While Nintendo gave us one last look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdombefore it releases on May 12th, fans have forgotten all about the trailer in favour of the newly released artwork, which gives us our first look at the game’s main antagonist, Ganondorf.
The first sighting of the Demon King didn’t have fans of the series talking about his role in the upcoming game. No, instead, the talk is primarily focused on Ganondorf’s undeniably good looks and… uh, sex appeal?
“Do not look away. You witness a king’s revival…and the birth of his new world.”
The gym-bro muscles, those luscious locks, and that menacing tough guy stare. This character design really has it all. Thankfully, it’s not just me noticing, with the internet in shambles currently over the first official artwork. Zelda fans on Twitter and Reddit are proclaiming their newly found lustful desire for the villain.
For example, Twitter user @JoshuaQuig took to the site to say, “Hoo damn, we all knew he’d be hydrated, but not Luscious.”
they really went and made ganondorf extra sexy how am I supposed to deal with that
One Reddit user, @GrimgrinCorpseBorn could only muster “Daddydorf” in a R/NintendoSwitch discussion about the character. User @MitchOfGilead replied with (you guessed it,) “Ganondilf.”
Considering that this is the first we’re seeing of Ganondorf in his human form after skipping it in Breath of the Wild, it’s a little bit shocking to see such passionate takes on the character’s figure. The initial trailer for Tears of the Kingdom left questions on whether or not Ganon would star in the upcoming game, prompting some to draw examples of what a “rehydrated Ganondorf” would look like. This spun into an internet meme that seems to be the cause of all of the attention Ganondorf is currently getting.
Despite the news of the character’s return being overtaken by heaps of explicitly lude comments (and some fan art that we’re not going to mention) the announcement of Ganondorfs returns to the Zelda series just adds to the hype surrounding one of the most anticipated Switch games in the history of the console.
Those looking to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (or just ogle at Ganon the whole time) can do so on May 12th when the title officially launches.
In other Zelda-related news, MobileSyrup has partnered with Nintendo of Canada to send you and a friend to New York for the launch of Tears of the Kingdom. Learn more about the contest here.
Show us what makes you Canada’s biggest The Legend of Zelda fan for your chance to win a trip to New York City to celebrate the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in style. Win a two-night stay at a hotel in New York City for 2 guests, including round-trip airfare, so that you can pick up your physical The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Collector’s Edition game in person from Nintendo New York, over the launch weekend.
Plus, everyone who enters will have the chance to win a secondary The Legend of Zelda prize pack, including a The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game, a The Legend of Zelda Triforce light, a The Legend of Zelda compact stand and a The Legend of Zelda-themed pro controller.
To enter the contest, follow @MobileSyrup on Twitter and post a photo with a short message explaining why you think you’re Canada’s premier Zelda fan with the hashtag ‘#BiggestCanadianZeldaFan.’
Maybe you have a room in your home dedicated to The Legend of Zelda series or a full arm sleeve of tattoos showing off your love of Gorons? Perhaps you’re a hardcore collector and own every game in the franchise, like The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition for GameCube?
Above all else, show us why you feel you’re Canada’s biggest Zelda fan! All before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches for Nintendo Switch on May 12 – available for pre-orders now.
All submissions are due by April 20th at 11:59pm ET. A winner will be selected and contacted on April 21st.
The contest’s rules and regulations are available here.
I wouldn’t say I like Nintendo’s Amiibo, and I think the company selling $15-$20 toys that lock gameplay elements behind them is borderline robbery.
The worst offenders are the Loftwing character that allows you to fast-travel in Skyward Sword HDand the Wolf Link exclusive dungeon in Twilight Princess HD. I understand some people like miniature statues, but I wish Nintendo offered all Amiibo in cheaper card form as it did withAnimal Crossing.
You could argue that the two examples above are $15 DLC add-ons, but that’s only at launch. Since Amiibo are often sold in batches, the prices rise considerably as they become rarer. For example, many Zelda-affiliated characters are in the $70 range on Amazon. Therefore, if you didn’t buy that character at launch, you need to pay reseller pricing.
To get around all of this, I decided to buy third-party Amiibo cards. These aren’t official Nintendo products, but in my experience, they work great and cost way less than rare Zelda Amiibos.
You might be wondering how there are 36 cards in the set when there are only 25 Zelda Amiibo, and I don’t have the answer to that. The cards are mainly meant for Breath of the Wild since they unlock special weapons and armour sets. For instance, the Majora’s Mask Amiibo offers the chance to unlock the ‘Fierce Deity‘ outfit and sword. Still, the card collection comes with both a Majora’s Mask Link and a Fierce Deity Sword, which unlock the same items and are both sub-labelled as ‘Link | Majora’s Mask.’
