Here's a little-known fact: If industry analysts go too long without foretelling something – anything – they break out in a nasty case of hives. That may be why Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian has come forward with his latest prediction, namely that Nintendo will release a new Zelda game for the Wii sometime in 2009.
While anticipating "potentially fewer hit titles" across the board next year, the soothsayer notes to Gamespot that his prophecy for a follow-up to Twilight Princess, as well as a new "Princess Peach adventure," is little more than guesswork at this point. Traditionally, Nintendo has released just a single principle Zelda title per console cycle, though given that the last game started life on the GameCube gives Sebastian's prediction a bit more weight, if only slightly. As for us, we gave up trying to read Nintendo's body language a long time ago, and have just resigned ourselves to take the waggles as they come.
Reader Comments (102)
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:07PM Streeks1984 said
Yes it would....it would give me a reason to buy my second wii game (first was smash) and a reason to turn it on. LOL, I just hope they make another mediocre game like twilight was.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 2:28PM gatorboi352 said
smh @ bleu and every other poster on here that keeps bringing up that tired ass argument. Just stop it please!
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 5:30PM Foetoid said
Lol Cody good call. Its just weird hearing about all these people who don't turn on their Wiis when in the last 2 years since launch, i've played it, on average, 6 days out of 7. I could name 2 dozen games worth owning that are out right now, but it's christmas morning, so you get off lucky!
Reply
Posted: Dec 26th 2008 8:54AM MowDownJoe said
To be honest, I haven't bought a new game for my Wii OR my 360 in a while... though being poor is a part of that.
Although I have been playing my DS more than my Wii... Wii had a bit of a dry spell in the second half of this year.
Reply
Although I have been playing my DS more than my Wii... Wii had a bit of a dry spell in the second half of this year.
Posted: Jan 2nd 2009 11:09AM JCDoe said
I think alot of you guys view the past through rose-tinted glasses. Go back and play OoT after giving TP say an hour or so. The refining that the controls and animations alone have gotten are so substantial that I find OoT almost painful to play in retrospect.
Also, I wouldn't call TP "OoT 1.5" by a long shot. There were MANY additions to your "arsenal" (dual hookshot, bombchus, and the spinning hover-disk thingy) which enabled a slew of puzzles not previously possible.
The end result is that Zelda is, and always will be, a combination of puzzle solving and action/adventure. There are elements that will always be there (Ganon, Link, Princess Zelda, a fire temple, an ice temple, etc), but if you take the time to appreciate how the puzzles have evolved and grown over the years, you'll realize that TP really has taken the series to new heights.
Reply
Also, I wouldn't call TP "OoT 1.5" by a long shot. There were MANY additions to your "arsenal" (dual hookshot, bombchus, and the spinning hover-disk thingy) which enabled a slew of puzzles not previously possible.
The end result is that Zelda is, and always will be, a combination of puzzle solving and action/adventure. There are elements that will always be there (Ganon, Link, Princess Zelda, a fire temple, an ice temple, etc), but if you take the time to appreciate how the puzzles have evolved and grown over the years, you'll realize that TP really has taken the series to new heights.
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:38AM Ozymandias said
First off, Twilight Princess was awesome. Classic Zelda fun.
Second, Go Vols!
Reply
Second, Go Vols!
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:59AM Levi said
Wii, whether you liked TP or not, it is NOT a classic Zelda game. Go play A Link to the Past, or Link's Awakening. Those are classic Zelda games. Starting with Ocarina, Zelda became something different.
I, too, got bored with Toilet Paper, and didn't finish it. I agree that it felt lifeless. Whereas I have a lot of problems with Ocarina, it still felt like a great game, TP just felt like a money maker.
Reply
I, too, got bored with Toilet Paper, and didn't finish it. I agree that it felt lifeless. Whereas I have a lot of problems with Ocarina, it still felt like a great game, TP just felt like a money maker.
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:36AM (Unverified) said
A first person Zelda could be pretty cool. I would like it to have it's own engine though. I would prefer it not to be like Oblivion.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:54AM (Unverified) said
I'm open to new ideas. And I did only say it "could" be pretty cool. There is a lot more room for failure there though. Either way, it will sell, it's Zelda.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:59AM (Unverified) said
Zelda games are getting pretty stale now, we need something new, it's not "like you play a zelda game, you play them all" yet but I don't know the same thing over again.
( I want something radical like Majora's mask)
Reply
( I want something radical like Majora's mask)
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:01PM Levi said
First person would not be good for Zelda. I agree they are getting pretty stale. I think the best way to rejuvenate the series is to look to the last games, maybe even take some of the mechanics of the older ones and put them into the new style. Perhaps going the opposite route, instead of first person, make it overhead again?
