With Skyward Sword being out for just over two months it may be a bit premature to start thinking about the next Zelda title. However, after the incredible E3 tech demo for Zelda Wii U I just can’t help but think of what potential that game has. Nintendo took a gigantic step forward with Skyward Sword and progressed the series in ways unseen since Zelda went 3D in Ocarina of Time. And judging by comments made by Zelda developers, during the entire process, this was just the beginning.

The Zelda Wii U tech demo has left fans wetting their mouths wanting more. Seeing Zelda in stunning HD visuals was an incredible feeling, and a vastly improved Twilight Princess style graphics only helped to bring out its beauty. This graphical representation of our favorite green-garbed hero combined with the innovative new technology of the Wii U, helps to bring the anticipation for the next Zelda to an extraordinary level.

With such a high level of anticipation I cannot help but think of ways that Nintendo can continue to advance the Legend of Zelda series.

HD Zelda

This may bring out some rage with hardcore gamers, but I personally did not like the graphical style of Twilight Princess. Though I appreciated the effort from Nintendo to create a realistic Zelda, I just felt as if it was improperly executed, and did little to provide support to the overall game. In my opinion The Wind Waker was an overall much better game, and the cartoon visuals helped to propel the game in many different ways. For the first time in series history, Link and his counter-parts were emotionally expressive thanks in part to the graphics which allowed characters to express emotions in a rich and vibrant way.

With all of this in mind, I could not help but get excited after seeing the Zelda Wii U tech demo. I am a believer that graphics should be used to enhance a game, like it did with The Wind Waker, and with Zelda Wii U I think this realistic style of graphics could do so. The realistic graphics of Twilight Princess served no purpose beyond being a way to please the fans. With Zelda Wii U, realistic graphics, albeit upgraded, could really bring out elements never seen in the Zelda series.

The Wii U is of course Nintendo’s first HD console which brings out tons of visual possibilities. One of my biggest complaints with Skyward Sword is how dated the game looked. Graphics normally play a minute role in my reviews, but with Skyward Sword I could not help but feel that the Wii did not give the game what it truly deserved. In Skyward Sword edges were rough, scenery from afar blurry, and textures were all over the place. For a game in which Nintendo touted graphics as being a major role in the game-play, it was sort of a letdown.

However, with a HD console Zelda can finally get the visuals it deserves. At CES of this year, the Zelda tech demo made another appearance. This time however the presenter had much more control over what was happening as it was more than just a prerecorded video. Using the Wii U controller he was able to change the scenery from night to day, change angles, and switch the view from television to tablet. During the demo every aspect of the environment stood out in some way. The lighting and attention to detail was by far one of the most impressive bits I have ever seen on any console.

If Nintendo is able to give its best franchise a game with a superior attention to details like this, then I totally support this visual style and hope to see it put into place. With this in mind, I would also like state that I would be open to any other graphical style pending it can bring something to the Zelda series. The Wind Waker’s created a vibrant expressive world. Skyward Sword’s highlighted and improved the use of the Wii Motion Plus controls. And perhaps a realistic Zelda Wii U can finally bring the fantasy to life in ways that Twilight Princess failed at doing.

Downloadable Content

Maybe this will be part of the upcoming Nintendo Network

Word on the street is that Nintendo is finally warming up to the idea of allowing downloadable content for their games. Japan has already received a game that supports this feature and it would be insanity for Nintendo not to follow through and bring DLC to America as well.

The Wii and 3DS eShop have all been good starts to Nintendo’s virtual services, but a fully supported DLC platform on the Wii U would be icing on the cake. Every other console on the market has embraced downloadable addons to their games, and gamers eat this additional content up as fast as they can. The potential is there and enabling downloadable content only brings forth another platform in which Nintendo can make some money.

Now Zelda on the Wii U could be the perfect cash cow for Nintendo’s DLC market. Zelda games always score highly in reviews and despite the open exploration that the series provides, fans are often left begging for more. Skyward Sword was just released and fans are already highly anticipating Zelda on the 3DS and even on the Wii U.

