While we anxiously await the announcement of the Wii U release date and pricing, Nintendo news has been somewhat low key. So rather than focus on one topic, I thought I would share a few “happenings” in the Nintendo Universe.
First off, it has been announced that The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventures of Link will be released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Of course, this was the second Zelda game I played, and is still one of my favorites today. I really like the side scrolling aspect of the game, as well as the difficulty.
Every-time I see the re-launch of a game in the eShop, I can’t help but wonder if it is put there to bring excitement back to the series and reignite the passion before a new game is released. With the almost confirmed rumors of a new Wii U Zelda game, Zelda II has made me pretty giddy! Although, i have to wonder which timeline the new Zelda game will coincide with? Is it possible that it will explain why there are three timelines and how they fit together? Regardless, if you have not played Zelda II: the Adventures if Link, I urge you to check it out!
Square Enix has hit us with another blast from the past! Recently they have trademarked a new game called Circle of Mana. We can only assume it is another sequel to Secret of Mana, one of my all time favorite Nintendo games. The last installment was in 2007 when Heroes of Mana was released on the Nintendo DS. There is no official word on which gaming platform Circle of Mana will appear (and knowing Square Enix lately, it could be the iOS), but I am hoping for the 3DS as its new home.
A recent Fire Emblem Rumor has blazed some excitement amongst fans of the series. Fire Emblem: Awakening was leaked to have a January 25th, 2013 release date on UK’s Zavvi website. Although it has not been confirmed, and we have seen many similar leaks for the Wii U here in the US, it is still exciting to see a release date. Finre Emblem: Awakening is scheduled to hit North America sometime in 2013.
CapCom has launched its European E-Store today with exclusive Resident Evil 6 items, and is expected to expand the selection within the coming months. I cannot wait to see if there will be some old school Nintendo CapCom games, or related products released (fingers crossed for Bionic Commando).
Finally, it looks like Nintendo of Europe has reorganized its staff, at least a little bit.
Lewis Digby has moved on to Gameloft, and Martin Mathers will take his place as Online Editor. Digby was with Nintendo for over four years, and had the following to say about his leave:
“I’ve had the most wonderful four and a half years working at Nintendo and I’d like to thank everyone for their continued help and support. It has been a real privilege to work for such a professional, highly skilled and passionate team. I’m moving to Gameloft and I’m really excited about the new challenge but very sad to be leaving a company that has been such a major part of my life over the past years.”
Mathers was excited to join the Nintendo team, and stated teh following:
“I’m over the moon to be joining Nintendo, as it’s something of a childhood dream come true. It’s a big move, relocating to a new country, but I can’t wait to get started in the run-up to the launch of the Wii U.”
What are your thoughts on the above topics?
**Essel Pratt works in an office by day and writes for Infendo.com and Nerdzy.com in his spare time. He has published Two Stories and is working on a couple Novels and on Anthology. You can follow him on Facebook andTwitter.
