Daily Debate: What Kind of Achievements Would You Like to See in Existing Zelda Games?

Since the era of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, Sony and Microsoft having implemented achievement systems on their consoles which provide an incentive for players to achieve unique or impressive feats, and to track progression in games. The most common achievements — or “Trophies”, as they are called at Sony — are unlocked by defeating bosses, racking up high scores in mini games, or by finishing the game at varying difficulties. Others require the player to perform actions that they otherwise wouldn’t on a normal playthrough. Some memorable examples include one from The Stanley Parable which requires the player to not play the game for 10 years, and one from the  Resident Evil 4 remake which is unlocked by throwing a grenade into a certain boss’s mouth. They aren’t always particularly difficult, but they provide a fun distraction or an additional challenge for players.

However, despite the success and popularity of achievements, Nintendo has yet to include a comparable system on any of their consoles. The closest they ever got was with the Wii U’s Miiverse Stamps, in-game collectibles that unlocked graphics for posts on the Miiverse social media platform. Unfortunately, with the platform shutting down in 2017, Miiverse Stamps are now useless. Perhaps with the rumored Switch successor on the horizon, Nintendo will finally jump on the bandwagon and implement a proper achievement system.

So, if achievements were added to a Nintendo console, what would they look like? What kind of achievements would you like to see in legacy franchises like Metroid or The Legend of Zelda? What specific events or actions would you like to see rewarded with an achievement in a Zelda game?

As for me, I always like the achievements that encourage the player to try things they wouldn’t otherwise do. Achievements like those that reward sequence breaks or avoiding the use of certain items could provide an additional challenge for players. One that I think would be particularly fun would be an achievement for completing Ocarina of Time‘s Fire Temple without acquiring the Goron Tunic, a feat I accidentally accomplished myself. In that same game there could be achievements for players who beat the game without breaking or burning through any Deku Sticks, or for players who get to Castle Town before sundown after leaving Kokiri Forest. Other achievements could be rewarded to Link’s Awakening players who steal from the Mabe Village store, who see all of the unique events while on the date with Marin, or who beat the game without dying and are rewarded with the secret ending.

One game, however, that is ripe with opportunity for achievements is Majora’s Mask. The plethora of side quests and the repetitive nature of the three-day cycle makes Majora’s Mask a sandbox for testing choices and their outcomes. Maybe players could be awarded for giving the Express Mail to Madame Aroma directly instead of going through Postman. There could be achievements for passing the Keaton’s quiz, for giving Anju’s letter to the toilet hand, or for other unique encounters like fighting the Big Poe in the Ikana Graveyard. Of all of the Zelda games, Majora’s Mask has the most potential to run wild with quirky achievements.

Now tell us what you think. Would Nintendo’s franchises benefit from having achievements? Should Nintendo’s achievements serve an additional function like Miiverse Stamps? What unique achievements could be added to existing Zelda games? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Nick Miller

Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders.