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Decap attack: Link minces Moblins in digital painting
Artist Derek Yu (who also brought us this tasty tutorial) has posted this imposing portrait of our favorite Hylian hunk. Gone are the soft cel-shaded features of his youth; replaced with chiseled biceps holding decapitated Moblin heads, Link is a little more Michelangelo than Donatello, and his face is a little more Leprechaun than Link.If you're interested in this sort of thing, Derek has posted a series of images from throughout the digital painting process, so art nerds, get grokking. Everyone else can just download the higher-res file and pretend it's a screenshot from the next, next Zelda adventure.
Partial Wii launch lineup revealed
Turns out the chaps over at Evil Avatar picked up the latest copy Nintendo Power, reporting of a partial listing of Wii launch titles. The lineup contains a strong first party showing from Nintendo, with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption getting the nod. Third party back up support for the console is reportedly coming from Ubisoft's Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids, Square Enix's Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and The Tower of Mirrors, and Sega's Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.Now, we were fairly certain Super Mario Galaxy wasn't going to make the cut for the launch team, but should we expect any other games to help pad this list later on down the road?
Miyamoto: Wii Sports will be flagship title, Wiimote not finalized
Speaking with Famitsu, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto emphasized that the goal for Wii is to encourage a daily regimen of gaming. Nintendo aims to design "[hardware] that you'll want to turn on every day," Miyamoto told Famitsu. With that goal in mind, Miyamoto described Wii Sports as the console's flagship title. Of course, Miyamoto assures us that Nintendo will continue producing its staple franchises (e.g. Zelda), but the focus will turn toward developing software that promotes daily use.Miyamoto also noted that the Wiimote has not been finalized. Nintendo is "still debating on the area of how many buttons to use."
Readers pick best webcomic (May 29 - June 3)
Sorry about being late on this, I had a gaseous expenditure of the cerebral cortex. It was a close week, but only one comic can win* -- Dueling Analogs and their topical strip about Link being voted "hottest male video game character" by Out magazine. 2nd place went to Concerned and 3rd is owned by Extra Life.Honorable mention (as we forgot to include them -- not that it seemed to matter) goes to Penny Arcade. Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know (via comments below, preferably) of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!* - unless in the unlikely situation that two winning comics win the exact same number of votes ... and that would be seriously cool.
Whopping 22 minute vid of Phantom Hourglass at E3
This video shows the entire demo of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass that was available at Nintendo's booth during E3. The video, which is filmed exceptionally well, shows all of you exactly how Link will control and interact with the environment. Just make yourself some popcorn before starting to watch, this video is on par with the length-time of a full episode of Scrubs.
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.
Twilight Princess fishing video
There's a video that was uploaded over at IGN this holiday weekend that is a rather high-quality look at fishing in Twilight Princess. While the person playing isn't exactly the best to ever cast a line (honestly, stop reeling and let the fishes bite already!), the controls look insanely fun and the quality of the video really is top-notch. Considering the limited time I had with the Wii version outside of fishing at E3, and subsequent below-average impressions I walked away with that version of the game, this has gotten me excited for it on the console again.
Game and Watch DS mod
In our continuing coverage of cool things that can be done with your old DS once you purchase a DS Lite (and you will), we bring to you the Game and Watch Donkey Kong mod. This fine french modder, who goes by the name of Kotomi, was responsible for the old school modded DS and seems to be keeping busy. If you check out other posts on his blog, you'll also see a Zelda Game and Watch mod along with some other cool stuff. For those of you without the ability to read French, try Babel Fish.
Rumor: 16 titles at launch
There's a list of Wii launch games traveling through the myriad computers, routers, cables and robotic gnomes that comprise the Internet, though it mostly amounts to a bunch of good guesses as opposed to official confirmations. No doubt obtained from retailers and not publishers, the list suggests that the following games will be available when Nintendo unleashes their Wii: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Wii Sports Red Steel Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Madden NFL 2007 Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Metal Slug Anthology Trauma Center: Second Opinion Elebits Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Blitz: The League Rayman Raving Rabbids SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab Disney/Pixar's Cars Since most of these games were playable at E3, it's not too much of a stretch to think that they'd fall within the system's launch. However, this could be another case of that mysterious launch window marketing nonsense messing with our calendars and drawing a distinction between games that launch on day one and games that release shortly afterwards. Atlus told us specifically that Trauma Center: Second Opinion was a "launch window" game and if Activision is serious about Tony Hawk, Downhill Jam will be one too (because people, that game still needs a lot of work).
Hints at a $200 Wii price?
In an exclusive interview with GameDaily BIZ, Satoru Iwata answered questions regarding the two different versions of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the insane popularity of the DS in Japan, and the Wii's pricing. In what easily matters most to us frequenting this page, Iwata commented when asked about a $249 price that we shouldn't be so quick to be dead-set on that price idea.BIZ: I know that Nintendo has not officially announced a price for the Wii, but a rumor we spotted this week in EGM suggests a $249 price tag. Do you want to comment on that?SI: [Laughs] As you know, that is speculation and we did not comment on the price point at all. What we've been repeatedly saying is that it's going to be an affordable price point, and when we say affordable, you may want to check our past records of price points, launching price points for any past hardware... I think you'll agree that we always come up with an affordable price point. So when we announce the Wii price point in the near future, I believe you are going to say, "That's an affordable price point."
Nintendo colors the Twilight Realm [Update 1]
It's fairly well-known by now that in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link will be traveling between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, a dark, grey place that causes him to transform into a wolf. Well, according to Eiji Aonuma, by way of an interview conducted by magazine Electronics Gaming Monthly, the Twilight Realm has received a makeover and will now feature a vibrant set of colors, distinguishing itself from Hyrule in that way. No screenshots of the changed look have made its way onto the internet at the time of this post, so hopefully we'll see something pop up soon.[Update: Photographic evidence may be seen here.]
