Zelda: Skyward Sword targeted for 'early 2011'

At last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Nintendo devoted a large chunk of its press conference to Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, its second installment in its venerated franchise for the Wii. In addition to offering some of the first details on the title, Nintendo also bestowed it with a broad 2011 release window.

Now, though, Nintendo has lopped off roughly 275 of those possible launch days. As part of an interview with the Official Nintendo Magazine, producer Eiji Aonuma said that Skyward Sword should be out during the first part of next year.

"The basis we have now is very, very solid," Aonuma said. "Early 2011--that is what we're aiming for." ONM provided no additional details from the Aonuma interview, saying that the complete text can be found in the August issue of the magazine.

Nintendo's E3 demo featured franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto giving a public demo of the game. Miyamoto showed how the new Zelda will integrate with the Wii's motion-sensing scheme, with the Wii Remote doubling as a sword and the nunchuk serving as a shield. Foes confronted and vanquished during the demo included carnivorous plants, disembodied eyeballs, and orcish creatures.

Beyond Link's hallmark sword and board, Miyamoto also showed off a number of other weapons in Link's arsenal, including a slingshot, bow and arrow, bomb, and whip. Of the whip, players have precise control over its direction, thanks in part to the game's integration with the Wii's precision-enhancing MotionPlus add-on.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.