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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, in HD thanks to emulation
Whenever a new Wii game comes out, players set to work opening up the PC-based Dolphin emulator, upscale the graphics to HD resolution, and take screenshots for us to drool over -- like the Skyward Sword images posted on the software's forum. The normally soft, watercolor-y backgrounds look a little strange in HD -- we can't decide if it's more of the intended effect, or just oddly blurry. But there's no such conflict when it comes to the characters -- they look amazing. We're just going to cross our fingers for upscaling functionality when the Wii U comes along.
Get Zelda: Skyward Sword a day early at launch event, get Penny Arcade comic now
You won't have to go on a treasure hunt through dungeon-like NYC game stores to get a head start on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. If you're in the city, you'll be able to purchase the game a day early, and celebrate the launch with some fellow Triforce enthusiasts while you're at it. Nintendo will host a launch event on Saturday, November 19, from 9am to 1pm at its Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center. During the event, people who pick up copies of the Wii game (one day before its official release date!) will get a "limited-edition poster." Nintendo will also unveil a "Master Sword replica," give away prizes, and offer demos. If you can't make it to the event, at least you can ... look at some pictures of Link. Try doing that at the launch event ... ! Nintendo has partnered with Penny Arcade to produce a special weekly Skyward Sword comic, and the first page is up already online.
Wear a tie and watch this video of the Legend of Zelda orchestra recording a CD
It's difficult to compare to a live symphonic performance, but a CD that comes free with initial printings of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a close contender, followed by anything that we would have to pay for, and ending with "Buying the songs on iTunes for a long ride on the New York subway with only one headphone in our right ear and a wet Doberman Pinscher growling into our left the entire way." A five-minute video showing the recording of the CD falls somewhere between "Free CD" and "Going to Best Buy to buy the CD, finding out they don't have it, driving across the street to Target and buying it plus $100 worth of stuff we didn't know we needed that day." We'll take it.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword review: Such great heights
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a game that is going to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For the base which took hold of Nintendo's initial vision for the Wii console, imagining future games where the controller in your hand was -- hey! -- not a controller, but the Master Sword itself; it is that. For those who simply imagined a narrative evolution of the long, long-stagnant Hylian franchise, it is that, too. For Wii owners who just want something to play, it is that as well. It must be that. As the flagship component of the Zelda franchise's 25th Anniversary, you couldn't ask for a better identikit of the series. As it moves through the all-too-familiar cycle of temples, tools and time-travel, it touches on the franchise's lowest points, adopts its most stellar attributes and, at frequent intervals, taps into a kind of magic that no game ever has before.
Zelda concert series comes to Dallas January 10
If you missed the recent Zelda concerts because of their unfortunate non-Texan location, take heart (containers) because Nintendo is kicking off its touring series of symphonies next year in Dallas on January 10. Tickets are available directly through the Dallas Symphony, with a 15% discount available through Club Nintendo. To get that code, just sign into Club Nintendo and look for the special offer on the front page. This is only the first concert in the tour; Nintendo will hold more performances for the "The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses" concert throughout 2012, with dates and locations to be announced. You'll have plenty of time to buy something nice to wear. It's the symphony, after all.
