Viz Releases 10 Volume Zelda Manga Box Set
To coincide with the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, Viz has release the entire Zelda Manga series, which was written by Akira Himekawa. The set includes Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past and Phantom Hourglass. It's hard to believe its been almost 25 years since the first Zelda. Most of the original players are either playing online poker or dusting off their old NES systems to play those classic golden cartridges."
Skyward Sword Reveals New Game Elements
Much is being touted about the latest Zelda game, Skyward Sword for Wii, including better control and sensitivity than in any other Zelda for Wii games. The new game mechanics will give players a much different feel and look then they've ever seen before. For players of Zelda games that want some online gaming excitement without Link, check out Casino.org's reviews of online games. The latest Zelda game is on pre-sale now.
Who Doesn’t Want Midna back? – What A Great Zelda Resource!
"This is an awesome guide and resource to Zelda games and everything around it”. These are the words from a website online poker and card gaming news and it’s called PokerListings.com. If you want to learn more about them, please visit their website.
Skyward Sword Release Date + Golden Bundle
As many of you may not know, Gamescom is held right now in Germany where tons of awesome games are free to try for anyone actually being there. Nintendo officially gave out the release date on Skyward Sword yet again and hopefully will they be able to keep it this time. The release date this time for Skyward Sword is an exact one, the 20th of November in America and the 18th in Europe, which is nice, but it's still not clear if Nintendo will actually sell the Wii Motion+ as a bundle with the game. Most of us have memories of separately sold nunchuks, rumble-packs, and N64 expansion which makes me doubt that they’ll have mercy on us and sell it with the game, but we’ll see. Who knows? It's actually the 25th Zelda Anniversary, so you never know with Nintendo in these cases.
And that isn't all. I know some Zelda fans are just crazy and likes their gold editions and fancy things a lot, so that should make you happy as Nintendo has announced a bundle package to Skyward Sword that will be released alongside the normal game for a short period of time on 20th of November. If you would be one of those guys who actually buys the game early with this package for an additional $20, you'll get: A golden 'Orchestra Concert Special CD' and a golden Wiimote including Motion+ built in. To me, this seems like a pretty good deal for people who don't actually own a WiiMotion+ yet and wants one with this game. But fear not if you only want the orchestra CD and you're not able to buy this package in time or simply don't want to spend all that money, the orchestra CD will come with every sold copy of Skyward Sword and it will contain every song they're about to peform at The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert performances in October 2011.
So get your Wii remotes and batteries ready for the first fully orchestrated Zelda ever.
Source: Joystiq, VG 24/7
Wii U: Nintendo's new console
Nintendo has revealed its next-generation system during their conference at E3, officially known as the Wii U. The control was the main focus of the conference.
According to initial information, the new console allows the player to start a game on TV and continue on the controller screen - which is large, let us say in passing, and occupies a good part of the accessory. In addition, he also has a camera that can interact with some games and has a touch screen, similar to the Nintendo DS and the recent PSVita, allowing various types of interaction. There will be only one Wii U controller per console and it looks like they won't be sold at retail.
Nintendo has hinted that it will build a more robust online service for the Wii U during the conference, but did not elaborate. Later, in an interview with Gametrailers, Reggie Fils-Aime [Nintendo of America president] was asked about the comparison with online services PSN and Xbox Live, to which he replied: "We now have a system that has all these features."
When asked if "third parties" will have the freedom to create their own universes in Nintendo's online service, he explained: “Our approach [to online] will be a flexible one, literally taking the best of what each of our third party partners has to offer, marrying that with the best of what Nintendo does, and bringing that versus a more rigid, a more closed type of environment.”
Leaving the casual stage of Wii, the Wii U has several titles so far announced only for high-definition platforms such as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC (Darksiders 2, Batman: Arkham City...)
The relationship brings even games that are not listed for the consoles from Sony and Microsoft, the case of "Ghost Recon Online", which until then was exclusively for PC.
Price and exact release date were not revealed, but Nintendo plans to launch the console in 2012 with an estimated price of $300 or more.
E3: Day One
Today marks a special day for gamers around the world. With E3 finally on a roll, Hardcore and occasional gamers alike have heard things they’ve been waiting a long time for – a remake of the original Halo, Halo 4, and many other new games from Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA, and Sony. In one day we’ve be introduced to over 50 new titles, along with new voice recognition for Microsoft’s Kinect. Each company seemed to hold their own rather well, and everyone seems to have had something we’ve been waiting for.
Microsoft set their sights heavily on improvements and new titles for their Kinect, including Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, from fellow E3 2011 presenter Ubisoft, and introduced voice recognition. Arguably the most memorable part of the day was the moment Microsoft took the Halo Nation by storm by announcing both Halo 4 and a remake of the original, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. EA announced the 12th games in their long running Madden and FIFA series’. Sony in particular, seemed to have an ‘elephant’ in the room, also known as their expensive PSN outage, which was calmly addressed and apologized for by Jack Tretton. After shooing their elephant out, they emphasized on their 3D and new lower prices, and went more in depth about PSVita (also known as PSP2), showing it's capabilites.
