25 Things You May Not Know About Zelda

1. The Japanese Versions of Zelda I and II Had Different Music

Many NES classic weren't released on the proper NES (Famicom) in Japan. Rather, they were released for a peripheral called the Famicom Disk System.

The FDS hooked up to the original Famicom and offered the ability to save games, along with a few hardware tweaks like an extra sound channel. This meant that not only did Nintendo have to put batteries into cartridges to allow for save games, many developers had to cut the music entirely.

In Zelda's case, the extra sound channel meant that some of its musical tracks and sound effects sounded richer.

2. There Was a Dedicated Zelda Handheld

Nintendo released a Zelda game in its line of dedicated LCD Game & Watch units in 1989.

Based on the original Legend of Zelda for the NES, the game is significant as not only the last Game & Watch, but as the last handheld Nintendo would release before the Game Boy.

3. A Chip Shortage Delayed Zelda 2

There were more reasons for gamers having to wait for NES games than slow localizations. The demand for titles was so high that many famous games, including Zelda 2, were significantly delayed in their American releases due to a chip shortage in 1988.

At least, that's what Nintendo said at the time. The company was operating in the wake of the Cabbage Patch Doll craze, and Coleco had allegedly used artificial sources to generate the hype. Even the the ABC show 20/20 questioned the authenticity of the shortage.

It reminds us of the release of a certain console in 2006...

4. Link's Awakening Was Censored in America

Oh, the days of Nintendo's draconian content restrictions. They gave us a boring and bloodless Mortal Kombat and censored localizations of many Japanese games, including Link's Awakening.

The character Schule paints a picture in the game, and while American gamers were none the wiser, Japanese players were treated to a tasteful nude hippo.

5. Link to the Past Had A Hidden Room You Probably Haven't Seen

Nintendo Power used to have all sorts of contests that would let fans design content or get their names into sequels to their favorite games. On lucky fan got his name into Link to the Past.

Too bad nobody could find it- it was hidden away in a secret room only accessible by breaking the game, with a plaque than simply read, "My name is Chris Houlihan. This is my top secret room. Keep it between us, okay?"

Uhh...sure...no problem. 

6. Fox McCloud Hates Link

As Smash Brothers proves, not all Nintendo characters get along. Fox McCloud of StarFox fame apparently hates Link and even goes after him in Ocarina of Time.

With a little coaxing from the Action Replay or similar cheating device, players can discover a very aggressive version of Fox's starship, the Arwing, that will attack Link on sight.

7. Twilight Princess on the Wii is Backwards

Outraged fans cried foul at the right-handed Link in the Wii version of Twilight Princess. Link had always been a lefty (unless you count the right-handedness caused by NES sprite flipping.) Shigeru Miyamoto modeled that aspect of the character off of himself.

Well, most people -- around 85% -- are right handed. Nintendo didn't want any confusion with the sword controls in their flagship Wii title.

Except they didn't just change Link, they mirrored the entire game world, making life a pain for underpaid strategy guide writers everywhere.

8. Ocarina of Time Had An Expansion Pack

The N64's signature title was not originally an N64 game. During the early production of Ocarina of Time, it was developed for the 64DD, an optical disc drive that never came out in America and lived a short, inglorious life in Japan.

Even after the game moved to the N64 proper, Nintendo continued to work on Ocarina of Time: Master Quest, an improved version of the game with lots of new content. It never saw release on the short-lived peripheral, but was released as a pre-order bonus for Wind Waker on the GameCube.

 

9. Skyward Sword is Not The Same Game Announced in 2009

The Skyward Sword we saw at last year's E3 is not the game Nintendo originally started working on. In 2009, Miyamoto claimed the next Zelda game would not be "radically different" from previous versions.

However, four months later, the game's producer Eji Aounuma said that he and Miyamoto had agreed to not follow the same template and to change things up. Miyamoto echoed those sentiments in May of 2010. So sometime in 2009, Skyward Sword underwent a major design revision.


 

10. Ocarina of Time Had a Song Removed

Remember the Fire Temple music from Ocarina of Time? Don't be so sure. If you played the game immediately after its release, you heard a slightly different track than those who bought later versions of the game.

