Zelda and Nintendo News: December, 2004

December, 2004

12/30 Update

Zelda: Gates of the Realm

Update: This is NOT the title for the upcoming realistic Zelda game, the image below is in fact a photoshop job, a hoax.

It looks like the title to the realistic Zelda game shown at E3 is The Legend of Zelda: Gates of the Realm. Although this has not been officially confirmed by Nintendo, the screenshot below shows Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Zelda speaking at a conference, with a picture of the game's logo, and the title Gates of the Realm. Ganon's Tower will bring you more information as it develops.

12/21 Update

February Nintendo Power

In the February issue of Nintendo Power they have some information about Zelda 2005. There's not really any new information, but they said that fighting on horseback will be a major part of the game, confirmed that the game will be playable at E3 in May, and also said the game will be more mature, more intense, and more dangerous. Ganon's Tower will continue to bring you the latest news on Zelda 2005 as it becomes available.

NINTENDO NEWS: LAST-MINUTE NINTENDO DS SHIPMENTS HELP LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS; 1 MILLION SYSTEMS ALREADY IN CONSUMERS HANDS IN NORTH AMERICA

Dec. 21, 2004
As the countdown to Christmas continues, procrastinating shoppers will benefit from new shipments of Nintendo DS™. Nintendo continues to supply stores with the dual-screened Nintendo DS,

which features a touch screen, voice recognition and wireless capabilities. This week's shipments also will benefit people who want to spend the gift cards they received for the holidays.

Nintendo DS topped every major gift list this year, and was described by The Wall Street Journal as "this year's must-buy item." Nintendo's shipments will help meet this demand, even as eager holiday shoppers have snapped up 1 million Nintendo DS systems in North America in a month. Before the end of the year, Nintendo will have shipped 1.4 million Nintendo DS systems to North America alone.

12/20 Update

DID YOU KNOW? - SANTA DELEGATES TO NINTENDO'S CONSUMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT

Dec. 20, 2004
Santa has a good gig. You'll notice that once he leaves his packages, he doesn't stick around to help you figure out how to work or play all your new gifts. Fortunately, Nintendo is here to help. During “Crunch Week,” the week between Christmas and the new year, the Consumer Service Department at the Nintendo of America headquarters in Redmond, Wash., receives an explosion of inquiries. Consumers can ask questions about everything from details about cool new games like Metroid® Prime 2 Echoes for Nintendo GameCube™ or Final Fantasy® I & II: Dawn of Souls for Game Boy® Advance SP, to how to operate new Nintendo game systems like the Nintendo DS™ they received for the holidays.

During an average week, Nintendo responds to about 37,500 phone calls, 7,500 e-mails and 500 letters. But during the last week of December, the Consumer Service Department at Nintendo handles 90,000 inquiries. Here are a few fun facts about the department:

As many large companies outsource their consumer-service jobs overseas, Nintendo serves consumers via in-house game-play counselors, consumer service representatives and online staffers. The Consumer Service Department at Nintendo increases its staff more than 60 percent during the peak of the holiday season.
Consumers get responses from real-live game experts. Game-play counselors have access to a vast library of information regarding more than 3,300 video games for all Nintendo systems at their fingertips.
Since the department began in 1985, Nintendo has helped more than 78 million people by phone and more than 3.2 million people through e-mail and letters.

Contact Nintendo Consumer Service at (800) 255-3700 or visit www.nintendo.com. Representatives are available seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pacific Time).

12/9 Update

NINTENDO BOOSTS NINTENDO DS SHIPMENTS BY 40% TO ADDRESS EXPLODING CONSUMER DEMAND

Total 2004 Shipments to North America Will Reach 1.4 Million

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 9, 2004 – Shoppers eager to find the new Nintendo DS™ can rejoice – at least for the time being. Nintendo today announced it will increase total shipments of Nintendo DS to North America by 40 percent, to 1.4 million systems before the end of the year. Due to the system's popularity, many retail stores across the country are reporting shortages, and the initial batch of 500,000 units all but sold out a week after Nintendo DS launched on Nov. 21.

