The Legend of Zelda franchise is one of the most famous in gaming history, with a history spanning almost forty years. Since then we’ve had twenty games, not including spin-offs, remakes, and remasters. With the Switch 2 on the horizon, here’s our list of five Zelda remakes for Switch 2, ranked by likelihood.
#5: The Legend of Zelda
It may be hard to believe, but the game that started it all has never been remade. It’s been re-released, most recently through the NES Classic Collection. A remake would let the game stand alongside the superior games it inspired.
Players might be shocked to see exactly how different the original game is compared to those that follow. There are elements, but The Legend of Zelda is a fantasy post-apocalypse. Hyrule is reduced to a small kingdom where the inhabitants live in caves. In the majority of other games, we’re fighting to save the world. Here, we’re almost fighting to build it.
A remake offers the opportunity to bring everything in the game up to date. Zelda has always excelled when it comes to dungeon designs, and an HD remake could let us see everything the original only implies. The same goes for bosses and characters. A remake would also give Nintendo the chance to bring in new tools and weapons.
Is a remake likely? Well, maybe not. After all, Nintendo has had plenty of opportunities to remake The Legend of Zelda already, and they haven’t. That’s not to say it won’t happen, but it certainly isn’t as likely as the other options.
#4: The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker was among the first to shake up the formula. Rather than the familiar grasslands, the majority of the game takes place in a vast ocean. This incarnation of Link isn’t destined to be a Hero, he’s just an ordinary kid who chooses to be one, but this isn’t a detriment. In fact, his separation from history makes him the hero to finally defeat Ganon for good. Even Zelda has had a makeover, being the first incarnation to fully join Link in battle.
The Wind Waker has already been remade for the Wii U, but by the time the Switch 2 is released that’ll be a whole two console generations ago. It may not be as old as some of the other games on this list, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve an upgrade.
A Switch 2 remake would let a whole new legion of players get their hands on the game, and experience one of Link’s most unusual journeys for the first time.
#3: Majora’s Mask
The second Nintendo 64 title on the list never quite reached the heights of Ocarina of Time, but it’s still a fantastic game in its own right. It’s also among the more experimental of the Zelda games: Link is trapped in a time loop, reliving the same three days over and over again as he gathers the weapons and masks he needs to save the world.
There’s only a handful of dungeons in Majora’s Mask, but what you do have is plenty of sidequests. As you explore the world you’ll come across a number of different sidequests, ranging from helping a farm fight off alien invaders to helping a man reunite with his lover. Some of these quests will require multiple loops to get right. Others will require you to forego the main quest for a loop to complete them. It’s a mechanic that should be simple in theory, but there’s plenty of depth.
Is a remake likely? Well, it might be a little too recent: Majora’s Mask 3D came out in 2015. Where it benefits is in the simplicity of settings. Majora’s Mask gets a lot of mileage out of a relatively small world thanks to its focus on sidequests, which means fewer assets to develop and, potentially, a shorter turnaround time.
#2: Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess was the Zelda game for the Wii, and that resulted in a strange issue: the map was flipped. The reason for this flipping is motion controls. The game was well into development for the Gamecube when Nintendo decided to launch the game on the Wii, and as Link is traditionally left-handed this meant flipping the controls to accommodate the right-handed majority.
The fact that we know so much about details like this tells us everything we know about how iconic the Zelda franchise is.
Twilight Princess is fairly formulaic, but formulas aren’t always bad. A story is like a cake – follow the recipe and execute it well, and you still end up with a damn good cake. Take too many chances, and you risk messing up.
Twilight Princess knows where to take chances, and where to take what previous titles did amazingly and improve on them. It has plenty of fantastic dungeons, a massive world, and a diverse world to explore. The ability to transform into a wolf adds a fresh element to the gameplay, and the story itself is spectacular.
It is due for a remake. after all, the next game in the series, Skyward Sword, recently got remade for the Switch, so perhaps Twilight Princess will get its time to shine on the Switch 2.
#1: Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time could well be the most iconic Zelda game of them all. Prior to Breath of the Wild, there’d be no contest. It’s arguably the most well-known of them all, and it’s been remastered for the 3DS and GameCube.
Over 25 years later, this is perhaps the most awestriking game of the franchise. Everything from the wonderful characters to the music to the simple, but amazingly told story works together to create a truly beautiful tapestry.
But you know what? The graphics are dated. What was groundbreaking in 1998 is now something any amateur developer could make. The 3DS remake implemented some much-needed quality-of-life changes and took the graphics to the next level, but we’d love to see one of gaming’s most beloved stories play out with next-gen graphics.
So how likely is an Ocarina of Time remake? Well, it’s been well over a decade since the 3DS remake. While you could argue it might be a little early – after all, Ocarina of Time 3D is only four years older than the Majora’s Mask remake – it’s also likely the remake that would most excite people. If Nintendo is looking to revive a classic, this would be the perfect choice.
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