
During the Game Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Nintendo was given a prime slot to showcase all-new footage of The Legend of Zelda on Wii U, with Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto discussing gameplay features and re-affirming that the title will arrive in 2015, with the new Star Fox due before the adventure title.
The demonstration began with the legendary game designers talking over the size of the world, highlighting that there'll be a number of high vantage points in order to look across the landscape. After spotting a landmark — using the GamePad's motion controls — and setting a waypoint beacon with a flashing light, we were shown that the Sailcloth — from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — will make a return.
The GamePad usage was shown in a variety of ways. It is used to display a map, showing waypoints, and it demonstrated the impressive size of the environment — it was made clear that we were only privy to seeing part of the whole world. We were then shown a horse ride with Epona, in which it was essentially on auto-pilot, with the GamePad used for moving the camera and looking around. Miyamoto-san highlighted how many small details can be seen, and then it was demonstrated that the player can use their sword and bow, freely and easily, while on Epona; gyroscope aiming seems to be an option. There is also a slow motion dismount that allows the player to take out enemies with the bow.
Towards the end of the presentation Aonuma-san reaffirmed that the game is due in 2015, while Miyamoto-san stated that Star Fox for Wii U is progressing for a release before The Legend of Zelda, also next year.
Check out the video below and let us know what you think!
Comments 181
Great! Looking forward to it~
Sooooo beautiful
I'm still in shock!
Hype, finally got to see it in action!
Beautiful! I'm so glad I wasn't expecting much at this year's awards! thank you Nintendo! You made my year today!
It looks even more gorgeous than it did at E3. I didn't think that was possible.
Incredible show tonight was! SO much better than last years, I was skeptical to watch and even forgot it was today, I am so glad I watched.
Zelda looks anazing, and Im glad there keeping the suprise of Star Fox for next year. 2015 will be an amazing year for all gamers, especially the Nintendo fans!
God i cannot get over how the sunset looks!!This game is going to be amazing,i know i'm over hyping this game but who cares?
NOOOOOOOO RIGHT HANDED LINK!!!!
Omg! It's so beautiful
no cranky here
When they said the world would be vast I wasn't expecting it to be THIS vast! That whole valley Link is looking out over when he set the beacon is like a 12th of the entire map size! Also hopefully there will be sea exploration too! My hype is beyond healthy right now!
WOW INCREDIBLE
Did anyone notice that the Magic Meter is back?
Wow
I've written out a summary, refresh the page if you want to read it!
The map looks huge. Can't wait to see dungeons and some of the environmental diversity. That'll be next E3 I guess
Hyped tho.
Dang, this Zelda game will have a lot of stuff. I love how you can use the Sail Cloth to glide like the Deku Leaf and that Epona has an AI for her to detect trees.
drools
Okay, Nintendo Life. It's way past your bedtime. It must be at least 6:00 AM where you guys are.
this looks so good i can hardly wait. did you see that slow motion and star fox comes out before this
LOL 2015 is where we hand Nintendo our wallets. Captain Toad(EU), YWW, MP10, MMaker, Kirby, Splatoon, StarFox, Zelda, Xenoblade (if it'll make it), Devil's 3rd(if it turns out good), more amiibos, more VC games, more eShop games, what else for the Wii U?
I don't know if it's a good idea for me to get a New 3DS next year as I've never owned a 3DS. There's so much to buy!
Nintendo was so well presented at this year's Game Awards! Bravo!
BODY=READY
Nice. Really. Hope it is good, & not just looks it.
Just beautiful. I want to frolic on Epona in that field with the other horses... lol. It's late and I'm feeling lyrical.
Wow this game and 2015 looks so amazing.
Looks very cool. 2015's lineup is looking very, very solid right now. And that's without a Mario Kart or Smash Bros game.
Stoked that Star Fox will be out next year. E3 2015 for Nintendo is going to eclipse this years by some margin I feel...
This looks like it could surpass Ocarina as the best Zelda game.
Beautiful and I saw a lot of of NES Original Legend Of Zelda influence here
Loving this game!! I love you nintendo!
The whole slow-mo arrow while jumping off Epona looks pretty darn cool and fun. Might as well set the funds aside right after Christmas.
The world is more realistic than Skyward Sword. No giant colorful mushrooms this time around.
Loved hearing Miyamoto call out Epona by name. Also the banter was good and the teasing about who would release a game first was fun.
I was concerned in the E3 showing that the movements of Epona were just animated for the cinematic only, but the movements are just as fluid and lifelike in the actual gameplay.
I was a little concerned with the auto pilot horse, and then he said, "horse don't run into trees." I was like like, that actually makes sense. Please continue.
I'm gonna get the game obviously!
But it could have been zoomed further man! I wanted to look at it clearly!
Wonder how Star Fox U will look like?
I cant say much about the Zelda vid, even on my 52" tv it was kinda small and blurry, but it was a big night for Nintendo - Mario Maker, MK8, SSBU, B2, STEAM, Zelda and Starfox all covered in some way. Even amiibo had a brief appearance at the beginning which is more than either DI or Skylanders got. And Reggie was on point all night.
Between tonight and E3 why cant Wii U sell some consoles? Its a head scratcher.
I was ready to pass on the next Zelda after the lullaby that was Skyward Sword but this just looks too good.
No Groose. -3/10
Please excuse me while I collect my jaw from the floor...
Amazing I can not wait .
My body is ready! Bring on 2015!!
Certainly didn't expect any news this soon. Well, this reconfirms the 2015 release fot those who were doubting.
It looked gorgeous though, from the little details on the trees and grass, to the beautiful sunset. It seems to be a huge world, judging from what they said, bigger than I imagined. And from what I could tell, I love the redesign of the bokoblin. I cannot wait for it!
@Samuel-Flutter I was worried the travel was just going to the waypoint automatically, but Epona just keeps heading in the direction you start in unless you adjust, he is changing her direction with nudges here and there when he feels like it.
@rjejr The show itself wasn't half bad. It helped that it seemed to have a theme of games having relevance and some history. You can't pull that off without acknowledging Nintendo. You're right, though, every major title from Nintendo was highlighted at some point, if not winning awards. Apparently Reggie had some hand in the direction of the Awards show, too?