Both can be used on the same day, and as far as I can tell, they represent the same Amiibo. I’m not complaining since the game is only supposed to allow you to use each Amiibo once per day, so this is a useful advantage the cards offer if you’re trying to unlock rare items.
Each card offers a list of what it unlocks on the back. This makes it easy to see what a card unlocks without memorizing it or looking it up online every time. The final plus is that the cards are the same size as a Switch game card. This makes it easier to pack a few into your travel case and take them on the go, compared to an Amiibo statue.
I’ve verified that each card is tied to an Amiibo and scanned them into Breath of the Wild; confirming that every card represents the statue printed on it is a more challenging task. Scanning these characters in the game triggers a lottery for the rare weapons and clothing tied to each Amiibo, and in my tests, I only unlocked the Wind Waker boomerang, the Cap of Twilight and one ancient helm. I also got the Wolf Link companion and Epona. On top of that, all the Toon link/Wind Waker Links dropped fish along with an item, so I’m fairly confident that they all work.
You can find the third-party 36-card set Amiibo set here.
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There were few reasons to own a Wii U back when I bought my original unit in 2013 and even fewer to own one now, but alas, it’s the best way to get access to the Wii’s catalogue in 2023, and Zelda fans know that HD Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are the best way to play both those games.
You may laugh at my quest to recapture the nostalgia of the Wii era, but as someone born in 1996, the Wii was a staple of every household I knew growing up, meaning I was never far away from a match of Wii Sports or some other weird motion controlled game. I also never had a PlayStation 2, so all of my elementary school gaming was done via Nintendo consoles and handhelds until I finally got an Xbox 360 to play Halo 3 on in 2010.
My fondness for the Wii U doesn’t hold as much nostalgia, but I still have some good reasons for why I decided to buy one in 2023.
Where it all began
This journey started a few weeks ago when the golf update finally hit Switch Sports. My friends and I started playing it more and, by proxy, the rest of the Switch Sports games. This made me start to feel nostalgia for Wii SportsResort. A spin-off of Wii Sports with tons of other games like archery, frisbee and even a plane-flying minigame.
If I wanted to get the sports from Wii Sports Resort into my next local multiplayer match, I’d need to get a Wii, four Wii remotes (with Wii Motion Plus built-in) and four nunchucks. Wii Motion Plus is needed for the extra sports games in Wii Sports Resort since it adds extra gyroscopes to give the remote more precision. This originally started as an attachment that slotted into the bottom of the remote, but newer controllers called the ‘Wii RemotePlus’ built it all into the simple Wiimote form factor.
After digging through my basement, I found a Luigi-themed Wii RemotePlus and my old homebrewed Wii, but no cables. Since the Wii is homebrewed, you need a GameCube controller to access the menu too, so it’s more or less out of commission. The remote still works, but the batteries inside had corroded so it did need a lot of cleaning.
From there, I went to Facebook Marketplace, and much to my surprise, Wii U consoles were fairly cheap. “Do I dare?” I asked myself. It would be cheaper to get a Wii, but having access to the HD remakes of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker is very appealing. After a bit of searching online, I discovered I could also buy the Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii U eShop, and I was sold.
After a few days scouring the used market in Toronto, I stumbled across a 32GB unit that a videogame shop was selling for $170. That felt like a good deal to me, and since these small shops generally offer small warranties, I jumped at the chance. After work, Alex and I jumped in my car and drove over there to catch them before closing, but when we got there, they only had a white 8GB model, which they sold to me for $150.
The unit came with a Wii RemotePlus, Nunchuck and all the other necessary cables you’d need for a Wii U. To top it off, I bought another RemotePlus/Nunchuck combo, and the store threw in a copy of Wii Sports Resort for free since they weren’t sure if they’d work (it did). All this also came with a two-week store credit warranty, which I was happy with. If I had been willing to drive further or wait longer, I think I could have found a better deal on the used market.
When I got home, I plugged the console in, and much to my surprise, it spit out a copy of Wii Play, another mini-game-focused Wii title from my childhood.
Then I needed to factory reset the system and log in with my own Nintendo Network ID, notably a different login system than the Switch. This is where things got complicated. I kept trying to input my password, and it wouldn’t work for some reason. Then I discovered that the 3DS uses the same login info, so I dug my 2DS out of storage. I found my login info there, but it still wouldn’t work.
After even more research deep in Reddit forums, I discovered that the Wii U suffered a hack a few years ago, which kneecapped a lot of the safety on the console. Therefore I would need to call Nintendo to recover my account. The other alternative would be to make a new account, so I just did that instead, sacrificing my online copy of Pikmin 3 linked to my old username.
This is now two hours after I initially started setting up the console. From there, I hopped into the Wii U eShop and attempt to buy Wind Waker HD. Luckily for me, the game is only $30, which is cheaper than a lot of resellers online. I add it to my cart and went to add my credit card to the console, and I learned that you can’t add credit cards to the Wii U post-hack. Bummer, but I can buy a $35 eShop card on Amazon, which should cover the game and taxes. I try to load that into the Wii U, and I’m again stopped.