Typically speaking Zelda games have a very long development cycle which leaves a large gap in series releases. This problem could be fixed by offering simple extensions to the games via downloadable content. The lore and history of Hyrule itself offers up tons of side-quest possibilities alone. Developers could add on new game modes, new areas to explore, extra dungeons, extra content similar to what we saw with the Oracles (via game linking), and much more.
To get an idea for what I mean just look at the Fallout series. For a fairly low price, gamers are able to acquire several more hours worth of game-play brought via new quests and areas to explore.

I know I would love to see some downloadable Legend of Zelda content. Matter of fact just say the word and I will throw ten dollars towards the download now.

Nintendo Needs to Get it Right

Fail!

When the Wii’s motion controls were announced many envisioned immersive 1:1 gameplay that would innovate the series for the first time in many years. The Wii was released in 2006 and little did fans realize it would take 5 years for the Wii’s first Zelda game to even be released. Yes Skyward Sword ended up being a wonderful entry to the Zelda series and yes one could say it was worth the wait. However, when looking back one can realize all the wasted time and potential. The Gamecube saw 2 full-length Zelda adventures and Four Swords Adventures. Both The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess were fantastic games that changed the series in their own unique ways.

On the Wii, Skyward Sword was supposed to be the game that would innovate the Zelda series. There was going to be a drastic overhaul of the overworld to dungeon formula and many other staple elements from the series were supposed to be revolutionized. However in the end Skyward Sword was not able to bring this change to the level that was expected.

The motion controls were almost flawless and I cannot imagine playing a 3D Zelda game without them anymore. However, Skyward Sword has taken its fair share of criticism for the small overworld, its abundance in fetching quests, and for not pushing the envelope far enough.

With Zelda Wii U, I would like to see things done right. Nintendo cannot take 5 years to push out a product that was barely better (up for debate) than the two previous Zelda games. Nintendo needs to use the Wii U’s unique tablet controller to its advantage and get things done right, the first time.

Other Thoughts?

Have another idea for Zelda Wii U? Something else you would like to see? Let us know in the comments. Also do not forget to check out our latest video from our Skyward Sword Walkthrough.

A while back we reported that Miyamoto mentioned the possibility of Retro Studios working on a Zelda title sometime in the future. Since then there has been no mention of Retro and Zelda together but rumors have continued to persist.

A recent job posting by Retro Studios has again brought these rumors back. The job listing calls for people with the skills to work with 3D environments, work with hand painted textures, and much more.

This could honestly be for any job position but many are linking the listing to the Zelda series. After all, Zelda games do tend to be in 3D environments with unique graphical styles.

However, do not get your hopes up. Nothing is confirmed and details are still very scarce. Do you think this job listing is for the Zelda series? Let us know in the comments.

Earlier today we made an update on an interview with Miyamoto in regards to the difficulty of Skyward Sword. In that same interview with Miyamoto the interviewer asked him on the origins of the famous Hand in the Toilet guy.

Miyamoto stated that it is based off of Japanese horror stories , “There are some ghost stories in Japan where — when you are sitting in the bathroom in the traditional style of the Japanese toilet — a hand is actually starting to grab you from beneath. It’s a very scary story.”

How cool is that? Let us know in the comments what you think.

Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly. In this interview he spoke about several things including his feelings on Toad, Pikmin 3, and Skyward Sword.

Perhaps the most interesting and relevant piece is of course what he had to say about Skyward Sword. The interviewer from Entertainment Weekly complimented Miyamoto on Skyward Sword’s usage of the Wii Motion Plus controls and asked about the development process of the game.

Miyamoto then stated that the version he played during development was actually harder than the one that was released to the public. He mentioned the idea that developers generally have more gaming skills than your average gamer so they make bosses and puzzles harder so it feels like a challenge. However, they then have to tone things down for most players.

Interesting isn’t it? So let us know what you thought about Skyward Sword. Was it too easy or too hard?

Love Pac-man? And Zelda? Of course you do! And that is why somebody has combined these two great games into what may be…dare I say it, an even better game. Nah, it is not that great but it’s still a fantastic concept that is worth a play.