@rjejr
As far as selling consoles goes, this can't hurt. Sure, it's not coming until probably November 2015, but that potential along with what the console has right now has to push some more people over the edge, right? I'm sure Reggie has been hoping so since they didn't do anything bold with pricing or deals for Black Friday.
I love the confidence that Star Fox will be released before Zelda and that they'll make it inside of 2015. It's pretty rare for Nintendo to talk that way. I wonder where it comes from, to be honest. They have been hiring and expanding apparently. I guess once you realize you are the only one developing for your console, you have to get more developers. lol.
Holy its gorgeous. And that WORLD.
Quite cruel to place us so far from the screen. I zoomed in and even though the resolution is no better it still let me focus on the game a bit better. The subtle randomness of movement from Epona is mesmerizing: her head, neck, mane and tail hairs even. Nice attention to details that have time to observe in a game where travel plays a big role.
Other games have open worlds of course and can be plenty beautiful, so it strikes me that I add so much more anticipation to it because it's Zelda and I know Anouma and Nintendo will infuse it with charm and interesting game play. They seem always aware of how game play mechanics can wear thin and it has to stay creative and add new elements as you progress.
I guess I've watched that enough for one late night...
Wow, I knew they were going for open world but that world is huge. Can't wait so excited.
GOTY 2015. I'm calling it already.
See these words? These words right here in front of me? Yeah, I'm eatin' 'em. If I'd had someone to bet about what Nintendo would show us tonight, I'd be down a whole lot of money.
Amazing. 2015 is going to be a great year for me lol
sorry but I don't trust in Aounuma. He may show us the best part but in the end will be puzzles, puzzles, stupid NPCs, puzzles, lineal gameplay, puzzles....like always.
Until I see it for myself and play it, whatever this dollmaker says will be meaningless.
@aaronsullivan I also thought their confidence was strange. I would normally just call BS, but the rate at which they put out Smash Bros. has changed my view a bit. So maybe we'll be lucky.
@Lizuka Yes, because putting Epona in the game and having an extremely large overworld is taking cues from Skyward Sword. -sarcasm-
Do you think that just by having the sailcloth from Skyward Sword means that this game is a carbon copy of SS?
Can't wait to explore Hyrule again.
All you have to do Nintendo is release a face lift Wii u and I am sold . Can't wait for the new Zelda but I am anxiously waiting for the new Wii u , I know it's only a matter of time . Larger memory, better gameoad design
@PuzzleMaster7 It's already been called.
Glad to hear confirmation on both titles. Starfox must be really far along, so can't wait for the new trailers to arrive.
Looking great. Some zoomed in videos on YouTube now which are helpful. Need to sort out the collision detection on the hood/shield. If we're not having horses running into trees I don't want to see fabric moving through wood. Other than that, I want the game inside me.
well this will be the first Zelda I will want play/finish (never had the interest)
...So amazing!!
@Artten same here, tried 4 different Zeldas, got bored after a few hours but I've had a lot of fun with Hyrule Warriors and I don't want to write the series off yet, and this does look like I will enjoy it a lot more.
That part where Link is at the cliff looking down over the valley looks oddly familiar:
I don't think that horse was actually Epona...
Its mane and tail were black and Epona has always had white.
I'm happy to see how open this game is <3
I knew there'd be something big at this event - though I couldn't watch it - and then BAM Zelda U!
release day purchase for me, although I need to try and finish wind waker even though I've spent the last century wandering the oceans without sight of the triforce shards 😞
Finally. Can't wait to get my hands in this.
Not sure how I feel about Star Fox coming out first. That's probably my most anticipated game but at E3 it was barely a tech demo, using a mixture of assets and code from a cancelled wii game and Star Fox 64. It seems an awfully short development cycle which makes me wonder if it will just be another on rails arcade shooter that takes 40 minutes to beat.
Zelda looks great though. 2015 should be Wii U's best year for games in a personal note but I think 2014 will be its sales peak.
That Epona ride looks suitably glorious, can't wait...
This will be the first game I preorder in my life.
Ok. This, Yoshi, Kirby, Toad, Starfox, X...
@Peach64 Maybe Starfox will surprise us as the unexpected Hyrule Warriors did.
Zelda looks great. Starfox may get a dedicated Nintendo Direct soon because we haven't seen much of it.
This is a nice surprise! I wasn't expecting any more news or footage until next year. It looks great.
@Peach64 Star Fox, as a mostly on-rail shooter, shouldn't take as long to develop as a game like Zelda or Xenoblade. With a dedicated team behind the project, I'm sure they are able to develop a Star Fox game in about 1.5 years.
Still, I wouldn't expect a 50-hour game. Most on-rail shooters are pretty short, so as long as it takes somewhere near 10 hours to complete I'm fine with it.
Holy. poopoodoodoocacapoopledoople
I am in love with this game already holy freaking poopoodoodoocacapoopledoople
THE SUNSET
THE SMOOTH ANIMATION
THE HUGE WORLD
THE WILD HORSES
That looked amazing overall though some areas were a bit iffy.
Well the world looks pretty vast and there's a couple of interesting features but it would have been nice to actually see this in full screen 1080p 60fps.
To be honest, it didn't look totally mind blowing in terms of the art, probably just because it was kinda blurry and hard to see, but it's really hard to tell if all those rock and ground textures are nice hand painted art or just generic shader effects. Hopefully it's the former and if it is then it will probably look gorgeous.
I'm also hoping there's more going on in this overworld than just riding your horse across acres of generic land because that's the one trap I didn't want this new Zelda to fall into; basically being like Skyrim where it's just a lot of generic nothing. Gameplay needs to trump scale for the sake of scale and that's one thing Zelda has always done brilliantly, especially Skyward Sword I thought, so hopefully that's not been ignored here for the sake of impressing a few casuals who just want to be able to talk about how huge the world is.
THE HYPE IS REEEAAAL!!
