Nintendo Talks DS, Zelda, PSP Threat

Thanks to IGN Cube for its interview with Nintendo VP of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan, as she comments on the Nintendo DS' backwards compatibility ("I think the initial appeal the DS gives you is that you can start with a library of 500 games"), on the new realistic-looking Zelda title ("We knew that people were going to say, 'Oh, is the new Zelda because you made a mistake with Wind Waker?' You don't make a mistake when you sell something in the millions and millions"), on the battery life of Nintendo's forthcoming handheld ("Very similar to the [Game Boy Advance] SP and I think very different from the PSP. I'm not quite sure why Sony said "Two to 10 hours" [for PSP's battery life]. That must mean that it's two hours"), and on rivalry with Sony's PSP ("I think Sony has developed a very nice looking screen. I think that having a system with claims to all the multi-functionality is a big question in our minds. Pricing is a huge question.")

Re:Rock on, Nintendo

[hords]

And from what I read the 2-10hrs of battery life for the PSP were depending on how you used it. Quote from this techtv article... [techtv.com]

"Sony claims the battery fuels two and a half hours of video playback, eight hours of gaming, or 10 hours of music."

Re:Rock on, Nintendo

[hords]

Faster, less power, greater range, signal not easily obstructed, backword compatible with 802.11b, *but* it costs more to implement. There's the kicker I assume.

Nintendo Conference

[MMaestro]

Theres a video you can download on the Nintendo conference online. The quality is bad though (shaky cam) and the angle which the video was taken isn't that great (glare). Sorry I don't know how to make the link clickable, so you'll have to copy and paste.

http://www.eurogamer.net/file_service_files.php

Re:New Zelda look a Let Down

[Anonymous Coward]

Weird. Were you also disappointed by the N64 Zelda games? They weren't cel-shaded; they were done in a semi-realistic, solid 3d style.

If you liked Wind Waker _because_ of the cel shading, then you're an exception. Most Zelda fans who liked Wind Waker fall into one of two categories: (1) liked it because it's a good Zelda game, as well as liking the graphics, and (2) liked it because it's a good Zelda game, despite disliking the graphics. I've never, before now, heard of anyone liking Wind Waker _specifically_ for the graphics, and not liking other Zelda games because they aren't cel shaded, or liking them _despite_ not being cel shaded. But that's what you're saying here.

BTW, I fall into the first category above. I understand what the developers were doing with it, and I appreciate it, since Wind Waker was a very light-hearted game. Going back to a realistic style for a heavier-hearted Zelda game makes sense, so I'm all for that too.

And to the AC [slashdot.org] below, there isn't one definitive Link in one definitive Zelda universe. The Zelda games almost all take place in pairs, with two or three games (at most) taking place in the same universe. But these universes are separate. In the Wind Waker, we see Link as a very young kid, which was the designers' goal. In Ocarina and Majora, he might have been 10-12. The Zelda games aren't chronological, except within universes.

Re:New Zelda look a Let Down

[chrismcdirty]

I believe it's been stated numerous times that they are all different incarnations of Link, Zelda, Gan(n)on, etc. in the kingdom of Hyrule. That's a nice way to explain all of the incongruency.

Re:New Zelda look a Let Down

[Osty]

I thought the premise of Wind Waker was that it was set earlier in his life.

So you never played/completed Wind Waker? I'll not spoil it for you, but here's a teaser -- it's set far into the future (that much you can get from reading the backstory in the manual). Interestingly enough, the backstory also explains that this Link is not the Link you know, and it also explains why he starts out in different clothes and then puts on the green stuff.

Re:Battery Life, huh?

[Slashdot Insider]

The Z80 was built into the core of the ARM7 used in the GBA. It's a safe bet that the secondary chip in the DS (the ARM7) is just a GBA processor that's clocked at 33MHz instead of 16MHz (the ARM7 is designed for 33MHz IIRC).

Re:why a realistic Zelda is important for Nintendo

[Rallion]

Miyamoto did not direct Wind Waker. Or Majora's Mask for that matter. Both were directed by Eiji Aonuma.