Sean "Pirate King" Easterling Explains: Less then three weeks ago, I surfed by Video gamer X's site to see if there had been any updates. There hadn't, but I took the chance to surf around the site and relive my Zelda 64 memories. From the Triforce rumors to the timeline theories, from the game glitches to the fan fiction. God, Zelda 64 and Majora's mask where some pretty freakin amazing games huh? Not a single Nintendo, Squaresoft, Capcom, Tecmo, Konami, game before or since, has left such a deep impression upon me. No, gaming didn't stop with the 64 Zeldas, but they had something yet to be duplicated in any action adventure fantasy game hence.

This year I decided to buy a gamecube mostly so I can finally play Metroid and Zelda Wind waker. I have no doubts that the Wind Waker will be a great game. But like the Final Fantasys and Grandias, Lunars, and Xenosagas, that I have collected since buying a PS2, TWW will only be a pretender and ultimately for me, a squandered opportunity.

My visit to the Odyssey of hyrule got me thinking, "I haven't played a Zelda game in a while" so that very afternoon, I got home and dusted off the old N64, and put in Ocarina of Time. I was amazed at how, in this age of Devil May Cry, Ico, Silent Hill, Maximo, Fatal Frame, Shenmue II, Otogi, and Halo, how well the damn game held up. I was also amazed at just how much of the game I'd forgotten in the past four years. The next week was pure self discovery as I beat the game for the fifty something time and had just as much fun with it then as when I first picked it off the shelf of my local Babbages. I went straight from Ocarina to Majora's mask (a game I think improved on it's predecessor) and was in gaming bliss all over again.

These games beat, I returned to the Odyssey of hyrule to look again on a past gaming legend that looked fated to forever fade into the past. I was somewhat confused. What is it about Zelda that stays with a person? Why does it so easily succeed where many other game either fail or come up short? Why does running across hyrule on Epona hunting for poes, or helping the people of Termina, still give me such a magical charge while the Labyrinths of Final Fantasy X reduce me to yawns? Why is Zelda, Zelda? Why does it hold so many?

And the most perplexing question of all... Why doesn't Miyamoto, drop the fanciful fairyland of Wind Waker, and realize his truly epic vision of Zelda? One rife with Vengeance or Honor, Justice, and heroism, War and monsters, sages and swords? While I was thinking all this the page had loaded and I was about to scroll down to the bottom (not really expecting any kind of update) and there where the big blue words foretelling a return to the epic land of hyrule. I could not belive it.

A hour later (and a hour ago) having read all the news and speculation available I sat down here to write this letter and bask in a feeling a Nintendo product has not left me with in nearby five whole years. Utter, breathless, anticipation.

I only pray the new Zelda (which by the way is supposed to be a stand alone story not related to any of the other adventures) come to the gamecube I'll be buying this year. If Nintendo cheats me out of another amazing Zelda experience by pushing the game back to their next console, I will be VERY miffed.

A toast to Link and his return to the land of hyrule and his continuing struggle with the forces of evil. May we all some day soon, power up our Gamecubes, plug in this New Zelda's tiny little disk, bask in the menu screen, type in our names, begin the game, and die happy. Our desires fully realized.

[email protected] Proclaims: WOW....just wow. I'm completely and utterly speechless. I never thought Nintendo would do something for their fans like this....really, i had all but given up hope on a realistic/mature looking Zelda. Then this bombshell hit the gaming public right at the end of the Nintendo conference. I heard an audio of the crowds reaction to the short 2 min preview of this new game. It was amazing, i had to turn down the volume on speakers for fear of them blowing out. After so many bad moves and mistakes Nintendo is finally in the right direction. ....I really have no idea how im going to wait untill 2005 for this game

[email protected] Speaks: The Wind Waker is easily one of the best games this gen. Beautiful graphics, awesome ending, nice story, fun gameplay, despite the problems in the small amount of dungeons, the triforce hunt, and the sailing.

I anticipate The Legend of Zelda XI even more. Even up on an Ocarina of Time level, and I'll tell you why: This game looks like it will actually be mature. Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker had some very mature story elements to them (meaning I doubt little children would understand the end boss of TWW's speech, and its importance to the series, or how MM shows everyone's reaction to their inevitable death, and the end of the world), but this has an artstyle which should fit that mature mood.

