Hands On: The Legend of Zelda: Fruit of the Mysterious Tree

Fruit of the Mysterious Tree is Nintendo's two-part series of Game Boy Color Zelda games. It has similar items and gameplay to the last portable Zelda adventure, Link's Awakening. The version shown at Space World contained a cool dungeon that featured a set of mine carts. Hopping into the carts starts them moving. Many enemies from the rest of the Zelda series make returns here, though they've been updated graphically. Another puzzle involved a bit of stealth, as you have to trail a creature from screen to screen without being seen. Make it all the way to the end, and the creature will reveal a secret passageway to some sort of lava-filled world.

One of the new aspects of the game is the ability to change the season at will by hopping up onto a tree stump and using an item. This makes for lots of alternate-world-style puzzles, as things like piles of snow help you reach certain pathways in the winter, but block off others that are accessible in the spring.

Graphically, the game looks a bit nicer than Link's Awakening, and the gameplay is similar enough so that anyone with previous Zelda experience should be able to jump right in. The two games in the series will be released simultaneously later this year. You'll be able to play either of the games first, and depending on your choice, you'll encounter slight differences in each game.