On the Nintendo Direct, Reggie just announced a sequel to Link to the Past. Amazing. Will post new details as they arrive.

A New Game in The Legend of Zelda Series: Nintendo developers are working on a new game set in the world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which launched for Super NES in 1992. The game makes use of the 3D abilities of Nintendo 3DS, and allows Link to become a drawing and move along walls. A 3D video of the new game is now available to download in the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS. The game is scheduled to launch this holiday season.

From Polygon:

Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, says the 3DS sequel will "reinvigorate the flat 2D world of A Link to the Past with a sense of height and volume" by utilizing the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS. The game, which does not have a final title in North America, will feature "an original storyline and all new dungeons."

Update: Nintendo confirmed to Polygon that the new Zelda game set in the world of A Link to the Past is being developed by series producer Eiji Aonuma and his team at Nintendo EAD.







Source: Nintendo Direct / Nintendo press release | Polygon

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Some interesting details here:

Aunoma said:

"Collecting rupees, the currency of the Zelda world, will be very important in this game. You might think that was the case with all the past games too, but I must say that this time it will be more important than ever and you will need to collect a great deal of them."

Aunoma said:

"Shops in the past Zelda games sold things that would run out once you use them like arrows and bombs, items that needed replenishing. They have never sold an item that doesn't go away after each use like the boomerang or the hookshot."

Not sure how I feel about these tidbits. It is annoying when rupees are basically worthless but at the same time, it was annoying have to collect them in Wind Waker for the Triforce part. I feel like it could be done well though, so I'll wait and see.

Also he's kind of wrong about the shops. There's important things to buy in the shop in the original and OOT. I don't mind seeing more of that, as long as we still get the coolest stuff in the dungeons.

Posted by

Jargon

on: 08/28/13, 20:13

@Jargon

Hm. Will we need to collection one million rupees in this game, like we had to collection one million coins in NEW Super Mario Bros. 2?

Posted by

GameDadGrant

on: 08/28/13, 21:15

@Jargon

Yeah, this detail scares me. Useful rupees good, but are we not still going to find items in the dungeons themselves? Hmmm. I'll remain optimistic and wait.

Posted by

Hinph

on: 08/28/13, 21:19

@Jargon - What most scares me about that quote is that it shows how out-of-touch Aonuma is with the Zelda series's history.

There have been plenty of games in which shops have sold non-replenishable items. In fact, it happened most recently in Skyward Sword! Unless he just doesn't count the Net for some strange reason, despite it getting a major item slot... If you only want to count traditional items (and you don't count Shields or Nets as traditional items), then we can just back up to Twilight Princess to where you had to buy the Slingshot in a store. Don't want to count that? Back up one game further to The Minish Cap in which you had to buy the Boomerang in a store...

It's not even like buying major items in stores is a rare occurrence... It has happened regularly throughout the series since the very first Zelda game.

Maybe Rupees are used to recharge that purple meter in addition to buying stuff? I know right now it looks like it just recharges automatically, but maybe you have to pay Rupees to get it started up again whenever it empties itself or something like that. That would certainly make Rupees more important in this game than in any others previously.

Posted by

V_s

on: 08/29/13, 00:05

@V_s

Bottles, too..

Posted by

Mr_Mustache

on: 08/29/13, 00:18

Yeah, that's a weird Aonuma quote. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of a single Zelda game where you DON'T buy at least one non-replenishable item...

Zelda 1: Blue Candle, Magic Shield, Bait, Arrows (technically), Blue Ring
ALttP: Level-2 Shield, Bottle, Flippers (I guess these could technically be a story/secret element)
LA: Shovel, Bow
OoT: Deku Shield, Masks, Zora Tunic
MM: Bomb Bag
Oracle of Ages/Seasons: Heart Piece, Strange Flute, Seed Satchel Upgrade, Treasure Map, tons of Rings, etc
Minish Cap: Boomerang, Big Bomb Bag, Big Wallet, Big Quiver
TWW: Bait Bag, Heart Piece
TP: Slingshot, Hylian Shield, Hawkeye, Magic Armor
SS: Extra Wallet, Bug Net, Pouch Upgrade, Piece of Heart, numerous Medals, etc
PH/ST: Don't remember much of these but I'm sure there's some sort of upgrade you can buy.

Alright, not sure why I typed all that up. But it's not even a small error; it's such a weird, oblivious thing to say, like saying "Link has never smiled in a Zelda game" or something where pretty much every game proves the contrary.

That aside, I'm very curious about how buying items will work. It might make the game enjoyably nonlinear, which would be pretty awesome!

Posted by

TriforceBun

on: 08/29/13, 00:40

Edited:

08/29/13, 00:42

Why can they not just make a Zelda game that relies on the old Zelda formula instead of trying to throw new things in to spice it up. I get with something like Skyward Sword but this is meant to be the sequel to THE Zelda game, the one that started the whole formula and they seem to be completely changing it and it doesn't sound good at all. I like the flow of the games, I like the familiarity with them.

Posted by

Pokefreak911

on: 08/29/13, 12:48

TriforceBun said:

ALttP: Level-2 Shield

That's a suckers bet! Chuck the level 1 shield in the great fairy's fountain.

Posted by

Stephen

on: 08/29/13, 13:56

@Pokefreak911

There still hasn't been any detail that has completely crushed my hopes for this game being a worthy sequel attempt, but Aonuma's involvement immediately brings them down. Why does he have to be involved? Can't some other senior member of the Zelda team handle it while Takashi Tezuka supervises? Doesn't the director of the original game make more sense than the man that handles the new style, 3D entries?

Posted by

Hinph

on: 08/29/13, 19:58

Tezuka should be at the helm. That'd be cool.

Any word yet on if this game involves some sort of omnipresent "sidekick" character to do the talking for Link yet again? And to point out solutions to puzzles, etc? That's a pretty common Aonuma trope.

Posted by

TriforceBun

on: 08/29/13, 20:50