I think, if nothing changes from the game, it's rather obvious it's set between Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker. You can clearly see the Hylian shield in the pictures. The trailer asks "Will the Hero rise again? Or will darkness reign?" And finally, The Wind Waker talks about how the Hero never rose to fight Ganon. This could be the makings for a very dark game where the Hero will NOT win, and I fully anticipate that conclusion, if it is indeed the events which set up The Wind Waker.

The Legend of Zelda XI will kick ass. It's the Ocarina of Time of this generation.

Ryan Rushford Comments: I was surfing the web in my daily video game searching routine. When it was time to go to IGN i clicked on the website in my favs. I checked out what they had new for XBOX and I saw a headline that said E3, so I quickly clicked on igncube. When the page loaded I saw the money shot of link on the page and all of a sudden I was in video gaming bliss. I couldn't click the link fast enough and I read the news and headed to the media pages. My jaw hit the ground hard, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. i think I could of cried with joy I was so happy. So after that I call my friend up and we were like to little girls with a new barbie doll.

Alright so for what I think this game is gonna be. I think the game should have atleast 8 dungeons and not any filler ones all of them should be full of challenge, puzzles, so you feel better when you beat it and not exausted with boredism. Hyrule or whatever the world should be (could be something else) Must be highly interactive, full of life, something I can gauck at while walking across the long field. The story should be very deep, something compelling, epic, and draws you in so you feel like you are link. i think ganon should be in it, but not the main boss. This game could be the death of ganon, you could kill him in a fight near the end and thats when you find out another evil is bigger then ganon. Maybe there be alittle romance story in the game you know like in most Final Fantasy. So when its all said and done this game should kick some serious *SS!.

(Anonymous) Wrote: This Zelda game, will be hits to all of the Zelda fans, Just watching the video left goose bumps down my legs! I can tell you everyone will enjoy and love the new Zelda. Yes, I have been playing Zelda for years, testing rumors, and collecting the whole series. This, I know, will probably be the best. The sword swingin' link on Epona will fit us all. The new music will too. The good thing is that it does not look like the wind waker. New enemies will be introduced, and probably a whole new storyline. I just can't wait until the new Zelda comes out!

John Raves: There's not much more that I can say about this game other than it's visually the most impressive one so far. I loved Wind Waker to death, the dungeons, the graphics (once I got used to them), the music, absolutely perfect. And I can only hope that the rest of this new Zelda is as perfect as Wind Waker combined. The trailer shows a very promising, fun, must-buy game. And I can only hope at this point that Nintendo delivers.

I know "every" Zelda fan has been asking for this, even me, but I think I'll miss the cell-shading of Wind Waker a little. As much as many fans want to believe it was 'just for kids' that's far from the truth, it was and is still every bit as enjoyable as the other games. All the same, it's a very pleasant and welcomed surprise to see the direction of this new game. I simply can't wait.

Amber Proclaims: "Sweet Lord!" I cried out when I saw the screenshots. As my stomach twisted in pleasure I began to reminisce on past Zelda experiences. I hope this will become a time consuming, awesome, and fantastic adventure as the Legends before it. Attacks executed in the trailer I saw were quite satisfying, and I hope they'r just as much throughout the entire game experience. I pray that it still contains the heart-warming and ethereal feel of Zelda 64 though, and doesn't become another hack and slash. I want a game that I can still remember and feel nostalgia for years after it's time as the other wonderful Zelda games.

(Anonymous) Adds: was drooling when the trailer was over...

This game looks unbelievable...I've been waiting a while for a game like this...this may be the most inovative game to date...the graphics are beautiful...and the environments look huge...many familier places have apeared...and Link looks better than he ever has before...and this is all from a trailer...I think this will bring the Zelda series out of the darkness that is kiddy games...

Matthew Sterling Explains: WOW! Video Gamer X you are my god! Your sites are awesome. I am very very excited about the new Zelda coming out for the cube. I didn't like Wind Waker that much, it was okay, but seemed more like something my younger brother would play, I kept playing my Ps2 and Xbox instead, but that's all changed now, Nintendo finally decided to release a game that I could enjoy and is truly worthy of the Zelda legacy. Hip Hip Hooray! Video Gamer X, I love the Odyssey of Hyrule and it's the best zelda site ever! I like your other sites too, keep up the excellent work my friend.

