Chris Lynch has worn a number of musical hats in his life—as DJ Oldboy, managing the Bellhaunts, working at Fingerprints, booking shows and clubs (Que Sera in Long Beach and more). But the biggest musical influence in his life might just be Koji Kondo, perhaps best known as the man who composed the original themes for the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda video games. Lynch happily claims to have been a video-game fiend since his youngest days.

“Man, I’m such an ultra geek—you have no idea,” he says. “I hum various Nintendo themes on a daily basis, just to illustrate a point! Depending on my mood, I like to hum Megaman, Punch-Out and Rygar themes.”

Location Info

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Proof Bar

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Proof Bar

215 N. Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Santa Ana

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One of his best Christmas memories involves “ripping open Christmas wrapping paper that awesomely revealed a Super Nintendo! I vividly remember bear-hugging the SNES and rolling around with it under the Christmas tree,” he says. As for milestones, Lynch has these: “My most triumphant moment was when I beat the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Oh, wait . . . that didn’t happen. That doesn’t happen to anyone! That game is so ridiculously hard! Actually, my proudest moment was when I finally beat my older brother in Street Fighter II. He was Ken, and I was Blanka.”

Lynch is getting the chance to embrace his gaming love with a one-off club night this Saturday in the space next to Proof Bar in Santa Ana. Titled Geekeasy, Lynch is aiming to create a celebration of music, nightlife and the kind of late-night rush you get from playing just one more level. To sweeten the deal, door admission is discounted if you come dressed in something video-game-inspired.

“Basically, the space was bestowed upon my friend Jeanette [Tomas, who works at Proof] and her boyfriend, Kendall [McDiarmid],” Lynch says. “They both hit me up to discuss throwing an event at this spot. Even before they were finished asking me, my mind was conjuring up a Nintendo-themed show. I’ve done pop-up shows before. I’ve performed at Cal State Long Beach and UC Irvine on several occasions. But this show is new terrain, for sure. I’ve never compiled anything like this show, and this is the kind of event I dream about promoting.”

Among the acts appearing at Geekeasy will be the Littlest Viking and Bella Novela, but Lynch is most thrilled at getting in the Minibosses to headline—and with a name like that, it’s no surprise what they’re all about. Based in Arizona, the “four-piece band of regulators . . . hammer out Nintendo-themed songs with absolute skill and ease,” Lynch says.

“I first heard them in 2005, when my boss at this record store I worked at gave me a copy of their CD,” he continues. “And, being the nerd that I am, I presented myself with the mission/challenge of booking them. I finally booked the band in 2010 at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach; they actually agreed to perform at the Geekeasy show pretty quickly. I booked this show without securing a venue. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass up, so I agreed on a date with the Minibosses without booking a venue! It was like the reverse of Waynestock! But everything worked out!”

Besides the music, Lynch has also arranged for some appropriately themed visuals from plenty of locals. “We have received a lot of emails from artists,” he says. “Some of the locals we are showcasing are Noel Madrid, Stephen Umana, Isabelle Gioffredi, Salima Allen, Bradley Cooper and others.”

Lynch talks about Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy soundtrack being part of the night (“I pump myself up on a daily basis by humming the Rinzler theme,” he says), but Geekeasy is for a broad range of followers of pixelated glory, he says. “I wanted to throw this kind of show because I thought it would unite a broad range of people. I don’t think people realize just how significant a true fellowship is. I want people to smile, to be stoked and to level up!”

And if the show is a success? “We would love to do more Geekeasy shows, of course,” he says. “Jeanette and I were jokingly saying this is like the hipster LARP show. It might be true!”

This article appeared in print as “Geeks Speak: Die-hard gamer Chris Lynch throws a hipster equivalent of a gaming party in Santa Ana.”

