Nintendo Splits Zelda Fans

Thinking you can buy the Wii version of Link's new adventure and choose how you want to play? Think again.

Nintendo's new console, the Wii, will be able to play GameCube games without any problems. That's good news for Zelda fans waiting for the long-delayed Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, now coming to both systems, because there's no need to keep your GameCube once you've got a Wii. You do, however, still need to make one very important decision.

Nintendo vice president George Harrison spoke this week to fans during the company's annual Camp Hyrule virtual summer camp about how the two versions of the game will differ in their controller support:

"The [GameCube] controller will be able to play the [GameCube] version on the Wii console, but will not be able to play the Wii version," Harrison said, according to a transcript at QJ.net.

Outside of the controller differences, the only other apparent distinction between the two is that the Wii edition will be playable in widescreen, according to IGN.

Deciding which version to play on your Wii is one thing, but you'll first need to find one. Nintendo hasn't spoken publicly about how many consoles it will have for the launch at the end of the year. Harrison didn't go much beyond that.

"It's hard to know what the total demand for Wii will be," he said. "We'll do our best to supply as much as possible, but there are many consumers around the world who are also hoping to get a Wii this holiday."

For more on the game, check out our full impressions from earlier in the year.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games