Pause the linked video at 4:21, on the big rock to the right there seems to be a golden 4 legged animal standing on top. Could just be an adventurous horse but it kinda looks like it has antlers. Thought it was worth pointing out but it might be nothing special
It feels good waking up to this news, I'm beyond excited for this game! (:
I seriously can't believe how great of a show this was for Nintendo. Winning a bunch of major awards and these huge reveals was not expected by this jaded gamer. I'm thrilled with how things turned out and Nintendo was so well represented on a big stage.
I don't even have words to describe how incredible this is...
Oh yes. This is what I'm talking about!
Ok, seriously, the distance on the zoomed out map was a good thumbs width, they skipped a lot of footage in the video, at the end, they still were "roughly 5 minutes away" and they didnt even reach it at the end !
How big is this world ?
Also physics based horse manes, tails and cloth, fully animated and interactive grass fields, supposedly growth cycles for tree fruits. The small details are just lovely and it even looks stunning on a technical level.
I talked about that with a friend lately. We compared the recently released open world tech demo of FF XV with the trailers released for Xenoblade X and to be perfectly honest, compared to X, that Final Fantasy world, although technically superior, looks liveless, dull and boring.
The visuals the WiiU can put out might not reach the poly count of other consoles, but they are still so lovingly crafted and breathtaking, that the system does in no way need to hide behind that.
I mean, just look at Captain Toad, thats a side project game and it looks stunning.
@Kirk I wouldnt hold my breath if i were you to be perfectly honest.
Games like Skyrim ARE popular, the latest console Zelda wasnt.
The last Zelda went with an open world approach and people loved it, this one is an experiment to go in a completely different direction than before, so dont keep your fingers crossed that its NOT like other open world titles.
You see, usual Zelda overworld concepts are basically not open. Certain parts of the maps can only be traversed with certain items, making its progress based. If you want every part of your world available to the player from the getgo, you cant implement such hurdles.
The open world concept has run seriously dry over the last couple of years and basically became a game of checking off lists.
Im pretty sure that Nintendo wont fall for that trope and bring something unique to the table, like they always do.
"Generic overworld" ? Probably, it comes with the whole open world concept. Though i highly doubt that they will leave out classic zelda dungeons, so theres that to hope for.
But to be honest, i can think about it all day and i too cant come up with any new idea to spice up an open overworld concept other than collectables, landark scouting etc.
The jumping off Epona and immediately turning around in mid-air looks a little silly... but the animation of the world is absolutely gorgeous. Especially the wild horses at the end.
That's an insanely huge map though, I hope they fill it up with things to do. If they only give themselves a year... I almost hope it's going to be postponed.
And hoping for some new items!
Man, that was some really good stuff! A bit lifeless as of yet, but it's still in progress, so I'm looking forward to the end product!
@Einherjar I think Zelda U will be able to make a difference in overworld design by it's general visuals alone. The overworld in Zelda games always was filled with all kinds of colorful locations, and this one seem to follow suit very well. Most sandbox environments severely lack color (Skyrim is a prime example - a muddy winter mess), so that's going to be a strong poiny right away.
And just to mention it: I had an idea how weapons and tools could be brought into the world without restricting the openness of it. Aside of hidden treasure on sidepaths that you can only get with specific tools (like every Zelda game did so far), they could offer secret entrances to caves and dungeons that offer an additionql challenge and some treasures/secrets, while the main entrances remain open. For example, one entry could be very high up, and only the hookshot would allow you to get to that second entry, but it wouldn't be mandatory to the dungeon at all.
@Kaze_Memaryu Thats what i was talking about. Were still talking about a Nintendo game here. It would be shocking to see if they would just roll with everything other games have done in that particular genre and not add their destictive touch.
So yes, i expect the usual handcrafted worlds with destinctive landmarks, flora and fauna...and cuckos...
And to your dungeon entrance idea. That would be a mean thing to do (in a good way). Think of it, you find the dungeons map and theres an area that you simply cant find, cant reach but its stock full of treasures.
Now its search time, maybe you missed the entrance inside the dungeon. Maybe its outside of it in the area, or maybe, its a hidden entrance 10 minutes away, offering a conveniant flight pad with upwinds to enable you to glide onto that little alcove to enter the dungeon entrance #2
That sounds pretty good actually
Of all the things I did NOT realistically expect, this was first on the list. I went to bed being skeptical, I woke up skeptical...
... I open NintendoLife and I see this. Just wonderful! The game is looking gorgeous and massive, I am so glad they didn't withhold everything until the next E3 (as some imagined would be the case).
Also a nice heads-up on StarFox. I don't care much for the franchise myself, but good for all you fans out there!
I just can't wait for it to come out. Why did Eiji have to mention Star Fox. They just made me doubled hyped for those two games next year.
I'm gonna miss the WM+ controls I really do hope they make another 1:1 sword fighting zelda game sometime. I'll even take a spin-off.
SNES Star Fox on VC too, plz
lz;ihnudO:CSADSDUAGHuegFUDIrthb4t978yhIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIgehfewrtf4903ujhf89h4y37g8bhyudbgnoui4 n9gf97y4798th 80fhuy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, that was awesome! Shame no full screen
The GamePad looks like there is gonna be a huge use for it in the game. The field is huge, too...
No Wiimote sword makes me sad, but gyro aiming makes me happy again!
And the world, navigation, Epona AI, bullet time etc etc makes me uncomfortably happy. I want to freeze my self for a year, as the wait is surely going to kill me.
I wish you could adjust the gyro sensitivity. Now there seems to be a filter for making things look less shaky, but I want that immediacy from the controls.
Since the release of Mario Kart 8, my WiiU is on fire! Looks like that trend will continue for quite some time.
Holy triforce... this looks absolutely incredible! They surpassed my espectations!
my gosh!, this is skyrim with zelda.... SO GONNA BUY IT! (lets hope of an awesome star fox and legend of zelda pre order bonus!)
I did not for a single moment ever think I would wake up to this amazing news! The timing is perfect too as this is the time of year when people will go out and buy the Wii U. With Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros winning awards and now this also being shown, it'll get a lot of people wanting one for sure.
