Don’t get me wrong — I’m pretty darn excited for a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. But boy, I would have been so much more excited for a sequel instead.

If you’ve somehow missed it, at the most recent Nintendo Direct, we saw a brief teaser for a Switch 2 version of Ocarina of Time. Admittedly, the brief trailer is light on details — merely showcasing a cinematic intro for the iconic adventure with some voice acting and vastly improved graphics over the Nintendo 64 original — but the promise to return to Hyrule later this year has left many (myself included) ecstatic with the hope this is Zelda’s Resident Evil 2 Remake equivalent.

Anyone who has touched Ocarina of Time knows why it’s regarded as one of the best games ever made. It perfectly translated the previously 2D-only series’ sense of adventure into a 3D world, and even close to three decades later, Ocarina’s Hyrule is a delight to explore — with its dungeons to solve, monsters to slay, and songs to learn.

A return to this world with a graphical and gameplay overhaul — taking learnings from titles like Breath of the Wild — would be the perfect way to revisit the classic, and introduce it to a new generation.

More to the story

Though it doesn’t quite hold a candle to its direct sequel, Majora’s Mask.

The darker tone and the repeating three-day cycle create a claustrophobic aspect that pairs perfectly with the game’s expansive world and its various branching stories. You don’t have time to solve every problem at once, so you have to slowly piece together each puzzle through what you learn in previous cycles, and the items and abilities you unlock.

Majora’s Mask could easily have been a mess, but instead it pioneered the Groundhog Day-like genre, setting the bar for what time loop games should deliver.

Everything is perfect… but ultimately unfinished too.

Majora’s Mask picks up where Ocarina of Time ends, with Link on a quest to find his fairy companion Navi after she leaves him at the end of the first game.

While he does save yet another realm, his inciting quest doesn’t have a conclusion, as Majora’s Mask ends with Link venturing on once more to find his fairy friend.

While the Zelda series has had plenty more entries since these two games, it has long felt like there should be a third story in the Ocarina of Time duology — one that ties up this loose end adventure in some way.

So while I’m excited for a new Ocarina of Time, I am left desperately wishing we were getting a fresh follow-up instead, one that finally concludes this long-time Zelda series mystery rather than simply being the fourth Ocarina of Time re-release.

Why not both?

My mixed feelings aside, this remake doesn’t rule out the possibility of a sequel. In fact, it could make one more likely as players are refamiliarized with the game’s story and finale.

Adding to my hope (read: cope) is that we’re coming up fast on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s 30th anniversary — which lands at the tail end of 2028. Concluding this mystery would be quite the birthday treat for longtime fans of this game.

Now that would be quite a swift turnaround time, but the Zelda series does comfortably hit one entry every couple of years — since 2023, the franchise has actually had a release every year if you count the Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

We’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo has up its sleeve, but as I play through Ocarina of Time on my Switch 2 later this year, I’ll be desperately hoping a brand-new sequel to it is just around the corner.

• The Legend of Zelda Movie's release date has been changed
• Nintendo confirmed as much on social media yesterday (May 13)
• The live-action film was set to arrive in theaters on May 7, 2027

Eyes up, Nintendo fans — The Legend of Zelda Movie's release date has been tweaked, but don't worry, it hasn't been delayed.

Indeed, the highly-anticipated live-action film, which was set to land in theaters on May 7, 2027, has actually been moved up by a week. It's now set to debut worldwide on April 30, 2027.

The announcement comes courtesy of Nintendo legend and president Shigeru Miyamoto. Indeed, in a statement posted on the videogame giant's social media channels yesterday (May 13), Miyamoto-san revealed The Legend of Zelda's movie adaptation would be with us earlier than expected.

"This is Miyamoto," the post begins. "We have decided to change the worldwide theatrical release date of the live-action film The Legend of Zelda from May 7, 2027 to April 30, 2027. In order to deliver it to everyone even one day sooner, the team is united in advancing production. It's less than a year until release, but please wait just a little longer."

It's unclear why one of next year's most exciting new movies is coming out earlier than anticipated. However, with filming reportedly wrapping on the project last month, it appears its production is going smoother than even Miyamoto-san might have predicted.

What do we know about The Legend of Zelda Movie so far?

Truth be told, not a great deal. Indeed, aside from its new launch date, the ever-secretive Nintendo has kept its cards close to its chest regarding the movie's cast, plot, and which of the franchise's many beloved games it's drawing inspiration from.

On the cast front, only two actors are officially involved in The Legend of Zelda Movie: Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, who'll play Link, aka the Hero of Time, and Bo Bragason, who'll portray the titular princess of Hyrule. Severance actor Dichen Lachman was believed to have been spotted on set as Zelda's protector-in-chief Impa, but Lachman's involvement is still a rumor at this stage.

Meanwhile, fans believe they know which game's story is being adapted for this flick after Nintendo released the first official images for The Legend of Zelda Movie in November 2025. Again, though, this is purely speculation, and it won't be until Nintendo releases the film's first trailer that we'll be able to decipher which game(s) it'll be inspired by.

While we wait for more concrete news, find out everything we know so far about The Legend of Zelda Movie.

On this day back in 1986, something happened that would change the trajectory of gaming – The Legend of Zelda was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

No, that's not just me being hyperbolic; as well as starting what is now a 40-year-old, frequently record-breaking game series, it was also the first game to introduce save files stored on the game cartridge, revolutionizing how games were played and saved.

Many such accolades adorn the halls of fame for The Legend of Zelda, though it's the games themselves and how they've evolved that take precedence for me when I'm asked why the series is so beloved and successful. And I am frequently asked why I have such an impassioned love for it.

Is it just nostalgia? Yes, in part; many of my earliest memories involve watching my Dad try (and fail) to complete the Ocarina of Time water temple, running away screaming every time the Deku Kid mask animation played in Majora's Mask and repeatedly finding myself stuck in Link's Awakening because I was too young (read: impatient) to realize the dialogue was actualy trying to tell me what to do. In fact, barring The Sims, Zelda titles made the majority of my gaming collection until I was in my late teens.

Still, to boil down the storied success of the series to emotional attachment alone is a disservice not just to The Legend of Zelda, but also to you, dear reader. Instead, I'd much prefer to analyze it as a work of art; here's why I think the adventures of Link and Zelda stand the test of time. Quite literally, in places.

What's in a name?

If I had to label it, I'd say the 21 main Legend of Zelda titles broadly fall into what I'll call the "puzzle-solving adventure" genre, constantly straddling the line between action and exploration. However, I'd be reluctant to label it at all, as the series's ability to adapt and innovate is seemingly boundless.

A big reason behind its popularity, I think, is that Nintendo has not limited itself to a specific formula; you know when you play a Halo game that it'll broadly consist of jumping around and shooting stuff, or that GTA 6 will mostly involve driving around and hurting innocent civilians.

The Legend of Zelda is not so caught up by minutiae; all you know going into a game is that there will likely be some form of "rescue the Princess" main mission, but how it will actually play is entirely down to the thematic principles of any given Zelda game.

That said, there is one thing that does tie together all of the games in The Legend of Zelda series: not one of them plays exactly like another. Okay, barring a few of the sequels (where repetition is to be expected).

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Zelda games are often experimental with mechanics, to a degree where I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they're established long before any story, artwork or thematics are decided upon. That’s how you end up with seafaring adventures such as Wind Waker, railway exploration with Spirit Tracks, and motion-controlled swordplay in Skyward Sword. It’s a gamble that doesn’t always pay off – and I’d personally use the latter as an example of that – but it keeps the series feeling fresh.

Even the tone (and, subsequently, age restrictions) vary wildly. Some games, like Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess, are quite thematically dark, while others are more kid-friendly; some are more linear compared to more recent open-world adventures such as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Everyone has a different favorite, and fans can be quite fierce in defending them.

The same goes for the art style, which varies wildly across almost all of the games, as well as the music; while tonally and thematically consistent, Nintendo is not afraid to shake up everything we expect from Hyrule.

The Lord of the Rings of gaming

That's right, I said it; The Legend of Zelda is to gaming what The Lord of the Rings was to mid-century literature. As a huge fan of both, it's a compliment both ways, but more specifically references the fact that Takashi Tezuka himself has cited Tolkien's work as inspirational for The Legend of Zelda. Tezuka was responsible for the narrative and world-building of the first game and has worked on many of the best Zelda titles since, meaning that Tolkien's world-building and storytelling run deep in the franchise's DNA.

The narrative cues are quite obvious in places; there's a Heroic quest with a fundamental battle between good and evil at its core, and both create complex and varied characters with differing motivations, especially in more recent character-driven Zelda storylines. Putting on my literary nerd hat, both are also works of mythopoeic literature; Hyrule, like Middle-earth, is an entirely fictional world with its own rules, cultures, and regions. For the uninitiated, that means there's a whole lot of lore.

As such, both worlds are incredibly immersive and rich, often toying with themes of apocalypse, the brutality of war, and the consequences of greed. Alongside these darker undertones, though, are the desperate attempts to preserve pastoral beauty; much like Tolkien found inspiration in the turn-of-the-century rural English countryside, Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood adventures in nature are deeply embedded in the world of Hyrule.

Where the fork in the road appears in this comparison is simple: The Lord of the Rings strove to create folklore where Tolkien felt England lacked it. The Legend of Zelda, unbeknownst even to itself, became folklore. By creating a narrative that spanned characters in an endless cycle of reincarnation, Nintendo created a modern epic told through video games and fandom.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

This is where the magic comes into play, and it's all down to people like you and me. Creating such a vibrant and varied narrative spanning generations across centuries is a total honeytrap for the player's imagination.

It's the reason I'm so drawn to the series; sure, they're a lot of fun to play, but each game presents an opportunity for analysis. For instance, there are iconic motifs that repeat and evolve throughout the series; the three goddesses who created Hyrule, the Great Fairies, and the Master Sword – each new game introduces fresh history and meaning to the last. Sometimes, information even conflicts across games. Over the course of the series, such inconsistencies formed a kind of oral tradition in online forums and among content creators, with fans acting as the mouthpiece for various theories and connections between different games. Like the Arthurian legend, one never quite knows who told each tale, nor how much of it is true to history, but we all know the heroes.

This most famously manifested in the 2011 official Hyrule Historia, which confirmed the existence of a canon timeline that weaves each game into a complex, three-pronged timeline spanning centuries and different realities. Fans had theorized such a document existed for years, although others assume Nintendo just ran with the idea after seeing how popular it was with fans.

By now, I hope I've convinced the uninitiated that worldbuilding and fan theory are key components of The Legend of Zelda's success, but equally important is the bridge between the two: Link. His name is no coincidence; he is the literal link that bridges the real world and Hyrule. A blank, unspeaking canvas upon which we can imagine ourselves a hero of old.

It's a huge part of his character, but also his design. There’s even an air of androgyny to Link — something Eiji Aonuma has actually discussed in an interview with Time as an intentional choice. Perhaps that’s why The Legend of Zelda seems to have a pretty strong contingent of female fans compared to other long-running series — I certainly thought Link was a girl for a fair few years.

With The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo managed a pretty impressive juggling act; it built an expansive world, created a wide-reaching and engaged community and remained laser-focused on keeping that audience captive. Today marks 40 years of continued, largely successful juggling, and even if you're not a fan of the series, that deserves some respect.

Times are a-changing

With all eyes on Nintendo's social accounts today (in fact, by the time I've hit publish, they may have already dropped some news), one can only hope we get a celebration befitting this huge milestone. For its 25th anniversary, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time's 3DS remaster, the Hyrule Historia, and even a touring Legend of Zelda Symphony.

Ports and remakes are increasingly available, but whether you like it or not, Nintendo’s iron-tight grip on its intellectual property does create a scarcity; that’s why right now, fans are going pretty feral, waiting to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve for this anniversary.

I'm matching my anticipation with a looming sense of dread. In what has been an otherwise glowing review of 40 years' worth of creative game-making, I come to an anxious juncture: what on earth is next for The Legend of Zelda?

Personally, I’m hoping for a Wind Waker or Twilight Princess remaster for Nintendo Switch 2, but in all likelihood, I’m sorry to say we’ll probably just get a new trailer for the upcoming live action The Legend of Zelda movie and maybe an announcement for a remaster or a Nintendo Switch Online port today.

Nintendo took a huge swing with Breath of the Wild, effectively retconning its own timeline and starting a new cycle for Zelda games. It was a risk worth taking, as was its sequel Tears of the Kingdom, but one so lofty I worry Nintendo will confine itself too readily to a set formula moving forward, and I'm not sure the open-world adventure genre allows for the kind of continued creativity and whimsy I've always loved from Zelda titles. Echoes of Wisdom did little to ease my nerves, given it wasn't technically a from-scratch new game. So, we'll just have to see as the year goes on what's in store next for our favorite hero and his beloved Princess.

• The next mainline Zelda game could be inspired by Koei Tecmo's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
• The Legend of Zelda producer, Eiji Aonuma, has teased the next Zelda game, saying he's gained inspiration from Koei Tecmo's spin-off entry
• "The inspiration we've gained from collaborating with Koei Tecmo like this may be reflected in the next Zelda we create," Aonuma says

The Legend of Zelda producer, Eiji Aonuma, has suggested that the next entry in the long-running series will be inspired by Koei Tecmo's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.

Speaking in an interview with Japanese publication 4Gamer (via VGC), Aonuma teased the next Zelda game and said that his team has gained inspiration from Koei Tecmo's Nintendo Switch 2 spin-off title.

"Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the first Zelda title on Nintendo Switch 2," Aonuma said. "To be honest, we wanted to be the ones to release the ‘first’ one ourselves (laughs).

"Still, the inspiration we've gained from collaborating with Koei Tecmo like this may be reflected in the next Zelda we create. As you play Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, we hope you’ll imagine those possibilities and look forward to our Zelda."

Age of Imprisonment is the third game in the Hyrule Warriors series, and depicts the events that lead up to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The previous game, Age of Calamity, also does the same by telling the story of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's history as a prequel.

Nintendo hasn't announced the third game in its new Zelda series, but I'm curious to see if Aonuma will use Age of Imprisonment's blend of action mechanics as inspiration for the next entry.

In TechRadar Gaming's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment review, hardware editor Rhys Wood called the game "a huge improvement over Age of Calamity", offering "more characters with interesting move sets, decent performance, and a story that doesn't relegate itself to being a meaningless 'what if' scenario."

The Legend of Zelda Movie is officially in full production. Cameras have started rolling on the highly anticipated film, which is based on Nintendo's fan-favorite videogame series namesake, ahead of its May 2027 launch.

While much of it is shrouded in mystery, we're starting to get a sense of how it'll bring The Legend of Zelda game franchise to life. Consider this guide to be the equivalent of Navi, the game series' fairy aide, in telling you about the biggest and most recent news surrounding the live-action fantasy flick.

Here, then, is everything you need to know about The Legend of Zelda Movie.

The Legend of Zelda Movie release date

The Legend of Zelda Movie will debut in theaters on May 7, 2027.

Initially, the Nintendo and Sony Pictures feature had used the Tri-Force to conjure up a March 26, 2027 launch. However, as the above X/Twitter post points out, it'll arrive a few weeks later than planned.

Principal photography began in New Zealand on November 4, 2025. According to the Film and Television Industry Alliance website, it's due to wrap production on April 7, 2026.

The Legend of Zelda Movie trailer: is there one?

No. And considering it won't be released for another 18 months (at the time of this article's initial publication), it'll be a long time before we see one, too. Once a trailer is released, I'll update this section.

The Legend of Zelda Movie cast: confirmed and rumored

Possible spoilers follow for The Legend of Zelda Movie.

So far, only two actors have been formally announced as part of The Legend of Zelda Movie's cast:

• Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Link
• Bo Bragason as Zelda

Confirming the pair's involvement in July, Nintendo revealed Bragason and Ainsworth would play Zelda and Link, aka two of the franchise's most famous characters, in the film.

Of the pair, Bragason is arguably the most well-known. She's inhabited roles in the Disney+ show Renegade Nell, and Prime Video TV series The Jetty and King & Conqueror. Playing Hyrule's princess in this live-action take on the popular game series is easily her biggest role to date, though.

Meanwhile, Ainsworth, who's being hired to play the Zelda franchise's Master Sword-wielding male protagonist, will be recognizable to anyone who's seen Disney's 2022 live-action/CGI remake of Pinocchio. Well, his voice will be, because he only voiced the titular character in that movie. Other roles he's had include Son of a Critch on CBC and Channel 4, and The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Sandman on Netflix.

There'll be more cast announcements – official and leaked – in the weeks and months ahead. In fact, fans think Dichen Lachman, who stars in Severance on Apple TV, has secretly boarded the project as Zelda's chief adviser Impa. Their evidence? In a leaked video posted on X/Twitter (see above), Bragason's female hero is seen conversing with someone who not only looks a lot like Impa but also Lachman.

Other reveals will arrive in due course. We still don't know who'll play the Zelda series' primary villain, Ganondorf, nor which supporting characters from the Zelda franchise's packed back catalog could be part of its ensemble. In fact, determining which other individuals may appear depends on which games The Legend of Zelda Movie's story has been influenced by. Speaking of which...

The Legend of Zelda Movie story speculation

Potential spoilers follow for The Legend of Zelda Movie.

