Why Nintendo Should Make a new Zelda Cartoon

Teased relentlessly in the current era of internet memes and viral YouTube clips, The Legend of Zelda animated series can best be described as a product of its time. The show thrives on the trappings of NES-era Zelda, goofy humor and cartoon character archetypes typical of the 1980s. Link comes across as a lovable doofus, whining and spouting catchphrases as he persistently fails to get to first base with action-girl Princess Zelda. Together they thwart the inept plots of raspy pig wizard, Ganon, to take over the kingdom.

Although charming and chock-full of entertainment, it would be a stretch to call the show a groundbreaking adaptation of Nintendo’s popular fantasy adventure series. At the time it was exciting enough just to see Hyrule freed from the visual limits of 8-bit sprites. DIC Entertainment only had the first two Zelda games to draw upon for inspiration, and used the reference material appropriately when fleshing out its 13 episodes. Viewed today, however, the cartoon’s episodic nature and jarring shift from the tone of modern Zelda games keeps it from rising above the typical fare of Saturday morning lineups.

What was a missed opportunity in 1989, however, has the makings for success today. Animators could now draw inspiration from 17 mainstream Zelda games, each with an undeniable cartoon spirit. They feature bizarre creatures, cheerful fantasy visuals and character designs inspired by the stylized trappings of anime. Even Twilight Princess, with its faded color palette and inclination for realism, shows a cartoon-ish side with outlandish characters like the baby entrepreneur, Malo. On the other end of the spectrum, The Wind Waker’s cel-shaded graphics deliver expressive toon visuals, bright colors and whimsical sights. With a long history of paying homage to animation, Zelda might be the perfect gaming franchise to adapt into a action cartoon.

Zelda’s untapped cartoon potential dawned on me recently when re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the umpteenth time. Nickelodeon struck animated gold with its fantasy epic, combining elemental martial arts, a diverse mix of cultural imagery and timeless characters to create one of the most talked-about cartoons of the past generation. People of all ages latched onto its smart storytelling, spawning a devoted fan base kept alive to this day by spin-offs and comics. A similar passion surrounds the Zelda series, a kid-friendly property beloved by hardcore gamers worldwide.

Although my personal love for animation drives my enthusiasm for a new Zelda cartoon, Nintendo would also have much to gain from launching one. The company desperately needs to revitalize its image. Its financial prospects have noticeably dimmed following the standout success of the Nintendo DS and Wii. The Wii U has infamously under-performed since its launch, and the Nintendo 3DS, although successful, has not lived up to its predecessor’s impressive numbers. Nintendo can only pull out of this financial rout if it takes full advantage of its greatest strength: its beloved first party properties.

Nintendo must leverage the full potential of its iconic characters, and this means employing them beyond the realm of video games. Ever since the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film flopped spectacularly, Nintendo has shied away from non-game adaptations of its intellectual properties. Earlier this year, however, the company announced plans to expand its character licensing business. We’ve already seen this result in a Zelda-themed version of Monopoly, pegged for release this September. Licensing deals, however, should ideally enhance the storytelling chops of Nintendo’s worlds and characters.

Based on how silly most live-action Zelda fan films look, animation seems like the only appropriate medium for bringing the series to life outside its legendary games. External companies have already shown an interest in animating Zelda. Nintendo turned down Imagi Studio’s pitch for a Zelda CG-animated movie in 2007. Although featuring a strangely foppish Ganondorf, the proof-of-concept trailer released online last year proved that Zelda could make a triumphant return to animation under the right circumstances.

Nintendo built its gaming empire by appealing to children. Many of its original fans, who grew up during the company’s video game heyday, still love Nintendo products. But the company needs to continue impacting each successive generation of gamers if it wants to remain a pop cultural force to be reckoned with. In recent years Nintendo has lost competitive ground to its console competitors and mobile games. Even if cartoons don’t dominate childhood passions as much as they did in the ’80s and ’90s, a new Zelda action cartoon could still spark renewed enthusiasm for the property. It could hook a new batch of Nintendo kids and get plenty of current Zelda fans to tune in as well.

An animated powerhouse, Japan hosts the artistic brilliance of Studio Ghibli and countless other talented animation studios. Media companies frequently take advantage of Japan’s love affair with cartoons to advertise comics and games. Game developer Level-5 recently saw great success marketing its Yo-Kai Watch RPG this way. Released in July 2013, the Nintendo 3DS game stars a young boy who captures ghosts using a magical watch. Although it posted respectable numbers when it first launched, it took a dedicated animated adaptation to keep Yo-Kai Watch tracking on Japanese sales charts. The game has sold almost a million copies so far, and its animated counterpart often surpasses Pokémon’s weekly viewership.

Cartoons work great as advertising subtly disguised as entertainment. Nintendo only needs to look at how Pokémon has fared over the years to see the benefits of using a long-running animated series and frequent films to stroke interest in its games. The Pokémon anime introduced countless American kids to the franchise, including yours truly. Even Nintendo’s one-time rival Sega continues to pump out Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons, arguably keeping its iconic blue hedgehog hero relevant as his games falter critically.

At its heart, Zelda’s simple premise – a youthful hero who conquers dungeons and battles monsters – offers the perfect foundation to build an exciting action cartoon. Nintendo rightfully prioritizes gameplay over story when designing its games. Cartoon adaptations, however, could deliver bursts of pure storytelling free from gameplay restraints. The show could help characterize Link, giving him the likable enthusiastic personality seen in the Akira Himekawa Zelda mangas, without removing his traditional muteness from the games. A cartoon could also flesh out Hyrule’s lore, exploring in-depth side stories to a degree that would be impractical in a game.

Zelda can succeed as a cartoon if treated seriously and painted with the same grand strokes of energetic adventure that Nintendo infuses in their gaming masterpieces. Maybe then the series will finally live down the “Excuse Me, Princess” meme and the Zelda CD-i cut scenes… maybe.

Would you like to see a new Zelda cartoon? If so, what would you want it to look like? Would you prefer if it used computer animation in the vein of Star Wars: The Clone Wars or traditional 2D animation like Avatar: The Last Airbender? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.