Zelda Held Back Until Spring 2006

Nintendo gives Link more time in the cooker. New screens proffered, but those won't ease the pain.

Nintendo fans have been dealt a severe blow with the company's announcement that Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for GameCube will not be out before next spring.

In a conciliatory statement released on Tuesday, Nintendo said that it was holding the game back until at least April 2006 to add "incredible new elements" to what many already considered one of the most promising games in the offing on any console.

While Nintendo's European handlers were less open about the reasons for the delay, Perrin Kaplan, a vice president at Nintendo of America, said that the release was being delayed so that the game could be given the extra care that fans - and Nintendo - demand:

"After much discussion, the Zelda development team has requested extra time to add new levels, more depth and even higher quality to Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," said Kaplan.

"Consequently, we're announcing a new global launch in 2006, after the conclusion of this fiscal year (March 31). We'll provide a specific date at a later point in time."

"While this may come as a disappointment to many eager fans it will absolutely enrich the game and make it a multi-million seller."

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been the biggest game on the GameCube horizon since it was unveiled at 2004's E3. At this year's show the game nabbed many awards and there were no obvious signs that the game was in need of such drastic retooling.

The delay has several important consequences for Nintendo.

There have been few high-profile releases on the GameCube this year, and fans' hopes have been propped up the prospects of a new Legend of Zelda title for months already. With that game now gone, GameCube sales will suffer, especially among core gamers, who will be drawn away more easily by Xbox 360 when it launches at the end of the year.

Perhaps more importantly, the delay puts the release of the game right around the slated Japanese launch date of the PlayStation 3.

As a token gesture to help lessen the severity of the blow, Nintendo has released a new trickle of screenshots. The move leaves many wondering how long Nintendo will carry on drip-feeding fans screenshots before releasing the game.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games