Final Wii boxart design?
EBgames.com has a listing up for the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, selling for $59.99 and shipping on 11/1/2006. Now, EBgames.com has been incorrect in regards to pricing and release dates in the past, so that is easily taken with a grain of salt, however the proposed boxart looks like the real deal, regardless of the 'for display purposes only' disclaimer.
Wii impressions: the E3 experience
Due to how the Joystiq staff divided the Wii games' coverage, I ended up posting about a game that needs a lot of work (Madden), a game that needs a little (Metroid Prime 3), a couple of games that show promise (WarioWare & Elebits), and a game that is simply a gimmick (Final Furlong). I also played: Super Mario Galaxy, RedSteel, Twilight Princess, and Tennis. I'm not convinced that, at this stage, the Wiimote and nunchaku add-on are superior to a gamepad. Miyamoto, speaking last night at a developer's event, said that after becoming comfortable with the Wiimote, it's now impossible for him to go back. I'm not there yet, and I know I'm not alone. It's gonna take a lot of work to rewire how we, longtime gamers, play video games. It's important for Nintendo to understand this, and I believe they do.
Spotted at E3: Link and Zelda in the bathroom
Zelda's a princess, so we know why she's in the Girl's bathroom - primping as any princess would in front of a mirror. The question is, what is Link doing in there?!?!
DS impressions: Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
After sitting down with Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for a few minutes, we feel the verdict is still out. Granted, we didn't get to sail Wind Waker style with the stylus, and were kicked off early, so take criticism with a grain of salt. The game feels like a traditional top-down Zelda title only you direct Link with a stylus rather than a directional pad. We cruised around a mini dungeon for a bit and could see right away that the game has potential with touch controls.1-on-1 Battle Mode versus another E3 attendee was a good time. One player guides Link to collect and safely return Triforces to base, while the other controls three "baddies" that try to stop Link from doing so. Though it felt like a rehash from gaming's past, it was fun to play. More to come.
Joystiq / Engadget Podcast 079 - 05.10.06
Sony may have had their fun on Monday, but Tuesday turned out to be one of the craziest days of the gaming year. Nintendo decided to one-up Sony by adding additional speaker support for the Wii-mote, reveal some sort of launch strategy (albeit with no specific launch date or price) and demo actual Wii gameplay. Shortly afterward, Microsoft set us off with some footage of up and coming games, as well as some new periphs (that's what the kids call peripherals now-a-days, right?) Our very own Vlad Cole steps to the mic and joins Engadget's Ryan for today's podcast. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3).[OGG] Download the show (OGG). [Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley! Host Engadget's Ryan Block Featuring Joystiq's Vlad Cole Producer Randall Bennett Music J J J - 'Suits' in Japan Format 1:04:58, 29.4 MB, MP3 Program 00:00 - Nintendo's keynote32:30 - Microsoft's keynote LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
Zelda: Twilight Princess Wii features revealed
The seemingly neverending saga of the Wiimote and Zelda: Twilight Princess has finally come to a definitive close. We knew it was going to contain special Wii functionality, but now we know the hows of it. Some highlights: Zelda: TP will be released for both Gamecube and Wii day and date with the Wii's Q4 launch. This will be two different SKUs, not one game with dual functionality. An on-screen fairy serves as the Wiimotes targeting reticule; you point, she floats. Use the nunchuck to control your spin-attack and perform a badass thrust attack. Link's targeting system is handled using the Z button while forward swing is handled using the B button. The Wii's internal speaker will deliver "depth of sound" with weapons like the bow (and presumably the hookshot and boomerang ... no PS3 controller jokes please). Zelda: TP will be playable on the show floor starting tomorrow! If we manage to muscle our way past the legions of Zelda fanboys and Link cosplayers sure to swarm the playable kiosks, we'll let you know how it is. Wish us luck!
Twilight Princess now Wiimote-controlled
The TIME Wii tell-all has confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will feature Wiimote-specific functionality. TIME, trippin' off a self-confessed Errol Flynn flashback -- now that's old school! -- got a chance to use the Wii controller to sword fight, aim a bow and arrow, and reel in a "stubborn virtual fish."While the details of the play-test were limited, the revelation suggests that Twilight Princess will play a major role in the Wii launch lineup. Twilight Princess is no longer a Wii-functional GameCube title. Uh-uh, Zelda just upgraded to next-gen status.
Rumor: Specific Wii remote controls in Twilight Princess
Citing "a few fan forums" as the basis for the proposed control-scheme of how Zelda: Twilight Princess will control on the Wii's remote, Digital Battle created the graphic to your right and declared that they had contacted Nintendo to validate this rumored control scheme only to receive the obligatory "we do not comment on rumors" response. The proposed control scheme doesn't make too much sense, however, as the small a and b buttons wouldn't be useful at all as you'd be unable to reach those buttons with your thumb and point the remote at the screen simultaneously. Considering your other hand will be holding the nunchuck attachment, that hand is not available either. Honestly though, it doesn't matter because we're only left to consider this a rumor until an honest announcement is made by Nintendo.
Magazine scans of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
French website Jeuxfrance has scans from Japanese gaming-mag Nintendo Dream of Nintendo's upcoming DS-megahit, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. The in-game images don't appear to reveal anything new beyond the demo video shown during Iwata's GDC keynote in March.There are some new things, however, like the drawing above which would seem to indicate that Link's spin-attack will be controlled using the stylus. We're all for stylus integration and all, but that makes us nervous in a Metroid Prime: Hunters demo sort of way. The questionably accurate machine translated page says we can expect a playable version at E3, so we'll try and pencil Link in while we're there...[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