It’s safe to say that the first day of E3 2011 went rather well, and we haven't even gotten to Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword yet! This is only the beginning, for tomorrow, we set sail -- for Nintendo’s E3 2011 conference!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Has A Release Date
Pinpoint June 19, 2011 in your calendar - that's the date when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D launches for Nintendo's shiny new handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. After a somewhat lackluster launch line-up with the likes of Nintendogs+Cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Driver, one of history's best is coming very soon to give us the best reason to own a 3DS. The game will be an enhanced remake (not a port) of the N64 classic, with improved gameplay mechanics, touchscreen features, and a few surprises for long time fans. It will also include Master Quest - a harder version only available on pre-orders or Nintendo Power offers for the GameCube - and of course, it will have improved graphics thanks to the handheld's power.
It has been recently revealed that the remake is not exactly developed by Nintendo, but rather by Greezo, a new company founded by Koichi Ishii, who has been credited as the director of the Mana series and Final Fantasy XI. While the company has only one game in its resumé (Line Attack Heroes for WiiWare in Japan), the director's presitige is more than enough to let us know that it's in good hands.
Source: Nintendo, Joystiq
Forums? IMAGEBOARDS!
That is correct. By structured vote among our staff, WMB's forum has now been officially replaced with an imageboard. You know, like chans and whatnot. Check it out! The link will send you right there. We feel that this replacement will help to bolster activity in our community as well as eliminate such nuisances as the necessity for moderation and order on our prior forum.
So why not go check it out? Be sure to let us know what you think! Via the imageboard, of course.
Twilight Symphony Is Underway
ZREO (Zelda Re-orchestrated) has announced that their biggest project yet finally stepped off. ZREO contrived “Twilight Symphony” (formerly Project Maranello) in a response to their neglect of updating new Twilight Princess pieces. The entire soundtrack will be played with live choirs, orchestras, and conductors. The cost? For the rental of a studio, professional singers, professional musicians, and contractors, the total cost comes to around $18,000. Obtaining that much money was tough, however, due to ZREO’s giving and supportive fanbase, they were able to reach and exceed their goal. Precisely one week ago, one of the project managers announced they reached their goal and Twilight Symphony will be underway soon.
According to one of the ZREO executives, they are planning on hiring Tim Davis, a vocal contractor who is known for his work in X-Men, Beowulf, King Kong, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I Am Legend, and I, Robot. Along with Davis, they are also getting John Kurlander to work on vocal engineering and recording. He is best known for his vocal work in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. Kurlander also won three Grammy’s for best soundtrack and sound production.
The lineup is here and everything is set to go. The ZREO team is currently hosting a Reddit AMA for anyone to ask questions about Twilight Symphony. Responses will be sent directly from the team almost instantaneously. If you want to know more about their project or them in general, visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter to receive daily updates.
The Legend of Zelda Turns 25 Today
A day like today, in 1986, the Famicom Disk System was released in Japan. This add-on made use of a magnetic-based storage device (i.e. floppy disks) to store video games. It was a revolutionary device as it made possible larger-sized games, improved sound quality, and the ability to save your progress when required (in a time when passwords and battery built-in carts weren't available). Its two launch titles were Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels in USA), and arguably the most influential game for generations to come: The Legend of Zelda.
In a time when games were all about going to Point A to Point B, Zelda shattered the norm by bringing a non-linear, open-world formula that would be copied by so many games later on. Final Fantasy, Metroid, Grand Theft Auto - even Mario drew inspiration from the golden classic when it embraced the third dimension in his Nintendo 64 debut.
Since then, a lot of sequels were released, many of them becoming instant classics. Ocarina of Time, the series' first foray into 3D, revolutionized the series and became an important part of video game history, and this generation has been graced with one of the best - if not the best: Twilight Princess.
As we await for the eventual release of the next iteration of the revered series, Skyward Sword, and we keep pushing Nintendo for a return of a certain important character, we celebrate the day that brought Link's first quest towards the Triforce. Kudos to Shigeru Miyamoto and team responsible for bringing such a masterpiece into everyone's homes.
Further reference: 1UP
Another Legend of Zelda Movie?
We all remember that fake Legend of Zelda film trailer that IGN made about two years ago as an April Fools joke, in which made ourselves wonder if it will ever happen in the future. Well, the folks at Gamersvision came up with yet another Zelda trailer, but unlike IGN's cinematic style with CGI effects in between, this one is a complete spoof of the melodramatic style of the 1980's. Link being a [heroic] school prankster? Ganondorf as the principal? A cosplay party? Midna as an anxious, dark-haired teenager? Count us in.
Again, we stress out the fact that this trailer is obviously fake, even with all the authentic VHS quality and the apparent involvement of Orion Pictures, and if you are not into any kind of cheesy, romantic scenes it may tick you off. Nevertheless, this is good for a laugh or two.