Latest Skyward Sword assets put Link in a trial by fire
Despite the obvious perils of venturing into volcanoes and "fire sanctuaries," our hero Link (of Zelda's lengthy legend) takes to both potentially fatal locales with his usual aplomb in these latest trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Be careful, little Link!%Gallery-137841%
Two new Skyward Sword trailers are a feast of gameplay
Tired of seeing Link prance his way through context-free cutscenes involving giant birds and inscrutable floating cities? The Japanese trailers for Zelda: Skyward Sword posted above and below should be more to your liking: They're chock-full of honest-to-goodness gameplay.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Proving Skyloft wrong
Why is everyone being such a dick to Link? Zelda, her father -- heck, just about everyone in Link's hometown (this time) of Skyloft was giving him crap. The townspeoples' attitude painted a very specific picture for me: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Link is apparently the Spicoli of Skyloft. You can imagine my surprise, considering how many Legend of Zelda games I've played (which would be just about all of them, CD-i games notwithstanding). It's like nobody in Skyloft expected much of Link beyond sleeping in, even today, when his chance to become a knight-in-training rests on flying (and winning) in the big race. Suddenly, I felt more invested in Link that I had in my entire life. I wanted to prove all of these jerks wrong -- and I did, competing (and winning) in the big race. My prize was a one-on-one rap session with Zelda and a homemade parachute in the game, but the more important prize was my attachment to Skyward Sword. From this moment on, I was hooked. %Gallery-135205%
How The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword begins
The intro to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, found on the game's Japanese website, builds the world of the game with a slow spread of ink. Though the specific art style is different, the whole thing reminds us of the intro to Wind Waker, which is a good sign!
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has fully orchestrated soundtrack
Put down your recently sharpened number two pencil and that crisp piece of parchment, there's no need for strongly worded letters. Unlike The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link's final adventure on Nintendo Wii will have an entirely orchestrated soundtrack. Nintendo of America confirmed as much to me this morning during a brief play session with the upcoming sky-bound Hyrulian romp, Skyward Sword. It's not as though the news is entirely unexpected, however -- Nintendo production head Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at the possibility earlier this year during E3, when he told attendees of his developer roundtable, "I don't think we could do what we did with Mario Galaxy 2 and not try to match that with Zelda." And hey, considering that Nintendo brought out a full orchestra just for its E3 presser, we're glad that the company would deem its big upcoming Wii title worthy as well.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword media sets the scene
Link, a young boy from the floating island of Skyloft, sets out on a journey to find his childhood friend in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Both he and Zelda ultimately find themselves on a destined mission handed down by an ancient goddess. At Link's side is a magical sword possessing the spirit of Fi, a servant and aid sent by the goddess herself. %Gallery-135205%
Hyrule's Market Village getting brought to life in the UK
The Legend of Zelda's iconic Market Village is being brought to life for an upcoming Nottingham, UK game festival, GameCity6. But don't worry about ReDeads, as the real-life recreation won't represent the village from Ocarina of Time's adult Link world, but rather a pastiche of several games. Attendees can get their fetch questing on with a Triforce piece collection game, they can create swords and shields (we're guessing of the wooden or cardboard variety), and they can even go lips-on with an ocarina. If that weren't enough, you could always hang with the Hyrulian droogs in the LonLon Milk Bar. The entire day is actually dedicated to Zelda-themed activities, so perhaps this is finally a chance to bake those Navi-shaped sugar cookies. After waiting for what seemed like forever, too!
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will last 50-100 hours, Nintendo claims
Hope you brought a change of tights. During the 3DS-centric press conference Nintendo is currently holding in Tokyo, Shigeru Miyamoto kicked things off with the decidedly unportable Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. While showing off the game's features, Shiggy apparently said that the game would last between 50 and 100 hours. Lest your tan pants, green boots and stupid hat get a little ... musty, you may want to bring spares. Update: Nintendo confirmed that number on the official twitter account. Also, we say "apparently" 50-100 hours because the presentation was entirely in Japanese and we can't technically speak the language. Technically speaking. But since Miyamoto added the game has been in development by a team of 100 for over five years, the exorbitant length would make a lot of sense.
$70 Zelda: Skyward Sword bundle includes gold Wii Remote Plus
You'll need a MotionPlus or Wii Remote Plus to play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. If you don't already have one, don't worry: Nintendo will offer the game in a $69.99 bundle, which includes the limited-edition gold Wii Remote Plus first seen at E3. If you don't want the fancy (and exclusive) Wiimote, the game will still be available as a standalone, for $49.99. The initial print run of both versions, out November 20, will include a CD of performances from the upcoming Zelda 25th anniversary concert. So don't make too much noise when you go to that concert, or you'll ruin our CD. Thanks!
