The Legend of Zelda for Wii U Gets Its 2016 Release Window Back, as Project Guard Slips to 'TBC'

Interestingly, Metroid Prime Federation Force is off the list for upcoming 3DS games for North America, but is still listed for Japan and Europe.

@IceClimbers
Federation Force is still there for NA. It's listed between Dragon Quests 7 and 8.

@rferrari24 Oh, now I see it. Must have skimmed over it.

Those Project games can go die in a hole for all I care, they're garbage. Zelda U I bet will be a Christmas release for both Wii U and NX. Their release schedule is completely barren and only indie eShop games making up their 3rd party list(all 9 of them). Though, there's a new Lego Star Wars game coming to Wii U. Fingers crossed that it turns out good. We're probably getting a PS3/XBOX360 port.

Those Project games... I think at this point they just fill up space, something to pad out the release schedule in the quarterly results document lol

Project games will propably get cancelled or moved to NX.

Zelda U for Wii U!! WHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eh. I'll get the NX port.

I'm still looking forward to Project Giant Robot, I hope it doesn't get cancelled.

I hope they can the Project games. Let's face it, they're not very good. Sorry Shigsy.

curious if Nintendo is going get them the boot.

And can we please get a title change for Genei Ibun Roku #FE? It's a pain in the neck.

So, that's it ? This is all the informations of the presentation and Q&A ?
I hoped have something new...

@DreamOn Heh.. That's the way it is looking. Have heard nothing about them for almost 2 years, which makes me kind of curious as to what they are like now. They might make for good eshop games. Nintendo doesn't really have much scheduled after April so it is possible they will be released after that, if ever..

Honestly if they cancelled Legend of Zelda for Wii U and release Metroid Prime: Federation Force instead then there's something seriously wrong with the people who runs Nintendo.

@retro_player_22 there's not a snowman's chance in hell of that happening and I'd don't even know why you'd even think that would happen in the first place. If MPFF bothers you I dunno ignore it maybe? I ain't a Metroid fan (though I suppose they're the ones most against it lol) so I am not interested. Plenty else to ponder over in the 3DS line-up.

I can understand why games take ages to come over from Japan but I don't understand delays between Europe and America for games.

@YorkshireNed Probably because they've got to translate / localise into a lot more languages for Europe.

I thought the Project games were part of Star Fox Zero?

Maybe Guard and Giant Robot are best left to be developed into fun launch titles for NX.

@RaymanFan2
The original Arwing cockpit-view prototype was displayed along those other two by Miyamoto himself back at E3 2014, but was later revealed to be turning into a full fledged title. The others haven't been so lucky yet.

You might be on to something though, that the mechanics of those prototypes could be used for some interesting segments in Star Fox.

It'd be nice if we just had an official title instead of the generic-sounding "The Legend Of Zelda Wii U". The working title sounds like we're talking about "some Zelda game" that "might" be coming on our console, but even we Nintendo fans are not sure about it. It's really embarassing.

If Zelda gets a dual release then NX is going to launch this year.

@AlexSora89 The Legend of Zelda - The Sick-as-Hell Lookin' graphics of Hyrule

You're welcome.

Devilish Brain Training is still being listed(as TBD), so it could still get a release.

I kinda want this Zelda game to be exclusive to the Wii U even though the NX is coming out... the Wii U deserves an awesome exclusive swansong! That said, I can imagine most people being like... 'why would I buy a NX if you can only play the new Zelda on the Wii U'? which I guess is fair enough.

I think Ninty are going to have a harder time than ever to try win people over. This year's gonna be a biggie! HOIP

@TheLastLugia It was mention as getting a TBC (to-be-cancel) in Q2 so of course it was going to get canned at one point. I only comment on why it got that in the first place when a game nobody want like Federation Force did not. If originally the Legend of Zelda for Wii U was going to get canned off Wii U to NX instead, then Nintendo seriously need to expand their team of developers or expand their console lifespan a little longer as development for one game took longer now to developed than the actual generation itself. The Wii last gen was lucky enough it got an original Zelda game in Skyward Sword, for this gen it looks like the Wii U original Zelda game is barely just hanging on a thread.