Source: Gamervision
We're Back!
Did you miss us? I bet you did. Yes, we were down for a few days because we were transferring our domain name. We're now totally on Siteground, and they have frankly thusfar (that is, for the last eight months) been splendid for us. So if you are looking for a cheap, fleshed-out service with some pretty excellent support, feel free to click that link, give 'em a check, and potentially give us some free hosting! With or without that, though, I would recommend them to anyone looking to start their own website.
Another set of folks that've been great for us would like us to mention a couple key phrases for them: namely, casino games and video poker. So, if you like people who give us money, you know where to find them!
As for the movement, even if you disregard this latest, rather prolonged hiccup, we have been rather slow. For some of us, it's midterm week - and for others, it's always midterm week. What it comes down to, though, is that we need someone who's willing to step up and organize this stuff, others to step up and make commitments to get what needs to get done, done. The hardcover testimonial, which has its own board in our Initiatives forum, is on an unfortunate hold: it needs to get its layout finalized so we can see how big it will be, make sure we have everything that we want and need (and if not, how it's to be got), and how we're going to bring it to a more papery form.
We need to figure out what exactly we're doing about our CDs; that's right, we're publishing our own album, so if that's your sort of thing, get over here! You could be famous. Register on our forum and contact centralservices for more information.
It'd also be great, in my opinion, if we got one or two more fun things done. Remember the figurines, way back, like, two or three years ago? Those were great. What if we could do the same thing with, say, a plushie? Or a mirror, etched to look like the Mirror of Twilight? Or maybe you have some other idea. We've got the cash, people; we just need the ideas, and the means to get it done!
That's about all I've got to say for now. I do feel awful that I've been of little help for the longest time; I feel like you've all been sitting around waiting for me to bunch all this together and make it work, but frankly, with my schedule, it's simply not possible (or if it is possible, it's certainly not healthy) for me to take up the organization of the whole movement. We need people who want to make a difference, and aren't afraid to try. We're not licked yet ... let's get our message out to Nintendo and bring Midna back!
Nintendo 3DS To Be Launched In America On March 27, Costs $250 USD
Nintendo's press events in both Amsterdam and New York gave in details about the Nintendo 3DS, answering many of the handheld's burning mysteries. The biggest reveal is the actual price and release date - the new 3D portable will be in stores on March 27, 2011 with the suggested price of $249.99 USD.
Features like a built-in gyroscope, backward compatibility with most DS games, and the ability to take 3D pictures with its external cameras were all known before the conference, but we've also learn that it'll have a Virtual Console-esque service in the form of the new Nintendo eStore, which is where you'll be able to buy Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Improvements are made to the interface as well: you can suspend play any time to enter the System Menu and multitask, and a welcome change of friend-code management lets you use one code per 3DS for all games - no longer you will need to worry about separate FC lists for different games.
Among the launch titles that will release before E3 2011 are Nintendogs+Cats, Pilotwings Resort, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Dead or Alive Dimensions, and the Sims 3. Sadly, Nintendo noted that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is still currently "in the works", as well as Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Mario Kart 3D (tentative title). It looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer for our burning favorites to appear on this shiny new handheld.
Source: IGN, GamesRadar
Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time 3D, Wolf Link/Midna Details
While it has been a while since GameFAQs' Game Of The Decade showdown (in the same vein as its traditional Character Battle) has elected The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask as its winner, defeating the likes of heavy-hitters like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Final Fantasy X, and Metal Gear Solid 3 during the finals. This shows how powerful a single 5th-generation game can defeat an entire decade of games, even if some of them are arguably better than others, like the equally amazing Twilight Princess which brought a certain imp companion to the spotlight.
Which brings me to today's news: First4Figures' Wolf Link/Midna figurine (15 inches high, lights up, looks awesome) is now open for pre-order at SlideShow Collectibles. A figurine will cost you a hefty $350 US, but consider thinking that this kind of memorabilia is a one-of-a-kind seeing that only 750 of these will be made. Act quickly and snag one of them before there are none left to pre-order.
In other news, Nintendo brings even more details for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS in its Nintendo World 2011 event in Tokyo, and with it they brought a playable demo of the remake Ocarina of Time 3D. While the game's graphical improvement are certainly part of the equation, new features like controlling the camera and slingshot with the 3DS' included gyroscope and the ability to manage your subscreens on the touch screen stand out as well. While it has been announced that OoT 3D won't be a launch title like many have speculated (at least in Japan), we can only be sure that the big N's doing its best to bring one of the best games ever into their newest handheld as polished as possible.
Source: GameFAQs, Gameinformer, IGN.com
Midna Figures on First 4 Figures Website
Attention all Midna fans! First 4 Figure's website has two figures featuring our lovely Zelda character. One of the figures come with Wolf-Link and Midna, and the other one is a Midna with lightup hair!
This would be quite the holiday present for your Legend of Zelda loving family members. The Wolf-Link and Midna figure costs $330, and the other figure costing about $350.
