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Trade in your old ports for a new port
If you're lucky enough to have a Hastings store nearby, the entertainment retailer is offering to exchange your moth-eaten copies of Super Paper Mario or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for a waggle-fied edition of Resident Evil 4. They'll also accept Rainbow Six Vegas (360) and God of War II (PS2), but not without scowling at you first.According to the rest of Hastings's weekly ad, there's a buy-1-get-2nd-for-free sale on body jewelry, so be on the look out for that deal too! Put away the other two RE4 games you've already bought for previous platforms, throw on a shirt that shows off your belly-button-ringed midriff, and check past the post break for the full flyer.
More Phantom Hourglass commercials for Japan, nothing for us
Whether it's shields or mini-sites, we can't seem to stop torturing ourselves with Phantom Hourglass news. We're actually physically pained by the fact that Japan will be receiving the game as early as next week; meanwhile, we're still waiting for a US release date to be announced, wallowing in self-pity with nothing but Destination Software's Chicken Shoot to look forward to. We want to chase chickens into corners, carry them over our heads, or even slash at them with a sword until a flood of poultry pour into our screens to defend their friend -- not shoot at them! We cry fowl at Chicken Shoot!Nintendo's latest commercial for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass depicts a young girl finding clues, taking notes, and counting Link's steps to unlock one of the game's many secrets. As you'll see past the post break, no chickens were harmed in the making of the video.%Gallery-3279%
The Shields of Zelda
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/The_Shields_of_Zelda'; If you paid close attention to yesterday's Phantom Hourglass commercials, you might've spotted the lobster design (or is it a crayfish?) on Link's shield. What do you think of the new look? Wind Waker fans should recognize the crustacean shape, as it originally showed up on our hero's pajamas in the GameCube game. Link's shield has been as much a staple of the Zelda series as the adventurer's green cap, deflecting octorok attacks and pushing away charging enemies. Over the past two decades, the defensive device's design has evolved much from its original cross emblem to incorporate Triforces, various winged figures, and decorative accents. We've collected over a dozen of the different layouts that we spotted at The Hylia, leaving out mirror shields and other deviations (e.g. Ordon shield), and have lined them up for you to compare and constrast after the post break. Enjoy!
Pretty much the best DS Lite mod ever
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Pretty_much_the_best_DS_Lite_mod_ever/'; When aliens come to lay waste on our planet after an interstellar decree to rid the galaxy of our race before our warlike nature spreads to other solar systems, this Nintendo DS Lite case mod could be humanity's saving grace. At the precipice of mankind's extinction, the extraterrestrial army will stay its advanced armaments, realizing that any society capable of producing such an awe-aspiring object deserves to continue its existence!Forged by the same hands that brought the Legend of Zelda-themed Wii mod to life, this gold and black beauty's metal die-cast Master Sword/Shield crest rotates to match your handheld's orientation and illuminates when being charged. Buying this one-of-a-kind DS Lite will also net you a custom charging dock, two painted styli (silver and dark blue), and the admiration of your peers and cosmic beings alike. Proceeds from the auction will once again be donated to Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity.Head past the post break for more photos of the DS Lite mod. It's a good preview of what we'll spend the rest of our enslaved lives assembling after our alien overlords decide to spare our pitiful race.
Voice chat in the works for Phantom Hourglass?
Last week's issue of Famitsu hid more in its Japanese text than just the June 23rd release date for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Zelda Universe's novice translation of the scanned pages indicates that the title might support online voice chat. Though this feature doesn't seem useful beyond setting up matches and trash-talking with your friends, it's a nice addition to the meager multiplayer mode.With upcoming games like Pokemon Diamond/Pearl and Panel de Pon also planning to use the Nintendo DS' VoIP capabilities, purchasing the uncomfortable-looking, official headset is beginning to make a lot more sense to us. Of all the titles we expected to eventually include voice communication, Phantom Hourglass was definitely not one of them. Update: Having a bit more experience with the Japanese language, The Hylia translated the Famitsu scans in an effort to confirm this news. Much to our dismay, The Hylia found that there is no voice chat support planned for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.[Via Digg]
Phantom Hourglass due for June, saves summer
Last year's middle months were starved for high-profile releases -- publishers held back the big guns for the holiday season, and the Nintendo DS relied on Big Brain Academy and third-party GBA games to fill out its summer schedule. The latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu reveals that this year could be different with the early release of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on June 23rd.After seeing that the only Phantom Hourglass previews available at GDC were of the game's multiplayer mode, we didn't think that Nintendo would have Link's new adventure ready until Christmas. The announced date is for Japan, of course, but we don't expect a significant delay for its North American arrival. The series has always experienced more success in the US, sales-wise. June 23rd happens to fall on a Saturday, which is unusual when you consider that outside of Dragon Quest and hardware debuts, most games in Japan are brought out on Thursdays. Could a Zelda-themed DS Lite also be in the works? We've got our fingers crossed!
