All Articles: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Mario Kart 8 sells 8 million copies as Nintendo updates their best-selling Wii U and 3DS titles

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Nintendo fans are absolutely giddy with excitement about the company’s upcoming Switch console, but we shouldn’t forget about the Wii U and 3DS. Earlier this week, the consolemaker updated investors on their best-selling titles for the Wii U and 3DS, as of September 30, 2016.

As the biggest-selling Nintendo-published game on the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 recently tallied total sales of eight million copies. The game’s success was measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads. While Mario Kart 8 is far and away the most popular game for the Wii U, Splatoon’s sales (4.57 million copies) are pretty impressive for a new franchise. Here’s the full top ten:

Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the Wii U

  • 1. Mario Kart 8 — 8 Million
  • 2. New Super Mario Bros. U — 5.45 Million
  • 3. Super Mario 3D World — 5.19 Million
  • 4. Nintendo Land — 5.13 Million
  • 5. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U — 4.99 Million
  • 6. Splatoon — 4.57 Million
  • 7. Super Mario Maker — 3.73 Million
  • 8. New Super Luigi U — 2.74 Million
  • 9. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD — 1.98 Million
  • 10. Mario Party 10 — 1.94 Million

Over on the 3DS, Pokemon X/Y proved that the RPG franchise is still first in the minds of Nintendo fans, with total sales of 15.64 million copies. Once again measured using worldwide numbers for retail sales and digital downloads, it finished slightly ahead of Mario Kart 7, which almost lapped its console-based big brother with total sales of nearly 14 million copies. Here’s the full top ten:

Best-Selling Nintendo-Published Games on the 3DS

  • 1. Pokemon X/Y — 15.64 Million
  • 2. Mario Kart 7 — 13.94 Million
  • 3. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire — 13.18 Million
  • 4. Super Mario 3D Land — 10.98 Million
  • 5. New Super Mario Bros. 2 — 10.6 Million
  • 6. Animal Crossing: New Leaf — 10.34 Million
  • 7. Super Smash Bros. For 3DS — 8.35 Million
  • 8. Tomodachi Life — 5.3 Million
  • 9. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon — 5.03 Million
  • 10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D — 4.52 Million

The Wii U has struggled on store shelves since it was released in late 2012. The console currently has an install base of just 13.36 million, which is just a shade over 10% of the Wii’s final sales total. Meanwhile, the 3DS can claim an install base of 61.57 million, which is impressive, but still a far cry from the record-breaking sales of 154.02 million units for the DS.

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Insert Quarter: The Legend of Zelda’s Most Interesting One-Off Items

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

With more than a dozen games under his tunic, Link has accumulated quite the arsenal of one-off items and weapons. Sure, everyone loves the Ladder and the Whistle, but those appeared all the way back in the original Legend of Zelda. What have you done for me lately, Link?

Thankfully, the writers at The AV Club have put their “Inventory” skills to good use and cataloged all these weird and wacky inventions for future generations as part of “Zelda Week.” That’s such a great idea that I’ll even give them a pass after whiffing on the Ball And Chain (it appeared in Twilight Princess and Hyrule Warriors):

So much of The Legend Of Zelda’s identity hangs on that “legend” conceit. It’s a tale that’s always being retold, often with the same characters, locations, and plot points. That’s also why Link’s ever-growing collection of weapons and gadgetry tends to stay so similar from game to game. But when you look past the utilitarian adventuring necessities—your bombs and bows and boomerangs—the series is full of tools that have only ever made their way into a single Zelda game. Some are powerful items with deep ties to the stories in which they appear, and others are idiosyncratic novelties that have no place outside the ruined temples in which they’ve been hidden away. Whatever their role, some of these one-legend wonders are among the most memorable tools Link has ever used.

The full article is available for your perusal at The AV Club.

Posted in 3DS, News, Retro, Wii, Wii U | Tagged , , , , ,

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Review: Amazing At Any Resolution

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Nintendo is no stranger to remakes and reimaginings. Super Mario Bros. Metroid. Mario Kart. Donkey Kong. In fact, most of the company’s key franchises have been recycled with every console generation. And yet, somehow, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD feels different. Perhaps it is because the Wii U is under intense pressure to pick up sales, and needs a knockout game. Or maybe it is the fact that certain critics see Nintendo’s stable of characters as stale and overused, relying too much on the charity of nostalgic gamers. Or it could just be that it is the first Zelda game in high definition.