Unsurprisingly, The Legend of Zelda Movie's story synopsis hasn't been unveiled yet. Based on its first-look images, though, it appears it's inspired by the game franchise's two most recent entries: Breath of the Wild (BotW) and Tears of the Kingdom (TotK).

One of the biggest clues available to us is what Bragason's Zelda is wearing. It's a costume not dissimilar to the primary clothes set she has in the aforementioned games, so it's more likely than not that BotW and TotK have, at the very least, part-inspired this film.

There's more evidence to suggest this is the case, too. The official still of Link and Zelda in lush surroundings is a clear nod to the idyllic Hyrulian fields, forests, and hills that gamers explore in BotW and TotK. Add in the fact that the duo are actively working together – something they do throughout the aforementioned titles – and it stands to reason that this pair of games, which are among the most highly-rated and beloved games in the Zelda series, are influencers-in-chief on this project.

That's not to say that other Zelda games won't impact the movie's story.

For one, the franchise's timeline has become increasingly complex to follow with each new entry and, based on the outcome of events in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, split into three distinct timelines (per IGN) before BotW's arrival. Since BotW and TotK were released, Nintendo has updated the official timeline to show that these two titles sit independently of the other three timelines (thanks to vooks.net for the screenshots).

That means if The Legend of Zelda Movie is based on BotW and TotK, it won't take cues from other Zelda games, right? Not necessarily. After all, other Nintendo movies – both recent and forthcoming releases, which I'll get to in the next section – have cherry-picked elements from various titles in their own game series. It's possible, then, that this film could do something similar and include, say, aspects of Skyward Sword, A Link to the Past, or The Wind Waker as part of its narrative.

Perhaps the most important question of all, though, is: will Link speak? He's never uttered a word in the game series, so will Ainsworth follow in the footsteps of the franchise's silent male protagonist or give him a voice? In conversation with comicbook.com, director Wes Ball declined to comment, so we'll have to wait for its first trailer or the movie itself to find out for sure.

Will The Legend of Zelda Movie get a sequel?

We don't know. Nintendo hasn't discussed the prospect of making a follow-up, and, realistically, a lot depends on how successful The Legend of Zelda Movie is.

Just look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie (TSMBM), for example. The 2023 animated movie, which took its cues from various Mario games, earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Despite its mixed reception from fans and critics alike, it was a no-brainer for Nintendo to greenlight a sequel, which we now know is called The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. You can read more about that film in my dedicated guide to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

If – and it's a big if – The Legend of Zelda Movie is as commercially successful as TSMBM, it's inevitable that a sequel will get made. Until it arrives in May 2027, though, this is a question we can't definitively answer.

For coverage of other videogame adaptations, read my definitive guide to Fallout season 2 and what we know so far about The Last of Us season 3.

• Japanese speedrunner Ikaboze has beaten the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Ikaboze attended the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: Tokyo event, where he was given access to the 20-minute demo
• The speedrunner beat the final boss with no equipment in around seven minutes

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been beaten on the Nintendo Switch 2 in under 10 minutes ahead of the console's official release.

As reported by Nintendo Insider, speedrunner Ikaboze has already cleared the Switch 2 version of the game while attending the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: Tokyo event, where he was able to play the game's 20-minute demo.

However, it turned out that the speedrunner needed less than half that time to roll credits.

By using an autosave file situated outside Hyrule Castle and removing his equipment, Ikaboze was able to defeat the final boss, Ganon, becoming the first player in the world to beat Breath of the Wild on the Switch 2.

The feat was achieved in around seven minutes using the new Switch 2 controller, and if you watch the complete speed run below, other attendees and employees at the event can be seen cheering him on.

"I was surprised by how many people had gathered," Ikaboze said (translated via VGC).

"Staff were even filming on their smartphones. This was the first time anyone had completed the Breath of the Wild demo, and staff congratulated me."

The Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will be day one launch titles for the console. It's been confirmed that both games will contain the full game and upgrades on the cartridge. Breath of the Wild's expansion pass won't be included and will be sold separately.

In addition, it seems that the Switch 2 Editions won't support Switch Online's cloud save backup feature.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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• The Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom seemingly won't support cloud saves
• The US and EU store pages for both games state that the software "does not support the Nintendo Switch Online paid membership's Save Data Cloud backup feature"
• Players can still import their original Switch data, but the disclaimer for both Zelda games means players can't create a new cloud save file on the Switch 2

It seems that the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom won't support Switch Online's cloud save backup feature.

As reported by Eurogamer, both the US and EU store pages for the Switch 2 games offer a disclaimer that reads, "Please note: this software does not support the Nintendo Switch Online paid membership's Save Data Cloud backup feature."

This is significant because, as one Resetera user pointed out, Nintendo has already said that players can import their original Switch save data to the Switch 2 Editions, but if these disclaimers are true, it could mean that players can't create a new cloud save file on the Switch 2 for these games.

It also means if players start a new playthrough on the Switch 2, they can't create a file to backup their save.

Although the US and EU store pages both feature this disclaimer, the Japanese website states otherwise.

"To use the save data storage service, you must subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online (paid membership)," the page reads (via Google Translate).

Notably, games like Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Metroid Prime 4 don't offer the same disclaimer, which makes me wonder why both Zelda games do. Nintendo has yet to officially comment on the decision.

This new development comes after Nintendo confirmed, after some confusion, that Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, will contain the full game and upgrades on the cartridge.

However, there is still some uncertainty as to whether players will need to re-purchase Breath of the Wild's downloadable content (DLC)

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are now live in the UK, but US pre-orders and Canadian pre-orders have been delayed as Nintendo assesses the potential impact of tariffs.

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• Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Editions will let players repair their equipment
• Players will need to download the Zelda Notes app to access the exclusive feature
• The Daily Bonus offering will give players the chance to repair their weapons

The Nintendo Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will give players the ability to repair their equipment with a companion app.

Although this hasn't been officially announced by Nintendo itself, the discovery comes from YouTuber Zeltik, who spotted in the recent Nintendo Treehouse Live that the new Zelda Notes app will offer the feature exclusively for the Switch 2 Editions (via IGN).

When using Zelda Notes, players will be able to access a Daily Bonus feature once per day, allowing them to roll a roulette wheel and redeem a random bonus in-game. Some of these include health recovery, a fireproof elixir, a hasty meal, stamina recovery, energy cell recharge, and more.

These are all items or buffs that can be found in-game but, notably, the Daily Bonus will also offer ways to repair your equipment, something neither Breath of the Wild nor Tears of the Kingdom offers in the current Switch versions.

Some bonuses that can be spotted in the video are "Bow Repairs" and "Equipment Repairs", suggesting there may also be Sword and Shield repairs as well.

For players who may not be a fan of the game's weapon durability, this new Zelda Notes app feature seems like a decent workaround if you don't want to risk losing your favorite sword in the middle of a boss fight.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle. The Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are day-one launch titles.

Although there was some initial confusion, it's now been confirmed that both games will contain the full game and upgrades on the cartridge, although there is still some uncertainty as to whether players will need to re-purchase Breath of the Wild's downloadable content (DLC).

If you're looking to get your hands on a Switch 2, pre-orders are now live in the UK, but US pre-orders and Canadian pre-orders have been delayed as Nintendo assesses the potential impact of tariffs.

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• Nintendo has now clarified that Switch 2 Edition cartridges will feature the full game and upgrades
• There's still some uncertainty regarding DLC
• My Nintendo Store customer service representatives have said Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition "will not include the paid DLCs"

Nintendo has confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will contain the full game and upgrades on the cartridge, but there's still uncertainty surrounding some downloadable content (DLC).

Last week, a Nintendo customer service representative caused some confusion among fans following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct by informing one player that Switch 2 Edition games will be original Switch cartridges with a download code attached.

Nintendo has now clarified that this is not the case and that enhanced games, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, will feature the full game and upgrades on the Switch 2 Edition cartridge.

In a statement to Vooks, a Nintendo spokesperson said, "Physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code). Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card."

Although we have confirmation on this aspect, there's still uncertainty surrounding DLC, specifically when it comes to Breath of the Wild and its expansion pass.

As reported by GoNintendo, a My Nintendo Store customer service representative stated that the Breath of the Wild's Switch 2 Edition "is not going to include the Expansion Pass content", which includes The Master Trials and The Champion's Ballad.

Another user on Reddit also shared a message from a different My Nintendo Store representative, which claimed something similar.

"This game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - My Nintendo Store will not include the paid DLCs. If you purchase the Switch 2 version in physical, it will arrive in the corresponding game box," the message read.

We still don't have official confirmation from Nintendo, but it seems that, like with the Switch version, players will need to purchase the DLC packs again to play them on Switch 2.

It's also unclear if this applies to all Switch 2 Edition games with DLC.

The Nintendo Switch 2 officially launches on June 5, 2025, and will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are now live in the UK, but Nintendo has announced that US pre-orders and Canada pre-orders have been delayed to "to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions."

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Despite borrowing plenty of elements from both titles, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom definitely falls closer to the recent The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake than The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This is a traditional Zelda experience through and through, with plenty of puzzles to complete, intricate dungeons to master, and a more linear fantasy story to discover.

That might be a turn-off to some, but will undoubtedly be a huge draw for others. I can’t deny that there’s something incredibly refreshing about the return to the 2D format. As brilliant and innovative as it is, the shift to a more freeform open-world has definitely sacrificed some of the more careful, considered design of older games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Nearly every aspect of Echoes of Wisdom feels finely crafted, with the introduction of some clever new mechanics successfully differentiating it from what we’ve seen before. I think that it will be remembered as one of the best Zelda games, perhaps even one of the best Nintendo Switch games, because of this, but it’s not a title that is without its flaws.

Girl power

Echoes of Wisdom marks the first time that the series’ titular princess takes the starring role. Link has vanished, swallowed up by one of the countless purple rifts enveloping the kingdom of Hyrule and spewing out legions of shadowy monsters. The king has been replaced by a sinister clone that sentences his daughter, Princess Zelda, to death, confining her to the castle’s dungeon until her execution. It’s here that you meet Tri, a mysterious fairy who becomes your companion throughout the game.

Tri grants Zelda a suite of magical abilities in order to facilitate her escape and eventual defeat of the malevolent force behind the rifts. This begins with the power to create echoes, copies of certain objects that can be placed at will. From tables, giant crates, and beds that can be stacked to form bridges to floating blocks of water and bouncy trampolines, there are countless echoes to discover and experiment with. Any that you find are added to a growing library and can be brought out at any time, adding a fantastic collectible element.

You quickly learn Bond, which allows you to bind yourself to objects and carry them while you move. You can even activate Reverse Bond, which causes you to follow the movement of your bound object. While this whole system is not as expansive as the building of Tears of the Kingdom, these powers are leveraged in a plethora of interesting ways once you escape into the world of Hyrule and begin your quest in earnest. Puzzles frequently require the intelligent use of echoes and Bond. A large rock, for an abstract example, might be positioned on the opposite side of a grate. You can’t reach it normally, but you can use Bond to move it around.

If the rock needs to be placed in a high position, perhaps on top of an out-of-reach pressure plate, you can simply create a stack of echoes to climb as a makeshift ladder in order to drag it up. It’s all delightfully intuitive and, importantly, remains so as the complexity ramps up. Many puzzles also have multiple solutions and I found that the vast majority of the time, if I expected a certain strategy to work, it would.

This openness can be a bit of a double-edged sword at times, though. Many dungeons contain platforming challenges that, although tricky, are very enjoyable to finally crack. Unfortunately, almost all of these can be bypassed by simply stacking up long chains of beds in order to bridge across them. This is in itself a lot of fun and rewards experimentation in a way, but does feel like a bit of a waste of the otherwise superb level design.

Free roam

Although it follows a very linear story that is broken up into clear digestible chunks, Echoes of Wisdom does feature something of an open world. You’re free to wander around any accessible area as you please, though large portions of the map are blocked off until you reach about the halfway point in the story. There’s not a huge amount to do in this version of Hyrule, but there is just enough to make a little exploration worthwhile.

Hidden chests are littered throughout the world, filled with rupees and the occasional smoothie ingredient. These can be eaten raw as a quick health top-up or combined into powerful drinks with a variety of special effects such as elemental resistance at a handful of smoothie vendors. There are a decent number of unique combinations to find and the whole system is pleasantly reminiscent of the creative cooking introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You can even make your own rather ineffective ‘Dubious Smoothie’ by adding in a splash of monster guts, a detail that I found quite amusing.

There are a good number of side quests too, most of which have you collect and summon a specific echo at the behest of an NPC. They’re quick to complete and don’t offer much in the way of useful rewards, but do result in some quite amusing and memorable interactions that help the world feel that much more alive.

On top of those found in dungeons, Hyrule is also packed with enemy creatures to fight. Combat is one of the most significant areas where Echoes of Wisdom departs from previous entries, as Zelda does not possess any conventional combat abilities at first. She can toss heavy rocks to deal damage in a pinch, or create echoes of previously defeated foes to fight on her behalf. This is a blast at first but unfortunately wears out its welcome quickly.

Even with a button to direct your minions toward a specific enemy, they’re just too slow and unresponsive. I often found myself skipping running past entire fights, purely because I didn’t want the hassle of managing an army of unreliable slimes. Thankfully, you unlock more combat abilities as you progress, including a magical sword that lets you transform into a swordfighter form.

In this form, Zelda dons Link’s trademark attire and effectively gains all of his abilities. You can slash with a sword, get shots off with a bow, and eventually toss explosive bombs. Your strength in this form can be upgraded too, with special collectibles hidden at the end of dungeons or in the most hard-to-reach corners of the map.

Miniature mayhem

The whole of Echoes of Wisdom is rendered in an adorable, miniaturized visual style that makes everything from the characters to individual trees and buildings look like it was plucked from a cute diorama. It’s very similar to the look of Link’s Awakening and, sadly, means that Echoes of Wisdom suffers from many of the same performance problems.

Frame rates are a little higher overall, especially within dungeons, but are still prone to significant drops. This is understandable in particularly intense moments, especially when you’re dealing with lots of enemies and summoned creatures on the same screen, but is pretty inexcusable when it happens at random points in the world.

The particularly awful performance of one snowy area late in the game is almost unbearable in both handheld and docked mode, which is a massive shame and does spoil an otherwise attractive part of the world. Hopefully, there will be patches to address at least some of these problems down the line.

Otherwise, there’s an awful lot to like in Echoes of Wisdom. It’s cute, charming, and, despite relying on an older formula, it is packed with a handful of novel ideas that make it well worth your while.

Accessibility

There are no dedicated accessibility settings on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The game allows you to choose between a normal and Hero difficulty setting, with the latter designed for more experienced players, but that’s it. This is very disappointing, especially given the reliance on holding button inputs to use abilities. A few basic options to alter the control scheme to remove longer inputs would go a long way to make the game more accessible.

Should I play The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

I played over 15 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on Nintendo Switch OLED. During that time I completed the main story and played in a combination of both handheld and docked mode. In docked mode, I played on a 1080p monitor and used a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. In handheld mode, I played using the standard Pastel Pink Joy-Con controllers and used a pair of Final VR500 earbuds.

Throughout my time with the game, I was careful to compare my experience with other adventure titles and plenty of past entries in The Legend of Zelda series including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, plus plenty of time in the original The Legend of Zelda.

First reviewed August 2024.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom seems like the perfect blend of everything that I loved in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

After playing through over an hour of the upcoming game at a preview event hosted by Nintendo, I’m confident that the next entry in the long-running series has all the makings of a fantastic sandbox experience. It could even become one of the best Nintendo Switch games of the year.

On the surface, Echoes of Wisdom looks most similar to Link's Awakening, a 2019 Nintendo Switch remake of a 1993 Game Boy title. It has the same adorable art style, which lends everything a cutesy, miniaturized look. The Hyrule setting is almost like a diorama, with a top-down perspective and shiny, plastic-like textures to really sell the effect. 

That said, anyone who played Link's Awakening will know that the attractive overall look of that game was always a little undermined by its rough performance. Substantial framerate drops were common, particularly when entering or exiting a scene. 

Thankfully, the build of Echoes of Wisdom that I played performed substantially better. It wasn’t perfect, with a couple of visible dips in particularly busy moments, but it was much more consistent on the whole which bodes well for the finished release.

Copy and paste

One of the biggest departures from the Link’s Awakening formula in Echoes of Wisdom is its protagonist, Princess Zelda. It’s the first time in the series that she’s taken a starring role, that is if you wisely choose to ignore the horrendous Phillips CD-i installments. It seems like a very positive direction for the franchise and, given the success of titles like Princess Peach: Showtime!, a Zelda game where you play as its titular character was well overdue. 

Playing as the princess doesn’t just mean a change in aesthetic either, as she feels like a very distinct hero and is bolstered by her own set of magical abilities. My demo opened with her imprisoned in the dungeons of Hyrule Castle, the kingdom thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of sinister purple rifts that are swallowing its inhabitants. You’re soon introduced to Tri, a fairy-like creature that grants you a staff that can create echoes - identical copies of objects from the world around you.

Echoes are where the most obvious Tears of the Kingdom elements come in. There are a huge number of objects to add to your collection, any of which can be summoned at any given time. The world is your playground and many of the early puzzles that I encountered took full advantage of this fact. Patrolling guards may be distracted by a tossed summoned pot, while a tall cliff can be easily scaled if you stack boxes like a ladder.