I am a little bit unhappy that Nintendo didn't show the full screen. I don't know if this was too avoid showing off any glitches they haven't yet fixed but would have been nice.
As a whole OH MY GOD I am super pumped and excited for this game and we don't even know much about the kind of things we will find in the world. I am hoping it will be packed with loads of side quests and places to explore and not be merely open dull and lifeless.
Also love how riding Epona looks and works. And the combat looks pretty decent too, especially when jumping off the horse and into slow motion to better aim your attacks.
I am a bit concerned about the trees in the wooded area all looking identical, kinda stood out. I assume this will be polished up before before E3 or certainly the game launches.
You never know, Nintendo maybe sneaky and have a full screen trailer coming out to tease us even more
@Tsurii897 Well, ive played Skyrim on consoles and i have no clue why you get the shudders from it.
Other than that, i agree completely. OoTs overworld was pretty much "practical" It was just there to connect all areas and nothing more. Though i have to say, that i really enjoyed each seperate area, like the Lake, the winding paths leading up to the zoras domain etc.
Only the big, empty donut around lon lon farm was pretty lacking.
But then again, i know that empty field like my backyard, i cant even remember anything about TPs overworld, which is quite odd.
I just hope they can fill that world with interesting things, not resorting to collectibles.
Wow, it looks amazing even though it's unfinished, I really wonder if you can go into the sea...
Was not expecting this, or Starfox getting a mention. The fact Starfox is due before Zelda has me concerned.
Nintendo. Nin-Ten-Do.
Nin... Ten... DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
That was.....THAT WAS. JUST LOOK AT MY PROFILE PICTURE. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT ALL MY LIFE. I AM SATISFIED NINTY.
Just started watching the show in its fullness - Miyamoto really improved his english too!
No Crankey Kong. 0/10.
Well, there's not much more I could probably add here, seeing as how many comments there are already. But I will say this, the game looks absolutely stunning and looks to be very enjoyable. It appears very smooth and can only get smoother and more polished as it nears its release date, so let's keep that in mind and don't jump to conclusions about it being "empty" and whatnot.
All in all, I'm liking what I'm seeing, and I'm just really looking forward to play it.
Not really seeing the point in a new control scheme if the game isn't built around it. SS' gameplay fit the control scheme so perfectly.
Ah well, this is glorious. I just hope it's more filled than Twilight Princess... based on the size of the gameworld, I'd have to say no. But at least it doesn't look drab.
Stayed up late for this, and wasn't disappointed. That looked utterly glorious.
Lookin' awesome! It seems as though the game's fitted around the Gamepad which I really like. Also, Star Fox is coming out before Zelda (which is FOR SURE coming out in 2015)?! What?! Looks like 2015 is having a good line-up.
That footage was really impressive, and announcing that Star Fox and Majora's Mask will be arriving before that game is just icing on the cake. It's a good time to be a Nintendo fan.
I was hoping for Cranky Kong but whatever.
@Einherjar You know, the dungeon concept got me thinking. What if they make the challenges and puzzles super difficult and tricky to figure out, like in the old school games. The hook being that back then there was no way one could figure everything out alone, such as all those secrets in Zelda 1 (hats off to anyone who was able to), thus we relied on the word of other players, "adventurers" if you will
One unfortunate aspect today is that we have the internet when it comes to figuring things out by oneself, so a part of that cozy social nature in gamers is gone. I can imagine that many gamers have the tendency to look up how to progress in a certain area of the game, even if they're the slightest bit stuck. This is inevitable and there's no way around it today, but as a compensation, I feel that they should make Zelda U extra tricky - unforgivingly old school difficult even, not in the sense that the enemies are frustratingly nearly impossible to defeat, but make progression in the game one giant, confusing puzzle, like you said with the many entrances. Make the player work for it if they missed something and get that aha moment, and make said "work" be fun and interesting, and not feel like actual work that appears like simple, dull backtracking, reacting with moans and groans.
The footage is promising, as the gameplay appears very multilayered, in which you don't have to take the same path twice to get to a certain destination. Link riding Epona, I've noticed there were a number of branching paths and forks in the road, parallel and non-parallel, some take you higher up, along a ledge, others take you along a rocky trail, or through a wooded and grassy area. So we could well be seeing multiple entrances into dungeons.
I think if the game ends up being really difficult and tricky, then players that usually play through games just to have them finished and marked off their list, and ones that usually resort to using the internet to guide them through even the simplest of puzzles and situations, will rediscover the pleasure and satisfaction of being perplexed and disorientated for hours - days even, only to finally figure out the solution or find the way to progress by themselves.
The Nintendo team have nothing to lose with this, as I don't find the reasoning of a game being "too tough", not very accessible or gamer-friendly very justified, a trend we've gotten to observe lately where they state that they made the game with "beginners in mind" and what not, since we have the internet to help us when stuck anyways, should we choose to give in. And those that like a good challenge, that like to be puzzled for longer than healthy can be at ease It's a win-win situation in my books.
So, I'm hopeful for those tough moments, dungeons and locations with plenty options, plenty entrances, right and wrong, secrets so well-hidden that can only be discovered by accident and through trial and error...optional things that you simply can't figure out by yourself, but you hear about them somewhere, on the internet for example, years later and go, wow, gotta dust off the game again and try that
This is good news. It proves that they are not abandoning the console as of 2015, or early 2016. I'm very skeptical about Nintendo revealing another console in general. I think gamers in general are targeting Batman Arkham Knight with their next new console purchase. And it's just going to be difficult for Zelda to get out there with that type of game out there dominating the majority of gamers mind. Regardless, I hope Zelda truly is what was rumored to be a few years ago, which was essentially the biggest game ever.
@FeedingTheWheel Wind Waker already did that...
Awesome. Now if the world never bores with things to do, you've got another artistic benchmark set for the gaming world.
Looks fantastic as expected! Good to hear that both it and Starfox are still on board for coming out in 2015!
I love the Red Dead style slow mo aiming too. Very cool!
