Analyst: Legend of Zelda returning in 2009

by David Hinkle { Dec 23rd 2008 at 12:48PM }

Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian recently detailed a list of games he expects to release in 2009, which he believes would help drive industry growth by 5%. In the list of 22 titles, Colin includes a new Legend of Zelda, as well as a new Princess Peach game for the DS.

This is just speculation on his part, but considering what Nintendo has said about the teams and their work on a new Zelda, we wouldn't be surprised if we finally saw something on the game next year. Of course, you have to consider how long it took Nintendo to put out Twilight Princess. We're just hoping it doesn't take that long for the next game.

Gallery: thegamershaven's Zelda Wii

Tags: 2009, legend-of-zelda, nintendo, twilight-princess, zelda

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mr Khan @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:11PM

There was a brief rumor unleashed about a game entitled "Legend of Zelda: Valley of the Flood," with a bunch of concept art, until it was proven that the supposed title screen was actually ripped from a fairly new fantasy book named "Perdido Street Station"

But i'm not feeling 2009 myself. Spring 2010 seems about right.

Roto13 @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:21PM

I remember that. That was dumb. Supposedly some random unknown gaming site got an interview with Iwata who gave all kinds of random unlikey facts (like that it wouldn't star Link and the main character would be crazy or something like that) and they gave him a verbal promise that they wouldn't post the interview until after it was announced at E3 '08.

I can't believe there were people who fell for that, but there were. I saw them on the internets. It was pitiful.

Roto13 @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:14PM

Considering the fact that Miyamoto just said that he wasn't even sure if they'd even be able to show the next Zelda at the next E3, I think chances are slim that it'll come out next year.

milan @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:14PM

This is definitely a good idea... but I'll believe it when I see it. Zelda by Holidays '09? When I think about it, that doesn't seem likely.

rodjoh @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:16PM

2009? Hmm we might see something... at least a teaser or trailer.

Aaron @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:28PM

If Miyamoto is to be believed, I wouldn't expect anything like Wind Waker or Twilight Princess.

http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2008/10/09/miyamoto-wants-big-new-ideas-in-next-zelda/

"Twilight Princess will be, without a doubt, the last Zelda game as you know it in its present form."
- Shigeru Miyamoto, September 2005

acefondu @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:48PM

hahahaha, this dude clearly knows nothing about video games or Miyamoto's style of releasing games. Zelda coming out in 2009 before a screen shot hits in 2008? Don't make me laugh. The only way we'll see a Zelda release is if Miyamoto pawned off the Zelda series to the Capcom team again and they publish it for WiiWare because it obviously couldn't be a full fledged game at this juncture.

Mimi @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:55PM

A new Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Wii in 2009? No.
A new Legend of Zelda for WiiWare in 2009? Yes.
A new Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo DSi via Digital download in 2009? Maybe.

Todd Perkins @ Dec 23rd 2008 1:59PM

Does anyone else think they could release an 8-bit or otherwise old school type Zelda for WiiWare? That's what I first thought when Shiggy mentioned that Mario and Zelda teams were hard at work.

xodus666 @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:19PM

knowing nintendo, itll probably a series of minigames with a zelda theme. zelda games are always good so i hope nintendo doesnt screw up next year like they did this year.

whistlepig @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:33PM

yea i agree if anything in 09 it will be minigames

mongoos32 @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:17PM

I'm in agreement with the rest of this crowd. If anything they'll show us a trailer. It couldn't be a better year to do it because of the whining from the hardcore crowd. If they were to show a trailer for it at E3, the world would once more be excited for Nintendo E3 Press Conferences like they were back in the day. Boy, do I miss those days.

Feba @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:56PM

I wouldn't be TOO surprised, but I am expecting them to release "TP2"; take many of the resources from Twilight Princess, add in a new plot and features, upgrade the graphics, and release. Similar to Majora's Mask.

I also wouldn't be too surprised if Miyamoto wasn't interested in such a project; and is talking about his 'next gen' Zelda. Also, they have already started talking about it, so they might not find it too weird to consider a release in a year; especially if it largely recycled.

Personally, I'd like to see Nintendo do their own take on a Twilight hack-- make a WiiWare game that carries code that modifies the TP we already know; there's a lot of unexploited potential in there. The Day/Night cycle, for example, could be changed to be a more important gameplay element. I shudder at the thought of Werelink, but all of the elements for it are already there.

Anyway, basically when you launch from the menu with this in your Wii, it reads the existing code from the Twilight Princess disk and slaps its own code on top of it. Preferably it would be more complex than just a 'second quest', but even that would probably be worth a few bucks.

Aaron @ Dec 23rd 2008 6:00PM

Definitely disagree. See my earlier post above.

samfish @ Dec 23rd 2008 2:35PM

The only way a new Zelda in 2009 is likely is if those rumors of Retro doing a Zelda spin-off are true.
Otherwise, I'll wait for Christmas of 2010.

Prof_Chaos @ Dec 23rd 2008 3:57PM

We'll see some sort of a teaser at the Nintendo Summit, maybe E3, but I doubt it. The release won't come before Holiday 2010. Probably end up delayed until Spring/Summer 2011.

Hell it could end up delayed so far that it dual releases on Wii and whatever comes after. Not like that hasn't happened before.

The lesson here is don't get your hopes up and never listen to analysts. They mostly have their heads so far up their asses it doesn't even smell anymore.

I expect that will see a Zelda at or near the end of the Wii's life cycle. We won't see another Super Mario for Wii. We'll get Pikmin and maybe a new IP or two and Play for Wii. The rest will really be up to 3rd party dev's that will have to start putting some effort into their work.

pjsingh @ Dec 23rd 2008 5:54PM

Are you kidding me? No zelda pics in 2008 means no zelda in 2009. Nintendo likes to milk zelda for all its worth, announcing it like 2 years before it gets released, all to create hype for the game.

Bowser Rogozhin @ Dec 23rd 2008 5:58PM

I really hope there isn't a new Zelda for a long time, I'm talking a long time; Super Metroid to Metroid Prime long. A time of reflection is needed to truly get over the Twilight Princess debacle. That game was so tired, so archaic, so brown, especially when compared to the superior Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. Reaching into the forever well of Ocarina is getting tiresome. If Aonuma can't reach for the stars then he shouldn't try anymore; give Link a rest and move onto something new.

Matias @ Dec 23rd 2008 8:16PM

I expect to be hyped after a zelda trailer in the next E3, and then wait for the release like 3 years later.

Have someone read the rumors about zelda and the valley of the flood, they're really old (and really fake too), but they sounded so cool for a spin-off, or a new franchise.