There are some hilarious options to play around with too, like trampolines that bounce you at rapid speeds or giant roast meats that attract nearby monsters. You have a limited amount of Echo energy, which does restrict the number of objects that you can summon at one time, but I never felt frustrated by this limitation. Rather, it was a consistent joy to work around it and find a good solution given these constraints.

Chatting with some other participants from the demo session over lunch, I was also pleased to discover that each of us had tackled the puzzles in our own way. I was a big fan of the bed, which can be stacked like a plank to create bridges. It’s versatile and a brilliant way to navigate between elevated areas. Others favored tall potted plants, dropping them in gaps to form small platforms or even just a plain old crate. 

Catch em all

Creating echoes of objects is only one half of the story, though, as you can also cast echoes of defeated foes. Zelda does not have any conventional combat abilities at first, so you need to rely on small conjured armies of Zol, Moblins, and more to fight on your behalf. I primarily made use of the bat-like Keese, finding their dive-bomb attacks perfectly suited to dealing quick bursts of damage. 

Some enemies can even be used for more than just combat. Like Link’s Awakening, Echoes of Wisdom features a number of side-scrolling 2D platforming sections. Here, creating a spider could give you a handy strand of silk to climb. 

Towards the end of my demo, I was also able to try out Zelda’s Bind ability which is absolutely brimming with potential. Bind can be used to pick up any moveable object in the world, be that something you’ve found or that you’ve summoned. Holding the R Button inverts these mechanics, causing Zelda to move alongside the object that she is holding rather than control it. Binding to a moving platform above you and holding R, for example, will cause you to float along in its path underneath it. It sounds a little complicated on paper, but it’s highly intuitive in execution. 

This is definitely a good thing, as mastering Bind was fundamental for the completion of a couple of highly enjoyable puzzles, not to mention tracking down hidden chests.

The only part of the demo that I wasn’t overly thrilled with was the point at which Zelda unlocks her sword-fighting form. This sees her suddenly transform into a warrior who looks suspiciously like Link, with access to his iconic sword and shield. I was almost disappointed when it appeared, as I was definitely enjoying the departure from a more traditional The Legend of Zelda experience. Thankfully, your use of the ability is restricted as it is time-limited and relies on a special type of energy that you need to accumulate first.

This moment aside, I left the preview highly excited to discover what else lies in store when The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launches for Nintendo Switch on September 26.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out now worldwide exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and, unsurprisingly, it's one of the biggest and most exciting games available on the platform. 

Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to Breath of the Wild, which is widely considered to be one of the best Switch games ever and was the console's biggest launch title. In other words, Tears of the Kingdom had some big shoes to fill, and it ended up being even better! 

In our full near-perfect The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review we said it: "leaps forward on what was offered in 2017’s Breath of the Wild, filling out the world’s sandbox with innovative new tools and abilities, letting you approach challenges in inventive new ways"

Tears of the Kingdom: cut to the chase

• What is it? The direct sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild
• When can I play it? It's out now (May 12, 2023)
• What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch

Tears of the Kingdom release date and platforms

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched on May 12, 2023. Unsurprisingly for a first-party Nintendo game, it's exclusive to the Nintendo Switch console family.

Tears of the Kingdom was initially due to release in 2022 but, in March of that year, Nintendo pushed the date into 2023, with series producer, Eiji Aonuma, telling fans it was out of a desire to "extend out development time a bit". The game is now available worldwide physically and digitally. 

Tears of the Kingdom trailers

Latest trailer

Our latest look at Tears of the Kingdom is apparently the very last trailer that will be released for the game. It's an epic trailer that shows off the game's story. Ganon is back, Princess Zelda is missing, and Link must team ups with friends old and new to save the day. Check it out below!

More trailers

We've included some key Tears of the Kingdom trailers throughout this article but you can find all of the Tears of the Kingdom trailers that have been released to date on Nintendo's official YouTube channel.

Tears of the Kingdom story and setting

In terms of plot, little was revealed prior to the release of Tears of the Kingdom. It's a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild where Link and Zelda seem to be traveling together to investigate a mysterious blight. From the latest trailer, it's clear that something goes wrong during this investigation, Ganon is resurrected, and Link must save the day.

Back in 2019, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma revealed that the game is going to have a darker tone than Breath of the Wild, and will even be "a little bit darker" than Majora's Mask (via IGN).

Trailers certainly support this, with what looks like Ganondorf's corpse being resurrected by a disembodied hand, and seemingly imagery from 2006's Twilight Princess, which saw Hyrule turned into a bleak shadow realm – largely in response to the far cheerier and cartoonish The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. That said, it won't be all doom and gloom – visually at least – as recent trailers have at least indicated that we'll take to the skies and explore amongst the clouds.

Something that has been apparent since the very first trailer (which is embedded above this section) is that time will be a theme in Tears of the Kingdom. In the reveal trailer, the music appears to be playing backward, as do some of the scenes shown. In recent trailers, this has been repeated, so it's likely that Tears of the Kingdom's story could revolve around time manipulation in some way. We'll keep the details light so you can go in blind to the game. 

Tears of the Kingdom gameplay

From what we've seen and played, it seems as though the game will very much use Breath of the Wild's systems as a jumping-off point. There are several new abilities, however, which should make the sequel stand apart. 

Fuse was shown off, which allows players to combine objects in the open world. A branch was fused to a boulder to create a hammer, and a monster eye fused to a regular arrow created homing variants. Then there's an instance where a puffball mushroom is fused to a shield. When struck by an enemy, this produced a huge smoke cloud, which allowed Link to move in for a stealth kill.

Ultrahand was shown off too, which is another new ability that lets you glue objects together. In the demonstration, Link uses this to stick three large logs together to build a makeshift raft. A fan is then added, creating a full-on sailing ship. Objects in the wild can be glued together in this way to create new tools, like flying vehicles and even cars. It's clear that the sky is the limit in terms of crafting in Tears of the Kingdom.

Speaking of the skies, there will be numerous sky islands to explore in Tears of the Kingdom. These are floating landmasses that house enemies and small puzzles. In the demonstration, Link uses the Recall ability to reach a sky island. Recall reverses the movement of an object, in this case, a falling rock. Link rides the rock as it falls in reverse, rising up before taking the glider down to the sky island.

Finally, there's Ascend, an ability that we've seen before in the trailers. It can be used to move through a ceiling, to get to the upper platform of an area. Caves can be used to quickly scale mountains in this way. Ascend can be used on any ceiling that has a topside that's exposed to the world. Once Link was done exploring a sky island, he jumped off, using the new skydiving mechanics to reach the ground. It seems like this will be a great way to scout new locations.

Tears of the Kingdom news

Tears of the Kingdom Treehouse event announced
Nintendo has announced one final special livestream leading up to the midnight launch of Tears of the Kingdom. This takes place on May 5, at 6:45 pm PT/9:45 pm ET. This will run through until the midnight launch in New York. You can see full details in the Tweet below.

Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED revealed
A brand new Nintendo Switch OLED model will be available on April 28, 2023, based on Tears of the Kingdom. It's a gold and green affair, matching the bright visuals of the game.

Tears of the Kingdom will be $70
Nintendo revealed the pre-order and pricing info for Tears of the Kingdom alongside a Nintendo Direct held on February 8, 2023. The biggest news was that Tears of the Kingdom will cost $70 at launch, an increase from the standard price of other Switch games. 

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WWE superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin has declared that Breath of the Wild is better than Ocarina of Time, thus ending the long-running debate over which Zelda game is best. 

Austin crowned Nintendo’s open-air adventure as the best Legend of Zelda game of all time during an episode of The Broken Skull Sessions. In a 30-second quickfire question and answer session with fellow WWE superstar Cody Rhodes (thanks, VGC), Rhodes is asked which is the best Zelda game. Rhodes quickly says: “Ocarina of Time, hands down.”

But not according to Austin.

The six-time WWE Champion interjects, saying: “No. No, dude. Breath of the Wild.” Rhodes, who is visibly taken aback by Stone Cold’s stunning pick, doesn’t seem to necessarily disagree, but admits that the Texas Rattlesnake has made “a bold choice.”

With a Metacritic score of 97 after 109 reviews, there’s no doubt that Link’s latest adventure was a hit with critics, but it can't top Ocarina of Time's ridiculous score of 99 – albeit from only 22 reviews. 

But Breath of the Wild isn't just critically acclaimed: It's also sold 25.8 million copies as of December 2021, suggesting it's gone down well with fans, too.

Even though many gamers are of the opinion that Breath of the Wild is indeed the best Zelda game ever created (myself included), not everyone feels the same. That’s hardly a surprise, of course, as game reviews are subjective. You’ll very rarely find a game that – if ever – is universally loved by all. From my personal experience, though, Breath of the Wild does come at least somewhat close.

Now, where is Breath of the Wild 2?

Even though we highly doubt that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be the first in line to buy Breath of the Wild 2 when it releases, Nintendo’s successor is easily one of the most anticipated releases on the horizon. 

Breath of the Wild 2 was recently pushed back to 2023, as series producer Eiji Aonuma said Nintendo “decided to extend our development time a bit, and change the release to Spring 2023”. That means we should see Breath of the Wild 2 release sometime between March 20 and June 21.

But could one of the biggest games on Switch also be released on new hardware? Potentially. According to tech experts Digital Foundry, recent trailers for Breath of the Wild 2 include a number of graphical features that the Nintendo Switch would struggle to run based on its aging hardware.

We could, then, see a Nintendo Switch Pro or Nintendo Switch 2 release in line with Breath of the Wild 2, which would make a great showcase title if a more powerful console were to arrive.

Nintendo has been extremely coy about releasing a new Switch model, however, going as far as to say that the Nintendo Switch has only reached the mid-point of its lifecycle. The company also launched the Nintendo Switch OLED in October last year, making the possibility of new hardware even less likely.

Still, whether Breath of the Wild 2 releases solely on Switch or ushers in a new console, we can’t wait to see what Nintendo has in store. For now, though, Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game of all time – and that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so. 

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An upcoming multiplayer mod for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that will let you play the open-world adventure with your buddies is due to release in only a few months' time.

The as-yet-unnamed Breath of the Wild mod was teased last year by speedrunner and YouTuber Eric ‘PointCrow’ Morino, who advertised a $10,000 payment to anyone who would develop the mod. They’ve now released a short snippet of the project in action, showing three playable Links running around The Great Plateau together.

In the accompanying Tweet, Morino said the mod will be “coming to my channels Summer 2022” – that’s anytime between June, July, and August, for those not in the Northern hemisphere.

A strange way of couching the release date, Morino clarified to Dexerto that the mod will first be shown off on their personal YouTube channel before being made available for free after they’ve “sufficiently made enough content surrounding it”. 

In their original pitch for the mod, Morino said they’d want one to two weeks of streaming exclusivity before its public release. So, you won’t be waiting too long to get your hands on it after it pops up on the PointCrow YouTube channel.

“It’s functional, runs at 28fps at least, and you can be anywhere in the game,” Morino told Dexerto. 

“The mod needs polishing on more niche things like Cryonis, rune support, quest syncing, etc,” they added.#

You can take a look at an early version of the mod below, courtesy of one of the creators, on their YouTube channel Alex Mangue.

Better with friends

Morino originally pitched the mod as a multiplayer overhaul that would allow several players to explore Breath of the Wild with no restraints, letting two players complete separate playthroughs simultaneously. They also specified the mod would be completely free and would operate through peer-to-peer networks, requiring no public servers.

Although the mod was first described as supporting 2-player multiplayer, three players can be seen wandering around together in the short video. The developers who picked up the project – who go by the modding handles Sweet and Alex Mangue – may have expanded upon the initial brief.

A separate video that Alex Mangue uploaded to their personal YouTube channel looks to show an early prototype of the mod in action. It contains everything you'd expect; three players traversing the open world, fighting enemies, and collecting secrets.

There’s no word yet as to whether the upcoming mod will run on Nintendo Switch or a PC emulator of the handheld console.

Notably, Morino also specified the mod must be finished two months before Breath of the Wild 2 (officially known as Tears of the Kingdom) is released. That certainly won’t be a problem now the sequel has been delayed to next year.

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A fan-made PC port of the classic Nintendo 64 game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has almost finished development and is expected to release by mid-February.

The fully functioning PC port comes from Harbour Masters, a group of community developers who say the game is approximately 90% complete (thanks, VGC). They expect to launch its first iteration by the middle of next month, before ironing out any creases for a full release in early April.

As well as bringing Ocarina of Time to PC, the project will let you play the game at multiple resolutions, including widescreen support, run at 60+ FPS, and include a scripting system that supports additional mods, opening the door to future texture packs and more assets.

“Currently all of the game logic runs pretty much flawlessly”, one of the project’s lead developers, Kenix, told VGC. “We have a few assets that aren’t packed correctly in the archive, most specifically skyboxes, and there are still a few graphical errors we are working through. Audio is also not yet decompiled.”

“I’d give it approximately 90%. We’ve been hoping to be complete by the middle of February and use a month or so until April 1st to refine the game before release. We’re hoping to have a public repository available in late February.”

To get around Nintendo’s lawyers, the developers have been careful not to use any of Ocarina of Time’s original, copyrighted assets or code. Instead, the game’s source code has been reverse-engineered and rebuilt from scratch to avoid replicating Nintendo’s property. The developers hope this will clear them from copyright infringement.

“We packed assets into an external archive”, one of the project’s lead developers, Kenix, told VGC. “No assets are linked into the [executable file]. Our belief is that this will prevent a DMCA takedown from Nintendo.”

Given this workaround, players will need to source Ocarina’s original assets themselves. That’ll involve ripping the assets from a ROM of the game and dumping them into the same directory as the PC port. 

The team isn’t stopping at Ocarina of Time, however. The Zelda Reverse Engineering Team, the group who first reverse-engineered the game’s code, is currently decompiling Majora's Mask, preparing it for Harbour Masters to port PC next.

Analysis: wait with bated breath

The developers of the port appear to have taken serious efforts to keep everything above board and avoid being slapped with a copyright infringement notice. But legal wranglings, especially over the copyright of video games, are never clear and the possibility remains that Nintendo won’t take kindly to the group’s efforts.

Take-Two, the parent company of Grand Theft Auto publisher Rockstar, last year announced it was suing a group of modders who decompiled Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City. That group reverse-engineered and rebuilt the games in a very similar way to how Harbour Masters are approaching Ocarina of Time.

Similarly, Nintendo has already shown they’re wary of community recreations of its classic titles. In 2020, the company took action against a fan-made PC port of Super Mario 64, citing its unlawful use of copyrighted material, assets, and fictional depictions. 

When it comes to Ocarina of Time, a dollop of hesitant optimism is probably best. If Harbour Masters can navigate the complex and onerous world of copyright infringements, they’ll bring what is widely considered not only one of the best Zelda games to PC, but one of the best video games of all time. Nintendo Switch players can grab it from the Nintendo store easily enough, but PC gamers have been left waiting for the past 24 years.

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I just don’t get Breath of the Wild. After two failed attempts to immerse myself in what’s considered one of the greatest games of all time, I’m clearly missing something. With Breath of the Wild 2 hype mounting ahead of its release in 2022, I feel like I’m at school again, listening to my peers relaying catchphrases from a TV show that I haven’t watched yet - “I’ll watch it next week,” I say, before being immensely disappointed upon viewing that it's not all it was cracked up to be (to me anyway).

I’ve felt that way as my peers praise Breath of the Wild. “It’s not like a Zelda game,” they say, “people love it because it’s not just for Zelda fans”. I just can’t help but disagree. On the two occasions I’ve played the opening hours of Breath of the Wild, I’ve had the same recurring thoughts: “who is this wee beardy man”, “where the hell am I meant to go” and “how do I cook?” After a few hours of confused wandering, I’ve lost interest and put it down - never returning to the wonders that Hyrule supposedly holds.

The frustrating thing is that I do want to be on the Breath of the Wild 2 hype train, I want to get it, but there’s a myriad of reasons why I haven’t yet.

Stumbling around Hyrule

Let’s get something out of the way first and foremost: I’ve never played a Zelda game in its entirety. I know, I know, I should be taken to the gallows immediately. The most Zelda experience I have was playing half of Twilight Princess on the Wii because, at 13 years old, the idea of drawing a bow and arrow with the Wii Nunchuk controller was extremely appealing. But there’s a good reason for that, as a kid, I never had any Nintendo gaming systems and by the time I was old enough to buy my own, I felt like that boat had well and truly sailed. I don’t have the same nostalgic feeling about Nintendo as many of my peers and colleagues do, I never experienced it in the golden years.

But, with Breath of the Wild, I hoped my time had finally come. Everyone mused about how it was unlike any of the previous entries in the series, that if I never clicked with them that I would probably click with this one (especially given my love of open-world RPGs).

Unfortunately, they were wrong. Hyrule begs to be explored, with its cel-shaded art style adding an almost dream-like effect to the world that only makes it more fantastical. On paper, it’s exactly the kind of RPG I would find myself drawn to. 

Instead, after having a meeting with the old bearded king man (who talks about a lot of stuff I don’t understand - for non-Zelda fans my butt), you’re kind of just left to your own devices. There are missions, sure, but there’s no waypoint system. I spent, I joke you not, three hours trying to find how to get to the mission, freezing to death several times on a mountain route I apparently shouldn’t have been taking yet, and stumbling into puzzles that I hadn’t the abilities for. I knew I could cook, people had spoken about it, but I had no idea how to do it. It’s almost like Breath of the Wild has all the right ingredients, but there’s no recipe. Unless you have the skill to work it out yourself, you’re going to end up with a culinary disaster instead of a masterpiece. I’m the disaster.

