Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour” may be coming to a city near you soon.

Nintendo of America announced 11 new tour dates and cities for their Legend of Zelda symphony series including Toronto, Minneapolis, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, San Antonio, Calgary, New York, West Palm Beach, Miami and San Jose.

The symphony series will take the audience on a musical journey through the storylines of four classic Zelda games including Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and A Link to the Past.

The new wing of the tour kicks off in New York City at the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza with an interactive ocarina workshop led by acclaimed ocarina expert David “Docjazz” Ramos. According to his website, Ramos started playing the ocarina because of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the N64. He organized the first public US Ocarina Gathering in Seattle in 2009 and plans to hold another one by the end of 2012. He also performed with the Nintendo symphony series last July in Orlando.

Image: Jonathan Alcorn, Bloomberg/Getty Images

Nintendo’s press release:

NINTENDO ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES FOR “THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES”

Acclaimed Concert Continues to Enchant Video Game Fans and Music Lovers Across North America

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 5, 2012 – “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour” is coming soon to even more locations across the United States and Canada. Based on one of the most popular and beloved video game series of all time, the tour features live orchestral performances of theme music from Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda franchise. The newly announced dates include:

• Sept. 15: Toronto; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
• Sept. 22: Minneapolis; Orpheum Theatre
• Oct. 12: Dallas; ATT Performing Arts Center
• Oct. 18: Boston; Wang Theatre
• Oct. 25: Chicago; The Chicago Theatre
• Nov. 3: San Antonio; The Majestic Theatre
• Nov. 6: Calgary, Alberta; Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
• Nov. 28: New York; The Theater at Madison Square Garden
• Dec. 8: West Palm Beach, Fla.; Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
• Dec. 9: Miami; Adrienne Arsht Center
• Dec.14: San Jose, Calif.; San Jose Civic

In celebration of the tour, the Nintendo World store in Rockefeller Plaza in New York will host a special event on Friday, Sept. 14, from 6-9 p.m. From 6-6:45 p.m., ocarina expert David “Docjazz” Ramos will lead an interactive workshop, introducing fans and newcomers to the history of the instrument. From 7-8 p.m., an intimate mini-concert will be performed, featuring a small musical ensemble. From 8- 9 p.m., attendees can interact with David Ramos and the concert musicians. Event attendees can also take photos with Link cosplay model Li Kovacs and purchase official “Symphony of the Goddesses” merchandise. The first consumers to enter the event will receive a special concert pack that includes a T-shirt, poster and an ocarina to use during the ocarina workshop.

The name “Symphony of the Goddesses” refers not only to the concert program but also to the new four-movement symphony recounting the classic storylines from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The concert also will highlight orchestral renditions of music from other series games, including The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. The full orchestra will be conducted by Eímear Noone with arrangements by music director Chad Seiter.

“We are thrilled to bring this unprecedented and exhilarating tour to fans across the U.S. and Canada,” notes Jason Michael Paul, CEO of Jason Michael Paul Productions, which is producing the concert tour. “From children to adults who have followed The Legend of Zelda for decades, the fan base for this concert is growing exponentially, and we are ready to deliver an unforgettable experience.”

Fans can view a complete tour schedule with ticketing information and also sign up for a regularly updated digital newsletter at http://zelda-symphony.com. Club Nintendo also is offering a discount to the shows—users just need to register at the Club Nintendo site and enjoy an exclusive 15 percent discount by logging into their accounts at http://club.nintendo.com and clicking on the “Symphony of the Goddesses” logo banner. Exclusive concert packs also are available at GameStop locations.

Since first appearing in 1986, The Legend of Zelda game series has sold more than 69 million units worldwide. The latest entries in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for Nintendo 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii console, have both sold more than 1 million copies in North America since launching last year. Additionally, on Jan. 29, 2013, Nintendo and Dark Horse Books will release Hyrule Historia, a hardback book chronicling the history of The Legend of Zelda series. Featuring never-before-seen concept art, the full history of Hyrule, the official chronology of the game and insights from developers that have worked on the series, the book is currently available for pre-order via select retailers (deposit may be required for pre-order).

