Nintendo Seemingly Files Another Tears of the Kingdom Patent
Posted on February 13 2024 by Heather Beard
Nintendo had a really big 2023, and it seems the company is looking to patent elements from two of its biggest titles. As pointed out in a recent Hatena Blog post by user naoya2k, it appears that patents for elements from both The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder were filed by Nintendo in 2023, though they were only recently made publicly available.
Let’s look at the supposed Tears of the Kingdom patent first. The patent appears to deal with Link’s Ultrahand ability and the specific applications in which it can be used. The patent covers the player’s ability to select one item and attach it to another item, with those items being able to then function as one new item. Think building the popular fan bike for example, or like the patent images show, a vehicle with wheels.
You can read the patent in full in Japanese here. This wouldn’t be the first patent that Nintendo has filed for Tears of the Kingdom; if you would like to read more about previous patents, you can find about our coverage here.
Let’s now look at the supposed Super Mario Bros. Wonder patent.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder released back in October of last year, and the patent was originally filed a few months earlier in August. It appears to highlight the “Ghost” mechanic from the game’s multiplayer mode. When a player is downed, they can attempt to respawn by making contact with an item, such as another character or one of the game’s standees.
If you’ve played Super Mario Bros. Wonder, you’re likely familiar with the respawn mechanic. Having played the game, I have to admit that being a little ghost is pretty cute, even though you’re on the brink of being out of the game. The full patent was available here, but it now displays an “Error” screen.
Nintendo certainly has been busy over the last year, and there have been a lot of awesome new abilities shown off in Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and others. So why not get those abilities locked down?
What do you think of Nintendo’s latest patent filings? Do you have any thoughts for these abilities going forward? Do you think we’ll see Ultrahand again in future Zelda games? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: J-PlatPat Patent Information Platform (via naoya2k, Nintendo Life)
Hi I’m Heather! I’m Senior Editor and Art Director at Zelda Dungeon and I’ve been a member of the ZD team since 2019. I am a graphic designer, artist, and nerdy mom to an awesome little boy. When my nose isn’t in a book, working on my novel or watching anime you can find me curled up with my cats Mandy-Lynn and Daisy Mae.
