64DD Zelda still in the works

[08.21.99] » Zelda Gaiden and Ura Zelda confirmed to be separate titles.

   The recent announcement of Zelda Gaiden led many to believe that the 64DD Zelda project -- tentatively titled "Ura Zelda" -- was dead, but it's still alive and well. Zelda mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in an interview with Famitsu that Ura Zelda and Zelda Gaiden is still in the works, and that Ura Zelda was far from dead.

   Originally, Zelda 64 was to be a launch title for the Nintendo 64's 64DD disk drive peripheral. With the 64DD facing constant delays, Zelda 64 was moved to cartridge, and a separate "add-on" title to follow on the 64DD: Ura Zelda. Recently, Nintendo announced a new Nintendo 64 cartridge Zelda title, Zelda Gaiden, leading many to believe it was another 64DD port. Zelda Gaiden, however, is an entirely separate game from the 64DD title, Ura Zelda ("Another Zelda").

   Zelda Gaiden offers a completely new world for Link to explore, with brand new dungeons and characters: as befitting its Japanese name, it's a side story. Ura Zelda, on the other hand, is a continuation of the first game, and uses the 64DD's abilities to add new locales to the original Ocarina of Time.

   Ura Zelda currently carries no release date, and probably won't appear publically for some time yet. Zelda Gaiden, on the other hand, is due to appear at next week's Space World show in Japan.