The original version had a Muslim prayer looped into it, and was later removed to avoid causing offense. 

11. There Was Almost a Zelda 1 Remake for Game Boy

The Oracle games originally started life out as a remake of the original NES Legend of Zelda. Yoshiki Okamoto of Capcom approached Miyamoto with the idea and, after much back and forth, got the go-ahead.

Unfortunately for Okamoto, he was in over his head and his team's tweaks to the original game resulted in an entirely new overworld map.

12. There Was Supposed to Be a Third Oracle Ganme

When Okamoto ran into trouble attempting to remake the original Legend of Zelda for the Game Boy Color, Miyamoto came to the rescue with his idea for a trilogy called the Triforce series. Over time, this planned trilogy produced the two GBC Zeldas, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.

What happened to the third one? Even Miyamoto's reworked concept proved too difficult and Capcom scaled the planned trilogy down to two titles.

13. Link's Awakening is Based On a Non-Zelda Game

Fans have always noted how different the story of Link's Awakening is from other Zelda titles. That's because despite the Zelda skin, it's more of a sequel to a little-known Japan-only title, The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls, than any Link to the Past.

There are even characters from TFWBT in the game- the exiled prince Richard makes a cameo.

14. Tingle Has His Own Games

Tingle is a very confused man who thinks he's a faerie. Western fans love to hate him, but he's popular enough to have his own series of games in Japan.

His four-game series reign began in 2007 with Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, which tells Tingle's origin story and was released only in Japan and Europe. Nintendo of America passed on the opportunity to publish the game.

Tingle's Balloon Fight DS was a prize for Club Nintendo Platinum members. 2009 saw the release of Ripening Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love in Japan, along with the Too Much Tingle Pack for DSiWare.

15. Crazy Tracy from Link's Awakening is In Another Game

Captain Rainbow, a Japan-only Nintendo game featuring washed-up Nintendo characters that never earned a following, features the oft-forgotten Crazy Tracy from Link's Awakening. She lives in the center of the island where the game takes place, in a grand mansion where she plots to enslave the men of the world.

When talking about Captain Rainbow, many overlook Tracy's appearance in favor of discussing an unfortunate scene where the player must scour Birdo's room for her vibrator (no, seriously.) 

16. There's a 16-Bit Remake of Zelda 1

While children were busy being bored by the Sega Channel in America, kids in Japan were playing around with the Satellaview, an add-on peripheral for the SNES that hooked up to satellite TV like the Sega Channel hooked up to cable. Games were broadcast at set times, and system owners had to be ready to play. All titles had to be played in one sitting.

Three Zelda titles were released for the system, one of which was a remake of the original NES title with freshly updated 16-bit graphics and sound, a la Mario All-Stars.

17. There Are Two Zelda Games You'll Never Properly Play

There were two more BS (Broadcast Satellite) games. BS The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Stone Tablets, was a complete Zelda title broadcast over four weeks in 1997. The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods was a version of Link to the Past broadcast especially for the system.

While technically ROM files for these games are out there and playable, the live nature of the original BS broadcasts means you'll never be able to play them as they were originally intended.

18. Zelda Games Came Out for Non-Nintendo Systems

Well, excuuuuse meee, princess. You say you've already seen clips of the disastrous CD-i Zelda games on YouTube. But do you know the reason Nintendo allowed these abominations to exist?

In the mid-nineties, Sega had made significant inroads in the console market, and though their Sega CD add-on was a commercial flop, Nintendo still felt the need to combat it. It struck a deal with Philips to create a CD-ROM add-on, but as most of us know, it was never actually released. The deal left Philips with the rights to use Mario and Zelda in its own CD-i games, which it did, ensuring fodder for YouTube comedy videos for years to come.

19. Some Non-Nintendo Zelda Games Were Actually Good

Not all instances of Nintendo lending out its IP to outsiders ended in disaster. When Nintendo teamed up with Capcom, it gave us three separate handheld classics: Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and The Minish Cap were all designed by Capcom, not Nintendo.

Despite Capcom's success, Phillip's failure still makes fans flinch when Nintendo announces new partnerships.