I really don't understand why Zelda U get's a higher billing compared to Project GIANT ROBOT. I've had enough traipsing around Hyrule looking for rupees and such - I wanna be a GIANT ****ing ROBOT. If it never gets released then Nintendo is dead to me.

If Zelda U does release on NX too, how will it be differentiated, other than possibly slightly prettier (depending on the unknown NX specs)?

I reckon NX will be compatible in someway with Wii U and Zelda NX will essentially be the same as Zelda U.

They should just cancel Project Guard and Giant Robot already. Both always seemed like uninteresting gimmicks. I'd rather know they are working on actually promising new titles instead.

@crazyj2312 Unfortunately, it most likely won't come to Nx.

Am I the only one seeing TBD (to be determined), not TBC?

@skwaark If one guy needs one day to paint a room, need five guys then more time to paint five rooms? No.

@retro_player_22 lol, I can't tell right now if you are joking or not. TBC isn't for "to be cancelled", but for "to be confirmed". It just says they don't know exactly when it's coming. TLoZ was NEVER to be cancelled. That's just silly, lol.

@retro_player_22 errr you do know what those terms mean don't you? TBC (To Be Confirmed) or TBD (to be decided). I'm actually quite shocked that you don't, I leant what they were when I was like 6. How old are you? Rhetorical question FYI (For Your Information) you don't need to disclose your age on the Internet.

I am convinced that they leave those project titles in as filler. "Look at all the games we have coming out". Especially since they put random eShop games under "3rd party". While technically correct, is obvious they chose them just to make it look like they've got a bunch of support.

I'm looking forward to the Project games, not sure why people are calling for their cancellation when no one knows jack about it while acting like it's literally taking development away from everything else. But alas, Nintendo gamers are the pickiest little grubs.

Hopefully this is to coincide with a "2016" release date for NX so we see Zelda Wii U/NX

...I think it was expected that Zelda would be released this year, but hey, at least we got confirmation. Also, been a while since we heard anything about those Project games...would be nice if we got some more footage, Nintendo!

Just further cementing the idea of Zelda being a dual release like Twilight Princess was, if NX comes out this year, I am putting my money on it being a launch title.

@NintendoFan64 Yeah, we definitely need more footage of Zelda Wii U, I can't remember seeing any since the first reveal - I mean come on Nintendo!

Really, does anyone care about Project Guard?

They told us it was coming out in 2016 way back in March, 10 months ago. And it was originally supposed to be out in 2015, so don't you think they would have narrowed it down a bit by now if they knew for sure it was really coming out in 2016? They don't know when it's releasing, it's just a placeholder, wouldn't get too excited.

Here's NOA's graphic timeline from 17 months ago. 5 out of 9 2015 games were wrong, and Yoshi just made it by 5 days.

since we are going on rumors with Zelda wiki and the nx. I'll bring up a question. Shy would Nintendo port a huge wiiu game to a nx handheld? Since the handheld is likely to release this year. And when Nintendo said they'd still support the wiiu? That still tells me that Zelda u will only be for the u and later ported (not enchanced) to the nx after it reaches its point on the wiiu.

Tired of saying and explaining how every Nintendo console has a tradition to getting a exclusive Zelda.... What is it new Nintendo comers that think Nintendo will do something different?

Rosalina~

Hope Tingle is in this Zelda game. That's what the delay was all about.

@SMEXIZELDAMAN aww I got a kiss.
(///▽///)

@crazyj2312 for me, only if the NX doesn't look to be a bust. lol

Be positive. If we don't get the new Zelda this year we can look forward to it in 2017 or 2018 as we did last year about this year.

Zelda TP is the consolation prize.

I knew Project Guard and Giant Robot weren't coming out last year. Nintendo never stated they were anything more than tech demos until after E3, and even then, it was only vague notions. I said as much several times last year.

Zelda NX, er, U on track for "2016." Probably because it's pulling a Twilight Princess.

@rjejr Yoshi only made it by 5 days in EU though so it doesn't count because that is for NoA so only Splatoon, Kirby and XCX were correct (6 out of 9 wrong).

@Lady_rosalina

Nintendo's pattern of business is to publicly announce "continued support" for legacy platforms, but then to abandon them once the new hardware is out. Only the NES and DS survived for considerable time after the successor platforms were out. The GameCube, N64, Wii, GBC, and GBA were all essentially dead when the successor platform released, and they were quickly and quietly forgotten. The only support the Wii U and 3DS will receive after their successors launch is going to be on the eShop side, and that for probably only a year, unless they are incorporated into the new platforms.

