The Legend of Zelda Wii U Gameplay Footage

Fans of the house of Mario have had an eventful few months. But, despite the likes of the new Super Smash Bros. keeping them entertained well into the new year, fans are starting to wonder when the next blockbuster title will be arriving on their GamePad-centric platform – with the most anticipated game en route undoubtedly being the next entry in the beloved The Legend of Zelda series.

Nintendo has already taken the liberty of confirming that the long anticipated, next wholly original Legend of Zelda game will be arriving on the Wii U in 2015, and to reassure consumers that the software is on track the company released brand new gameplay details and footage during The Game Awards last December. Even that isn't enough to quell the desire of anxious fans, however, which is why the Big N has slowly been putting out details on Link's next adventure.

The latest information originates from an interview between Gamereactor Magazine and the producer behind The Legend of Zelda franchise, Eiji Aonuma, where it was confirmed that the in-game and open world of the next installment has pushed the Wii U platform to its absolute limits.

"A huge, seamlessly unfolding world is something that can't be achieved if the hardware isn't advanced enough. Ever since we made the very first generation of Legend of Zelda games though, we've had as large a world as can be realized with the hardware, so you could say it was inevitable that we've now done the same with the new Wii U title."

The Legend of Zelda Wii U Gameplay

Aonuma also elaborated a little bit on what an open world Zelda title means, suggesting that there may still be a sequence of events that unfold to access certain areas of the map. Regardless, while past entries in the series have always had something akin to a large and open hub world, the power of the Wii U has made it possible to explore the forthcoming rendition of Hyrule without any load points.

"When I first showed off the new Zelda game on the Wii U, it seemed everyone was very excited and started proclaiming that a Zelda game had at last become open world! Zelda games have always allowed you to roam and explore a huge world. What's changed now is that the hardware has progressed to the point that you can now explore this vast world seamlessly; the underpinning of the game hasn't changed."

This news won't shock anyone whom has seen some of the few snippets of gameplay released thus far for the game, but it's always nice to know that the team working on the latest title is doing all they can to make the open world in the forthcoming Zelda game as massive as it can possibly be. Just when exactly fans can look forward to the game arriving on Wii U remains to be seen, but Nintendo is sure to have more news on that front arriving sooner rather than later.

Are you excited for the next The Legend of Zelda on Wii U? Get at us in the comments.

The Legend of Zelda is scheduled to arrive on the Wii U in 2015.

Source: Gamereactor (via GameSpot)