So three years into the life cycle of the Wii U it will finally have games that make good use of the GamePad... just sayin'
Soooooo goooooood! And the Starfox announcement was icing on the cake!
I'm throwing money at the screen but nothing's happening!
That was a very cool segment. Cant wait to try and explain to my wife why I NEED to buy so many full priced games in 2015 that are not for the kids
So will this really be 2015? It looks beautiful and intimidatingly huge.
So I'm betting that Starfox will be the big summer release and Zelda the holiday release. I swear Nintendo is like the mafia. Every time I try to get out they pull me back in.
I don't even like starfox and I'm excited for this. My gaming computer is about to divorce me for abandonment.
@ikki5 He's ambidextrous
Nintendo acted very smart by not just preaching to the choir but by showing it at an event where Xbox and PS4 owners were watching it. Now I will see people whining that this awesome game should on their system but also see people question the false meme of Nintendo is doomed.
@minotaurgamer LINEAR or lineal (whatever that said) IS RIDICULOUS. ITS OPEN WORLD. Why would an open world game be linear, and FYI, that was a demo not the full game.
I overloaded on info... Finally... a stupidly huge, non-hub style, land mass full of densely poulated areas, is REALIZED. THIS is the world of Hyrule I've been waiting half my life for. So.... HYPED!!!!
And SF will be out before it? Did know it was confirmed. C'mon 2015!
LIKE:
Matrix Link jumping slo-mo off horse to shoot arrows
Horse-riding that takes cues from Shadow of the Colossus
DISLIKE:
Generic scenery. More landscape isn't better if it all feels like copy/pasted trees and grass for miles.
How can anyone call themselves a gamer if they do not have a wii u?
As for this video, Im 32 and still can't not believe how excited I got when seeing link jump off the horse in slow motion. nintendo knows what they are doing.
Love the Shadow of the Colossus feel to this. I wonder how open-ended the game really is?
2015 is going to be SO good for Wii U owners.
meh, I doubt we'll see both games next year Star Fox will probably come out in the Fall of 2015 while Zelda will probably be pushed back (like Nintendo LOVES to do) till like Summer 2016 Nintendo takes forever to release games, and usually when they say something is coming out, add a couple of more seasons to that and you probably have the real release date lol
@aaronsullivan - "As far as selling consoles goes, this can't hurt."
Zelda has some loyal fans, so it can't hurt. Will Nintneod capitalize though? I really feel like they don't know what they're doing. Well maybe they know what they are doing but all their decisions seem off. No SSBU bundle is practically gross financial misconduct. No price drop. Even just to $279 to get some separation from the other 2 and garner some headlines and in store SALE stickers. No amiibo in the box. Bundling w/ a year old game. Last year they bundled w/ a 10 year old game (WW HD) but they went out of their way to put gold lines on the Gamepad (I honestly don't know if they were just a sticker that has peeled off already or was painted on but it made it look like a special edition bundle for the holidays). This year, nothing. MK8 had better bundle deals over the summer than Wi U is getting this holiday. Really makes me think they weren't sure SSBU would be ready in time to bundle, which is why it came out w/o several components, it was rushed. So next year when Zelda comes out they'll have SSBU bundles?
Whats really important though is that Ntinedo hasn't abandoned the poorly selling Wii U, we have 5 or 6 must have games in 2015, and likely several others in 2016 so I won't own a 2nd Dreamcast. And if they ever decide to make a Wii U Pokemon game were amiibo are necessary to own it will print money. 1st Wave 18 starter Pokemon, 2nd wave 18 popular Pokemon 3rd Wave 18 Legendaries. That's 54, which is what Skylanders has had for each of its 4 games so it's manageable but could still feel like a Pokemon game. I want it to play like Subspace Emissary or Pokepark, my wife wants an RPG like the core games, w/ a vs mode where you fight vs a 3DS owner w/ the amiibo portal. Yes, we think about this stuff too much. Sometimes more than Nitnedo does.
My #1 highlight of the night 😂
@rjejr for the rushed ssb, it feels like a really good game. Where did it feel rushed or am I reading it wrong?
I freaked out when they showed this, but I need more Info!!!!!
@Taceus what exactally is the concern? Starfox may not be as big of a game as Zelda
@Sir_Deadly - If you watch the "50 things " video (new, improved different, whatever the 50 things are) they mention several things which aren't actually in the game yet - tournaments, sharing of the stage editor levels and a Miiverse stage. If you go back over Ntinedo's history you'll see that they don't release unfinished products. Miyamoto is famous for saying “A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”. But they left out those pieces b/c they wanted to get it our before Black Friday and the holidays. I don't count Mewtwo b/c he's easily viewed as "after the fact" DLC. But sharing of the levels was built into SSBB on Wii 7 years ago, so I don't see how anyone can say they intended to make this game w/o sharing levels and that was only an afterthought. Miiverse level may have been intended as after market DLC, it's a new level and stage, but I'd bet tournaments has always been considered part of the game and it isn't in there yet. Therefore I think if you asked Sakurai himself he would say they put this game out before it was finished. Maybe that's not "rushed", but that's my interpretation of the game hitting store shelves a week before BF w/ all those parts missing.
Clearly Nintendo is just getting everything together, so it was their intent to show the scale, scope, and ambition of this project. I don't think they wanted to show a direct feed of it in this early state because the goal is for everything to look up to par with the original trailer, which will still take some work. But it's promising to see that they have the over world constructed and running smoothly enough that it seems they can start worrying about frills and other details.
The real intrigue are the dungeons yet to be seen. Zelda games never let down in that area, though. So this taste is very exciting for the prospect of discovering them.
@rjejr
The lack of a Smash Bros bundle is quite baffling. They might make one for the next holiday season, but by then it's too late to fully capitalize. I agree with you, I doubt there will be a Zelda bundle next year, just going off they're recent pattern.
Amazing they both sound shocked by the hd next gen never seen zelda looks so good before.
They both sound like they are being worked hard by nintendo to push games out and the system it might be there last games and get other dev to work on titles.
I am shocked that smash bros did not shift many wii u consoles as its game of the year. I own ps4 and wii u and the wii u's games look way better than ps4 and are more fun and wee all over destiny.
