Adventure on the Horizon: The Opportunities of A Late 2016 Zelda U

When Nintendo came out with the announcement that a 2015 release for

Zelda U was no longer a priority for the title, fans (myself very much included) were rather disappointed; what happened to our big 2015 title? Adding insult to injury, Aonuma added that the game would not be shown at E3, further confounding fans. Hadn’t we seen gameplay back in December at the Video Game Awards? What stopped Nintendo from showing off a bit more of how this title will play this past June?

While there are undoubtedly many out there who are still struggling to deal with the delay, I believe it’s safe to say that most have accepted that this is for the best of the game. It’s not uncommon for

Zelda titles to experience lengthy delays and, while it was nice to see some “gameplay” at the VGAs, it was certainly nothing befitting of a game nearing release. With this in mind, I won’t discuss why the delay is good for Zelda U; for that, I highly recommend this article by Alex Plant from Gamnesia. Instead, I’d like to discuss the opportunities now made possible by Zelda U’s delay.

Mobile Gaming

At this point in time, we know very little about Nintendo’s plans for the mobile games they are developing with DeNA. While they did reveal that they are only planning to release five titles for smart devices by March 2017, they have neglected to say which of their IPs they are choosing to adapt to the mobile gaming sphere. We can hope that one of these five ends up being a Zelda title that brings more fans into the fold, but if Nintendo’s recent tight-lipped approach to Zelda continues, it may be quite a while before we know for certain. That being said, and while we still have freedom to speculate, it’s worth entertaining the notion of a mobile Zelda title that truly promotes the IP on dedicated consoles

With a 2016 release looking likely, Zelda U will release after the first of Nintendo’s forays into the sphere of mobile gaming has gone live, with several more to come in that very same year. Given the relatively small pool of gamers who not only know

of Zelda, but actually play (and more importantly, buy Zelda titles), bringing Zelda to the masses through a mobile title would be a fantastic way to bring new fans into the fold. Additionally, if Nintendo’s stance on promoting their dedicated gaming platforms through mobile games holds true, a taste of Zelda U in the smartphone arena would be a welcome method of support.

Amiibo Support

There is no denying that Nintendo chose a winner when it decided to pursue a toys-to-life strategy. Ever since their introduction in November of last year, fans have been clamoring to collect these figures, despite critiques surrounding design and availability. Upon their announcement, Nintendo made it clear that the first wave was part of a “Super Smash Bros.” series – a distinction now even more clear with the Super Mario, Splatoon, Yoshi’s Woolly World, and Animal Crossing series, not to mention the oddball Chibi-Robo and Super Mario Maker amiibo.

While Nintendo has only hinted at the

use of amiibo in future Zelda titles, I believe it’s very likely that we’ll see the release of some Zelda amiibo alongside Zelda U. Each of the aforementioned figures has been released in order to promote a game that Nintendo is particularly invested in, as well as to (assumedly) make additional income along with that received from the game itself. And although the Zelda series is known for its quality, its fanbase and appeal (relative to that of other Nintendo series such as Pokemon and Mario) do not extend far beyond the faithful.

At this point in the amiibo game, it’s not a matter of if, but how amiibo will be integrated into Zelda U. Some may cringe at the thought of content hidden behind what is essentially physical DLC, but there is no guaranteed that this is the route Nintendo will take, especially considering it could negatively impact one of their most well-respected series. For now, we can hope that the second year of amiibo will bring with it some stability to their releases, and begin to decide exactly where amiibo’s purpose, relative to their games, should be.

NX/Wii U Release

As little as we know about Nintendo’s specific mobile gaming plans, we know even less about “NX”. A codename in the same vein as “The Revolution” (the codename for the Wii prior to its release), we can’t deduce anything from the name, and Nintendo has made it clear that they will not delve any further into whatever NX is until next year. Regardless, tidbits have come out here and there, and we’re slowly getting more confident with the idea that the NX will be a home console.

Assuming this is true, it would not be out of the question for Nintendo to release the next big

Zelda title on the two consoles (Wii U and NX) simultaneously – or very near it. We already know that Zelda U is more likely to release in the latter half of 2016, presumably around the holiday season. We can’t say how soon after this time the NX will launch (holiday 2016 seems to be cutting it close), but Nintendo is clearly moving away from the Wii U, as indicated by their relatively weak lineup from this year’s E3.

A New Zelda for A New Nintendo

Do not mistake my declaration that the Wii U is being put to the side as a sign that I don’t believe in the longevity of Nintendo products; that couldn’t be further from the truth. In an age where games drop in price mere months after release, the quality of Nintendo’s releases justify their consistent retail value. That being said,

Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros., Splatoon, Nintendo Land (forever underrated), and any number of the other superb titles that I anticipate playing for years are only one part of the puzzle.

Nonetheless, I believe in the importance of Nintendo’s motto: “Software sells hardware”. While it’s no substitution for a proper console launch, Zelda U is in a place to remind folks why Nintendo is still in the business of first-party video game development, and can take some of Nintendo’s most jarring shifts as of late in stride. If this is the case, Nintendo’s supposed dedication to “transformation” just might not turn out to be a buzzword from an E3 gone wrong.