We are going to get a remake of Ocarina of Time later this year, while a new 3D Zelda game is presumably in development at Nintendo EPD3. So, the Zelda fans who prefer the big adventures from a 3rd person perspective already have a lot coming on the Nintendo Switch 2. But if you also enjoy following Link's and Zelda's journeys from a top-down or side-scrolling perspective, then you will have to wait and see for now.
To be fair, the latest installment in the series is still Echoes of Wisdom, which isn't even two years old yet. But presuming that GREZZO is not the studio behind the Ocarina of Time remake, it's likely that they are already working on the next 2D Zelda game, whether that's another remake or a new title. So, let's talk about how this could look like... and what may lie beyond.
...
Back in 2019, Link's Awakening has opened a new chapter for the top-down titles on the Nintendo Switch. While it has borrowed some assets from its two predecessors on the Nintendo 3DS, A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes, it really invented a whole new style for the Zelda franchise with the toy-like aesthetics, which sought to bring the visuals of the Game Boy classic to life with charming miniature worlds.
Five years later, Echoes of Wisdom then took this new style and envisioned the classic Hyrule from A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds in it, while expanding everything for a new adventure, where you are playing as Princess Zelda herself, for the first time in the main series. This confirmed that the new visuals of Link's Awakening weren't just an experiment, excused by the strange setting of Koholint, but a new brand identity that Nintendo and GREZZO were working with.
With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 both titles got free updates, which let those new visuals pop even more. They look very beautiful in 4K and have a timeless appeal to them, something the series otherwise only achieved via cel shading. In addition, both games got plagued by slight performance issues on the Nintendo Switch, which were eliminated with the upgrade to the new hardware.
So, there is no imminent reason to move on to something new. GREZZO may as well continue with these visuals on the Nintendo Switch 2, refine them and make more Zelda games with them. However, much like the art style of The Wind Waker back in the day, this new visual direction isn't to the liking of everyone. The toy-look has been divisive, but for every fan who is bothered by it you will find another who really likes it.
And there is another reason as to why they should continue making Zelda games in this style: both Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom have left a strong potential for direct follow-ups, where it just makes sense to have them. This blog already has discussed a number of them, where you can check out the individual articles for the detailed visions:
A remake of the Oracles is by far the most prominent and biggest contender from this list. The originals on the Game Boy Color have reused the graphics of Link's Awakening (DX), so a remake of these games should reuse the graphics of the modernized Link's Awakening. Once the new Ocarina of Time has released, many will be asking for a Majora's Mask remake for the exact same reason. Some Zelda games are siblings and should be treated in the same way.
A remake of the original The Legend of Zelda is somewhat caught in the middle of all this. If they are working on the Oracle games, then they will have remade nearly everything important from the first game as well (like all the enemies and bosses), together with what was already made for Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom. This could work very well as a small side release for the 40th Anniversary.
Meanwhile, Echoes of Wisdom is practically begging to be continued with a coop-based sequel for two players, where one plays as Link and and the other as Zelda. It's about as obvious as it was with A Link Between Worlds, which looked to be a great basis for a new Four Swords title and then got followed by Tri Force Heroes. Of course, that game is often seen as one of the worst entries to the series, but designing the multiplayer part around two players could hit a sweet spot and will also make the singleplayer mode more manageable.
When GREZZO had started developing Echoes of Wisdom, they originally had a game in mind where you edit dungeons (see the developer interviews), probably following the Chamber Dungeon idea from the Link's Awakening remake. And maybe this is still something that they want to explore in the future, where this could potentially even be combined a new multiplayer game, where you fill the dungeon as Zelda and master them as Link.
Some of this may even become a cross-generational release, meaning that people with a Nintendo Switch still get to play them, while on the Nintendo Switch 2 you get better visuals and performance. However, the Oracle games could profit from the upgraded hardware the most and may even become Switch 2 exclusive, because you want the switching of seasons and ages to be as fast as it was on the original, without any long loading times.
And all of this is ignoring the most desirable option for many: a new singleplayer adventure. GREZZO has proven that they are fully capable of continuing the Zelda series with fresh ideas, where their potential may even be wasted on more remakes and multiplayer episodes. Still, both need a home somewhere and maybe GREZZO can deliver a good mix of everything in the upcoming years. In any case, there is more than enough here to supply the Nintendo Switch 2 with a steady stream of 2D Zelda greatness for its entire lifespan, no matter how many years that may be.
~ The Next Generation ~
Once we are on the Nintendo Switch 3 – or whatever may come next –, then it will definitely be time to say good-bye to the Link's Awakening toy style and say hello to something new... Or maybe something even older. The next generation of top-down Zelda titles could start in the same way as the current one: with another remake, in this case of The Minish Cap.
The Minish Cap (and Four Swords before it) based its art style upon The Wind Waker, which lead to a 2D sprite representation of the cartoon visuals. And a remake of that could really rekindle the toon style in a new light, which then could be even used for a new game, similar to Echoes of Wisdom. And in the long run it may even serve as a basis for remakes of both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks.
Yes, that's a lot of remakes, but we're talking about the next 15 years here or more. And they are now starting over with remastering and remaking the 3D Zelda games, where eventually all of the handheld Zelda games also should get their chance to shine again, one after another.
No comments:
Post a Comment