For some people, that’s the perfect scenario. Exploring and navigating, finding your way through trial and error, but for me, it’s a nightmare. I’m not asking for a big red sign saying “go here”, but a little bit of extra hand-holding at the start would make a huge difference to new Zelda players like me. It also would perhaps make a difference if I had side quests to undertake at the beginning, some small missions to get me used to the world and its mechanics, but the world feels so sparse when you’re off the beaten track. It’s a waste given how large the Hyrule is and I can’t help but think that Nintendo could have created a smaller, but deeper, world filled with hidden caves and areas.

Then there’s the issue of combat, weapon degeneration is a pain and the little goblin things are just annoying and uninspired. I don’t want to keep picking up and dropping weapons constantly. Instead, do away with the weapon durability feature and give me a smaller selection of weapons with the ability to upgrade them. If you’re going to make an RPG, lean fully into that.

I’m sure you get used to these mechanics, and are presented with a wider range of enemies, as you go along, but by the time I had visited repetitive Shrine puzzles, roamed around aimlessly for hours and fought off gremlin creatures for chests with rubbish stuff inside for a second time, I was out. And I’ve stayed out since. 

Another shot 

I don’t think Breath of the Wild is a bad game by any means, it’s just not for me. I personally need a game to give me a degree of clear guidance, especially at the beginning. It’s why I’ve struggled with other critically acclaimed titles like Outer Wilds and Subnautica, which just drop you in a world and leave you to explore it at your leisure. 

But sometimes that happens with games, what you love someone else might hate. If we were all the same, things would be boring, right?  But, I am willing to try once more - if only to stop everyone I tell from being horrified at my opinion. Maybe it’ll be third-time lucky? Maybe it won’t.

Even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean that Breath of the Wild 2 won’t be more my cup of tea. Sure, I’ll need to catch up on the lore, but if Nintendo can offer a more guided experience and iron out the issues that have curbed my interest, then maybe a non-believer like me can finally become a Zelda fan. Just don’t hold your breath.

• Best Nintendo Switch games: Zelda, Mario, Hades and more

Nintendo has updated its list of the 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games, and we’re expecting to see many, if not all of them, on sale during Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday. 

Nintendo’s portable console continues to be incredibly popular with consumers, and its lineup of titles will certainly be sought-after during the annual sales extravaganza, which takes place on November 26. (You’ll want to keep your eye on our Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals for all the latest and greatest discounts.)

Black Friday is a great time to pick up Switch games as, historically, we rarely see any significant discounts on Nintendo’s first-party titles. Unlike many of the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games, Switch games tend to hold their value and often remain at the same recommended retail price for many years. Discounts, then, are always welcome.

So which of Nintendo’s best-selling Switch games will likely see the biggest price drops, and should you pick them up now or wait until Black Friday begins? Let’s take a look at some of last year’s offers and round up any early deals that might be worth considering.

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 38.74 million copies sold 

Nintendo’s go-karting phenomenon has now become the best-selling game in the series’ history, eclipsing the seemingly unsurpassable Mario Kart Wii. The Deluxe Switch port has sold a staggering 38.74 million copies, beating out the Wii’s entry which sits at 37.38 million. For a port of a Wii U title, and considering the Switch still has a significantly smaller install base than the Wii, that’s pretty good going – though we’d love to see Nintendo release some Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC. 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was part of a popular Nintendo Switch bundle last year, and it looks like that same bundle could make an appearance this time around. It cost $299.99 from Best Buy and included 3 months of Nintendo Switch Online.

Discounts on standalone copies of the game usually fall between $15/£15 off, which is a great deal considering it’s easily one of the best games on Switch and a blast to play with family and friends.

2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 34.85 million copies sold 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons deals couldn’t have come at a better time. Nintendo has just released a free 2.0 update, which adds a new café run by Brewster the pigeon, the option to travel to a new (randomly generated) island via Kapp’n the turtle once a day, and various other tweaks and changes that plump up the game’s content. 

The update also coincides with the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC, which is so jam-packed full of new things to do, you could consider it a mini-sequel of sorts. 

There’s no doubt that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be popular, then, and we did see the title go on offer during Black Friday last year. You can already save £10 off the RRP in the UK, but we’d expect to see it drop a bit more when the sales event kicks off in earnest.

3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 25.71 million copies sold 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may have received its last ever DLC fighter in the form of Kingdom Hearts’ Sora, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be one of the most in-demand games during Black Friday. 

With characters included from almost every video game system and series, it’s easy to see why Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is so popular: who doesn’t want to see their favorite video game characters throw down?

Discounts on Nintendo’s premier fighting game tend to be few and far between, so if you see even $10/£10 knocked off the asking price, it’s usually worth picking it up.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 24.13 million copies sold 

If there was ever an example of a Nintendo game holding its price, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is it. Despite launching alongside the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, Link’s open-air adventure very rarely goes on sale and usually demands the full asking price for those who are interested in picking it up.

Thankfully, even if you do pay top dollar for Breath of the Wild, the experience is almost certainly worth it. There’s a reason why so many consider the game to be one of the greatest pieces of entertainment the video game medium has ever produced. It’s just that damn good.

Nintendo has revealed which games will be discounted on Black Friday. From November 21 to November 28, the game will be available at retailers for $39.99, which is a fantastic price for arguably one of the best games ever made.

5. Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield - 22.64 million 

Few would argue that Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are the pinnacles of the series, but that hasn’t stopped Game Freak’s latest mainline entry from becoming the fifth best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time.

You can’t go wrong with either version (they’re basically the same game but include different types of Pokémon), and even though the formula may have grown tiresome for some, there’s no question that catching pocket monsters remains a popular pastime. 

In terms of Black Friday deals, we do expect to see some discounts on Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. But if you’re a fan of the classic, top-down style of games’ past, we’d honestly wait for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl which releases on November 19. There’s also Pokémon Legends Arceus to look forward to in the new year.

6. Super Mario Odyssey - 21.95 million copies sold 

Super Mario Odyssey is everything you’d want in a 3D Mario game: incredibly colorful worlds, larger-than-life characters, and a litany of secrets and platforming challenges to discover. It also includes one of the best theme tunes Nintendo has ever written. Oh, and you also get to see Mario without his top on. Sold!

Super Mario Odyssey is worthy of its impressive sales number, then, and if you’re interested in picking it up during Black Friday, you may find a deal that will make you “jump up in the air”, just like Mario. We expect the game to drop to a sweet spot of $30 / £30, so hold off until then before you rush out and grab it. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Super Mario Odyssey included in some Switch bundles, too.

7. Super Mario Party - 16.48 million copies sold

A surprise entry in Nintendo’s best-sellers list, Super Mario Party takes full advantage of the Joy-Con motion controls to add more fun to the series’ famous minigames. We may see the game be discounted heavier than usual due to the release of the excellent Mario Party Superstars, which we believe is the better game of the two.

If you’re looking for something to play with the family during the holiday period, Super Mario Party is definitely worth a look. Nintendo also thankfully added online play, so you don’t have to just play against your brother, sister, and two cousins, who usually cheat anyway. 

8. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!/Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee! - 13.83 million copies sold

A more casual and accessible approach to Pokémon, Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! will appeal to younger audiences and nostalgic older Switch owners alike. The catching system is based on the popular Pokémon Go!, so it will be immediately recognizable to anyone who has played the mobile game.

Again, it’s not our favorite entry in the Pokémon franchise by any means, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had in this updated take on the classic Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue Game Boy games.

9. Splatoon 2 - 12.68 million copies sold

If you’re after an online shooting game that turns the usual formula on its head, Splatoon 2 is for you. Instead of blasting each other to smithereens (though that’s still technically something you do), Splatoon 2 sees you competing to cover stages in more ink than your opponent.

If that all sounds a bit weird, well...  it sort of is. But there’s no denying that Splatoon 2 is also one of the best multiplayer games out there and a must-have for Switch owners. 

Nintendo has revealed that Splatoon 2 will be discounted during Black Friday. From November 21 to November 28, the game will be available at retailers for $39.99, which is a great deal. Remember, you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to get the most out of this game.

10. Ring Fit Adventure - 12.21 million copies sold

Last but by no means least is Ring Fit Adventure. There was a period of time when the game was harder to find than a PS5 in stock, but thankfully that’s no longer the case. Supply has improved dramatically, which means that while we can’t guarantee there will be any big discounts during Black Friday, there should at least be enough stock to go around.

Ring Fit Adventure is the type of title that seemingly only Nintendo would take a punt on, and it’s a game that’s arguably flourished during the pandemic, where many of us had no choice but to stay indoors. 

Ring Fit Adventure uses the Joy-Con and a new accessory, the Ring-Con, to pump up players’ heart rate and gamify exercise to make it more enjoyable. If you’re a keen gym-goer who thinks Ring Fit Adventure won’t provide the type of comprehensive workout you’re used to, think again. You will definitely feel the effects of a few levels the next day.

Nintendo has now confirmed that Ring Fit Adventure will drop to $54.99 from November 21 to November 28 as part of its Black Friday Switch deals. 

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Nintendo is holding back on revealing the official full title of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 because it could give away some of what's going to happen in the game. 

Nintendo Treehouse's Bill Trinen, confirmed that the game has a title other than 'Breath of the Wild 2' during a recent chat with IGN.

“As for why we’re holding back on the name, you’ll just have to stay tuned because, obviously, Zelda names are kind of important,” Trinen explained. “Those subtitles... they start to give little bits of hints about maybe what’s going to happen.”

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Trinen acknowledged that it's understandable that fans have taken to calling the game Breath of the Wild 2, saying it's “going to be shorthand and it’s natural for people to want to find a shorthand way to frame it.“ 

However, despite the widespread use of this title in the fan community, internally at Nintendo he said they're “still calling it the sequel to Breath of the Wild.”

Trinen didn't indicate when Nintendo is planning to reveal the full title but it's likely that won't be until closer to the game's release. Though there isn't an exact date for that yet, Nintendo has said it's aiming for 2022. 

What's new?

We got our latest look at Breath of the Wild 2 during Nintendo's E3 2021 conference when a new teaser trailer was shown. As you'd expect, given the secrecy around the title, the trailer doesn't give much away in terms of the game's story (though we tried to break it down a bit) but we did get a tantalising look at Hyrule from a higher vantage point and some of Link's new equipment. 

If you missed it, you can watch the new trailer for yourself below.:

When it launches in 2022, Breath of the Wild 2 will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive, following on from the universally acclaimed Breath of the Wild which launched alongside the original Nintendo Switch.

• New games 2021: game release dates for console and PC

Nintendo is still keeping schtum about Breath of the Wild 2, and it failed to reveal any new information about the hotly anticipated sequel during the last Nintendo Direct. 

Bubbling in the background of Link’s imminent return, however, are those ongoing Nintendo Switch 2 rumors – or Nintendo Switch Pro if you like – which refuse to go away. Speculation points to it being a more powerful iteration of the company’s widely successful hybrid device, one that’s capable of 4K visuals when docked. 

That leaves those of us with fanciful imaginations to sit and speculate, dream even, about what might be achievable on Nintendo’s apparently impending new Switch model. Speaking of which, we’ve often wondered what Nintendo could pull off with more powerful hardware – and thanks to the advanced horsepower of PC hardware and clever emulation, sometimes those daydreams are turned into reality.

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Case in point, Breath of the Wild running in 8K with ray tracing. In the video below, you can marvel at arguably the finest Switch game released to date running at a level of graphical fidelity that simply isn’t possible on Nintendo’s hardware (and almost certainly won’t be feasible on Nintendo Switch 2 either).

The video shows the Wii U version of Link’s open-air adventure running on the CEMU emulator, and is the work of the Digital Dreams YouTube channel. As you can see, ray-traced global illumination makes the lush landscapes of Breath of the Wild look simply sensational, and the REVO Reshade Redux mod, which is created by Pascal Glicher, helps to make the game look more lifelike than ever before.

Blue ocean strategy

Unfortunately, it’s likely that we’ll be waiting years before we ever see this level of detail in games from Nintendo. After the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo opted for a different approach compared to Sony and Microsoft, often choosing cheaper, more underpowered hardware that’s designed to leverage a new controller or design idea.

This idea-focused approach has paid dividends for Nintendo, though, with the Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Switch selling millions upon millions of units. It doesn’t always work out of course, as the Wii U so damningly proved, although the Nintendo Switch is certainly benefiting from the Wii U's library.

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Via PC Gamer

New speculation is mounting that fan-favorites Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and Zelda: The Wind Waker HD are coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. 

While the February Nintendo Direct was surprisingly light on Zelda-flavored news – scroll down for what we did find out, in case you missed it – some are hinting that there's more to come for Zelda fans, including a tweet from an industry journalist who suggests that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remasters are coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021. Both were previously remastered for the Wii U console, and a re-release on Switch has been long anticipated.  

"For those disappointed with the Skyward Sword remaster, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are 100% coming this year," tweeted journalist Andy Robinson after the latest Direct presentation. "So that's at least one good 3D Zelda."

2021 is the Zelda series' 35th anniversary, so we wouldn't be surprised to see more games revealed later in the year. 

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Tired of rumors? Here are some Zelda facts for you…

If you missed it, the Nintendo Direct didn’t have any news about Breath of the Wild 2 (Tears of the Kingdom), either, other than confirmation that an update on the game was coming later in 2021. 

But we did find out that a Wii-era game from the series is planned: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is headed to the Nintendo Switch on July 16, and you can preorder it now.

Nintendo also announced that Zelda would be gracing the Switch in other ways, with a new Joy-Con design. The right Joy-Con has a purple-ish hue modeled after the Master Sword, while the left is a true blue with red accents, following the classic Hylian Shield color scheme. You can pick them up from July 21.

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Grezzo, the developer behind The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Nintendo Switch, is currently hiring a programmer and two designers for a new game project, which the company describes as being both “medieval” and “stylish.”

The developer is well known by Nintendo fans for its work on The Legend of Zelda series, having also developed the enhanced Nintendo 3DS ports of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.

Grezzo shared a snippet of information regarding the game’s visual style, claiming it will have a stylish take on reality while mostly avoiding photorealism. The game’s name and platforms of release aren’t announced yet, but the Switch seems like a safe bet given the company’s history working with Nintendo.

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Switching it up

The hirings, initially spotted by Nintendo Everything, detail openings for a programmer, an effects designer and a UI designer. According to the job descriptions, the design brief of the game is not photorealistic, but rather putting a unique spin on "real elements".

It’s not overly clear what the final product will look like with a design goal like this, but it doesn’t sound dissimilar to what Grezzo managed to achieve with the remake of Link’s Awakening. 

That game featured a polished, shiny visual aesthetic that gave everything the look of an interactive diorama. Even the characters in the game somewhat resemble cute collectable dolls and figures.

It also brings to mind Fantasian, Mistwalker’s upcoming RPG, which has its environments scanned in from real 3D sculptures. If that’s anything to go by, then it sounds like Grezzo might be developing a real looker of a game.

While Grezzo made a name for itself working on The Legend of Zelda series, its back catalog extends beyond Nintendo’s revered franchise. It developed RPG and town management sim Ever Oasis in 2017, and also worked on the 3DS version of Luigi’s Mansion.

This new project sounds like it’s in safe hands, then, and we have a vague, but intriguing visual premise to look forward to learning more about in future.

• From Breath of the Wild 2 to remakes: 10 predictions for The Legend of Zelda
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It appears that Nintendo has plans for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the Wind Waker sequel and bestselling 2007 DS game, after registering a new trademark for the game in Australia but a few months ago. But could it mean we see the cel-shaded DS game come in some form to Nintendo Switch?

The news comes courtesy of @KeliosFR, who runs the French Pokemon fan site Pokekalos. Kelios posted a screenshot of the trademark to Twitter, showing that it was filed by Nintendo in mid-2020, and accepted in November – though it only went public in early February of this year (via Nintendo Life).

Phantom Hourglass was a bestseller on the original Nintendo DS handheld, following on from the story of the GameCube's Wind Waker to tell a high seas adventure of toon link conquering time itself – with the help of the eponymous hourglass – to defeat a great evil.

The use of touch controls were very innovative, making use of the DS's touchscreen and stylus to chart the paths of boomerangs, plan routes through dungeons, and etch runes for magical effects. The cowardly pirate (and Jack Sparrow lookalike) Captain Linebeck is a great comedic addition to the ensemble too.

It's definitely exciting to see the game get a new lease of life in some form, but what could it refer to?

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Phantom Hourglass: our predictions

Trademarks like this are intentionally broad, covering "Electronic game programs", DLC, and the like, and it's not clear what Nintendo might have in the pipeline.

Given that 2021 is the 35th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda franchise, though, it's certain that some big things are afoot – and Phantom Hourglass appears to be one of them.

We're expecting to see some remakes and remasters of previous Zelda games for the Nintendo Switch, as we saw with the 3D All Stars Collection for the Super Mario series last year. We could envisage some GameCube titles like Wind Waker (which got a Wii U port too) or Twilight Princess, but there's no reason why some of the best Zelda titles on Nintendo DS couldn't get a look-in too.

