Daily Debate: Were You Underwhelmed By 2019’s Zelda Releases?
Posted on October 20 2019 by Rod Lloyd
This year was a big one for the Zelda series. In 2019, we not only caught the first glimpse of Breath of the Wild‘s sequel, but we received two new Zelda releases: Cadence of Hyrule and Link’s Awakening. We at Zelda Dungeon were certainly busy keeping up with all the action, and we were certainly excited to get our hands on each new game. However, looking back at the last several months, we can’t help but feel that the fanbase wasn’t as fired up about this year’s Zelda offerings as they have been in years past.
Despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, Cadence of Hyrule has not, at least in our corner of the internet, secured a lasting place in the collective memory of Zelda fans. Based on both website and social media data, Cadence has garnered little engagement from our audience, and recent articles centered on the game have, to me, been met with apathy. A more tempered response is to be expected when it comes to a Zelda spinoff title, but when compared to past spinoffs like Hyrule Warriors, Cadence of Hyrule seems to have been disregarded especially quickly. And Link’s Awakening may still be fresh in our minds, but we’ve noticed a similar reaction from the fanbase regarding the Switch remake, despite even a strong marketing push by Nintendo.
If we do come to the consensus that 2019’s Zelda releases were ultimately underwhelming, the follow-up question would be, “Why?” I would argue that the reveal of Breath of the Wild 2, an undoubtedly huge title and a follow-up to one of best received Zelda titles in recent years, did a lot to subdue the release of the two small-scale Zelda titles we received this year. Perhaps fans are more interested in anticipating the next big Zelda game and have thus invested less attention in Cadence of Hyrule and Link’s Awakening. Releasing Cadence the same week BotW 2 was announced couldn’t have helped at all. I would also argue that the bite-sized nature of both 2019 releases did a lot to minimize their lasting impact. Players — me included — have finished both games rather quickly and have therefore spent less time within their worlds overall.
So, what do you think? Were, with all things said and done, Cadence of Hyrule and Link’s Awakening ultimately underwhelming? And if so, what factors do you see that contributed to that sentiment? Jump into the comments and join the Daily Debate!
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
