​Concerns of the Fans: Is the Zelda Series Becoming Like the Mario Series?

Recently, I’ve been hearing rumblings in the Zelda community. The fans, the staff, and anyone who is fond of the Zelda series are starting to mount an uprising; a rebellion.

Okay, maybe it’s not as bad as that, but hear me out. I would like to address, explain, and remedy a concern that I have been hearing amongst certain members of the Zelda community.

Where is the Zelda Series Headed?

Some fans have been asking, “is the Zelda series becoming like Mario?” Simply put, the Mario series is a franchise that has branched out into many different spin-off titles and genres. Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, et cetera. The community has begun to accuse the Zelda franchise of following that trend as well

Last year we saw the announcement and release of the button-mashing success, Hyrule Warriors. There have been rumblings of a Hyrule Warriors 2 in the making, as other Dynasty Warriors spin-offs have received sequels as well.

Again last year, we saw the appearance of Link as a playable character in Mario Kart 8. He received his own bike, and even his own course! It’s as if there’s a mini Zelda game inside of Mario Kart. Also, let’s not forget the Zelda-themed DLC for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as well.

I notice fans feeling threatened; the Zelda series they all know and love is being changed, imported, and mixed into other games and franchises. Some have gone on to say “What’s next, Super Zelda World? Zelda Kart? Zelda Party?” While some may like these ideas, others do not, and they aren’t afraid of voicing their opinion.

Are they right? Is Nintendo going to mold the Zelda series into what Mario has become? The only conclusion I can arrive at is no. Here is the reason why.

Spin-Offs are Nothing New

Some fans may know this, though others may not: Zelda spin-offs are nothing new. We’ve seen four games in the Tingle series, Navi Trackers, Tetra Trackers, the three CD-i games, the Game and Watch: Zelda, the two Broadcast Satellite Zelda titles, the bardcode LCD title Barcode Battler II based of off A Link to the Past, and of course, Hyrule Warriors.

Let me explain what this means: Nintendo hasn’t done any major branching out with the Zelda series much at all since it’s creation. The biggest thing they’ve done is Hyrule Warriors, and let’s be honest; if they do release a Hyrule Warriors 2, a third one would be stretching it thin. I think Hyrule Warriors and possibly Hyrule Warriors 2 are the extent of the branching out Nintendo will do with the Zelda series.

Spin-offs for the series have been here since the 90s. They’re nothing to worry about. They never get much attention, (save Hyrule Warriors) and I believe Nintendo isn’t going to take any more major steps with Zelda spin-offs.

Nintendo knows they have a good thing going with traditional Zelda games, and they won’t mess with it too much. I wouldn’t worry, because the Zelda series is not becoming like Mario.

Do you agree? Were you worried in the first place? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.