AJ Meleleu Enunciates:Holy crap (I used a different word but I am trying to keep this clean) is what I said when I saw this Zelda unveiled. I have been playing the Legend of Zelda ever since I received the first one in the series from the "Tooth Fairy." Never have I been so anxious to play Legend of Zelda. I feel like I am a kid again waiting for The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. This Zelda will be revolutionary and will put Nintendo back in the spotlight! I cannot wait to see more updates from you Video Gamer X! Maybe we'll have another Triforce mystery!

"Potatoes" O'Brien (I'm pretty sure she's from Ireland Folks) Speaks: I've been utterly fascinated with the series since 1998 (the year I bought a Nintendo64). I hadn't been playing me games lately, not since February 2003. It's weird that this new game has suddenly surfaced because just about a day before I heard about it, I thought to myself, "I think it's time to start playing me Zeldas again." Imagine me shock the next day when I heard about the new one. I thought it was a dream. A good dream but a dream nonetheless.

To me, Link is not a sex symbol anymore (though he used to be). He is a symbol of hope, longevity, mystery, selflessness, and of course, Power, Courage and Wisdom. Not to mention bloody good marketing. ^^ The trailer is so fantastic. 2005...so many things will change for me that year, and to have a constant such as Zelda in my life will be a great comfort. And of course, thanks to Odyssey of Hyrule for letting me explore the games to their fullest.

Daniel Powel Talks: You know it's crazy. Really it is. I've been visitng the Odyssey of Hyrule ever since it's creation. I was all into the Ocarina of Time craze back in the hayday of the N64. Every few months or so I tend to return to the site which has been a part of my internet experience since I first was able to get online. Not expecting any updates, I just came here for nostalgia. What did I find? The first news I've heard of a new Zelda. And what is it? Everything I had ever wanted. At first I thought, it looked like more of the same from OOT, but upon further inspection I see this game is on a far far grander and more epic scale than any Zelda games of the past. The screens of Link fighting on horseback have me incredibly excited and that one shot of the boss in chains just has me giddy (heh, never thought I'd use that word). I just can picture the lighting effects of the fire, sparks, smoke and such. Speaking of which. Shot I saw of the forest with the beams of light protruding the trees has got me thinking this will feel like playing a Zelda movie. I by no means didn't enjoy Wind Waker. I actually was one of the few who LOVED the artistic stylings of it. But I'm also a fan of the Zelda I'm more accustomed to, the look of OOT and MM. However, what we have here will be a return to a look that is mature and familiar but with the power of the GC backing it, the wonderful lighting and special effects that made Wind Waker just fun to look at.

Needless to say, the story will probably be one of the best yet as well. I just cannot sit still now knowing I have a Zelda game like THIS to look forward to. But then again, part of the fun is the anticipation of it's release!

Chris Wyffels Comments: Well all I can say for Zelda 2005 is that it is going to hit the roof on sales, There are going to be more fans, the graphics are incredible, Link will have more fighting style, but the burning questions are.
1. Will there be a hidden Triforce quest?
2. Will he be able to learn the beam attack?
3. Where is this going to fit in the storyline?

If u understand what I am talking about e-mail me back.

P.S This game will rock. I can see it now. I have been a Zelda fan ever since the first one came around

Kyoki Passionately Declares: is crying* When I first received a newsletter from Nintendo about E3, I immediately opened it. As I scrolled down the page, there wasn't too much I was thatinterested in. But...as soon as I saw the word, "Zelda", I nearly had a heartattack! I couldn't believe it! There was going to be another game...soon!! As I scrolled through various screenshots, my heart swelled with joy. From the very first moment I played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I was hooked. To this day, it ranks number one for me. I sold almost all my other N64 games just to buy that one. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. So, anyways, I closed off my e-mail and ventured over this site to see if Video Gamer X had heard the news. Boy was I surprised! He had so much more knowledge than that newsletter! But, I have to say...the icing on the cake was definitely, without a doubt, the preview vid of the game. I cried, I really did, when I watched this movie. I've been waiting so long, like all the other die-hard Zelda fans, for this to happen: for Link to be rendered in this gorgeous realistic 3-D realm. If Miyamoto were here, or if I had had the fortunate oppurtunity to go to E3, I would have hugged him for all he was worth. The man has made me SO happy-and no doubt many others. I can't even find the words to describe how happy I am...I just hope that Nintendo delivers. Because if they don't, they're going to end up breaking many people's hearts-including mine.