For more information about the concerts, visit http://zelda-symphony.com.

In the late summer of 1987, “The Legend of Zelda” made its North American debut.

What started as Link’s hero’s quest to rescue Hyrule’s beloved Princess Zelda from the wicked clutches of Ganondorf, the King of Evil, has become one of the most popular and influential video game franchises of all time.

According to USA Today, Nintendo had sold 62 million games from “The Legend of Zelda” as of April 2011. That was before the November 2011 release of the series’ 16th installment, ”The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.”

In honor of this summer’s 25th anniversary of Zelda’s North American debut, please enjoy the entertaining, slightly ribald short film “Zelda: The Musical.”

-BAM

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Nintendo announced tour dates today for its “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour”. “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour” will take place in locations through out the United States and Canada. Music from the tour will consist of pieces of themed music from the popular game series that are played by a symphony orchestra.

The Legend of Zelda, which has sold over 69 million copies over the course of its lifetime, was first produced in 1986. Several later adaptations include games for the Nintendo 3DS an Nintendo 3DS XL such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and games for the Nintendo Wii such as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Both games, respectively, have sold upwards of 1 million copies each since their release dates. In late January of 2013, Nintendo will partner with Dark Horse books to bring Zelda fans a historical look at the entire Legend of Zelda series via a hardcover book titled Hyrule Historia.

Jason Michael Paul Productions is producing the concert tour. Representative and CEO, Jason Michael Paul commented, “We are thrilled to bring this unprecedented and exhilarating tour to fans across the U.S. and Canada… From children to adults who have followed The Legend of Zelda for decades, the fan base for this concert is growing exponentially, and we are ready to deliver an unforgettable experience.”

The tour will take place between the dates of September 15th and December 14th. Legend of Zelda fans can expect to be able to see the concert at the following venues: On September 15th in Toronto at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts; on September 22nd in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre; on October 12th in Dallas at the ATT Performing Arts Center; on October 18th in Boston at the Wang Theatre; October 25th in Chicago at The Chicago Theatre; on November 3rd in San Antonio at The Majestic Theatre; November 6th in Calgary, Alberta at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium; on November 28th in New York at The Theater at Madison Square Garden; on December 8th in West Palm Beach, Florida at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; on December 9th in Miami at the Adrienne Arsht Center; and on December 14th in San Jose, California at the San Jose Civic Center.

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Story by Dave Cook

Wed, Sep 05, 2012 | 11:09 BST

The Legend of Zelda Wii U will launch in 2014, a Nintendo Japan source has told site Wii U Daily. Read on for tons of rumoured details below.

The site reports that its source is the same person who accurately predicted that Wii U would be getting achievements, and predicted Miiverse ahead of its reveal.

On Zelda Wii U’s art style, the source allegedly told the site that Nintendo is sticking with the colour art style last seen in Skyward Sword, “Nintendo is sticking to the core values of Zelda, while trying to appeal to a wide range of gamers, casual and hardcore. They feel they’ve found the sweet spot with Skyward Sword, and they’re continuing this approach with the Wii U Zelda game”.

The source added, “They’re using a new, state of the art engine that’s being built from ground up in parallel with the game. It’s got the most advanced visual features Nintendo has ever made, and includes a lot of third party tech like Havok for physics and rendering middleware from Umbra.”

On the subject of Nintendo’s Wii U Zelda tech demo, the source says this was merely a demo and nothing to do with the actual game, “The Wii U Zelda stuff you saw at E3 2011 was just a tech demo, nothing else. I’ve seen none of that in the real game. The tech demo was even made by an entirely different team with an older engine.”

