The Legend of Zelda remains one of the most important titles in Nintendo's canon, and one of the biggest franchises in gaming. Since its arrival with the original game in 1986 (1987 in North America), The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most consistently critically acclaimed and commercially popular video game series on the market. Nintendo consistently finds new and exciting ways to innovate and excite with this long-running series, and seemingly each new title continues to innovate and raise the bar for games across several genres.
Eight years after the release of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo is now closer than ever to releasing its long-awaited new system, the Nintendo Switch 2. While this new console-handheld hybrid will bring plenty of excitement to all kinds of gamers, the Zelda franchise may get off to a rather slow start on the system, with only a few smaller titles set to arrive in the system’s first year. This is most certainly not bad news, however, and it only opens the door for the latter part of the system’s life to be even more exciting for Zelda fans.
Every Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Game Confirmed For Launch
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be home to upgraded versions of several top-selling titles, hopefully making it the best place to play such games.
The Legend of Zelda Has Plenty Of Time To Establish Itself On The Switch 2
The Switch 2 Will Have Some Smaller Zelda Content
Currently, The Legend of Zelda franchise is set to get off to a rather quiet start on the Nintendo Switch 2. At the platform’s launch, the only new Zelda material being released will be the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. These new re-releases will allow fans to experience two wildly popular and massively successful Zelda games from the Nintendo Switch’s life, now with greatly increased resolution and improved frame rates.
From there, the only other confirmed Zelda game set to be released this year on the Nintendo Switch 2 is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. This new project is a Zelda spin-off serving as a crossover between Zelda and the Dynasty Warriors series, and the third installment in the Hyrule Warriors chronology that began in 2014 on the Wii U. Following its predecessor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, serving as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, this new title will serve as a prequel to its follow-up, Tears of the Kingdom.
Zelda’s Slow Start On The Switch 2 Creates Excitement For Its Later Life
While this may appear to be a slow start for Zelda games on Nintendo's new platform, it is fairly understandable that the publisher will not have much new Zelda content ready to go at the Switch 2’s launch. After all, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has only just turned two years old, and Nintendo just launched another new mainline Zelda game last year, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Thus, it seems likely that the publisher is currently quietly working on the next Zelda adventure, and it may still be a few years out.
It's not all bad news that Zelda will not have a big new game right away on the Switch 2. All it means is that the system is primed to have a fantastic, AAA Zelda game sometime later in its lifespan, and that Nintendo is simply not rushing to capitalize on the Zelda hype following titles such as Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom. Nintendo is already set to bring several major franchises to the Switch 2 early in its life, with games like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Kirby Air Riders set to bring the hype in the system’s first year.
Nintendo Will Continue To Bring The Zelda Goodness In The Meantime
Zelda's presence will also no doubt be felt on the Switch 2, even if a big new game is not ready to go right off the bat. Beyond persistent rumors that titles such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be released in a remastered form, rumors have also circulated that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be getting a remake on the new system. Nintendo is no stranger to putting out re-releases of classic Zelda games to tide fans over until bigger new entries are ready to go, and the Switch 2 should prove no different.
Given how many games Zelda fans have gotten on the Nintendo Switch over its lifespan, the wait for a major new title on the Switch 2 may prove to be a rather long one. With that said, Nintendo fans will still have plenty of Zelda to enjoy on the new system, thanks to its backward compatibility with current Switch games and the spin-off and re-releases set to arrive this year. Even if the next AAA Zelda title is still a few years out, Nintendo will likely continue to experiment with the franchise and offer plenty of options to tide fans over in the meantime.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
- Cross Save
- N/A
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
