GDC 2007: Nintendo showcases two-player The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass demo

Games developers spend a lot of time complaining, considering they have one of the best jobs in the world.

Not content with spending all day making games, they also enjoy perks like ninja office PC networks to play Battlefield over, all-expanses paid trips to race tracks to test sports cars for some possible driving game of the far future, and, most envy-inducing of all, early access to games like the upcoming must-have DS title The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

Games developers at this week's Game Developers Conference will even enjoy multiplayer fun, since the demo Nintendo is showing of the game is a head-to-head race with a twist.

Any pair of beardie coders who fight their way to the front of the line will get to battle one another in a race to see who can collect the most Force Gems within a limited amount of time.

They'll alternate between controlling Link and controlling three phantom guards. Control Link, and the aim will be to race to key locations to grab Force Gems. Meanwhile the player controlling the three phantom guards must try to keep Link from the Force Gems at all costs.

It seems a strange demo to put on the GDC showfloor, but that doesn't mean we're not tempted to fly 4,000 miles to play it. Luckily for our Nintendo DS editor Jon Jordan, he already has, so look out for a hands-on report later this week (click 'Track It!' for a reminder).

Nintendo plans to release The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass this Christmas.