More Zelda Games Could Come to Nintendo Switch
By Dalton Cooper 18 January 2017
The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma indicates that another Zelda game after Breath of the Wild could one day be developed for the Nintendo Switch.
Fans have been waiting for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for years. Now that its release is almost upon us, some fans are looking to the future, wondering where the beloved franchise will go after The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild releases to the masses. While the next Zelda likely hasn’t been planned yet, there’s a chance that the game could join Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch.
This is according to series producer Eiji Aonuma, who spoke to IGN about the future of the Zelda franchise on the Switch. According to Aonuma, Breath of the Wild doesn’t use the Switch to its full potential, which is something he could accomplish with a followup Zelda game.
“I haven’t been able to fully use all of the new features of the system. There could be the possibility of another Zelda on Nintendo Switch.”
The Legend of Zelda franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto was also involved in the interview, and indicated that if a new game in the series wasn’t released for the Switch, then fans could expect one on Nintendo’s next system. Since Nintendo Switch hasn’t even launched yet, Miyamoto is referring to developments that are far into the future, and we likely won’t hear any concrete information about Breath of the Wild‘s followup for years.
In the meantime, we may have already been given a clue about what the next Zelda will entail. In the past, Eiji Aonuma has expressed interest in making another multiplayer Zelda game, but for the Nintendo Switch instead of the 3DS. Switch’s portability and expanded online features make it suitable for multiplayer gameplay, so it would make sense for Aonuma to create a multiplayer Zelda game for the Switch.
Even if a second original Zelda game fails to release on the Switch, then there’s still the possibility that older games in the series could be ported or remastered for Nintendo’s new console. After all, Nintendo re-released two Zelda games on the Wii U, The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, so it’s not unreasonable to think those games could come to the Switch as well. Furthermore, Twilight Princess has a direct connection to Breath of the Wild thanks to Wolf Link, so it would be nice to have both adventures playable on one system.
Between bringing older games in the series to the Switch and creating another original Zelda title from the ground-up, there are numerous ways Nintendo can bring more Zelda to the Switch after it releases Breath of the Wild. However, it’s worth noting that the odds of seeing another Zelda game on the Switch depend on whether or not the console itself sells well. The Switch is off to a strong start so far, selling out of pre-order stock all over the globe, and if Breath of the Wild is the hit it is expected to be, then it may not take much convincing for Nintendo to start work on the next Zelda right away.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be available on March 3rd, 2017.
