While many critics are pointing to the underwhelming performance of Nintendo’s Wii U platform as yet another sign that the video game giant should beat a hasty retreat from the hardware industry and instead become a multi-platform publisher, recent news from the house of Mario suggests that there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.

With dozens of new first-party titles arriving in the next 12 months, the Wii U is gradually beginning to pick up steam. But when President and CEO of Nintendo Satoru Iwata made reference to a brand new The Legend of Zelda title for Wii U in a recent interview with Britain’s The Guardian, people really started paying attention.

Gamers are already well aware that Nintendo is set to bring a high-definition remake of Gamecube classic The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker to Wii U later this year, and the mere sight of 3DS title A Link Between Worlds has the old-school crowd here at RocketNews24 positively salivating, but word is that Wii U owners can expect to embark on a brand new Zelda outing before too long.

▼ A Link Between Worlds is a spiritual successor to SNES classic A Link to the Past

“[Mr. Eiji] Aonuma’s team has been working on a new Zelda title for the Wii U,” Mr. Iwata comments when talking about the future of the console. “They are actually working on an exclusive new Wii U title in the Zelda franchise and I hope in the not-too-distant future, we will be able to make the relevant announcement.”

Now, before we get too carried away here, we should note that Mr. Iwata states that the new title is part of “the Zelda franchise” and not necessarily a full-blown adventure (Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, anyone?) like we’re both used to and hoping for. But since the Wii U has yet to receive its very own Hyrulian quest, chances are high that it’ll be the real, bombs-arrows-and-life-hearts deal. Besides, with Eiji Aonuma having directed and produced the five most recent instalments in the series, it is highly unlikely that his talents would be squandered on some low-key spin-off.

▼ We’d rather the new game isn’t another one of these.

tingle

Will we see something akin to the ultra-detailed tech demos shown at the Wii U’s unveiling, or will Nintendo take yet another stylistic approach with its next Zelda title? Whatever the game will look like, fingers crossed we’ll catch a glimpse of the team’s work in progress before the end of the year.

Source: The Guardian via Inside Games 
Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland image via Gay Gamer Video via YouTube Nintendo