@rjejr I'd say the issue is really market confusion at this point. They didn't attempt to point out the differences between the Wii U and the Wii at the start of its life and as such many potential buyers were misinformed that the tablet controller was an add-on rather than it being part of the new console. These customers probably skipped over it afterwards and never looked back.
No marketing is almost as bad as bad marketing (ie Microsoft's first reveals and discussions about the Xbox One, which they had to do A LOT to fix).
@MoonKnight7 - "I doubt there will be a Zelda bundle next year,"
I doubt there will be 1 b/c since Zelda U was announced I doubted it being released in 2015, can't go back on that now. It's ok though, I've been waiting for X for awhile also, and that will be a long game. Wii U may be lacking in 3rd parties but Ntindo looks god for 2015 - Kirby, Yoshi, Splatoon, Starfox, X. Mario Maker. Plus the usual Lego and toy games, they won't drop Wii U support.
Next year will be amazing! I am so pumped up!!!
@Ernest_The_Crab - "They didn't attempt to point out the differences between the Wii U and the Wii at the start of its life"
Yeah, hindsight is 20/20 so I don't want to beat them up too much over the failed, and I've actually always been a fan of the Wii U name (Wii/we play on tv, U/you play on the Gamepad) but the Wii U itself looks too much like a Wii, and they tried to take the high road by promoting "Asynchonous gameplay" rather than just saying - "hey, 100 million Wii owners, want to play Mario in HD? Well now you can. Play in HD on your tv, OR play SD in on the Gamepad while someone else is using the tv." Its what we all wanted, an HD Wii, and promote the Gamepad for what ti does best, of tv play.
But Monday morning quarterbacking never won any games. And it may be too late now.
Still, I wish this holiday they would have marketed w/ - "Hey, all you Wii owners, now you can play 2D Mario, 3D Mario, race w/ Mario and fight with Mario all like never before for the first time ever on your big screen tv in HD! NSMBU, SM3DW, MK8, SSBU all in HD" And try to treat the Wii U like its a just released new HD Wii since the Wii U does seem to be invisible. And that's not hindsight, thats' saving a system that deserves to be saved.
I must admit link's walking animation looked a little funny and maybe it was just the way the video was recorded but I noticed occasional frame dips especially when link was riding Epona. That said it may have just been my eyes deceiving me and hopefully so because the huge frame drops in WWHD were quite jarring. Fortunately the visuals look crisp and for the most part looked smooth. I'm not sure it looks quite as amazing as everyone else is saying, to me that is, but the vibrant colors would probably lend themselves better to a direct feed. That's not to say that there weren't some very cool details such as Epona's hair sway. Either way looking forward to picking the game up next year and going on what seems to be a revolutionary adventure in the Zelda franchise.
@TromboneGamer Yeah, he walked kinda funny in Skyward Sword too though. At least Epona doesn't gallop like a silly person in Twilight Princess.
So excited! Even If it doesn't meet our expectations in every way, I just love being able to see another small glimpse into the Zelda universe.
@rjejr : The most important part is that they are not willing to abandon the console, which is huge for owners and prospective buyers. They could easily fill out the next couple of years with a HD gamecube game monthly, they could unify accounts, they could unlock Dreamcast, Genesis, etc VC, and they could re-brand the Wii U, like the 3DS. Maybe Super Wii U. It was good to see Nntendo very active at a a time and place where they should be.
Looking a lot more bland & sparse than I had hoped. Textures look a bit underwhelming on the rocks too. Bit bummed out having seen this, definitely more last gen than this gen from that footage, shame as E3 looked a lot better.
@rjejr
It wasn't too long ago we were talking about how Nintendo was bleeding money at a rate that could actually deplete their huge cash reserve in a couple years. That was something we can forget easily but a company can not.
My guess is that Nintendo simply needs to return to strong profitability and you don't do that by giving stuff away. It's a balance because there's a fight between the immediate survival of the company (immediate return to profit) over the long term success of the Wii U (through growing a larger base). Marketing costs are involved here, too.
I think they just reached a point this Holiday season where no matter how they juggled their assets they couldn't do both.
2015, though? Might be a whole new story and hopefully a position of strength for Nintendo.
@RedDevilAde I've watched it 5 times at least and I see what you are saying to a degree, but at this stage I'm assuming the filling in of the general landscape is going to be one of the last things to be done. Plus, If you watch carefully, Anouma gets close to a couple of interesting features but purposely steers away from them (something on a nearby tall rock and a bridge entrance that he turns around from to find the herd of horses). He's actively hiding stuff from us.
Nintendo developers always start with the core gameplay mechanics and we are getting a taste of how that's coming along.
If this is Zelda, and it is, don't forget how there will be secrets everywhere, too. I'm actually pretty excited that things aren't obvious.
I'm with you on how disappointing it would be if the landscape stayed the same and just stretched out long distances for no reason.
(Now you made me watch it again and I'm seeing much more variety than I first realized was there, the woods transitions smoothly from young trees to thicker, older ones, there is a little village or town and other structures in the valley below where Link meets Epona, the rocky path, the heavy grass areas. Lots of variety.)
I'm blown away.
@aaronsullivan I'm certainly not writing it off and am hoping what you say happens. Fingers crossed we see some big enhancements over time, I just thought they'd be further along than this demo indicates... looks more proof of concept than 3/4 complete game at the moment.
@RedDevilAde considering we are watching it from a distance on a television, I can already tell you it'll look way better than it appears here.
@RedDevilAde A big part of it is what they want to show right now. For all we know the various items and abilities are all near complete and the dungeons are mostly crafted with puzzles in place — I'm sure there is still a ton of work to be done there in reality, though! Nintendo wants to show us the thing they know is the most different and appealing to fans going back to Ocarina and even the NES original. To some who felt that Skyward Sword was one giant tunnel, this is quite a change.
Anyway, should be fun to get little bits here and there until we get it in our hands. I can't wait for the sweeping music version of a final trailer as it looks like there will be some amazing visuals and situations to showcase already.