Ok, Back to Google to find out how to solve this.
It turns out I can merge my Nintendo Network ID and my Switch Nintendo account, add the funds to that, combine the two wallets and then buy my Wii U game. My first attempt at this is through my phone, and unsurprisingly at this point, it errors out. Whenever I input the code, it sent me to a blank Nintendo website page. I grab my Switch, and it finally accepts the eShop code. I go back to my phone, log into my Nintendo account again, and merge the two accounts and wallets. I’ll mention that these are two specific ‘merging’ steps, not something that happens automatically when you link accounts.
There’s a lot jammed into the back of my Wii U, but it looks great on the big screen!
Three hours later, after a simple Wii U reset, I finally had enough money on the console to buy the game. I hit download only to realize that the 8GB of storage is unusable for downloading games. After a bit more digging around in my house, I found a 4GB USB stick that was big enough to hold Wind Waker HD.
It was a hassle, but I’ve got a smaller 32GB stick on order from Amazon that only cost me $13, and so far I’ve been having a blast reliving my childhood Wii and Wii U games. I even plugged in the MClassic that I reviewed a long time ago, and it’s really helpful for making Wind Waker look extra crisp.
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If you have any Wii or Wii U game recommendations, let me know in the comments. I’ve already got my eye on Battalion Wars 2 and Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn for Wii, but I’m looking for other recommendations before March 27th!
Just a few days after Halloween and Nintendo has already unveiled its list of Canadian Black Friday deals.
First up is a discounted $399 Mario Kart 8 Bundle, which you’ll probably recognize since the gaming giant has offered that the last few Black Fridays. Like last year, though, it’s also throwing in a three-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual membership on top of a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe voucher at no additional cost. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is priced at $79, while three months of Switch Online costs $9.99, so you save $89 total with this bundle.
On top of that, Nintendo is offering up to $40 off a variety of Switch games:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain — $29.99 (regularly $39.99)
Bravely Default II — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit — $89.99 (regularly $129.99)
Mario Party Superstars — $54.99 (regularly $79.99)
WarioWare: Get It Together! — $44.99 (regularly $64.99)
These physical game deals start November 20th at retailers across Canada. Additionally, Nintendo says it will run digital eShop Black Friday promotions, which will be announced at a later date.
“My name is Reggie. I’m about kickin’ ass, I’m about takin’ names, and we’re about makin’ games.”
Reggie Fils-Aimé introduced himself to the world in a big way during Nintendo’s E3 2004 conference, and he’s become a legend in the industry ever since. In his 15 years at the Japanese gaming giant, many of which he served as president and CEO of Nintendo of America, Fils-Aimé helped revitalize Nintendo’s image and oversee such massively successful products as the Wii and Switch.
It’s a storied career for the retired executive, and he’s now opening up about it in a new book called Disrupting the Game.
Admittedly, I’m someone who’s fallen off reading in recent years to focus on other art forms, like gaming and film. That said, I’ve really been enjoying Disrupting the Game. Fils-Aimé’s experience already speaks for itself, and he proves himself to be an exceptionally engaging author. That’s because he frames his stories in a rather captivating way.
Essentially, each chapter focuses on a different period in his career, with many interesting anecdotes sprinkled throughout. He’ll then cap these off with “So What” sections, wherein he’ll tie them into broader philosophies surrounding leadership and other interpersonal skills. As a result, you’ll get a lot out of the book — either as someone who wants to hear about some of Nintendo’s internal discussions surrounding its famous products, or as someone who’s looking to gain insight from a savvy businessman. Of course, Fils-Aimé has also had success in key sales and marketing roles at other companies, like Procter & Gamble, VH1 and Pizza Hut, which he gets into in equally worthy sections of the book. (A particular highlight is how Fils-Aimé worked around asparagus shortages during his tenure at Panda Express.)
“Fils-Aimé also dives into a key aspect of himself that he rarely discussed publicly while at Nintendo: his background.”
But above all else, Disrupting the Game is a fascinating look into the man that many gamers have affectionately dubbed “The Regginator” for so many years. The book opens with Fils-Aimé recounting the last time he saw Satoru Iwata, the late Nintendo president and CEO, and his subsequent emotional return to Japan for his funeral. This section touches on everything from how he considered his boss a friend and took selfies with his daughter to the friendly-but-firm debate he had with him regarding the marketing strategy for the Wii, and it’s extremely compelling stuff.
I’ve often spoken about how gaming companies are notoriously secretive, so it’s refreshing to learn a bit more about some of the industry’s biggest figures. (The book doesn’t get into it, but to give you an idea of Fils-Aimé and Iwata’s fun rapport, look no further than their “battle” in one of Nintendo’s coolest trailers ever, the reveal of the Mii Fighter for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U).
