Nintendo will release new Mario and Zelda games this yearꩲ for Gamecube - at least, if current industr💖y rumours are to be believed.

The widely talked about Mario 128 has been an on/off project ever since it was first unveiled as little more than a tech demo at the Spaceworld games show in 2ꩵ000. It was originally mo𝄹oted as the follow-up to Mario 64, although sequel honours eventually went to Mario Sunshine.

At the end of 2002, Nintendo guru Shigeru Miyamoto stated that he 🐼was again hard at work on Mario 128 and the game was expect൩ed to make an appearance at May's E3 trade show. Instead, punters just got news of multiplayer Pac-Man. But that's another story.

Meanwhile, also rumoured to be released this yea✤r is the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which is apparently expected to re💛tain the cel-shaded look of its predecessor.

Of course, Miyamoto himself said back in♛ February last year that he expected Mario 128 to be released in Japan by the end of 2003 - so, until we see confirmed release dates for either game fro♓m Nintendo, this sort of rumour-mongering is best taken with a generous pinch of salt.