Many accused the Switch of merely being a “Zelda machine” when it launched, as Breath of the Wild was the one must-have game for the system. Now, the Nintendo Switch has grown its library quite a bit. They have released a major title every month since release. While Breath of the Wild was initially the reason people bought a Switch, players are now playing Splatoon 2, ARMS, Pokken Tournament, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more. Super Mario Odyssey is coming out later this month. Nintendo newest console clearly isn’t a “Zelda machine”, but it would clearly benefit by having an HD Zelda collection for the Switch.
Wii U Remasters
The Wii U was a commercial failure. No one can deny that. It did, however, come out with some amazing software. Two games that released for the Wii U were The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD. Both are definitive versions of their respective titles and are two of the most highly regarded Zelda games. Both sold over 1 million copies on a failed system. Considering how well they sold and the games’ popularity, they would be a perfect fit on the Switch. So many people who own a Nintendo Switch now did not own a Wii U. There were so many people who missed out on these versions of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. It would be smart for Nintendo to capitalize on this and release them on the Switch. Better yet, they should include them in a collection, similar to what they did during the GameCube era. Breath of the Wild is already a hit, and without a Virtual Console on the Wii U, why not capitalize on Zelda’s current popularity?
3DS Remasters
Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask are regarded as the best Zelda games of all time, not taking into account Breath of the Wild. Their 3DS remasters only amplified these masterpieces. The visuals were improved and changes were made to Majora’s Mask’s save system which enhanced it. To not release these games on the Nintendo Switch would be criminal. They wouldn’t need to be remastered again; merely upscale it and add it to the HD collection. I still regard Ocarina of Time to be the greatest game of all time, even though I do think Breath of the Wild is a better game (I know this is somewhat of a contradiction, but they came out at different times so it’s hard to truly compare). Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time have been available on every Nintendo system since the Nintendo 64 (not counting the GameBoy Advance). Two of the greatest games of all time (not just Zelda games) should come out on Nintendo’s greatest console of all time, period.
Classic Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and A Link to the Past have never been released in one collection together. A Link to the Past was oddly left out of the GameCube Zelda Collector’s Edition. They belong together though. While they don’t require any kind of HD remaster, being able to play them all on the Nintendo Switch with previous Zelda games would be any video game fan’s dream come true. Some prefer classic Zelda, others modern Zelda, but a true Zelda HD Collection would have something for everyone. Including every console Zelda game on one cartridge (minus Breath of the Wild) is a necessity for Nintendo. Not only would it capitalize on the current success of Zelda, but it would introduce older Zelda titles to a brand new audience.
Some of my fondest memories are playing A Link to the Past with my dad when I was six years old. I’m not quite as old as my dad was then, but it would be amazing to share the same experience with my future children, and I think many would feel the same. Classic Zelda informed what the series has become. These games have been available on almost every Nintendo system. They need to be available on the Switch.
Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword is a very interesting case. People either loved it or they didn’t. Personally, I really enjoyed it. It’s the polar opposite of Breath of the Wild though; as opposed to being character-driven and more adventure-oriented, Skyward Sword was plot-driven. It still has the best narrative of any Zelda game and the dungeons were top notch. Some thought it was too linear, and while I somewhat disagree, there are valid points to be made there. A high-definition remake of Skyward Sword would fulfill what Miyamoto’s vision for the game was.
Skyward Sword utilized a blur effect to make it appear to be like something out of a water painting. Because of the technical limitations of the Nintendo Wii, this didn’t always come across as it was intended. A high-definition remake, however, would rectify this. Visually, Skyward Sword would finally look how it was always intended to look. Skyward Sword was also released at the very end of the Wii’s lifecycle and wasn’t pushed onto a new system like Twilight Princess or Breath of the Wild, so a lot of people missed out on it. Putting the game on a Zelda HD Collection on the Nintendo Switch would allow new players to experience it and let us see how Skyward Sword was always envisioned to look in high-definition glory.
Bottom Line
With no Virtual Console and Zelda’s popularity being at an all-time high, Nintendo needs to take advantage of this. An HD collection including these eight Zelda console games would be a must-have for all gamers, especially since the Switch can be taken on the go as a portable device. Many people missed out on the HD remasters of Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker. Skyward Sword would finally be seen as it was originally envisioned. A single collection with Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link would be like nothing ever released. There’s no excuse not to do this. Breath of the Wild introduced a lot of new fans to Zelda. Nintendo needs to continue this momentum and release a Zelda HD collection and continue to grow the fanbase. What do they have to lose?
With the upcoming release of the Zelda Encyclopedia, a Zelda HD collection would even give fans a chance to play the major entries in the series in chronological order on the Nintendo Switch!