Okay, folks, brace yourselves. The year 2026. February. Mark your calendars. The Legend of Zelda turns FORTY. Forty! That's, like, geriatric in video game years (and let's be real, for some of us playing these games, too!). And after witnessing the frankly insane amount of hype and fanfare Nintendo threw at Mario’s anniversary recently, I’m…well, I’m nervous. Excited, sure but mostly nervous.
Remember the Famicom Disk System? Man, those were the days. The original Zelda on that thing, pure magic. So, yeah, 40 years. Seems like just yesterday I was blowing into cartridges until my lungs gave out. Now we’re talking anniversary events and potential Ocarina of Time remakes. The times, they are a-changin'—and my back is starting to show it.
But here's the thing: Nintendo's track record with anniversaries is…spotty. Sometimes they knock it out of the park (hello, Metroid Prime remaster!). Other times and I'm thinking specifically about the last Zelda "celebration" they kinda just…fizzle. It’s like they forget they have some of the most beloved IPs in gaming history. Do they even realize the legacy they're sitting on?
This Mario anniversary bonanza? It set the bar high impossibly high, maybe. A whole freakin' segment dedicated to the mustachioed plumber? We’re talking:
Nintendo confirmed a new light display and themed tickets at the Nintendo Museum in Japan, and announced that Mario will be in attendance at the Kyoto Marathon 2026 which Nintendo is sponsoring...A teaser trailer was dropped for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, plus we got confirmation that Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 are set to land on Switch and Switch 2 consoles in a new bundle...
See? Insane! Light displays, marathons, MOVIE TRAILERS (!!!), and classic games making a triumphant return. It was almost too much to handle. Like, did they even consult a doctor before planning that much hype? My heart can only take so much.
Which brings us to Zelda. What can we realistically expect? Are we talking a similar level of celebration? I'm trying to manage my expectations here, people. Trying really hard. Let's look at some possibilities and temper them with a healthy dose of skepticism.
The Wish List: (Probably) Pie-in-the-Sky Edition
- Ocarina of Time Remake: Everyone's clamoring for it. And yeah, I'd buy it Day One. But a full remake? That’s a lot of work even for Nintendo, Plus it has been done on 3DS. (Please prove me wrong, Nintendo.)
- Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD on Switch 2: Ports? Yeah, that's more likely. Polished up for the new hardware? Sure. Day One Purchases once again? Absolutely! But don’t expect any massive overhauls, they'll probably just tweak the resolution and call it a day.
- New Amiibo: Okay, this one's almost a given. Nintendo loves those plastic figures. Expect a new Link amiibo—maybe even a Zelda amiibo to match. (And I’ll probably end up buying both; curse my collector's spirit!)
- Film News: The Mario movie was a smash hit. Another Zelda movie is almost inevitable. Maybe we’ll get casting news? Or fingers crossed, a trailer?
The Realistic Expectations: (Prepare for Mild Disappointment) Edition
- Nintendo Museum Collaboration: A themed exhibit? Yeah, I can see that happening. Maybe some behind-the-scenes artwork and developer interviews? But nothing too earth-shattering.
- Classic Titles on NSO: More Zelda games on Nintendo Switch Online? Sure, why not? But let’s be honest, they'll probably be the ones we've already played a million times. I'm holding out hope for the Oracle games never could beat those things when I was a kid.
Here's what Twitter's saying. Someone named CableFF7 added, "Honestly just announced a Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD port and maybe a Ocarina 3D and Majora 3D port and it will be a good anniversary.” Yeah but that's four games. Seems like a lot for Nintendo. They are historically kind of lazy (sorry, not sorry).
Someone else, Melwheezy, just wrote: "Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time remake?" Everyone wants that Ocarina of Time remake! I'm not getting my hopes up...yet.
Plus and this is a crucial point, the Switch 2 is rumored to be launching around the same time. So will Nintendo split its attention between the Zelda anniversary and the new console? Or will they cleverly bundle them together to drive sales? My bet is on the latter capitalism, ho!
Ultimately, I just don't want them to squander this opportunity. The Legend of Zelda deserves a celebration that's worthy of its legacy. I just hope Nintendo agrees. (Or at least, pretends to agree for marketing purposes.) But and this is a big but please, Nintendo, don't phone it in. Give us something to remember. Give us a reason to believe in magic again. Please?
