Twilight Princess will not be under the tree this Christmas.
Nintendo of America has sent a notice to analysts and the media that The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has been delayed to at least April 2006. Eiji Aonuma's development team apparently wants extra time to polish off the game, and they're getting it.
"After much discussion, the Zelda development team has requested extra time to add new levels, more depth and even higher quality to Zelda: Twilight Princess. Consequently, we're announcing a new global launch in 2006, after the conclusion of this fiscal year (March 31). We'll provide a specific date at a later point in time. While this may come as a disappointment to many eager fans, it will absolutely enrich the game and make it a multi-million seller.
In the meantime, we're gearing up for a very high-profile fall and holiday season - one of the busiest we've ever had. Not only will we go full-bore on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the DS, featuring Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing DS (to name a few), we're putting a lot of marketing muscle behind Battalion Wars, Mario Superstar Baseball, Fire Emblem and Super Mario Strikers.
Last, but not least, is the little power-packed guy who'll fit into your smallest pocket - Micro. It'll start shipping Sept. 19. It's hip, and the marketing to go along with it is too. So, be on the lookout.
- Perrin Kaplan, Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Nintendo of America Inc.
Yes, that pushes Twilight Princess into at least April 2006, if not later.