20. Zelda Is Part of a Complete Balanced Breakfast

The 80s were a Nintendo-crazy era. Zelda and Mario even got their own breakfast cereals. Called the Nintendo Cereal System, each box was divided into Mario and Zelda sides.

It was a typical marshmallow-based licensed cereal (yes, there were enough of these things to call this 'typical.') Like all other sugar-packed cereals, it was billed as a part of a complete nutritious breakfast that, according to the commercials, consisted of milk, orange juice, two bowls of cereal, a stack of heavily buttered toast and a premature death due to childhood diabetes. 

21. The U.S. Version of Zelda 1 Removed A Feature

The NES we got in the U.S. was not completely identical to the original Japanese Famicom. The Famicom featured hardwired controllers, a top-loading cartridge slot, and a microphone.

The Pols Voice enemies that populate the game could be killed by yelling into the microphone. With no such peripheral on the NES, the functionality was removed from the American version. However, hints to the original nature of the game still exist in the English instruction manual, which claims that Pols Voice is sensitive to loud noises.

22. A Work-In Progress Version of Zelda 1 Leaked On the Internet

Nintendo is renowned for their secrecy. That's why it was such a big deal when a prototype ROM of the Legend of Zelda leaked onto the internet in 2010.

Made for the Famicom Disk System, this version of the game is not only significantly easier, but even features different art for some of the enemies.

23. There is Lots of Debug Stuff Left on the Wind Waker Disc

When game makers finish a game, they don't go through and meticulously wipe their footprints away. Instead, they lock up the data and call it good enough. This means that clever hackers can access this data to get a look at possible alternate versions, levels, or cut features (as Rockstar learned the hard way with the Hot Coffee scandal.)

While Wind Waker doesn't have any hidden sex scenes, it does feature music, weapons, and superfluous rooms used for bug testing.

The recent advent of PC GameCube emulation has allowed curious individuals the chance to access and play around with these hidden items. 

24. Ocarina of Time Was Almost a First-Person Game

Early on, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto was pushing for Ocarina of Time to take place entirely in first-person, so as to emphasize the vastness of Hyrule field. Thankfully, he changed his mind once the young Link/old Link dynamic was put into place, as he felt it important that the player see the difference.

The idea would be revisited in Link's Crossbow Training for the Wii in 2007.

25. Each Zelda Has a Distinct Theme Written By the Same Guy

Koji Kondo, the man responsible for the most memorable Zelda and Mario tunes of all time, still works on the series. To keep things fresh, he likes to have a different theme for each game, as he told Nintendo Power in 2006.

"Each game in the Zelda series has a slightly different vibe. Majora's Mask had an exotic Chinese-opera sound; and Wind Waker had sort of an Irish influence on its music. As we started thinking about the music for Twilight Princess, I got some guidance from the developers that they'd like music reminiscent of eastern Europe." 

Original Article : http://www.1up.com/news/25-things-you-did-not-know-about-zelda

Next Week Release

Next week's batch of new video game releases covers almost every genre under the sun, including adventure games, real-time tactical, sims, splatting paint, puzzlers, face-shooting games, RPGs and face-shooting games with lots of swearing.

Highlights

    

Skip to PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP sections if you'd like, or just read on through for the full breakdown of this week's releases.

PC

     

Bulletstorm, Cities in Motion, EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious , Gemini Rue, Gray Matter, Men of War: Assault Squad

PlayStation 3

    

Bulletstorm, de Blob 2, Killzone 3, Killzone 3 Helghast Edition, Knights Contract

Xbox 360

    

Bejeweled Blitz Live (Xbox Live Arcade download), Bulletstorm, de Blob 2, Dreamcast Collection, Knights Contract

Wii

de Blob 2

Nintendo DS

  

de Blob 2, Radiant Historia, Tin Can

PSP

Original Article : http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/67574

Hackers Can Unban Their Consoles

This game of one-upmanship between Sony and the PS3 modders is getting seriously heated. Responding to the news that Sony was permabanning modded consoles, a new hack claims to worm into the PSN and allow people to unban themselves. 

The hack can also be used to ban another console, although they'd need access to that console's ID, which would have to be obtained from a refurb warehouse/secondhand seller or willingly given up by an idiot. 

