The 35th anniversary of Legend of Zelda will only be celebrated with the release of the Skyward Sword HD Switch port and a unique Zelda Game & Watch system. Fans were treated to another Nintendo Direct during E3 that showcased a myriad of new games coming to the Switch over the coming year. The company tweeted out that the focus of the Direct would be on the software side of things rather than hardware. This focus counteracted reports that the heavily rumored Switch Pro would be revealed and discussed during the event.
Though the Switch Pro wasn’t a part of the E3 Direct, Nintendo did give its fans a look at other exciting titles. The star of the show was a new gameplay trailer for Breath of the Wild 2. Although the follow-up to BOTW is still a way to go, fans now have a bit more to go on to connect the new game to the rest of the Zelda timeline. With the inclusion of floating isles and temples, many think that BOTW2 will be connected in some way to the events of Skyward Sword. Nintendo also showcased an expansion pass for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, with the first part releasing June 18 and the second in November 2021.
During Nintendo's E3 Direct, Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma said no further “campaigns or other Nintendo Switch games are planned” beyond the Game & Watch and the remaster of Skyward Sword. This information contradicts the rumors that possible ports or remasters of other Legend of Zelda titles were in development. Earlier in 2021, rumors of an Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask port coming to the Switch had spread. Considered by many to be the series’ best games, it would make sense that new ports to the Switch would line up with the 35th anniversary. However, Nintendo said nothing about this during the Direct.
While Nintendo had one of the better conferences of E3, some fans were left a bit disappointed that the company left out these games. Ocarina of Time was remade for the Nintendo 3DS, and Majora’s Mask received a port to Nintendo’s previous portable system as well. Whether or not these games come to the Switch is left to speculation seeing as the rumored remakes of Twilight Princess, and Wind Waker were also not discussed during the event. Yet, an insider claims that these remakes are still on the table, but not until after Skyward Sword HD releases.
Despite the lack of Zelda content fans were expecting at E3, there is still a lot to be excited about. The first 2D Metroid in almost 20 years and a new WarioWare game are set to release this year. If more Zelda content is on the horizon, Nintendo is playing it very close to the vest - as it usually does.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD releases July 16 on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube