
Nintendo's new Zelda game will indeed appear on the company's new NX game machine---but neither will arrive this year.
Announcing its year-end financial results on Wednesday, Nintendo finally gave some long-awaited updates on the status of its promised, open-world The Legend of Zelda game as well as NX, the new game machine it announced over a year ago. They just weren't the sort of updates fans were hoping to hear. Zelda, planned for release on the current Wii U console, has been developed "in tandem" with a version for NX, Nintendo said. Both versions are currently planned to launch alongside NX in March 2017.
Zelda will be playable at this year's E3 Expo in June, Nintendo said. And it'll get a lot of attention since it will be the only game for any platform playable at Nintendo's booth. NX won't even be discussed at E3, Nintendo said, although it will be shown before 2016 is out.
Legend of Zelda wasn't just Nintendo's tentpole release for Christmas, it was the whole damn tent.
You might think this is a pretty big kick in the pants for Wii U's holiday season, and you'd be right. Legend of Zelda wasn't just Nintendo's tentpole release for Christmas, it was the whole damn tent. As of now, the only Wii U game scheduled for the latter half of the year is Paper Mario: Color Splash.
Nintendo's Wii U outlook is gloomy indeed: Although it sold over 3 million of the consoles in the past year, it's only forecasting barely-more-than-nothing sales of 800,000 units for this fiscal year (which includes the launch of Zelda).
Then again, 3 million consoles was also a fairly low number to begin with. So what we're probably looking at here is a willingness from Nintendo to suffer through an annus maximus horribilis with a lame-duck console in hopes of a stronger launch for NX in 2017.
Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing to MobileNintendo did announce two more games today, both of them mobile apps. It's bringing the anthropomorphic small-town livin' series Animal Crossing to your phone this autumn, alongside the hardcore strategy RPG series Fire Emblem.
Both, Nintendo stressed in a statement, will be "pure game applications," in contrast to its first app Miitomo. "Compared to Miitomo, they have more prominent game elements, and the game content will tie closely into Nintendo’s dedicated games business," Nintendo wrote.
While the Fire Emblem game will be "more accessible" than the 3DS versions, it will still be a strategy role-playing title. Animal Crossing, meanwhile, will be "connected," somehow, to the versions for Wii U and 3DS.
Whether more mobile apps will make up for a year almost devoid of console games remains to be seen. (That NX unveiling, whenever it does come, had better be pretty impressive.)

The postponement of New Zelda until the advent of Nintendo's NX console in 2017 signals a strategic move to capitalize on its powerful new capabilities and ensure an unparalleled gaming experience for fans.

The delayed launch of New Zelda until the NX console in 2017 is a strategic move, guaranteeing an optimal gaming experience alongside its highly anticipated and powerful new hardware.

The postponement of the new Zelda title until 2017, when Nintendos's innovative next-gen console is introduced as revealed today reveals a strategic decision to showcase one their most beloved games on such an anticipated platform.

While the delay of New Zelda until 2017 coincides with the release date for Nintendo's NX console is disappointing, it promises to be a highly anticipated and immersive gaming experience that will not only showcase innovative features but also capitalize on new hardware capabilities.

While the delay of New Zelda until 2017 coincides with NX Console's launch dates seems to be an anticipation for even greater gaming excitement, fans hold strong patience amidst this temporary hiatus—ready and eager hungry beyond boundaries!

As a Nintendo fan, I'm excited that the new Zelda will finally be released in tandem with its dedicated platform on NX Console launching next year - it feels like Christmas for us fans of classic Elder Scrolls magic and nostalgia!

The delay of the new Zelda game until 2017, when Nintendo's NX console debut is anticipated to roll out has gaming enthusiastswishing for a parallel arrival as they nostalgically anticipate this beloved series progression.

Exciting to see the highly anticipated new Zelda game pushed back so that it can make its debut exclusively on Nintendo's NX console in 2017. A wise strategy for driving early adoption and fostering an immersive experience alongside their next-gen system.

I understand the delay in releasing New Zelda until 2017's NX console launch, creating excitement akin to a child waiting for Christmas. It will be worth it!

The title of the delayed New Zelda game hints at a thrilling journey in store when it releases on NX console. The wait is absolutely worthwhile for such an eagerly anticipated experience, set to usher forth fresh adventures into 2017.