‘The Legend of Zelda’ Wii U and Nintendo NX Release Date, Sneak Preview Coming at E3 2016 and New York; Live Stream Or Watch Online

By Mark Rollins
The Legend of the Zelda for the Wii U
The Legend of the Zelda game lands on Nintendo NX

Nintendo knows what its fans want, and that is another offering of one of its biggest franchises, The Legend of Zelda series.  Ever since The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U was delayed, it has been longed for by its fans, and will sadly come later rather than sooner.  However, there will be a sneak preview of the game before its release date at E3 2016, happening at the same time as a New York event. 

The story of The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U is a tragic one, as it will be the console that won't have a Zelda title to call its own.  The Nintendo 64 had the Ocarina of Time, which was a game-changer for the 3D fantasy RPG game, and the Wii had Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, but gamers knew from the get go that the Wii U wouldn't get its own Zelda game until 2015. 

Unfortunately, that Zelda game is delayed, and it won't come out until Nintendo launches their NX next generation console.  At least we know that is coming in March of 2017, but that is a two-year delay for the game that all Nintendo fans are clamoring for. 

If you were hoping to see a demonstration of the Nintendo NX at E3 2016, then you have probably heard that won't happen.  Normally, Nintendo and other companies use this huge video game convention at the LA Convention Center to put a spotlight on their latest products, but Nintendo has gone out of its way to say that the NX won't be one of them. 

However, that doesn't mean that you can't play the next The Legend of Zelda game as it will be available to the media as well as attendees during E3 2016 for play.  Perhaps they will reveal the subtitle for it there, and since there will be a Wii U version of this long-awaited game, this is what the lucky attendees will be playing.  Finder states that there will be two extended demos of the Wii U version, and to set aside 90 minutes to make the most of the gameplay.

As far as what the game will be like, The Legend of Zelda games are famous for combining open world with dungeon crawling, with a lot of puzzle-solving in the mix.  The fact that Nintendo wants 90 minutes of your time to see even a section of that shows that they believe in it. 

What is really odd is that Nintendo is giving a chance for gamers in New York City a chance to try out The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U between June 14 and June 19, according to Engadget.  This looks to be made for those who can't make it to E3, but you will have to show up for "Super-Fan Signup Day" at Nintendo's New York store on the morning of June 11th to even have  a chance to play.  If you are one of the 500 few, you will have to line up at the store to get a wristband and appointment for hands-on time. 

It is possible to live stream what Nintendo is planning, and here is a list of live streams that can be found on IGN for you to watch online.