Though Nintendo celebrated the Super Mario franchise's 35th anniversary with a number of new games, it doesn't have anything major planned for The Legend of Zelda, which is celebrating its own 35th anniversary this year. However, the Japanese giant has something small in store for the more nostalgic fans, set to launch later this year.
The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's flagship series, though Link may not operate like a mascot for the Japanese gaming studio the way that Mario does. Still, many fans were anticipating something special for the 35th birthday of Link and Zelda's saga, such as a release of Breath of the Wild 2, or perhaps even a bundle of classic Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, similar to the limited-time release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. The first Legend of Zelda game has reached its 35th birthday and, alongside Nintendo's other major franchises like Pokemon, many believe it to be just as deserving of the spotlight.
However, the producer of the Legend of Zelda series, Eiji Aonuma, announced that Nintendo doesn't have big games planned for 2021 aside from the remaster of Skyward Sword, which may come to the disappointment of fans who were hoping for something bigger. Skyward Sword HD is set to release next month, however, many fans would argue that it wasn't the remaster they were hoping to see from Nintendo, and the $60 price tag for a single game that released 10 years ago seems pretty hefty.
Still, Nintendo does have something small to commemorate the occasion. Fans can purchase a special Legend of Zelda Game & Watch system. Because the first game in the franchise is reaching its 35th anniversary this year, the system will come with the original Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and the Game Boy version of Link's Awakening. The system will also come with another classic title, Vermin, with Link as the main character.
However, it's currently unclear how much the Game & Watch system will cost. While it's an ambitious idea that may appeal to nostalgic gamers that played the original Legend of Zelda games, the price point of the handheld console may determine overall reception.
As for Breath of the Wild 2, which many were hoping to see release this year alongside the rumored Nintendo Switch Pro and Zelda's 35th birthday, Nintendo has confirmed that the game will release in 2022. While this is also disappointing to many fans of the long-running franchise, it isn't much of a surprise considering how little content has been shown so far, even in addition to the 98-second teaser at Nintendo's E3 Direct.
The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch system will launch on November 12.