Article source: http://www.ocweekly.com/2012-02-24/music/chris-lynch-geekeasy-santa-ana/

5. Jackie and Jenny: The Darkness – Jackie and Jenny, one of videogames biggest tragedies. Jackie isn’t a “good” guy that becomes the host for the Darkness, he’s a mafia hitman, and a good one at that. He already teeters on the edge of hell and evil. Jenny is the counterweight, she’s the shining light to Jackie Estacado’s Darkness. Gaming wise, the romance is done justice. The conversations feel right, and just watching tv, you can feel the emotion. To this day it feels like the closest thing you can experience to a true relationship in gaming. Then the hate comes in towards the middle of the game, and you realize that Jackie has no other choice but to embody the Darkness.

4. Ryu and Irene: Ninja Gaiden – The deepest and most meaningful relationship in the 8-bit era! Irene isn’t your typical damsel in distress. A CIA agent who can add tranqing Ryu to her list of achievements. She was just as dangerous as Ryu, yet their relationship and love blossomed in 8-bit glory. By the end of Ninja Gaiden her love was so pure that Irene had no choice but to disobey orders when she was ordered to kill Ryu. It’s good she didn’t listen when Ryu said “Just a girl. Get out of here!”

3. Alex and Luna: Lunar: Silver Star Story – Basically raised together, Alex and Luna paved the way for an RPG cliche. The unknowing reincarnation of a goddess, the villain who plans to use her powers for evil deeds, and the hero who must become something greater, in Alex’s case a Dragonmaster, in order to save her. Sure this is now an RPG cliche, but I’ll be damned if Lunar Silver Star didn’t do this right! The end see’s Luna, now memory-less and possessed by a spell, and Alex having to withstand her Lightning attacks in order to get close enough to save her. As the video above shows, love conquers all! How’s that for a cliche!?

2. Lenneth/Platina and Lucien: Valkyrie Profile – When Lucien found out that Platina would be sold to slavery by her own parents, the choice to run away was easy. Unfortunately Weeping Lily Meadow was home to plants that housed toxic pollen, at the age of 14 Platina died. Little did he know that Platina was only in Midgard temporarily, as she becomes a Valkyrie her memories are sealed in order to avoid conflict. Once an Einherjar, Lucien finds out Platina and Lenneth are the same. He is tricked by Loki into contacting Lenneth, by doing so he is killed. Before doing so Lucien gives Lenneth an earring, letting her know to look for the other earring. Once found Lenneth regains her memories. The story takes incredible twists and turns from there, and in the end it is the love for Lucian that helps Lenneth defeat Loki and become the Lord of Creation. Perhaps your typical tragedy and triumph RPG love story. The difference here though is that it is written extremely well. There is conflict within the love story, Lucien has to go against the gods in order to contact Lenneth, and inadvertently almost causes the end of creation. Layers to a love story, how about that!

1. Yuri and Alice: Shadow Hearts – Gaming romances usually fall into the “romantic comedy” genre, or a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Yuri and Alice maintain a fair balance, never becoming overly annoying. Unfortunately the ending truly falls on the tragic side. You have Yuri, your demon harmonixer, he can fuse with demons to utilize their powers. Alice, an exorcist and daughter of a preacher, you’re typical odd couple. In game the romance is played slowly, but you can see change in Yuri, it might be subtle but it’s there. The game starts off with Yuri saving Alice, towards the end of the game you have an option for the “good” and “bad” ending, with Alice fighting alongside Yuri or alone in the Graveyard realm. If she fights alone, you face an impossible battle with Alice losing, it’s not until the closing credits that you find out that Alice having lost the battle, will slowly lose her life. What stands out? The “bad” ending is cannon, Shadow Hearts: Covenant revealing that Alice saved Yuri’s life by taking on the Four Mask Curse. Yuri digs Alice’s grave with his own hands, burying her in his overcoat. The cannon ending to Shadow Hearts: Covenant see’s Yuri valuing his love for Alice over his own life, seeing him die, but inadvertently get transferred back to the memory he cherished the most, his first encounter with Alice.

