is in developement, yes. early stages, of course; but built from the ground up for the Wii (Twilight Princess was primarily designed for the GameCube).

this (but nothing else) was confirmed at E3, by Shigeru Miyamoto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Leg...a_%28series%29

"While not during Nintendo's keynote address, during E3 2008, Shigeru Miyamoto officially confirmed that a new Zelda title is being developed, though no other details or release date were mentioned"

--and--

"In April 2008, Miyamoto stated that "the Zelda team is forming again to work on new games". Miyamoto clarified in July that the Zelda team has been working on a new Zelda game for the Wii"

I remember reading some speculation a while back that the sequel to Twilight Princess would take the same path from TP as Majora's Mask did from Ocarina of Time.

a much darker, and more surreal one.

if that's the case, hell yeah. thoughts?

but then again, who am I to assume this will even be a sequel to TP? or even an adventure title, for that matter. for all I know, it could be a sequel to Link's Crossbow Training that's in the works...while that would always be nice, I'm really looking forward more toward the adventure side.

As long as you don't start with a little sword then get the master sword, and have to use slingshots/bows/boomerangs to hit switches then push some giant perfectly square granite blocks while lighting stupid torches and bombing rocks....

I'm kind of sick of that stuff. TP was good, really good, but I feel that's the last time they should go over that ground.

I agree. If they keep to the conventions of previous games, they have to seriously reconsider everything for me to be interested. Maybe like what Super Mario Galaxy did for 3D Mario Platformers. TP was good but in the end I felt somewhat let down. ALttP is still the best Zelda game, in my mind, and most Zelda's since then feel simply like a retread of that game. I enjoyed Majora's Mask and Windwaker because they felt fresh, even though both of those games had their problems and were definitely not perfect.

Some of my ideas, if anyone is interested:

Side note: I realize most people won't read this, since it's pretty long, so I expect the whole "TL;DR." Zelda ALttP was basically the game that got me into gaming, though. The sense of discovery I got from that game basically began my genuine appreciation of videogames, so I sort of didn't midn thinking in depth on how Zelda could be made interesting again. TP kind of disappointed me, and I've been thinking Zelda needs a serious revamp since then. Like more or less making it into a different game. I've been thinking how they could go different on the next Wii Zelda while still keep it feeling "Zelda", these are just some of my thoughts.

I wouldn't mind a first-person Zelda. With the wiimote (and now Wii motion+), you could really breathe new life into a series that is equally about exploration/discovery/secret finding as it is dungeons and puzzle solving and fighting enemies/bosses. I'd like to be able to really interact with the environment in a more in-depth way. Not necessarily 1:1 sword stuff, while that could add a new degree of technique to fighting. I'm more interested just in interacting with the environment/world in more "holistic" or integrated ways, and the exploration. Perhaps by wiimote functionality allowing for complex manipulation of in-game objects, creating entirely new items, ways to solve puzzles, and secrets or "secret grottoes" that couldn't be pulled off before due to the increased level of control. Maybe even simpler things, like being able to draw things in the sand with a stick or something, by imitating the person's motions with the wiimote. Little touches that make it feel like you're really interacting with the world...

For instance, Link simply being able to levitate and direct objects with the wiimote (stone blocks, etc) could completely change the puzzles while still bearing some resemblance to classic Zelda

I also want them to do another cell-shaded Zelda. I still think Windwaker looked more amazing than TP (though it did perhaps feel less "epic".) I don't mind a darker style, it can add a greater sense of peril to the adventure.

I really would like them to make items better in some way. Like have each item be useful throughout the game, and make their functionality more complex and diverse (perhaps by being able to combine the items uses/functions in different ways and using the items in more numerous and different contexts). Ideally they should also be more "on hand" (less menu-surfing). Okami's brush-stroke thing is a good example of another way to do things. In the later stages of a 3D Zelda it's generally somewhat guaranteed I'm not going to need much more equipped than the hook shot and the bow, and maybe the hammer or a bomb every now and then. I think Zelda games could have items a bit more like magic spells. I could see them being a bit more flexible that way. It seems more elegant or cool to, say, combine an "arrow spell" and an "exploding/bomb spell" to create explosive projectiles than it makes sense to physically attach a bomb to an arrow....

