legendofzelda
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Camp Hyrule closes its doors
Camp Hyrule, the virtual summer camp moderated by Nintendo, has been devastated by earthquakes, floods, Bowser attacks, and meteor showers. So, to celebrate its 13th year of operation, the camp has decided to shake things up a bit with the biggest disaster yet: closing its doors. That's right, no more Java-based summer camp games or Photoshop contests, plus you'll have to find a new excuse to dart around in tights and a tunic.To ease the separation anxiety, the site will hold a contest from August 13-26 to win a life-size Link statue. Fond memories not included, but bitter resentment is free.[Via DS Fanboy]
Poll: The best in motion controls (so far)
For such a popular console that tries to offer something for everyone, the Wii also manages to be somewhat controversial -- and we're not just talking about Manhunt 2 here. The motion-sensing controls have been a bone of contention when it comes to nearly every game, even those people seem to enjoy. Some gamers find them awesome, and others ... not so much. We've selected six games which cover a range of game types (and aren't all first-party, either) as a measuring stick of what you think is best when it comes to Wii controls. We encourage you to vote early (and often!), but feel free to talk about other choices in the comments, as well as the reasons behind your picks. You might have noticed that Wii Sports isn't on this list (and neither are several other well-received games!). We considered including it, because not everyone agrees that it works quite well as a showcase of the Wii control capabilities, but decided at the last minutes to include only non-bundled games. Feel free to voice your support for Wii Sports in the comments, however! Which of these games boasts the best motion-sensing controls? The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Cooking Mama: Cook Off Trauma Center: Second Opinion Madden NFL '07 The Godfather: Blackhand Edition Resident Evil 4 (Wii)
It's dangerous to go half-naked! Wear this!
Why don't more t-shirts take this Wind Waker shirt's example? It uses official art from the game, and doesn't add any silly slogans. There's nothing here about how the 1980's were neat, or about being a "player" or anything. It's just a cute image of Link in some tall grass. We would totally wear this shirt, even to the grocery store.Oh, we also like the shirt because the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass art style is incredible, but you knew that. [Via Wonderland]
E307: Zelda screens and delightful artwork
It's true, we didn't hear much about The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass at Nintendo's E3 keynote. But Nintendo discreetly dropped some images into a press release and stuffed them into our briefcase, giving us the notion that if they happened to be shown to you guys, it wouldn't be terrible.A few new screenshots have been added to the gallery, as well as some character art. One of the pieces is the same artwork used in the supposed US boxart, which, to us, confirms the validity of that boxart. Man, the Wind Waker art style still out-styles pretty much everything else out there, especially in mainstream AAA games. Sorry, every other game.%Gallery-4748%
Phantom Hourglass sells 350,000 copies in two days
Released in Japan just a few days ago, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has performed respectably on store shelves so far. And by "respectably" we mean the Japanese have devoured the game as ravenously as we would eat popcorn if forced to watch Uwe Boll's rendition of Alone in the Dark (you know, to distract us from the pain). The DS game sold 350,000 copies in just two days, making it the fastest-selling Zelda game since Ocarina of Time nearly ten years ago. Now if we can just contain our excitement for six more months, we'll get to enjoy the game in English!
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.
Tingle RPG headed to UK, but normal games are too!
FINALLY! After a year of waiting, Tingle's trusty UK fanbase will be appeased with the release of Freshly Picked - Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland on September 14. Originally released in Japan in September 2006, Freshly Picked is a unique action RPG that has Tingle traveling to various islands, solving puzzles and battling enemies all in the pursuit of rupees. Given the title character's poor standing with western audiences, we're as surprised as anyone that this Zelda spinoff is being localized for the English market, and didn't just stay in Japan as we all hoped thought it would.Well before Tingle-mania reaches their shores, European DS owners will also be getting a handful of first-rate portable titles. Metroid Prime Pinball was just released this past week; Brain Age 2 will be landing on June 29 (well before the North American launch date); Elite Beat Agents is out on July 13th, and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl will be taking over the lives of British children on July 27.
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.
Famitsu loves Zelda, gives Phantom Hourglass near-perfect score
Respected Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has reportedly given Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass a near-perfect 39 out of 40 score, according to CVG. That number is based on four reviewers -- three giving the DS adventure a perfect 10, and one dissenter only awarding 9 points.Phantom Hourglass is the 17th game to earn a near-perfect score of 39 (A Link to the Past was the first). Two Zelda titles to have earned perfect scores are Wind Waker, which was the sixth game ever to earn a perfect score from the publication, and Ocarina of Time, which was the very first. [Source] So yeah, Famitsu really loves Legend of Zelda. They want to marry Legend of Zelda and then get divorced and cite "irreconcilable differences." It's hard to understand, we'll explain it when you're older.
