E3 2009: First Look at New Zelda

Concept art for the Wii's next Zelda adventure has finally emerged, showing an adult link depicted in a style reminiscent of Twilight Princess and accompanied by a spirit who bears some familiar markings.

Shown without his Master Sword - and follwing the game's producer Shigeru Miyamoto's recent hints, it could be further proof that Link will be without his iconic weapon in the next game, at least in its traditional form - it's the first glimpse of a game that's expected to properly debut at next year's E3.

Kotaku has procured the image, which as usual raises more questions than it answers. Will Link be, as Mr. Miyamoto pointed out regarding this image, without his trusty Master Sword? Perhaps not. Eagle-eyed Zelda fans have noticed that while Link himself is not carrying a sword in his hand in the picture, the ethereal female creature joining him in the images bears a remarkable resemblance to the classic Master Sword design. Below is a close-up collage of Link from Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures to compare the similarities.

If the rumors are right on the connections being made, we now face even more questions than ever before: if Link has no sword and this fairy-like creature joining him us a substitute for the Master Sword, how could this possibly work in the intense battles that Link will surely face in his new quest? Is it possible that the next Zelda will not have traditional sword battles at all and instead this girl will somehow act as your offensive force? Or will she instead be a personification of the Master Sword, something that changes into a blade at will? Will she talk to Link on his journey, or are her eyes closed for a reason? And this being the first Zelda game made specifically and exclusively for the Wii, what could it be about a "living sword" that might inspire Nintendo to choose such an approach for taking full advantage of the Wii's motion controls?

With an official reveal some way off for this 2010 game release, it seems it will be some time before we know what all this means.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/992/992063p1.html