'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' new promo photo finds inspiration from the classic NES key art

Nintendo is continuously pushing its marketing ploy for this year's one of the most anticipated role-playing video game releases in "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" with a series of snapshots lifted from the gameplay.

This time, the Japanese company celebrated New Year "Zelda" style with a snapshot of Link looking at the horizon over the Death Mountain. The photo, which was published on the game's official Twitter account, carries on the tradition of Nintendo releasing promo photos every significant holiday. Last year, the account also released pictures in time for Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween. Link looking into the sun with a bright landscape and the mountain range sprawling in front of him might not be a straightforward nod to New Year but it might be a more of piece exuding with hope for better days ahead.

But it did not escape long-time fans that the New Year celebratory photo is similar to that of the original key art of "The Legend of Zelda" on NES. Website Nintendo Life provides a comparison of the new shot and the said inspiration piece with Link both on a hilltop gazing into the Death Mountain.

Prior to the New Year photo, Nintendo also posted a new look, this time on the game's official Facebook account of Link gearing to battle against an interesting looking creature. Not much can be mined from the photo as the location appears to be somewhere entirely new to the video game but fans are still digging the mystery around it. A post commenter even pointed out that Link holds his sword using his left hand, which contradicts the snap in which the hero is wielding it via his right one.

"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" has yet to nab a specific release date but it is expected to arrive on Wii U and Nintendo Switch consoles sometime this year. The game poses an intriguing premise with protagonist Link waking up after 100 years in slumber while suffering amnesia. However, a mysterious voice guides him in his new quest in Hyrule to defeat the brand-new threat in the form of Calamity Gordon. There is a lot of anticipation for the title as it introduces a fresh take on the series with an open-world backdrop and improved physics engines.