The Legend of Zelda movie first look

On Monday, Nintendo released an official first look at The Legend of Zelda live-action movie, which is directed by Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes). The look of Link and Princess Zelda is inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, who is producing, revealed the casting of Link and Zelda over the summer, writing in a social media post: “I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of ‘The Legend of Zelda,’ Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.”

The beloved fantasy action-adventure video game franchise, drawing inspiration from Miyamoto's childhood and The Lord of the Rings, debuted on the Famicom Disk System in 1986 and holds a special place for many gamers (myself included).

Following leaked footage from the New Zealand-based production, where The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed, Miyamoto has responded: "The release is some time away, so we'd appreciate it if you would wait patiently and look forward to it."

The upcoming live-action movie adaptation from Nintendo and Sony Pictures will be released in cinemas on 7th May 2027.

Are you looking forward to The Legend of Zelda movie? Let me know in the comments below.

Wii Speak

December sees the launch of Nintendo's Wii Speak peripheral, which coincides with the release of Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City!

Wii Speak is a microphone accessory for Nintendo's Wii video game console. Connected to the console via USB, the device can be placed near the video display, allowing voice chat to be conducted with the entire room. The device features an LED to indicate when the microphone is active.

According to Miyamoto, the microphone is designed to "clearly capture many different voices being spoken in a room at the same time and convey that over the Internet." Addressing concerns over background noise due to the placement of the microphone near a television set, Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City producer Katsuya Eguchi states that the device is designed to filter out video game sound from the audio speakers. Miyamoto notes that the quality of the noise filtering functionality in the Wii Speak is "very good", which may be contributing to the cost of the device. In an IGN product interview, the microphone was rated excellent.

You can purchase Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City with Wii Speak!

The Triforce Grants Gaming Greatness

For Generation X the name Zelda is synonymous with teatime television hit Supermacromation series The Terrahawks and Nintendo!

Like Mario, Zelda is the brainchild of Shigeru Miyamoto thus sharing the high production values of its sibling. Zelda has, inevitably, spawned its own lifestyle merchandising. From action figures to cereals. And lest I forget to mention the animated series too, which is now available on DVD!

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) introduced me to the wonders of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

A Link to the Past follows the adventures of Princess Zelda's and Link's ancestors, referring to the characters from the two Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Thus, A Link to the Past takes place before the events of the first two Zelda games. The game's endurance was typified by its inclusion on the Game Boy Advance (GBA) title The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.

With the imminent arrival of the Zelda franchise on both the Nintendo DS (Phantom Hourglass) and Wii (The Twilight Princess). The continuation of Link's award-winning adventures is assured and I, for one, don't intend to miss out.

Chez Fred

Dad missed my birthday this year. So, he treated me to KFC tonight. Brought back memories of eating like a 'barbarian' with longtime friend and fellow Bournemouth alumni Sunil Chamund. In 1996 Sunil arranged an unforgettable - and genuine - surprise party. And Nick Smith, Natasha Gann et al went to Chez Fred. That evening Bournemouth's award-winning Chez Fred restaurant was closed to the public. I don't drink alcohol, but the proprietor very generously donated a bottle of wine. A cherished birthday memory and a reminder of far less complicated times.

Tonight Amazon UK started accepting pre-orders for Nintendo DS (£99.99 or €149). Maestro Shigeru Miyamoto oversaw the development of the successor to the Game Boy brand. The dual screen concept will doubtlessly shape the future of gaming. The DS hardware package will come bundled with Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, as it did in the USA.