Joystiq

Rumor: Ocarina of Time 3D to see limited initial release

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST

Japanese retail news blog Sinobi (translated by Andriasang) reports Nintendo has a somewhat surprising supply strategy for its upcoming, three-dimensional remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. According to the blog, Nintendo's initial shipment of the title to retailers will be "extremely small." Furthermore, Nintendo supposedly isn't letting retailers order extra units of the game, and is allotting a limited number of copies for all retailers, regardless of their respective size.

It seems bananas to limit supply on the 3DS' most anticipated title to date, but Sinobi suggests this could be a reaction to the overstocking of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which ended up in Japanese bargain bins faster than the franchise is likely used to. If that's the case, then Nintendo is forgetting one very important factor: Spirit Tracks is a pretty okay game, while Ocarina of Time is the best game ever made.

Rumor: Ocarina of Time 3D to see limited initial release originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAFTA video game award nominees announced

JC Fletcher — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST

The BAFTA awards represent a rare opportunity to get the thrill of watching your favorite high-profile games rack up more plaudits long after the end of the year. They also represent the opinions of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, but whatever. The nominations for the 2009 awards have been released, with mostly unsurprising games occupying the "Best Game" category -- Batman, Assassin's Creed II, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Joystiq.com Game of the Year 2009 Uncharted 2 -- and FIFA 2009.

In the "people's choice" GAME Awards, all of the Best Game nominees but Left 4 Dead 2 make repeat appearances, joined by The Beatles: Rock Band, GTA Chinatown Wars, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Street Fighter IV, and Wii Sports Resort. "Everyone's" tastes are much more diverse! See more nominations for specific genres and achievements at the BAFTA site. The winners will be revealed in an award ceremony on March 19.

BAFTA video game award nominees announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST

Do you live in the UK and dream every night about the possibility of one day voting on a people's choice game of the year award? Right, us neither, but if you're into that kinda thing, UK retailer GAME is holding the second annual GAME British Academy Video Games Awards at the London Hilton on March 19 and you can vote for the awards show's top "honour." Sure, you can't actually buy tickets and attend or anything crazy like that (the event is live-streamed online, in fairness), but you still have just over a month to put in your vote for one of the 10 games in the running -- games that were chosen from a list comprising "the top selling games of the year sold in GAME stores."

At the very least, voters will automatically be entered into a contest to win a "Sony Home Entertainment Package," so, if nothing else, there's always the possibility of winning a Sony ... something (or somethings). Click through or glance a few inches up for the people's choice award contestant list.

Continue reading BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open

BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wallace & Gromit creators use Flipnote Studio to create Spirit Tracks animations

David Hinkle — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:45:00 EST

You likely know Aardman Animations as the creators of the hilarious cheese-loving man and surprisingly capable K-9 duo, Wallace & Gromit. To celebrate last month's release of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in Europe, Nintendo tapped the studio to create a trio of custom animations paying homage to the game in Nintendo's free animation app for the DSi, Flipnote Studio. Now we get to see their labor bear fruit and, oh my, these came out looking sharp, as the video above this text can attest.

However, the real feather in this (Minish?) cap is the odd video past the break showing Link's game-long companion, Zelda. For us, the uneasy feeling we get witnessing Link's lack of concern seeing Zelda in poltergeist form is only exceeded by Zelda's apparent glee, despite being a creepy specter. That just weirds us out!

Continue reading Wallace & Gromit creators use Flipnote Studio to create Spirit Tracks animations

Wallace & Gromit creators use Flipnote Studio to create Spirit Tracks animations originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2009

JC Fletcher — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST

Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Muramasa appealed to me in a way that Odin Sphere didn't, thanks to an emphasis on combo-heavy sword action instead of planting and whatever. And the RPG elements that are left, like the sword upgrades and cooking, are not only fun, but simple enough that I can get right back into the game after a long break and still know what is going on.

Also, I don't mean to be shallow, but the fact that Muramasa is the most beautiful game of 2009 helps me be positive about it.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2009

Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modern Warfare 2 spends fifth week atop UK sales charts

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

War. What is it good for? Super successful games! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may be undergoing a gradual sales slide, dropping another 11 percent this past week, but since the title has maintained the top position on the UK sales chart for a fifth week, it must be sliding down on a pretty fluffy cushion. Call of Duty: World at War held the high ground for five weeks last year before FIFA took it during Christmas week. Speaking of FIFA, the latest installment dropped from second to fifth this week.

Assassin's Creed 2 couldn't find the next grip location and holds its position in third. Nintendo has Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii at spots two, four and six, respectively. As for premieres, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks rolled in at 12th place and James Cameron's Avatar: The Game entered at number 29. Now let's see how Avatar: The Movie That Inspired The Game does. If it's a hit, that should help sales of the game.