It’s a large project too says the source, “They got hundreds of people working on the new Wii U Zelda game. It’s a 4-year development cycle with a new console, new technology, new engine etc. It’ll end up being the most expensive game they’ve made to date. It’s a huge investment for them [Nintendo] in money and manpower, this is Rockstar/GTA territory.”

The game was allegedly slated ofr a 2013 release but its sheer size caused a delay, the source claimed, “They targeted a 2013 release, but quickly abandoned that goal. This is the biggest project they’ve [Nintendo] ever done, no way is it gonna be ready for Q3 2013. At least from where I see it”.

On dungeons, the source revealed Zelda Wii U would have, “about the same amount of dungeons as previous Zelda games, but these will be vastly bigger in scope and will be totally different from each other. Some dungeons are so big they’re broken up in 3 parts and will literally take hours to complete.”

The game will also, “have mini-games and side quests, but these are still on the drawing board.”

Details of the game’s forest dungeon were also revealed, “The first test dungeon they made was a giant forest running on early and buggy Wii U hardware — the dungeon was bigger than the Hyrule field in Ocarina, and the whole thing is one dungeon. You use the gamepad to navigate, avoid traps, follow clues etc. It’s dark, lush, with a ton of trees, foliage, some which you have to cut your way through. Its scope and details are unlike anything you’ve seen in a Zelda game”

There will be no multiplayer, but definitely online features, the source claims, “Online multiplayer was never on the drawing board, they’re sticking with the tried and tested Zelda formula. It’ll have some online features like Miiverse and some sort of system where players can leave hints and help each other in the dungeons. That’s about it”.

On how Zelda Wii U will make the most of Nintendo’s new gamepad, the source explained, “everything in the game is built around the controller and its unique abilities. Every single feature in the controller is used to its full potential. Some of this stuff is still in early stages of development, but they’ve already implemented enough to show just what’s possible with the new controller. They showed some of this stuff to key third party devs behind closed doors last year to get them to realize the possibilities of the new tech.”

What does this mean for gameplay? Well the source has discussed that too, “It’ll have some revolutionizing gameplay. It has stuff that would never be possible on any other console, and it’s not just one cool feature, it’s one cool feature after another. Each dungeon will offer a different gameplay experience with the tablet controller. It’ll be the most innovative game ever, they got stuff that will be copied by others for years.”

What do you think? Does this sound feasible, or is it too early to say?

Thanks GAF.

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Rewind the clock back to 2010, and you would have encountered a title that was overlooked and neglected, despite being paradoxically derivative and fresh at the same time. Darksiders was the debut title of Vigil games, a studio that created a game that was equal parts style and substance. It was the Legend of Zelda, drenched in a bucket of blood and presented in a unique art style and some solid gameplay. Now, the Horseman War makes way for his brother Death, to take the spotlight in this sequel, as he teaches us to once again fear the reaper.

Set during the events of the first game, Darksiders 2 places players in the scythe-straps of Death, as he seeks absolution for his brother War, wrongfully accused of unleashing the mother of all apocalypses on mankind.

Death seeks to restore our extinct civilization back to life ironically, a task that requires him to seek out the Tree of Life, but his quest soon takes a turn for the worse when he finds himself confronted with the ghosts of the past, and a new nemesis by the name of Corruption, a force of nature that seeks to bring oblivion to reality itself.

From that point the game kicks off, and its soon made evidently clear that we’re not playing as War 2.0 here, but an entirely new character. Unlike his far more serious and dour brother War, Death has slightly more personality, possessing a dry wit and single-minded devotion to proving the innocence of his brother, that makes him come off as rather callous and cruel at times, yet amiable at other times.

A few other familiar faces pop in, while the voice work shines overall, as the actors that lend their vocal talents bring the strange worlds before players to life. The Joe Mad art style is also turned up to eleven, as characters feature ornate clothing and details, fists the size of VW Beetles and comically oversized armour. Death himself is less hulking than his brother, bordering on anorexic, yet still packing some muscle in his strange frame.