To date, North American retail sales have reached 700,000. In addition, sales of Nintendo DS in Japan exceeded half a million systems in just four days after launch on Dec. 2, meaning more than 1.2 million Nintendo DS systems have sold through worldwide.

"Nintendo is doing everything it can to make Nintendo DS attainable for the holidays," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The enthusiastic response from shoppers has made Nintendo DS 'must-have' – and we're determined to make it 'will have.' "

With its touch screen, wireless communication and voice recognition abilities, the dual-screened Nintendo DS offers video game fans innovative new ways to play. Each unit, available now at an MSRP of $149.99, comes with an embedded communication program called PictoChat™, as well as a demo version of Metroid® Prime Hunters that features both single- and multiplayer action.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

12/6 Update

PARTY ALL DAY AND NIGHT WITH MARIO PARTY 6 FROM NINTENDO

Sequel Features New Game Boards and Lightning-Fast Action

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 6, 2004 - Good parties may run late, but great parties run all night - and all day with Mario Party® 6, which launches today exclusively for Nintendo GameCube™. Players can keep the party going indefinitely with this rowdy new party game.

Players move familiar characters like Mario™ and Donkey Kong® around six new game boards, and can enjoy 80 new party-rockin' mini-games, some of which change as time passes from day to night. Mini-games have always been at the heart of Mario Party fun, and this new installment of the franchise keeps the tradition going.

"Whether you're a night owl or an early bird, this is the game for you," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "With the holidays fast approaching, Mario Party 6 has family-friendly action, making it the perfect game for holiday entertaining, appealing to every party animal in the family."

In Mario Party 6, players can move around the game board faster than ever before, providing the inspiration to keep the action going all day and all night. With the multiplayer functionality of Mario Party 6, up to four players can participate in the action as they compete to see who will win and be crowned champion.

The latest development in video games has players interacting with and playing games in new and exciting ways. Mario Party 6 keeps this trend alive through the use of a cool new accessory: the Nintendo GameCube Mic, packaged with the game at no extra charge. The microphone plugs into a memory card port and allows players to control certain mini-games using voice commands. Mario Party 6, Rated E for Everyone, is available now at an MSRP of $49.99.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

12/2 Update

IT'S A HAND-HELD HOLIDAY AS SHOPPERS SNAP UP 500,000 NINTENDO DS UNITS

Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube Also Post Big Numbers

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 1, 2004 - Shoppers spent Thanksgivingweek stuffing their shopping bags with Nintendo hardware, setting the stage for 2004 to be the year of the hand-held holidays. Shoppers snapped up more than 500,000 Nintendo DS™ systems during Thanksgiving week, representing more than 90 percent of all units available in stores across the United States.

With Nintendo DS sales moving faster than anticipated, some locations have reported sellouts, and Nintendo predicts the initial North American supply will be depleted within days. As additional shipments are rushed to stores by this weekend to meet the demand, Nintendo expects to sell 1 million Nintendo DS units in North America alone by the end of 2004 - a mark that took Apple's iPod 19 months to achieve.

"Consumers have voted the Nintendo DS as the hot item this holiday, so if you see one, you'd better buy it," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Nintendo owns the hand-held market, and once again we're the hit of the holiday season."

Nintendo's other hand-held system, Game Boy® Advance, also soared during the holiday weekend. Nintendo sold more than 800,000 Game Boy Advance and Game Boy® Advance SP units during the past week. The combined 1.3 million Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance units sold last week set a new one-week sales record for hand-held systems. And the Game Boy Advance line remains on track to be the best-selling hardware line of the year.

Nintendo GameCube™ also posted impressive numbers. The special bundle of a Nintendo GameCube and a Mario Kart®: Double Dash!!™ game has sold more than 250,000 units since its introduction in mid-November.