Source -- Modern Warfare 2 Claims 5th Week at No1 [Chart Track]
Source -- All formats chart [Chart Track]

Gallery: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (11/10/09)

Modern Warfare 2 spends fifth week atop UK sales charts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Savings on Wii, Spirit Tracks, music games at Target next week

JC Fletcher — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST

Target's circular for the week of December 13 includes some near-Black Friday discounts on brand new items. With a promotional price of $24.99, Target has the best deal yet on the just-released The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (along with other recent DS releases like Style Savvy and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days).

While you're buying a $25 game, you can also impulse-buy a Wii, which includes a bonus $30 gift card, or a DSi with a $10 gift card. Or a copy of Tony Hawk: Ride for $88 (not the only time we'll see discounts on this one, we're guessing).

Savings on Wii, Spirit Tracks, music games at Target next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

JC Fletcher — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

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.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

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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Nintendo's Aonuma: Majora's Mask the result of Miyamoto challenge

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:30:00 EST

[Image credit: Rich Lem]

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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The real-life treasure of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

JC Fletcher — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST

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.

Gallery: Zelda: Spirit Tracks treasure

The real-life treasure of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spirit Tracks ads choo up some UK airtime

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST

Actually, the titular tracks from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, don't feature very prominently in a recent batch of ads for the game from the UK. Instead, the ads task a young woman with solving some of the game's puzzles (presumably under the stipulation that she be adorable while doing so). All three of the commercials highlight the game's use of the unique features of the DS, namely the microphone and touch screen. We're not sure how entertaining it will be to blow into the mic to play the pan flute for the thousandth time, but the first glance seems novel enough.

Check out the ads after the break.

[Via GoNintendo]

Continue reading Spirit Tracks ads choo up some UK airtime

Spirit Tracks ads choo up some UK airtime originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Randy Nelson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

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.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

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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Introducing the Spirit Tower in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

JC Fletcher — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

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."

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

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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Nintendo Mall Experience tour heads cross-country next week

David Hinkle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST

Nintendo must've had some luck with its Great Lakes and Wii Sports Resort tours recently, as the company has announced the Nintendo Mall Experience tour. Starting next week through December 20, The Big N will be stopping at shopping centers across the country to get some of its Wii and DS titles in the faces of holiday shoppers.

On the Wii side, Nintendo will show off its top three games for the holiday season: Wii Sports Resort, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Fit Plus. For the handheld crowd, Nintendo will be pushing the new Style Savvy, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Head past the break for the full list of stops on Nintendo's Mall Experience tour.

Continue reading Nintendo Mall Experience tour heads cross-country next week

Nintendo Mall Experience tour heads cross-country next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zelda: Spirit Tracks trailer, now with more Zelda

JC Fletcher — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST

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.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

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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Woman creates massive Lego Zelda mosaic, takes longer to finish than most Zelda games

David Hinkle — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Alyse isn't just your usual Legend of Zelda fan -- aside from the drawer full of Link-themed clothing and decorative Majora's Mask cup set sitting in her cupboard, she's now also the proud owner of the gigantic Lego mosaic you see above. The product of her brow's sweat and her hand's work, the mosaic was created for Brickcon, an annual event that celebrates adult Lego hobbyists.

Head on over to her Flickr account for shots of the impressive feat throughout its development (the above shot is of her husband, Remi, and the Lego computer case he built), something Alyse documented because she "was inspired by many of the stained glass artwork from Wind Waker." If we had enough patience to do something like this, we probably wouldn't have jobs on the internet.

[Via The Tanooki]

Woman creates massive Lego Zelda mosaic, takes longer to finish than most Zelda games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan receives special Zelda Spirit Tracks stylus with purchase

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST

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 on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK retailer offers Zelda: Spirit Tracks collector's tin

JC Fletcher — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST

Nintendo UK seems to have gone tin crazy of late -- first announcing a Limited Tin Edition of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, exclusive to GAME, and now offering a similar package for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. This is, of course, wonderful news for people just starting their tin game box collections.

Retailer Gamestation is taking pre-orders on the Spirit Tracks: Limited Tin Edition for £39.99. However, Nintendo told CVG that the box is actually a pre-order bonus, and will be available from Gamestation's parent company, GAME, with early purchases of the regular £29.99 game. So, basically, don't buy this thing from Gamestation just yet!

While the box doesn't seem to be designed to hold coins like the Mario one, it is designed to hold the two figurines that will be included. We're really hoping (and almost certain) this is a mockup, and that it doesn't come with oddly flat figurines and a game box that tells you to "Pre-order your copy today!"

[Via CVG, Coplanet]

UK retailer offers Zelda: Spirit Tracks collector's tin originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo announces October stops for World of Nintendo tour

JC Fletcher — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST

The World of Nintendo is a lot smaller than the regular world, as the whole thing can be picked up and moved around from town to town. This is mostly due to the fact that the World of Nintendo isn't actually a world at all! It's a traveling showcase of new Nintendo games. Today, Nintendo announced the tour's next stops.

