After an enjoyable journey through the classic The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, I realized that it would be nice to revisit more of the games between A Link to the Past and Breath of the Wild – and what better way than on the Nintendo Switch. Link’s Awakening proves that remaking and re-releasing these titles can give a whole new generation a chance to appreciate timeless classics.
The most obvious choice and one I’ve long assumed would be on the console by now is Wind Waker. This release for the GameCube was met with a little apprehension when it was first released due to its unique cell-shaded appearance, but it quickly became a favorite for many fans of the series. It was remastered in HD for the Wii U, but the poor sales of that console didn’t leave much room for it to shine. Given how many Wii U games have already made their way to the Switch, this seems like an obvious choice and one I’d be picking up on release day.
Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask both received remasters on the 3DS. These impressive remasters were even better when considering the limitations of the 3DS’s display and I believe many people would be satisfied with these versions coming to the Switch. However, an HD remake of these titles that would take advantage of the Switch’s capabilities (relative to the 3DS) would again be a must-buy situation.
While Nintendo’s at it, Twilight Princess had a Wii U release and, though I don’t think I’d be as excited to get it, it would be right at home on the Switch. The other Zelda Wii release, Skyward Sword, may seem like a natural fit in this process, but I question how easy it would be to translate something so dependent on motion controls to a system with only minor motion control functionality. Much like games that relied on the two-screen functionality for the DS and Wii U, it may require a total rework of many mechanics to make this particular Zelda work.
I don’t believe that Nintendo, with its continued commitment to the DS and 3DS, would attempt to do any of the many handheld Zelda games on those systems. Yet Oracle of Seasons/Ages may not be out of the question. Given its similarity to Link’s Awakening, it wouldn’t be outlandish for them to take a page from past Zelda games and use the same engine to remake it. Though hopefully with improvements to that engine’s performance on the Switch.
Nintendo has been very “hit or miss” with its will to appease fans. It is, of course, impossible to make everyone happy, but some of their actions make it seem like they’re either blind or ignorant to public outcry. Just looking at the whole Waluigi situation in Smash, it’s hard to say they have a steady hand on the pulse of their fanbase. However, they are slowly building the library of Switch games out with the first-party games that made the company so popular. It may just be a matter of time before they decide they want to squeeze everyone’s wallets for the last bits of nostalgia-based revenue.