Nintendo will always publicly announce continued support so they can keep fans and consumers buying the current product. They will also continue to always dump that old hardware as soon as possible, which has been their history.

I don't know why you guys are bashing the two Project games. Nintendo Land's minigames were originally projects themselves and we got an party game out of that. I really hope the two project games are a Nintendo Land 2.

@Grumblevolcano OK, here's the story - and thank you. I knew Yoshi only came out in Oct b/c I bought it for my kid for his bar mitzvah which was Oct 17th. but I googled it anyway b/c I wasn't sure of the exact date. And google said June 25. So while I think of myself as a somewhat knowledgeable person, I don't know more than google. And I referenced NOA thinking Yoshi came out in Oct, but I didn't want to type something that was easily discredited w/ a simple google search.

So yeah, 6 out of 9 were wrong then. And while I try to limit discrediting Nintendo based on facts, not conspiracy theories, even I'm beginning to wonder if Project Robot and Guard are simply there to pad out the Wii U release calendars?

Nintendo is insane though, they just are. Pikmin 4 was near completion in Sept, they haven't even publicly acknowledged it yet. Haven't seen any of Zelda U for almost all of 2015. Intelligent Systems may be working on Paper Mario, which may not be a huge seller but it's still a well known franchise.

And I hate to bring this up since you were kind enough to correct me, but it's not looking too good for an ND before the SSB DLC tomorrow is it? I didn't think there would be, but at the same time I was hoping you were right. Your logic on the timing works, and it would be nice for Ntineod to make sense for once. Oh well, they will have one late Feb or early March for Miitomo, Pokken and My Nintendo. Maybe Pokemon Go and a new Starfox trailer.

Subtle indeed....

@rjejr Nintendo is insane, to try and carry a system all by themselves!
Look no one likes that Nintendo doesn't have 3rd party support (again), or that games that we know (or believe) are in development don't get more frequent detailed updates, but be reasonable, and look at it from another angle. Take Sony or Microsoft and strip all their 3rd party releases from the record, If they only had first party lineup to rely on, would it look much better?

Seems like the lack of specificity means a christmas release.

@Spin Nintendo Land 2

I've been thinking since E3 we were due a Nntinedo Land 2, w/ lots of amiibo support of course, it's kind of set up for it w/ each amiibo opening a different game, or making a solo game 2 player.

Besides lacking 3rd party support Wii U has also lacked sequels to help fill out the release schedule. Wii had Sports and Sports Resort, Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, Wii Play and Wii Play Motion, Endless Ocean and EO:Blue World. Wii U has had Sports Club and Fit U but no sequels. Wii also had Boom Blox and DeBlob w/ sequels Bash Party and DeBlob 2.

Maybe all of those games weren't AAA, and the sequels not AAA either, but it always seemed like Nintnedo had something fun coming out on Wii. Wii U not so much. Wii U is also missing sports game Sluggers, Strikers and Sports Mix. My kids still play all 3 of those on our Wii U.

@RoomB31 But Sony and MS do have 3rd party support. They made their consoles w/ 3rd parties input and w/ 3rd parties in mind. Ninteod made an HD Wii U console and they seem clueless how to release a game on it in time.

See my post above this - #57 - for all the games and game genres that Ntinedo, and others, released on Wii that they haven't released on Wii U. Maybe they will. But that's where my view of Ntineod's insanity comes form - if you are making games for your system, then show the games. Nintendo isn't the only developer w/ issues this gen. Squenix has been working on FFXV for 10 years. Naughty Dog had delayed Uncharted 4 twice now. But those companies keep their games in peoples minds w/ trailers and demos and betas. What has Ntineod shown of Zelda U? Or Pikmin 4? Or Paper Mario? They aren't building nuclear weapons where they should be keeping everything in total secrecy on Hillary Clinton's email server, they are building games, and games should be advertised. Project Guard and Robot has been coming out for the past 18 months now, what have they shown of them? How do they expect to sell stuff they don't show people?

Ugh, just say September or October or November for zelda u Ninty! Driving me crazy. Just wanna play the game.

