I mentioned earlier that in the new DS Zelda, we undertook something totally new to the franchise, a Wi-Fi enabled battle mode. I will explain exactly what that will be like here. The name battle mode probably conjures up images to some of you of multiple Links appearing on the screen and swinging their swords, but this battle mode has a nickname, “Wi-Fi hide and go seek," and it’s a completely new way of playing. The number of players is simple: it’s a one-on-one game. Both players on the same field taking turns as the offense, whose goal it is to take items to their base, and the defense. On offense, one player plays as Link and the other, the defense, move three, what we are calling “Phantoms," whose job it is to stop Link. How will one player control three characters? Well, this is what’s key to playing this game, and it’s the same control that in DS Zelda, the player can use to control Link. Please take a look at some footage of actual gameplay. Now here, I am playing as the red Link against my opponent, the blue Link, who just happens to be the planner who designed this battle mode. I certainly hope that you’ll cut the red Link some slack for playing so poorly.

First please focus on the red Link who is playing on offense. I’m going to stop here for a second. The top screen: this game is a battle so normally you would check to see the enemy, but not on this map. On this map, all you see is Link. Now you can see the icons of the three Phantoms that I mentioned earlier. This is because red Link has picked up an item, a Force Gem. You can see the Phantoms while carrying these. The red Link switches between carrying and lifting the Force Gem because even though I have the advantage of seeing where the Phantoms are while I’m carrying them, they also slow me down, so if I carry a Force Gem for too long, it increases the risk of the Phantoms catching up to me. This is how the game is meant to be played, and not just because I am bad at it. The red Link just placed the Force Gem in his base and earned a point. You might not have noticed the red Link’s speed drop that much while he was carrying a Force Gem, but the bigger the Force Gem, the more it will slow Link down. However, while the risk is higher, the points that the player can earn are also bigger with these Force Gems, and that’s a strategic decision that the player must make. The red Link was attacked by a Phantom. In this game, though Link cannot attack the Phantoms, the Phantoms will automatically attack Link if he comes near one of them. When a Phantom comes near Link, he must run without a moment’s delay, but with my reflexes, I was unable to escape that attack. With this, the players switch sides, and the player controlling the red Link will now play defense and control the Phantoms.

Let’s take a look at that same game, this time from the perspective on defense. I think you can see the difference from when the red Link was being controlled. Lines are being drawn in order to control the Phantoms and the map is being displayed on the lower screen. Also, with red Link, you start the game without being able to see the Phantoms, but the Phantoms can always see where Link is. Link has disappeared from the map screen. Do you see the light blue areas on screen? If Link enters these spaces, he cannot be seen by the Phantoms. Also, Phantoms cannot enter these spaces, so these serve as safe zones for Link. Link has reappeared on the screen. Red Link was in a safe zone for a while, but then the player controlling the blue Link predicted my movements and placed the Phantoms around the safe zone. It was too dangerous for me to leave it. It’s obvious that the blue Link is clearly the better player. Link has disappeared again. Link will also disappear when he is on his base; now this is a safe zone too.

…And the red Link is down again. The red Link is surrounded by the Phantoms, and this happens quite often, especially when Link cannot see where the Phantoms are. Because of this, the player controlling Link must check the location of the Phantoms while carrying a Force Gem and predict where they will go next and move Link accordingly. That’s the key to playing this game. In this way, each player takes turns trying to get as many items to their base in the given amount of time without being attacked by a Phantom. After the set number of turns is taken, the winner is determined. Each game is short, the longest possible being twelve minutes, but with games where you are forced to try to read your opponents next move, the more you play, the better you get at reading their habits, and so this game is very addictive. You will understand this game as soon as you experience it, so I certainly hope that you will head to the Nintendo booth and try the game out for yourself.