The Wolf-Link and Midna figurine can be found here, and the Lightup hair Midna figurine can be found here. Recently, a teaser image was posted in WMB detailing the specs behind the figurines. So go and check 'em out! They are great Christmas gifts!
3DS May Feature Downloadable Virtual Boy Games
According to last Tuesday’s news post on Nintendolife.com, the 3DS may feature Virtual Boy games for download. Many Nintendo consumers wonder if there will be VB games on the 3DS because of the large amount of Gameboy and Gameboy Color titles that will become available at the release of the 3DS. Reggie Fils-Aime had this to say:
“As a consumer, I have experience with every Nintendo platform and, I think every accessory, including the Superscope, with the exception of the Virtual Boy... so it's difficult for me to articulate a point of view back to our parent company why we absolutely have to have a Virtual Boy store.”
This could be the revival of a console that’s been forgotten for so long.
Source: NintendoLife.com
Skyward Sword Recap
Following the past interviews, conferences, and E3, some people are still a bit unclear on what Skyward Sword has to offer. Here is a list of what we know so far:
First off, Skyward Sword will be released in Q1 of the 2011 year. This was confirmed at an E3 conference in June, but some people believe that it will be released by the end of 2010. Miyamoto left off with saying that the development team is currently finishing up the dungeons and touching up the bosses.
The features and developments are also of a higher caliber than what we’ve witnessed in Twilight Princess. The game will in fact be 1:1. And here’s an interesting tidbit: Aonuma wanted to scrap the 1:1 idea because there were errors with the WiiMotionPlus and it didn’t work well. Miyamoto, on the other hand, loved the idea of 1:1 gameplay, so it was put back in the game and worked on. Another feature is that there will be no more “Item Menu”. Now, to change items, you simply press “B” on the remote, and select from a circular list of items without pausing the game. The Nun-chuck will be used to control Link as well as control the shield.
Running will be possible by holding down “A”, and Link will be able to jump instead of lightly hoping off a ledge. Aonuma wanted to make this change because he wanted movement to be faster paced. However, with this improvement, there is also an added stamina meter. Link will only be able to perform these feats for a limited time. The meter will also be included in climbing vines or undergrowth.
In the music department, Skyward Sword will be the first Zelda game to feature a complete orchestrated soundtrack. Every other Zelda game in the past including Twilight Princess used MIDI format. There will still be no voice acting in Skyward Sword or any other future Zelda title. Aonuma felt that it is best if Link remained silent.
You know that promotional poster from E3 2009? It turns out that the mysterious figure is the Skyward Sword in a human form, and she will be Link’s partner during his quest. It is confirmed that the Skyward Sword will become the Master Sword, and that the game is centered on the creation of the Master Sword. Zelda will make an appearance, but Ganon is still questionable.
I hope I cleared up some things. Credit goes to Legendzelda.net for their compilation of Skyward Sword news.
Invocation of Twilight Is Available For Purchase
A few weeks ago, the leader of the music initiative, Centralservices, announced the release of Invocation of Twilight. It is now up for digital download on our Band Camp music page. The CD features original compositions from Centralservices, Flibster, Zoku, and FreezeFlame. And album art was finalized by Silvs. As of now, the listing price is $3 U.S.D. We aren't asking much for these glorious pieces, so support WantMidnaBack's music movement by purchasing it!
Physical CD copies are still under discussion. We are hoping that physical CDs will be available soon, so you can listen to our wonderful music on that clunky CD player of yours. Again, please support our movement!
Eiji Aonuma Aims For An 'Early 2011' Release
During an interview regarding The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword courtesy of UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, Eiji Aonuma reveals that he is aiming for an early 2011 release. "The basis we have now is very, very solid," said Aonuma. "Early 2011 – that is what we're aiming for."
During last month's E3, Nintendo announced that the new Zelda made from the ground-up for the Wii will not come out until 2011. With the series' producer pinpointing an early release date for the game, Zelda fans would not have to wait too long for the new adventure to begin.
Source: Official Nintendo Magazine
Zelda Wii Is Now Known As The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Just a few minutes after the anticipated Nintendo E3 Conference started, Nintendo of America President Reggie Films-Aime presented what everyone was waiting for: the new Zelda for Nintendo Wii. After a short teaser trailer, the subtitle was revealed: Skyward Sword.
Just after the trailer, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto came up into the screen explaining in detail about how the WiiMotionPlus will come into play. Nintendo's longtime translator Bill Trinen was at stage, giving a spin at the Zelda demo by himself with some disappointing results after failing to defeat a Deku Baba. This was when Miyamoto himself came out of nowhere and taught Bill how it was done.
The showcase focused almost entirely on the new controls that is supported by the WiiMotionPlus. Among the features that was shown included the ability to swing your sword with 1:1 accuracy, the integration of motion control with classic items like the Bow and Bombs (the latter which you can throw them by the classic over-the-head or by rolling them on the floor like a bowling ball), and new items like the Beetle, that was showcased as a nice remote-controlled device that can be useful on some puzzles.