I wouldn't mind them taking the whole Light World/Dark World concept and really toying with it like Nintendo did with gravity in Super Mario Galaxy. Maybe make several sort of "astral worlds/realms" that are heavily stylized and have different physics that really make you rethink how you approach things. Maybe sort of like Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, only more varied and done better. Each "realm" could have it's own boss and territory in Hyrule. If things acted differently there (say, item functionality, the way you get around and stuff. The puzzles could differ not only from previous games, but from each other, in the same game. Maybe sort of like the Goron Temple in Twilight Princess, how the iron boots allowed you to walk on the magnetized walls there. Something sort of like that, only way better and more integrated into the play experience. Seriously, just wiimote 1:1 stuff in first person could completely change the way a Zelda game is played. And I think for the better, as it would be more immersive.

One of the things that bothered me most about TP was the world felt somewhat barren. Not very many secrets or optional things to do, towns felt dead, the twilight world was under-used and not fully-conceived IMO, and the game felt mostly the same throughout. There weren't really much "twists" in the gameplay.

Mario did well on messing with your sense of perception to make a fresh and exciting game play experience. Zelda should do the same, although in a way more true to Zelda's style. I think they could really go farther with the "fantasy" element. Play a bit less of an emphasis on the real world/realistic elements, and perhaps more on the other worlds in the Zelda universe. Doing this, it could be way more surreal and trippy, having different "rules" you must follow in other worlds so game play interactions change throughout... sort of like Galaxy... but obviously in a more "fantasy" way. That way, Zelda veterans would be offered something of a new experience.

and it probably actually will be.

now you know that if you took OOT and combined it with the mechanics and look of TP, then threw in a taste of Majora's Mask -- that it would be the greatest game ever made. that is this game's potential.

as mentioned, TP was designed for GC, and ported over to the wii (and actually released beforehand!). but since this is actually designed for the wii, theres no telling what kind of shit there will be. if they incorprated anything withing the vaguest similarity to a puzzle from Zack & Wiki, and maybe the interactivity of Metroid Prime 3 (such as firing up Samus' ship); then I would be overly pleased. I doubt it will just be pushing boxes around, and trying to match some-one's song, anymore.

plus theres no doubt the sword fighting will make use of the new Wii Motion Plus attachment. and possibly (but hopefully not) the balance board. I do hope this one is more musically based than TP was, as well.

and Buster: your post was a total TL;DR.

WHAT!? A NEW ZELDA???

I don't think the game even needs to be announced, it's a Nintendo game of course there's going to be another one in the makes.

I am quite sure that there will be new Zelda games long after I have left this world.

While Phantom Hourglass fell short in some respects, the items and some of the puzzles were top-notch. I actually used the boomerang in that game, and that almost never happens. Things like the invisible boss and the map imprint trick, while obviously not suited to the Wii, do show that Nintendo can still do some very unique stuff that takes full advantage of the hardware.

I just with they would hurry up and go Rated M with the series.

Hopefully.

I want my children's children to be playing Zelda.

But yeah, it seems like they're going to be taking a new approach with this Zelda, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Apparently there's a lot of other traditional games in development for the Wii, Miyamoto hinted that an SMG sequel is in the works too.

It seems that Nintendo doesn't feel E3 is for gamers anymore, and that it's an easy place to get good press for all their casual games. I mean, you look at past E3's, when they showed stuff like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 they were overshadowed by fucking Wii Fit. They seem to be saving their "core" games for Leipzig or some other show. Plus I'm sure it takes longer to develop a Mario or Zelda than it does another Wii Sports or Wii Music, which looks to be designed for 3 year olds.

Wii fit mat + New Wii motion + New Zelda
Anyone?

I'm hoping for a more shadow of collosus type feel with the next one. As in, no money, not a ton of items, but lots of amazing battles and great adventure in a dark world.