TPHD will calm me a bit in March though.

Nintendo just bin that project thing! And get on with releasing something decent!

@rjejr

TBH if you are delaying games I am happy with not showing much. "Look, how amazing this game looks! But now you have to wait even more for it!" Remember when Sony refused to show TLG because it would spoil the story, even if movies have trailers and movies are 100% story. I wonder if Nintendo is refusing to show Zelda because the rumours of being on NX are true. Whether shared with Wii U or not, you will obviously want to show the best of the 2 versions.

Also, your calendar shows the reason why Nintendo should not give release dates well in advance, as then people are disappointed when it ends up not being true. As if that wasn't so common in gaming. Delays, or broken, unfinished messes at launch. Pick your poison

Project Guard Slips to 'TBC'. As to be cancelled? Smart move Nintendo

I'm expecting there to be a port of Zelda Wii U on the NX at launch regardless of if its ready or not so this seems right on track for that since the NX is likely being released winter 2016.

It's official Zelda Wii U is now my most anticipated game of 2016

@rjejr Contrary to that I seem to remember a lot of empty schedules at the end of the Wii's life cycle. I think the Wii was a super fad that everyone wanted to jump on which is why there is so many games for it. Unfortunately the Wii U isn't so on board. But I own about 30-40 Wii U games and I can say out of those I don't think there is a single flop in the bunch. So I'm happy with the Wii U's library. The only unfortunate thing is there is so few games that actually utilize the Wii U to it's full potential like Nintendo Land did.

I'm a strange person. I hate that Star Fox forces gamepad controls into it. But I love games like Nintendo Land that use the gamepad so well. Maybe it's how I feel about solo experiences versus party ones.

@sinalefa I'd rather they announce games and show them without dates. Did Yarn Yoshie get a date when they first showed it 2 1/2 years before it released?. I don't recall complaining about a delay announcement, and they showed it a couple of times after that, so I think they showed it a lot without ever dating it. And I'm OK w/ E3 trailers that simply have the following year, because showing "2015" at the end looks better than writing "not this year". And I know I've complained about the Zelda delay, but it was never due to the E3 date, I know what a place holder is, it was that Dec 2014 video saying it would be out in 2015, "no worries". And I don't even mind that delay, Batman, MGS, every game gets delayed. But the thing is, almost every other game that gets delayed it gets a new date, and they continue to hype it. Zelda U was invisible for all of 2015, and all of 2016 so far. That's a problem.

@Spin Super fad or not, Nintendo themselves made a lot of those games, they supported the console regularly. Splatoon and SMM may be better than all of those combined, but they are too infrequent. SFZ and Zelda U were both supposed to come out in 215, Pikmin 3 was supposed to be a lunch title. Nintendo just seems over their heads in HD. 20 years from now I've no doubt Wii U looks better than Wii for gamers, but living it Wii U feels too sporadic.

I still say the delay was to release it on the NX. I won't be surprised if it's a launch title for the system.

@Quorthon oh goodie... You're still... Alive... And you haven't changed a bit. Eh, hopefully you vanish again soonish. For all our sakes.

@rjejr

Show them without dates? You are the one always complaining that Nintendo never gives release dates, or that they are missed, or not precise enough, or the new Squeenix fashion: announce a date for the announcement of a date

Again, think about it. Zelda U moved/ported to NX. Then Nintendo needs to show the NX version as it is either the only/definitive version of the game, but they cannot show NX's games before showing the NX. Triforce Heroes and then TP HD are used to tide us over until the NX Zelda reveal. So we get some Zelda but not the Zelda we are expecting.

Since Zelda is considered a "casual"/kids series since Gamecube, not many people will be happy with it's release this year.

Maybe TPHD can break the stigma of the Zelda franchise in the West.

@TwilightOniAngel
.....TBC, as "to be confirmed". I Seriously don't get the hate for the project games.

That Project Giant Robot looked like it could be made into something really great. I hope it sees the light of day eventually.

@rjejr I do like me a good lunch title.

But yeah I see your point and even agree with it. But I'm not feeling any sort of remorse for it considering how many systems I own and collect for on a regular basis. It is a little agonizing to see so much potential in their IPs and then watch them get so underutilized.