Skyward Sword, apart from the fact that it depends almost entirely on the WiiMotionPlus, shows a few aspects that we did notice in the demo. The first thing we noticed is that the game now has a cel-shaded look on it; it still keeps the adult look of Link from Twilight Princess, but everything has a more colorful tone that contrasts TP's darker palletes. The classic Beam Attack returns to some degree, an ability that has been absent in almost all 3D Zeldas (except Majora's Mask, with the help of the Fierce Deity Mask). Link has become far more mobile now, as the game now has a sprint function, along with the ability to jump whenever you want, with a press of a button.
Miyamoto confirms that the game won't be released until sometime after 2011, meaning that it has been delayed from the apparent holiday release. Eiji Aonuma, the game's director, also clarifies the confusion concerning about whether Zelda will be easier this time around, by simply saying that "I do not want to make Zelda easier".
If you want to watch full trailer, as long as the E3 on-stage demo, click the link below.
Source: G4TV.com
3DS Graphics Said To Rival That of PS3 and 360
Many game developers have spoken off the record to IGN about the graphical powers of the 3DS, describing them to be near Xbox 360 and PS3's graphics.
"To provide stereoscopic 3D effects the system must have the ability to render each game field twice, one for each of the player’s eyes, a
technique that will require significant horsepower to produce.
Several developers that have experienced 3DS in its current form have reported, off the record, that it has processing capabilities that far
exceed the Nintendo Wii and bring the device with abilities that are close
to HD consoles such as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360." - IGN
It makes sense that the 3DS will be very powerful, as it will need to render each frame twice (one for each eye to create the 3D effect). One can
only wonder how expensive it will be though. We can only speculate at this
point, however E3 is only nine days away.
Source: NintendoLife.com
Wii Zelda Is “Easier To Play”
Wii Zelda is “Easier to Play”, according to Miyamoto Gaming Media, a German gaming site, interviewed Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto discussing the new Zelda that will be announced in E3 2010 at the LA Convention Center. Miyamoto explains that Nintendo typically starts with a demo movie and then expands upon the ideas contained therein. With the new Zelda, however, the company is taking a different approach by first implementing the game mechanics and then making a demo video to match.
For the past few Zelda games, both on home consoles and handhelds, the game has stuck in a fairly recognizable pattern that Miyamoto claims that it's complicated, thus the reason why Nintendo is “creating a new way to play the game”, he says. “We are trying to make Zelda, which has become very complicated, easier to play,” he followed.
Source: 1up.com
Testimonials Cover Art Commision Finished
For those of you who don't know Shotaku (formerly know as Midna's Hero) commissioned Childish-Midna to make a cover the initiative movement known as The Hardcover Testimonials. Many days have passed and many hours of work have been put in since the announcement of the cover of the testimonials being commissoned and now we are pleased to announce that it is done. The finished product is indeed a work of art and instead of bragging about how epic it looks I'll just put a pic up for you now.
Forum Issues
Forum’s up again. Sorry about the issues. We still actually have some, but none that really affects you guys, so I’ll iron them out later. Thanks for your patience.
Zelda Song Remixes Available For Download
After countless hours of organizing and compiling, WantMidnaBack’s own Zelda remix section is up for download. Over the past month, the leader of WMB’s music initiative, Centralservices, arranged all of the remixes/covers onto a site where you can download the album straight to your computer in any file format desirable. The album features covers by Centralservices, Flibster, Kylethedarkn, FreezeFlame, and DFrost. Some of the songs are from past Zelda games such as Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time where as others are from our favorite game, Twilight Princess. The current album artwork was done by MidnaKillzAll, and special inside art was done by Centralservices himself. The art may change because some members have arose with different ideas concerning the cover art, which eventually spurred into a poll…well almost. We still need one more, so any open Graphic Artist is free to take up a design for the cover and submit it to this thread.
Of course, you can always preview our songs on our very own music page, and download in MP3 format, but we now have a way where you can download the entire album as a whole, including “extra” files in the archive.
As far as the Original Compositions CD is moving, the current musician team is working steadily on it to make it absolutely perfect. Not to mention we are still having some members submit their songs to the movement. But rest assure, progress is being made, and hopefully the CD will be complete in the next coming months.
Nintendo's Latest Developments
After Nintendo’s scheduled conference at the Media Summit on the 24th, more future information has been given out regarding their plans.
Firstly, we’ve received news that Nintendo is not planning on any new video game hardware for a while. No Wii successor is in the works. Nintendo’s United Kingdom marketing executive, Cammie Dunaway had this to say, “I don’t think it will be any time soon. Even though our installed base is, at this point, five million households larger than the PS2 was at the same point in its lifecycle, it still has a lot of room to grow. That being said, part of Nintendo’s heritage is to always be looking at innovation and to start working on the next hardware as soon as we launch a platform, so we’ll have it ready when we think the time is right.”
