Zelda Universe Pleads for CD-i Zelda Games to Appear on the Virtual Console

It’s not often we talk about our fellow Zelda fansites, but sometimes an interesting prospect is mentioned and it’s just worth talking about. In today’s case, our fellow affiliate Zelda Universe has been found pleading for the virtual console release of all three CD-i Zelda games. The reasoning can be broken down in a lot simpler words than what they use. Essentially, it’s because very few people have played it so they will sell on name alone, they are rare, and 73% of some random poll they did in their forums tells them that fans that do know about the games would buy them at a decent price.

What it ignores however is the other side of the coin. Why Nintendo won’t release them, nor should we really want them to. Outside of the fact that all three games are just terrible and barely playable (don’t take my word for it, Angry Video Game Nerd did a fantastic job himself showing why they are terrible), there truly isn’t that much demand for them. Sure, their community forum poll may speak otherwise, but that community doesn’t represent the entire fan base. Neigh, the full combination of all Zelda fansites doesn’t represent even a minute fraction of the Zelda fan base (however, we’re not irrelevant either. Nintendo has shown time and time again to take the big fan sites for the series seriously when it comes to criticism and open opinions on the franchise).

You also have to understand that Nintendo disowned the games for a reason. They couldn’t yank the already signed contract which is how they still got released under the Zelda banner, but releasing them into an open market with millions of gamers who may not even be aware of their existence, let alone how bad they are (and with Nintendo’s name attached too boot) will only tarnish the Zelda reputation. Some may say if the cartoon series couldn’t tarnish it how could these games, but the fact remains comparatively the zelda cartoons are like… Darkwing Duck compared to Teletubbys. The cartoons look absolutely brilliant by comparison to these games.

Nintendo wouldn’t risk not only alienating fans who don’t know how bad they are going in, they would harm more than Zelda’s reputation. Rather, they could harm their companies reputation. It is true – the games are rare and many people would buy them thinking it’s some Zelda game and hey… it must be good because it’s Zelda. It just… no. Maybe I am being overly critical, but in earnest I just don’t see a positive reason to put it on there outside of some hardcore zelda fans being curious and wanting to truly complete the collection without spending thousands of dollars. Lysia from Zelda Universe has her heart in the right place, but I just can’t agree with the conclusion. CD-i Zelda… it can just go die in a pit.