Zelda 35: A Prayer to the Goddess

It’s that time again where video game franchises that have stood the test of time can stand tall atop their pedestals, prouder than punch that they made it all the way from their pixelated birthplace to the HD haven that is the modern day. Gaming anniversaries are always a big deal, but few come quite as grand as The Legend of Zelda.

On the 35th year of this tunic-toting, boomerang-wanging, sword-swinging saga, Nintendo have been suspiciously quiet. Yes yes, I know we got the drool-inducing Breath of the Wild 2 teaser trailer. And I’ve already pre-ordered the fanbase-dividing Game & Watch console. But with legions of Link lovers across the globe praying to The Golden Goddesses for more than these and the Skyward Sword HD release, let’s do a little daydreaming about what Nintendo might have up their sleeve for their A-list adventurer’s anniversary.

Resurrecting the Shadows: Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess Remakes

For the uninitiated, The Legend of Zelda games look like fairly friendly affairs. From their colourful palette and charming choice of graphical style, to the fairytale-adjacent antics of their storylines and plots, you’d be forgiven for thinking these were games solely for kids.

But deep beneath the idyllic surface of Hyrule lies some sincerely sinister happenings, and no games in the series encapsulate those evil undertones more than Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess. Though both of these titles received re-releases on the 3DS and Wii U respectively, giving these titles the same treatment as Skyward Sword would be a real treat for the hardcore Zelda fans out there.

Whether it’d be your first time traipsing the twisted lands of Termina, or simply a revisit to the shadowy shores of the Twilight Realm, a release of these titles would be anything but a dark day for Switch owners.

Completing the Triforce: An ‘Oracle’ Triple-Pack

Way back in 2001, the cool kids at Capcom teamed up with Nintendo to bring a trio of Zelda titles to the Game Boy Color. These would eventually become the ‘Oracle’ titles, though only two of the three ever saw the light of day.

Both games struck a chord with fans and critics alike, yet the game’s novel system that saw the titles’ stories intertwine was dampened somewhat by the third proposed game in the series never seeing the light of day. What remained was still a complete story that could be played in parallel, but fanatics of the Boy without a Fairy couldn’t help but wonder how a complete Triforce of tales might have played out.

Imagine, then, a triple-pack – akin to the transient Super Mario 3D All-Stars – released to commemorate the series’ 35th anniversary. It’s also 20 years since Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons slotted into our Game Boys for the first time, so it makes perfect sense.

Oh, and why not have the three games go the same road as the luscious-looking Link’s Awakening that strutted onto the Switch last year?

Shut up and TAKE. MY. RUPEES.

From The Lost Woods to Hollywood: Zelda on the Big Screen

HEY, LISTEN! Before you say it, I know Nintendo have a terrible history when it comes to silver screen adaptions or allowing other companies to run roughshod with their IPs – just take a look at the above abomination for evidence of these hate crimes – but now Nintendo are letting Illumination take a swing at making Mario into a movie star, maybe it’s about time we saw Ganondorf dwarf our puny, popcorn-eating bodies at the cinema too.

Things were looking good for a Netflix live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda in 2015, but after Nintendo pulled the plug, nothing has been heard since. What better time, then, than three-and-a-half decades on from its inception to spread the lore of Link far and wide for all to consume.

Given how good adaptations of video games like The Witcher and Tomb Raider have been in recent years, it’s a safe bet Nintendo’s premium player would pack quite a punch given the right writers and director.

Whether he wound up in cinemas or slaying sons-of-bitches weekly on a streaming service, I know I’m not alone in my yearning for a real-life Link to land on my telebox in the next six months!

What would you love to see hit the shelves to celebrate everyone’s favourite fantasy franchise this year? Drop your bombchus in the comments below. And if you’re still yet to snag yourself the gorgeous Link’s Awakening remake, now’s the time to change that – open that treasure chest right here! Oh, and if you’re a Goron-sized gobbler of all things Zelda, why not listen to our Gaming Manifesto podcast all about the series’ history and upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel?

If you enjoyed this article, Glitchqraft currently holds the Triforce of Wisdom when it comes to all things gaming; you can Z-target more of his content right here – it’s dangerous to go alone, after all!

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