Article source: http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/225996/411-Games-Top-5:-Love-Stories-in-Gaming.htm

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Article source: http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a367365/new-legend-of-zelda-game-teased-by-nintendo.html

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• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

• ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2′ from Square-Enix.

Sequels and spinoffs to Final Fantasy games isn’t anything new.  After all, there have been multiple Final Fantasy VII games and PS2 game Final Fantasy X had its own numbered sequel in Final Fantasy X-2 (jokingly referred to as “Pretty Yuna’s Dress-up Game”).  Final Fantasy XIII-2 continues this on-again-off-again trend and delivers with one heck of a game.

First off, even the existence of a second FF XIII title is a bit of a surprise being that the original wasn’t universally liked (for the record, we liked it fine).  For better or for worse, this sequel provides more of the same while tweaking some of what was found in the original — namely a rather linear storyline (odd, since players can jump from time period/location to time period/location).  Luckily, the more the player progresses through the game the more things open up, but the storyline itself still moves at a deliberate point-a-to-point-b pace.

FF XIII 2 starts off with a bang, showing Lightning (the main protagonist from the first game) stuck in an epic battle and introduces Noel (one of the protagonists of this new game).  From there, things progressively slow down until the game ends with an underwhelming poof.  That said, the ride from beginning to end is still fun and FF XIII fans will find enjoyment in not only the many new areas the sequel provides, but also seeing familiar locations in a variety of time periods.  Seeing familiar faces is something fun as well as characters from the original game, such as Snow and Hope, have key roles in this new storyline.

One of the complaints that many had with Final Fantasy XIII had to do with its level design and simplistic battle system.  So much of the game was a collection of linear hallways that some have nicknamed it “The Final Fantasy Corridor Simulator”.  This issue didn’t alleviate itself until near the end of the game when it opened itself up with a large collection of side missions around the surface of Grand Pulse.  Combat, which could be executed by bashing the ‘A’ button over and over, was extremely simple even with the ability to swap-out party members and switch roles.

While corridors still exist in Final Fantasy XIII-2, they’re less extreme and the ability to jump to different time periods a-la Chrono Trigger at least gives the feeling of a more open game.  As for the combat is XIII 2, it’s still largely the same but switches out what eventually became a six-person party in the original to a two-person team and one of three from an assortment of collected beasts a-la Pokémon.  While that sounds like a slap in the face for FF fans, it actually works.

Monsters can be “won” as a post-battle spoil, allowing the defeated monster to be thrown into battle.  Each monster has its own role (commando, ravager, etc). and is able to level up similar to the protagonists via a modified version of the Crystarium.  They each also have their own special “feral” ability that can be activated from time to time.  The only real downside of this whole beast as a party member thing is that if both of the humans are off’d in battle, it’s game over regardless of the status of the monster.

There are also other gameplay additions within FF XIII.  Battle initiation has changed somewhat due to a new tool called a Mog Clock.  It measures how likely the player is to have a pre-emptive strike on opposing monsters.  There is also the new Moogle Toss mechanic, where the player literally tosses the moogle Mog (Serah’s companion/weapon) to reach otherwise unobtainable items.  There are also logic puzzle levels, called Paradoxes in this game, that include matching, pathfinding, and other active time/movement-based brain teasers.  These are all good additions to the game that improve its overall product.

Presentation-wise, FF XIII 2 is at least as good as the 2010 original.  If nothing else, the starting cut scene alone is worth checking this game out.  From that point on, though, movie-quality cut scenes are few and far between with in-game graphics ones instead populating the cinematic inventory.  That’s not to imply that the in-game graphics are bad, as the truth is quite the opposite (in-game visuals are rather good).

Also rather good is the soundtrack and overall audio in this title.  Nearly every track, whether it be orchestral or pop, is pleasing to the ear and character voice work is up to standards.  Square even found a way to make Mog from being all too annoying — a trap that can be woefully experienced by playing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Those who decide to play FF XIII 2 all the way through will find themselves spending 25-30 hours playing.  While that’s nowhere near the length of the original, which spanned two disks on the Xbox 360 as opposed to the single disk for this sequel, it’s a very comfortable length and kept the game from dragging on due it its awkward pacing.  Without spoiling anything, the ending is a bit underwhelming but it ties everything together well.

