E3: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

[OB1]

If there's one thing that blew away my expectations at the show, it's Zelda. This trailer in unbelievable: http://media.nintendo.com/zelda/universe...tp_480.mov

[A Black Falcon]

Yes, definitely... awesome.

[Great Rumbler]

Twilight Princess is going to be awesome, no doubt about that.

[Laser Link]

[OB1]

Oh and it's definitely a 2005 title, lazy.

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2005 – Like the phases of the moon, software for video game consoles evolves as time passes. Nintendo GameCube™ enters one of the fullest, brightest moments of its life cycle over the rest of 2005, highlighted by the debut of the spectacular new game, The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess. The gritty, sweeping adventure will set a new standard for video games with vast lands, stunning visuals and amazing new game play that allows players to control the main character, Link, whether he travels on foot, on horseback or on all fours – as a wolf. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess remains the most anticipated game of 2005 on any system and will hit stores during the holiday season.

"The Zelda franchise again demonstrates the awesome power and versatility of Nintendo GameCube, but there's much more to our software appeal," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The rest of our 2005 lineup builds on these strengths to widen the appeal of Nintendo GameCube to new audiences."

Nintendo GameCube has sold more than 10 million systems in North America alone. More than 400 games are available for Nintendo GameCube, including some of the most popular and creative games of this console generation, from Super Smash Bros.® Melee to The Legend of Zelda®: The Wind Waker™ and the Metroid® Prime series.

Mario™, the video game industry's most recognizable and beloved character, has plans to star in four new games that build on his reputation for fun and versatility. Dance Dance Revolution®: Mario Mix gets players on their feet and dancing to 25 songs on an included dance pad. Mario Baseball™ and Super Mario® Strikers put a Mario twist on two of the world's most popular sports. Each game features authentic game play found in the actual sports, but with special power moves that add to the craziness of the competition. And finally, Mario Party® 7 incorporates voice recognition into some 80 new mini-games through the use of the included Nintendo GameCube Mic. Nintendo and its third-party partners will release more than 60 new games for Nintendo GameCube this year.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at http://www.nintendo.com.

[Great Rumbler]

There's definitely some good Nintendo games coming out this year and next.

[OB1]

Awesome info from the press site:

KEY INFORMATION

When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero...and the animal...within.

* When Link travels to into the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna.

* Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures with an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must be seen to be believed.

* Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so players must sharpen their wits as they hunt for weapons and items.

Game Storyline: Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows.

Characters: Link, Zelda, Midna and many others, both new and old

How to progress through the game: Link must explore the vast land of Hyrule and uncover the mystery behind its plunge into darkness. As he does, he’ll have to enlist the aid of friendly folk, solve puzzles and battle his way through dangerous dungeons. In the Twilight Realm, he’ll have to use his wolf abilities and Midna’s magic to bring light to the land.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: Besides his trusty sword and shield, Link will use his bow and arrows, fight while on horseback and use a wealth of other items, both new and old.

[Great Rumbler]

Oh this IS going to be great gaming experience.

[lazyfatbum]

I'm so glad I was wrong. When i saw that "2006 line up" news with zelda mentioned as a 2006 game, i feared the worst

[OB1]

Yeah, Game Informer messed up with the date. Twice. In the same article.

What about Metroid Dread, though? That's not on Nintendo's press page. It's supposed to be a new 2D Metroid game for the DS.

[lazyfatbum]

Obviously it's something TBA. Game Informer was correct about everything except for the date typo so I dont think they pulled 'Metroid Dread' out of their butts.

When Metroid Prime hit, we got Metroid Fusion. When Metroid Echoes hit, we got Zero Mission... Metroid Hunters is about to hit, so I could totally see a traditional Metroid game from Nintendo to compliment it.

Unless they were refering to Metroid Pinball. Metroid Dread could be the new title for the pinball game.

[OB1]

They mentioned the pinball game separately, if I recall correctly.

And they listed Metroid Dread like this:

-Metroid Dread (2D adventure game)

Something like that.

[A Black Falcon]

The only vaguely negative thing I can say about this game is that I hope it doesn't focus on yet another "rescue the princess" storyline, that one was old ten years ago...

[OB1]

I don't think that will be the case. For one thing, Zelda now has a sword...

[Dark Jaguar]

Zelda had a sword in Wind Waker... Well, she had a dagger... And she also took Link's sword for like 5 seconds... Didn't stop FATE from happening.

Anyway, more and more it seems like this is a whole new Link, not the Wind Waker Link at all. This would be the first time Link has actually first showed up as an adult.

[Great Rumbler]

Twilight Princess certainly looks like it'll be a bit more than just "save the princess". Everything about this game looks stunningly beautiful, especially the black and white world.

By the way, the new Zelda trailer is easily the best game trailer shown at E3. :)

[OB1]

The only picture of Zelda released thus far is one of her holding a sword. So I'm pretty sure that she'll have a more active role than before, rather than the usual helpless princess one.

[OB1]

http://nintendoinsider.com/site/EEEyFZAFZurLtiJWyo.php

NINTENDO INSIDER FIRST: At a Roundtable today, Nintendo revealed a few new details on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Read on!

