Zelda News

Last week we brought you a gaggle of goodies about the New Legend of Zelda game heading to GameCube later this year. Guess what? We've got even more!
First up, we still don't know the full name of the new Zelda. Speaking to US mag EGM, producer Eiji Aonuma wants to keep it secret for the moment but has promised that it will seem very strange and will only make sense as you uncover more about the game.

Facts are similarly scarce about where this new Zelda game fits into the series' plotline. Again, Aounma-san wants to keep it secret for the moment, and even went as far as saying that it wasn't totally decided yet. And what about the New Zelda's Wind Waker or Majora's Mask - the magical element that adds a whole new gameplay style to the game? Again, it remains under Nintendo's covers. The latest speculation points to something that lets you communicate with animals, or possibly some kind of magical telescope that lets you see the world of the spirits.
But forget about all that. Here's some proper info! You'll play a mid-teens Link who lives in a village called Toaru on the outskirts of the Hyrule Kingdom. The people of Toaru are proud cattle farmers, hence the whole horse/cow theme. Expect plenty of cowboy-like references and experiences.

Link comes from a cattle-ranching family who sell their animals to the Kingdom of Hyrule, as well as other neighbouring towns and villages. Every year these villages meet for a conference, and one year Link is elected to go and represent Toaru. However, something happens as Link travels to the event, and the adventure begins...

Importantly, Nintendo wants to give players a huge expanse of land to play within, with wide-open terrain to traverse if you want to get anywhere. The horizon will stretch far into the distance. That means destinations will be far away from each other but huge forests, rivers and buildings can also be placed within the landscape. Think the Wind Waker's endless seas replaced by rolling meadows and prairie land.

The combat system will remain extremely similar to the Wind Waker, which Aonuma-san sees as almost perfect. Rather than change it a number of new moves have been added, including new jumping attacks, and the counter system has been sharpened up.

Riding on your horse (which will take up a large portion of the game) will be controlled with the analogue stick, with taps of the A button selecting how fast you ride. While on horseback you'll be able to swing your sword with button presses or fire arrows in first-person view using the shoulder buttons. For true Wild West-style action you'll even be able to kick people off their steeds and ride off into the sunset.

While these details have us salivating, we expect to be properly gushing after Nintendo unveils the New Legend of Zelda at E3 next month. We'll bring you all the latest from the show.