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'Breath of the Wild' is the boldest 'Zelda' game in years
Nintendo wasn't lying, or even exaggerating. There really has never been a Legend of Zelda game quite like Breath of the Wild, and the series should be all the better for it. I've extensively played (if not quite finished) every major Zelda game, but that familiarity with the series rarely came in handy throughout the 45-minute demo I played at E3 today. I was confused and disoriented, not quite familiar with how I should be interacting with my surroundings -- much like Link himself after being awakened in a shrine with no clear direction on where to go.
Celebrate E3 and new 'Zelda' with this lavish Nintendo sale
E3 2016 is in full swing, and there's already a bevy of titles being shown off that we can't wait to get our hands on, particularly The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon. Nintendo know this very well, and thus is running a special E3 sale from now through June 21 with up to 40% select digital games.
Where to watch Nintendo's E3 announcement stream
Microsoft and Sony made some pretty major announcements yesterday, but we're not done yet -- Nintendo is holding an online press conference this morning. Things may already be winding down on the Wii U era, but we expect Nintendo to show off details on the next Legend of Zelda game as well as some news for Pokémon fanatics. Hopefully there will be some other surprises, as well. It all kicks off at 9AM PT / 12PM ET, and you can watch the YouTube stream below. Of course, we'll be covering all the news as well.
You can play the new 'Legend of Zelda' early in New York City
You won't be left out of the E3 festivities just because you can't make it to Los Angeles for E3 Live. Nintendo is giving gamers in New York City an opportunity to play The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U between June 14th and June 19th if they're willing to jump through a few hoops. To start, you'll have to show up for a "Super-Fan Signup Day" at Nintendo's New York store on the morning of June 11th to have a chance of playing. If you're one of the 500 people to make the cut, you'll have to line up at the store on June 14th to get a wristband and make an appointment for some hands-on time.
'Zelda' turns 30 and gets a browser-based tribute game
While we all endure the endless wait for a new Zelda game to grace the Wii U in its last days, the original quest that put Link (and Ganon) on the map is getting a new lease on life. The fan-made project, a voxel-based tribute to The Legend of Zelda that debuted on the NES 30 years ago, takes the 8-bit classic and reimagines it as a playable 2.5D, browser-based game. Yes, you can play it on your laptop or mobile phone. It's a tribute, albeit unfinished, to "the greatest console game of all time" from programmers Scott Lininger and Mike Magee. And, knowing Nintendo, it's the kind of thing we imagine won't survive on the internet for long. So on this day of VR buzz, why not switch tracks for a bit and indulge in video gaming's past.
Explore Google Maps with Link from 'The Legend of Zelda'
Here's a little something to brighten up your day -- open up Google Maps in the browser and you'll notice that the yellow Pegman now looks like Link. The fabled Hero of Time is there to celebrate the The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which launches today on the Wii U in Europe and North America. He'll be sticking around for a good five days, which makes sense given the game doesn't come out in Japan until March 10th. In the meantime, enjoy dragging his little tunic and sword around your hometown. Who knows, maybe there's a dungeon or two to be found?
'The Legend of Zelda' marks its 30th birthday
Gamers, you have permission to feel old once again: The Legend of Zelda just turned 30. Nintendo released the classic action-adventure in Japan on the Famicom Disk System (it wasn't even a cartridge at the time) all the way back on February 21st, 1986, kicking off one of the biggest franchises in video game history. The series has since sold tens of millions of copies -- over 75 million at last count -- and has had a presence on virtually every Nintendo system to date.
'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD' hits Wii U in 2016
It's official: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD exists and it's heading to Wii U on March 4th, 2016. Twilight Princess HD introduces a new Wolf Link amiibo, which is included in a special game bundle. The game shares some data with the new Legend of Zelda game heading to Wii U in 2016 as well. Rumors of Twilight Princess HD's existence first hit the 'net in October. Nintendo made the official announcement today during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
JXE Streams: You are the 'Wind Waker HD' beneath our wings
Let's keep this Wii U love train rolling. Yesterday, we hosted a tribute stream for Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata, who died this week. We played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and discussed some of our favorite Nintendo memories, from the NES to the Wii U. Today, we'll stick with Link and play The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD on Wii U. Maybe we'll pivot near the end and play a little Mario Kart 8 or something -- we'll do whatever sounds fun in the moment because that's what video games are all about. Join us at 3PM PT / 6PM ET on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, right in this post or on the Engadget Gaming homepage.
JXE Streams: The wild and weird 'Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'
This week -- tomorrow -- Nintendo is re-releasing its polarizing Nintendo 64 third-person action game, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. But today -- at 3PM ET! -- we're streaming the game and hosting a rousing discussion. No "expansion pak" required! Though we'd love to show you the re-release for Nintendo 3DS, there's simply no way for us to stream from our handheld game systems. As such, today we're streaming the original Nintendo 64 game. No, we don't have a magical Nintendo 64 with HDMI-out, but we do have a Wii U, which has a Wii built into it, which has Virtual Console. All that to say this: we're streaming the Wii re-release of Nintendo 64 game The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The future! We're in it!
The original Legend of Zelda goes first-person for Oculus Rift demo
What happens when you cross Being John Malkovich with NES classic The Legend of Zelda? You get the terrifying Oculus Rift demo seen in video below the break. The mod is currently just the game's overworld and its first dungeon, but there are plans to scale up the whole game to VR playability by March of this year (yes, for free -- this is Nintendo's property, after all). Should you already have an Oculus headset and a strong constitution, the demo's available right here.
