Plus a new Phantom Hourglass trailer.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who saved gaming back in the 1980s and who also gave birth to Mario and Zelda, has recently spoken to Nintendo website Touch-DS.jp about the development of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for DS. Here's what the granddaddy of gaming had to say about it:

"When we decided to develop a Zelda title for the DS, we wanted it to be a fun game with the essence of the DS. Of course, we were worried whether we could make a good Zelda game that used the stylus control scheme of the DS, but once we did it, the game didn't lose its Zelda essence. I think we've created a new Zelda title that can be played with a single stylus. If you want to try something, you just need to touch the screen with the stylus; it's very intuitive. That's how this new Zelda game is."

"This Zelda title is full of elements controled via the stylus or the microphone. This is now common for the DS games, but these elements are really merged with the Zelda world. For example, there are many things you can do with a candle. Some DS games make you start a fire or put one out, but the impression it gives you changes in this Zelda game."

"I think the Zelda series has evolved throughout the years. This game is no exception. We've changed the gameplay mechanics and it makes the game fresh and fun. We've also introduced the phantom hourglass system, and I'd like you to give it a try. Furthermore, the staff has done some research on Zelda to decide whether something fits in the game, so this game has many elements with the Zelda essence."

The rest of the interview (an English translation, of course) can be read here, if you want to read his comments on convincing his sister to play this touch-screen wonder. Similarly, Touch-DS.jp have released a new Phantom Hourglass trailer. Nintendo have not yet given a US or European release date, but stick with N-Europe for the latest.