Gossip Stone: Should There Be More One-Off Zelda Titles Like Tri Force Heroes?

For the hardened Zelda fan, Tri Force Heroes came as a surprisingly kooky light-hearted deviant from the series’ main titles. While Zelda games on the handheld systems are usually a little less pivotal to the series than the console installments, they typically follow the same formula and at the very least contain Princess Zelda– but this multiplayer jumble of quirkiness really shook things up. While quite entertaining, I’m not so sure this was a good thing. I typically welcome spin-offs, but should the Zelda series produce more one-off series deviants like Tri Force Heroes as canon Zelda games?

I think it’s fair to say that Tri Force Heroes took a lot of fans by surprise. No one was expecting a multiplayer, let alone one that would be released only four months after its announcement. The whirlwind of excitement convinced many fans that the game would be a great experience, especially with the costumes mechanic. I think fans did ultimately like the game, I for one did not (of course part of me was hoping for a spiritual successor to Four Swords Adventures, so that was strike one). But if nothing else, I was hoping the game would have a developing plot (strike two), and still be enjoyable in the single player mode (strike three).

My issue with Tri Force Heroes was that I expected it to follow the traditional Zelda formula, at least to some degree, or be in line with Four Swords Adventures or the other handheld titles. From the way Nintendo backed it at the beginning and what early gameplay teasers showed, it looked as if it could be traditional. And then things got increasingly different. Different never inherently means bad, but when a game is being projected to an audience that has set expectations for its series’ titles, and the game turns out to be otherwise, it can be rather off putting. Nintendo did make clear that the game would be split into levels and of course that the game would be focused around multiplayer, but still I held on to the idea that it would relate back to the main series in some significant way. And then Princess Styla happened. Upon seeing her I knew Tri Force Heroes wasn’t truly a Zelda game (as per my standards), and I don’t think it should have been advertised as such for so long within its four month press period.

Those who know me are very aware of my Legend of Zelda obsession. So one day a friend of mine asked for my opinion on Tri Force Heroes, I relayed my mixed reviews and she replied, “Yeah, I figured I’d ask because my brother told me it sucked.” A part of me was so angry with her brother! Tri Force Heroes should not be summed up with the word “sucked” by any means, the gameplay is great and the multiplayer experience is stupendous (at least when playing with friends). The problem was, her brother had looked at the game in the context of the Zelda series. Compared to the more serious and vast Zelda titles that the general gaming community is accustomed to, this game is trivial and out of place. Those deeper within the Zelda fanbase can appreciate it as a game all its own, but it wasn’t presented that way to most. I for one am glad that the Zelda series attempted to expand its horizons and break its typical formulaic mold– I want this to be encouraged, but I don’t want the fruit of this encouragement to tarnish the reputation of our beloved series.

This isn’t to say that one-off fun little Zelda deviants have no place with the series, I just think they need to take the form of spin-offs! Let’s take Hyrule Warriors, for instance. The game never paraded around as a typical Zelda game, it was immediately known to be a collaboration with Koei Tecmo– a hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors game with Zelda visuals and story elements. I firmly believe that if Tri Force Heroes had not been related to the Zelda series, it would’ve been just as successful or if it had been marketed as a multiplayer spin-off of the Zelda series, the expectation of typical Zelda elements would not have hurt its popularity. So in the future, fun and unique Zelda games definitely should continue to be produced. Not only will Zelda spin-offs of various gaming genres and gameplay styles appeal to a wider audience and introduce new players (as well as casual gamers) to the series, they’ll also be a breath of fresh air to committed Zelda fans who begin to get sick of the Zelda formula or just want to pick up a “Zelda” game with a less intense story. These games would be great inclusions in the Zelda family, they just shouldn’t be main series titles.

 
How did you feel about the way Tri Force Heroes was portrayed to the public? Do you think that it’s a stain on the series’ reputation (at least from an outside perspective), or do you think the game was a positive addition to the series that worked just as well being presented as a main series title? Moving forward, should more games be made and marketed like Tri Force Heroes, or more like Hyrule Warriors? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Alexis S. Anderson

Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.