Remixed medley of The Legend of Zelda's soundtrack
One of our favorite touches of the new Phantom Hourglass' trailer shown at this year's GDC event was its use of the reworked Hyrule Castle theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. If there's one thing we love, it's retro tracks brought back for another round. That's why we're featuring a medley of songs from the original Zelda game (NES) remixed by electronica musician Ochre, for your Sunday listening pleasure. We imagine that trying to add anything on top of Koji Kondo's classic work without ruining it is a difficult task, but this arrangement doesn't miss a step. Ochre's interpretation blends the 8-bit pieces with his own playful style, taking the listener through a six-minute daydream of Link's adventures. If you're a fan of lush synths and summery rhythms, we definitely suggest downloading this song along with Ochre's other remixes and original offerings at his site. [Via The New Gamer]
Nintendo's Koji Kondo joins Video Games Live lineup
If one plans to append adjectives to Nintendo's music composer, Koji Kondo, the word "legendary" makes for an obvious start. The Legend of Zelda, along with Star Fox and Mario, are just some of the properties Kondo has contributed to since joining Nintendo in 1984. Attendees of this year's Video Games Live concert will be pleased to learn that the man himself will be making an appearance and performing "one of his favorite melodies" on stage. Can't say we've heard that one -- could someone hum a few bars?The event, which brings GDC to a symphonic end, is being held at Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco on March 9 at 8PM. Other highlights in this year's show include Martin Leung with a new piano arrangement, an acoustic medley by original LucasArts composers (Monkey Island!), a Chris Kline Contra presentation and a performance by voice-over artist, Dee Baker. Get your tickets here, if you please.[Via Press Release]
Gears of War wins big at Interactive Achievement Awards
The 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards have at long last confirmed a growing, industry-wide suspicion: Gears of War is pretty good. In a ceremony held last night at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences bestowed eight shiny statuettes upon Epic Games' monsters vs. testosterone epic. In addition to winning overall Game of the Year, it picked up gongs for Console Game of the Year, Online Game Play, Animation, Art Design, Visual Engineering, Outstanding Character Performance and Action/Adventure Game of the Year.Wii Sports waggled three awards out of the academy, including ones for Outstanding Innovation, Gameplay Engineering and Game Design. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Guitar Hero II and Loco Roco all came away with double wins, whereas The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess made off with a single prize for Outstanding Story and Character Development (in your face, Saint's Row!). Inaugural Lifetime Achievement awards went to Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln, for their involvement with the NES and the rebuilding of a shattered games industry during the 1980's.Check out the full list of winners after the break.Read -- AIAS press release [PDF]
Interactive Achievement Awards nominees announced, Gears in the lead
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced the nominations for the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Though Gears of War has yet to make an acquaintance with that irrelevant temptress, Emmy, it stands a very good chance of winning a statuette that actually matters -- it's been nominated in ten different categories, including Console Game of the Year, Action / Adventure Game of the Year, and Overall Game of the Year. The AIAS (probably not pronounced "Ahyeehuss") also fancies The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, each garnering six nominations. These, along with Guitar Hero II and Wii Sports complete the list of classy nominees in the Overall Game of the Year category. The full list of nominees is available on the official Ahyeehuss website.[Via GameDaily BIZ]See also: Joystiq's Game of the Year
Joystiq's Game of the Year
Gears of War (Xbox 360)What the hell just happened? Did we honestly pick Gears of War as the best game of 2006? No, that can't be. The plan was to throw juvenile tantrums and to violently thrash against the machine! To blind the world with an elitist badge and proclaim an innate resistance against games that are both popular and heavily marketed! It's a shooter, for Allard's sake. You shoot things. With guns.The senseless violence is but one reason to look away from the screen in disgust. The other, as you may have concluded already, is the appalling state of the game's graphics. They make Pong look like an M.C. Escher painting being displayed in a room pumped full of hallucinogenic gas. If you can even discern your pixelated soldier from the flat environment, you'll note how you get repeatedly punished for running blindly into a hail of bullets and neglecting to take "cover." Not only is this completely unrealistic and contrary to modern warfare, it's a needless refinement to a bizarre, self-preservation concept in the genre. See, it's not even a very good shooter. The complete lack of immersion and excitement carries over into the game's terrible online cooperative mode. Some idiot on your friends list can rudely jump into your game at any point and then proceed to get in your way at every available turn. Multiplayer deathmatch isn't any better, forcing you to work with 3 other buffoons (who can't even circle-strafe or jump) if you hope to succeed. Add a forgettable MIDI soundtrack, poor pacing and a complete failure to emulate an action film to your considerations, and you become perfectly equipped to answer the pertinent question. Game of the year? Obviously not.The runners-up are presented (in order) after the break.
Ocarina of Time adult Link collectible statue
First4Figures is back again, with another collectible statue based on the ever-so-popular Nintendo franchises of our youth. This time it's not the growth-hormone abusing Fierce Deity Link or the creepy Skull Kid, but the hunky all-AmericanHylian Ocarina of Time Link, adult version. Like the rest of F4F's offerings, this one doesn't come cheap. These aren't action figures you're going to be playing with, but collectible statues you're supposed to display. Think of it more like the collectible statues in Wind Waker, except you don't need to take pictures of people to get them ... and you don't have to find a sculptor's hidden underground lair.
