Gallery: Link Gets Sand In His Shorts In Skyward Sword

I know some people are avoiding spoilers on the upcoming (November 20!) Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but Nintendo keeps parceling out these little nuggets of info to tease us, so I'm going to keep sharing them. If you don't want spoilers, don't read this or look at any of the pictures. Of course, I don't think there's been any real spoilers yet. I mean, we all knew there was going to be a forest area. And a fire area. Now we know there's going to be a desert area. And while some of you might have Wind Waker flashbacks because of the boat mentioned here, maybe you'll enjoy the fact that they've included a mine cart? Because that's what Zelda games were missing: Mine cart levels!

Seriously, though, here's what Nintendo is saying this week:

• Lanayru Desert and the Lanayru Mining Facility: In this vast area, surrounded in all directions by sand, Link must search for the Lanayru Mining Facility. As strange a place as this is, Link will encounter characters both new and familiar, such as Gorons. Inside the Lanayru Mining Facility, Link will follow the path of mine carts through this expansive area, experiencing new puzzles and challenges. He must also face the dungeon boss Moldera, a fearsome giant scorpion.

• Sand Ship: Late in his quest, Link returns to a different area of the Lanayru Desert as he sails across a sea of sand in search of a hidden ship.

• New Items: In the desert, Link will receive two new items - the Claw Shots and the Gust Jar. The Claw Shots allow players to grapple and pull themselves toward otherwise unreachable areas. The Gust Jar can blow a burst of air to stun enemies or clear paths through piles of sand. Players will find the Gust Jar essential to solving the puzzles in the Lanayru Mining Facility.

Personally, I didn't mind the sailing, and Wind Waker is probably still my favorite Zelda game. And it looks like it's going to be a very small part of the game here, as opposed to your main method of transportation. It's the mine cart that has me worried. God, I hate those damn things...

(But I am still really loving the visual look of this game, especially the creature designs!)