Right handed game pad controlled Link!? Looks great. Let's hope there are more than just 10 (3+7) dungeons. The whole game needs to be big overall.
@RedDevilAde I imagine some of the things were simply turned off (such as enemies) so that they could focus on the vast world and the visuals.
This is and tribute to Roberta Williams made sitting through the show worth it. It also gives me hope that Nintendo isn't going down without a serious fight.
@sketchturner
As much I'm REALLY excited for this game, I think that's fair. That's one of the reasons I liked Xenoblade better than Skyrim. In Xenoblade, every nook and cranny was carefully crafted, varied, and significant (i.e you get an amazing view of a waterfall/exp/etc.) In Skyrim, I would just feel like I was slogging along so I could unlock the warp checkpoints and never have to walk again
@Goginho Its a yes and no answer. Yes, for making it a lot more complex and tricky and no to making it "nintendo hard" tricky.
You see, back then, gaming was something you dedicated time towards.
Meaning, IF you were a gamer, you definitly were a gamer. Playing games over and over again untill you figured it out.
Lets talk "Sierra Quest" games.
Some of them are flat out unwinable if you missed a certain something 10 hours ago. You can only figure it out via many many playthroughs.
And most people dont have that kind of time anymore.
As much as it hurts me to say, but in this day and age, you NEED to cater towards a broader audience and not just the handfull of hardcore people out there.
And seeing just how big this world is, making a "pixel hunt" out of it wouldnt make it tricky, it would make it frustrating and bring back, was almost killed Wind Waker for me: Constant traveling for basically nothing.
So, you need to make a game, thats easy to get into and yet, tricky enough to be a challenge.
The easiest route would be something, you ruled out completely. Go the Dark Souls route and make every single enemy your biggest hurdle.
That would alienate quite a lot of people actually.
Make the puzzles as obscure as the early ones, and you have a bunch of people looking for walkthroughs.
I personally have no real solution for this problem. And to be fair, its one, that the whole series faced for years...
You can't see me but I'm doing my happy dance.
This world is SO BEAUTIFUL!!
....I'm gonna need a new pair of pants. >.>
Holy incredible. This game looks so beautiful. And Star Fox releases before it? Oh boy...
Looks like it's shaping up nicely! So hyped!
@Einherjar Yeah, I guess you're right. You may have a point about the change in gaming attitude / habits through the decades, but I guess they could keep the main storyline accessible to those gamers with little time at hand, while adding plentiful optional elements for those that do prefer to put in the time and tend to explore every corner and tackle every challenge available. The primary quest mustn't be changed for this to happen, and players have the option of 'just completing the game', should that be enough to them.
What comes to mind is Super Mario 64 ...spoilers, I guess?... where you can technically beat the game without collecting all of the Power Stars i.e. completing all missions available. 70 of the 120 Stars in total where enough to unlock the level with the final battle that results in the player freeing the girl, thus completing the main objective of the game, which leaves 50 Stars left to be obtained for players wanting to go beyond the storyline. After those credits played with that music the first time I beat Bowser for good, I felt accomplished and sad at the same time, yet excited that it wasn't truly over yet and that I'd get to continue controlling Mario, jumping and running around in all new levels
That being said, and I know the Nintendo team usually adds some lil' extra in Zelda games on top of the main campaign in form of a 50 floor challenge or something, such as Trecherous Tower, Cave of Ordeals...etc., but after every final battle in a Zelda game - after the ending cutscene and the credits, you have no choice but to push reset on your console (in some cases) and see your save file remain right before the final battle again, granted you do get a harder quest to take on in the more recent games. This brings up the feelings of happiness and sadness at the same time, in simple terms. Happy that I've reached the end, having had an enjoyable gaming experience along the way, and sad that it's over, maybe even feeling a bit empty, craving for just a bit more.
So, they could either jam-pack the game with plenty optional side-quests, mini-games and dungeons to tackle parallel with the main storyline, or they could prolong the gameplay experience in that they have you unlock a new area of the map with plenty Zelda-like things to do upon beating the main quest, or simply giving you access to locations just for eye-candy purposes, I mean dose visuals though chilling in Zora's Domain in HD with that soothing, ambient tune playing, jumping with the Zoras from high waterfalls, perhaps even having challenges with them, for example
I think Majora's Mask did this very well for its time (let's not forget, 3D game in the year 2000), where it had players playing the game in different ways. You could get all the masks if you wanted, help all the NPC's, or you could just do a barebones run through the game, taking on the final boss without having to acquire that powerful helping item, you know.
All in all, Zelda U is looking great, and it would be a shame if it ends up being an amazing and all-out worthwhile piece of entertainment that doesn't get experienced by enough gamers or people in general, leaving it underappreciated, possibly underrated. So, Nintendo should devise a way to increase its replayability as much as possible and, overall, make even the most average of gamers dusting it off and coming back to it years after and every once in a while even.
It would be nice though, if they could at least implement some extra unlockable / hidden environments to explore just for the heck of it after you reset the game upon defeating the main villain, for a refreshing change. The game doesn't need to be tricky or difficult like I said before, which, like you said, could alienate a bunch of people.
Looks beautiful! I just hope it's gonna be a bit more populated. It seems a bit empty. I also look forward to seeing how it looks at night AND more of those robots from the E3 trailer!
I bet we'll get Star Fox direct pretty soon. They haven't shown anything from the game and it's coming next year? Either a Direct will be up next or it's a smaller E-shop title...
.... wow .... just, wow
This is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!
@Goginho The Mario 64 comparison isnt half bad. The Marios franchise did that for quite some time now. Its relatively easy and short if your goal is to finish the game and see th end credits.
But then there are the collectables, which are sometimes devilishly hidden away, that unlock additional content for the more hardened players.
You see, in some ways, these collectables act as some kind of test.
As if the game first wants to check your talent, dedication and skills, before it decides "yup, your not a casual player, youre a gamer, i guess i can unlock the really hard levels now"
"The perfect Run" comes to mind.
