Nintendo's E3 presentation this year was predictably exciting, and it saved some of the best news for last. The company's flagship series The Legend of Zelda is getting a lot of love over the next year or two despite Nintendo's claims that it would not be doing anything special for the 35th anniversary. With a new trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 coming alongside news of new DLC for Hyrule Warriors, a smaller but no less notable announcement may have passed many viewers by.
Nintendo is releasing a special Game & Watch unit loaded with classic Zelda content. The tiny console will include the original Legend of Zelda, its sequel Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, and the original Game Boy version of Link's Awakening, too. If all of that is still too modern for the true retro enthusiasts out there, it will also include a version of the Game & Watch game Vermin, with Link as the controllable character.
It may not have the high-octane thrills of today's Breath of the Wild 2 news, but this looks like it could be a delightful little addition to the collection of any Zelda aficionado. The first two Zelda games are classics in their own right and laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most beloved and enduring series of video games in history. In fact the developers for Breath of the Wild directly cited the original game as a huge influence on their approach to world design. On top of that, any Switch owners who picked up the remake from 2019 may well be intrigued to take a look at how Link's Awakening compares to the original version.
Die hard Nintendo fans will notice the similarities between this and a similar offering for the Super Mario anniversary last year. As with the Mario version, the unit can be used as a clock or as a timer as well as for playing the included games. Whether the Zelda Game & Watch will be subject to the same limited availability as the Mario one remains to be seen.
All in all, the system appears to be a pleasant little reminder of the series' roots, and a way to carry around three classic games in an easily portable and unobtrusive fashion. It's a little window into Zelda history, and with any luck, this will keep some fans distracted for long enough for Nintendo to try and keep to its projected release window of 2022 for Breath of the Wild 2.
Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda will be available from November 12th.