A rumble system was patented for the handheld. This post was found on Nintendo news, “A game apparatus includes an LCD, and a touch panel is placed on a top surface of the LCD. A player instructs an enemy character displayed on the LCD by use of a stick to attack the enemy character. For example, in a case that the enemy character exists at a depth of a game screen, little damage is applied to the enemy character, and a weak vibration is applied to the game apparatus. Conversely, in a case that the enemy character exists at a front of the game screen, much damage is applied to the character, and a strong vibration is applied to the game apparatus. In either case, the vibrations are transmitted to the fingers or hands of the payer via the stick.” Long story short, we believe that the use of the stylus may affect the game by sending vibrations to the “apparatus”.
…And conference rumors have been spreading around about a new DS in development. Although we do know that “heavy” hardware isn’t in the making, we may see newer upgrades in handheld technology. The rumor is that it’s bigger than the DSi, and may be different from the original DS design, and the developers already have a prototype of it. No name has been given as of late, but we’re looking forward to any new info about this product.
Zelda Wii Confirmed for 2010
Little information has been given out of the release date for Zelda Wii, not to mention what features the game will have, but a number of interviews and discussions with some of Nintendo’s top executives hinted at the upcoming Zelda. We have gathered some information about the game over the last few months…
About a week and a half ago, Producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed that Zelda Wii will require WiiMotionPlus, from Japan's Weekly Famitsu magazine. According to Aonuma, “The game's sword swinging mechanics feel natural, like your controller and Link's sword are one.” He also hinted that how you kill off enemies could end up solving puzzles. Not much more information was given out by him during the interview, but he hopes to have a playable demo up for E3 in June.
In January, Aonuma explained that he wants to make Zelda Wii perfect. Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, states that Zelda Wii will not be released until it is perfect. Mr. Aonuma tells us that “it really has to be perfect when it launches,” he said. “That really is what the Zelda fan is expecting.”
More news is expected to come at Nintendo’s Media Summit on February 24th. The event will showcase games such as Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, or possibly even Zelda Wii.
WMB at Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter)
Some love them, others hate them. Needless to say, social networks are among the most popular websites visited, simply because they are very simple in terms of making a community, communicating with close friends and relatives, and of course, sharing your favorite stuff among those you love. That said, it also holds its share of controversies like the high rates of stalkers, harassers, and ID thieves, and more.
We don't really care about the controversies; we're more concerned about making communities. Or more precisely, having a preexisting one and get its movement and voice heard among the world in these popular pages. This is why our own movement is now in both Facebook and Twitter, which are arguably two of the biggest social networks at this moment. True, most of the people getting in these websites are everyday casual people, but there are also gamers – and even relatives of our current members. Who knows, maybe one day someone you know – a sibling, your classmate, your boy/girlfriend, or even your own mom – wants to check out why we are so determined in bringing back one of the most successful support characters in the Legend of Zelda history!
Facebook already had a Want Midna Back page hosted by Ben Burnett (also known as Dratheus), a current active member of our forums. As for Twitter, there has been talk about how to make it work, and after a bit of discussion (and some poll to make someone happy...) it's finally running. Following Twitter helps a lot, as you'll be up-to-date for the latest DeviantArt entries (such as journal updates and new gallery submissions), as well as any new newsposts or announcements we give at our main site. Let's hope we find enough people to retweet our new stuff through this connection.
So for all those who have a Facebook or Twitter account and want to give us any kind of support, whether you are a forum member or not, please follow us through the following links below. By doing so, you'll be expressing to us that there's one more voice in the ever-growing community that Wants Midna Back.
WMB's 2nd Anniversary
Precisely two years ago (minus a day as I am writing this) WMB as we know it today was officially set up. Technically, we started a little while earlier with a crappier forum, then went to another slightly less crappy forum, but February 7th, 2008, we moved into our brand spankin’ new community. Our site also looked like something straight out of the nineties but we built from there as well, now with a gorgeous home page that could not have been possible without the assistance and talent of at least half a dozen different people.
Yes, at the time, it was new. Not so much anymore: WMB has matured beautifully, home to the best moderate-sized group of regulars this side of the internet. We’re inching ever closer to our goal, and though it has taken a good deal longer than we anticipated when we first registered this web domain with our high hopes and high-pitched voices I, for one, feel that we are now reaching for something far greater than we even envisioned before. Some members have come and gone, but they have left with us their contributions, their ideas, their art.
And to you who have stayed, who’ve found your niche here in our hall: I’ve got to be honest with you and drop this front. You are the single the greatest group of people anyone who’s ever considered running a site before could ever hope to accommodate. I feel we’ve left a definite mark on each other, one that will last for even longer than WMB might. It’s a good mark, one that’s opened us up to different opinions, ways of acting and expressing oneself, and perhaps it’s because of WMB’s common goal, not just its being a fansite but a site with a drive that’s brought us so close. I, for one, will never be unchanged by my experiences on this site, and will always consider you all to be something of an extended family, just as we joked about long before the conception of a WMB site.
