Summary
The Legend of Zeldaseries has had a huge presence on the Nintendo Switch, which isn’t surprising given how big of a franchise it is for Nintendo. Titles likeBreath of the Wild,Link’s Awakening,Skyward Sword HD, and, most recently,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, have proven to be some of the most popular releases for the console. However, there is still room for another release from the series on the Switch, and as the console’s life winds down, now is the perfect time for anotherZeldaremake or remaster to cap off the Switch’s excellent library.
Although Nintendo hasn’t officially confirmed its existence, rumors suggest that the company is planning to launch thesuccessor to the Switch in early 2025. As such, it makes sense that the Switch will see fewer major releases this year, with Nintendo likely prepping the Switch 2 to have more exciting titles ready for its launch. To fill this gap in major releases, Nintendo seems to be focusing on remakes and remasters of classic titles, such asSuper Mario RPGand the upcomingPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, so theZeldafranchise could easily see another release before the next console launches.
A Zelda Remake or Remaster Could Help Fill Out the Switch’s Final-Year Line-Up
Despite having just releasedTears of the Kingdomin 2023, Nintendo could bolster its 2024 line-up with anotherZeldagame and help extend the Switch’s waning life until its successor is ready for release. Nintendo has followed the trend of releasing a coreZeldagame on the Switch every two years or so, beginning withBreath of the Wildin 2017, thenLink’s Awakeningin 2019,Skyward Sword HDin 2021, andTears of the Kingdomin 2023. While that might disqualify 2024 from seeing a newZeldarelease, it is possible that a simple remastered entry in the franchise would be feasible to release in such a short time.
As it stands, Nintendo seems to be lacking a major release for the Holiday 2024 season, now thatPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorhas a confirmed release date of May 23 andLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDhas a confirmed release date of June 27. Some rumors are circulating that say Nintendo is planning to launch the highly-anticipatedMetroid Prime 4later this year, which would be a fitting swansong for the Switch. However, the company may want to keep it as a launch title for the Switch 2, opening the door for something like a remasteredZeldagame to fill that Holiday 2024 release slot.
Zelda Games that Would Be Perfect for a Remake or Remaster in 2024
TheZeldaseries has a lot of great candidates for a remake or remaster, and the diversity between the different eras of the franchise means they will all likely appeal to a wide range of audiences. Remaking a game in the cute, clay-like art style ofLink’s Awakening’s Switch remake would be perfect for other classic handheld entries like theGame Boy Color’sOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasons, or the Game Boy Advance’sMinish Cap. Although they have been remastered on the 3DS already, getting HD versions ofOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskwould also be a very welcome addition to the Switch’s library.
However, the most likely candidates to see a release on the Switch in 2024 areWind Waker HDandTwilight Princess HD, as they’ve been rumored to be coming to the Switch for some time. Both of those titles were remastered for the Wii U, and with how many Wii U games Nintendo has ported to the Switch, they seem like obvious omissions that many fans believe deserve to come to the console. The work of remastering them has already been done, so it wouldn’t take much to get them ready for a Switch release, and Nintendo could even bundle them together like they did with theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscompilation.
