This year marks the 35th anniversary of The Legend Of Zelda, and a recent patent suggests that Nintendo is planning remasters of many of the series’ iconic installments – starting with one of its most unique handheld offerings. The beloved dungeon-crawling RPG franchise has been a major staple of not only Nintendo but gaming in general for a little over three decades, and fans can’t wait to see what the publisher has in store for this massive milestone event.
Nintendo has seen more than its fair share of major anniversaries over the past few years. 2020 marked the 35th birthday of the Super Mario series (even if the legendary plumber has technically been around for much longer), but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced Nintendo to drag out its celebration well into this year. Joining it in the spotlight is the equally beloved Pokémon franchise, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021. Both of these milestones have brought many exciting games, remasters, and announcements, and it looks like The Legend Of Zelda will be no different as it turns 35 this year.
According to Comicbook.com and a recent tweet by gaming rumor chaser Okami, Nintendo filed a patent for “Phantom Hourglass” in Australia. This suggests that Nintendo could be looking to bring a remaster of the 2007 DS title of that name to the Switch in the near future, and the accompanying graphic featuring the various incarnations of Zelda protagonist Link implies that said remaster might be part of a larger 35th-anniversary collection.
Serving as a sequel to 2002’s The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the GameCube, Phantom Hourglass was well-regarded thanks to its clever use of the DS’s touchscreen, which allowed players to steer Link’s ship across the vast Great Sea of Hyrule by drawing a path on the game’s map. It received multiple awards and spawned a train-based sequel in 2009’s The Legend Of Zelda: The Spirt Tracks.
The chance to play The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass again on the Nintendo Switch with updated graphics and controls would be an exciting prospect for fans of 2007's original, especially if it comes as part of a larger collection of the Zelda franchise’s many noteworthy installments. The Legend Of Zelda has been an iconic part of gaming for the past 35 years, and it seems like Nintendo will be going all out to celebrate one of its most noteworthy franchises on its big anniversary this year.
Source: Comicbook.com, Okami