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All Articles: The Legend of Zelda
Nintendo Switch Online service coming in September with NES Library, Cloud Saves, online play, more
Nintendo has announced the first official details for their Nintendo Switch Online service, which we now know will go live in September 2018. As expected, the service will be priced at $20 per month, though “$4 for One Month” and “$8 for Three Months” plans will also be available. A Family Membership (12 Months for $35) will include access to the Nintendo Switch Online service for up to eight Nintendo Account holders.
We already knew the basics of Nintendo’s service, and the consolemaker reconfirmed that Switch owners will need to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service if they wish to play online. But also revealed that the service will include an option for Save Data Cloud Backup, giving Switch owners the chance to “retrieve their data if they lose, break, or purchase an additional Nintendo Switch system.”
But I think that most Switch owners will list the NES Library as the biggest perk of the Nintendo Switch Online service. The NES Library will initially launch with access to 20 games, and more will be added on a regular basis. For now, Nintendo has announced that subscribers will be able to play Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Soccer, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Tennis. Best of all, all games will include a Spectator Mode, as well as online competitive or co-op multiplayer (if the original game offered multiplayer options, of course). The other ten titles as part of the NES Library’s launch will be revealed at a later date.
If this sounds like a rebranded “Virtual Console,” you’re not far off. After making this announcement, Nintendo reached out to Kotaku to confirm that the “Virtual Console” branding won’t be used on the Switch. Instead, games from previous Nintendo consoles will be offered through Nintendo Switch Online, individually through the eShop (like Sega and Hamster are doing), or in packaged collections (like Capcom is doing with the Mega Man franchise):
“There are a variety of ways in which classic games from Nintendo and other publishers are made available on Nintendo Switch, such as through Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo eShop or as packaged collections,” the Nintendo spokesperson said. “Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online will provide a fun new way to experience classic NES games that will be different from the Virtual Console service, thanks to enhancements such as added online play, voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online app and the various play modes of Nintendo Switch.”
It’s currently unknown if Nintendo will add other platforms to Nintendo Switch Online’s playable library of games, but hopefully they’ll have more to say about the service at this year’s E3 Expo.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Dr. Mario, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda
Dark Horse to publish Hyrule Historia sequel Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in February 2017
After the massive success of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (including a series timeline that fans are still talking about), Dark Horse and Nintendo are teaming up again to publish The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts in Early 2017. Art & Artifacts will be packed with promotional artwork and interviews with the design team, along with exclusive artwork from the next game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
Fans of The Legend of Zelda are in for a treat with The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts. Readers can peruse over four hundred pages of fully realized artistic masterpieces, exclusive interviews with the design team behind the beloved video game franchise, the official pixel art of the early series, and rare promotional art never before published in this format. The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts offers fans a sneak peek at art from the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, prior to its official release. This breathtaking volume is essential for any true Zelda fan!
The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts will be available in stores on February 21, 2017. And let’s hope that release date means we’ll get Breath of the Wild on the Wii U and NX sooner rather than later.
Posted in 3DS, DS, Etcetera, News, Retro, Switch, Wii, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Vans releases their Nintendo-themed shoe and clothing line
As a plumber, Mario usually wears work shoes, but if you’re in the market for some athletic footwear, Vans and Nintendo have announced that their “Vans X Nintendo” collaboration is now available in stores and online.
More than just fancy sneakers, the “Vans X Nintendo” collection will also include Nintendo-themed t-shirts, backpacks, bags, socks, and hats.
The shoes and clothing from the “Vans X Nintendo” collection will feature 8-bit artwork from a quartet of classic titles (Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong, and The Legend of Zelda), as well as apparel adorned with the iconic NES design.
Head over to Vans.com/Nintendo now to browse the entire collection.
Posted in Etcetera, News, Retro
Tagged Donkey Kong, Duck Hunt, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda
See The Legend of Zelda get transformed into a Hong Kong crime drama in this fan film
Girard Tecson of Dayside Productions really loves The Legend of Zelda and Hong Kong crime dramas starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. One day, the New York-based filmmaker began to wonder what it would look like if you combined those two things.
Tecson doesn’t have to wonder any longer, because he recently completed Chinese Legend of Zelda, a fan film that answers that very question. It’s a little goofy, but Tecson put quite a lot of work into the project, and it’s certainly fun in a Friday afternoon sort of way to see “Officer Link” take on Ganon’s underworld operation.
The filmmaker isn’t done mixing together classic video games and Hong Kong crime dramas, as he also revealed he plans to tackle Chinese Mega Man next.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged The Legend of Zelda
World Video Game Hall of Fame Class of 2016 announced: Legend of Zelda, GTA3, Sonic, Space Invaders, Oregon Trail, The Sims
The votes have been tallied and the results are in, the Strong Museum is ready to announce the induction committee’s selections for the World Video Game Hall of Fame Class of 2016.
