Gamers can learn more about the open world structure

Dec 6, 2014 08:55 GMT  ·  By

The Wii U might be seen as a perennial loser in the current-gen competition that also involves the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, but Nintendo still wants to create superb games for the device, as shown in the first gameplay demo for the upcoming The Legend of Zelda.

Developer Eiji Aonuma and franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto are featured in the footage and they have a chat about the core mechanics of the new title as they play it on a big screen, which shows Link moving around the world, riding his long-term companion Epona, and even battling some enemies.

A Sailcloth will be used to allow the main character to glide and the GamePad of the Wii U will get plenty of use in the all-new The Legend of Zelda because it will host the official map that will show how the open world can be explored.

In The Legend of Zelda, gamers will be able to rely on their horse to avoid trees in the forest, which is a nice touch, and they can also spend more time using their weapons or deciding exactly where they want to go.

The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U will be out at some point next year. Miyamoto says that Star Fox will be launched before that, and the two developers have also suggested that the new Majora's Mask remake will be available even sooner, with some improvements designed to make it a better experience on the 3DS handheld.

The Legend of Zelda can deliver a big boost to the Wii U

The new title in the long-running franchise was revealed last year and quickly caused excitement among the player base because it delivers some solid graphics and introduces an entirely open world, which has not been used in the series before.

The Legend of Zelda is one of the projects that can boost sales of the Wii U when it is finally launched, but only if it manages to balance the need to deliver classic elements that appeal to long-term fans while also making good use of the new capabilities of the hardware.

Nintendo has already said that the platform has been performing better in 2014, mainly because of the successful launch of Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.

Still, the device is not catching up to the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 in terms of actual sales.

The Legend of Zelda Wii U Images (3 Images)

Open world Zelda
A new look for the Wii UBright world
Open gallery