Overall, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a very good progression that furthers the overall story line beyond the original FF XIII game of two years ago.  While it doesn’t address all of the original’s player complaints, it does improve what it could while still staying true itself.

Final Game Guys grade: A-

(Square-Enix provided a copy of this game for review purposes.)

News10/KXTV

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Article source: http://www.news10.net/entertainment/gameguys/article/179989/99/Game-Guys-review---Final-Fantasy-XIII-2

You’ve got mail

Your inbox is about to bulge

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced during his Nintendo Direct conference that the company will use Nintendo Letter Box to send game-related messages to 3DS owners.

Interestingly the service can target players of specific games — indeed, players of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D in Europe should keep their eyes peeled for a special Zelda-related note coming through the digital letterbox very soon.

A smart way to target interested players? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Article source: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/02/nintendo_using_swapnote_for_marketing_messages

Check out what Nintendo’s Eiji Aonuma, best known for directing and producing multiple Zelda games, just sent 3DS owners via Swapnote, the system’s text and picture messaging application.

“Hello, this is Aonuma, Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda producer,” he says in the note. “Did you enjoy The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D? Thanks to everyone, the Legend of Zelda series had a very happy 25th anniversary. I hope you’re looking forward to new Legend of Zelda games.”

Nintendo has not yet officially announced any new Legend of Zelda games for 3DS, but it’s reasonable to assume that at least one is planned for the near future. Zelda is one of the publisher’s strongest franchises, one that has made multiple appearances on every Nintendo system thus far.

Aonuma has also expressed interest in bringing The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask to 3DS.

To access Aonuma’s note for yourself, just open up your 3DS and download the Swapnote app, if you don’t have it already. Activate SpotPass and you should receive the letter, which is decorated with adorable little images of The Legend of Zelda‘s 8-bit sprites.

We’ve reached out to Nintendo for comment and will update if we hear anything official. For now, we’ll just have to settle with a tease.

(Thanks, Kevin!)

Article source: http://kotaku.com/5887277/nintendo-teases-3ds-owners-with-thoughts-of-new-zelda

A series of Nintendo Direct events are set to take place tomorrow, as creatively announced today through Swapnote messages sent out to 3DS owners. This is the third time Nintendo Direct is taking place and as Nintendo of America and Europe will each be hosting their own videos, as opposed to a broadcast only in Japanese, we should be getting much more information that is of interest to those outside of Japan.

The trend seems to be for Nintendo to showcase content through Nintendo Direct every two months. The first one took place in October, and although it did not bring with it any earth-shattering revelations, there were some newsworthy announcements. We received details on the 3DS system update adding 3D movie recordings and new StreetPass content, specifics on Mario Kart 7‘s online functionality, and new games were announced for Japan.

December’s Nintendo Direct was far less interesting to the non-Japanese crowd. It spent a great deal of time on Kiki Trick for Wii, announced release dates for a bunch of 3DS games in Japan, and coincided with the release of several 3DS game demos on the eShop (also only in Japan). Numerous game trailers were shown and the upcoming Fire Emblem game for 3DS was described as an original title and given the subtitle Fire Emblem: Kakusei, which translates to Fire Emblem: Awakening.

In both cases, the events were announced only a few days in advance, so the short notice for tomorrow’s broadcast is insignificant. What is hard to ignore is tomorrow is the proper launch of PlayStation Vita in North America and Europe, with Australia following one day later. That means Nintendo has a perfect opportunity to steal some of Sony’s thunder by making a big announcement of some sort. It’s not what Nintendo Direct has been used for the previous two times, but this seems like as good a time as any for that to change. If that is what Nintendo has in mind, what could Nintendo be planning to announce?

