E3: Miyamoto confirms new Wii Zelda

By Ellie Gibson Published 3 June, 2009

WMP functionality, 2010 release date likely.

Shigeru Miyamoto has confirmed a new Legend of Zelda title is in development for the Wii.

"To be honest with you, I really wanted to announce a Zelda game for Wii at this E3. But rather than think about something to bring you to show you, we really wanted to focus on actual game development," he said, speaking during a behind-closed-doors presentation.

"However I didn't want to come empty handed, so I did bring the next illustration for the next Zelda title." At this point an oil painting-style image of Link appeared on a big screen. It featured a pale blue figure wearing a helmet in the foreground and the Legend of Zelda logo at the bottom.

"This illustration does contain elements that are central to the storyline, and I hope it does prove to you we are quite far into the development of the title," Miyamoto said.

"I would like to say we hope to bring it to you next year. It may take a little longer."

Miyamoto went on to reveal the game is likely to work with Nintendo's latest Wii accessory. "We'd like to make it compatible with Wii MotionPlus," he confirmed. "It's quite possible it will be playable only with Wii MotionPlus. The potential for it becoming MotionPlus-only depends of course on how well Wii Sports Resort sells.

"Maybe you can think of Zelda while you're playing with the swordfighting and archery in Wii Sports Resort," Miyamoto added. "But some people think of Zelda as more of an RPG with simpler controls, so trying to think of a way to keep everyone happy is going to occupy me."

A Q&A session ensued, during which Miyamoto discussed controlling robots with your brain and gay men using their minds to give birth to a brand new pokemon, an idea his wife helped him come up with. Not even kidding.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • loop7 #1 3 years ago

    1st

  • mkreku #2 3 years ago

    Great job on the conferences today, Ellie. You're hilarious.

  • wellzy4eva #3 3 years ago

    Miyamoto is outta control, I am guessing this is why Nintendo locked him away this year.

  • cheekyjay #4 3 years ago

    Was he not unsure about whether people wanted waggle or simplicity in this game at his roundtable in 2006? If they still haven't settled that fairly major gameplay issue, I worry that this game may be a LONG LONG way off.
    Edited by 1 at 03/06/09 @ 04:14

  • loop7 #5 3 years ago

    5th

  • MyPointIs #6 3 years ago

    A single oil painting as proof that they are quite far into development???

    Ooooook.

  • PaletteSwap #7 3 years ago

    Bulshitty McBullshit Esquire.

    Great coverage anyway! :)

  • penhalion #8 3 years ago

    Hmmm.....

  • Widge #9 3 years ago

    A proper Wii zelda could tempt me into a machine

  • peterfll #10 3 years ago

    Jesh, so that's why when I woke up this morning there was a new type of pikachu sitting opposite me. I must have dreamt him up overnight. I tell you, my rollers almost fell out, I had to call my Paulie to bring me some sweet tea.

  • carrotcake #11 3 years ago

    2010 release or 2010 debut trailer

  • the_dudefather #12 3 years ago

    'BUY WII SPORTS RESORT IF YOU WANT AWESOME FIGHTING'

  • Triggerhappytel #13 3 years ago

    My arse it will be out next year.

    I also agree with MyPointIs.

  • neonemesis #14 3 years ago

    No way this will be out next year; Twilight Princess was been shown in the forms of various trailers and images for several years before it became available to buy.

  • CapnCloudchaser #15 3 years ago

    If they had even mentioned this during the conference, it would have been that little bit better :\

  • owl #16 3 years ago

    they delayed twilight princess a long time because of the wii.

  • Darren #17 3 years ago

    Well this isn't news really. We've known for ages that a new Zelda game has been in the works for the Wii. If there's no trailer or anything then I'd guess at this game being well over a year away, possibly two. Not great news really for me as quality game starved Wii owner.

    Twilight Princess was a brilliant game but it was a weak Wii one IMO as far the controls were concerned. The lack of proper camera control, which the GameCube version had, coupled with the repetitive and pointless waggling for attacks showed how ill-thought out the controls were. It was lazily ported to the Wii to give that platform a triple A launch game and for no other reason. The Wiimote only came into its own when manually aiming arrows and even then there was an auto-lock that negated the need even for that.

    Nintendo should have released Twilight Princess years ago on the GameCube as originally planned before it was delayed over a year and then built a new Zelda game from the ground up specifically for the Wii. If they had then we'd be playing a brand new game by now and we'd still have had the option to play the old GC Twilight Princess on the Wii. Silly Nintendo!

  • sifujames #18 3 years ago

    I hope that the new Wii Zelda goes back to the cel-shaded look of Windwaker. Still in my books the prettiest Zelda of all, and one of the best looking games of all time. Link displayed far more character and emotion in WW then in TP. Never understood why people railed against the cel shading and called it childish. We're talking about a game where a little elf boy fights monsters to rescue a princess while accompanied by a fairy - it's hardly going to be photo-realistic...

  • Dark_Stranger #19 3 years ago

    @ sifujames - How can someone be so far from the truth! I am in fact an Elf boy, who has a best friend whom is a Fairy, and we can think of nothing better to do than rescure princesses & fight men that wear black armour & ride horses with red eyes. Get with the game plan!


    oh and 20th!
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/09 @ 18:25

  • redcrayon #20 3 years ago

    I don't mind them taking their time with Zelda- after the 'OOT2' approach of TP, Shigsy is probably racking his brain to make it epitomise the Wii.

    /Expects pony stroking
    /joke!