Yes, of course Nintendo is releasing its Zelda-themed 3DS XL in the US as well
Quit sending those mean letters to your European cousins, full of bitterness and jealousy that they're getting a shiny gold Nintendo 3DS XL with the Triforce emblazoned on its outer shell this holiday and you're not. Not only is it rude, but it turns out that Nintendo's releasing the same 3DS here in North America alongside the launch of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on November 22nd (something you may have already surmised). You might get it in a nicely wrapped box, even! The bundle, game included, costs $220 (a $20 savings) and launches the same day as Xbox One -- though we get a feeling that the two consoles are marketed to slightly different crowds.
Legend of Zelda prototype cartridge goes to auction: $150,000 proves your loyalty to Hyrule (video)
And you thought that Nintendo World Championships gold cartridge would make a nice start to the retirement fund. An eBay auction from tjcurtin1 is offering a prototype NES cartridge for the US release of The Legend of Zelda at a Buy It Now price of $150,000, or roughly ten times more than the typical final bid that Price Charting quotes for a typical NWC cart. While it looks like an unassuming yellow chunk of plastic, it's actually a Nintendo of America copy from February 23, 1987 -- half a year before the definitive action adventure reached the US market. The game still plays and can even save its game on the still functional, industry-first battery backup. Just remember that it's not necessarily going to reveal any design secrets from Shigeru Miyamoto or Takashi Tezuka: the seller warns that he can't see any practical differences between the early copy and the (also included) shipping version. Anyone well-heeled enough to buy the prototype is therefore going solely for the collector's value. But for those determined to be the coolest kid on any block about 25 years late, there's only one way to go.
This 25th anniversary Zelda 3DS kind of Hyrules
Sure, it may not have one of those coveted right circle pads, but this Zelda-branded Nintendo 3DS is just dripping in Hyrule awesomeness. The limited edition portable console will be released in Europe to mark the 25th anniversary of Link, Zelda and the rest of the Hyrule crew. The 3DS has a Hyrule emblem and gold-colored decorations on its lid and comes bundled with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. It'll hit European shops on the 25th of this month, so start saving up those silver rupees. Press info after the break.
The Legend of Zelda prototype surfaces, makes itself readily available
Retro gamers, take note -- The Legend of Zelda is back, and this version's more intriguing than ever. From the pits of a mythical, magical unknown lair has arisen an early build of the original FDS version of Zelda, and thanks to the wonders of the internet (along with a few dedicated Earthlings), we're able to break down the differences between the prototype and the retail edition, download the FDS image and pore over the disk scans. From what we've been able to gather thus far, the early version is quite a bit easier to beat than the final build, with fewer enemies, easier money and more gullible partners. Sounds like our kind of place. Hit the links below to nerd out in fantastic fashion.
NES harmonicas hit eBay, three lucky gamers cheer
Remember the HarmoNESica? A brief refresher, then: it's what happens when you've got a copy of Super Tecmo Bowl, a Pocket Pal harmonica, and the desire to create a unique musical instrument. But if you don't have any of the aforementioned ingredients and just want the end result, eBay's got you covered as usual -- three HarmoNESicas have been gathering bids at the online auction house this week. Whether your pleasure be Dick Tracy, Super Mario Bros. 3 or The Legend of Zelda, there's a harmonica to match; and if (for some reason) you want to actually play one of the games, you'll find the ROM guts tastefully included. But before you make your bid, remember: there's more than one way to skin an NES cartridge.
Conjecture Countdown: 12 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Majora's Mask on DS! We've actually got proof to confirm this one. Check past the post break!
DS Daily: Those pesky names
Stupid names. Who needs 'em? We never did. Growing up, we never talked about moblins or lynel in The Legend of Zelda. We talked about the spear dudes and those stupid #*@&$^) centaur guys (except with more colorful metaphors). We were dirty, dirty children who shouldn't have been allowed to mix with the other children. But the point is, manual-reading aside, the official names for creatures in video games just never seemed to stick with us. Oh, maybe some (evil) people could summon the precise names for Lakitus and Metools, but we were not those people. This is why we like Castlevania. You know what a Fish Head is? It's a freakin' fish-headed monster. Even we can remember that. But what about you?
Stream Phantom Hourglass' music
It could be months before The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass makes it to America, but you can count on us to bring you everything we find pertaining to the Japanese game -- commercials, video of its first six minutes, and now, its soundtrack. It's as close as you can get to playing the game without actually having to import it! Sort of.The Hylia has ripped over 75 tracks directly from Phantom Hourglass, posting them all for you to listen to. Aren't you glad that you have friends like us to tell you about the awesome going-ons of the internet?
Theremin theme: The Legend of Zelda
Our scheme to slowly convert this site into ThereminFanboy continues with a video from Randy George, a clasically-trained chamber musician who recorded himself playing The Legend of Zelda's overworld theme with the synthy gadget.For those of you who still aren't hip to the workings of a thereminvox, it's a fully electronic musical instrument with two antennas that control pitch and volume. Designed to be played without ever being touched, its harmonies have been described as "music from the ether." Sounds wild? This was all dreamed up by Russian physicist Lev Termen in 1919. He later went on to invent motion detectors for automated doors and KGB espionage devices. Head past the post break for video of Randy's performance.