The Switch does feature a multi-capacitive touchscreen, so a re-tweaked Phantom Hourglass could feel right at home, whether it gets a slight graphical overhaul for the Switch's HD screen or something more of a remaster. It would be harder to imagine this working in the Switch's TV mode, though, given this would stick the touchscreen inside the Switch dock – but expecting fans to play a DS port in handheld mode doesn't seem like too much of an ask.

The best scenario is probably a packaged Phantom Hourglass + Spirit Tracks release, the latter being a spiritual (ha) successor that swaps boats out for trains, but retains the same art style and underlying mechanics. 

It's fitting that, whatever Nintendo has in mind for Phantom Hourglass, we're sure to see the company turn back the clock to revisit this and other classics from The Legend of Zelda's past.

Didn't play Phantom Hourglass on the Nintendo DS? Check out the trailer below:

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It may not be the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that you've been waiting for, but Nintendo and Koei Tecmo Games are giving fans the chance to revisit that game's world in a different way this year with the surprise announcement of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

The upcoming game was revealed in a 6-minute long video presented by its developers, including Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma and Hyrule Warriors series producer Yosuke Hayashi.

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Set 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, the new Hyrule Warriors entry will see Link, Zelda and friends (including the four Champions, who will be playable for the the first time) battle hordes of enemies in Hyrule before it was destroyed in the Great Calamity, which was merely touched on in that game.

As you can see from the game footage in the video above, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity retains Breath of the Wild's gorgeous art style, applying it to the classic one-vs-1000 battle gameplay made famous by the Warriors series.

Born to be wild

While Koel Tecmo Games is leading development on Age of Calamity, the announcement revealed that Nintendo's Zelda team has much more creative input this time around than with earlier Hyrule Warriors titles.

"Unlike the previous Hyrule Warriors games, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was developed by working closely with the Zelda team in every step of the process, including gameplay direction, graphics, world and all dialogue," said Hayashi.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on November 20, 2020.

• Where to buy a Nintendo Switch: how to find a Switch in stock right now

UPDATE: The original Amazon listing for a Skyward Sword port on Switch has been removed, unsurprisingly, after the leak was widely publicized and peered over by Zelda fans and gaming press. We don't know for sure whether the port listing was legitimate, but there's plenty of reason to think that it's happening – and in the next year, too. Read on for why we think that's the case.

A new Amazon listing for an upcoming Nintendo Switch game has us thanking the heavens – which is fitting, given that game is none other than The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

The 2011 instalment in the beloved Nintendo franchise launched originally on the Nintendo Wii, with a release on the Wii U eShop in 2016. It was the last mainline Zelda game before Breath of the Wild (2017) on the Nintendo Switch, and is well due a port for the expanded audience of Nintendo's bestselling hybrid console.

While there's been no official announcement of the port from Nintendo – and the listing itself has now been pulled from Amazon – the listing was clearly for Nintendo Switch and carried a slightly eyebrow-raising £69.99 RRP, while specifying that the title "has not yet been released".

What lends this further credence is the upcoming 35-year anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series, coming in 2021 – coincidentally also the 10-year anniversary of Skyward Sword's release.

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Don't hold your breath

While we suspect the listing was legitimate, there's no telling how early the information has leaked. As mentioned, 2021 is likely as the franchise's 35-year anniversary – and it may be that Nintendo is using Skyward Sword to tide over fans until Breath of the Wild 2 finally comes to the console.

The Breath of the Wild sequel was teased at E3 2019 with a mystifying trailer, one that possibly hinted at the return of Demise – the big bad in Skyward Sword, and the true evil force behind regular series villain Ganondorf.

It would be smart, then, to remind players of Demise in the series mythology – or, for those who didn't play Skyward Sword on Wii or Wii U, introduced them to Demise for the first time. It would be exciting to see elements from so many different past games appear in BOTW 2, with the trailer seeming to show off iconography from the Twili in Twilight Princess, while also presumably keeping a lot of BOTW's open word elements and characters – being a direct sequel and all.

BOTW 2 hasn't got any further reveals from Nintendo over the E3 2020 period, though, and it's likely the publisher is looking to E3 2021 to show the game off in more detail – possibly when press and fans can attend the event in person again.

Given how integral the Wii's motion controls were to Skyward Sword's combat, too, there's plenty of potential for the Joy-Con's capabilities to be shown off – you know, if they ever stop drifting. Either way, we wouldn't hold out on any announcement before 2020 is out.

Didn't play Skyward Sword on Wii or Wii U? Check out the HD trailer below:

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Working at home evokes a feeling of freedom. With no bosses looking over your shoulder, you're free to indulge in your favorite relaxing hobby and decompress while you're on a lunch break. For people who play games, it's a rare chance to enjoy something you love without looking "unprofessional" in the office.

That said, telecommuting isn't all fun and games. Some workers have to watch their kids while they work. Many feel lonely and trapped, with no time or ability to go outside and seek out company. And most have trouble setting boundaries, working much harder and longer than they would in a 9–5 setting.

We're laying out some of our favorite video games for the work-at-home crowd: games to play in short bursts or when work gets slow, to enjoy the "outdoors" when you physically can't, and to have fun with kids or roomies that might also be self-isolated at home. Obviously, we primarily recommend playing these in allocated breaks, or at least discretely in an otherwise uninteresting meeting. Hopefully you'll find something new to enjoy. 

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Lunch break games

Large open-world games can feel unsatisfying to play in short bursts, and it it's more fun to explore for a couple of hours and really dive into a quest. But for players looking for a quick session during a lunch break, go for titles designed to be played one short segment at a time, so you don't feel cut off when you have to start working again.

The first and obvious choice is Stardew Valley, the wildly popular farm simulator RPG for consoles, PC and mobile that has you escaping crowded city life to raise crops and livestock. Each in-game day lasts about 14 minutes according to the wiki, giving you a few days of planting, exploring, mining and flirting before you hop back into real life.

Outer Wilds, a GOTY choice for several gaming sites, traps you in a 22-minute Groundhog Day-esque loop in which you blast into space and search alien ruins for clues, right before the sun goes supernova and you time travel back to the start. Its open-ish world is designed to be explored in short, exhilarating bursts, with each session advancing the game's story forwards.

Work out your pent-up aggression with Hitman 2's addictively replayable missions and contracts. Each mission, taking place at fantastic sunny resorts and exotic locales, usually takes about 20–45 minutes to complete, as you search for increasingly elaborate ways to kill horrible people. On subsequent lunchtimes, you can shave minutes off that time to climb the in-game leaderboards. 

Finally, Super Mario Maker 2 offers the perfect balance of short user-created levels and endless replayability. You can easily hop into a dozen or more levels in an hour, or just play one or two in-between meetings. The combo of tough puzzles and inventive designs will keep your spirits high.

Honorable mentions: Join a grand prix or two of Mario Kart 8 with your kid or roommate. Test your communication and relationships with a few five-minute rounds of Overcooked 2. Play a couple rounds of online card games like Gwent or Magic the Gathering: Arena, or dive into an hour-long playthrough of infinitely replayable roguelikes like Dead Cells or Slay the Spire.

Conference call games

There's no worse fate than being stuck on a useless-yet-mandatory conference call. The solution? Play a game on mute that will keep you entertained without requiring much mental energy, ideally without any loud controller clacking being audible on the call. We won't tell your boss if you don't.

Pokémon Sword and Shield battles require some thought, but running around the Wild Area looking for rare Pokémon does not. Nor does beating up weak monsters for EV training or shiny hunting. These are just time-consuming activities that you can do without paying much attention. You should be able to make some real progress and still have the capacity to contribute to any given call.

So long as you're playing on Peaceful and won't scream when a Creeper explodes, Minecraft is a natural choice. Mining for ore or building a new house is the kind of relaxed, mind-numbing fun that won't let your coworkers catch on that you're multitasking.

If you need to be on your computer for a web call, a free browser-based game will keep you entertained while ostensibly staying glued to the conversation. One favorite of ours, Slither.io, lets you compete to become top worm in a battle royale of sorts, without any noisy mouse-clicking.

Honorable mentions: Any MMO that requires grinding – WoW, Diablo 3, etc. – assuming your mouse isn't too noisy. Flying peacefully around space in No Man's Sky or Earth in Microsoft Flight Simulator X is low-maintenance, relaxing fun. Or just stick to classic time-wasters like Tetris or Minesweeper.

Escapist games

If you're self-isolating or just swamped with projects and can't make it outside, don't work a second longer than you have to. At 5PM, hop into some of our favorite massive virtual worlds. The best games give you the feeling of being an intrepid explorer and hero, even in your pajamas.

PC gamers will recognize most of the big name franchises from our Best PC open world games list: The Witcher, Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA, Fallout, Forza and Assassin's Creed. Trapped inside, you'll finally have the time to dive into that hundred-hour game you've been putting off until you "have time". Now's that time!

The true explorer's dream game is, of course, Breath of the Wild, which lets you look in the distance at a mountain that would be decorative in any other game, and then climb up that mountain. It's a freeing, immersive experience for all types of players.

Aloy's journey through a post-apocalyptic yet gorgeous world in Horizon: Zero Dawn is inspiring during tough times. Even when the world seems irrevocably damaged, the narrative tells us that strong and brave people working together can overcome dangerous hardships and find a way to persist.

Or, if your perfect idea of exploration is less pastoral and more urban, and your favorite heroes have superpowers, swing through New York as everyone's favorite superhero in Marvel's Spider-Man.

Honorable mentions: Hack San Francisco in Watch Dogs 2, defeat a corrupt utopian society by running in Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, or dive deep into the ocean in Subnautica.

Connecting with friends and co-workers via games

Check out our best co-op games feature for a definitive list on this. 

Working from home can feel incredibly lonely over time. And it can be hard to reach out to friends without some kind of work-based reason or ice-breaker to bridge the gap. Games after work can be an excellent way to make that connection and give people an excuse to virtually hang out, and make spending all day alone less isolating.

You can't go wrong with starting up an online Dungeons & Dragons group. Anyone, including non-gamers that might be intimidated by hardcore online games, can quickly pick up on the premise: magical beings explore a magical land and get into adventures. Use Google Hangouts and start an adventure over video, or start a conference call on Discord and have players type out the adventure.

If your friend group is more into actual video games, it can still be hard to get everyone into a game all at once. So consider titles that let you do whatever quests you want and new party members drop in and out. Sea of Thieves and its aimless pirate adventuring, or Destiny 2 and its co-op loot grinds, are great examples of this. 

Or, if you're looking for some bonding two-person co-op, try A Way Out, which has two characters breaking out of prison and travel across the country by relying on one another. Only really in-sync friends will be able to succeed.

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Hold onto your Minish Caps, Legend of Zelda fans: Nintendo has announced a medley of new features and items available in Super Mario Maker 2, one of which lets you don the green garb of the Hylian hero.

An incoming update for Super Mario Maker 2 lands on December 5, and includes a 'Master Sword' item that turns Mario into Link from the Legend of Zelda series.

The item is only available in the retro Super Mario Bros. Game Style, meaning you won't see any 3D Links running about – like, say, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – but you do get to enjoy his 8-bit pixelated presence. And it's not just the Master Sword you get to play with, either.

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A press release from Nintendo stated: "After downloading the Ver. 2.0.0 update, the new Master Sword item will be available to use exclusively in the 8-bit Super Mario Bros. style. When this new course part is picked up, Mario will transform into Link, equipped with a new set of moves like attacking with a sword, shooting arrows and dropping bombs."

While the Zelda crossover is most notable part of the video, you can also see Mario making use of the other items being added below:

• Dash Block: Available in the Super Mario 3D World style, the Dash Block course part gives Mario a major speed burst when stepped on.
• Frozen Coin: These coins are surrounded by a block of ice and can only be released if melted by fireballs or other fire elements, including a certain angry sun.
• P Block: When a P Switch is hit in the course, invisible P Blocks temporarily turn into hard platforms, or vice-versa.
• Spike: This classic enemy coughs up massive spike balls and launches them at Mario. If used in the snow environment, Spike will toss snowballs instead!
• Pokey: The iconic stacked cactus from multiple Super Mario games joins Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time. Players can even edit the height of each Pokey.

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

For those who never played the original, Link’s Awakening begins with our valiant hero Link being washed up on the shore of Koholint Island. Not knowing where he is or how he got there, it’s your job to guide Link to his escape. 

As you go through the isle's various dungeons, you find out the key to getting off the island involves waking up the Wind Fish. On your adventure you will come across mini-games and extra features dotted around the island which provide a break from the usual gameplay.

To bridge the gap between Breath of the Wild and Link’s Awakening there are a few features that more recent fans will find familiar. The autosave feature returns, along with menus bearing a striking resemblance to those of Breath of the Wild’s and the ability to eat apples off trees to gain hearts back. These are just a few we managed to spot. 

If you joined the series with the previous instalment, you’ll be glad to know that Nintendo has made this easy to pick up without changing anything too important from the original Link’s Awakening formula.

Nintendo does a fantastic job at keeping to the original Link’s Awakening on the Gameboy, with most items, characters and dungeons remaining the same. Using the original game as a blueprint, Nintendo really went all out in making sure every other detail was pristine, clean and polished. This makes the artstyle really steal the show.

• Check out our hands on: Nintendo Switch Lite review

Now with moving parts

When it comes to Link’s Awakening on Switch, Nintendo went for a ‘toy-like’ aesthetic in its artstyle. Hearing the plastic-y sounding footsteps and the tap of hitting an enemy made us feel like we were Andy from Toy Story, playing with all his old friends.

Love it or hate it, the toy-like artstyle makes this an easy transition from the original 8-bit game to a current generation title. We struggle to think of any other way to get all the details of a small Gameboy screen onto current TVs.

Link is so expressive in his animation and vocals, we had him take damage, drown, jump off cliffs and even get electrocuted just because the animation was so adorable. Sorry, Link. Characters constantly break the fourth wall to explain controls only for them to explain it is something they heard once and have no idea what it means, lending well to the atmosphere the creators are provoking. 

The music is, of course, an orchestrated update to the bleeps and bloops of the Gameboy original. What we didn't expect was hearing said bleeps and bloops scattered around the many different levels in its soundtrack - reminding players of the game’s origins - with Animal Village being a stand out tune for us. This game is clearly more on the silly side than the likes of Twilight Princess.

With the nature of this game being so light-hearted and nonchalant, it makes dropping in and out of gameplay fairly easy. Telephone Booths are dotted around the island and provide clues to where your path should take you next, along with Memories, which is a feature to replay important text from the Owl that aids you throughout the game. 

This doesn’t mean to say that the puzzles within dungeons are a walk in the park. Older games can often be much less forgiving in general and Link’s Awakening has that great balance of intricate puzzles along with its easy ‘pick up and play’ nature. No in-depth Hyrulian lore, no outbreak of war over thousands of years: just Link on an island trying to escape. This makes the game perfect to come back to, on those rainy days or if you ever find yourself washed up on a beach. 

Don't tri-force it

Link’s Awakening really does make you feel immersed in Koholint but sometimes the island is just a little too overpopulated and the Switch struggles to perform well. The frame rate then drops and reminds you as much as the artstyle is archaic and toy-like, so are the internals of a Switch.

A new addition to the game (since Link’s Awakening DX) is Chamber Arranging. Think of it as the Mario Maker for Zelda dungeons, but not as good. Nintendo teases us with the possibility of freely creating dungeons, sharing them online and experiencing other player creations, however this is not the case. You can only slot chambers together that you have already played. So you increase your roster of available rooms by playing through dungeons in the story. 

To then share your dungeons with friends you must save them onto amiibo and then tap onto other Switches. It’s a flawed, backwards way of doing something that could have intrigued fans, but it does suggest there could be a fully fledged Mario Maker style Zelda in the future.

Da da da daaaaa!

Similar to the movie The Sixth Sense, there is a big twist at the end of Link’s Awakening. We went in knowing this already and there are nods to said secret which makes playing the game all the more interesting and personal. 

Link’s Awakening originally came out 26 years ago, so you’ve done well to avoid this spoiler until now - if you have. Don’t worry, we don’t plan on spoiling it for you now. However the game does heavily hint at the truth so eagle-eyed players may be expecting it.

Link’s Awakening’s story is not typical of a Zelda game. As we mentioned earlier, this time there is no Hyrule, no Ganondorf, and ironically no Zelda. It truly is Link’s Awakening, and this makes exploring the whole island with all its inhabitants much more personal. With this entry in the Zelda series, Nintendo seem to be putting emphasis on the happy-go-lucky, cheerful nature of Koholint island and this makes the few cutscenes and deep moments in the game all that more thought-provoking and melancholy.

If you’re doubting the credibility of a top-down Zelda title, or how hard a 2D dungeon can be, then you’re in for a shock. Although the dungeons don’t feel too distinctive from eachother in design and structure, they stay unique in their puzzles and enemy types. 

Puzzles usually require you to figure out which of your many weapons to use and keeps you on your toes and constantly thinking of ways to surpass each and every room. Enemies make you stop and think about the correct way to tackle each encounter and make for some hectic situations. As you come to learn enemy patterns, you will speed through hordes of erratic foes which really make you feel accomplished and like a cute little toy bad-ass. Combine the two and it makes for a varied and tense experience.

Verdict

The few flaws Link’s Awakening suffers from are so miniature (pun intended) that they aren’t enough to take away from the impact the game had on us. 