Whatever made Nintendo decide to re-release this title, it has proven to be a brilliant choice. It’s like meeting an old friend after a ten-year gap. (more…)

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New Releases: Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, NBA 2K14, Etrian Odyssey Untold, More

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The Wii U keeps on sailing towards better day with the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD this week. In contrast with Wind Waker’s polarizing 2003 debut, everyone seems very excited to get their hands on the remake. Also available this week is 2K’s latest sports title, NBA 2K14. The game will be released for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

A pair of RPGs will make their way to the 3DS this week including Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl and Marvelous/XSEED’s Rune Factory 4.

Finally, a pair of Ubisoft compilations may entice the budget Xbox 360 gamer. Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Trilogy (which includes Assassin’s Creed II, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations) and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Trilogy (which includes Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier) will both be available for Microsoft’s system.

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Nintendo Download: Zelda: Wind Waker HD, Scribblenauts DC, Super Mario Bros., a lot more

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Nintendo plans to add a bunch of new games to the DSiWare Shop, 3DS eShop, and Wii U eShop over the next few days, including one of the most acclaimed GameCube games ever and everybody’s favorite NES game.

Let’s start with today’s additions to Nintendo’s download services. The NES classic Super Mario Bros. is now available on the Wii U eShop, but the real action is on the 3DS. Nintendo’s handheld will receive Star Wars Pinball, Solomon’s Key, Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi, Rage of the Gladiator, AiRace Speed, Mahjong 3D: Essentials, and Shifting World today. There’s a little something for everyone there including a few puzzles games, a great fantasy fighter, a romantic RPG, and a racer. If you’re still rocking a DSi, two interactive stories (Tales to Enjoy! The Ugly Duckling and Tales to Enjoy! Three Little Pigs) were also added to the DSiWare Shop today.

So what else can we look forward to? Tomorrow, Nintendo will add The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD to the Wii U eShop, a full two weeks before its disc-based debut. And on Tuesday, Wii U and 3DS owners will be able to go on a superheroic adventure with Superman, Batman, and hundreds of other DC characters in Scribblenauts Unmasked. Finally, FIFA 14 will also be added to the 3DS eShop on Tuesday.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)

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Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Wii U Bundle set for September 20

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In addition to slashing the price of the Wii U Deluxe Set, Nintendo has announced that a special edition Wii U Bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will be available on September 20.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U Bundle will be priced at $299.99 (the same price as the regular Deluxe Set) and will include a black Wii U Deluxe console; a GamePad controller adorned with gold lettering, a gold Hyrule crest and gold symbols from the game; a download code for the eBook version of Hyrule Historia, which details the chronology, history and artwork of the Zelda series; and a code that can be used to download The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD from the Wii U eShop.

Best of all, fans won’t have to wait until October 4 to activate the code. It will work immediately on September 20.

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Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will be released on October 4

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We knew it was coming sometime during the tenth month of 2013, but Nintendo has gotten more specific and confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will be released on October 4.

Fans of the Zelda series will get a chance to play a game a bit earlier during the Seattle stop of the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert tour on September 12. Demo kiosks featuring The Wind Waker HD and this Fall’s other Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for the 3DS, will be installed in the lobby of Benaroya Hall.

Nintendo also plans to display fan-created artwork during the show. If you want your Zelda-themed piece to be considered, apply for Nintendo’s “Fan Art Challenge” on their Facebook Page.

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Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD will include a harder “Hero Mode”

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Not content with just offering the normal difficulty setting, Nintendo has announced that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will feature an additional difficultly setting called Hero Mode. The higher difficulty setting, also seen in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, will remove healing hearts from being found in the environment, forcing Link to seek out fairies or potions. Not only that, but enemy AIs will dish out double the damage they do in Normal Mode.

This new feature is one of several to be added to the original game, including Swift Sail, which allows players to control the King of Red Lions ship directly, rather than indirectly changing direction by controlling the wind. The GamePad’s second screen will also allow players to effectively play the game as an FPS, in a similar way to Link’s Crossbow Training on the Wii. Along with the improved HD graphics, this version of Wink Waker is shaping up to be a must-own game.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will be available in October.

[Source: Polygon]

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