By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Nintendo Has No Plans to Bring More Zelda Games to Switch for 35th Anniversary

Nintendo Has No Plans to Bring More Zelda Games to Switch for 35th Anniversary - News

by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 October 2021 / 4,555 Views

2021 marks the 35th anniversary of the first The Legend of Zelda game, which launched for the Famicom in Japan in February 1986.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary, Nintendo is releasing a special Game & Watch handheld that includes the original The Legend of Zelda game, its sequel The Adventure of Link, and Link’s Awakening on November 12. Nintendo is also releasing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the Nintendo Switch on July 16.

The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Auonuma during the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct said there are no plans to release any other games in the franchise on the Nintendo Switch as part of its 35th anniversary.

"This year the original Legend of Zelda game reaches its 35th anniversary," said Auonuma. "While we don’t have any campaigns or other Nintendo Switch games planned, we’ve been working on this Game and Watch system as a special item to help mark the occasion and reflect fondly on the earliest days of The Legend of Zelda."

Nintendo did announce The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel will launch in 2022.


A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.


More Articles

22 Comments
GoOnKid (on 16 June 2021)

The Internet: There's only ports, ports, ports and ports, how lame!
Also the Internet: Where's my WW/TP port?

  • +3
Kakadu18 GoOnKid (on 17 June 2021)

Well I want more ports, Mario Galaxy 2, Xenoblade Chronicles X.

  • 0
GoOnKid Kakadu18 (on 17 June 2021)

Maybe one day. For now though, WW and TP are out of the question because now is the time to promote Skyward Sword HD.

  • 0
Pemalite (on 16 June 2021)

Then make plans?

Remake Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask.
Amazing games that have sadly not been on the good side of time.

Wind Waker and Twilight Princess needs to happen, the hard work was already done on WiiU for those two. (Then I can sell that console.)

  • +3
siebensus4 (on 16 June 2021)

I really would have hoped for a Zelda Maker game...

  • +3
Mandalore76 siebensus4 (on 16 June 2021)

Yes. A huge missed opportunity for a dungeon creation game. Disappointing that won't be a thing, and that there won't be a free online multiplayer game like Mario 35 to celebrate the Zelda anniversary. I would have thought that would be the only reason to discontinue Mario 35 was to replace it with a Zelda themed one.

  • +2
Slownenberg siebensus4 (on 16 June 2021)

Oh man a Zelda Maker would be awesome. With styles from the original, Zelda 2, ALttP, LA remake. That should totally happen at some point. Hopefully Nintendo keeps Switch going for like 5 more years so in a few years they'll be searching for new content to make and do this!

  • +2
Slownenberg (on 16 June 2021)

That's extremely disappointing. Was definitely expecting a WW/TP package. I don't get why they wouldn't, could easily come out this Fall, well after SS and well before BotW2. And both games already have HD versions so it would just be an easy straight port job. And it would likely sell a lot more than SS will.

  • +1
Shiken Slownenberg (on 16 June 2021)

They also said there was no new 3DS revision a few months before it released.

Lets just wait and see of anything gets revealed after SSHD. I don't see them wanting to take the wind out of its sales (no pun intended) right before it releases.

  • +2
Slownenberg Shiken (on 16 June 2021)

Yeah hopefully it's just them not wanting to give anything away while SSHD is gonna launch. Though if they were planning to do a WW/TP pack I would have thought they just wouldn't make a comment on more Zeldas rather than explicitly mentioning that there won't be any more.

  • +1
Shiken Slownenberg (on 16 June 2021)

I just don't see how they can ignore those ports. Though it is possible that they are holding them along with Xenoblade X as ammo to fill the gaps between bigger releases. 2022 seems stacked, so of it doesn't get revealed later, sadly I think it will be a 2023 HD port. I am not yet giving up hope, but in no way am I going to say for sure they will be revealed after SSHD launches.

  • +1
Giggity_goo (on 16 June 2021)

would like another try at ocarina of time would always get stuck at the water temple the few times ive attempted it over the years.

  • 0
ireadtabloids Giggity_goo (on 16 June 2021)

I think the intended strategy for the water temple was do everything you can then change the water level slightly.

  • 0
S.Peelman (on 16 June 2021)

Obviously. We're already getting BotW2 (though that's next year), SSHD, HW:AoC expansions and the Game & Watch with ports of Zelda 1, 2 and LA on it. They gotta keep stuff for other years.

Anyway, the Game & Watch is the perfect thing for the more minor anniversaries like this. You want to celebrate it with something special, but '35' isn't really the same as '25' or '50', since those are bigger, more rounded milestones. A neat collector's item in this case fits the bill. Big blowouts with concerts and game collections are for the special occasions.

  • 0
ireadtabloids S.Peelman (on 16 June 2021)

What are we getting for the 50th anniversary of Wild Gunman in 2024?

  • 0
S.Peelman ireadtabloids (on 17 June 2021)

I doubt Wild Gunman is well known enough to warrant any kind of celebration :-P .

  • +1
Kakadu18 (on 16 June 2021)

Bummer.

  • 0
heavenmercenary01 (on 16 June 2021)

They won't miss the opportunity to massively sell a ported game for 60€.
Give them time, Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD will make their ways to the switch no matter when, Those two will be easy ports also.
Aonuma's declaration is plausible for now, After all they're trying to porperly promote a hated game (Skyward sword) and avoid any distraction from it to sell well.
Watch it make better sales than its original Wii numbers despite being the most contreversial 3D zelda.

  • -1
Kakadu18 heavenmercenary01 (on 16 June 2021)

Skyward Sword is not hated.

  • 0
IcaroRibeiro (on 16 June 2021)

Well and I have no plans to buy this lazy port, so no Zelda for me this year

  • -4
Chazore (on 16 June 2021)

Well that's me out for any hope on being able to play my fave Zelda titles on Switch...

Guess I'll emulate them on my PC from here on, since they don't care about proper BC, let alone their VC.

  • -7
Comment was deleted...