The core gameplay of a Zelda title is all here. This, combined with a new coat of paint and charming demeanor, tips it over the edge and makes this not just a remake but a re-imagining. It took us to another world and then ripped us right out of it just as quick, and left us thinking about it much after the sun set on Koholint Island. 

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• Check out our review of the SNES Classic Mini for a complete rundown of the console's features. 

If you're looking to play the best SNES games, the SNES Classic Edition is the best place to start. Not only will you find the best games from the '90s on there, but you'll find they're exactly as you remember them - they're perfect emulations of the original games. (We're looking in your direction, PlayStation Classic...)

But with so many iconic games on Nintendo's classic console it can be hard knowing where to start first. If you've gone ahead and added the entire library of classics by modding the console - not something we advocate for but something that does happen - the choice becomes even harder. 

Practically each and every title included on the system can rightly be regarded as a solid-gold classic, and ranking them has involved some serious hair splitting. 

But, in the end, we think we've been able to decide on the best SNES games - or at least, the best SNES games available on the SNES Classic - and have ranked them here from worst to best. 

Kirby's games struggled to find a truly receptive audience outside of Japan until very recently, and the odd combination of cute platforming and golf that's on display here makes Kirby's Dream Course a bizarre inclusion on the SNES Classic; the gameplay is fun but there are plenty of better games that could have be featured instead of this – Super Tennis is the one we're most aggrieved about not seeing. 

Not a terrible game by any means, but Nintendo could have done better.

The comical sequel to the original Punch-Out!! might lack Mike Tyson's beaming mug – he was included in the initial NES version before being replaced by "Mr. Dream" – but it's a better game overall thanks to deeper gameplay and large, appealing pugilists. 

The big issue is that it's too easy to memorise the tactics required to defeat each opponent, and this severely curtails the game's long-term appeal.

Capcom's side-scrolling action platformer is still as tough as old boots, with pixel-perfect precision required to overcome its grim fantasy levels. As an early release on the system it dazzled players with colourful and detailed graphics, but the crippling slowdown which occurs at busy moments is hard to stomach, especially in 2017. Still a classic, but one which has perhaps aged less gracefully than others.

Street Fighter II owes much of its enduring success to the million-selling ports which graced the SNES, with Turbo being the second to hit store shelves. 

With 12 playable characters (including the four bosses this time around) and a mirror-mode which lets both players select the same fighter and a much-needed speed boost, it remains irresistibly playable, especially if you can convince a fellow carbon-based lifeform to play. 

That said, we've put the game slightly lower down our list simply because superior versions of the game exist.

Something of a superstar on the 8-bit NES, Mega Man – or Rockman as he's known in Japan – appeared in several eye-catching 16-bit adventures. Mega Man X was the first and, some would argue, the best. It arguably struck the perfect balance between technical wizardry and compelling platforming action.

Nintendo's first Mode 7 racer may lack the embellishments of its more technically advanced sequels F-Zero X and F-Zero GX, but it's arguably the most accessible and instantly enjoyable entry in the series. The colourful presentation, tight controls and challenging courses make for a purebred speedfest which hasn't aged one bit; only the lack of a two-player mode holds it back.

Released for the first time ever on the SNES Classic, Star Fox 2 is perhaps the game many owners of the new system will boot up first. It's a fascinating illustration of how to evolve a gameplay concept, and jettisons the linear structure of the first game in favour of a more open, randomised set-up, with each gameplay session differing greatly from the last. The only negative is that things can sometimes feel a little loose and lacking in coherence.

Rare's pioneering use of pre-rendered characters caused jaws to drop all over the world when Donkey Kong Country made its debut in 1994, and while the game owes a massive debt to Super Mario, it's polished and entertaining enough to stand on its own as one of the best 16-bit platformers ever made. 

David Wise's groundbreaking soundtrack is the cherry on the top; how he made a non-CD system produce tunes of this quality is beyond human comprehension.

Known as Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe, this is a surprisingly robust collection of seven games, some of which have more depth than you might imagine. There are plenty of homages to other classic Nintendo games to be found, and because this was released quite late in the life of the SNES, it boasts some truly impressive, cartoon-like visuals. 

It's hard to believe that this was one of Konami's earliest SNES outings; with its incredible visuals, stirring soundtrack and impressive Mode 7 bonus levels, Contra III is rightly regarded as one of the finest run-and-gun blasters available. The two-player mode means you can bring a friend along for the ride, too.

Back in 1993, this was utterly groundbreaking stuff. The first SNES game to feature the assistance of the Super FX chip, Star Fox delivered cutting-edge 3D visuals in your living room. Ironically, the simplistic, unshaded polygon graphics lend the game a timeless quality, while the thrilling gameplay and superb music keep you glued to your controller.

Never released in the UK, this Squaresoft-developed RPG epic came late in the lifespan of the SNES and adopted the then-commonplace "CGI" look for its visuals – a fact which has perhaps caused it to age faster than other 16-bit examples of the genre. However, the game combines the best elements of Final Fantasy's turn-based combat system with action-based commands that make battles feel more exciting and skill-focused.

The gothic platformer starts off slow but soon develops into one of the best entries in Konami's long-running vampire-hunting series. Notable for its excellent use of Mode 7 sprite scaling and rotation, it's also famous for its beautiful soundtrack – another demonstration of just how adept the Sony-made sound chip inside the SNES really is.

Known as Final Fantasy III in the US only – it's actually Final Fantasy VI in the true chronology of the series – this is regarded by many as one of the finest JRPGs ever made, and with good reason. As well as possessing the usual gripping and addictive gameplay the franchise is famous for, this stellar outing also includes some of the most memorable characters to ever feature in a role-playing adventure, and packs a dramatic storyline to boot.

The second title in the Mother series of RPGs, EarthBound isn't like any other role-playing adventure you've seen. Set in modern times, it replaces dragons and orcs with bizarre aliens and its heroes are ordinary school kids who find themselves wrapped up in a fierce conflict which puts the fate of the world in the balance. Boasting an iconic soundtrack, humorous script and moving storyline, EarthBound is a true classic – despite not having seen release in the UK during the SNES' lifespan.

While it lacks the massive, non-linear structure of Super Mario World, this sequel harnesses the power of the Super FX chip to create some of the most eye-catching visual trickery ever achieved on the SNES. Instead of controlling Mario you're in charge of Yoshi, who can float in mid-air and hurl eggs at enemies. With a fresh gameplay idea on almost every each level, this is Shigeru Miyamoto at his most inventive and playful.

Arguably one of the most influential video games of all time, Super Metroid is the title responsible for laying down the "Metroidvania" blueprint so skillfully adopted by modern titles, such as the superb Axiom Verge. Konami's 1997 adventure Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is also credited with popularising this style of game, but it's Nintendo's SNES epic which should get the lion's share of the credit. Exploring a massive alien world packed with hidden passageways, new weapons and bloodthirsty enemies has rarely been this entertaining; this year's Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS continues this fine tradition.

The game that started it all. Now a quarter of a century old, Super Mario Kart has to rank as one of the most influential titles in gaming; it created a whole new racing sub-genre and established a series which – at the time of writing – has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. And you know what? The 1992 original is still playable as its sequels, especially when there are two people involved. Don't forget that battle mode, too.

Recently confirmed for the reboot treatment by Square Enix, Secret of Mana – or Seiken Densetsu 2, as it's known in Japan – is comfortably one of the most iconic JRPGs in existence. It got pretty much everything right back in 1993; engaging real-time combat, sumptuous visuals, gorgeous music and – perhaps most important of all – a gripping storyline populated with memorable characters.

The best platformer ever made? We personally don't feel there's any room for debate here; Super Mario World is nothing short of a masterpiece; a finely-tuned 2D epic spanning a massive, non-linear game world which is literally bursting with new ideas. Finishing every single stage takes days if not weeks of effort, and the controls are tight and joyfully precise. And to think this was one of the first games released on the SNES – remarkable.

Here it is – the big one. While subsequent Zelda adventures have expanded the scope of the series, A Link to the Past remains the best instalment for many fans. It's the benchmark many RPGs attempted to emulate in the decades that have passed since its launch; Nintendo's game managed to combine real-time combat, challenging boss battles, head-scratching puzzles and a seemingly never-ending overworld – all done on a humble 16-bit console. A true classic.

A new update hit the Nintendo Switch this week, bringing in a number of tweaks to the console’s software. The main one being VR support for two of the Switch’s biggest titles – Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

And it may be the single worst experience you can have on the Nintendo Switch.

I was surprised, as I’d been testing out the VR goggles from the Nintendo Labo VR Kit, and was generally impressed by what Nintendo had done with their crafting-based take on a VR headset. 

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The Switch doesn’t have a very high resolution for a VR-ready console (given that its 1,280 x 720 pixels are split in half for each eye) and the Labo VR Kit largely worked around this by sticking to simple, low-res shapes and textures, and generally keeping your first-person view locked into place, to prevent excessive motion sickness.

However, as I loaded up BOTW from my last save, it was clear the same care had not been carried over. I materialised at one of the game’s many Sheikah towers, jumping off in the paraglider to survey the game’s breathtaking mountain ranges. But while BOTW does a great job with its 1280 x 720 resolution, it wasn’t designed for anything less, and the fuzzy VR mode is painful to watch after hours spent in the game’s beautiful scenery.

BOTW is a very vertical game, and generally requires you to jump, climb and glide constantly to navigate its broad terrain. Even when on level ground, Link is having to dart between enemies, backflip to avoid attacks, and jump around all sorts of obstacles with a quickly moving camera. 

Doing any of that in low-res VR is really asking for trouble, and I only managed about six minutes of play (fighting off two Moblins and finding a Korok seed) before having to lie down from the nausea.

The VR mode also doesn't take the new view into account for Link's HUD, meaning you can barely see your number of hearts in the corner of the screen. Only about half the text is visible on loading screens too.

There’s a huge disjunct with the Labo VR Kit’s VR games, which only last a few minutes and frequently remind you to take breaks out of concern for your health. 

BOTW is not a game to be played minutes at a time, and the flow of the game is absolutely crippled by its half-baked VR mode, which feels incredibly short-sighted given how obvious the problems should have been in play-testing. The whole thing feels like a poorly-guised gamble for headlines.

Falling off the bandwagon

A lot of big-name video game franchises have jumped on the VR bandwagon recently: we got afallout last year, while Bethesda has led the charge with full VR ports of both Doom and Fallout 4. Valve is also planning a big-name franchise VR game for its new Index VR headset.

But a VR port worth a consumer’s time or money is hard work, and requires more than flipping a switch into split-screen mode, with no thought for the actual play experience. While the early nature of VR should be considered, one of the world’s biggest video game publishers should really have known better than to let this get past R&D.

We're hoping we don't see the same misstep with Breath of the Wild 2, unless that new Nintendo Switch console we keep hearing about manages to really up the resolution per eye. Either way, we'll be wary of big VR tie-ins from Nintendo in the future.

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Nintendo has announced that its upcoming VR Labo Kit for its Switch console will support two of its most popular titles to date – Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

In a short video posted to Nintendo of America’s Twitter page, the company revealed a “bite-sized” experience for Super Mario Odyssey, which involves a variety of mini-games in three of the title’s existing worlds – Cap, Seaside and Luncheon Kingdoms.

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When showing off Breath of the Wild, however, the only clue we have to the extent of its VR support is a menu item that says “This game is compatible with the Toy-Con VR Goggles”. 

This in combination with the variety of locations and activities shown off in the Zelda footage seems to imply you can experience the entirety of the epic adventure in virtual reality.

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Thankfully, it's noted that you do not need to start a new save file to experience the wild world of Hyrule in VR, and you can simply enable or disable virtual reality mode at any time via the menu.

Both titles will receive their VR support for free on April 25, although in order to experience them in virtual reality, you’ll need to purchase one of the Labo VR Kits, available from April 12.

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For subscribers of Nintendo’s Switch Online service, the platform allows for online multiplayer as well as offering a capable emulator of the gaming company’s debut console – the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).

Eagle-eyed Twitter user Kapu has spotted some clues hidden within Nintendo Switch Online’s coding that lists 22 SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) titles that Kapu expects will be arriving with the service, joining the existing 20 NES games already on offer. 

The list is full of classic titles such as Super Mario Kart, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, Yoshi’s Island, Star Fox, F-ZERO, Super Metroid and more, and if it proves accurate, will help boost the value of the Online service considerably.

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• Super Mario Kart
• Super Soccer
• Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
• Demon's Crest
• Yoshi's island
• Stunt Race FX
• Kirby's Dream Course
• Pop'n Twinbee
• Star Fox
• Contra 3
• Kirby Super Star
• Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Kirby's Dream Land 3
• Super Metroid
• Super Mario World
• Pilotwings
• F-ZERO
• Star Fox 2
• Super Punch-Out
• The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
• Super Mario All-Stars
• Breath of Fire 2

Obviously we don’t know if this list is accurate, let alone when these games will actually arrive on the service, or if they will at all, but the promise of having both a NES and SNES library on the portable Nintendo Switch is certainly alluring. 

While the NES emulator arrived with all 20 titles playable at launch, Nintendo may well take a different approach with these SNES games, releasing them sequentially over a period of weeks or months.

Either way, we’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo has in store for us with its revival of the SNES and its games, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our list of the best online Nintendo Switch titles. 

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As we reported in May, 2017, Nintendo has been aiming to bring Legend of Zelda to the mobile gaming sphere, and we even had some delightful speculation as to what that could mean. 

Some further evidence of a potential Zelda mobile title – as well as a Donkey Kong game – has surfaced via Destructoid in the form of a pair of trademark filings. Specifically, Japanese Nintendo has trademarked the phrases “Spirit Tracks” and “Mario vs Donkey Kong”.

While trademark filings aren’t hard evidence of an impending mobile release, they were filed under the category of “program for home video game machine, downloadable video game program, and program for smartphones”, which bodes well.

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We have seen some console games in recent years launch with companion apps for mobile, so it may be a case of one, or both, of these titles landing in some way on the Nintendo Switch or 3DS systems and receiving such an app.

In fact, it could result in any combination of releases on Nintendo’s current systems, as the category in which it’s filed under is broad enough to avoid specifics, but here’s to hoping we’ll get some more mobile action from Nintendo.

Spirit Tracks was a Legend of Zelda title that released on the Nintendo DS and heavily relied on the use of its stylus as an input device – re-arranging puzzles, wielding special weapons, and so on – all of which could be mechanics that translate well to the touchscreen interface of a smartphone.

Similarly, the Mario vs Donkey Kong series largely revolves around puzzles and platforming and could well be remade for mobile. While this would be the mobile debut for Donkey Kong, Mario has already made quite the splash with Super Mario Run.

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Main image: The Walking Dead games from Telltale Games pushes filmic narrative to the fore rather than fast-paced action.

There is nothing like a video game. Not in the way people say “there’s nothing like a warm bath” or “there’s nothing like home”; there is, literally, nothing like a video game. They aren’t like films, or books, or music, and yet those are the only mediums they're ever compared to.

But games require active participation, in contrast to the much more passive consumption of going to the cinema or reading a novel; they can never truly tell a story in the way other stories are told. 

Films have a beginning, a middle and an end; games have all of that and a continue.

Shaping the story

With most games, the player can play differently to every other player, leaving with a unique experience and impression of what they’ve just seen. They can choose to abandon the game halfway through; they can reload an old save file; they can play it 10 times over, and each time they'll do something new, see something they hadn’t noticed before.

It’s not necessarily that games are capable of more than film, but they are capable of telling stories that affect us in different, nuanced ways.

In a game, you're shaping the story with your own hands. The way you press the buttons sculpts the outcome – think of Telltale’s quick-time events or its timed dialogue choices, or even Breath of the Wild’s story snippets as told through Link’s memories, which can be seen in any order to give you the same story, but with different weighting based on which ones you find first and last. There’s no indication of chronology for most memories, which means you’re never quite sure what happened first, and you can create your own timeline of events that might vastly change how you see the relationship between Link and Zelda.

The inherently role-playing nature of most games plays into how we come away from them, too. A film will ask us to empathize with the main character or characters, or at the very least to understand their motivations in some way; a game will give us the chance to be that person, to not only empathize with them but to guide their hand.

The Witcher 3 has you deciding on how moral and fatherly Geralt, the main character, should be, and which of his various paramours is more deserving of his time. The Fable games morph your character based on how good or evil your decisions are, but they still grant you the free will to decide. The landscape and the factions in Fallout New Vegas depend on how much chaos you’ve caused throughout the wasteland so far.

Fulfilling the power fantasy

Games are dominated by power fantasy, and it’s not hard to see where that came from: firstly, they are fundamentally interactive, and giving the player a controller implies that they can control. But those power fantasies also come from a learned desire to be the hero, the winner, the one who saves the world – something learned from the comic books and sci-fi films of the 80s, an era in which many of the gamers and game developers of today grew up.

But games are starting to surface that take the passivity of the cinematic experience more to heart, like Variable State’s Virginia, which has the player walking through various vignettes, experiencing a story with real-time cinematic editing, a slightly jarring experience within a game. As soon as you reach a pre-decided location, the scene ends and the next one begins. It’s rare that games take away this kind of narrative control from you, but it’s also fascinating to see how techniques borrowed from films change how we play.

