mind either, though I'm pleased to see they're at least ballparking it now. Means it's further in development than last year's E3 revealed.

[Candescence]

I know this isn't happening for Zelda Wii, but... I found this while browsing deviantart one day, and it does show an interesting idea - a middle-aged Link with a family and commitments, and this time, Ganondorf as an arrogant young upstart for constrast's sake? It certainly would be quite a new spin on the series.

[SuperLink]

Ganondorf as an arrogant young upstart for constrast's sake? It certainly would be quite a new spin on the series.

It would certainly be interesting, but it would also be exactly the same as all those generic young but also somehow infinity years old JRPG antagonists with god complexes.

Also it would shoot a poison dart directly into the heart of Zelda chronology; since every Ganon is the same person and he never acted before OoT.

[JaidynReiman]

It would certainly be interesting, but it would also be exactly the same as all those generic young but also somehow infinity years old JRPG antagonists with god complexes.

Also it would shoot a poison dart directly into the heart of Zelda chronology; since every Ganon is the same person and he never acted before OoT.

Actually... that doesn't necessarily have to be the case.

It is indicated that OoT IS the first appearance of Ganondorf chronologically. However, as I recall, Ganondorf essentially appears in OoT initially to make a "peace offering" with the king.

In the history of the game, its indicated that there was a great war in Hyrule about ten years before the events of the game, and the Link we know from OoT is taken into the Lost Woods by his mother before she dies at the foot of the Great Deku Tree.

If they make a direct prequel to Ocarina of Time that showcases the events of what happened here... they really could show a "middle-aged" Link, and a younger Ganondorf. The middle-aged Link would be OoT Link's father, and Ganondorf would be younger than he would be in OoT. The only real problem with this idea is that it would effectively have to show Link's death, but that little theory could work out under these circumstances.

Other than that, there's no real way for Ganondorf to be pictured as younger than he is normally, because once he gets the Triforce of Power he's basically immortal, constantly coming back to try and get the whole Triforce.

[SuperLink]

It is indicated that OoT IS the first appearance of Ganondorf chronologically. However, as I recall, Ganondorf essentially appears in OoT initially to make a "peace offering" with the king.

If they make a direct prequel to Ocarina of Time that showcases the events of what happened here... they really could show a "middle-aged" Link, and a younger Ganondorf. The middle-aged Link would be OoT Link's father, and Ganondorf would be younger than he would be in OoT. The only real problem with this idea is that it would effectively have to show Link's death, but that little theory could work out under these circumstances.

If Ganondorf is shown to have done evil things before the events of OoT (he was born within living memory of some of the other Gerudo aswell), then the king would have absolutely 0 reason to trust him and make a truce.

I wouldn't find OoT very believable anymore anyway, it would be like creating a giant plot hole... like Star Ocean 4 did.

[Patticus]

They'll never do a prequel to OOT like that, the story and the developers have long since moved away from that 'era' of Hyrule. Now they are focusing on Wind Waker's world and that of Twilight Princess, and doubtless they'll move away from those in time, with the coming of yet more Zelda continuities.

[JaidynReiman]

I never said that Nintendo would go back to the OoT era. All I'm saying is that it IS possible to have a story revolving around a younger Ganondorf and an older Link, but it would have to be a prequel to OoT because every Ganondorf we see is always just the same Ganondorf we know, who chronologically first appeared in OoT.

And yeah, I know if Ganondorf did something in the past the king would never trust him. That's not the point. Ganondorf would be doing it behind the scenes, manipulating everything (like he did in Twilight Princess), and when "the hero" (Link) goes on to face the villain, Ganondorf winds up being the final boss. Later on, Ganny comes out of hiding after taking care of Link and acts as the peacemaker, pretending that he's trying to make things better, when in reality he was behind it.