-The title of the game comes from the "Twilight" which is apparently a dark and evil force spreading throughout the world. Seems like there's some sort of a Dark/Light world thing going on.

-Link Transforms into a wolf whenever he enters the "Twilight" world. He is NOT a Werewolf

-The Female creature shown in the trailer riding link is an enemy of some sort, but you have to team up to fight an even greater evil.

-Link can talk to animals, and they teach you abilities throughout the game.

-Certain puzzles in dungeons require you going back and forth between the Light and Twilight worlds. (Similar to Link to the past and Metroid Prime 2)

-The entire soundtrack is fully orchestrated for the first time in Zelda history.

-The game is going to feature more Dungeons than OOT and the overall scale of the game is much much larger.

More details will be known tommorow, as the game is playable on the show floor.

AWESOME!!!

[A Black Falcon]

But there's the theory about the sick princess or something... I don't know, maybe not. I hope not. OoT and MM did well with not having that plotline (well, except for a couple hours near the end of OoT, but that didn't last too long)...

[Dark Jaguar]

So is the twilight word the dark world, or is it a little deeper than that? My hypothesis? I think it's a world that's BETWEEN light and dark.

But, it's HUGER? That's GREAT! No more shortness!

Now then, just promise us difficulty Nintendo!

You know what? I would like it if, after becoming a GOD that can kill Ganon easily with ridiculously overpowered items, you should get access to a super secret dungeon and ultra super hard boss. Kingdom Hearts had FOUR bosses like that, and they were frickin' AWESOME and you needed to pretty much get EVERY powerup in the game to take them on. I'm expecting hidden super bosses in Zelda now. That's what I think the purpose of a powerup is in the end, make you stronger and give you more abilities, yes, but at the same time give you extra challenges that really make you put those to use, rather than just giving you a way to beat up everything in the game in 3 seconds (Fierce Diety Mask anyone? Or, like, Grandma's soup and the invincibility armor in Wind Waker? Zelda always gives you overpowering ways to beat the game, but never a way to really put all those skills to a test that makes your controller's ARSE bleed).

I know I will get this game though. The wolf transformation counts as an item, that's all I need. Oh and, not a werewolf eh? That's good. We don't need Link consuming the flesh of humans.

[Great Rumbler]

Link Transforms into a wolf whenever he enters the "Twilight" world.

That was what I thought after I saw the video.

But there's the theory about the sick princess or something...

The person in the cloak in the trailer looked like the princess to me and she certainly didn't look sick.

The entire soundtrack is fully orchestrated for the first time in Zelda history.

As a fan of orchestrated music, this is a dream come true! I can't wait to start playing TP.

[OB1]

I can't wait to start playing TP.

Haha, I'm playing with it right now!

[Great Rumbler]

[A Black Falcon]

The person in the cloak in the trailer looked like the princess to me and she certainly didn't look sick.

So let's hope that stuff was just all baseless rumor. :)

... so does anyone else transform, or just Link?

Oh, and does anyone else see repetitive themes here? Dark/light worlds (LttP and others), transforming (LttP), etc... I'm sure this game does them in new ways, but since LttP Zelda games have loved that 'several different periods of time in the same location for you to explore' thing... not that I'm complaining, but that it seems like they like to keep going back to old ideas. But if it's as well done as this obviously is, go ahead... :)

... but eventually, they should come up with some new ideas. Doing an old idea in a new way is awesome, but doing a new thing can potentially be even better.

As a fan of orchestrated music, this is a dream come true! I can't wait to start playing TP.

Yes, orchestral music is great news... Nintendo is moving, slowly, into modern times? So how about that voice acting... :)

[OB1]

what

[lazyfatbum]

There aren't that many games on the market iwth original orchestrated music. Most of the time it's borrowed from purchased music libraries or taken from film sound tracks. This is awesome!! I cant wait for this game!!!

[Great Rumbler]

There are a few RPGs with original orchestrated music, but you're right, not very games have it.

[A Black Falcon]

I know Diablo 2 does, but I can't think of any others offhand. I know there are more, though.

[Dark Jaguar]

A lot have original music (most of the games I own for example, the fact that they are using recorded samples of instruments is just fine as long as the song is original), but orchastrated? Yeah that's pretty frickin' rare. This is nice, because I guess it means they can get the instrument to be played EXACTLY as they need it to be.

[EdenMaster]

Any word on the antagonist this time around? Is Ganon(dorf) up to his old tricks again?

[Sacred Jellybean]

-The game is going to feature more Dungeons than OOT and the overall scale of the game is much much larger.

Holy crap, I missed this the first time I skimmed this thread. Woo-hoo! A nice, long, epical Zelda game is just what the doctor ordered. :D Man, oh man, I can't wait until this is released.

[Laser Link]

MORE DUNGEONS!!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!!

I figured the creature riding the wolf wasn't completely friendly. Just look at the wicked grin that thing makes when it sees Linkwolf, then slips into this ultra-smily mode. Looks suspicious if you ask me, and pretty amazing that they are really able to convey that stuff with emotions!

