The Legend of Zelda has been one of the most dominant forces in the industry for nearly 40 years, but the last two mainline entries have altered the series in some pretty significant ways. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom took the franchise into a new direction, abandoning many of the tropes and concepts that defined the series. Zelda has routinely tapped into classic fantasy tropes, utilizing them in innovative ways in order to create its unique worlds, but recent entries have taken inspiration from contemporaries like Dark Souls, favoring a low-key approach over the traditional elements from the past.

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Elements like the Master Sword being the ultimate slayer of evil and traditional dungeon design were left behind, while the classic Zelda formula that dominated the series during the 1990s and 2000s was also left behind. As stated by series producer Eiji Aonuma, the next Legend of Zelda game is in full development, and it may be time to dust off some of the old ideas and see how they fit into the modern era of the franchise.

1

Classic Dungeon Design

Traditional Dungeons From The Franchise’s Past Need To Return

Systems

Released

November 21, 1998

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Zelda 64 Engine

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With Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo ultimately abandoned one of the core concepts of the classic entries, as traditional dungeons were left behind in favor of mini-shrines. While there are what one might call dungeons in those games, they do not feature the same design principals and rely less on thematic gameplay design and more on a consistent world structure.

With classic Zelda dungeons, Nintendo would construct them around multi-level exploration and puzzle solving mixed with an overall theme that made it feel unique and rewarding. Whether it was the bitter cold of Snowpeak Ruins in Twilight Princess or surviving the brutality of the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time, classic Zelda dungeons would be a welcome return for the next mainline entry. These expertly designed, hand-crafted excursions made up some of the most fun adventures in the classic titles, and it would be incredible to see them make a comeback.

2

The Master Sword As The Ultimate Weapon

It’s Time To Return The Master Sword To Its Former Glory

Systems

Released

November 19, 2006

ESRB

T For Teen due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Proprietary Engine

How Long To Beat

38 Hours

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Among the many things that Breath of the Wild tossed aside was the relevance and importance of the Master Sword, Link’s iconic weapon that has slayed evil in the series since the beginning. Although it does not break like other weapons do, it does lose energy rather quickly and needs to recharge, making other weapons feel more useful in Link’s quest to rescue Zelda and defeat Ganondorf.

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It wasn’t entirely a bad decision, resulting in a fun experiment and adding some variety to the weapon selection, but it may be time to restore the Master Sword to its proper place as the ultimate destroyer of evil in the Zelda universe. The next proper mainline game could do well by showcasing the true power of the Master Sword, putting it back in its rightful place as Link’s greatest tool needed to dispel evil from the land of Hyrule.

3

A Companion Character

Hey! Listen!

Systems

Released

November 20, 2011

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone E10+: Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Proprietary Engine

How Long To Beat

31 Hours

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As Link has traveled the land of Hyrule defeating the likes of Ganon and Zant, he has made friends with some truly unique and fascinating companion characters. From the absolutely delightful Midna in Twilight Princess to King of Red Lions in The Wind Waker, Link has had some help along the way, but the most recent Zelda games mostly ignored this concept, leaving a core component of the classic games behind.

Characters like Fi, the spirit that resides in the Master Sword from Skyward Sword, and Navi from Ocarina of Time, evoke a sort of nostalgic charm that the next Zelda game could tap into. Companion characters in the franchise tend to do well when they are woven into the narrative, which is why Fi, Midna and King of Red Lions have persevered as the most popular ones. Taking influence from those would be a perfect way to reintroduce companion characters, a part of classic Zelda games that would be great to see return.

4

A Young Boy From A Small Village

The New Link Needs A Place To Start

Systems

Released

April 13, 1992

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Violence

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

How Long To Beat

15 Hours

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Following the lead of some of its contemporaries, Breath of the Wild cast the new Link as a young adult waking up in a strange world, on a quest to stop an ancient evil and save the land. And while it undoubtedly worked in its favor to create an aura of mystery, it removed itself from a key part of some of the franchise’s best games, which was seeing Link emerge as an untested young man in a small village and embark on a grand adventure.

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As the franchise has been toying with revisiting its roots, it may be time to see a Zelda game that echoes titles like The Wind Waker and A Link to the Past, which cast Link as a shy young man who goes on an adventure due to outside forces. Iconic locations from the series, including Outset Island and Ordon Village, have served as fantastic ways to introduce players to the newest version of Link, and it could be an excellent way to debut the next mainline Zelda title.

5

A Musical Instrument Is The Key To Progression

It Could Be Time To Tune Up The Wind Waker

Systems

Released

March 24, 2003

ESRB

E For Everyone

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op

Engine

Havok

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The Zelda franchise has had a long, prosperous relationship with music, as composers like Koji Kondo used their unique talents to bring some of the most iconic video game music to life. And it isn’t just the excellent soundtracks, but rather how some of the franchise’s most incredible titles have tied a specific musical instrument to the game’s progression and narrative. Titles like The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time positioned a musical instrument at the heart of the experience, something that the series could definitely look to do again with the next iteration.

Thanks to the unique control methods of the Switch, which allow players to use the Joy-con controllers in each hand, controlling a musical instrument of some sort with the motion controls could lead to a magical experience. The franchise hasn’t pushed a musical instrument as the main mechanic since 2002 with The Wind Waker, which means that now is the time to put the focus back on a musical instrument and see how just what the Switch 2 can do with this legendary franchise.

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