Here it is, another wonderful edition of the Zelda mailbag. I just have one piece of info, and you can be sent off to your questions.

I mentioned this at the beginning of the video (when I said “For the third time”) and here is the explanation: This was my third attempt at recording this week because my camera decided to drain my batteries quickly and be stupid and die twice while I was recording.

Anyway, if you have a question that you would like answered for next week’s mailbag, feel free to send it in by visiting our wonderful “Send in to the Mailbag” page located at the link provided. Enjoy, and see you next week.

If you’re not only a Zelda fanboy (or fangirl), but also a biology nerd, this Zelda Dungeon article about the Gorons is for you! Everything from the Goron diet to even Goron reproduction is covered. Don’t worry though – if you’ve forgotten everything from biology class, big words like “chemolithotrophy” are defined for you.

A new article from Zelda Informer has also been released, and it takes a look at the history of second quests (new content that becomes available after defeating the game) throughout the Zelda series. There’s nothing quite like playing as Link in his pyjamas in the second quest of The Wind Waker now, is there?

Want to hear select titles from our recently released Spirit Tracks soundtrack but don’t want to go through the trouble of downloading the tracks? Well, think nothing of it any longer; after days of work, the soundtrack has been fully uploaded to our YouTube channel, ZeldaUniverse TV. You can stream any of the 143 tracks on the soundtrack, as much as you’d like.

When you’re done listening, don’t be afraid to go download the soundtrack! And make sure to check out the other Zelda soundtracks we offer on the site.

MotionPlus has already been confirmed for Zelda Wii, but Aonuma recently  hinted that how you kill off enemies could end up solving puzzles. What this means we can only guess. You might be able to kill enemies a certain way in order for them to drop items, or maybe you have to strike push enemies backwards into pits by hitting them in the right direction.

Aonuma also said that he’s pushing hard to get a demo ready for E3 and eventually release the game by 2010. Apparently he did that with Spirit Tracks which he had previously wanted to be released by Spring 2010. Some fans will be worried that this will result in Zelda Wii being less polished than it would’ve been due to the rushed release, but if Spirit Tracks is any indication, it will be just fine.

Source: IGN

ZeldaInformer has released their first podcast, which discusses Spirit Tracks and Zelda Wii. You may recognize a couple of the voices – I’m in it as one of the guests and the host Nate does our Zelda News segment for the ZU podcast.

It has been released in 4-part video form on Youtube (embedded above), or alternatively you can just listen to the audio version here.

You’ve stumbled upon my wonderful face, I guess. That’s right, after a few attempts at audio, I have decided to make the leap into video.

Once the ZU Channel launched on YouTube, Cody suggested that the Mailbag go video, so I broke out the camera and recorded one. The video you see above was edited down from 30 minutes of material! But, starting next week, I will only answer the top 5 questions of the week on video and post the rest as text on the site. You may also notice that I am not linking to the mailbag anymore, because they’ll now be posted right on the main page.

As usual, please send in your questions so that I can answer them in the next mailbag. Maybe you’ll get a video shoutout the next time!

When you’re done watching the first video mailbag, hit the jump for the full text version.

Yusei recently dabbled into this question herself at Zelda Temple, but it is a fair question to ask. Ganon/dorf has been around in the Zelda world from the very beginning. I mean, really, how powerful is a being who keeps “easily” being defeated over and over again in the same fashion? He never seems to learn, and keeps going with the same plan over and over again. On top of that, since he never wins, what sort of threat is he? Is the Triforce of Power, for example, really that powerful? It’s a nice talking point: So what do you think? Is the staple bad guy, Ganon, really that powerful?

You waited patiently while we worked and slaved over hot keyboards, and now the day has come. Zelda Universe is finally releasing the largest and most polished Spirit Tracks soundtrack there is – 143 tracks from Nintendo’s latest handheld adventure.