Blogging through every Legend of Zelda
Ever wanted to read a novelization of the Legend of Zelda series? No? Well, we've got one for you, anyways.A blogger known as Grownup Gamer has begun a project where he will be writing extensively about every game in the Legend of Zelda series in chronological order. We can't emphasize the word "extensive" enough -- each entry is extremely detailed, but Blogging Zelda fortunately is well-written enough to be an interesting read. Grownup Gamer has actually been blogging since the end of May, spending just under two weeks to complete the first and second quests in the original NES Zelda. He is currently mowing through Zelda II: The Adventures of Link. Fifteen titles in all have been planned for completion, including the yet-to-be-released Phantom Hourglass.See Also:The Shields of Zelda[Via 4cr; image source]
Phantom Hourglass site opens, new videos inside
With less than two weeks before its Japanese release, Nintendo has opened the official website for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Treasures hidden within include several new videos that show off basic gameplay and Link's touchscreen control. To promote laziness (and so you don't have to sludge through squiggly Japanese menu screens) we've embedded the videos below. For an extra dose of Zelda fun, try playing all three at the same time![Via DS Fanboy]%Gallery-2856%
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%
Today's most stylistic video: DS Zelda controls
With Zelda: Phantom Hourglass nearly released--well, for Japanese gamers, that is--GameTrailers has posted a few brief gameplay clips that show the touchscreen controls. Gamers outside of Japan will have to wait until later this year to play the DS RPG/adventure. (Make the wait even longer by watching Japanese commercials for the game.)Start forming opinions on the controls. After the break, watch demos of movement, swordplay, and curved boomerang throws, all handled with the stylus.
Phantom Hourglass site opens with new videos
With less than two weeks to go before The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass' June 23rd release in Japan, Nintendo has launched an official site for the ARPG with several new videos. The clips mimic the commercials that've been advertising the handheld adventure in Japan, showing off Link's new touchscreen movement and controls. We know that you hate to pay long-distance fees for visiting sites outside of the country, so we went ahead and embedded the movies after the post break. Really, there's no need to thank us -- let's just say you owe us one. %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!
Twilight Princess speed run in under 6 hours
A new speed run for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has just been posted on Speed Demos Archive. Daniel Hart blazed through the game in 5 hours 39 minutes, about ten times faster than we hobbled our way through on the first try. Daniel says he could shave 5-7 minutes off the final time but is happy with the current achievement. We say he's bragging, but boy has he earned it. Videos are available for download as well as embedded in Flash (Part 1 is shown above) for easy ooh-ing and aah-ing. [Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Three titles join Zelda II's Virtual Console celebration
After approximately 325 different and generally inappropriate permutations, we finally concluded that the above and dreadfully straightforward headline would be best suited to conveying the arrival of today's four new old Virtual Console games. "Zelda Moons Midori on Funkotron" was certainly a viable option, but it simply inspired the wrong sort of mental image. We actually want you to envision these four games arriving on the Wii's Virtual Console service at 9AM PST today: Milon's Secret Castle (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Though it's not much of a secret castle if the title gives it away, it certainly is one that adheres to video game tradition. Expect to rescue a princess and several valuable items -- musical instruments in this case -- within its recesses. ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron (Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Video game tradition is given the boot here, with amusingly mismatched aliens, Toejam & Earl, saving their planet by ridding it of a human scourge. Dead Moon (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Alright, now we're back to protecting the Earth from alien invasion. It's why we have side-scrolling shooters like this one. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Everyone's favorite pointy-eared protagonist returns to Hyrule in the Virtual Console's 100th release. Aid Link in his battle against the forces of evil, Zelda's newfound narcoleptic tendencies and an endless wave of best Zelda ever / worst Zelda ever controversy.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl still on for 2007
It's tough going to the party without a date. Earlier this week, Nintendo laid out its release plans up until September 2007, notably leaving a still dateless Super Smash Bros. Brawl out of the whole affair, forcing it to watch as Metroid Prime 3 marched to the ball with an alluring 20th of August on its cannon arm. With no solid release window in sight, the Wii's frantic fighter must have considered going on a lonely drinking binge and slipping into a coma until 2008. That is, until Reggie Fils-Aime administered an unforgiving slap to the face and instilled hope once more. Speaking at the recent Nintendo Summit in Seattle, the Nintendo of America president confirmed that the musically rich Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy would both be out before your Official Iwata Swimsuit 2007 calendar becomes worthless. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for DS was given similar assurances and will likely join the anticipated Wii duo in this holiday season's battle for shoppers. You'd best start stocking up on that financial ammunition.
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass boxart
The Japanese boxart for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is up on Amazon for all to see. We're hugely excited about the new Zelda, and advise you check here for the screens we showed you last week. It's coming out on Saturday July 23rd, exactly 11 years after the Nintendo 64 hit the shelves. It's highly unusual for a game to come out on a Saturday in Japan, where Thursday is the traditional release day for new titles. Whatever -- we want to get our hands on Phantom Hourglass as soon as possible![Via Nintendo iNSIDE]
