With The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 officially delayed until next year, some fans have a renewed sense of hope that Nintendo could release remastered HD versions of past Zelda games like The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess in 2022. While the highly-anticipated sequel to 2017’s blockbuster hit Breath Of The Wild was originally set to launch later this year, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma formally announced that the fan-named BOTW 2 will instead be released next spring.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has been giving longtime Zelda fans and newcomers to the franchise alike the chance to explore some of Link’s earlier adventures by releasing some of the previous Legend Of Zelda games on the Nintendo Switch. Both the 1993 Game Boy spin-off Link’s Awakening and the 2011 Nintendo Wii installment Skyward Sword have seen standalone HD remakes on the Switch, and classic titles like Ocarina Of Time and Majora’s Mask are available through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Rumors have suggested that Nintendo could be adding titles like the handheld Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages/Oracle Of Seasons duology to this list eventually, but The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remain two of the most requested Zelda installments that have yet to be re-released on the Nintendo Switch.
Some Legend Of Zelda fans think this might change soon, as the recent delay of Breath Of The Wild 2 might give Nintendo time to remaster Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker for the Nintendo Switch. Good Vibes gaming co-founder Derrick Bitner seems to think so, playfully suggesting that Switch versions of these games could be developed and/or released during the wait for BOTW 2. Tucker Hates K-pop is hopeful as well, and while CaffeinatedBolt would point out that Nintendo would likely charge a hefty prince of £50 (roughly $68) to purchase remakes of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, they are still excited for the chance to play them all over again.
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker was released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, and traded the traditional realistic art style of previous games for a more cartoon-like cel-shaded look, and Zelda’s usual setting of the Kingdom of Hyrule for a vast ocean known as the Great Sea. While these changes initially proved divisive among Zelda fans, Wind Waker would later be regarded as one of the best installments in the series, spawning a pair of handheld sequels and even gaining a representative in Super Smash Bros. in the form of Toon Link. Meanwhile, The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released on both the GameCube and Wii in 2006, introduced motion controls to the Zelda series, and even added an alternate wolf form for Link. Though some players were put off by Twilight Princess’s notoriously slow opening hours, the game would likewise gain a strong following in the years since its initial release.
There have been rumors that Nintendo might have other Zelda announcements planned for 2022, and now that Breath Of The Wild 2 has been pushed back until 2023, the door is open for the long-hoped-for Switch versions of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. While there is still no official word that such projects are even in the works, plenty of Legend Of Zelda fans are looking forward to experiencing these classic adventures on the Switch.
Source: Derrick Bitner/Twitter, Tucker Hates K-pop/Twitter, CaffeinatedBolt/Twitter
