Tomorrow, at the Nintendo World Store in New York, there will be a launch party for Phantom Hourglass! Running from 1-4PM, there will be copies of the game to try out, and a chance to pose with Link. There will also be many contests running, with a cosplay contest (for all those that think it’s possible to dress as Link without looking stupid), a Zelda Trivia contest (of which I would fail the “release date” section) and a multiplayer PH contest, all for copies of the game, and possibly other Zelda goodies. There will also be a “secret event” between 2PM and 4PM, which Nintendo are keeping tight-lipped about. Any New-Yorkers, be sure to report back to us about the event on the forums, as all our staff are too far away to check it out.

Phantom Hourglass is released the day after in America, on October 1st.

Nintendo World Store - Official Website

A few days ago (Sorry for the delay, I started uni recently), Nintendo unveiled the trophies section of Smash Bros Brawl. Wind Waker fans will be pleased to know that one of the trophies included in the screenshots was a Wind Waker-style Tingle.

Well, yes, I know no-one likes Tingle, but this trophy does hint that there may be more Wind Waker content in Brawl, such as characters or levels. Or it may mean nothing at all, as there were plenty Trophies in the previous Smash Bros that featured as nothing more than that, trophies. However, it’s interesting speculation, and Wind Waker fans are bound to be pleased at the inclusion of these trophies, as there is sure to be more.

As a bonus, another Zelda-style trophy was shown in the screenshots - the incredibly scary alien-like Ooccoo from Twilight Princess.

Remember, Phantom Hourglass comes out in America tomorrow!

There is now only one week to go until the American release of Phantom Hourglass! Be sure to mark the first of October on your calendar, and try to resist the insanely huge hype of Halo 3 for five days! Europeans have a slightly longer 25-day wait, possibly a plan of NoE’s to avoid said hype, but we are dedicated to all regions (myself being a Scot and Nexus Zero being English) and will be sure to cover the European launch also.

Also. whether you are looking forward to Link’s sailing adventures, stuck and in need of a helping hand, or you’ve just finished the game and want to rant and/or rave about it, be sure to join our friendly forums, where there is bound to be plenty chatter about the latest Zelda instalment, and plenty other interesting conversations too! The forums can be found on the bar to the left, or, as I’m a nice person, by clicking this shiny text! Hope to see you there!

Today, or rather, in an hour, Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland is released in European territories. While there are no plans to release the game in the US, there is now an official English language version availible, which American fans may want to import…

Aw, don’t complain! You get plenty games us Europeans don’t, and we need to wait months longer for everything but the biggest titles! Speaking of which, also released by Nintendo today is Super Paper Mario for the Wii, which, to be honest, is probably more worthy of your money.

Nintendo recently confirmed the strange rumour that their Wii Zapper product would come bundled with a Zelda spin-off game was true. The game is an on-rails shooter set in the Twilight Princess world. Taken from the official press release:

“Link’s Crossbow Training drops players into a world in the style of The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess. Players assume the identity of hero Link, who progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship. Start with stationary bull’s-eyes and graduate to moving targets before defending Link against all kinds of enemies.”

This is certainly an unexpected move from Nintendo. It would have been more obvious to package a game based on Metroid, or the rumoured Duck-Hunt with the Zapper, as they have more in common with the concept of shooting stuff up with guns. A Zelda shooter was certainly not expected. Keep checking back for more updates on this interesting title, which is set for release in America on Nov. 19 for $19.99

Read the whole press release at Kotaku

Gaming Age are reporting that the announced pack-in game to be shipped with the Wii Zapper isn’t, in a move of profound misunderstanding, the expected Duck Hunt. No, it’s much worse than that.* It’s a game that, if released, will have the collective Zelda fanbase groaning into their pillows, and then inevitably and shamefully signing their name on the pre-order list like the hussies we are (hands up who’d like a copy of Tingle’s Balloon Fight). The game is Link’s Crossbow Training. Speculation over the nature of the game is fairly inconsequential: it would be fair to assume it does what it says on the tin. Link has never had a crossbow before so that’s kinda nice. What we don’t know is whether the game will use the Wind Waker or Twilight Princess graphical styles, but ultimately, do any of us care?

*Honestly, play it again Sam. House of the Dead 2 it ain’t.

Downloads - iPhone and iPod Wallpapers

To celebrate the release of the iPod Touch, we’ve created a set of Zelda iPhone and iPod wallpapers for you to download. Featuring official artwork from The Minish Cap, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, they’ll look great on those amazing screens.

Today’s update of the popular ”Smash Bros: DOJO!!”, the official hype-site for the upcoming Super Smash Bros: Brawl introduced the “My Music” feature, where players can edit the likelyhood that their favourite, or least favourite track will play on different stages. What does this have to do with Zelda? The update’s accomanying picture provided an interesting Zelda tidbit.

So, we now know that there will be at least four Zelda tracks in SSB:B. The down arrow at the bottom right implies that there could be more! Extra tracks are unlocked by picking up CDs in-game, so this is very possible.
The titles of these tracks may also be hinting at currently unannounced Zelda-themed stages in the game. A Dark World stage could be very interesting, though personally I’m still hoping for a Wind Waker-style level.
Be sure to take this as pure speculation. Remember, Saria’s Song played in the Termina Bay stage in the last Smash Brothers, a theme and location which are games apart!

Smash Bros. DOJO!! - My Music

Unveiled today were two interesting pieces of keyring merchandise, which will be availible in Japan towards the end of the year.

Phantom Hourglass Sound Drops

Similar to the Mario sound drops released a few months back, when pressed, these keyrings make noises from Phantom Hourglass. Ideal for winding up your friends, or pretending you’re Link!

Wii Remote Projector

Not entirely a Zelda product, these Wii remote keyrings display an image of a Wii game character onto a darkened wall. They do not, unfortunately, summon Nintendo characters to your aid when shone into the sky. There are eight in all, and characters from Twilight Princess, Super Paper Mario, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn are included in the set, two from each game. The two Zelda-themed remotes include images of Link, and Midna atop Wolf Link.

These wacky keyrings are currently only availible to pre-order in full sets at specialist site National Console Support, but will probably be more widely availible, and availible separately, towards the end of the year, when the December release approaches.