[email protected] Is Stoked About: Oh my F***kin God. Thank You So Much I love you God. the trailer was awsome. since OOt ive been working on beating all the other Zelda's. I beat all of them. now for the new one. I love Zelda. TWW was really good. i reallly liked it, but the new one gives me a tingling sensation of the first time i played the OOT. it has the same type feel to it. i watched the trailer a billion times. everyday since the E3 started i wnet on ign and nintendo.com to find out whats gonna be hot for 2005. The least thing i thought of was zelda because its been quiet for a long time. when i saw the picture of Link i was breathless. after e3 ended( which was not to long ago) i saw the trailer. i was shaking and my heart stoped for a second. I was full of shock. This was one of the best things that happened. it is exackly the way i pictured hyrule. it looks flawless. i cant wait til 2005.

Brandi Ranj Raves: Amazing! simply amazing well it seems as though there trying to make another one hit wonder. I got up one mourning and went on nintendo.com to see what was up and i saw the E3 symble so i clikced and bam legend of zelda so i watched the trailer and started tp cry the crisp new graphics and the long anticipated return of adult link i quickly went to scholl to tell my friends and they were amazed that they could finaly see thr link they loved in ocarina of time on the gamecube and in hyrule. Now i think that it should have a mix of old and new like the king gorons son ruling the gorons and he turns corrupt and you have to save the gorons....again I also would like to see some new wepons the ocarina of time wepons were top notch but i would like to see something new like some upgrades and more potions also i think that gannon should be in it man when will he learn that link is just to good.

Brainiac256 Pontificates:I played The Legend of Zelda on the original Gold Cartridge, NES, in all its 8-bit glory. I downloaded AoL for me JNES emulator. I downloaded LTTP for ZSNES emulator. These old-skewl games served me well, and to this day I still play that gold cart when I need my Zelda fix.

Then I got an N64 (in the year 2002). I got OoT from one of my friends, whose mom wouldn't let him play it because it was rated "Mild Violence" after the "E for Everyone" part. I was stunned, I didn't think even Zelda could do before I actually felt the controller in my hand. (Personally I thought the Deku Tree's speech was a little long-winded...) So then I became a Zelda fanatic.

I got a Gameboy Color for the sole purpose of playing the Oracles games. I'm a master of them now, and at one point moderated a forum on them at the eternally kewl website Neoseeker (http://www.neoseeker.com).

Then I found your website, Video Gamer X. And may I say, it is great. I tried almost every glitch in your glitches section. Then you started server-jumping: How many servers did you have in 2003? Three of them? tbi.net ; nr.webnetinc.com ; internal.tbi.net ; then your internal.tbi.net page went down and I was stranded. About an hour ago I saw a graphic I thought someone had stolen from your site and went to look you up. My first klew was the title of the site "The Odyssey of Hyrule Gold" at the top of the screen. Then I saw the links in your news thingy. Awesome. Naturally, the first page I went to was the screenshots.

Then I just sat there drooling. This is the kind of stuff that true Zelda fanatics die for. I think if I buy a GameCube for no other reason than to play E3, I'll have spent my money well. My commendations go out to Nintendo, Miyamoto, and all them other people who had a hand in the Zelda tradition. Thanks for blowing us out of ourstockings.

Madison Colson Is Absolutely Giddy with Joy About: ... I cried. I literally cried when I saw the trailer. I hugged my PC. I stroked the monitor. I squealed. I hugged my friend. She wondered what the hell I was doing, and why I was doing it. I was bawling my eyes out. I have been waiting for something like this since I first lay my tiny, toddler eyes on a Zelda game. I was suprised that my eyeballs didn't pop out of my head when I first played OoT. Yes, I'm very obsessed.

I was pretty upset at Miyamoto for the WW fiasco. I was really hoping for something a lot more mature. Sure, the game was great, but it just wasn't what I was looking for.

There are no words to adequately describe my feelings right now. I'm just blown away. Every time I think about a brand new Zelda game, with beefed up graphics and more puzzles to solve, I get all excited and bouncy. XD

(By the way, I've been a fan of your site since it first came up!)
Ja,

Jordan Is Extemely Amped About: Ahhhh, Zelda. Ya know, when I checked out Nintendo's presentations at E3, I was shocked at how...BAD everything looked. I thought "Nintendo, with all this crap you'll need a hit and you'll need it FAST". Then I saw the 3D Epic Zelda trailer. PLEASE excuse the following outburst of excitement. OMFG THIS GAME WILL F'ING ROCK AND TOTALLY PWN EVERY SINGLE OTHER BIT OF CRAP OUT THERE ALL THOSE XBOX AND PS2 FANBOYS WILL BE ALL 'AMAGAD ZELDA IS BEATING US' AND ALL US NINTENDO PEOPLE...GUY..DUDES WILL BE LIKE 'AHAHAHAHA IN YOUR FACE FANBOYS' AND IT'LL BE LIKE COOL AND yeah..cool...*ahem*. I've just been recently telling myself to find something to look forward to, and THIS is definitely it. If it's all it's cracked up to be, if all of the rumors are true and this game is truly as good as they make it look, it will clean out all other games, and even the other consoles. I would buy a GCN just for this game, if I didn't already have one. ZELDARULES! Oh, nice site VGX.