Iwata, Fils-Aimé and legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto promoting Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze at E3 2013 (Image credit: Nintendo)
In Disrupting the Game, Fils-Aimé also dives into a key aspect of himself that he rarely discussed publicly while at Nintendo: his background. As he explains in the book, he was born to Haitian immigrants in the Bronx, where “we were the only Black people for blocks.” His early years of having to navigate racial and cultural differences would play a key role in later jobs, particularly in a Japanese gaming giant like Nintendo. In this way, you get a better idea of his state of mind at notable points throughout his career, like preparing for how he would likely be the only Black man at Iwata’s funeral or how he had to convince a hospital-ridden Iwata that he was visiting him not as a business associate — “this just isn’t done in Japan,” the late executive said — but as a friend.
To say more would give away some of the wonderful stories and rich lessons that Fils-Aimé provides in his book. Suffice it to say, though, that it’s a really good read — not just for fellow video game fanatics, but those with an interest in business, as well.
Along with adding N64 classic Banjo-Kazooie to the Switch Online’ Expansion Pack’ subscription tier, Nintendo has also improved The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’srampant lag and graphical issues.
This means Ocarina of Time’s ‘Water Temple’ and its abundance of water looks a little closer to the original N64 release. More importantly, as first spotted by YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer (MVG), NSO Version 1.2 also improves the controller input lag issue the classic game suffered from in the emulator, reducing it to 1-2 frames from 5-6.
MVG outlines the positive graphical changes to Ocarina of Time in the lengthy video, mentioning that the title’s fog and lighting still feature issues.
I’ve spent the last few evenings playing Banjo-Kazooie, one of my favourite games from my childhood, and the Expansion Pack’s emulation is pretty spot-on. I’ve encountered a few instances of slow-down, but beyond the occasional hiccup, the game runs near perfectly on the Switch.
While the Expansion Pack’s price still doesn’t line up with the number of titles it offers, this is good news for the subscription tier. Hopefully, Majora’s Mask runs just as smoothly when it launches next month.
Nintendo’s ‘Expansion Pack’ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership. The subscription includes Switch Online, SNES, NES, N64 and Sega Genesis games, and Animal Crossing New Horizon’s first paid DLC, Happy Home Paradise.
Following the recent release of Banjo-Kazooie, Nintendo has confirmed that the 12th game to hit its Switch Online ‘Expansion Pack’ tier will be The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
So far, all we know is that the game is coming to the subscription service in February. Nintendo will likely reveal a more specific release date in the coming weeks.
Set in the world of Termina, Link’s second N64 adventure has the titular Hylian saving the world from the moon. The game focuses on a three-day cycle and has the player donning different masks to transform into a Deku, a Goran and a Zora.
Save Termina before it’s met with a terrible fate!
Hopefully, Nintendo is able to iron out the emulation issues several switch titles — including Ocarina of Time — currently experience. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time suffers from delayed button presses and strange graphical anomalies.
I’ve never been entirely sure where I stand on Majora’s Mask. On the one hand, it’s one of the most unique Zelda titles in the series, but it also lacks the exploration-focus I really like about the franchise.
If you’ve followed my work (and incessant tweeting) over the years, I’ve stated at times that Majora’s Mask is my least favourite Zelda title, but then later, called it an “underappreciated classic” when I reviewed the 3DS remake back in 2015.
I’m excited to dive back into Majora’s Mask to see how it holds up today — and more importantly, if my opinion on the game has yet again shifted.
Nintendo’s ‘Expansion Pack‘ online tier costs $63.99 for a 12-month individual membership (one account) or $99.99 for a 12-month Family Membership (up to eight accounts).
Frances Bean Cobain has offered her support to Robin Williams’ daughter.
The 21-year-old artist – who was just 20 months old when her father, Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain, committed suicide – told Zelda Williams she will be there for her ”wherever, whenever” after her actor dad took his own life on Monday (08.11.14).
Frances – whose mother is Hole rocker Courtney Love – tweeted: ”@zeldawilliams You have such an incredibly beautiful soul. I love you but you already knew that. Wherever, whenever u need me I’ll be there (sic)”.
Zelda, 25, has released a lengthy statement in tribute to her dad in which she admitted she will ”never, ever understand” his actions.
She said: ”While I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there’s minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions. It doesn’t help the pain, but at least it’s a burden countless others now know we carry, and so many have offered to help lighten the load. Thank you for that.”
Elsewhere in her statement she recalled the last time they spent the day together, thanked fans for their support and told Robin’s critics he would be laughing at them.
She also said: ”My family has always been private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world. But now that’s gone, and I feel stripped bare. My last day with him was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and laughter. He was always warm, even in his darkest moments…
”To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after you’ve had it washed. After all, he loved to laugh too…
”Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”