And though one day the site may end for whatever reason, be it our success and departure, an unforeseeable failure, or its evolution into something far greater than it is now that, like our current status is to our past selves, we cannot hope to dream of at the moment, for now we’re going strong. We have our ups and downs. We have the occasional little drama fest, but that’s what makes life interesting. We all love the site and the people it is home to and for that reason we will continue to come back to it and come back again and it is why we will continue to grow.
Perhaps a year from now when I – or someone else – is writing the little monologue for WMB’s third anniversary, we will be talking about a larger group of people, a vaster website, and a more accomplished list of projects. Or we could not. It’s all up to us, how far we’re willing and able to push this. We’re all WMB, I’ve said this from the start. Though I’ve got the self-important avatar and the stoic grey display name it’s not me that makes the decisions. Mr Aonuma said he wanted to hear voices. Voices in the plural, and we each speak as loudly as we want. And if we speak loudly enough, perhaps we’ll have more to talk about next time this is written.
Godspeed, gang.
PS: After the last newspost I told myself that I should consider starting a thread in the forum for each newspost from here on in. You can access this thread by clicking the title of the newspost. For now, actually, even though I didn’t discuss it with the community or the other admins, guests will be allowed to post in these. Hopefully it won’t be abused and we can hear some outside opinions of people who are interested in our movement but unwilling to create an account on our boards.
So yeah. If you’ve got something to say, click that title up there and belt it out. Just remember to keep it on-topic and respect the rules of WMB’s forum. That having been said, we also now have an RSS feed. Click that little image at the top of the page to subscribe! See you all later.
PSS: For those who are registered on the forum, I took the liberty of giving you a little treat. Nothing much, but…y so srs?
New Music, and News From The East
First of all, and most importantly to us, there's a new song up on our Music page. It's a fully acoustic piece called Midna's Rain, comprised of the main theme and Midna's Desperate Hour, performed by our own Avatar, aka DFrost. It's a moving, earthy piece; we hope you enjoy it!
And speaking of music, FreezeFlame has decided that he would like his work displayed there. He too has done some amazing work; some of you may already be acquainted with it. Go ahead and bask in its glory.
Secondly, news has been released that the upcoming Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii will be released this year. This news was released today in an interview with Eiji Aonuma himself, where he told us that this title, like Twilight Princess, will be focused on producing a realistic and highly immersive environment. Let's hope they extend this depth to its characters and stories as well!
Cover Job Commission
Some people are finally doing things productive: It's been a while since we've seen productivity in the movement known as the Testimonials (formerly the Mass E-Mail), but we seem to have a few souls who are going to do something about it. One of our devouts, Midna's Hero has commisioned a book cover from Childish-Midna. The finish date is not yet established, but rest assured, it will be before the end of this year.
However, the Testimonials needs more attention than just the cover. We are seeking a group of Writers to pick and choose what testimonials go in, and what will be dropped. On top of these being picked out, we need the same writers to make it sound like a testimonial and not an introduction to the forums.
Testimonials - Hardcover
A small update for those who do not lurk the forums but are interested in our projects all the same: remember the Testimonials? Formerly called the Mass Email, they were going to go to Nintendo in order to hopefully convince them that Midna should come back. You can find them at the top of this page. Now, we're going to be doing something more with them: they are to be bound in hardcover, along with some other information such as a site biography, and included in Twilight's Gift. If you're interested in giving us a hand with this new undertaking, come down to our forum and let us know what you can do!
In other news, I just realized that Kyle somehow broke the newspost dates. Can't that guy go anywhere without making a mess?
The Speed Gamers Are At It Again With A Week Long Marathon!
That's right: TSG is back bringing you a week long of Final Fantasy Games. Besure to check it out at thespeedgamers.com and be sure to donate and promote as much as you can.
Game List (And Players):
Final Fantasy I:Kilgard
Final Fantasy II:Local
Final Fantasy VI:Cross Warrior
Final Fantasy V:Phil
Final Fantasy III:Gwellin
Final Fantasy VII:Dustin
Final Fantasy IX:Daniel L. & others
Final Fantasy X: Rob & others
Final Fantasy IV: BlackDuck
Final Fantasy VIII:Daniel M.
Final Fantasy XII: Britt & Chase
Next Console Zelda To Be "Completely Different" From Twilight Princess
Earlier today, the good folks at IGN got a chance to sit down with Shigeru Miyamoto, the famed creator of the Mario and Zelda franchises. Throughout the interview, he was asked several questions regarding the next console installment of The Legend of Zelda, one of which being whether or not the game would follow after the events of Twilight Princess. His answer...
"Well, the story setting for this Zelda is, of course, in a completely different era and Link is older than he was previously. More approaching adulthood."
"I can't go into details except to say that it's something completely different."
Not exactly the most pleasant news, admittedly, since it means that we will likely have to wait for another game in order to see our beloved imp again. However, it also means that we have a much longer period of time to influence Midna's return. Let's make the best of this extension, guys!