Among the most popular theories is Nintendo will finally announce the redesigned 3DS that has been rumored since last August. It was late that month when a report emerged suggesting an accessory would be released adding a second analog stick to the current system; just a few weeks later we were going hands-on with it. The same report also suggested a rebranded 3DS was to be released in 2012 with less emphasis placed on the 3D effect (and presumably an integrated second analog stick). Having seen how many people decline to use 3D (in an attempt to avoid headaches or simply for lack of interest), Nintendo has not focused on that feature as much post-launch. It has even said it may create games that do not feature 3D.

Even with this in mind, it seems very unlikely a redesigned 3DS is to be announced tomorrow. According to what Nintendo president Satoru Iwata had to say to investors and analysts late last month, 3DS hardware will finally become profitable again by the end of September. Dropping the price of the system last year caused the company to go from making a profit on each system sold to losing money on each one, a position the company was unaccustomed to and one which is contributing to its first annual loss in 30 years. Besides the fact that 3DS in its current form and price is selling quite well, a redesigned system could cost Nintendo more to produce. That means profitability on new hardware isn’t a guarantee, and there is no reason to sacrifice that with 3DS now being (in the eyes of many) a desirable system, something it was not last summer at $250 with very few games worth playing.

Not only that, but announcing a 3DS Lite-esque system less than a year after the original system’s launch would undoubtedly anger early adopters. Getting burned in such a way is one of the risks of buying hardware early, but those people have already had their patience tested when a significant price drop was announced just a few months after the system’s release. Now revealing their device is soon to be outdated would only frustrate them further. I know I personally wouldn’t be pleased with the news.

There is also the matter of what a redesigned system would really accomplish beyond integrating a second analog stick. The Circle Pad Pro is not so bad and certainly makes Resident Evil: Revelations more pleasant to play. However, between the insubstantial support it is receiving — it’s sold only through GameStop in the U.S. and only a small handful of games are using it — and the question of where the CPP’s second set of triggers would be located, a redesigned system this early in the 3DS’ life cycle seems unlikely.

So where does that leave us as far as announcements tomorrow? Leaving aside the possibility that there simply won’t be anything big, the Nintendo Network could be fleshed out and there are plenty of games that could be unveiled to convince potential Vita buyers to instead pick up a 3DS. A new Pokemon RPG would be big news, as would an Ocarina of Time-style remake of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. (The latter will probably come later, unfortunately, as Nintendo does not want to do back-to-back remakes.) Luigi’s Mansion 2, Animal Crossing, Mario Tennis, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Paper Mario, and Fire Emblem are all without release dates in the west and represent possible announcements. In the west Monster Hunter is not the sensation it is in Japan, though we could still hear about a release of Monster Hunter 3G (released in Japan in December), while Japan’s Nintendo Direct could provide news on Monster Hunter 4.

Keep in mind those are only possibilities for 3DS. Wii U news isn’t expected until E3 comes along in June, but Wii does have some life in it yet. Plenty of details on Dragon Quest X, which enters beta this week, remain unknown, and Nintendo of America may follow the lead of NoE and decide to publish another Operation Rainfall game, Pandora’s Tower or (more likely) The Last Story. Either way that would be welcome news tomorrow.

Luckily we don’t have long to wait to find out what Nintendo has in store. Feel free to share your predictions in the comments below and set your alarm clock for tomorrow morning, February 22, if you want to take in the Nintendo Direct events. Nintendo of Japan’s is set for 8:00 PM JST (6:00 AM Eastern, 3:00 AM Pacific), Nintendo of Europe’s will follow at 1:00 PM CET (7:00 AM Eastern, 4:00 AM Pacific), and Nintendo of America’s will take place at 9:00 AM Eastern, 6:00 AM Pacific.