All tracks are ripped in VBR Quality 0 (that’s very high quality, for you non-technical folks). We want this soundtrack in the hands of everyone who loves Zelda music, so we’re making it available to all of you in several ways. First of all, you’ll have to go to the Spirit Tracks Original Soundtrack page on ZU, either through that link or through the Music section on the left sidebar. From there, you’ll have the option to…

• Download the entire soundtrack at once with BitTorrent
• Download the entire soundtrack at once in a ZIP file
• Download individual tracks as you want them
• Listen to the tracks on our YouTube channel

A lot of work went into making this the most professional and polished Spirit Tracks soundtrack release out there. We’ve got to give credit where credit is due, so know that this soundtrack wouldn’t be possible without…

• Keith A. (aka silver-hero), who contributed all of the high-quality music rips that make up the soundtrack, and gave them all lovely fade-outs when desperately needed;
• Jason Rappaport, who organized, tagged and named all the tracks, as well as created the album artwork for the project;
• And of course, Nintendo and the brilliant Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ota, and Manaka Tominaga who spent their days composing and rendering the music we love.

We hope that everyone who downloads this soundtrack enjoys the music of Spirit Tracks!

The manga A Link to the Past by Akira Himekawa will be released this Tuesday, February 2nd, in bookstores across America. Like the other mangas in the series, the story will be based on the game itself. Look for it in your local bookstore or order online for a cover price of $7.99!

According to Amazon.com, the manga series will continue this fall with the release of The Phantom Hourglass around September 7th. Already released are Ocarina of Time Part I, Ocarina of Time Part II, Majora’s Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Part I, Four Swords Part II, and The Minish Cap.

We all know that Ocarina of Time has had a profound influence on the gaming world, even 12 years after its release. Zelda Informer has written an article revealing how Mario 64 revolutionized Ocarina of Time – the game said to have revolutionized gaming. From the music, to the camera angle, and the use of the control stick, Mario 64 set some of the standards for unequivocally, the most popular Zelda title to date.

Also coming from Zelda Informer is an article written by a fan of the many oddball animals that have appeared in the Zelda series. From Kiki the monkey to the Rabbitland Rescue man, this article takes a look back at the animals which made us laugh and made lasting memories.

Unfortunately, she did forget one very important animal! How could anyone forget good old Bow-Wow from Link’s Awakening?

To many, this will come as a pleasant surprise—After much speculation, Iwata has confirmed the appearance of Zelda Wii at E3 this year. E3 doesn’t start until June 15th so you’ll have to be patient, but don’t worry – summer and more Zelda Wii revelations will be here in no time.

But if that just wasn’t enough, Nintendo of Europe has backed up Iwata’s earlier claims that Zelda Wii will be released this year.

So, Zelda fans, buckle up and keep your hands in the vehicle at all times—this is going to be an exciting ride into 2010. Or, do you think Nintendo will break their promises?

Yet another Top 5 list has been released by a Zelda fan site; however, this is not your typical top 5 list. The Hidden Triforce has released its Top 5 list of Zelda enemies that need to be redeemed.

Many of our favorite Zelda enemies have changed drastically over the years – some have unfortunately made a change for the worse. Personally, I love the Toucan Sam version of Wizzrobe found in The Wind Waker. If any enemy needs redemption, it is Goomba, from Link’s Awakening!

Which enemy do you feel deserves redemption?

Zelda Reorchestrated has released yet another masterful Spirit Tracks reorchestration. Be sure to check out the team’s rendition of Tower of Spirits Dungeon here! Tower of Spirits Dungeon is the 7th song added to their Spirit Tracks collection.

What songs would you like to hear from ZREO? Leave your suggestions in a comment, and who knows? Maybe the next track released will be your personal favorite – and don’t forget to visit Zelda Reorchestrated every Friday for a new song update.

ChrisCrossMedia are still going strong and have released a new video relaying their top 5 favorite Zelda songs. If you like what you see in this video, subsribe to their  YouTube channel- they update daily! While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out our own channel at ZeldaUniverseTV, which will soon contain the entire Spirit Tracks soundtrack. The entire 143-track collection will be available for download right here on February 1st!

Hey, everyone – it’s your friendly webmaster Jason, here to remind you that we’re still entered in the roughly one-month long epic contest to win us a DSi XL unit before it’s released in the states. Everyone who’s anyone has voted for ZU in our quest for dominance, so if you haven’t already done so and would like to show your support for ZU, please go and vote!

To vote for ZU, all you need to do is post in the contest comments here with your vote. Keep in mind that votes are being moderated for integrity, so don’t be surprised if your vote doesn’t instantly appear. To everyone who votes for ZU, we thank you for showing your support!