If you'd like to get an early look at The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and New Super Mario Bros. Wii -- and why wouldn't you -- check out America's VideoGame Expo in Philadelphia from October 9 through 11, and NYC's Big Apple Comic-Con from October 16 through 18. In addition to those games, Nintendo will offer demos of a "selection of downloadable game titles on the WiiWare and Nintendo DSiWare services," and of recent Nintendo releases like Punch-Out!! and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box.

Does it strike anyone else as odd that Nintendo has given a name to showing new games at conventions?

Nintendo announces October stops for World of Nintendo tour originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Super Mario Wii, Zelda: Spirit Tracks & others dated for Europe

David Hinkle — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Arguably the two biggest titles set to release on their respective platforms this year, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks have both been dated by Nintendo of Europe. NSMBW is set to invade living rooms on November 20, while Spirit Tracks will be pulling into the station on December 11. But that's not all, as Nintendo has also dated Wii Fit Plus for October 30 and plans to cater to your inner fashionista with Nintendo Presents Style Boutique on October 23.

Nintendo of America previously confirmed NSMBW for November 15 and Zelda for December 7; and Wii Fit Plus releases ... this Sunday! Time to sculpt that perfect figure again.

New Super Mario Wii, Zelda: Spirit Tracks & others dated for Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks pulling into retail station Dec. 7

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:57:00 EST

A Nintendo press release promoting the company's holiday lineup has confirmed a December 7 release date for Link's next Nintendo DS-based outing, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. That's just in time for the cold, harsh winter -- but it's still quite a ways off. We suggest playing through Phantom Hourglass while watching reruns of Thomas the Tank Engine in order to tide yourself over until then.

If you're not familiar with the Spirit-ed, Hylian adventure, check out our hands-on impressions of the game from E3 earlier this year, or watch the debut GDC trailer!

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks pulling into retail station Dec. 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insights on Nintendo's new games from the Miyamoto developer event

JC Fletcher — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST

Shigeru Miyamoto didn't appear at Nintendo's big E3 conference, but he did appear at what Nintendo called a "developer event" later that evening, in a "very relaxed mood" from his morning off. This discussion/Q&A event was the location of last year's Pikmin 3 reveal, and this year Miyamoto came prepared to surprise everyone again at the end, with art from the next Zelda game.

"To be honest with you, I really wanted, at this E3, to announce a Zelda game for Wii," he said. "But, we've already shown you a Zelda on Wii, and rather than try to think of something to bring here to show you, we really wanted to focus on actual game development.

"However, I didn't want to come empty-handed, so I did bring the main illustration for the next Zelda title."

Continue reading Insights on Nintendo's new games from the Miyamoto developer event

Insights on Nintendo's new games from the Miyamoto developer event originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was a solid game with a few disruptive flaws -- the most memorable of which being the oft-repeated Temple of the Ocean King that left many players frustrated enough to return the title to the GameStop from whence it came. It came close, but possessed no cigar. Now, Nintendo's hoping to get it right with the next DS iteration of the triforce-filled franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

If you're familiar with Hourglass, transitioning into Tracks shouldn't be too difficult a task. It uses the same love-it-or-hate-it stylus control scheme, and features the same visuals that have been adapted over from the Gamecube seafaring sim Wind Waker. What is different is the game's introduction of a hulking dungeon delving partner and, of course, the locomotive method of transportation that rides upon the game's titular rails.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Continue reading Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Hands-on: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reggie: No plans to reveal DSi-enhanced software until after launch

JC Fletcher — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:05:00 EST

NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime spoke with MTV Multiplayer about the DSi and the GDC announcement of DSi-exclusive and DSi-enhanced software. Though Nintendo isn't making specific announcements about hybrid games until after the system is in stores -- "It would be reasonable to talk about that after we've launched" -- Reggie believes that the majority of DS software will either not take advantage of the DSi's features or be hybrid. "Why? One hundred-million installed base of DS. Developers are going to want to leverage that installed base and yet they'll want to provide extra content via the features of the DSi, like the camera. That's my expectation as to how it will play out."

Reggie also offered impressions of his hands-on time with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, providing a slight gameplay detail: "You do more in tracking and outlining. We showed it in the trailer. You move [an extra] character to a spot in order to unlock puzzles. I really like that." He responded only "Wouldn't that be nice?" when asked if Spirit Tracks would be DSi-enhanced.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Reggie: No plans to reveal DSi-enhanced software until after launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Watch The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in action

David Hinkle — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:46:00 EST

If only knowing something exists is not enough for you, then we present you with evidence: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' announcement trailer, which we've plucked from the Nintendo Channel. It's chock full of Link, trains, and dungeons. Pretty much everything you'd want from a Legend of Zelda game, except for maybe the trains bit. We're still not sure what to think of that one.

Gallery: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

GDC09: Watch The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in action originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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