Games like Uncharted and The Last of Us borrow heavily from films, too, but in a different way. Firstly, both are inspired by actual films: Uncharted is very Indiana Jones, and The Last of Us is a blend of multiple influences, including Gravity and No Country for Old Men. Naughty Dog, the developers of both games, is well-known for its well-written dialogue, cinematic cutscenes and dedication to photorealism, all of which are achieved and enhanced by the use of motion-capture and real actors.

Again, this is an example of how cinematic techniques are used to improve and change the face of gaming, rather than acting as some kind of opposition all the time.

Separating games from film entirely is just as unhelpful as constantly comparing them. The two can learn a lot from each other, and use their differences to develop in new and compelling ways. We already have interactive theatre, like Punchdrunk, a multi-room experience/performance where the audience can take an active role as well as choosing which particular room they want to see. There are choose-your-own-adventure books, which give the reader the chance to influence the plot and outcomes, with increasingly complex ones also giving you an inventory to keep track of.

The limitations of cinema

But interactive film is more complicated – it’s been a passive medium for so long, designed around rooms of seated viewers in the dark. There are a few examples of interactive cinema, like Kinoautomat, which asked the audience to choose what happened next by voting, but film is incredibly restrictive when it comes to audience participation. There’s only so much they can do.

So where does this leave us? Gaming is continuing to expand and explore its horizons, merging with new technology to create AR and VR experiences, photorealistic faces and motion-captured acting, but its relationship with film is largely one-way. Games can be influenced by cinematic techniques, but it doesn’t seem to go the other way.

We have films that feel like games: Edge of Tomorrow, Attack the Block, Scott Pilgrim vs The World – which are in part a result of the gaming generation becoming film directors. But as the lines between interactive media become more and more blurred, perhaps we won’t need to differentiate between games and films for much longer.

With The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Nintendo opened up Hyrule and made one of the most sprawling and open Zelda games we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. It was a significant step in the direction of making Zelda a fully-fledged open world RPG and judging from sales and review scores, this is a move fans seem to love. It’d make no sense, then, to scale right back and release a Zelda mobile game, right? 

Well, maybe not. According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, A Legend of Zelda mobile game could very well be saddling up and heading to smartphones at the start of 2018. 

So far, though they’ve not been utter flops, Nintendo’s mobile games haven’t had the greatest success in terms of generating money. But Nintendo is undoubtedly hoping that the recent rush of love for the Nintendo franchise on Switch will spill over into mobile. If there’s one thing we learned from the 1, 2 Switch mini games it’s that Nintendo is not averse to milking. 

At the moment, very little is known about the game. We don’t know whether it will take the free-to-play approach of Fire Emblem Heroes or follow the larger one off charge route of Super Mario Run. It’d be easier to guess which monetization path made sense if we knew any plans with regards to gameplay but, well, that’s a bit of a mystery too. 

One benefit to this dearth of details, though, is that it leaves us open to hope and speculate about what we’d like Zelda on mobile to look like because, if it has to happen, we might as well look on the bright side. 

There are so many ways Nintendo could approach Zelda on mobile – it’s safe to say we’re not likely to see a direct Breath of the Wild port. But Fire Emblem Heroes proved there are ways to keep the core elements of a big game without stripping it back too much. Then again, Super Mario Run proved that stripping a game right back to its most simple form isn’t necessarily a bad approach either. 

So, what could Nintendo do? Well, here are some ideas.

Puzzle game

The Zelda franchise is known for its dungeon-based exploration puzzles, and block brain teasers puzzles in particular have traditionally featured heavily. This element of Zelda’s gameplay would actually translate very easily to mobile and has the potential to work extremely well. We’re imagining something along the lines of fun mobile title Ittle Dew wherein you explore various dungeons, solving block-pushing puzzles to find items that will help you solve future, more complex puzzles and defeat enemies.

With this kind of game Nintendo would be more than able to do the one-off charge with no need for microtransactions. 

Cooking game

One of the most unexpectedly popular parts of Breath of the Wild has been cooking and a mobile game would be the perfect way for Nintendo to explore this further. Players could find, prepare and experiment with ingredients in what we’re imagining as some kind of cross between Cooking Mama and Fruit Ninja. 

Perhaps we’re reaching here, but as well as making the game stand alone, Nintendo could also perhaps create a way for players to transfer their culinary creations into their Breath of the Wild play.

Here there are opportunities for a free-to-play structure where microtransactions take the form of cooking aids or extremely rare ingredients. 

NES throwback

Following the success of the mini NES, it’s safe to say that fans are still interested in its games and their aesthetic. In fact, throwbacks and nostalgia are incredibly popular not just in gaming right now, but in mobile phones and cinema too. 

Combine the demand for the mini NES now that it’s no longer on sale with the Zelda love generated by Breath of the Wild and we’d say you have a recipe for a highly successful mobile game. 

The top-down view with relatively simplistic graphics and gameplay could translate well to mobile screens and controls could easily be a simple swipe-to-slash affair. 

With each dungeon as a level, there’s potential here to follow the Super Mario Run route of monetisation by making one dungeon level free to play before charging more to unlock the rest of the game. Or it could also be a free-to-play title where weapon and item improvements could be purchased separately. 

DS-inspired multiplayer

Our initial reaction to the idea of a mobile Zelda game was “touch screen Zelda? Get out of here!” But actually it’s worth remembering that we’ve already seen a couple of touch screen titles such as Phantom Hourglass for Nintendo DS. These games really creatively used the DS touchscreen for combat and puzzle solving and we could absolutely see them being a hit on mobile.

Thinking about this also made us wonder if this could be Nintendo’s chance to create a great multiplayer title for mobile by drawing on elements of games like Phantom Hourglass and Tri-Force Heroes where players could join up online and work together to solve puzzles or battle against one another in Coliseum matches. 

Got some ideas of your own for a mobile Zelda game? We’d love to hear them so let us know at gaming@techradar.com

• Not willing to wait for Zelda? Here are some more great mobile games

Think you're done with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? If you've coughed up for the DLC season pass, think again.

The Nintendo Switch's best game is about to get another injection of fun, with Nintendo revealing the the details for the first Zelda DLC pack.

From new armors to new play modes, there's a fair amount of fresh stuff coming to Link's latest adventure.

A new Majora's mask task

The biggest new feature will be the addition of "The Trial of the Sword". Linked to the Master Sword quest, it's a wave-assault challenge area, which will beef up the power of your Master Sword if completed.

Another handy new feature for explorers is the "Hero's Path Mode". It draws the path onto the world map of Link's last 200 hours of walking, letting you see areas that you've yet to fully investigate. Handy, for such a giant game.

There will also be a selection of new armor sets and masks to find, based on previous Zelda games. Majora's Mask, Midna's Helmet, Phantom Armor and a whole Tingle outfit will be up for grabs (the benefits of which have yet to be revealed), while there's also a Korok mask that let's you find the game's elusive leaf people.

The remaining elements of the update are a little less exciting . There's a new Hard Mode, which is great in its own right, but is the sort of thing often in a game by default or given away free by developers. And there's the addition of a "Traveller's Medallion" which lets you create your own fast travel points – which has the potential to undo a lot of what makes Breath of the Wild (its encouraged exploration) so good in the first place.

It's not an awful start for the Zelda season pass then, but a little more content as well as the housekeeping items would have been appreciated.

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips and tricks

It’s no secret that the Wii U dramatically underperformed. After its predecessor, the Wii, sold in excess of 100 million units, the Wii U followed up with a paltry 14m. 

With the Nintendo Switch, the company’s fortunes appear to be changing. Nintendo expects the new console to outsell the Wii U’s lifetime sales after just one year of having been on sale. 

Consequently the company’s operating profits have seen a massive spike, increasing from $710m in the first quarter of 2016 to $1.6 billion in the same period of this year. 

Games and hardware

As well as its hardware, the company has also seen a number of software successes. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has managed to sell 2.76m copies on Nintendo Switch, more copies than there are consoles, as well as selling over 1m on Wii U. 

Pokémon Sun and Moon was also a massive success for the company, after having become Nintendo’s fastest-selling game in North America in its first two weeks. 

Naturally the real test of the console will be whether it can live up to these big sales expectations, although thankfully it’s got a new Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey, to bolster sales in the latter half of this year. 

• Interested in the new console? Check out our full review of the Nintendo Switch.
• Looking to buy one? Then check out our Nintendo Switch deals page.

Turns out all that hype and advance publicity has been worth it, because Nintendo has declared the Switch its fastest-selling console of all time. The Japanese gaming giant shifted more than 906,000 Switches in March according to industry figures.

Nintendo notes that this is especially good in a "non-traditional" month for a games console, and goes on to say that the Switch is flying off the shelves faster than almost any console ever made by anyone, though it's not up to PS4 standards yet.

In Nintendo's press release there's a nod to the "high demand" and a promise that the company is working to make sure everyone who wants one of the portable consoles can get one. More systems are continually being shipped, Nintendo says - so it's in better shape than the NES Classic Edition, then.

Wind in its sales

Bizarrely, Nintendo has sold even more copies of Zelda: Breath of the Wild than it has actual Switches - sales numbers for Zelda on the platform have risen to 925,000, not including the 460,000 copies that have also been sold for the Wii U.

That "attach rate" of more than 100 percent may be due to gamers purchasing a limited edition of the game to keep safe as well as one to actually play, Nintendo speculates. We really liked the latest Zelda game too... but not quite that much.

A full financial report for the Switch and everything else Nintendo sells will be released on April 27. In the meantime, enjoy making the most of your Switch - or keep refreshing the home page of your favorite electronics retailer until one comes back in stock.

• Did you hear? Nintendo Switch is getting all-new accessories soon

Nintendo's back with a bang, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild garnering universal praise. We awarded it a coveted "Play it Now" score in our Breath of the Wild review. But it wasn't without its problems.

Breath of the Wild suffers from some serious framerate issues. The first open-world game in the series, it struggles across both the new Nintendo Switch and older Wii U console when it comes to its busier areas. Swaying grass, multiple monsters and chatty townsfolk, all onscreen at once, can cause the game to stutter along.

But a new patch from Nintendo seems to address this, on the newer machine at least, with Nintendo promising a "more pleasant gaming experience."

Switch in performance

It certainly seems to be an improvement for the Switch build of the game – YouTube's ElAnalistaDeBits has made a comparison video between build 1.1.0 and the new 1.1.1, and it's a night and day difference:

However, there's no word yet on if the Wii U version will be getting the same treatment.

We've contacted Nintendo for confirmation on further support for the Wii U version of the game, and will update if we get a response. Here's hoping it does – Breath of the Wild is a great swan-song for Nintendo's much-maligned console, and improvements to its final Zelda game would be suitable thanks for those that have continued to support the troubled machine to its dying days.

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips and tricks

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the biggest and most open Zelda game to date and to make it slightly easier to navigate this sandbox Hyrule, fans have created an interactive Google-style map.

A collaborative community effort of the Zelda Universe fan site, the map is an impressive feat but it’s also stuffed to the brim with spoilers for anyone that’s not completed the game. If you’d rather find everything in the game yourself we’d suggest not looking at this just yet. 

It's not everyone, however, that has the time to find everything, so if you need some guidance this is a useful place to go. 

High over Hyrule

Similar to Google Maps, this click-and-drag map of Hyrule marks out significant locations which include weapons and equipment, side quests, shrines, collectibles and enemies. 

Each point of interest on the map is color coded to make it easy to find what you’re looking for or what may be around you at a glance. 

The map is only in the early stages of its development but it’s already extremely useful and its creators are inviting everyone to pitch in via a Google form with things they’ve found that haven’t been added.  

The development team hope that eventually they’ll be able to chronicle every single location of interest from the game and transform the eagle-eye map into one with more Google Street View capabilities to allow users an even closer look. 

• Don't forget to check out our tips and tricks for Breath of the Wild for more adventuring advice!

[Update: Hyrule's goddesses have answered our prayers, with Nintendo confirming that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is in development. Head to the link to see what we know so far, or read on below for what made the original 2017 game so special.]

Amid the predictable excitement of the Nintendo Switch launch and the tantalising prospect of getting to play a brand new Legend of Zelda outing on day one, it's easy to forget that Breath of the Wild was first announced for the Wii U way back in 2013. 

Since then the game has been delayed twice and has shed its Wii U exclusivity, becoming a vital asset in the Nintendo Switch's small-but-formidable launch lineup. 

This prolonged production period may well have annoyed those Wii U owners who were holding out for an original Zelda adventure on their much-maligned console, but the upside for Switch players is that we have a launch release which has benefitted from the kind of development period few first-generation titles are lucky enough to receive; Breath of the Wild refreshingly lacks the rough edges which usually plague early software and instead delivers a polished and mature experience which comes close to being worth purchasing a Switch for alone.

A new direction for the series

Nintendo has always been quite forthright in pitching Breath of the Wild as a new dawn for a series which last year celebrated its 30th anniversary. While previous Zelda outings have arguably veered towards the worryingly formulaic and linear, the amount of freedom this new latest release affords the player is at times overwhelming; Hyrule is bigger, bolder and denser than ever before, with mountain ranges which appear to stretch on for miles, hidden secrets around every bend and plenty of wildlife – both friendly and hostile. 

The area in which you begin your quest feels intimidating in its size, but when you realise this is in fact just a fraction of what's on offer, the impact is staggering. The kingdom feels like it goes on forever in all directions, making this the meatiest Zelda yet by an almost embarrassing margin.

Nintendo has matched this expansive environment with an equally diverse set of game mechanics and features. 

Gone are the days when you simply had to grab hearts to replenish Link's health; instead, you now have to consume fruit or – better still – cook tasty dishes using a wide range of ingredients. 

Some of these recipes not only restore your vitality but also offer time-limited status buffs such as increased speed, stealth and strength. 

The reach for realism continues with the stamina gauge which limits strenuous activities; running for too long causes Link to stop and catch his breath, while climbing and swimming are similarly demanding, but the consequences of running out of puff during either of these are often fatal. 

Despite this, Link feels like he's taken a few pages out of the Assassin's Creed rulebook; he will automatically climb any object in his path (wet surfaces are harder to scale) and is surprisingly agile when it comes to dashing across rooftops and other structures. 

He's by no means superhuman, however; sharp changes in temperature have a detrimental effect on his health. When traversing the chilly mountain peaks you are forced to seek ingredients to cook dishes which warm you temporarily, or source clothing which shields you from the biting cold.

It's dangerous to go alone

Combat in Breath of the Wild will feel a little more familiar to series veterans; we've got the traditional handy lock-on system which allows you to circle your opponent, as well as button presses and stick movements to trigger side-steps and evasive leaps – time these correctly and they open up opportunities to counter with a powerful flurry of strikes. 

Weapons in the game are destructible, which means they often break during the melee. This aspect is perhaps the only part of Breath of the Wild which feels like an unnecessarily jarring disconnect from the past; some weapons break much faster than they should, and even though the process of switching to another is relatively painless, it breaks the otherwise silky flow of combat. 

Thankfully there are more than enough arms to be find around Hyrule (quite literally – one weapon is an enemy's severed limb) and you have space in your inventory to carry a few spares at all times. 

You can also rely on a bow for ranged attacks, and it's possible to use the Switch's motion controls for aiming – a welcome nod to one of the few things the Wii U most definitely got right.

"Hey! Listen!"

While there's a surprisingly strong story at the heart of Breath of the Wild – it wouldn't be a Zelda game if there wasn't – the temptation to explore is ever-present and Nintendo feeds this desire with a host of optional side-quests, interesting characters and bonus items placed off the beaten track. 

You can quick-travel between key locations as well as tame horses for faster movement, but it's often more enjoyable to take the scenic route from A to B, soaking up the stunning vistas and collecting items which can either be used for cooking, crafting or simply bartering as-is at the next settlement. 

To fully expose portions of the map you'll need to locate special towers and activate them – another example of Nintendo borrowing from the Assassin's Creed series, but one which works well and gives your exploratory thrusts into new areas a sense of purpose.

Dated graphics, great art-style

Given its status as a Wii U title upgraded to Switch launch release, it's perhaps forgivable to have some reservations about how Breath of the Wild looks – especially when it's entering an open-world genre which can boast such graphical masterpieces as The Witcher 3 and Horizon: Zero Dawn. As you can see from the screenshots, Breath of the Wild looks utterly fantastic; granted, it lacks the incredible level of detail seen in the latest PlayStation 4 and Xbox One titles, but the cel-shaded art style really shines and the draw-distance is remarkable. 

The game maintains a steady 30fps throughout, although there are moments when that drops – usually when you're playing on a TV and there's a lot of on-screen action. Whether you choose to play on the TV or on the Switch's glorious 720p screen, the experience is identical – another stunning achievement that is well worth commending. Horizon: Zero Dawn is undisputedly a better looking game, but can you take it with you on the bus?

Verdict: Play it Now

While Breath of the Wild's narrative has a definite beginning and end, you won't want to rush it – soaking in all the secrets and exploring every forest and mountain top become addictive pastimes, giving the game a longevity which few other open-world titles can muster. 

This isn't just the most accomplished Zelda adventure yet, it also ranks as one of the most impressive launch titles for any console, period. If you harbour any thoughts of picking up Nintendo's new console, then make no mistake – under no circumstances should you make a purchase without also buying this game. 

Breath of the Wild is a must-have release, and represents a new high watermark not only for Nintendo as a developer of AAA content, but for the genre as a whole. 