It’s a glorious world though, one that blends fantasy and all manner of fiction together, never skipping a beat during some intense action. Death also has access to his horse, Despair, from the start of the game this time, although the option to fast-travel can render the mount unnecessary at times.

But unlike other games that think that humour needs to be force-fed through a tube of constant one-liners and never-ending catch-phrases, Death is as talkative as his brother was in the first game, speaking only when necessary, and creating an interesting mystique around the character, ably voiced here by Michael Wincott.

The first Darksiders was heavy on the inspiration, borrowing most noticeably from the Nintendo Legend of Zelda games, as players blazed their way through dungeons, unlocking chests with special keys and exploring maps over multiple levels.

Darksiders 2 continues that rampant cherry-picking, taking the best bits from titles such as Prince of Persia for new acrobatic movements and navigation, but keeping the dungeon aspect intact.

While War felt like an M1 Abrams tank that blitzkrieged his way through foes, in comparison, Death handles more like a Ferrari Enzo, combining a more acrobatic style of action into his attacks. A more nimble and lithe character, Death wields his signature scythes in battle, as well as an assortment of secondary weapons comprising of axes, maces, hammers and gauntlets.

One on one, the combat is superb, as timing is crucial here. Time your dodge perfectly, and slip through for a counter-attack that can turn the tide against the hordes of imaginative foes that are present in this game.

But when confronted by enemies that number more than one, things start to fall apart, as enemies can power through some stylish combos, upsetting a rhythm built from dodges and quick strikes. It’s an annoying system in place here, that otherwise tarnishes a rather superb effort. When it works, it’s a sight to behold, but when the action gets a little too frantic and overcrowded, don’t be too surprised if you chuck your controller through a window.

Boss battles are the exception here, as Death engages some mind-staggeringly massive foes, in arenas that task players with tackling the walking puzzles that are trying to put the smackdown on you, before letting loose and throwing your best attacks at the damage sponges that guard the end-levels.

That being said, Death does have more than regular attacks at his disposal, as some light RPG elements have creeped in. Kill enough monsters, earn some XP, and you’ll level up, earning skill points to be spent on new abilities, from teleport slashes through to armour and attack buffs, as well as a little necromancing to raise some allies in battle. The more points earned from completing quests, the more Death can improve on his abilities, as he tailors them into something fierce.

Those skills cost wrath however, but unlike in the first Darksiders, wrath is easier to replenish, as it can be gained from enemies during combat far more quickly. In addition to that, Death also has access to his ultimate form, as he briefly transforms into a true angel of expiration. You’ll need to slice and dice quite a bit to build that gauge up though, as Darksiders 2 emphasises that players use it sparingly and as a last resort.

With that skillset in mind, Darksiders 2 has quite a few dungeons and puzzles mixed in with the combat, a welcome return that keeps players thinking. The levels are varied, massive labyrinths with a generic set of tasks, that still manage to be challenging without being cheap.

You’ll clamber over walls and ledges here, Running and climbing over them with a touch of Uncharted and Assassin’s Creed mixed in. It doesn’t always work, with Death occasionally being a touch laggy or too slow, but that’s a rare occurrence, that doesn’t really spoil the game otherwise.

And much like the first game, there are quite a few toys scattered around the dungeons and worlds that a player visits, from a handgun belonging to a sibling, through to GLADOS-approved portal gimmick. Derivative and cheap you say? Not true, as its the manner in which these familiar ideas are used, that keeps Darksiders 2 closer to inspired and original tones, that flatout plagiarism.

There’s quite a few worlds on offer here, unlocked as you progress, and while they’re a thinly-veiled attempt at a sandbox environment, the locales on display here play things closer to the first Darksiders, being littered with unlockable chests that can only be accessed once players have picked up a few new items along their way.

