Legend of Zelda Games That Deserve the Mario 35th Anniversary Treatment Next Year
On September 3rd, 2020, Nintendo surprised the internet with another short Nintendo Direct. But instead of being filled with small announcements, long-awaited ones were finally unveiled. With Super Mario Bros.'s 35th Anniversary event comes a number of remasters and ports to the Switch and even a battle royale-style Mario game to be released, while nostalgic favorites like Super Mario 64. and Super Mario Sunshine will come in a package deal called Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Though the rumor of it had been circulating for some time, fans were happy to finally have a formal announcement of its arrival.
Interestingly, The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo's other massive franchise, will also have its 35th anniversary next year, and many are wondering if the Japanese developer will pull out all the stops for Zelda games as well. If so, 2021 might just be Legend of Zelda's big year.
The original Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was apart of the phenomenon of the GameCube era. Though the console is officially considered a flop for Nintendo's sales, Wind Waker is a nostalgically beloved game for many, earmarking the childhoods of gamers. Back in 2013, the promise of a remastered Wind Waker proved to be empty because Nintendo had ported it to the Wii U in hopes that it would improve sales for its newest console.
It didn't by much, unfortunately, and since fans have hoped for a port to the Switch. A similar treatment can be observed with Pikmin 3: it was released to the Wii U, but fans would rather treat its upcoming port to the Switch as its true premiere because the preceding console turning out to be lackluster.
If Nintendo follows the same suit as it did with Super Mario All-Stars, announcing a bundle of the original Super Mario Bros. games, then it's possible that it might release more of the original Zelda games for the Switch as well. But which games the developer would choose to send to the Switch is the question. Link's Awakening is out of the question because it was wonderfully remastered just last year. Additionally, some of the originals like Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past can be played on the Switch via Nintendo Switch Online. But there are popular games from the early days that never received a remaster or port: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.
Both Seasons and Ages released for the Game Boy Color and were widely renowned by critics, noting the fun gameplay and colorful designs. The only major issue seemed to be the sound quality, which could easily be fixed in a port to the Switch. Many retro Zelda games can be played either on the Switch or 3DS, and the Zelda fandom has quite the army of dedicated nostalgia fans. Putting a Switch version of Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages could be a well-received money grab for Nintendo.
Though Nintendo wouldn't keep with the same name, some could speculate that a Zelda package similar to Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, could be coming to the Switch. Fans have been longing to play Twilight Princess on the Switch, though it was released for the Wii U but suffered the same fate as Wind Waker. Additionally, Skyward Sword has yet to have a remaster, and perhaps it's the most logical game of the Zelda backlog to receive a port to Nintendo's newest console.
In fact, recently, a rumor began circulating that a Skyward Sword remake is in the works. Last month, screenshots of a UK Amazon product page began surfacing. It showed Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Switch under Nintendo's official account page. In fact, Nintendo was testing an HD remaster of Skyward Sword back in the Wii U days but decided to go with an HD version of Wind Waker instead. The main criticism from Skyward Sword was the poor Wiimote controls, which killed the game for many players, but perhaps a port to the Switch could improve some issues.
Prior to Breath of the Wild, these two games stood as fan favorites of the franchise. However, being moved from the Nintendo 64 to the GameCube, and then later making 3DS ports of both games, they are the most unlikely to see yet another remaster for the Switch. Still, if the developers wanted to re-release The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, which contained Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask all in one disc for the GameCube, it's likely to be popular among fans and is a child-friendly game for family households, so it still holds a chance of being a successful release.
Though it's not very possible Nintendo would go with this angle, some fans have been requesting a complete remake for Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask with upgraded graphics and reworked controls.
Breath of the Wild took chances, changing up a tried and true formula used throughout the Zelda franchise. Out were traditional temples and linear storytelling, and in were shrines, cooking, and true freedom of exploration. And not only did fans eat it up, but it brought it a gaming audience more partial to open-world action adventures. After being cited as one of the best video games of all time, Nintendo decided to make a full sequel instead of just DLC for Breath of the Wild, but the Japanese developer has yet to confirm a release date.
Earlier in 2020, industry insider Sabi, after having previously leaked that the game was scheduled for a 2020 release, claimed Breath of the Wild 2 had been pushed back to 2021. Not only does Sabi have a strong track record, but a 2021 sequel release seems like the most logical option, lining up with Zelda's 35th anniversary.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is in development.
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