Nintendo DS is revolutionizing video games by providing players completely new ways to interact with their games. The sharp, angular, silver-and-black dual-screened system comes with a stylus and features a touch screen, voice control and wireless communication. Nintendo DS, available now at an MSRP of $149.99, represents a third, distinct product line for Nintendo, along with Game Boy Advance SP and Nintendo GameCube. Nintendo DS comes packaged with both a free, embedded PictoChat™ communication program, and a playable demo of Metroid® Prime Hunters with both single-player and multiplayer modes.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

FANS WILL SAMPLE THE HOTTEST NINTENDO TITLES AT GEN CON SO CAL

Attendees Enter To Win Nintendo Hardware And Software Prizes

Dec. 2 to Dec. 5 at the Anaheim Convention Center

WHAT:	Nintendo will participate in Gen Con So Cal (Dec. 2 to Dec. 5 at the Anaheim Convention Center) to showcase the recently released FINAL FANTASY® I & II: DAWN OF SOULS and the upcoming The Legend Of Zelda®: The Minish Cap, both for the Game Boy® Advance SP. For the Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo will show Metroid® Prime 2 Echoes from Nintendo and Resident Evil® 4 from Capcom. Also on display will be Nintendo DS with its wireless communication capability and built-in PictoChat™ software; players can draw, send messages, and experience the most electrifying real-time, multi-player game play available. Nintendo DS games include Spider-Man 2™ from Activision and Madden NFL 2005 from EA. Nintendo will conduct a sweepstakes on site to give fans a chance to win Game Boy Advance SP systems and two games. Attendees also will have the opportunity to receive game-play tips from on-site Nintendo representatives. The Gen Con So Cal Convention is the West Coast's largest annual consumer hobby game convention. It is a vast gathering place where gaming enthusiasts converge for four days of interactive game play, hobby-related events and celebrity appearances.
WHO:	Consumers and video game fans of all ages
WHERE:	Gen Con So Cal Anaheim Convention Center Press must obtain a badge to gain entrance to Gen Con So Cal. For badge information, visit www.gencon.com.
WHEN:	Show floor open: Thursday, Dec 2 – Saturday, Dec 4: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec 5: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Nintendo booth numbers 209 and 308

12/1 Update

Minish Cap and Zelda 2005 News!

Nintendo revealed that the North American version of Zelda: The Minish Cap will have better text than the European version of the game. They also revealed that Zelda 2005, the upcoming realistic Zelda game will be rated T instead of E like the previous games have been. The full interview with Planet Gamecube can be seen below.

PGC: When you say Minish Cap went gold, did you guys do the translation for the version that's being released in Europe first?

Trinen: Yeah, that was kind of a complicated project, because Europe wanted it this year for their market because they need something strong for handheld. So we did the English translation while they were still finalizing the Japanese text. And we're seeing a lot more of that. I mean, it used to be that they would finish a Japanese game, it would go gold, we would get the text, and then start working localizing. I think Mario & Luigi was probably one of the first ones where we were working in conjunction, side by side with them. Where they're still writing the Japanese text while we're translating it. It ends up being a lot more work since there are so many changes. So we did do the English translation in the European version of Minish Cap, and then Europe, they actually, I think, were going from Japanese to their other languages. But, I would recommend waiting for the US version, because the text in the US version is going to be a lot better.

PGC: So you're actually fixing it up beyond what's going in the European version?

Trinen: Yeah, we did fix it up beyond the European version.

PGC: I don't want to get too far into territory you can't talk about, but do you think with the new Zelda with the new style and vastly better graphics on the GameCube, do you think there's going to be an issue of E or T?

Bihldorff: I don't think there's any question it'll get a T personally. We'll probably have to look at it and have a long discussion with the ESRB. But that is one of their bigger issues, that you can get away with, well, Wind Waker has beautiful graphics but it looks a lot like a cartoon, but the more realistic you get, the more you're going to get [in terms of ratings]. From what we've seen, I don't think there's any question that...

Trinen: We can't talk about what we've seen (laughs)

Source: Zelda Headquarters