Article source: http://www.1up.com/news/nintendo-direct-redesigned-3ds

Hey there! Before I go on about the topic at hand, I just want to briefly summarise what’s going on. Due to the lack of news drafted and published by me, I have decided to do something different. Every Tuesday at 5:00pm GMT from now on, I will be making discussion posts about Zelda related topics, similar to what Barinade did quite a while back. It may be a topic already discussed about in the forums or it could be a completely new topic. So if you like to get involved with these discussions, all you have to do is get on Zelda Dungeon on Tuesdays at 5:00pm GMT and submit your thoughts, opinions etc.

And to kick off this weekly segment, this week’s discussion topic is: Zelda and Mario Fusion games.

The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario are the two most popular Nintendo franchises. I’m pretty certain that most of you who are reading this right now are both fans of The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario. Now what would you say if there were fusion games of these two popular franchises? If you remember the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro fusion games for the GBA, you may see where I’m going with this. Now I know there was some sort of crossover element in Link’s Awakening, where there were enemy Goombas and Piranha Plants and a couple of other Mario references, but I’m thinking more in depth, as in Link mysteriously stumbles into the Mushroom Kingdom and is chosen to save the Kingdom from Bowser and vice versa with Mario.

I think the whole concept works, and right now I can think of loads of plotlines and other small details. So these are my views of a Zelda/Mario crossover, what do you think? Do you like the concept of a Mario/Zelda crossover? Do you have any plotlines and other details for such games? Also, do you have a really good title for this weekly segment? Tune in next week for another discussion.

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• Deku Baba

• I used to have a similar idea some time ago. Something like Link and Mario joining forces to defeat both Ganon and Bowser. Would be interesting.

• They actually have done a “cross-over”. In the original OoT if you look to the right of where you meet princess Zelda you can see Mario, bowser  and other characters and in the 3DS OoT you can see a mario level but the window is reflected by the sun witch is hard to see through.

• That’s an easter egg. Very different from a crossover

• Yeah if they were to do that, I’d rather Mario and Link with each other, instead of in each other’s game 

• Yes, but make it tongue-in-cheek. As of now, the mario world is a bit cheesy.

• that would be so awesome!!!!! or better…. zelda-pokemon crossover!!!!!!!! lol im just playin, i love them both but that would never work haha

• You reminded me of a (sort-of) Pokemon-Fire Emblem crossover coming soon in Japan.

• Kill all the Goombas with my light arrows!

• Mario is sucky and link is awesome.

• And Master Chief is GODLY

• Fuck off you. Go troll on a Sony fansite, not here. Zelda is way out of your League.

• it would be a great game if executed well like, ganon found a portal to the mushroom kingdom and took it, met up with bowser, then they went to peach’s castle kidnapped peach while mario was on vacation  then link shows up as they’re going to hyrule then when he notices its to late so he finds luigi to help find mario who then works with link and luigi and someone else who came with link to stop ganon and bowser who are trying to combine the worlds and you must switch between link, mario, luigi and whoever came with link to stop hyrule by using their skills to take on bowser’s and ganon’s minions in either an action/adventure/platformer or rpg/platformer.

• It could work but I think it would have to be toon link rather than adult link.

• I don’t see that working at all, really. A game with a lot of story and themes mixing with one that has pretty much no story and filled with randomness? It’s not only story, I don’t see how the wildly different gameplay’s can even match up. I love both of these series so much, I’ve played all the entries in each (besides BS-X, CD-i, etc), but I don’t see how they could coexist in the same game besides Smash Bros.

• the Mario and Luigi RPG games have a fair bit of story to them. they could make a sequel to Bowser’s inside story, where the main villain creates a portal to hyrule and tries to get the triforce in order to rule both Hyrule and the Mushroom kingdom. it would be weird, but it could work.

• I think this would work very well. Bowser, used to being jumped on, would be totally unprepared when a hero clad in green, who he had thought to be Luigi, stabbed him in the chest.

  Ganondorf; however, would have no problem taking Mushroom Kingdom. He would, upon stepping in, immediately be attacked by Mario, who would be thrown off by Ganondorf’s dark powers. Ganondorf would be happy enough ruling the Mushroom Kingdom, and Link would get a break, which he could use to relax, start a life, perhaps with Malon. I mean sure, he promised Ruto he would marry her, but that was in a different timeline! I know that seems sad, but maybe if she never met him, it wouldn’t matter.

