Fans begin to speculate just how involved Nintendo will be with Google's newest product as its reveal countdown makes a cheeky reference to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
While the idea of Nintendo and Google working together seems like a relatively new one, it appears that the relationship between the two companies has been growing steadily over the last year at least. The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Google all backed a $30 million investment in Niantic Labs to help the developer create Pokemon GO, a move that surely paid dividends for all involved given the mobile title's previously unheard of success.
Of course, Shigeru Miyamoto's appearance at last month's Apple event to announce the development of Super Mario Run for iOS mobile devices might suggest otherwise, but it's possible Nintendo has simply decided to play both sides of the smartphone divide. A picture that first surfaced on Reddit lends quite a bit of credibility to that train of thought as well - with only 24 hours to go before Google announces its newest smartphone product, the tech giant uploaded a countdown that is very clearly a reference to The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
It's a pretty obvious tribute to one of the most beloved Nintendo titles of all time, and it's important to note that it is very likely just that - an homage by a fan who works for Google and nothing more. Yet the fact that Super Mario Run is a timed exclusive that will eventually surface on Android has fueled speculation that Nintendo might provide a similar service for Google's new phone. Instead of Mario, however, it appears that Nintendo could be giving Android users first crack at a Legend of Zelda mobile title to make up for the wait for Super Mario Run.
Those willing to entertain even wilder conspiracy theories have also suggested that the Google Project Tango's tablet model number being NX-74751 is no coincidence. The newest theory - and a loosely-tied together theory at that - is that Nintendo's new NX console is a collaborative effort between the Japanese gaming giant and Google.
While that would certainly be a dream come true for many tech geeks and gaming fanatics alike, the new Google countdown is hardly a confirmation that such a partnership exists. It would be great to be proven wrong, but until gamers hear otherwise, Nintendo fans and disciples of all things Google should file the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask reference away as a cute reference to an iconic classic and nothing more.