The mod scene is justifying its actions by calling Sony bullies and criticizing its strong-arm tactics. Sony, of course, is sticking by its EULA and claiming to protect its interests.

Whichever side you find righteous, there is no denying that this war is going to get even more bitter -- and likely more idiotic -- before it's all said and done. 

Original Article: http://www.destructoid.com/psn-hack-lets-users-unban-themselves-ban-others-194361.phtml

MMOFPS From Bungie

Since finishing up with the Halo franchise, Bungie has moved on to develop a new game for Activision Blizzard that we know absolutely nothing about. According to a new report, Bungie is staying within the realm of first-person shooters for its next game -- except it'll be a massively multiplayer FPS.

A source spoke with Kotaku claiming to be a contractor who, along with around 30 others, was let go from Bungie. Besides talking about the layoffs, he or she also shared some information about Bungie's next project: The MMOFPS will have a science fiction setting and be called 'Destiny,' although it currently carries the codename 'Tiger.'

The source says Bungie let go "every employee who wasn't full-time employed," including "producers, artists, programmers, most of the IT staff, and security." This was due to "performance related" issues, although an IT contractor who was also laid off supposedly received an email that pointed to "project sensitivity" and "budgetary concerns from our publisher" as the real reasons behind the layoffs.

Since the report was originally filed, Bungie has publicly denied that any such event ever took place. "Bungie has never been asked to lay off any employees or contract employees by our publisher, Activision-Blizzard, for any reason," a post on Bungie.net reads. "The talented professionals who grace our offices day in and day out are the lifeblood of Bungie -- our most cherished commodity ? and the unsubstantiated rumors posted today are in direct opposition to the culture and values that we believe make Bungie an exceptional place to work, and to call home." It's also noted that Bungie is currently hiring for a variety of positions.

With Bungie outright denying that any "layoffs or group firings of any kind" have taken place, it makes it difficult to believe the source's claim that an MMOFPS is the Halo developer's next game.GameSpot notes that Bungie writer and design director Joseph Staten made some comments last year that could be taken as an interest in working on an MMO.

"I think it's a shame that we spent so much time working on this world called Halo and then we only let people spend six or eight or 10 hours in it," Staten said. "Wouldn't it be great if we could make a world that was always there for you, with lots of stories to tell, like a big, infinite storytelling horizon? Man, that would be great."

That sounds like he might be talking about an MMO, where the story can continue being told indefinitely. But all that can really be taken as is interest on the part of one Bungie staffer -- it's not necessarily an indication of what the developer is working on.

For what it's worth, Bungie has said that it's developing a new engine for its next game. Last year it was also looking to hire individuals who had experience with "branching or non-linear" narratives, as well as a Player Investment Designer who would be "designing mechanics which drive in-game player reward and incentive" and working to provide players with long-term goals "to invest them in the world and their character."

Given that it still would be an FPS game on some level -- a genre that Bungie's become pretty comfortable with over the last decade -- an MMOFPS doesn't seem like such a stretch. Even so, for now, we'll have to keep this idea filed under 'rumor.' 

Original Article: http://www.1up.com/news/bungie-next-game-mmofps-destiny

Sony Tablet

Since the netbook craze has died down, tablet computers have become all the rage, thanks in large part to the iPad. Sony has yet to enter the market with a tablet of its own, though it's made it clear that it wants to claim at least the number two position behind the iPad. It will begin working towards that goal later this year with a tablet codenamed S1, according to Engadget. The device is planned to be branded as PlayStation Certified upon release.

The S1 will run on Android 3.0 and have a 9.4-inch screen. It's being customized by a variety of Sony divisions, including VAIO, Reader, Sony Ericsson, and PlayStation. The VAIO group is in charge but it's not expected to carry that title once finished. Sony's work has "created a user experience that rivals and at times improves upon the iPad's renowned experience." Sony's Qriocity on-demand service for music, videos, and movies is going to be a key element, as will games -- it'll come equipped with unspecified PlayStation One games and "PlayStation integration".

Engadget initially speculated that this might simply entail Remote Play -- the same functionality the PlayStation Portable carries which allows certain PS3 games to be played remotely on the PSP. Since the original report was filed, it's been confirmed through sources that the S1 will be PlayStation Certified. That's the same term being applied to Sony Ericsson's new Xperia Play phone which is meant to indicate that the device in question is capable of delivering a "PlayStation quality experience."

