The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most iconic and influential gaming franchises for nearly four decades. Since the first game on the NES, players have been inspired with a sense of heroism and wonder as each subsequent entry expands upon the adventure’s scale. With advancing technology, the larger games would leap from 2D adventures to 3D epics.
Most recently, the series’ leads said they wanted more games like the original classics. Here is a breakdown of this recent interview on The Legend of Zelda and what fans can expect.
The Legend of Zelda’s Direction
In an interview with the BBC, the developers of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gave their thoughts on the series’ latest entry. The series’ producer, Eiji Aonuma, had a new goal for the games’ direction. He said he wanted to have more 2D, top-down games closer to the original in the future. He said that the success of Wisdom showed that there were many possibilities with 2D games in the series.
This interview came after Echoes of Wisdom’s release. The game was the first official game with Zelda as the lead player character. The game received acclaim for its unique take on the series, finally giving the titular character the spotlight while introducing many unique elements. However, the article cites the game’s criticism for its frame rate and impractical menu system.
Their Top-Down Games
When most gamers are asked about their favorite The Legend of Zelda game, they will probably choose one of the massive 3D games. These include the classic Ocarina of Time and the universally acclaimed Breath of the Wild. While the 3D Zelda games usually get the most significant fanfare, the 2D releases have always made up the bulk of the series lineup.
The original NES game was infamous for its complete lack of a central path or clear direction where to go, creating a sense of adventure. A Link to the Past further built upon the series’ foundations with its worldbuilding and story. Later, 2D games would focus on smaller adventures and occur at various points throughout the jumbled timeline.
Furthermore, the 2D The Legend of Zelda games were usually more experimental. Whereas the 3D games would focus on grand, world-spanning adventures, the 2D games would test out gimmicks, such as trains in Spirit Tracks and merging into walls with Link Between Worlds. The latest game, Echoes of Wisdom, gave Zelda the power to copy spells and enemies using the titular “echoes.” Because of this, creating smaller, more numerous 2D games would help diversify the series’ library.
The Franchise’s Future
Next to Super Mario and Pokemon, The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s largest franchises. The series has offered several dozen entries, each garnering a massive fanbase. The series has also inspired the direction of other classics, such as the combat and dungeon design of the revolutionary Dark Souls games from Fromsoft and Hidetaka Miyazaki. Furthermore, The Legend of Zelda also has a live-action movie in the works from Maze Runner director Wes Ball.
One of the biggest events regarding Nintendo’s future is the Nintendo Switch’s successor. While a few details were confirmed, such as backward compatibility, many of the console’s elements were subject to heavy speculation. While 2D Zelda games have never reached the same widespread fame as 3D games, they have continually evolved and have many possibilities for the next generation.
Conclusion
To summarize this news, The Legend of Zelda would greatly benefit from more original 2D games. Their latest hit, Echoes of Wisdom, proved to Nintendo that there was still a large audience for the smaller, more niche Zelda games.
In today’s gaming world, many huge franchises have sadly forgotten their roots or fallen off while chasing trends. Given that Nintendo probably laid many of these foundations and set these trends, it’s refreshing to see they did not fall into the same trap.