Sometimes creators need to go back to their roots to find inspiration for their latest games. They’ll look at what went right, what went wrong and what inspired them. 

The same is true for Takuhiro Dohta, Hidemaro Fujibayashi and Satoru Takizawa, three of the lead designers on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But instead of simply returning to the series’ roots to find out what worked, the team created an updated version of the NES classic as a prototype for their new game, Breath of the Wild.  

The team showed off its creation at a panel during GDC 2017 entitled "Change and Constant: Breaking Conventions with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." 

Fujibayashi, along with the rest of the team, felt that the game needed to balance the open nature of the original but incorporate new mechanics that “stirred the soul” of gamers. 

And there was no better place to build and test these mechanics than the original world built 30 years ago. 

 Some old, some new 

 One of those aforementioned mechanics was a chemistry system in which elements (water, fire, wind, electricity) impacted objects in the game world.   

In a short video, Fujibayashi demonstrated how the creators first shot an arrow through a camp fire in the prototype to demonstrate how it lit a tree on fire to see what it would feel like before importing the mechanic to Breath of the Wild.  

Fujibayashi showed off several examples of how the prototype the team made helped mold and shape Breath of the Wild including everything from item collection to how the map should be built to allow players to go wherever they want without invisible boundaries limiting them.   

Sadly, while you won’t be able to play Fujibayashi’s NES-style prototype of Breath of the Wild, you will be able to play the full game – including HD graphics and, you know, three full dimensions – when it comes out Friday, March 3 on the Nintendo Switch.  

• Here's your launch guide to every Nintendo Switch game

Breath of the Wild is a big game, and breaks with Zelda tradition in many ways including having voiced NPCs and a completely non-linear open world.

But perhaps one of the most striking differences in the early portion of the game we played was the amount of weapons at your disposal, and the fact that they end up breaking very quickly. 

This stands in contrast to previous Zelda games where you would collect just one or two weapons throughout the course of the game. 

Having to manage an inventory is no bad thing – countless other games have included it as a feature to great effect – but Breath of the Wild’s inventory feels like it was designed to be managed with the Wii U’s gamepad, and it ends up feeling a little clunky on the Switch. 

A match made in heaven

For all the faults of the Wii U’s gamepad (a cheap construction and poor battery life being the worst offenders) it was absolutely amazing at managing inventories.

Rather than having to pause the game to switch items in a game like Wind Waker HD, the gamepad instead made it easy to switch equipped items without having to pause the action. 

It allowed you to do two things at once, which is perfect for a series like Zelda which involves switching between many items to solve puzzles. 

The Switch doesn’t have this benefit, and the situation is made worse by the way you constantly have to rearrange your inventory to throw away weapons as they break. 

Two steps forward, one step back

Breath of the Wild has made progress in some areas. You can easily switch between weapons, shields, and abilities by holding a direction on the D-pad and scrolling through them with the right analogue stick. 

But you can't drop weapons without pausing, which is a big problem when you’ll need to constantly drop items after each encounter to ditch those that are on the point of breaking. 

A typical Breath of the Wild encounter hence goes as follows: You approach a group of Bokoblins and you switch to a melee weapon, and take them out with a couple of well-placed slashes. 

Your weapon is now damaged, so you roam the battlefield to pick up some undamaged weapons, only to discover that your inventory is full, and you need to pause the game again to drop each of your damaged items individually.

We haven’t had a chance to spend any time with the Wii U version of the game, but these feel like design decisions that were made with a second-screen in mind, and that don’t feel fully at home on a single-screen console. 

There are a couple of caveats to these observations. First is the fact that we were playing the first few hours of the game, and that as the game progresses you’ll more than likely find weapons with a slightly longer shelf-life. Second is the size of the inventory, which in keeping with previous Zelda games is likely to be expandable via upgrades. 

However, in the early portions of the game be prepared to spend a lot of time pausing the action to manage your inventory. 

We’re hoping to spend some time with the Wii U version when it’s released to see if its Gamepad solves these issues. 

• Check out our extensive Nintendo Switch preview.
• Don't forget to check out our Nintendo Switch pre-orders page too.

Getting a new games console is an exciting experience, but it can also be an expensive one. As well as having to spend your hard-earned money buying a new system, you'll probably need to fork out for various accessories if you want to get the most out of it.

Then there are the games, which are often pricey for a system that’s only just hit the shelves. Thankfully, Amazon has been offering some pretty steep discounts on the hottest upcoming Nintendo Switch games to Prime members, which is great if you’re looking to cheaply build up a library of new games.

Check out our guide to our top picks of the new game discounts. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

By far the biggest title in Nintendo’s launch line up, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is being priced by the majority of retailers at around $59.99/£59.99. Amazon, however, is using the pre-order period to undercut the competition and you can find the game there for a still expensive though much more reasonable $47.99/£49.99. For US customers this price is only available for Amazon Prime members, though it's open to everyone in the UK. UK Prime members will, however, save an additional £2 bringing the title down to £47.99. 

See this deal: at Amazon US or at Amazon UK

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

A new Nintendo console always means the purchase of a new Mario Kart game. It’s a social gaming must-have. While most retailers are pricing Mario Kart 8 at $59.99/£49.99, Amazon is sliding into first place in our hearts with a price of $47.99/£44.99 for its Prime members.  For US customers this price is only available for Amazon Prime members, though it's open to everyone in the UK. UK Prime members will, however, save an additional £2 bringing the title down to £42.99.  

See this deal: at Amazon US or at Amazon UK

1-2 Switch

1-2 Switch is the cheapest game in the Nintendo Switch launch line up, but it’s still retailing at the fairly high price of $49.99/£39.99 most places. Not at Amazon, though. The trusty electronics retailer has given the game's pricing the ol’ 1-2 down to a slightly more reasonable $39.99/£34.99. For US customers this price is only available for Amazon Prime members, though it's open to everyone in the UK. UK Prime members will, however, save an additional £2 bringing the title down to £32.99.  

See this deal: at Amazon US or at Amazon UK

Even more games! 

While those three games are the highlights of the launch line-up, Amazon US is offering plenty of discounts to the games coming down the road, too. 

Starting today you can find Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch at a discounted $47.99, the multiplayer brawler Arms for $47.99, Splatoon 2 on the Switch for $47.99, Xenoblade 2 on the Switch for $47.99, Fire Emblem Warriors for $47.99, Skyrim - Switch Edition for $47.99, The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth for $31.99,  FIFA for $47.99, Minecraft on Switch for $47.99, Dragonball for $47.99, Skylanders Imaginators for $47.99 and Just Dance 2017 for, you guessed it, $47.99.

These are the only titles in the Nintendo Switch launch line up that Amazon is offering noticeably cheaper than anywhere else, but if any more discounts appear in the run up to the console’s launch we’ll update here. 

Nintendo wasn’t 100% clear on the differences between the two versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the next iteration of the world’s most well-known franchise coming to Nintendo Switch and Wii U.

We knew the experience would be comparable between the two consoles but, as it turns out, there’s going to be one major change. Well, OK, 180 changes.

Nintendo told IGN today that the Wii U version of the game would only be able to run at a 720p resolution while the Switch version, when docked, will be able to do 900p. Obviously 900p isn’t as good as full 1080p but considering that PS4 and Xbox One often suffer from the same problem, there’s no reason to work yourself up too much about it. 

Both versions of the game will run at 30 frames per second (boo!) but the Switch version will benefit from higher quality environmental sounds – i.e. You might actually be able to hear the aforementioned breath of the wild on the Switch version of the game. 

In all seriousness, though, the improved ambient sound will improve the overall immersiveness of the game, and is therefore the recommended route to take.

You call it Deku, I call it Deeku

While the resolution and audio details were the two larger discrepancies between the two versions of the game, Nintendo mentioned a few other small differences you’re likely to notice if you play the two side-by-side. 

According to the source, “Some icons, such as onscreen buttons, differ between the two versions” and the “Special Edition and Master Edition of the Wii U version are not available.” 

That’s kind of disappointing for fans of the series looking to own the collector’s edition, but it’s understandable that Nintendo doesn’t want to overproduce something that may not sell. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will launch on both systems March 3, 2017.

• 15 facts from the Nintendo Switch presentation you need to know

There’s no limit to what people will attempt to 3D print. Cars? Check. Drones? Check. A one-handed bottle opener? Check. 

Now someone has found one of the most perfect pieces of videogame history to 3D print. 

The object in question is a 3D recreation of the map from the original Legend of Zelda on the NES, and the creator looks like he’s absolutely nailed the retro game’s pixel-based art-style. 

To printing via Minecraft

The map itself was initially created in Minecraft over the course of six months. It’s not surprising it took this long, as the high resolution images below show some great little touches, like the graveyard you originally find the master sword in.

The model's size and detail meant the 3D printed process took a massive 24 hours, before another six hours were spent painting it.

It’s hard to argue the results weren’t worth it though. Check out Mike Matei’s tweets below for some high-resolution images.

• The original game is available on the NES Mini if seeing this map has made you want to revisit it. Check out our full NES Mini review.

Last night saw one of the biggest international awards for video games take place in Los Angeles. 

Called, appropriately enough, The Game Awards, the night sought to shine a light on some of the fantastic games released this year.

Winners ranged from Overwatch (which took home the award for overall game of the year) all the way through to That Dragon, Cancer, which won the ‘Games for Impact’ award. 

Exclusive trailers

But some of the best moments of the night came from the game trailers that were premiered, and we’ve collected our pick of the best below for your viewing pleasure. 

First up is a trailer for Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima’s first post-Konami game Death Stranding. Talk of the game has been quiet since it was announced at Sony’s conference at this year’s E3. 

This lack of information hasn’t quite changed with the release of the new trailer, which frankly raises more questions than it answers with its skull-faced soldiers and the repeated appearances of a creepy children’s doll. 

We also saw new footage from the new Legend of Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, which revealed the game’s jungle area. 

It was a cool trailer, but if we’re honest we’re ready for the game to come out at this point after Nintendo showed off so much at E3 earlier this year. 

Our final pick of the best trailers shown off last night has to go to Mass Effect: Andromeda, which showed off its gameplay for the first time. 

It looks like more of the same Mass Effect that we know and love (which is no bad thing), although some of the new environments shown off bring to mind the likes of a sci-fi universe such as Firefly, rather than the Star Trek-style environments favored by the series thus far. 

• Check out the best Xbox One games and the best PS4 games

It seems that Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild development team has taken some sage-like advice from Creative Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto’s book, as they're rumored to be delaying the launch of their upcoming game until several months into the new year. (Miyamoto, remember, was the one who said “A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”)

The sources of these rumors are Nintendo insiders who originally spoke to Emily Rogers, telling her that the Breath of the Wild was “more work” than originally anticipated. Since Rogers’ initial report, Eurogamer has corroborated that rumor with sources of its own, as has another member of the media, Laura Kate Dale.

In both instances, sources have said they expect the game to be finished in December, but state that the new launch date will be sometime much later in 2017, after the game has undergone extensive QA testing.

Breath of the Wild, which was originally shown off as a tech demo during E3 2015, resurfaced at E3 2016 this year with a playable demo, and was then shown off again during the debut trailer for the Nintendo Switch. 

Many gamers (myself included) had assumed that Nintendo chose to show off Zelda with the debut trailer because it had plans to either bundle the two together when the console launches in March of next year or, at the very least, sell the game alongside the console.

It appears now that both scenarios are unlikely to happen.

But hey, at least we’re still getting a new 3D Mario game, right? Nintendo? Please…

• Opinion: Nintendo is making the same mistakes with the Switch as it did with the Wii U

It's all Nintendo today: just hours before the official unveiling of the company's brand new NX console, we have a fresh trailer for its much-anticipated open world Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Like the trailer we saw earlier this year from E3, there's plenty of in-game action here. Link goes running and walking and climbing and exploring, and meets a few strange creatures along the way. There's even some snowboarding... sort of.

In short, it looks great. Based on the time we spent with the game during E3, Zelda fans don't have anything to worry about and a lot to look forward to.

The game is due out on the Wii U and the NX at some point in 2017 - presumably around the same time the Nintendo NX actually goes on sale. Nintendo says the game experience will be pretty much identical on both systems.

We also know this is a much bigger Zelda game than previous titles, and the role-playing elements have been enhanced (think Zelda meets Elder Scrolls). There's also voice acting for the first time in the series, so it might take a little getting used to.

We're about to get our first look at the Nintendo NX, of which more later, but in the meantime keep this video on repeat to tide you over until next year. The video is currently unlisted, so there might be more announcements to come.

• Did the new Zelda: Breath of the Wild trailer just tease an NX controller?

Let me make something clear right off the bat. I love The Legend of Zelda, and I couldn't be more excited about its new Wii U entry, Breath of the Wild. It looks like a solid addition to the series which balances maintaining its traditional feel while bringing in some significant, and welcome, changes.

But in order to take in the new Zelda in its entirety, Nintendo expected people to sit and watch a dedicated stream of the game which went on for a mammoth five hours.

When compared to Sony's ten minute demonstration of Days Gone, which still managed to show off many of the game's biggest features, Nintendo's showing looks needlessly bloated

Depth, not just headline features

Nintendo's intention with the move appears to have been to give people as much information and gameplay as possible directly from them rather than having to rely on journalists playing its games and then reporting this fuller information to their own audiences.

In comparison, Sony showed off just a five minute trailer of Resident Evil 7 at its press conference and then had to rely on journalists playing the game on the show floor to deliver more in-depth impressions.

This way Nintendo can deliver more coverage directly to its fans.

There are undoubtedly advantages to this kind of E3 showing, but it's hard not to miss the traditional press conference with its ability to introduce you to new games that you would never bother to watch a live stream of.

Press conferences are also great at condensing a game's headline features into a short five minutes. The new God of War? Kratos has a son and it looks like a much more cinematic game. FIFA 17? There's a story mode and dynamic weather.

But sit me down and ask me what the headline feature is of the new Legend of Zelda and I'd be hard pushed to tell you. I know from watching the livestream that you can gather fruit and cook them together into potions. I know that Link can jump and climb and cut down trees.

What I don't know is what the most important new features in the new game are. I don't know whether cutting down trees is a crucial mechanic, because it was a feature that was discussed for five minutes in a livestream that lasted five hours.

Most importantly I don't know how these mechanics fit together. I saw Link cut down a tree to make firewood, but then I had to wait half an hour to actually see him turn that same firewood into a campfire and make use of it.

If Nintendo had needed to fit its demonstration into a press conference we would have seen a much more condensed mini-story. Link would have cut down the tree and immediately set to work building a campfire to show off the potion alchemy on.

It's these smaller stories of how mechanics fit together that you miss when the presentation is as long as Nintendo's was this year. You don't get these end to end stories of a game's features, they're just too spread out.

Quantity over quality

Again, I can absolutely see the advantages of the massive live stream. If you want to learn literally everything there is to know about the new Zelda then Nintendo has been great at providing a one-stop shop for all the information you could possibly need.

But there's value in editing information down, value in limiting your message to the top things people need to know. Press conferences force companies to do just that, they force them to pick their biggest games and show their highlights.

And I'm sad to see Nintendo leave that kind of E3 behind them.

• Here's what we've learned about the new Zelda at this year's E3

Nintendo has revealed a kick-ass trailer for the new Zelda game, and even christened it with a name - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The trailer alone has plenty to sink your teeth into, but that's just a fraction of what Nintendo is showing off at E3. There is, however, one particular moment of the video I want to talk about.

At around the two-minute mark of the trailer we see Link using a big glowing horseshoe-shaped item called a Magnesis Rune to pick up a plank of wood.

"Just a cool new item from the game," you're probably thinking, and indeed that's probably all it is. But what if there's a bit more to it? What if this is actually a hint at something on the Nintendo NX which the game will also be launching on?

In April, we wrote about a horseshoe-shaped controller than Nintendo had patented in 2014, when the company was teasing its Quality of Life program. Here it is:

I mention Quality of Life because the patent makes specific references to fitness, and it's possible that this is all it was to be used for - until the Quality of Life project got put on hold indefinitely.

But there's a question over whether there's a connection between this and the item we saw in the Zelda trailer.

I'm 50/50 on the whole thing. Nintendo has promised something radically different with the NX, so I'm open minded to the idea that there's a link here.

Of course, it's not the only controller patent we've seen - this one looks very different to the magnet-shaped controller - but it's possible we could be looking at another peripheral that won't actually be the main input controller.

The patent for the horseshoe controller reads: "The main object of the present invention is to provide a novel training equipment, training system and an input device,"

So, it's a multi-function idea that could be used for gaming as well as fitness. Alternatively, this description could be out of date and the device has have transformed into something else by now. Or the whole thing is just a coincidence.

There's another angle to this, too. In the gameplay footage we see Link waking up to pick up what is called the Sheikah Slate, a technological device that you'll carry throughout the game.

The Slate has a glowing center that is presumably meant to correspond with the Wii U gamepad, so does this mean the NX controller will have a screen too?

Not necessarily, but there's a lot of speculation that the NX controller will be a fully portable device, so it would make sense. Which maybe leaves the horseshoe… thing as another peripheral, maybe with an added fitness aspect.

If anyone else has any straws for me to clutch wildly at, do let me know in the comments below.

Still, fun to speculate.

• Missed anything at E3? Don't worry, we've got you covered