Pertinent technical details include the screen resolution of 1280x800 and its Tegra 2 processor, the same thing being carried by the upcoming Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and LG G-Slate. The only buttons the S1 currently carries are for volume control; everything else will be operated on the touchscreen, although the possibility of a Qriocity button is being considered.

The design is somewhat curious. Engadget has a mockup of what the tablet will look like (pictured above), as there are no actual pictures of the S1 currently available. "The tablet's 'wrap' design is meant to remind the owner of something personal in the way that it mimics an open paperback stuffed into the back pocket, or a magazine folded backward upon itself such that only a single page is visible to read," the report explains. "A design that also gives the tablet's display enough angle to comfortably touch-type when placed on a table." It's also meant to reduce the difficulty in using it with one hand.

The price for a Wi-Fi only version -- no word on storage or 3G support yet -- is currently set for $599. That's $100 more than the cheapest iPad (16GB, Wi-Fi only). Sony had been hoping to match the iPad's price. Its release date has been pushed back "several times" already, with it currently set to ship this September. As you'd expect, none of this is set in stone. It's teased that Sony has another tablet in the works, possibly with dual screens, as this patent that surfaced last year reveals.

Assuming the S1 does make it to market, this will be at least the second PlayStation Certified device to come out of Sony, joining the recently announced Xperia Play from Sony Ericsson. It also of course has its new proper handheld videogame system in the works currently known as the NGP. The S1 won't be PlayStation-branded if and when it's released, but this seems to be another sign that Sony is interested in expanding 'PlayStation' beyond the space we're used to seeing it occupy -- or, at least, capitalizing on the brand in order to help sell new devices. 

Original Article: http://www.1up.com/news/playstation-certified-tablet-coming-sony

16 Year Old Murders Mother Over Playstation Argument

When you've been a naughty little bastard and find yourself punished with a videogame ban, what's the appropriate response? Suck it up and do your time, or commit matricide? If you go with the former, you're not 16-year-old Kendall Anderson.

The boy had his PlayStation system confiscated as punishment for an undisclosed trespass and got into an argument with his mother, Rashida. He did what any ordinary lunatic would do and resolved to kill her in her sleep with a hammer. She survived after getting hit 20 times with a claw hammer, and Kendall tried to finish the job with a "cremation" in the kitchen oven. The Hansel & Gretel approach also failed to end the job, so he decided to drop the clever shit and beat her to death with a chair leg. Classy.

“If I could, I would not do it again. I really miss my mom ... she was the only person who cared for me,” said the killer, after confessing the murder to Philadelphia Police. 

He has been charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, and abuse of a corpse.

Valve More Profitable Than Google and Apple Per Employee

Valve and its Steam service are obviously wildly successful. But as a company that refuses to ever offer up any financial information, it's difficult to figure out just how successful Valve really is.

In a Forbes profile of founder Gabe Newell, it's claimed that Valve's digital distribution store now owns between 50% and 70% of the $4 billion business that is downloadable PC games. Forbes cites IHS Screen Digest analyst Ed Barton, who suggests Valve's revenue in 2010 was in the "high hundreds of millions of dollars." Newell will only get as specific as saying that Valve is "tremendously profitable." He also stated that, per employee, Valve is profitable than Google or Apple.

The profile goes on to describe the story of how Newell almost went blind before getting surgery that granted him much-improved eyesight, as well as his current hobby of creating things like iPad stands, custom swords, and other 'geek accessories.'

Newell admitted that Valve has missed out on some trends that have been proven to be extremely profitable, including mobile, social, and motion control games. He qualified what could be construed as regret over the misses by saying, "If we tried to blaze new trails of our own and ride all the latest trends, we'd likely be bankrupt by now."

Valve will be launching its next game, Portal 2, in April. It also continues to provide a tremendous amount of support for Team Fortress 2. Last year it launched an in-game store where weapons and cosmetic items can be purchased. It also allows players to develop and sell their own items (with some making up to $20,000 per week).

Original Article: http://www.1up.com/news/valve-more-profitable-google-apple-per-employee