Zelda: Link to the Past 2 (3DS) and EarthBound is Finally Re-released

[Unstable Hamster]

I'm blown away at this announcement, LttP is still my favorite Zelda. Part of me wishes that it was on the Wii U (mainly just to have it on a big TV), but I'm grateful that there is gonna be a sequel at all! I'm sure it's gonna be a blast to play!

[Soul Splint]

I've never played the original either, and I've been wanting to for years. I've been hoping for Ninty to make an announcement that they would be bringing some SNES games such as LttP to the 3DS eShop. Now I'm wondering if this announcement increases that likelihood, or if I just need to go ahead and get it on the Wii Virtual Console.

[DarkeSword]

Since both are equally big news for Nintendo fans, can I edit the thread to put the focus on Nintendo's announcements today so that both games, and more, can be featured as opposed to focusing on one or the other?

I don't mind editing the thread to focus on Zelda, I just wonder if that was a possibility.

Better to have two threads. One for Zelda and one for Earthbound. Feel free to make another one for one of those topics.

[Ptazza]

I hope that structurally it's a lot like A Link to the Past and not like the more recent Zeldas where they have you revisit the same few temples/places over and over. I'm interested, but only if it's not a Phantom Hourglass clone.

Earthbound though, hell yeah. If Nintendo wants to keep porting older titles to 3DS, I'm cool with that. Here's hoping for a Super Metroid port.

That's actually one of the things I envisioned before I bought my 3DS, shame it's not on 3DS yet.

[Mirby]

So this pretty much indicates that Nintendo's new marketing strategy is to hit fans in the nostalgia.

Powerfully.

With the force of a rhinoceros stampede.

Seems rather effective to me.

[Unstable Hamster]

So this pretty much indicates that Nintendo's new marketing strategy is to hit fans in the nostalgia.

Powerfully.

With the force of a rhinoceros stampede.

Seems rather effective to me.

I kinda see the gist of Nintendo's announcements as this:

"Hey remember all that stuff you guys wanted? Well we're doing it! Were even doing stuff you wanted but didn't know it. We predicted all of your desires and made them a reality!"

I for one welcome my new Nintendo overlords.

[Mirby]

I kinda see the gist of Nintendo's announcements as this:

"Hey remember all that stuff you guys wanted? Well we're doing it! Were even doing stuff you wanted but didn't know it. We predicted all of your desires and made them a reality!"

I for one welcome my new Nintendo overlords.

Now they just need to (as has been mentioned here before) make that final Golden Sun game.

FINISH THE STORY DAMMIT! RESOLVE THAT CLIFFHANGER and then we won't bug y'all any more.

[omnipotentBagel]

I kinda see the gist of Nintendo's announcements as this:

"Hey remember all that stuff you guys wanted? Well we're doing it! Were even doing stuff you wanted but didn't know it. We predicted all of your desires and made them a reality!"

I for one welcome my new Nintendo overlords.

Really? I must have missed where they announced Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country 2, and a Final Fantasy V remake (ala III and IV DS) for 3DS. Oh well, I guess they have to save something for E3, right?

Edit: Wait, that sounds really bitter. I'm only slightly bitter, honest. I'm excited for the new Zelda, cautiously optimistic about the new Yoshi's Island (hopefully they learned from the mistakes of the DS game), and hopeful that Earthbound finally releasing means they're considering releasing Mother 3 in the west.

Edited April 18, 2013 by omnipotentBagel

[ocre]

Not to burst any bubbles, but Mother 3 hasn't been translated*. EarthBound was and look how long it's taken to get that.

Now, do I think people inundating the inevitable Japanese Mother 3* Miiverse Community with pleas to release the game here will help? Not to mention I believe Earthbound will sell pretty well on VC.

I could see Nintendo of America devoting a small localization team to it if both of those happen. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

*Don't make me laugh.

**We know GBA games are hitting Wii U VC.

Edited April 18, 2013 by ocre

[Modus]

I feel like the only guy holding out for new Nintendo IPs. I mean I'll always buy new Zelda and Pikmin but that's really all you have guaranteed from me, Ninty. I don't stick to one thing very long.

This is probably a bad tangent, but I did want to put it out there.

On LttP 2, I hope they do some sort of collector's edition or special edition 3DS because I'll spring for it.

[Meteo Xavier]

Better to have two threads. One for Zelda and one for Earthbound. Feel free to make another one for one of those topics.

I'll try to do it later tonight once/if I get a chance to.

[Calpis]

Not to burst any bubbles, but Mother 3 hasn't been translated*.

Technically, it has been fan-translated. The guy actually offered to let Nintendo use it as well. Not to say that they'd actually consider it or not, I just think the translation argument doesn't make sense. Maybe an argument regarding localization, sure, but not translation.

[Garrett Williamson]

This one right here is just slightly excited.

[omnipotentBagel]

I feel like the only guy holding out for new Nintendo IPs. I mean I'll always buy new Zelda and Pikmin but that's really all you have guaranteed from me, Ninty. I don't stick to one thing very long.

This is probably a bad tangent, but I did want to put it out there.

On LttP 2, I hope they do some sort of collector's edition or special edition 3DS because I'll spring for it.

I would be excited for new IP's from Nintendo if they didn't already have a bunch of great, mostly neglected IPs already. I'd rather they spend some time making some great new Donkey Kong and Metroid stuff.

[Thalzon]

Nintendo has made new IPs but mostly for digital downloads. Games like Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western, and Harmoknight. Nintendo has so many beloved franchises now that it would be quite difficult to update them all regularly AND create new IPs (that may ultimately require sequels).

