“Did You Get All That?” Weekly News Recap

Welcome to the latest feature at Zelda Dungeon. In this weekly News Recap, I Kaepora Gaebora, the knowingest of winged creatures will take you through all the happenings of the past week. We will revisit the most important news and stories, as well as the things you are talking about most. The team at Zelda Dungeon has always encouraged the sharing of wise words and thoughts about their articles, so this will be a way to know your voices have been heard. Each week we will recap the articles that received the most attention and sometimes even share a word or two from the comments that were the most thought provoking or inspiring. So join me, as I return each week on Sunday to help guide you through all the stories as a helpful little owl should. Now I must ask… “Did you get all that”?

If yes, head past the jump!

Starting with Sunday from the previous week, I Kaepora will revisit the things you need to know about most, so lets begin our adventure!

Nintendo recently had their Financial Results Briefing and from that meeting we received a few bits of information. One of those bits was an upcoming release schedule where Zelda Wii U was still listed as TBD. Due to the lack of date we speculated whether or not that meant it would be delayed beyond 2016. This met with much debate from the commenters as it seems there might be a little sensitivity with Zelda fans on this topic. The overall perception is that although we do not have a confirmed date that does not necessarily mean we will not be seeing the title in 2016. I believe more than anything that we (myself included) all hope not to see another delay. Ultimately it is extremely possible for Nintendo to announce an official release date in 2016 or sooner, as they have already stated they have more games to announce. To check out more about this article, click here.

Another topic we will revisit also came out of the Nintendo Briefing, where Iwata made a few comments on the NX and its possibilities. At the end of the meeting there was a Q & A session where Iwata spoke about several different topics. One of those topics was the NX and the state of whether or not it will be region-locked. We now have the official translation of Iwata’s comments on region-locking.

“My understanding is that it is not realistic on the existing video game systems because unlocking them after they are already on the market poses a number of hurdles. On the other hand, regarding NX, we understand that many consumers hold such opinions and such suggestions exist in the market, and although we have nothing concrete at the moment, we are internally analyzing what hurdles exist to lifting region locks. That is the situation right now. We acknowledge your request, and I personally want to give it positive consideration.”

We also now know that he gave us a little more information on what the NX actually is and that it is not intended to be a “simple replacement the 3DS or Wii U” but to expand on the possibilities and to fit the needs of gamers across the world. Here is what he had to say:

“We will not announce any details about NX until 2016. I used the name “NX” during our joint press conference with DeNA on March 17 because we thought that our announcing the business alliance with DeNA to start a smart device business could result in such misunderstanding as “Nintendo is making a transfer to smart devices because it is pessimistic about the future for dedicated video game systems.” I intentionally chose to announce the development of NX so early because I wanted to confirm the fact that we are developing a new dedicated video game platform, that we have never lost passion regarding the future for dedicated video game systems and that we have bright prospects for them. Though I cannot confirm when it will be launched or any other details of the system, since I have confirmed that it will be “a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept,” it should mean that we do not intend it to become a simple “replacement” for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U.
Your question also included the “current notion of thinking about home consoles and handheld devices.” When it comes to how dedicated game systems are being played, the situations have become rather different, especially between Japan and overseas. Since we are always thinking about how to create a new platform that will be accepted by as many people around the world as possible, we would like to offer to them “a dedicated video game platform with a brand new concept” by taking into consideration various factors, including the playing environments that differ by country. This is all that I can confirm today.”

To check out the original article, click here.

Official Translation Source: Nintendo

The Universal Parks & Resorts partnership having been officially announced (how some people could tell the future, I just don’t know) has led to much excitement and pondering about what that could mean for the Zelda series. Will we see a Zelda inspired ride and if so, what would it be? That is the question that Jon debated on Monday’s Gossip Stone. I, am immensely excited about all the possibilities this question inspires and can’t wait until we see it become a reality, for I will be one of the first waiting in the ridiculously  long lines to enjoy what I hope to be an amazing ride! There were many good ideas to come from the discussion but one specifically seemed to have had the most thought put into it. It might not be something that is realistic but still pretty cool to imagine. The idea comes from AnonymousGX and this is what he would like to see:

“I’d like to see an Augmented Reality dungeon, where you put on glasses and walk into a building. The glasses would then adjust the green screens to show the dungeon, obstacles, etc. Anything you would really interact with (like doors, push puzzles, climbing walls, chests, dungeon items, etc.) would be real but potentially AR’d over. For example, you could make a ‘bow’ that’s actually a rod with a rubber/spring-like drawing mechanism. Anything you don’t have to interact with physically (like enemies, dropped hearts/rupees) would be all-AR that you interact with if you get close enough or attack.

