The Nintendo Switch 2 has big shoes to fill for The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda has always been an iconic gaming franchise – this should be obvious to anyone with a passing interest in the industry. But while it has been more consistent in terms of quality and success than other long-running series, it has had its highs and lows. The Nintendo Switch era, now approaching its end, has been an undeniable high point.




Such success has only toured The Legend of Zelda Franchise on a few different consoles. The GameCube, for example, was home to both Twilight Princess and Pawan WalkerNot to mention solid ports Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. In comparison, the Wii U Saw something of a drought for the franchise, only a new, non-remastered one Zelda continues Hyrule Warriors and Breath of the Wild. but, BOTW As the Nintendo Switch gets more definitive, many don't even know it's a cross-platform release. after Breath of the Wild came Tears of the Kingdomand after that, An echo of wisdom And, combined with well-received Link's Awakening Remake, these games have come together to form a strong lineup Zelda Games on a single console. Indeed, this classification of releases is a difficult task to follow.

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Zelda on the Switch has been a landslide of success


Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom redefined Zelda, and open-world design as a whole.

are certain Zelda Games, eg Skyward SwordWhich look great despite their issues. Like anything Twilight PrincessOf which there is a more dedicated following Skyward SwordNot generally thought of as a revolutionary or innovative release, at least when it comes to key design pillars. It is very rare, naturally, for Zelda The game not only defined the franchise, but reinvented the world of action-adventure games on a large scale.

Breath of the Wild Did exactly that. This “open-air” world design philosophy and open-ended story structure make it a uniquely liberating gaming experience, where exploration is endlessly, intrinsically rewarding, not just a tool for progression or gear-grinding. In the following years Breath of the WildOther open-world games have tried, with varying degrees of success, to learn from its design principles, but while these developers were still taking notes, Nintendo moved on. Tears of the KingdomWhich will still bring innovation. The world design, puzzle design, and structure of this duology make it the most impressive duo Zelda From the games Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.


TOTK and BOTW Big, flashy flagship games are, however Link's Awakening and An echo of wisdom Nothing to joke about. For its part, Link's Awakening One of the best, most energetically crafted remakes of the last several years, and An echo of wisdom It builds on its confusingly complex mechanics with its own wild ideas. These games are nothing if not further proof of Nintendo's relentless creativity and ingenuity. Zelda Teams, and depending on how Nintendo chooses to handle its 2D, could be just as important as their larger open-world cousins ​​down the road. Zelda Titles.

Thus, the The Legend of Zelda The series is poised for huge success going forward, but only if it maintains this intense and passionate energy. Instead of resting on their laurels after an earth-shaking success BOTWNintendo continued to innovate, experiment, and take risks TOTK. One can only hope that the company maintains this philosophy in the era of Switch 2, trying to not only maintain the balance of the series, but elevate it with each new entry.


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