Daily Debate: Is the Zelda Series Relying Too Much On Remakes?

Majora’s Mask 3D has been the topic of conversation among Zelda fans as of late, and for good reason. The Collector’s Edition Bundles have been selling out of their pre-orders faster than most people can find that they even exist. Our most recent article stated that Best Buy was the last place to have it available for pre-order, but I found this morning that the product page has updated from “Pre-Order” to “Coming Soon” so it may already be too late for anyone who’s a little behind. This release marks the fifth remake in the series and appears to be the next link (pun intended) in a developing chain that started gaining speed with Ocarina of Time 3D; a trend that, according to Eiji Aonuma, may not be stopping anytime soon. So what does this mean for the future of the Zelda series?

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy playing through revamped classics.

Wind Waker HD secured a home on the Wii U and has shown that it was a game restricted by technology alone and lives in this generation of consoles. Both Link’s Awakening DX and A Link to the Past for GBA only improved on their originals with solid content and updated quality. The success of Ocarina of Time 3D is arguably the reason that we are even getting a remake for Majora’s Mask. But what cost does this bring to the series? Could the Wii U be the first home console since the SNES to have only one original Zelda title released during it’s lifespan?

Before the criticism begins, let me be clear that I understand the vast amount of work that is being put into

Zelda U; and if our dreams come true, we will soon have the Zelda game to trump them all. I know that this is a huge undertaking and I too prefer quality over quantity, but we are quickly closing in on the remakes catching up to the series entirely; at least on the home console front. Many would welcome a Twilight Princess HD remake, but it’s only been just over three years since Skyward Sword, not nearly enough time for people to want a new version of the same game. There are plenty of titles in the handheld line of the series just waiting to be brought back to life, however. It would be a great time to see the games that didn’t make much of an impact to the series return in a new way to show why they are so special; Zelda II (I’m aware that this was a console game, but it would fit perfectly on a handheld device), Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks all come to my mind.

So I ask you

Zelda fans, what do you think of the idea of more remakes down the line? Would you like to see more classics make a return and shine a new light or would you rather the Zelda team focus on all new experiences? Are spin-off titles like Hyrule Warriors the direction the series needs for more Zelda content? Do you think these non-canon releases and DLC appearances like Mario Kart 8 are just noise to combat the silence during droughts in the series? Sound off in the comments below.