Although the 3DS has already seen some Zelda action with the remake of N64 adventure Ocarina of Time in 2011, there has yet to be a Zelda game designed with the system's unique features in mind. Until now, that is, as yesterday's 'Nintendo Direct' broadcast revealed a brand new Zelda title for the 3DS. Solving puzzles, battling enemies and discovering secrets in gorgeous 3D? Yes please!
Choppy choppy!
Nintendo's game design maestro Shigeru Miyamoto has previously suggested that he'd love to see the 2D Zelda style of old given a stereoscopic 3D make over, and it looks as though he got his wish. The as yet un-subtitled game takes place in the same world as classic SNES adventure A Link to the Past ,and features familiar locations and enemies from that game. Is it a sequel, or an alternate universe 're-imagining'? No one outside of Nintendo knows for sure at the moment. Despite the feeling of déjà vu though, the game will feature brand new dungeons where the bulk of the head scratching puzzles can be found, as well as an all new storyline presumably still involving the rescue of a certain princess...
Relying heavily on the stereoscopic 3D effect of the 3DS, the short trailer shows our diminutive hero Link being catapulted high into the air towards the screen, and advancing up lofty towers thanks to handy trampolines. Link now also has the ability to turn himself into a 2D drawing and stick to walls, slide around obstacles, and through small gaps. This could well end up being the game's defining feature, providing a fresh way to explore the game's presumably huge world, as well as a key aid in solving puzzles, as it changes the perspective of the camera from the default top-down view, giving you a different look at the room. The style of the game looks to be perfectly matched to the 3DS, too, with its cartoony-but-vibrant visuals, while the overhead viewpoint provides ample excuse for 3D 'pop out' gimmickry much like Super Mario 3D Land's awkward puzzle rooms. Hopefully though, this will be handled a little bit better than in Super Mario 3D Land, where the (admittedly optional) puzzle rooms actually required you to use the console's 3D mode, in order to judge depth, and solve the puzzle. Should you either not get on with 3D (3D, glasses or otherwise never fails to give at least one of our writers a headache), or simply not be able to do it at all (between 5-12% of the population), we hope Nintendo will be keeping in mind there's a fairly large portion of people who actually can't do 3D, even if they wanted to. With any luck, it'll be an optional nicety rather than a full blown requirement.
Still, with a combination of strong nostalgia for A Link to the Past with new features and a shiny coat of eye-popping 3D paint, the new portable Zelda seem like a winner even at this early stage. The game should be released in time for Christmas (of course), so expect the anticipation for this one to reach fever pitch as Nintendo teases us with more glimpses throughout the year. After all, there's a lot of love out there for the little guy in green.