Josh Explains: I havn't played my old ZELDA games in a while, so when I heard about the ZELDA COLLECTER'S EDITION disk, I just had to order it. When it arrived, I soon realized how much fun the games were all over again. And later, I found out that with the GAMEBOY PLAYER attachment, you could play every ZELDA game that was ever made. The legond of ZELDA, ZELDA II The adventure of LINK, The Legond of ZELDA a LINK to the past, The Legond of ZELDA LINK'S awakoning DX, The Legond of ZELDA Ocarina of Time, The Legond of ZELDA Oracal Series, The Legond of ZELDA Majora's Mask, Four Swords, And The Legond of ZELDA The Wind Waker. All that on one disc. If NINTENDO can do that, than I expect them to make the ZELDA game of the decade. Hopfully they'll get some verbal diologue. Reading conversations has gotten old. Very old. If I have to read one more conversation, I will bathe in gasoline. Yeah. I'll do it to. Well, mabey not bathe in it, but I'll roll around in it. Most people don't knoew it, but I'm a freakin' psycho. Yeah. I got mad skills. Don't F**K with Wolf. ...Codename. ...LONG LIVE WILLIE NELSON! YEE HA!

Andrew Van Caem Provides the Following Account: It was on day, one amazing day when it happened. Actually the day was quite ordinary and there was nothing to do�so naturally I turned on my PC and hooked up to the net. I had previously spent time discussing the next Zelda game on the net and to be honest I wasn�t too exited about it. I could not think of a way that the game would be any good or in anyway different to past games. I knew it was going to be �cartoon shaded�, I knew it was going to continue the story of WW in some less interesting way and I knew that the game wouldn�t be the kind of thing that would convince me to buy a Game Cube by a long shot (no pun intended).

But I had thought to myself before what the perfect Zelda game...no, game period, would be like. In the game I imagined pirate ship battles on the high seas where you could grapple onto the other ship and fight the scurvy dogs on their own galleon. I envisioned a vast world filled with beauty and darkness, life roaming around and the feeling that I am truly within a world. I wanted weapons that were varied and numerous and far more importantly, enemies that actually challenged your skill to the highest degree. And for the final touch, you would be able to use any weapon on Epona and hence ride into huge battles where you took on massive numbers of various enemy forces. That was my dream as was so many other Zelda fan�s, but I knew a game of that greatness would never come to be.

But it was on that day when I dialed up onto the net (making that annoying eiiiiii-aiiii-beep-e-beep-e-woosh-shhhhh-sheee that dial up so inflicts upon my pathetic mortal soul) and went to Gamespot to check up on the E-3 info that I had missed out on in the past few days. So I loaded up the site and I saw something, I saw a piece of Zelda artwork that looked cooler then any I had seen before, and under that image I saw hyperlinked writing: �Check out Link�s new realistic look�. My first thought was, �Huh, didn�t they say that the game would not be like this? Is this real?� So to my immense curiosity, I clicked on the link.

The events transpiring in the next few moments happened in bullet time, everything was slow motion as the page loaded and I saw the first and last thing I expected. Those images�I loaded them one by one and looked at them only half believing what I was seeing�

There was Link in amazingly detailed traditional polygon graphics, with his sword drawn, FIGHTING ON HORSE BACK AGAINST DOESENS OF FULLY EQUIPED AND ARMED ENEMIES WIELDING CLUBS, DRAWING FIRE ARROWS ONTO THEIR BOWS AND RIDING DUAL MOUNTED ON BOARS!

The shock at this miracle was total, and then I did it�I downloaded THAT trailer. I sat there like a stunned mullet for the next couple of minuets completely awed, nearly dying of breathlessness and almost convulsing in my chair at what I had just witnessed. It was Zelda, my perfect Zelda exactly as I had always imagined it!