This year’s shortlist includes many well-known names, but only six were able to secure the support of the committee, which weighed each title on its ability to appeal to an international cross-section of players, longevity in the eyes of the public, iconic status, and influence on the industry as a whole.
After much thought and deliberation, the committee chose to honor the following games with induction into the the World Video Game Hall of Fame:
- Grand Theft Auto III, Rockstar’s operatic open world crime saga.
- The Legend of Zelda, Link’s inaugural adventure and one of the first open world RPGs.
- The Oregon Trail, a revolutionary educational game that also taught a whole generation of kids about dysentery and cholera.
- The Sims, Will Wright’s “virtual dollhouse” is one of the most popular PC games of all time.
- Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s blue blur starred in several classic side-scrollers and served as a foil to Mario in the 90s.
- Space Invaders, the originator of the iconic “Invader” design and one of the first space shooters.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame was established in 2015, and this year’s class will stand alongside last year’s class, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Pong, Doom, World of Warcraft, and Pac-Man, as some of the best that video gaming has to offer.
A few days ago, I attempted to play oddsmaker for this year’s finalists, and I’m happy to say that I pegged three of this year’s inductees as “Sure Things” and two more as “Coin Flips.”
Nine other games, Elite, Final Fantasy, John Madden Football, Minecraft, Nurburgring, Pokemon Red/Blue, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Street Fighter II, and Tomb Raider, came up short during the induction process. But all of them will get another chance next year, and the Hall of Fame is already accepting nominations for their Class of 2017.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016 will be on permanent view in the Strong Museum’s “eGameRevolution” exhibit. And congratulations to all designers and developers who helped bring each of them to life.
Posted in News, PS2, Retro
Tagged Grand Theft Auto III, Space Invaders, The Legend of Zelda, World Video Game Hall of Fame
Handicapping the 2016 World Video Game Hall of Fame Finalists
We’re just a few days away from learning which games will be inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame this year. In 2015, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Pong, Doom, World of Warcraft, and Pac-Man were selected as the inaugural class by the institution’s induction committee. The Hall’s Class of 2016 will be announced on Thursday, May 5, and five or six games are once again expected to rise above the other finalists.
But which of the 15 finalists will be honored this year? Using the Hall’s induction criteria as a guide, I can think we can determine the odds of which games will make it in and which will have to wait until next year. (more…)
Here are the finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016
The Strong Museum has announced the finalists competing for a spot in the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.
The Legend of Zelda, Minecraft, The Oregon Trail, Pokemon Red and Blue, The Sims, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Invaders were all nominated last year, but ultimately weren’t selected by the Hall of Fame’s international committee. They’ll get another shot in 2016, alongside Elite, Final Fantasy, John Madden Football, Nurburgring, Sid Meier’s Civilization, Street Figher II, and Tomb Raider.
Any and all of these titles would be worthy of enshrinement in the World Video Game Hall of Fame, but only a handful of titles will make the final cut when the inductees are announced on May 5 at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time).
If you’re unfamiliar with any of these classic games, a quick rundown of all 15 titles (provided by The Strong) is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Minecraft, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, The Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider (1996), World Video Game Hall of Fame
Insert Quarter: The Legend of Zelda’s Most Interesting One-Off Items
Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.
With more than a dozen games under his tunic, Link has accumulated quite the arsenal of one-off items and weapons. Sure, everyone loves the Ladder and the Whistle, but those appeared all the way back in the original Legend of Zelda. What have you done for me lately, Link?
Thankfully, the writers at The AV Club have put their “Inventory” skills to good use and cataloged all these weird and wacky inventions for future generations as part of “Zelda Week.” That’s such a great idea that I’ll even give them a pass after whiffing on the Ball And Chain (it appeared in Twilight Princess and Hyrule Warriors):
So much of The Legend Of Zelda’s identity hangs on that “legend” conceit. It’s a tale that’s always being retold, often with the same characters, locations, and plot points. That’s also why Link’s ever-growing collection of weapons and gadgetry tends to stay so similar from game to game. But when you look past the utilitarian adventuring necessities—your bombs and bows and boomerangs—the series is full of tools that have only ever made their way into a single Zelda game. Some are powerful items with deep ties to the stories in which they appear, and others are idiosyncratic novelties that have no place outside the ruined temples in which they’ve been hidden away. Whatever their role, some of these one-legend wonders are among the most memorable tools Link has ever used.
The full article is available for your perusal at The AV Club.