Nintendo’s Big Zelda Plans? Why the 40th Anniversary Could Be a Massive Event

The 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda is quickly becoming one of the most-anticipated events in the history of video games. Nintendo hasn't said anything yet, but many fans think it could mean the company is working on something much bigger behind the scenes.

Expectations are naturally high for a series that has changed the way games are played for almost 40 years. Since the first The Legend of Zelda game came out in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the series has become one of the most popular and important in the business. 

With millions of players from all generations, the thought of a 40th anniversary party makes people wonder what big news, remasters, or even a new core game might be coming.

But there may be a simple reason why there have been no announcements so far. Nintendo has been putting a lot of attention on another important event: the current Mario and Mario franchise anniversary celebrations. Collaborations on merchandise, game announcements, and future media projects have already happened at these celebrations.

One of the most important parts of this push is the planned Mario Galaxy Movie, which is already getting a lot of attention thanks to how well The Super Mario Bros. The movie came out in 2023. That movie did better than expected at the box office, making more than $1 billion around the world. It is one of the best versions of a video game ever.

Because of how big those events are, Nintendo should avoid having two big anniversaries happen at the same time. Taking care of marketing campaigns, partnerships, new product launches, and media promotions for both brands at the same time could easily make one less effective. Because of this, a lot of people think Nintendo is waiting for the Mario parties to die down before putting all of its attention on Zelda. While Mario is still being marketed, the company might start to talk about its plans for the famous fantasy series.

The upcoming The Legend of Zelda Movie is another thing that could change how the event is celebrated. As they did with Mario, Nintendo might want to time the news about its games with the movie's advertising. With that plan, the business could get people excited about more than one site at the same time.

When Nintendo promoted the Mario movie, the company held a lot of events and shows just for the movie. Some of these were trailers, themed shows, and partnerships that went beyond games. It would be easy to use the same approach with Zelda, since the series has a lot of history and fans all over the world. This could mean that fans see themed goods, clothing collaborations, and material that promotes both movies before the movie comes out.

Nintendo is relying more and more on multimedia strategies, which have turned its game titles into bigger entertainment brands.

But while movies and products are fun, fans really want to know what games will be shown off during the party. Classic Zelda games being remastered or re-released is one of the most-asked-for options. Fans have been wanting new versions of some old games for a long time, and the 40th anniversary would be a great time to do it.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD are two games that fans talk about all the time. The first versions of both games came out again on the Wii U, but they have never been fully ported to newer Nintendo platforms. That's a big missing piece, especially when you think about how popular the games are with longtime Zelda players. Due to the Wii U's small install base, many players never got to play the HD versions. This means that a new release could reach a lot more people.

A common idea is that Nintendo might put out both games at the same time as a special package.

This kind of package could be like how Nintendo put together anniversary sets of old Mario games, with two classic Zelda games on one cartridge. That way, the collection might come out on hybrid systems like the Nintendo Switch or its replacement, the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo could go back to older games and do full remakes instead of just remastering them. The company has already tried this method with the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening in the past few years.

A lot of people liked that project's unique look and how well it recreated the original gameplay.

Many fans think Nintendo will remake more great Zelda games because of how well this one did. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and the two games that go together, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, are two very good choices. Fans still love these games, but it's hard for many players to get to them right now. A new version could bring them to a whole new group of players and make long-time fans who grew up with them happy.

At the same time, Nintendo has kept backing its more recent Zelda games. New fixes and updates for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom show that the company is still very committed to the series.

The reveal of a brand-new mainline Zelda game might be the most exciting thing that could happen on the 40th anniversary. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom comes out in 2023, so some fans might think it's too soon. However, Nintendo has a history of showing Zelda projects years before they come out.

One example is Tears of the Kingdom, which was first mentioned in 2019 but didn't come out until 2023.

Several other games in the series have also had similarly long development cycles. Because of this trend, Nintendo could easily say that they are working on a new Zelda adventure, even though the game won't come out for a few more years.

A simple statement like this could be a short teaser, a logo reveal, or even a splash screen saying that the next Zelda game is only being made for the Nintendo Switch 2. Fans would be very excited about even a small amount of information. The only thing left to decide is how Nintendo will show off its anniversary plans. There are a number of choices for the company.

A dedicated segment during a big Nintendo Direct presentation is one option.

Nintendo often uses these broadcasts to talk about new games and announcements that are coming out, and big events are often given their own spotlight during the event. A totally separate presentation about Zelda is another option. Nintendo has done themed Direct events for different franchises in the past, and a special anniversary show would give the company a lot of time to talk about games, merchandise, and the new movie.

It will also matter what time it is. Nearly every year, Nintendo holds at least two big Directs, one in the first half and one in the second. The Zelda anniversary announcements could come at either event, depending on when the company plans to share other things. As many fans see it, the fall presentation might make the most sense. That way, Nintendo could time the news better to fit with their marketing push for the Zelda movie.

It doesn't look like Nintendo will let the 40th anniversary of Zelda go by without doing something big. The franchise could be about to have one of its biggest years ever, with a movie based on the series coming out soon, possible remasters, and the news of a brand-new game.

A big party seems like the only way to honor a series that has defined adventure games for almost 40 years. Now, the only real question is when Nintendo will finally say what its plans are and how big the jubilee party will be.