In its 35 years of existence, the Legend of Zelda series has been responsible for some of the best videogame experiences ever. From the NES to the Nintendo Switch, if you see a Zelda game, chances are it is going to be a memorable experience. But with advances in technology, one can't help but wonder what their favorite Zelda game would look like if it were remade to today's standards.
Nintendo must have thought the same thing when they remade The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in 2019, transforming its 8-bit world with a brand new art style and crafting one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch. But the question remains: Which Zelda deserves a remake next? We have some suggestions.
Potential Zelda Remake: Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword had a lot going for it when it was announced for the Wii. It was an origin story that took place at the earliest point of the Zelda timeline. It was to feature a huge area in the clouds that you can navigate. It had motion controls that were supposed to give you control of the master sword for the first time. Heck, it even had a gorgeous art style that looked like Twilight Princess and Wind Waker had a watercolor baby. But for one reason or another, Skyward Sword failed to live up to expectations. It was fine for the most part, but I know Nintendo can do so much better.
A remake of Skyward Sword could give us a fully realized Skyloft that follows the same design principle as Breath of the Wild. Remove those cumbersome motion controls and loosen Link up a bit, and please for the love of Hylia remove all of the handholding that took place during the first few hours of the game. Skyward Sword had a lot of things going for it — a gorgeous art style, a great villain, and was basically the first Zelda to give Link and Zelda a real relationship, so I think it'd be worth revisiting if they ironed out the kinks.
Potential Zelda Remake: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link remains a bit of an oddball in Zelda's history. A direct sequel to the original Zelda, the game is most remembered for taking everything that was established by the first game and tossing it out the window. The game was now a side scroller, you traversed the overworld and engaged enemies in the way you would in an RPG. It was strange, to be sure, but was it bad? No, not necessarily.
A remake of Zelda 2 could do wonders for this game's exposure. It could improve the story bonds between itself and the original Zelda, and it could improve on the wayfinding and exploration, as it was sometimes difficult to figure out what to do in that game. I don't even think it would have to abandon the 2D side-scrolling, just apply more than 30 years of improvements made in the genre. A remake of Zelda 2 would be a great way for people to experience one of Zelda's most polarizing titles.
Potential Zelda Remake: Four Sword Adventures
Ok, hear me out — multiplayer Zelda can work. In fact, it can work really well, so long as you have four Game Boy Advance systems, four link cables, and a Gamecube to hook it all up to. Don't forget extra batteries! The Four Sword Adventures was a unique Zelda game that expanded on the Four Swords add-on that was included in the GBA version of A Link to the Past. The biggest problem was that it was so damn hard to play with your friends, and with the Gamecube's lack of online play, you couldn't play with anyone unless you spent the money necessary for the additional hardware.
It's 2021 now, and for all intents and purposes, we'll be locked down at home for a while. For a lot of us, the only way to reach out to friends and play games is via the internet, so here's my idea: Remake Four Swords Adventures, expand on the multiplayer, and for the love of God, include online play. Four Swords Adventures is a Zelda game worth playing, and it's much better with friends.
Potential Zelda Remake: Majora's Mask
Majora's Mask is another unique Zelda game that seems to have gotten better over time. Originally released on the Nintendo 64, Majora's Mask was a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time and used virtually all of the same assets. Despite this, the team at Nintendo crafted a wholly original adventure. Majora's Mask saw a young Link stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario — The moon was going to crash into the land of Termina, destroying everyone in the process. Link has just three short days to figure out what is happening and he is doomed to repeat those three days until he does.
Majora's Mask explored themes of death, regret, guilt — darker, more mature themes that the Zelda games had never really grappled with before. While fans bemoaned the three day cycle, Majora's Mask ranks high among fans. A remake of the game did appear on the 3DS, with updated visuals and quality of life changes, but I think they could go even further. I'd like to see expanded stories of the people of Termina, and I'd love the visuals to be polished to current day standards.
Zelda Remake: Lets play it again, Link
The Legend of Zelda series has many great games in its 35 year history, and with Breath of the Wild 2 on the horizon, we can't help but get excited about what is possible for the series as a whole. A remake of any one of these classic Zelda adventure could be exactly what we need to hold us over.
These are our choices for Zelda's with remake potential. What's your choice? Let us know in the comments.