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:05PM (Unverified) said
Maybe a New Setting like Arabia or a Northern Region.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:07PM Roto13 said
The only reason Twilight Princess felt at all stale is because they did what people like Vcize had been asking for for 8 years and made Ocarina of Time 1.5. One game that doesn't feel completely unique doesn't mean the series is getting stale. The last 3D Zelda before Twilight Princess was Wind Waker. Did that feel stale?
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:23PM 343 Guilty Fart said
I dunno, I'm still working my way through Phantom Hourglass and I'm just getting bored. I love me some Zelda and all but it's just the same formula again and again and again. Instead of getting the bombs in dungeon 2 you now get them in dungeon 3 - zomg!!
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 3:34PM In A World said
Well Zelda could certainly borrow a few things from Oblivion, like voice acting (using more than just 4 actors though, please), tons of sidequests, more weapons and armor, custom spells, more interactivity with the NPCs, orchestrated music, and the ability to continue playing the game after the main quest, so you can see the aftermath of your latest defeat of Ganon.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:35AM (Unverified) said
Well, Miyamoto acknowledged that they were working on a new Zelda. As for it being released in 2009... Frankly, if we get a teaser trailer at E3, that's probably as good as it's going to get for a while.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:35AM (Unverified) said
...Okay, I predict that there is no way in hell a new Zelda will come out next year.
Can I get paid to be an analyst now, too?
Reply
Can I get paid to be an analyst now, too?
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:38AM Foolkiller said
I thought Wind Waker was an amazing game, I loved the way it looked and played. I've never had a chance to play Twilight Princess though :-(.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:22PM zero2dash said
I agree, I think WW was passed over and generally disgregarded because of the cel shading but IMO WW has been the best Zelda in the post-16 bit era.
OoT was good also, but I liked WW more.
[Yes, I know that's probably blasphemy according to most Nintendo fans.]
Reply
OoT was good also, but I liked WW more.
[Yes, I know that's probably blasphemy according to most Nintendo fans.]
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:40AM (Unverified) said
"Traditionally, Nintendo has released just a single principle Zelda title per console cycle"
Anyone else see something wrong with this?
NES:Zelda 1, Zelda 2
SNES:Link to the Past
N64:Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask
GC:Wind Waker, 4 Swords, Twilight Princess
Wii:Twilight Princess
GB:Seasons, Times, Link's Awakening
Etc, Etc...
Reply
Anyone else see something wrong with this?
NES:Zelda 1, Zelda 2
SNES:Link to the Past
N64:Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask
GC:Wind Waker, 4 Swords, Twilight Princess
Wii:Twilight Princess
GB:Seasons, Times, Link's Awakening
Etc, Etc...
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:44PM kevlar said
"Traditionally, Nintendo has released just a single principle Zelda title per console cycle"
The keyword there is PRINCIPLE Zelda Title.
NES: Zelda 1
SNES: Link to the Past
N64: Ocarina of Time
GC: Wind Waker
Wii: Twilight Princess
GB: Link's Awakening
There. Fixed that for ya.
The others were all good games, but hardly the ones of the series that get the recognition. (Possible exception is Majora's Mask, but that's for Nintendo themselves to decide)
Reply
The keyword there is PRINCIPLE Zelda Title.
NES: Zelda 1
SNES: Link to the Past
N64: Ocarina of Time
GC: Wind Waker
Wii: Twilight Princess
GB: Link's Awakening
There. Fixed that for ya.
The others were all good games, but hardly the ones of the series that get the recognition. (Possible exception is Majora's Mask, but that's for Nintendo themselves to decide)
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:43AM (Unverified) said
Bout time, my Wii has been collecting dust for a while with nothing to get for it.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:28PM HighFiveJesus said
go get the new wario game and de blob, i'm having a lot of fun with them. and they are DIFFERENT. oh rite, you just want more halo.
Reply
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 11:46AM jorojoserojas said
No way. If it were to be released this year, we would have already seen screenshots at the very least.
Now, if they were to ANNOUNCE a new Zelda this year, that's something else...
Reply
Now, if they were to ANNOUNCE a new Zelda this year, that's something else...
Posted: Dec 24th 2008 12:13PM ripvanwinkle said
Nintendo's been playing this announce games 4 months ahead game. Anything can happen.
Reply
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.
Featured Stories
The most popular posts
in the last 7 days
- Vita 'UMD Passport' won't be offered in US 221 comments
- Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning review: A tempting fate 153 comments
- David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update] 107 comments
- Don't call it a remake: Final Fantasy X is a 'remaster,' to be clear 95 comments
- Battleship movie adapted into FPS by Double Helix 93 comments