OCD players will be in heaven here, with the sheer amount of loot on offer. Various scythes, melee weapons and all kinds of armour and potions can be found in numerous treasure chests, as more powerful items provide an incremental increase to stats as you progress, keeping Darksiders 2 challenging at all times.

There’s all kinds of rare armours as well, with special items that can be fed lesser weapons and kit that allows them to level up and learn new attributes. And these RPG elements are part of the Darksiders 2 experience, further differentiating it from the original. While Darksiders 1 felt like a mature take on the Zelda franchise, mixed with some God of War action and QTEs, Darksiders 2 feels more like a game of Diablo, but brought down to earth with some slick combat implemented into the looting shenanigans.

When examined, the Darksiders siblings are two different games at their core, but still manage to be equally enjoyable, a rare feat. Is Darksiders 2 a better game than the original? No, it isn’t, but it’s a superb experience on its own that adds some new ideas to the concept that came before it, standing tall next to its fellow horsemen.

It’s a game that is crawling with content though, as the main campaign took me around 20 hours to complete, minus the side-quests, which can be superfluous fetch-quests at times. Once the end credits roll and secret cut-scene is watched at the end, Darksiders 2 also has a New Game + mode, as well as a hardcore mode with a perma-death attached to it, in Nightmare mode, coupled with the challenge of the arena in Crucible mode.

Darksiders 2 is not without bugs though, no matter how well-polished it may seem. A return to a ragnarocked Earth is the chief culprit here, with numerous bugs and glitches present, something that Vigil Games needs to iron out ASAP, as it puts a damper on the more fluid sections that comprise Darksiders 2, while the final act of the game seems to suffer from some pacing issues, moving a tad too fast, to the otherwise glacial start that players begin with.

Scoring

Gameplay: 8/10

It’s slicker, faster and more acrobatic than its predecessor, but maintains enough of the original components to qualify as a true sequel on the surface. But scratch beneath that blood-soaked veneer, and you’ll discover that Darksiders 2 is a different game entirely, focusing more on RPG elements this time around, with a healthy mix of dungeon exploration thrown in.

While it still unashameadly grabs the best bits from previous games, it feels more inspired than anything else, although several gripes such as chaotic combat and floaty acrobatics damper an otherwise well crafted experience.

Design and Presentation: 8/10

The world that Joe Madureira and the team at Vigil games have created is simply breathtaking, as they ignored realism, and dove head-on into a stylish, brutal series of realms, filled with colourful characters, and never skipping a beat when the action gets hot and heavy.

Certain stages seem to have a few bugs loitering around though, specifically in the later stages of the game, causing several instances of annoyed gamer, but hopefully Vigil will get this ironed out soon. A solid soundtrack accompanies the action, setting a few decent tunes that stride between introspect and epic scale conflicts, sealing the deal quite nicely at the end of the day.

Value: 9/10

Darksiders 2 is a massive world, with a lengthy quest ahead of players. Granted, the majority of that time will be spent in dungeons, solving puzzles that conveniently always require a certain amount of step and items, yet it still feels fresh and enjoyable, especially with the RPG elements giving combat a favourable nudge with incremental upgrades and loot.

There’s plenty to do after the credits roll however, with various side-quests available, tasking players with all manner of fetch quests and extra boss fights. It may be single-player only, but the added arena and new game+ modes makes this a game where players won’t feel as if they have squandered their cash.

Overall: 8.4/10

Darksiders 2 doesn’t exactly improve on the cons of the original game, instead blazing a path to create an identity for itself with an ice-cool new protagonist, a larger world and a new focus on other gaming elements that play a key role here.

Great level design blends in beautifully with a lush and vibrant world, as Death reaps his way through it, creating an overall satisfying experience. It may be a bit of a change from what fans were expecting, but at the end of the day, change can be good, and Darksiders 2 deserves the praise that it has worked hard for.

[Reviewed on PS3, played on normal difficulty]