For a boss, or an enemy with significant strength, air cannons or carefully-designed robotics can be used. The air cannons can vary in intensity and duration, and have some punch to them, but not enough to really hurt. The robotics would have to be careful to be able to interact with the hero without truly damaging him. For instance, a SS Moldarach could pick up a hero, but would need sensors to know how hard to squeeze OR have the floor be tiled (or platforms) and encircle the hero in a claw while lifting the tile/platform.
Or, enemies/bosses can dress up in green screen suits and act out the parts. For example, if an actor wanted to be Ghirahim, he’d be dressed in armored green-screen colors and balls, which AR would translate to Ghirahim. When he wanted to teleport, he’d appear to click his hands (really, pushing a button on his glove), vanish from our AR view, walk to another location, then ‘appear’ there. Another button could control the darts.”

To check out more ideas or the full article, click here.

Club Nintendo slashed its coin cost for some of its merchandise and Kassye told us all about the Zelda goodies to be had. For those of you that haven’t already spent all your coins this is the perfect opportunity to get some pretty cool Zelda swag! Check out all the items available and the full article here.

This past ZD Talks brought the team to the question: Is it necessary for Zelda, Link and Ganondorf to be present in each Zelda game?

Josh brings up the point that although “Zelda, Link and Ganondorf are unarguably the most iconic characters in the Zelda franchise. In order to keep the Zelda formula, you need a hero, a princess and a villain.” But does that mean it has to specifically be those three characters? The staff consensus seems to be no, all three are not necessarily needed in every Zelda title which Nintendo has proven in some successful additions to the series that do not have all three present. But what about you, what were your thoughts? This seemed to be a source of annoyance from some of the commenters as they felt that this topic had been discussed before and although we have pondered quite a bit over time as to the importance of certain characters, or how the series could or should be changed, this is still an important topic. One that deserves discussion and new ideas, as I for one want to see this franchise last another 25 years and to do so it might need to evolve in ways we might not all care for. But some of you brought up some really valid points.

Igos Du Ikana said:

“It’s not the lack of the characters par say, I think its the lore. Its fine to have your Majora’s Mask and Link’s Awakening type stories, but having these random villians and random unrelated lore thrown in for no reason (Spirit Tracks, Phantom Hourglass, Minish Cap, ect) its hardly related to the rest of the series at all. A sequel is one thing, and they are generally explained pretty well with respect to the previous game. Majora’s Mask has justifications and so does Link’s Awakening in how they relate to the narrative they are continuing.”

And Little Green said:

“Of course we need Link, no question. Ganon should be a recurring villain, but he can definitely be interchanged from time to time like how we’ve seen Vaati in a good number of games rather than him. Zelda’s also been absent for a few games, so it’s not out of the ordinary. I’d still like to have her as a part in a majority of the games though.
As long as Link is there as the main character then I’m fine. I definitely don’t want a Final Fantasy or Tales of game where the protagonist changes from game to game. Maybe in a spinoff, but not in a main line title.”

So many of you had some really great things to say on this topic and you can tell this question might have hit a nerve with some of you. Overall I think it is safe to say that we all have very different opinions but the fact remains the same, there is definitely a reason we keep coming back to the Zelda franchise over and over again. To check out the full article, click here.

Nintendo made their official E3 plans known to the world and not all together surprising to us, there was no mention of The Legend of Zelda. Personally I was disappointed but not altogether shocked that I didn’t hear the word Zelda, but am still very hopeful as to what their E3 showing will have to offer us Zelda fans. The announcement came with some similarities to their showing at E3 last year as well as a new addition to the lineup, the Nintendo World Championships. To watch the video announcement and read the original article, check it out here.

Theyetee.com has announced an amazing The Legend of Sumo Contest with some fantastic goodies! Kassye tells us all about what the Grand Prize winner will receive!

Grand Prize:

1.Sumo Sultan bean bag chair ($250)
2. Majora’s Mask 3D ($39.99)
3. New Nintendo 3DS XL ($199.99)
4. Three Yetee tees ($51)
5. Yetee Plush ($14)

To check out the full details and the link to the contest, check out Kassye’s post here.

Last but definitely not least for the week, Alexis found us a beautifully detailed life-sized replica of the Hookshot from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Hookshot is 3D printed from a Replicator 2X and comprised of ABS plastic and acrylic paint and is available along with several other Zelda inspired items through Etsy. The Hookshot is available at a couple of different price points ranging from $44.95 – $74.95. To check out all the pictures as well as the link for this amazing replica, check out Alexis’s article here.

Now that we have reviewed all of the most important or talked about things having come across at Zelda Dungeon in the past week I must ask…

Did You Get All That?

Join me again next week as I, Kaepora will continue to guide you on all your adventures!