  Mario, on the other hand, could perhaps get power from the Star Sprites of Paper Mario and/or the Peach Beam to vanquish Ganondorf. Or, perhaps, the Triforce followed Ganondorf into Mushroom Kingdom, as the Goddesses knew that another would need its power, and that they could trust Mario to use it for good. This would work well because Link and Hyrule no longer need it when there is no Ganondorf to fight anymore, so Mario could defeat Ganondorf once and for all.

• woah there!

• I wouldn’t play it… Mario/Sonic Olympic Game crossovers are enough failure, in my opinion. Zelda is a little darker where Mario is light and happy. If you really wanted you could just mod a Zelda game to make Link look like Mario and in a Mario game to make Mario look like Link.

• I would like there to be a Zelda/Mario racing game. You know, with no storyline, because that wouldn’t seem like….Zelda..or mario. The idea is cool, but I think having slight references is much better. 

• It would be a pretty cool side game, as long as it has no timeline.

• Actually, Link (OoT’s) could be teleported to the Mushroom Kingdom, where no one cares about timeline.

• I say OoT Link because he’s the “hero of time” and I like to use that title as if he has conquered time itself. Thus allowing for him to travel through universes.

• I think that Adventure/RPG/Platforming is wicked, and yeah stir up the stories a bit, they could use it, and yes I love both franchises. 

• Traitor to Neutopia! How would you feel if a plumber had saved Princess Aurora?

• Uhhhhhh…………………… Who’s Aurora?

• Neutopia’s equivalent of Princess Zelda. Was just having some fun with his screen name.

• LOL, love the name, and why would I care as long as she’s saved?  xD

• Zelda would do good in Mario, but I don’t think that Mario would be very good in Zelda.

• NOOO, keep mario to mario, and keep Zelda to Zelda, exept for a couple of sidescrolling areas, it worked with crash and spiro because they are similar.

•  Love Zelda. Hate Mario. Although I will admit to liking Mario Kart. So no, would’nt be keen on a crossover. Unless it involved karts.

•  Why do you hate mario. If mario hadn’t been made, neither would zelda.

• In Marioland 3D world 5-2 you have to light some torches to get the second Star Coin. After lighting the torches you will hear a familiar zelda sound.

• Non no no no no no no no no no no no. Never! The only way this could be done right and not mess up the Zelda timeline is if they switched worlds in the next super smash bros story mode.

• I hate game fusion. IT just doesn’t make sense. Take Soul Caliber 2, with Link. Link had a story and everything, but it was dumb and it didn’t fit in with anything. I still don’t know If I like the crossovers they do in Smash Bros.

• I only agree to this if it’s a Zelda spin-off game and the only reason they mix is because Ganon found a way to use the triforce to rip a hole in their respective universes and both must go on an adventure on both worlds.

  Woaw… Fringe moment!!

• yeah a spin-off, an official would be weird…

• I cant imagine if it would be good or not but that mix of the worlds remind me Kingdom Hearts(which is good game)

• Wait… what’s the time difference between New York and GMT?

• New York = EST = UTC-5
  GMT = UTC

• What the

• I feel Link would agree with me here (and that means something as I’m basically his clone), and I say keep the plumbers out of Hyrule. The picture in Ocarina of Time was a step too far. The Yoshi doll was even worse!

• Hey, do any of you know what happened to Robert? He was supposed to write “Allegories in Architecture part II” for Sunday, but it never came up…. Did he die?

• He’s not dead. He’s actually working on it right now. It’ll be coming soon.

• He must really be working hard on it

• LOL at thinking he died. 

• Let me get this straight: A platformer Zelda or Action-Adventure Mario?!  Preposterous! 