[Dark Jaguar]

That was my thoughts. Seems to me the midget imp thing CAPTURED Link, hence those chains.

[A Black Falcon]

DJ, did you read the 'Key Information' quoted segment above?

[OB1]

Doesn't look like it.

Any word on the antagonist this time around? Is Ganon(dorf) up to his old tricks again?

Aonuma said that Ganon would be in the game, but whether or not he'll be the main baddie is unknown at this point.

[A Black Falcon]

Setting...

After Link dismounted from his horse and started exploring the town on foot, he began talking to civilians. The Nintendo team was then asked whether the demo revealed the beginning level of the game, as well as what kind of relationship Link has with the inhabitants of the town in the demo. The answer was that the village is actually a bit of a distance away from Hyrule, and to emphasize Link as something of a fish out of water, he will begin the game in the town; he will then travel to Hyrule later on. The early portions of the game will involve him preparing for his trip and providing a storyline justification for his journey. It was also confirmed that this Link is an entirely new incarnation of the hero; he isn't the same character from Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker.

While Link explored the town further, calling a hawk friend to his arm with an ocarina and picking up chickens as he would a pot or a shrub in previous Zelda games, the team was asked how the storyline of Twilight Princess fits into the overall narrative of the Zelda series. The response was that, chronologically speaking, this game takes place a few decades after Ocarina of Time, but before Wind Waker. Other than that, no immediate details on the overall plot were forthcoming.

http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/...311-2.html

full e3 demo impressions.
http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/...25311.html

[OB1]

Cool, so perhaps we will find out then what happened before WW, when the hero of time did not come to the rescue.

[A Black Falcon]

Next up, the Nintendo team showed the Zelda trailer from the Nintendo press conference one more time. They talked a bit about the portions of the trailer that weren't in the E3 floor demo. The first question was about some of the audio from the trailer. Specifically, someone wanted to know whether the trailer was a fully orchestrated piece of music. Mr. Kondo revealed that it was indeed a full orchestra, because the trailer called for something with a good dynamic sound to match the forcefulness of the images. The music was composed by Kondo's sound team, and the arranger was Michido Oshima, apparently a famous music arranger for Japanese movie and television soundtracks. Miyamoto adds that Ms. Oshima was apparently a big fan of Nintendo and was happy to have the opportunity to work with the company. Kondo also added that this was his first opportunity to record a track with a full orchestra. He did reveal that the orchestra won't be used throughout the entire game, but it will appear in especially dramatic scenes, at which point Aonuma jokingly pointed out that this will only occur when it's "fiscally responsible" to do so.

http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/...311-4.html

about the sound.

There's more good stuff in the preview (some more about the story too, though, if you want to skip parts), so read, or at least skim, it...

[Geno]

Dammit, OB1, I can't tell the difference between you and ABF anymore!

[Geno]

But yeah, Zelda looks awesome.

[N-Man]

Aliens?! Wolf Link?!! Freakin sweet. You know this one seem to have a much deeper "feel" to it, being a sort of LTTP/Link's Awakening mash to Ocarina of Time's blander 'original LoZ' feeling.

Also I like to think of the various Zeldas as retellings of the same legend (told by different sources, so some omit/add certain details or tell different parts of the story) rather than all this silly timeline stuff, it's rather pointless and if they keep making games it's gonna get pretty convoluted. There's no reason for it as there's no continuity anyhow.

[EdenMaster]

Yeah, the developers have even said they put little, if any, thought into the position of the game in the timeline until way near the end of production. All the games do relate to one another, there is a timeline, but I think we gamers focus much more on it than Nintendo does :D

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, the developers have even said they put little, if any, thought into the position of the game in the timeline until way near the end of production. All the games do relate to one another, there is a timeline, but I think we gamers focus much more on it than Nintendo does

Yes, and they leave it to us to try to guess how the games go and why the heck the kinds of things that have happened in this timeline happen... (reoccurring characters, etc, etc...). :) Oh well, the games are great... but it would be nice to see a bit more attention to the timeline, history, and making sure that it all actually makes sense.

Or just say that each game is in a new universe like Final Fantasy. But that would be even stupider than saying 'oh, there are just fifteen boys named Link who wear green, all living concurrently with of of the fifteen princesses of Hyrule named Zelda'... :)

[A Black Falcon]

http://cube.ign.com/articles/616/616559p1.html

Another interview I just can't resist reading...

[Geno]

[Dark Jaguar]

They do think about the story, and they leave the whole "story" thing for when all the gameplay is worked out, but it's surprising the story is as good as it is if they actually didn't even care about it. I'm pretty sure they care, they just don't worry about it until the end.

I'd still like some hidden super bosses. The only Nintendo game I can think of off the top of my head with a super boss is Super Mario RPG. Culex was a bastard...

[Laser Link]

[OB1]

[A Black Falcon]

[A Black Falcon]

For all those keeping score, Zelda: TP won the official E3 Game of Show award. Gamespy and 1UP have also given it their 'Game of Show'. IGN and Gamespot haven't said yet... let's hope for a sweep? :)

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3140792
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/618/618469p1.html