Young or old, it seems gamers everywhere love The Legend of Zelda series. When the new Nintendo DS offering The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks was announced at Game Developers Conference earlier this year, everyone cheered.
So it’s curious to see that, in its latest financial report, Nintendo goes out of its way to specify that Spirit Tracks "will appeal to a wider age group of people." Am I missing something, or doesn’t the Zelda series already have that appeal? I played The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987; I was 9-years-old and I had a blast. The curious usage of words might lead some to believe that Spirit Tracks will be a watered-down experience, designed to appeal to non-traditional, but that may not be case in the end. There’s little doubt the game will be great; if it’s not, our pitchforks and torches are coming out of storage.
It’s also interesting to note that Nintendo is still saying that Spirit Tracks is a tentative name, so we could be calling it something else before the game’s release "in the latter half of this calendar year." Might I suggest The Legend of Zelda: For Babies and Your Grandmother? I kid!
In terms of financials, if you’re interested in crunching the numbers, I've included them in the gallery. Enjoy that!
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Contest:
12:20 PM on 05.07.2009
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To gamers, it sounds like Nintendo is suggesting Spirit Tracks will be even more "casual" than Phantom Hourglass. Investors have likely never played Phantom Hourglass, let alone a single videogame in their lives, and aren't taking this as a statement of contrast like gamers are. "Wider age group" simply means "better investment opportunity." I'm fairly confident that, while Spirit Tracks sure as hell won't be Majora's Mask 2, it's definitely not going to be any more watered down than Phantom Hourglass was.
Hovering over it is Nintendo twirling its thin black mustache and laughing maniacally.
Hearing that the game "will appeal to a wider age group of people" definitely makes me less optimistic about that...
Really? I'd say there's tons of doubt. Nintendo hasn't exactly had the best track record in recent years. And while "appeal to a wider age group" might not mean anything, this game could still be watered down. I liked Phantom Hourglass. I liked it a lot in fact, more than Twilight Princess and the Minish Cap, which were the only Zelda games I played between Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass (didn't finish either of them). But if PH was watered down anymore it wouldn't have been worth it.
I'm hoping Nintendo will prove me wrong, though. I'm always happy to be wrong if it means I'll get an awesome Zelda game out of it.
:) sold!
It sat unplayed for weeks. Then I finally put the time in and found a game that reminded me of my beloved NES game moreso than any game that had come since. It's probably my fourth favorite in the series.
I also don't like the cartoon-style link, I'll stick with my Ocarina of Time/Twilight Princess style thank you.
Really, Nintendo?
=(
That said, I recall Miyamoto saying last year that the core franchises needed to appeal to a wider audience, this is in line with that statement, I for one look forward to dumbed Mario, Zelda and Metroid games and the ensuing spectacle of the fanboys defending it.
~famous last words...
Less blowing out candles using the mic though :|