The Master Sword has been found!
Some people truly enjoy their franchises; Paul Hantschel is one of those people. It would seem Paul wasn't satisfied with cheap plastic knock-off replicas of the Master Sword and decided he would want to own the real deal. Just don't stick it to your Wiimote and lose control. With £1,800 in hand -- or a whopping $3,300 -- he asked a blacksmith by the name of Rob Miller in Scotland to build it. 10 months later, Paul is battling Dodongos with his trusty sword. The $3,300 is certainly a hefty price but, given the details seen in the sword, well worth it. We're wondering what kind of metal the smith used ... most likely SCA-approved iron. While we're sure Paul already knows this, he should keep the thing oiled to keep it from rusting. In any case, this method of obtaining the Master Sword is much better than fighting your way through a forest or getting thrown into the future. [Thanks, Justin H.]
Link gets his stabby on
What's better on Monday morning than a fresh new Twilight Princess video? Well, we were all out of doughnuts and white chocolate mocha, so this will have to do. Forget working -- start your week off right!Lots of gameplay features on display in this montage. What do you think, readers? How's the game shaping up? Has the full-on conversion to Wii made the game gimmicky, or is this the Zelda we've all been waiting for? Check out the video after the jump and tell us how you feel.
New Twilight Princess screens
The British Gaming Blog is hosting a plethora of Twilight Princess screenshots which originally came from Game Reactor but have since proven difficult to track down again. Regardless, you should take a gander at the ridiculously gorgeous images (presumably from the Wii version of the game) and, as a mental exercise, try to formulate in words just how good they make you feel inside. We're going for "like our internal organs have been replaced with laughing chocolate clowns." Hit the "Read" link to see it all.
Full-length Zelda fan film one-ups Uwe Boll
Watch The Legend of Zelda: Hero of Time and dazzle at the thrilling spectacle of "a boy from a mysterious forest" in "a legend as infinite as time." There's an evil threatening him and a princess summoning him, so there's only one thing to do: put the tights on, grab the Master Sword, and mess up some Moblins. Alright, it's a fan film but I'd honestly pay more to see this than oh, I don't know... anything by Uwe Boll. They're saying that principal photography is in the can, with post-production work on animations and CGI left to complete. The Zelda fanboys in the house can read more about the production here. [Via digg]
GDC Recap: Disrupting Brains
The keyword that was bandied about during Satoru Iwata's speech at the Game Developer's Conference was "disruption". Through the DS, Mr. Iwata illustrated how Nintendo was disrupting the mechanistic game industry by creating new and unusual games, some which may not even have been considered as games if Nintendo hadn't pushed the idea that maybe, just maybe, exercising your brain was just as fun as exercising your trigger finger.Brain Training formed a large part of the presentation, with Iwata providing some background info as to how the game came about and how successful (1,7 million units sold) it's been ever since Nintendo and floaty-head Dr. Kawashima put their heads together. Getting people together was an equally important topic, with Iwata noting that simplicity and ease of use was a priority with the Nintendo Wi-Fi service, no doubt a contributing factor to its rapid growth rate that has surpassed even Xbox Live (though to be fair, the latter and very different service isn't free and requires a larger initial investment). To round off the DS part of the conference, Nintendo showed off some footage of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, a brand new and cel-shaded adventure for Link and his eternally in peril princess pal. We were instantly enamored by this one, but we're still quite disappointed that no new information regarding the US launch of the DS Lite surfaced. Oh well, E3 should tell us how accurate wildly incorrect our predictions were.For more coverage on Iwata's keynote, check out Chris Grant's ramblings over at Joystiq by clicking the "Read" link.
Twilight Princess: Revo controller support or not?
In what is quickly becoming a saga of operatic proportions, the issue regarding whether or not The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will use the Revolution's controller has now managed to go through several phases: It's been rumored, discussed, explored, rejected, embraced, confirmed, resolved, denied, counter-denied, buried under a mango tree somewhere in the Dominican Republic and finally, posted on a myriad of Nintendo-themed blogs. Just like this one.For those who have been unable to keep track of the whole thing either due to a lack of attention span or basic literacy (and we can certainly identify with that one), here's a short summary: NGC Magazine: Holy yes! You can use the Revolution's controller with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess!Nintendo: What? Uh, that's totally not true. You guys are a bunch of liars.NGC Magazine: It's true! Stop denying it! Jerks.Well, that's a rather crude compression of events, but it should be enough motivation to get you thinking about what would prompt a magazine to risk its reputation and go up against the word of the actual creators of the game. Have they lost their minds? Is Nintendo trying to keep a brilliant idea under wraps? A more detailed version of the story and my own vaguely coherent thoughts on this situation follows.