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword out in North America on Nov. 20
Nintendo's latest Zelda adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii, will fly to North American shelves on a giant bird November 20th. That date falls within the "Holiday" timeframe announced at E3, making this the rare occasion that a Zelda game hasn't been delayed recently. Nintendo's announcement did not mention whether the game would be packaged with a Wii Remote Plus. MotionPlus-only games typically ship either with the MotionPlus attachment or the Wii Remote Plus, which has the extra motion sensor built in. The Wii Remote Plus has been in all hardware bundles since November.
Nintendo celebrates Zelda's 25th with new website
To celebrate 25 years of Octorok abuse, Nintendo has launched a commemorative website. The Zelda 25th Anniversary site is home to a mess of goodies aimed at your nostalgia core, including an interactive history of the series, some wallpapers and a video of the 2011 E3 keynote where a live symphony played music from the games. For you more artistic types, Nintendo is also asking for your Zelda-themed Flipnote Studios animations, with the best entries receiving top billing on the Zelda 25th site. You can also send in a paper drawing, if you prefer, but we don't know if that'll actually make it onto the site. Flipnote Studios, as you may recall, is available as a free download on the DSi and DSi XL. Nintendo will take submissions from now on through September 9. The 25th Anniversary site is live right now, so click over if you're looking to take a trip down memory lane. Or, if you're like us and have had enough, feel free to sign our petition. If we don't help the Octorok, who will?!
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will offer item upgrades
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will feature an item upgrade system, as revealed in the above Gamespot interview with Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen at Comic-Con. After 13 minutes of discussing the game's art style and motion controls, Trinen drops the bomb about the shield, explaining that while Link begins with a traditional shield, he can craft different ones throughout the game by combining rupees with artifacts left behind by defeated enemies. Trinen said upgrades will apply to Link's beetle, shield and "other items," which we guess would include his sword, bow, whip and slingshot, but probably won't be applicable to the game's graphics.
The Legend of Zelda celebrates 25 years with a symphony
The Legend of Zelda is 25 this year, and Nintendo is celebrating its birthday the way any young, virile adult would want, with a trip to the symphony (Don't tell Nintendo a bar would be cheaper). The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert is scheduled for October 21 at Los Angeles' Pantages Theatre, featuring complete symphonic renditions of the series' classic songs as chosen by composer Koji Kondo. A full tour of the show will begin in 2012. The concert will feature a 70-piece orchestra, much like the one we saw during Nintendo's E3 presentation, above. Tickets for the Pantages concert will go on sale August 1, ranging from $35 to $150, depending on how much you appreciate your childhood.
Dive through the clouds with Link in the latest Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword trailer
We've seen an awful lot of Link sporting goofy farmer clothes in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but the latest trailer plays on key nostalgia factors. Green tunic? Check. Z-targeting? You bet! Losing Zelda to "evil forces?" Of course. And there's a bonus, too: big birds!
Nintendo's Comic-Con lounge stocked with Mario, Zelda, Rhythm Heaven, and more
To keep you from ever having to look at an actual comic at Comic-Con, another game company has announced its lineup of playable demos. You'll be able to play a great deal of Nintendo's recent and upcoming 3DS lineup, most of its Wii lineup ... and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 on DS. Nintendo will have both a normal booth at Comic-Con, #5135, and a "Nintendo Gaming Lounge" at the adjacent Marriott Marquis & Marina hotel. This "Gaming Lounge" will feature playable demos of Super Mario, Kid Icarus Uprising, Mario Kart, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, Shinobi, and more 3DS games. In addition, you'll be able to try The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Rhythm Heaven, Fortune Street, and more on Wii. Bring your DS and/or 3DS when you go. From 4-6 pm on July 21, Nintendo will host a Pokémon Black/White meetup. The Lounge will also have a giant Pokédex 3D AR marker of Reshiram for you to take commemorative pictures with, and a "gallery" of oversized AR Cards. There will even be downloadable maps for Dragon Quest IX!
