It is time to bring The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Wii classic is the fourth highest-rated game in The Legend of Zelda series, but it is trapped on non-modern consoles. This year is the 35th anniversary of the beloved series, but Nintendo does not seem to have much planned with Zelda in mind.
The brunt of the work has already been done from Nintendo's perspective, as an HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was created for the Wii U. The Nintendo Switch is a smashing success with around 80 million units having been sold and software sales that have been record-breaking in many cases. There is a yearning for more Zelda, and Twilight Princess can be that answer.
Twilight Princess is Trapped On Older Consoles
Currently, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is among the many Zelda titles that are trapped on older consoles. Whether it be The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap or Majora's Mask, there is a long list of Link's adventures that are not available on modern consoles. But Twilight Princess is an interesting game in that it had a recent second chance; it is just likely that not many were able to try it.
Twilight Princess launched on the Nintendo Wii and GameCube back in 2006, which is 15 years ago already. It is very possible that many younger Nintendo fans have never had the opportunity to enjoy the grim take on Zelda and Link. So when Nintendo brought back Twilight Princess with an HD remake on the Wii U, many were excited. However, with the Wii U not performing as well as most Nintendo home consoles, the game still did not get in the hands of many players.
The Nintendo Wii U is one of the more disappointing consoles in recent memory and most estimates put The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD remake sales at just over one million copies sold. Lesser known games that were brought back on the Switch like Pikmin 3 Deluxe and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze both cracked 2 million, so one would assume that Twilight Princess would smash its Wii U output. Meanwhile, a game like New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe sold over 10 million copies after being made available again on the Switch. If Twilight Princess was no longer trapped on outdated consoles, it could succeed in terms of sales and many would be able to play it for the first time.
Skyward Sword Alone is Not Enough to Celebrate the 35-Year Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda
If Twilight Princess were to release on the Nintendo Switch, now would be the time. The announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD coming to the Switch was an exciting one, but also something that left fans yearning for more. The first Zelda title launched in 1986, which makes this the 35th anniversary of the series. Nintendo made a big deal of the 35 years of Super Mario, and that same type of celebration is expected for The Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo commemorated Super Mario's anniversary with a 3D collection, limited-time physical collectibles, a brand new online multiplayer game, a re-release and expansion (Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury), and more. Compared to all of that for The Legend of Zelda, Skyward Sword HD looks very lonely.
Whether it be more information on the sequel to Breath of the Wild, another third-party spin-off (like Hyrule Warriors), or something else exciting, many are expecting a lot from The Legend of Zelda in 2021 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the series. If the year comes and goes and all there is to show from it is Skyward Sword HD, there will be disgruntled fans. The sequel to Breath of the Wild, unfortunately, just may not be ready. But to help fill the gap, Twilight Princess HD for the Switch may be part of the answer.
Twilight Princess May Have Perfected the Classic 3D Zelda Model
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild broke records as one of the highest-rated video games of all time. And part of the reason it did is because it reinvented the formula in incredibly unique ways. Players were dropped into the world and able to explore Hyrule at their own pace; in their own way. But before this, Twilight Princess may have perfected the classic 3D Zelda formula.
The classic 3D Zelda formula uses dungeons, required items/weapons to take down bosses and or reach new areas, a narrative that pushes the game forward, and more linearity. These are things that something like Breath of the Wild does not have; for better or for worse.
The reveal of Twilight Princess was one of the biggest E3 moments of all time, and the game lived up to that hype for many. What Twilight Princess did was take the Ocarina of Time formula and expand on it as an epic action adventure. So while it may not have felt as fresh as a game like Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess innovated in areas of gameplay, scale, story, music, and more.
In many areas, one could argue that Twilight Princess is chief among The Legend of Zelda titles. Its music is superb, the gameplay is clean and evolving (especially as Link is able to expand on his abilities by learning "Hidden Skills"), the Wolf Link mechanic is unique and exciting, and it may have the best dungeons in all of Zelda. The size of the map and world to explore was much bigger than anything Nintendo had put together at that point as well. Additionally, the tone of the game is very different from the likes of Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, or even Breath of the Wild.
The story of Twilight Princess is dark and grim, closer to perhaps Majora's Mask than anything else. The difference between the Twilight Realm and the world of Hyrule is shocking; depressing even. The narrative is filled with twists and turns that most Zelda titles do not attempt, as the game very much feels more adult than most in the series. Zelda has a tangible weight upon her, and Midna is a character that is very memorable thanks to her mix of charm, wit, and her badgering of Link.
All of what Twilight Princess has to offer adds up to an experience that may not be better or worse than the other Zelda titles that are on or will be on the Switch, just different than them. Breath of the Wild missed out on key features from the classic 3D formula, and Skyward Sword by itself is not enough to celebrate a monumental occasion like the 35-year anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. More Zelda on the Switch would be a good thing.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is out now for GameCube, Wii, and Wii U.