GDC: Iwata unveils new DS Zelda
Spirit Tracks, due out later this year.
Nintendo has unveiled The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for DS during Satoru Iwata's keynote address at GDC.
The game is due out "later this year", according to the Nintendo boss, who showed a video of it in action to satisfy "long time Nintendo loyalists". (You can check out the trailer on Eurogamer TV now.)
According to Ellie "Princess Diana" Gibson, who was on hand at the conference, a big DS logo was on-screen, not DSi, suggesting it'll work on the lot.
In the video, Link was seen fighting things from the comfort of a train - hence the title, which is tentative - including a giant spider. We also got to see Princess Zelda reading him something. The top-screen had a map, suggesting you get to direct the train. Choo choo!
Judging by the trailer, the game will use the train to move around the overworld and then delve into classic, Phantom Hourglass-style gameplay for dungeons, of which several are seen in the two minutes of footage. Expect to be using the touch-screen to draw your way out of tricky situations once again.
UPDATE: Here's a summary from Nintendo's post-conference press release, which we just received: "The new The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks game that Iwata announced will utilise the intuitive touch control of Phantom Hourglass in an all new adventure that will please longtime Zelda fans while keeping the game accessible to all DS owners. The concept behind this Zelda game includes utilising a steam locomotive to travel around the world, switching Phantom and Link to explore the dungeons, and solving puzzles using new items."