• It would be interesting to maybe bring back Zelda II and do a platforming game, or have Super Mario RPG 2 with live action battles.  I just don’t know how it would work.  I personally think that characters from separate franchises should stick to their own franchises unless it’s a mash up like the Super Smash Bros. Series. This would only work if it was done EXTREMELY WELL!!!  Emphasis on extremely. 

• Super Mario crossover. Google it.

• I think they should do Nintendo Kart instead of Mario Kart, you know with a bunch of Nintendo characters (obviously including Link) Now THAT would make one awesome racing game!

• If mario was to save Hyrule….he would have a hard time. because it’s going to take more than jumping on heads. And how will he defeat Ganondorf without the Master Sword?

• While I love the cross-over in Link’s Awakening, I think it should stay there. Or if there is a future cross-over, go no farther that what was done in that game.

  I think it’s a fun idea, but while I love both series, I hold them both is very different regards. I think the Mario series is less serious story-wise and more open to this sort of experimentation (see the Mario RPG games for great, different Mario experiences), but I take the Zelda story-line much more seriously. Would this game be canon? Just a fun alternate universe thing? Either way I’d rather Zelda not become the way Mario is with Zelda Kart, Zelda Tennis, and Paper Zelda (unless Paper Zelda was a legit new Zelda game and not a spin-off, as in it was a new art-style choice).

• Absolutely not. They are different styles of game altogether. Hyrule is not part of any other fantasy universe.

Article source: http://www.zeldadungeon.net/2012/02/weekly-zelda-dungeon-discussion-post-1-zelda-and-mario-fusion-games/

The Houston Symphony announced on Feb. 21 guest conductor Eímear
Noone will conduct the Symphony in an exciting performance of “The
Legend of Zelda™: Symphony of the Goddesses.”

The performance will be on July 7, at Jones Hall as part of its
Summer in the City concerts. Houston is part of a 2012 North
American tour where audiences will enjoy original music from the
celebrated Zelda franchise, uniting music and visuals in a way
never before realized. The symphony and tour were developed as part
of the celebration surrounding The Legend of Zelda’s 25th
anniversary.

“The Legend of Zelda™: Symphony of the Goddesses” is the first
ever video game themed concert to feature a complete four movement
symphony, showcasing the work of Nintendo composer and sound
director Koji Kondo. Audiences will witness 25 years of video game
history unfolding with gorgeous and cinematic video presentation,
synced to the game’s sensational, thematic and action-packed music
played live by the Houston Symphony.

Tickets to the Houston Symphony’s performance on July 7, 2012,
will go on sale to the public Friday, February 24.

SYMPHONY SUMMER IN THE CITY SERIES

Jones Hall

615 Louisiana St.

Houston, TX 77002

Saturday, July 7, 2012 7:30pm

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses

Eímear Noone, conductor

Houston Symphony Chorus

Charles Hausmann, director

Tickets from $20

About The Legend of Zelda™

The Legend of Zelda™ is among the most famous media franchises
of all time. Over 62 million copies of the game have been sold
since its introduction in 1986, grossing more than Avatar and
Titanic combined.

Beyond the fifteen Zelda video games, Zelda’s popularity has
spawned a book series, comic book, Saturday morning cartoon, and
even its own breakfast cereal. The most recent game, Skyward Sword,
set a new record for the franchise, selling over 550,000 copies in
a week and becoming Zelda’s fastest-selling title. Nintendo’s fan
club and mailing list continue to add over a million new members
every year throughout the world.

Article source: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/living/the-legend-of-zelda-music-to-be-performed-by-the/article_97d16882-5cdf-11e1-9292-001871e3ce6c.html

First Mega Man, then Street Fighter…there’s a video game collection arms race going on, and The Legend of Zelda just joined in.

Reader Andy “thought this would be pretty cool to show on the site”. He’s damn right it would be.

Note he doesn’t just have every game. For many he’s got multiple editions. Look at all those copies of Twilight Princess!

Article source: http://kotaku.com/5886783/have-you-ever-seen-this-many-zelda-games-at-once