The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
5 Games That Have Been Critical to The Nintendo Switch’s Early Success
If there’s one game that really boosted the Nintendo Switch’s success, or, heck, was even the reason why people picked up a Switch during launch, it was Breath of the Wild. The console’s launch lineup was off to a shaky start, with titles such as 1-2 Switch, Snipperclips, Just Dance 2017, and I Am Setsuna releasing alongside the hybrid console. But Breath of the Wild was the foundation that kept the Nintendo Switch afloat and kept the ball rolling until games such as ARMS and Splatoon 2 hit the market.
When you’re launching a new console, consumers are definitely going to be looking for at least one game that would convince them to actually buy the device. And with Nintendo’s collection of triple-A titles, fans were definitely expecting to see something big. The gaming giant came prepared during the official Nintendo Switch presentation back in January 2017, saving their biggest surprise at the end of the conference. Fans were absolutely blown away, with the release date trailer now sitting with over 15 million views.
While a new Zelda was pretty much guaranteed to sell a good handful of units, its departure from the mainline series is one of its biggest selling points. Nintendo tossed everything out the window and decided to build from the ground up, going for an open world adventure. Players could do whatever they wanted, so long as it was within the game’s limits. The final boss is literally within your reach after finishing the tutorial, or you could choose to go around and take on a slew of sidequests beforehand. Nintendo also managed to inject a sense of innovation and creativity within the game through physics, which led to players discovering some pretty quirky tricks. Breath of the Wild stands for what a true exploration game should be like, with discoveries lurking around at every corner.
Since April 2018, Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch has managed to sell over 17 million units. Not only is it the best-selling entry in the series, but was also our Game of the Year for 2017.
