One Of The Greatest Adventures Of All Time Available For Virtual Console

23 February 2007 - Wii's Virtual Console allows gamers to re-experience some of the great moments in gaming history with downloadable classics from the 80s and 90s. Today, both Zelda fans and gamers who enjoy a good adventure are in for a treat with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which has often been referred to as "The Greatest Game of The 20th Century" and which has sold over 7.6 million copies globally is making a welcome return on the Virtual Console. Intrigue, excitement and the adventure of a lifetime await you in a quest that will captivate and inspire players old and new.

As the first fully three-dimensional title in the Zelda series, players must take on the role of a young boy with a grand destiny growing up in the Kokiri village. The young hero, Link, soon finds out that something is afoot when he is despatched on an epic adventure by the Great Deku Tree. On his travels Link discovers he is destined to become the Hero of Time and save Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf. His travels take him across a vast and colourful continent as he battles through challenging dungeons - ranging from the eerie Forest Temple to the fiery caves of Dodongo Cavern. With hours of exciting gameplay this title is sure to keep even the most dedicated player busy for weeks.

Unique to the Zelda series, Ocarina of Time sees players taking on both the role of child Link and his young adult form. When he begins his journey, Link is an eight year old boy in an as yet untainted Hyrule. However, when he uncovers the fabled Temple of Time and the legendary Master Sword Link is too young to take on the role of Hero of Time so is transformed into a young adult. During this time Hyrule radically changes into a darker and more dangerous place.

The equipment at our hero's disposal changes as he grows from boy to man. As a child, Link is able to use items including the Slingshot and Boomerang, but when he is fully grown these items are of no use to him and must be replaced by items like the Hero Bow and Hookshot. Link can also tame and ride his very own horse called Epona who returns as Link's mount in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii.

When it was first released in 1998, this game struck a chord with Zelda fans across the globe, partly due to its dramatic and involving music. Not only does the game feature a playable musical instrument, The Ocarina of Time, which players must use to solve puzzles and unlock secrets, but it also features one of the most atmospheric soundtracks in the Zelda franchise. From calm and quirky background music in the field, to dramatic crescendos of sound in boss fights, this game will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is available on the Wii Virtual Console across Europe from 23rd February 2007 for the price of 1000 Wii Points and will join over fifty top games from Nintendo's back catalogue already available.

For further information please contact the Nintendo Press Office on 0207 307 3103

About Nintendo

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda and Pokémon®. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.