Do Big-Name Zelda Games Need the Master Sword?

[Lord Death]

So I was watching this video review of The Wind Waker, and the reviewer said something that got me thinking. He said, "And yes, you will get the Master Sword, because what's a Zelda game without the Master Sword?"

Now we all know that there are plenty of Zelda games that don't include the Master Sword: The Legend of Zelda, Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, etc. And these are all good games to me! However, the most popular Zelda games: Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, they all have the Master Sword in them.

So the question in more detail: Does the Master Sword make a Zelda game for you? Do you think there ever could be an extremely popular Zelda game without it, one regarded as the best yet?

I personally think a game doesn't need the Master Sword to be great, but I do acknowledge it as a staple and icon in the Zelda franchise. So many people slap it along with the name Legend of Zelda, and now that it has a story and history of it's own, it might be harder to include in games that fit correctly in the timeline. This worries me because if it is eventually dropped, will people ever consider those games better than OoT or A Link to the Past?

What do you guys think?

 

[fused_shadows]

Obviously, the picture of Link with the Hylian Shield and Master Sword in his hands is one of the iconic representations of the Zelda Series that exists. The Master Sword is definitely a part of the Zelda Series almost as much as Link is. Do I think the Master Sword is a must in every Zelda Game? No. Do I think it makes games slightly more epic? Yes.

Acquiring the Master Sword in Hyrule is equivalent to aquiring the Holy Grail to humans. It is so rare only happened one every ten thousand years or so. It is an iconic item, and therefore should be in every console Zelda.

 

[crazysteve1001]

The Master Sword is like the iconic weapon in the Zelda franchise, so it would be important to have it in. But, I do think it is possible to have a good Zelda game without the Master Sword.

 

[iMadMax]

hmmmmm thats a really good question. Because all the great Zelda games have The Master Sword in them. But i think Nintendo should try something new for the next Zelda because the items are starting to get old.

 

[LanceLercher]

Is this a serious question? Of coarse you need the Master Sword for it to be a great Zelda game! Nah, just joking, but I do feel like the Master Sword is a big part of the Zelda series. I feel like the Four Sword could be just as big if it were implemented into a 3D console game that had a real inventory. It isn't the Master Sword that makes a great game, but it is definitely a big part of the major Zelda games. It all comes down to console verses handheld, and how the game is handled. The console games are always going to be the big ones, and these are the ones that continually implement the Master Sword or its predacessor--the Magic Sword.

 

[Ronin]

A lot of elements impel the game toward epicness for me.

You are right in saying that a Zelda title doesn't need the Master Sword to be great. It's iconic to the series for many, and every time it's added to a new game, it brings intrigue to the player. What will it be implemented for this time? How will it affect the story? That's how I view the Master Sword, because it's more than a blade Link uses to defeat otherwise insurmountable foes. It's a priceless addition of the story mechanics as well. The past few games that it was included in gave it more value that effectively influenced the plot. It played certain parts in each story, other than defeating Ganon.

- In Ocarina of Time, the MS acts as a door that opens and closes the flow of Time.
- In Wind Waker, the MS's power had to be restored through prayer.
- In Twilight Princess, the MS banished the shadowy curse that transformed Link into his wolf form.
- In SS, the Goddess Sword has to go through stages to reach its ultimate form: the Master Sword.

I'll reiterate, these only help to better the drive of the plotline; they don't make the game worth playing on their own.

Even minus the Blade of Evil's Bane Zelda has proven to succeed and be great. It's not that they're reduced to nothing if it's not added every single time. Majora's Mask, for example, didn't show one glimpse of it, and MM featured numerous assets. It had a mature atmosphere which set the tone for the game, just to name one of the tops for MM. So, without the Master Sword it's still a Zelda game, but the only difference is the area of interest, and that is subject to what the player prefers.

 

[winterbbytumblr]

Absolutely, you need the Master Sword- it creates an epic Zelda game

 

[Spirit]

MM didn't have the Master Sword but it had Fierce Deity and he was so much more epic than the Master Sword. The Master Sword has become a burden to me in recent Zelda Titles; WW you had to conquer dungeons to unleash its true potential and in SS you had to do practically the whole game. I want my foes to feel the wrath of my long blade early on =]

 

[Terez]

Finding the Master Sword wakes up this epic nostalgic trustworthy awesome feeling inside me...

...so I do consider finding the Master Sword when playing a more serious and bigger Zelda game as a plus.

 

[MW7]

Well the Master Sword is a superficial detail found in the story usually. They literally could have substituted a new sword in any game and the only negative damage this would cause that I would think of is that it would hurt the story continuity of the series. For instance Phantom Hourglass is about the forging of a whole other sword, and I don't think anyone cared about that. They were too busy enjoying the game or complaining about the controls to focus on a minor detail. However the continuity of the story is totally screwed up anyway in tons of different ways anyway one example being the location of the Master Sword mysteriously moves around between games with absolutely no explanation. So no the Master Sword is nearly an extraneous detail and no Zelda game NEEDS it. However because it helps the continuity of the Legend of Zelda it is slightly important to some people. I don't think it could honestly make or break a game for anyone but I could be wrong.

 

[wedge47]

The games that don't have a Master Sword are mainly just side games (MM, PH, ST). I think that the original LOZ did have a "master" sword, even though it wasn't called exactly that, and even though it wasn't a requirement to beat Ganon.

I think the story of the Master Sword is one of more key story lines in the Zelda universe. A game without it, is... well just not as epic.

 

[Squirrel]

I don't think the Master Sword is necessarily needed in a Zelda game if there's something even better like Link's Fierce Deity form in MM. When there isn't something totally epic besides the Master Sword, then you need the Master Sword to fill that gap where something epic should be.