What I Want from Zelda's 35th Anniversary

Just a couple of days ago, the gaming community received a shock when a Nintendo Direct was announced with promises of news about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, along with other games that Nintendo had planned for the first half of 2021. I think it goes without saying that a lot of people expected news about The Legend of Zelda as well, by virtue of 2021 being the 35th anniversary of the legendary franchise. The first game of the series released on February 21st, all the way back in 1986, and it hasn't looked back since, going on to become one of the most successful video game franchises in history with many of its entries being contenders for the coveted title 'the greatest game ever made.'

The Legend of Zelda is the first video game series I ever played, and as such it holds a very special place in my heart, as I'm sure it does for so many others, and I want to see Nintendo celebrate it in proper fashion. Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, and with the Italian plumber being Nintendo's mascot, you can imagine how far they went to give it the celebration it deserved. The Legend of Zelda deserves no less, in my opinion, and today, I want to look at what Nintendo could do to celebrate this iconic series.

1. A New Collection of Games

When Nintendo announced Super Mario 3D All Stars, it sent fans into a frenzy because of the tantalizing prospect of being able to play games from an era long past on the most accessible video game console in the world. When I first saw the news about it, I was stoked - partially because Super Mario Sunshine was one of the games that defined my childhood, but also because I knew that if Nintendo could do something like this for Mario, there was no stopping them from doing something for Zelda.

Now, it must be said that unlike the games that were released as part of 3D All Stars, the 3D Zelda games have been re-released for other consoles in the recent past; Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask got 3DS releases, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess got HD releases on the Wii U, and in the latest Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Skyward Sword was getting an HD re-release on the Switch. I was confident that Skyward Sword would make the journey to the Switch this year, but I didn't expect it to be a standalone title; instead, I thought it was going to be bundled with one or two of the other 3D Zelda games. Despite the re-releases we've had, I feel that we are due for an update to these iconic games: if I had to guess which games would get to go to the Switch, I would say Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask simply because they are two of the most recognizable games in the Zelda franchise, and the former is heralded as one of the greatest games of all time. Not to mention, they were last released in 2011 and 2015 on the 3DS respectively, which was quite a while ago. But there's also the possibility that a third game could be added - perhaps one of the 2D Zelda games will make the jump to 3D, just like what happened with Link's Awakening in 2019 - the possibilities are endless, and I'm super excited for it.

2. Impa for Smash

Now I know that in the latest Direct, Nintendo confirmed that Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 would be appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as the latest addition to the second fighter's pass, but hear me out: what if, in celebration of Zelda, they release Impa from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as the last fighter?

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense: it's been AGES since a fighter from the Zelda franchise was added to the series, the last one being Toon Link all the way back in 2008 when Super Smash Bros. Brawl released. Furthermore, while Impa has never really been a fighter before, her design has undergone a radical shift, as seen in Age of Calamity. Her moveset could be entirely designed around her use of kunai, seals that form projections of herself, and her ancient Sheikah techniques. Lastly, adding Impa in as a playable character could tie into both the wave of DLC that Nintendo is planning on releasing for Age of Calamity later this year and also to the hotly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild. Now, I know that there would definitely be plenty of people who would be underwhelmed with the fact that the last fighter of the pass is a first-party character as opposed to a completely out of left field third party pick (including me, to be honest - I've been wanting Sora in Smash for years now), but I really do feel that this would be a good route to take, should this actually occur. Impa is one of the oldest characters in the series, making her debut in the very first game, and her status as a fighter in Age of Calamity means that she is absolutely perfect for a spot on the Smash Bros. roster.

3. The Sequel to Breath of the Wild

A bit of an obvious one, but it needed to be said nonetheless. When Eiji Aonuma appeared on screen during the latest Direct, my heart started pounding in anticipation. I was so sure that we were going to get some news about the sequel to Breath of the Wild, but alas - it wasn't meant to be. I have no doubt that the pandemic disrupted the original development cycle for the game and it's understandable that things would have gotten pushed back a bit. I was nevertheless disappointed, but with the assurance that more news about the game would be revealed later this year, I realized that they might be planning on a mega reveal that could be a part of the celebration for the 35th anniversary.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword released in 2011, when the series was celebrating its 25th anniversary. It was a huge affair for various reasons: Skyward Sword was breaking ground as the first Zelda game to have pure motion controls, it was the final Zelda game on the Wii, and the game promised to be an origin story that would explain everything we knew about the franchise. I feel that something similar could happen with this game - it is no secret that Breath of the Wild is one of the most critically acclaimed games on the Switch, having sold over 21.45 million copies as of the start of 2021, so it would make sense that Nintendo would want to reveal its sequel with a bit of a bang. The fact that this game is going to be a direct sequel is also something of note - Zelda, as a franchise, doesn't really make an effort to tie its games together, so the fact that we know that this game takes place directly after Breath of the Wild is interesting, to say the least. Perhaps we'll get a full trailer for the game, and maybe even some gameplay that can demonstrate how different this game will be compared to its predecessor. I can't help but hope for something akin to the legendary Breath of the Wild trailer we got in 2017, but at this point, I'll take any information about the game.

And there you have it! I originally planned to include DLC for Age of Calamity as a separate item on this list, but Nintendo beat me to it when they announced it as a part of the latest Direct. The Legend of Zelda is one of the most iconic franchises in the history of gaming, and it deserves to be celebrated properly. I'll admit, I am a little worried about what Nintendo will do because of all the negative publicity they received for releasing 3D All Stars only until March 31st, not to mention how bare the game seemed to be, but I can only hope that they learned from that in some degree and avoid taking such a route with anything they release as part of the 35th anniversary for Zelda. One thing is for sure though: I will always love the Zelda franchise - without it, I wouldn't have gotten into the wonderful world of video games, and for that, I am eternally grateful to Nintendo.

Happy Birthday, old friend - thank you for all the memories.