Zelda Comes Within Our Sights

Up Seattle way last week, Nintendo showed GameSpot News Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina in Time and confirmed that it "is going to introduce this game in 1998" in the US and in May or June in Japan. Whether or not it will be the launch title for the 64DD has yet to be determined though all signs look good for the 64DD to be released in the US by the end of the year.

Cinematics of Link's hometown were downright impressive, the dark stormy rain in particular, with incredible graphics. We saw the much ballyhooed horse sequence, where the player controls Link on a horse and makes them jump fences and puddles and so forth. And there was a white horse very near to the dark one Link was riding, a horse seemingly more apropos for Link to ride, but as our demonstrator told us, getting hold of that horse was not as easy as it might seem that it should be. "I'd show you how to get on the white horse," he said, "but I can't figure it out for the life of me." I guess challenge will be as much a part of the game as beauty.

A fairy will be Link's guide of sorts, turning yellow over a person Link can speak to and red when an enemy is approaching. And the fairy isn't the only thing changing color, of course; time will elapse in this game, so the sky will reflect the time of day. Altogether, Legend of Zelda looks like a most impressive game.

Other games shown at the Summit: Banjo-Kazooie, Cruis'n World, Ken Griffey Jr., NBA Courtside, 1080 Snowboarding (by far the most popular game of the Summit), Yoshi's Story, and third-party titles Forsaken 64, Quake 64, Bio FREAKS, Mystical Ninja, NHL Breakaway 98, and Quest 64. Check out the new art and the links on the right for more info on these titles, and watch for detailed previews this week and next.