UPDATE: During a personal roundtable with Shigeru Miyamoto (which took place this past Tuesday), a piece of concept art for Zelda Wii was shown to a "select group" of people. Giving into popular demand, however, Nintendo has officially released the image.
Now, despite having read IGN's recent interview with Miyamoto (which, mind you, only hints at this being a different hero), I can't help but say that this Link, aside from looking much taller, resembles his Twilight Princess incarnation to the letter. If nothing else, the art direction and style seems like it'll be an improved version of that seen in Link's last console quest.
Streaming MP3 Player
As we get geared up for some real music marketing, I've taken the liberty of hosting our ten Zelda remixes right here on WMB and providing a flash MP3 player on our music page, so why not head on down and bask in the talent of our diligent musicians?
Majora's Mask Cutscenes
Cutscene collection status: Owned. Want Midna Back is now in possession of what appears to be every single cutscene from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The Twist?
They were all collected by one person. One of our more prestigious members, Kylethedarkn, took up the liberty of collecting over two hundred and twenty scenes from MM by his own accord. Kyle also acts as Want Midna Back's resident web designer now, since Yadda is often missing in action. He's put most of our site together, and keeps most everything outside of the forum in check, from the Gallery to our Affiliates links, the graphics of which Kyle also contributed greatly to.
Heck, I think he made all but one of them. If he weren't already such an emphatic member of our initiative who has received a special rank as our "Triforce of Courage" for his efforts, I know he'd certainly get one for his dedication to these cutscenes.
Oh, well. We'll just have to write him a crummy article or something instead. You can find Kyle's hard work in the Videos Gallery.
Enjoy.
Get Blue Spheres!
Our daughter site, Get Blue Spheres!, has moved! It's got its own little place on the internet now thanks to the ever-benevolent Kaleb Grace (the same benevolent fellow who gave WMB its head start).
For those who haven't had a look, GBS is a Sonic fansite with a focus on a re-release of the retro minigame Blue Sphere, which originally appeared on the Sega Genesis. The forum is still being worked on, but if you want to get in on the action before it officially reveals its face to the internet, you should definitely do so! It's run by our very own Odolwa, and with a little help from its members present and future, it should make just as big of a dent on the world wide web as the prestigious site you currently find yourself on.
Cheerio!
Speed Gamers Zelda Marathon!
That's right The Speed Gamers are back once again raising money for the Ally's House charity. They will be playing ALL Zelda games in 72 hours including the CDIs. Come check them out on the main site here or just click the affiliate button. Marthon starts tomorrow March 13th @ 6:00pm CST. Be there or be lame. XD
Some Site Updates!
Changed the color of the bar that seperates the affiliates from the content. --> Went through the affiliates and removed one that aren't around anymore as well as fixed some links that were broken. Also moved the text away from the left side of the background a little.
The Speed Gamers Once Again With A Pokemon Marathon
The Speed Gamers are attempting to capture all 493 in 72 hours. They will be live streaming it with ustream and also will be giving away many great prizes including the game pak with all 493 pokemon. Check out there site for more details here and then come and watch at either at the main site or Ustream here.
Christmas Time
I added this lovely snow effect to our site to get in the mood for Christmas. :) Enjoy.
CafePress
CafePress is a free site that will put designs on apparel for you and then offer it for sale online. You then get a precent of the profit made. This is being done to accumulate funds for WMB and to promote WMB irl. Link to the site has been added to the navbar, so go check it out.
Site Update
As you can see the site has had a huge overhaul. Not only is it redesigned, but all the things that were lacking from the old site are now fully updated. The Gallery page has been redesigned and the projects page actually has content. Yay!
Welcome
Welcome to the official website of Want Midna Back, a movement of Midna fans dedicated to influencing the return of the greatest video game character ever to hit the widescreen. Our Community, made up of people from all positions, is growing quickly. Already we have finished one project, the Mass Email, and are working on several more including a YouTube video centered on the Twilight Princess and the cause of WMB, and Twilight's Gift, a compilation of Midna-related material sent straight to those who could make our dream a reality.
If you share this aspiration and would like to help, or simply want to chat in our forums, we invite you to take a look at what's in the works. Thank you, dear Midna fan, welcome, and long live the Twilight Princess.
See you later.
Recent News
Congratulations to TWILIGHT HYLIAN of the Midna Fan Forum on winning our raffled Midna figurine! To the rest of you: this might not be the last time we raffle off something unique, so keep your ears open!
Also, although this is just a trial basis to see if we're ready for it, WMB now has its own IRC channel! Click here for details and a java client to chat with. If you're interested in the movement but find the forum overwhelming, this would be a good place to see what's going on. If there are any members hanging out in the channel, feel free to ask!
Affiliation
Please welcome our newest affiliates, The Legend of Mario, a mario fansite, and Link's Hideaway, a snazzy looking Zelda fansite. Interested in affliliation? Go here for instructions to do so.