[GTAHater836]

A Link to the Past 2* looks to be fusing the magic meter with the stamina meter. While I wish they'd bring back the magic meter from A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and The Wind Waker, at least it's a start. My excitement for it will rise if they prove that it'll be at least as difficult as the original A Link to the Past. It would be great if it were Oracle of Ages/Seasons difficult, but that's a longshot.

I was too young to have ever played EarthBound, but I'll be sure to download it when I finally get a Wii U in 2016. Magicant and Snowman for Smash 4!

*I call it "Agahnim's Paper Trail" for now because of the Paper Mario 2D/3D elements.

To Mirby: I agree! And they should fix the MYRIAD problems that Dark Dawn had! Dark Dawn's battle system was a total pushover, all the music was mediocre, and those ancient civilizations mentioned in the Ei-Jei region (Exathi, Neox, Fori, etc.) were all extraneous! But I'd agree with you that one of the bigger problems was too many loose ends in the plot!

Edited April 20, 2013 by GTAHater836

[Skyline Drop]

LTTP 2?

YES! YEEEESSSS!

[Kadosho]

I remember seeing a mention of Zelda during GMA a few days ago. I had no idea LTTP2 was on its way. Wow. (did it need a sequel? Never thought about that)

And Earthbound!? o.o Fans have been clamoring for a decade! Wonder if the original team is working on the new game.

[Thalzon]

Well, at the end of LttP, Link's wish returns Hyrule to normal and apparently the Dark World returns to being the Sacred Realm. There could very well be some unforeseen fallout. However, it's unlikely to be Ganon, since according to the ZELDA TIMELINE (!!!!) his resurrection doesn't happen until the Oracle games. Maybe it's Vaati? He hasn't appeared in this timeline yet.

[Kanthos]

Take a look at the footage of LTTP 2 here. Notice that the controls being used are dpad+buttons, not stylus. Commence rejoicing!

[Crowbar Man]

And Earthbound!? o.o Fans have been clamoring for a decade! Wonder if the original team is working on the new game.

EB isn't a new game, its EB (aka Mother 2) for SNES as a Virtual Console release. Basically a ROM running in an Emu, there isn't going to be any work done really (Unless Nintendo really did alter some of the things they were afraid of, but that would be a slight music romhack, nothing they'd need the original team for)

However, it is wonderful Nintendo actually is re-releasing this little gem after all this time. For those who don't do Emulation or can't find a cart it provides an affordable legal way to play it, and even on an HDTV! On top of that, they have finally acknowledged it exists outside of Japan! Now if they release Mother 3 outside of Japan that would be mind blowing, but I wouldn't get our hopes up (even if the fan translators have offered to give them their (Excellent!) version for free :/)

As much as LttP is my favorite game in the entire series, I'm not sure how i feel about a "game in the same world" and what they mean by that (retelling? sequel?) All i know is the art design is a bit odd looking, the "LINK TURNS INTO A DRAWING!" is a strange/jarring thing to introduce while trying to play the nostalgia card (even if it can be used as a cool concept for new puzzles), and that camera is way way too zoomed in (very small playfield area). They seriously need to expand the playfield view a bit. Still, can't wait to see how it turns out!

Edited April 23, 2013 by Crowbar Man

[nOkbient]

Yay! Earthbound!

...but, I have a gripe with this new Zelda game though, and it's not the fact that it's a "sequel." In fact, it's more of a gripe with Nintendo.

I'm getting really sick and tired of all this uncreative bullshit AAA game companies have been pumping out lately. They think much much MUCH less about the gamer and more about the money than they used to. Games are much more uncreative. Seriously, when is there going to be another "great" game that ISN'T a fucking FPS. Now, while Nintendo hasn't really jumped on this bandwagon yet, it's doing something else. It's developed this "family friendly" theme to nearly EVERY ONE OF THEIR GAMES!!! Everything they pump out is designed for simpleminded elderly women! Seriously! Skyward Sword!? Where's the secrets!? "New" Super Mario Brothers!? It was never "new!" Just repackaged! Not to mention all of the 3rd party fishing, dancing, and minigame collection games they keep liscencing.

Recently Nintendo's been using previous success to keep them going. The "New" Super Mario Bros., this repolishing of Windwaker, all of the hype over the Virtual Consol releases, and now this. They havn't made anything decent in ages! I don't care how "redisigned" they make this. It's still based in the Link to the Past universe. I want something NEW. Like, how Minish Cap was new! I guess I wish it was less "top-down" and more 3d. Seriously, the 3DS is 100% capable of making a new 3d Zelda title! They're making this 2d because it's easier to make, there's less chance fans will be upset, and it's cheaper to make. I understand that some of you disagree with me, and I get the love of the top-down style; it was how the first one was, and A Link to the Past is one of my favorite games! I just feel that this could be such more than a 2d game that has different floors. It's just too fucking gimicky and uncreative. I LOVE the design and style though, but I just think it would be better as a new 3d Zelda adventure.

Ok, there. Rant over.

[Bleck]

I just feel that this could be such more than a 2d game that has different floors.

like what whitetext

[Thalzon]

Guys.

You ARE aware that, despite being the same world, it's had to be completely remade, right? That they didn't just take the existing 2D maps and use their magical 3D wand to make it happen? That they're making completely new dungeons for the whole thing? That this sort of thing happens all the time with other devs and they never get called lazy for it?

[nOkbient]

like what whitetext

If you read it through, I said I thought it would be a fantastic 3d game, considering the design.

I know the game has been completely redone. It's not a problem with what's in the game. In fact, I think it's going to be a great game! I'm just disappointed that they're "playing it safe," as usual...