This Zelda themed Pac-Man game uses A Link to the Past style graphics and spans across several themed levels. In Pac-Man yellow pellets were collected. In this version Link runs around collecting Rupees and pieces of hearts will power Link up. Instead of ghosts there are castle guards who will hunt Link down.

The site where the game is hosted is currently down, but when it gets back up I will update this post. In the mean-time let us know what you think about this game.

We recently reported that Nintendo had released a Legend of Zelda themed 3DS game case as a Club Nintendo prize. It seems that people really liked this prize as it quickly sold out and is currently back-ordered. I guess for the price of 250 coins it could not be beat.

Were you able to get one before Nintendo ran out? Let us know in the comments.

As it was revealed at E3 of last year, Kid Icarus: Uprising will use the Augmented Reality (AR) cards in a variety of ways when the game is released.

It has now been announced that Kid Icarus Uprising will launch with 6 AR cards included. These AR cards, when placed next to one another and viewed through the 3DS camera, will cause characters from the game to engage in a fight with one another.

Pretty nifty if you ask me!

Club Nintendo is really pulling out the stops for the Legend of Zelda series. As originally reported by Link’s Hideaway, there is another new prize available for redemption.

If you have saved up 250 Club Nintendo Coins, then this Zelda themed 3DS case can be yours. As you can see from the image, it has 18 available slots to hold your Nintendo 3DS games in, each with a Zelda icon in the background. The cover I have to admit is rather poorly done, and is not up to the usual standards of quality that is released by Nintendo. However, it is still Zelda themed so I may get anyways.

So what do you think? Will you be spending your hard earned Club Nintendo points on this reward? Let us know in the comments.

Part 2 of our Skyward Sword Fire Sanctuary Video Guide is now online. We have it hosted over at our TheHiddenTriforce youtube channel. If you are looking to watch some of our great Zelda videos then you should head over and give it a subscription.

Anyways, this video takes Link further into the Fire Sanctuary. By using the Mogma Mitts Link is able to dig underground and continue looking for the Sacred Flame.

No denying that's a Zelda symbol

SpiritHoods, an online retailer of themed hoods, is seemingly a Legend of Zelda fan. When browsing their site, you cannot help but notice several instances of what appears to be the Hylian symbol. This symbol, as shown in the picture above, is even placed on their products.

I am not sure if they are trying to make this their logo or official icon, but its use all over the site seems to indicate so. It is featured in their site footer, on their favicon, and as I mentioned on their products.

Perhaps they are not aware that their logo looks exactly like the Hylian symbol. However that would be irrelevant if it would be taken to court.

So what do you think? Was this intentional? Let us know in the comments.

Ever since Skyward Sword was released news on the Zelda series has been…well dead. We are stuck in that awkward period between Zelda releases and it is likely that there will be no real news until E3 of this year, if even then.

However, there is another great game that is coming out here soon. Resident Evil Revelations is set to be released this coming Tuesday, February 7th. Resident Evil Revelations is coming out on the 3DS and will support the Circle Pad Pro.

Will you be getting this game? Let us know in the comments.

Nintendo is doing a lot to make up for their mistakes lately. This time around they are sending out a brand new replacement poster because there was a minor mistake in their Club Nintendo Skyward Sword poster. If you have not noticed, there was a slight error near one the Loft wings. Some people noticed this and complained, promoting Nintendo to issue an apology and a correct version of the poster during the first week of February.

In light of Nintendo’s recent meeting with Shigeru Miyamoto, there were a few details of what can be expected of a Zelda title on the Wii U – Mostly that it won’t just be about advanced graphics, though that will most likely play a larger role in some of the consoles titles, such as The Legend of Zelda.  What are your thoughts on this? let us know in the comments!

Skyward Sword has been out for almost 2 months now and the game is readily available at most major retailers. However what is not widely available is the Skyward Sword Demo Disk. If you have the game then obviously the demo is worthless. However, a hardcore Zelda collector may find this to be a must have.

The demo disk can be found on eBay now and though we cannot offer a walkthrough for the demo, we do have a growing Skyward Sword Walkthrough that you may find helpful.