At this morning’s press conference, Nintendo unveiled the latest entry into the Legend of Zelda series, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. In this new entry into the series it will take full advantage of the Wii controllers and Wii Motion Plus. The in-game sword will reflect your movements 1:1 with the Wii controller, allowing for an entire new depth to gameplay.

You’ll be able to confuse objects that follow the movement of your sword, use the nunchuck to use your shield and even attack enemies from different sides to take advantage of a weakness of theirs.

One of the new items in the game includes a beettle that you can launch and then control using the Wii controller. You’ll be able to pick up items that are located far out of your reach where the boomerang probably couldn’t reach. Another item revealed, the whip, can be used to grab items a far and can be used as a long-range weapon.

The game should be available at some time next year.

The first Wii Music wasn’t quite the runaway success Nintendo expected it to be, but that doesn’t mean they’ve bailed out of the genre entirely. Speaking in a recent interview with Official Nintendo Magazine UK, producer Shigeru Miyamoto has hinted that a follow-up is not out of the question.

“[Wii Music] was a really unique game, and even today, we are receiving several different offers from people in the field of music education… I think it still has great potential.

Unique, yes, but lacking in fun factor. The concepts within Wii Music definitely have potential but were hampered by poor execution. A complete revamp is in order if Nintendo has any hope of selling a sequel. Tacking “Plus” onto the title isn’t going to work in this case.

Miyamoto drops ‘Wii Music Plus’ hints [CVG]

Miyamoto Considering Wii Music Sequel - [eXophase.com]

Casually announced during a Q&A roundtable session at E3, Nintendo creative director Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that its next Zelda title for Wii will take advantage of the MotionPlus attachment. But a question looming on many minds is if the title will actually require MotionPlus, which is currently sold separately at $20 and will debut in bundle form with Wii Spots Resort in July.

Miyamoto elaborated on his previous statement in a recent interview with Wired, revealing that he is making a concerted push with the development team on utilizing the extra possibilities offered by MotionPlus in Link’s next adventure.

The bigger hurdle for us is not really whether people have a Wii MotionPlus or don’t have it, it’s whether or not the experience is one where people will think they want to have a Wii Motion Plus in order to experience it.

Although Miyamoto is refraining from making any assurances just yet, it’s safe to assume that the next Zelda title will require MotionPlus, as Nintendo seems to be spending a considerable amount of time with incorporating it. Taking the optional route is an unlikely scenario, especially when considering that they could always bundle the attachment with every copy of the game at retail. Judging from our hands-on time with Red Steel 2 at E3, a Zelda title would greatly benefit from a 1:1 control scheme.

Miyamoto Wants New Zelda Exclusive to MotionPlus [Wired]