It's official: trading card games are making a huge comeback. So it's no wonder that one of Nintendo's most beloved franchises is now getting its own card game.
Start collecting now because The Legend of Zelda trading cards are almost here. EB Games has a listing on its website for a starter set for the card game, which also includes an opportunity to preorder a set of 85 cards.
The cards feature images and characters from the entire Zelda franchise, including Twilight Princess, Majora's Mask, A Link Between Worlds, Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword. Each pack includes foil cards, 23 regular cards, eight gold foil cards, 12 decal stickers and nine tattoos, too. Each starter set comes with four packs.
This new trading card set comes at a good time: not only did Nintendo just release Twilight Princess HD for the Wii U in March, but the company also plans on dedicating its E3 presentation this year to the latest game in the franchise. Nintendo will focus all its E3 efforts on the new title, which will also be the only playable title at the conference for the company.
"This will be the world's first in-depth look at the game, which will also include commentaries by Nintendo developers," Nintendo wrote in a press release. "The Legend of Zelda gameplay will be streamed from the E3 show floor via Nintendo's channels on YouTube and Twitch, as well as on https://e3.nintendo.com. The stream will include game coverage, behind-the-scenes info and plenty of fun."
It's likely that the cards will turn up at E3 as well, completing the dominance of Zelda for Nintendo there. The company has a huge stake in the success of the title, as well as the franchise's popularity with fans.
The EB Games' listing, though, does have some incorrect information: although it states a new Zelda game arrives this year, Nintendo confirmed that the game won't see a release until 2017 and will probably launch on the company's next console, the Nintendo NX.
The Legend of Zelda trading card game releases on June 30.
