During today's Nintendo Direct, the Wii U manufacturer debuts a small bit of footage and confirms that The Legend of Zelda is still targeting a 2016 release date.

During their Nintendo Direct presentation today, the Wii U publisher reaffirmed that The Legend of Zelda is still targeting a 2016 release. Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime also debuted a brief snippet of Legend of Zelda Wii U footage, which still looks gorgeous.

Although Nintendo had already squashed speculation that today’s Nintendo Direct would address future NX or mobile plans, the company brought a few big announcements to the table. Granted, we would have liked to see and hear more about The Legend of Zelda Wii U, but that’s typically not Nintendo’s M.O. Assurance seemed to be the message of the day, so those concerned Zelda might slip further and further out of reach can breathe easy.

Unfortunately, the Legend of Zelda footage was so brief that there isn’t much to analyze or even speculate about. All that was shown was Link riding a horse through a grassy hill area before coming to a full stop. If nothing else, though, the footage proves that Zelda will feature some impressive vistas and a colorful palette.

That being said, the recent Wolf Link amiibo announcement has led to some speculation about the new game’s story and themes. According to Nintendo, although the amiibo is designed to work with the recently announced Twilight Princess HD, the toys-to-life figure will also have some Zelda Wii U functionality as well. Could this be confirmation that Midna and/or Wolf Link will appear in the upcoming game? Or is this simply a way for amiibo owners to get a little extra bang for their buck?

Whatever the case may be, it’s clear Nintendo is trying to keep the focus on The Legend of Zelda as an upcoming triple-A release and not necessarily on its associated platforms. Many have speculated that, like with Twilight Princess, the new Zelda will be a cross platform release for Nintendo, hitting both the Wii U and the NX. That’s assuming the NX releases by the end of 2016, which is a possibility but is by no means set in stone.

While Nintendo Directs are typically good for major announcements like Twilight Princess HD and Star Fox Zero’s release date, we’re more inclined to believe the big Zelda Wii U news is being saved for E3 2016. When it comes to Zelda, Nintendo loves to keep the fan base speculating and waiting.

Do you think The Legend of Zelda will release for NX? When do you think the game might release?

The Legend of Zelda is still releasing in 2016 for Wii U.