Zelda GBC plot, gameplay information

[08.21.99] » The seasons will play in an integral role in Zelda: Acorn of the Mystical Tree.

   With Nintendo's Space World just a few days away, news on the gaming giant's latest creations is flowing again, and the latest batch of information contains numerous new revelations concering the plot and gameplay of Legend of Zelda: Acorn of the Mystical Tree. The first of three planned Game Boy Color game Zelda games, Acorn's theme centers on the four seasons.

   None too surprisingly, the plot begins once again with Ganon kidnapping Princess Zelda and throwing Hyrule into chaos. As usual, Link sets off to defeat Ganon; when Ganon learns of Link's missions, he breaks the Triforce of Power into eight pieces and scatters them about the kingdom. Meanwhile, the Rod of Four Seasons, a device which controls Hyrule's seasons, disappears into another dimension, throwing the weather awry.

   Link's mission is thus twofold: to save Zelda and the Triforce of Power, and to find the Rod of Four Seasons. The latter entails travelling back and forth between Hyrule and the other dimension in to which the Rod has disappeared. Once Link finds the rod, he'll use it to control the seasons and solve puzzles. (One of the few released screenshots shows a snowy area, presumably the winter season.)

   A few other characters have also been spotted in the screens. In Hyrule, Link will encounter Maple, a witch riding on a broomstick, and Ricky, a boxing kangaroo. The latter actively helps Link: by climbing in Ricky's pouch, the player takes control of the kangaroo and can hop around and bop enemies with Ricky's boxing gloves. The new dimension is also home to its own cast of characters, including a group of people known as the Uura Tribe and a gaggle of spirits holed up inside a Mystical Tree (presumably the tree that bears the acorn the game is named after).