Zelda did something similar, though with much less impact:
It had collectables like Heart pieces. The problem was, that being good at adventuring and puzzle solving granted you heart pieces and thus, more life, which made the game easier instead of harder.
Basically the complete opposite. Thats why people create challenge runs.
The problem here is, you have to purposfully avoid the games main selling point: advneturing and puzzle solving off the beaten track,
I have two ideas that run through my mind that could work with that concept in a way, to "reward" good players with a more difficult game.
People loved the fierce deity mask in Majoras Mask as a hidden unlockable, since it gave you a cool power boost against bosses.
The problem was, at the point where you got it, it was merely a formality to get the repeated bossfights done quicker.
So again, a reward that made the game easier.
Now, "The Binding of Isaac" come sto mind. It has a mechanic, where you could trade in heart containers for more powerfull abilities.
What if there were powerups, that locked away your heart totals (taking them away completely would scare away completionists) for some added benefits ?
Say, you could unlock something similar to the fierce deity mode for one complete row of hearts. You would be more powerfull, but also way more fragile if you didnt go out of your way to get even more hearts.
You want more rupees to buy whatever trinkets the game offers ? Equip this dashing tunic that doubles the damage you take.
A much harder game for the added bonus of getting every item a bit quicker. In my experience, people who prefer harder games are also the ones, who generally look for a complete 100% run.
Or another, more weird idea: Collect every major items (like hearts) and something similar to SMW star world happens. Maybe every enemy gets replaced with a more fierce counterpart. Something rewarding for completionists.
Or, with an open world and a more fleshed out crafting system from skyward sword:
Have big games roam the lands. Extremely tough to take down, but generally avoidable for casual players. They drop exclusive loot for special equipment. What is that used for ? Bonus super monsters, showing up after completing the main game and collecting every heart or whatever.
In general, incorporate more RPG-ish features, to give the game more replay value and more challenges for people "who already did everything".
@Edie

Yes we saw you doing the happy dance. Here's the leak footage:
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/490/096/882.gif
After rewatching it about the tenth time, I really need to see an actual trailer, like the Twilight Princess one. Although I'm not sure my body is ready for something of that level about a Zelda game of this scale...
@rjejr I assumed you were talking about glitches and bugs, Niw i DID hear they had some but have already sent a patch out for it. Me personally i havent run into any and the others things you mention level editor sharing, i wont be even using the level editor so that doesn't matter to me. Miiverse stage, the games already has plenty of stages in the game. And tournaments, I dont compete so that doesnt matter to me either. Your talkin about options in the games that aren't actually that necessary to have to alot of people. I guess its depends what you prefer to do in the game.
This game looks incredible.
I absolutely cannot wait until 2015. For now, though, I'll finish Skyward Sword and Wind Waker HD.
Dear gravy, this game looks like it'll be OUTSTANDING.
YES IT LOOKS SO GOOD
I am beyond excited. "Excited" doesn't give my feelings justice.
Didn't expect to see more footage before the end of the year. Nice footage by the way. I guess it will look even better up close. Best part is where the other horses are running. Oh, and did I see Windwaker Bokoblins? Oh, and big world by the way.
As for Starfox: Hopefully it will be good.
@Sir_Deadly - "that aren't actually that necessary to have"
Well it makes sense to delay stuff that most people like yourself won't miss. And really I don't play a lot of tournaments or make a lot of levels either. But I'd still bet a lot that these delayed optional activities were originally designed to be in the game at launch and then were pushed back at some meeting earlier this year to get the game out in time for BF - rush it out unfinished - rather than from the beginning they were designed to be DLC after the game released when they were deciding what would be in this game 2 or 3 years ago.
They rushed an incomplete game out the door b/c they knew they could add the stuff back in later, not that all these things you don't feel are necessary were originally designed to be after the fact DLC. Which is why SSBB was delayed not once but twice, b/c they didn't have the option to rush an unfinished game out before this gen.
@Einherjar Those are all really great ideas that could add a whole new layer to the strong franchise that LoZ already is. I'm sure there'll be plenty more surprises in form of new features that have yet to be revealed. I mean, I don't think many people saw the semi-automated horse-riding mechanic coming along with the slow-motion bullet time jump. I know I certainly didn't, and it seems like such a banale and simple inclusion, that it makes you question whether it is trivial or crucial, resulting in a groundbreaking addition to the series.
Most of the time you read about "big" and important - I guess typical - discussions and predictions like if the game is taking on a darker tone, the timeline placement, Link's preferred hand...etc. and the primary focus doesn't seem to be on gameplay elements, what new aspects Nintendo can include gameplay-wise in order to make the experience seem somewhat different and refreshing again, something they tend to do with each instalment, ex. Skyward Sword with motion controls - a big gameplay driver.
So all in all, I sense many more new, big and little, elements to come into play in this title. I mean, it's obvious they stripped down the environments of monsters and other usual points of interest i.e. towns, villages...etc. for demonstration purposes here, and yet people don't seem to realize that Aonuma's main focus here was to show viewers the scope of the world that will be present (as well as a brief look at a new combat element against three or so, most likely, tweaked enemies), and how it can take a long time to get from point A to B, thus claiming the game to be "barren" and "empty", too similar to Twilight Princess, and what not. Wouldn't it be awkward and inconvenient if they had all those enemies roaming around, attempting to attack Link, while Aonuma is simply trying to navigate through the forests with then intention of presenting and explain to us how grand the world will be? It would certainly be distracting imo.. Therefore I think that was their main purpose with this footage.
Now, I don't know much about game development, but I personally believe they have all of that designed and planned out, so all that's left is adding the corresponding objects into the designated areas, which is most likely not that time-consuming if they've already created them (the basis) and are waiting to be implemented. I dunno, but I'm not concerned about that like many of the commenters that can be seen
@rjejr We just have two different opinions of what a rushed/incomplete games is. For me that means its full of bugs and glitches they shouldnt have been in there in the first place (which i havent run into them). Like you said options can be added in later, which is fine with me because i dont need them. Its feel like a nice complete game to me and as long as i dont have to pay for those options to be added in i am fine.
So many lies were spoken.
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