@OneBagTravel

I expect the Twilight Princess treatment at the very least for Zelda U--both NX and Wii U, with the Wii U launch a month later. Nintendo is in a position where it now makes more sense to use that new Zelda as a gamble on the new hardware rather than putting out to pasture on a platform consumers have long since abandoned.

Currently known information put a new Zelda, new Mario (as Miyamoto talked about for two years), a rumored Smash Bros game (most likely a GOTY-style port of the current game), and potentially Pikmin 4 would give the NX a solid starting base with better chances for success than putting Zelda U only on the U.

Nintendo's history of drastic wind-down prior to releasing new hardware is already happening, and there have been no new Wii U games announced since prior to E3 last year. Also, previously, they have moved games from current to next gen in these exact late hours before: Eternal Darkness and Star Fox Adventures jumped ship from N64. Twilight Princess went to Wii. Pikmin 3 went from Wii to Wii U. This makes perfect sense right now.

See you next tuesday

I knew it but it's nice to see it solidified.

@rjejr Well my logic regarding ND was already ruined yesterday when the EU downloads came up. It had character and stage bundles for DLC throughout the whole April 2015 - February 2016 period hence confirming that there definitely is no unannounced Smash DLC for 3DS and Wii U hence there's no point in having a Direct tomorrow. The only dates that make sense now before March are 10th/11th February due to the trend created by the past 2 years with a last Direct the year before being in December (2013 and 2014).

Project Guard and Giant Robo are still a thing..?

If anything, this just makes me more suspicious. I also remember the multiple assurances of a 2015 release a few years back.

@Nicolai I can't see any other reason for them to delay it any later than Holiday 2016 than it being moved to the NX. But you never know.

@Sligeach Wow...such hatred for Miyamoto's project games...also Zelda U will be Wii U exclusive.

@Churchy Guard is a concept. Could have changed alot in 2 years time. Giant Robot was actually pretty sweet. Miyamoto knows what he is doing.

@Matbtz Nothing new is ever revealed in these since this is publicly available. Nintendo do keeps their secrets for Directs or E3.

The project games are probably dead at this point. They were announced in 2014 out of desperation of having nothing to show for the WiiU. They'll probably end up as digital only games if Nintendo doesn't write them off.
Its good to hear Zelda will be 2016. That means it is very likely to be released on the WiiU. All I want at this point is Pikmin 4 for the WiiU.
After 2016 I don't think the WiiU will get much more love from Nintendo because it already doesn't and the NX hasn't even been unveiled yet.
Needless to say I don't expect much from the WiiU. At this point any news about games still coming to the WiiU is big news because the system appears to be abandoned not only by third parties but by Nintendo as well.

@RaymanFan2 No. All 3 have been separate projects since day 1. Giant Robot was always it's own thing. Guard was considered to become part of Starfox Zero in a multiplayer way but didn't go that way in the end.

@sinalefa I guess at this point I just need Nintneod to announce something, they are even more secretive now than they used to be when they had NDs every 2 months. And yes, Squenix is nuts w/ that - "We'll announce the release date in 2 months" announcement - but they also had a video in Japan showcasing the game, and Sony had almost 1 videogame show a month the last half of 2015 where they showed something from FFXV. Zelda U had a year long absence. It's reaching The Last Guardian territory. A game which I'm seriously considering not playing just b/c of the wait.

@skwaark oops, I should have drunk more tea before I commented. Good point, well owned.

@crazyj2312 We don't know if there is going to be a port to the NX.

Didn't someone say Project Robot was going to release really soon...? In the middle of last year...? I swear, I'm going berserk if a Direct doesn't come soon.

@IceClimbers Be honesty, you didn't skim it, it's just that must of a piece of turd that you're eyes completely neglected it and banished it out of existence until someone brought it back into your reality.

Zelda U being released for Wii U?

"Is this the final nail in the coffin for the Wii U?"™

Zelda Wii u or Zelda U for Wii U!! Are you down with Zelda U for Wii u? Because you should be! Oh, if you didn't buy Wii U, then shame on you. No Zelda U for you.

they would rather release 10 retro zelda's with improved graphics then 1 new one, but let's see, this is what we hoped for sinds launch, they made a kopple of promisses but it seems they dont care about lying ^^