The Legend of Zelda turns 35-years-old on February 21st, and fans all over the internet are asking for a three-game collection to celebrate the momentous occasion. Nintendo already did it with Super Mario 3D All-Stars, delivering a bundle of ports for the Nintendo Switch, so why not do it for Zelda?
The three games we're all asking for are The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, and they're all remarkable titles in their own ways (yes, even Skyward Sword). If you're not convinced why we need this then you've come to the right place, as I'm going to tell you, you lucky dogs. So let's start with the eldest of the bunch.
The Wind Waker
Controversial upon release for its gorgeous cel-shaded art style - dubbed by some as childish - The Wind Waker soon earned an enormous amount of fans, and rightly so. This adventure let Link loose upon an ocean world populated by a vast array of islands, containing delightful characters, intriguing lore and some well hidden secrets. With a story as uplifting as it is heartbreaking, there's no doubt The Wind Waker deserved the HD remake it got for the Wii U back in 2013. However, that was eight years ago, and the Wii U - while a good console in its own right - was hardly the platform a game of such magnitude deserved.
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Which is why The Wind Waker on Switch is a no-brainer. After all, people like me bought a Wii U solely to play this game, so putting it on a console that has already sold well means a wider audience will have access to it. There's a whole generation of Zelda fans who won't have ever played The Wind Waker (*crumbles into dust*), while veterans will have the perfect console to replay it on, and it's a game that cries replayability.
Right, that's one game down.
Twilight Princess
A darker, more sombre Zelda game, Twilight Princess carved out an identity as a more adult title. This was partly as a counter to the "childish" vibe of Wind Waker, but - regardless of the reasoning for it - Twilight Princess established itself as a must-play instalment in the franchise because of its key differences to the Zeldas that came before.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it hasn't got a similar vibe to Majora's Mask - another more gloomy Zelda game - but Twilight Princess offered up huge open spaces, gorgeous scenery and masterful dungeons, all against a backdrop that constantly reminded us of how bleak this form of Hyrule was. Locations like Snowpeak Ruins hinted at a dark presence throughout the world, while the Arbiter's Grounds full-on hammered it home. After all, this is a game where we see the attempted execution of Ganondorf, and the disaster that occurs as a result of that botched effort.
If we're going to make a collection of Zelda games on Switch, Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker already form a perfect pair. So that just leaves...
Skyward Sword
Look, I know a lot of people don't like Skyward Sword. Yes, the motion controls weren't that well done, and the game wasn't as open as we'd like from a Zelda game. However, if we had a Switch release with updated controls allowing for Pro Controller play, we'd be sitting pretty.
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The Wii MotionPlus just wasn't that great (sorry, Nintendo), and no game better demonstrated this than Skyward Sword. To this day, I still hear complaints about how it prevented players from finishing the game, and I completely understand where they're all coming from. If it wasn't for the excitement I felt at the game's story, I wouldn't have tolerated it either. Now, imagine if those broken motion controls were removed, and you could just use your Joy-Cons or Pro Controller to play through, like in Breath of the Wild? Sounds much better, right? You could still use the gyroscopes for certain sections, too, giving us all the best of both worlds.
I know all of this wouldn't resolve the issue some players have with the more direct story style of Skyward Sword, but it wouldn't need to. As part of a trio of Zelda games in one handy bundle, there'd be less need for Skyward Sword to feel as expansive as The Wind Waker or Twilight Princess because those two games are just a loading screen away. Instead, Skyward Sword could serve as the more straightforward option, for when you just want to go from A to B and progress more simply.
When it comes to story, Skyward Sword is genuinely excellent. Learning about the Goddess Hylia, the origin of Skyloft, who Zelda really is, and the true spirit within the Master Sword are all amazing parts of Zelda lore. To be able to replay through all of this on Switch is all I really want, even if it means taking on those dreaded Silent Realms again. Come on, Nintendo, do us all a solid. Please?
So, there you have it, my firm and valid reasons for why we need a Zelda collection on Nintendo Switch. If, by some miracle, Nintendo do announce this in the coming days, feel free to thank the team here at GAMINGbible for making that happen. Only kidding, but let's keep those fingers crossed that Nintendo give us what we've been dreaming of.
Featured Image Credit: NintendoTopics: Features, Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda