Daily Debate: What 3D Elements Should Come to 2D Zeldas?

Yesterday we discussed bringing various aspects of the 2D Zeldas into future titles of the third dimension; today it’s time to flip that discussion on its head. As much as the 3D games could learn from the original classics and the handheld titles, could the reverse not be true as well? Couldn’t we take certain aspects of the 3D titles and bring them over to 2D games?

This one’s a bit trickier for me, as many of my favorite moments and aspects of the 3D games really only work because they’re 3D—either that, or they’re aspects that have already appeared in 2D titles. The swimming abilities granted by the Silver Scale or the Zora Mask, the gliding abilities of Deku Link or the Deku Leaf, the gap-crossing potential of the Double Clawshots, the explorative potential of the Beetle… How could those even work in 2D? I can scarcely imagine it… But then again, I suppose that seeing how the Zelda team would manage that transfer would be half of the fun.

And I just realized that I’ve been completely discounting the possibility of using those items in a 2.5D game, like Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were. Might be easier to port them into those. I’m also focusing a lot on items here… No doubt many of the grand bosses, exotic locations, and memorable puzzles could make the jump back into the handheld space in amazing ways.

So what do you guys think? What would you like to see brought from 3D games into the 2D ones?