This video is sponsored by the brand new My Time at Portia mobile port.
The Legend of Zelda’s 35th Anniversary is feeling a lot…smaller…than Mario’s big
anniversary last year.
In 2020, we got Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
We got Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.
We got Mario Kart Live, and Super Mario 35.
We got a Mario Game & Watch.
We even got Mario Lego!
For Zelda, we’re getting…Skyward Sword HD, plus a Zelda Game & Watch.
According to Eiji Aonuma, that’s all we should expect.
He said: “This year, the original Legend of Zelda
game reaches its 35th anniversary…We don’t have any campaigns or other Nintendo Switch
games planned.”
So why isn’t Zelda getting the full Mario treatment?
First things first, it’s entirely possible that this video will age poorly.
While Aonuma didn’t have any other announcements for us at E3, it’s worth noting that the
Mario 35 announcement didn’t come until September.
We may yet see something else once Skyward Sword HD has been released.
Some had been hoping for a Zelda All-Stars collection.
There have been rumours, spread by journalists such as Andy Robinson of Video Game Chronicle
and Jeff Grubb, of Venture Beat, that Nintendo is planning re-releases for Twilight Princess
HD and Wind Waker HD.
When these weren’t announced, Grubb theorised: “I think we're not getting WW/TP for Zelda
35th because Nintendo isn't sure if we'll get BOTW 2 in 2022.
So if it needs a Zelda thing next summer/fall, it's good to have that in reserve.”
It is true that Nintendo tries to put out at least one Zelda game every year.
Re-releases, such as Skyward Sword HD, are useful for filling in gaps between big, tentpole
releases, such as Breath of the Wild 2, which take longer to finish.
It would make sense that Nintendo would essentially want a back-up game, ready to fire out in
case their schedule is thrown off.
The company’s willingness to delay a Zelda title if necessary is a big part of the reason
why the series is so beloved.
But what of the merchandise?
Why is there no Zelda Kart Live, or Zelda Lego?
Well, in our desperate attempts to appease our Zelda-obsessed daughter’s desire for
Zelda merch, we’ve noticed a trend.
Nintendo treats the Mario and Zelda franchises very differently, likely due to such different
audiences.
First, a quick word on this video’s sponsor.
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Now, where was I?
Oh yes – Mario vs Zelda.
Mario games, including all spin-off, have sold 800 million units worldwide, making it
the biggest video game franchise in terms of sales.
All Mario games are aimed at a family-friendly audience.
They can be enjoyed by grown-ups, but they can also be enjoyed by children.
However, not every Mario fan will buy every Mario game, or piece of merchandise.
A fan of Mario Kart won’t necessarily rush out to buy the new Mario Golf.
The fandom is broad, but also shallow.
So, Nintendo uses the scattergun approach, firing out a lot of merchandise at a low price
point.
The better to entice children and their parents to spend on action figures, Lego sets, and
clothing ranges.
These different products appeal to different sections of the Mario fanbase.
In contrast to this, the Zelda fandom is a lot smaller.
Zelda games have only sold 117 million units worldwide.
But, there the Zelda fandom is narrower, it’s also more dedicated, with deeper pockets.
With a few exceptions, Zelda games are aimed at teenagers and adults, instead of kids – and
this is reflected in the merchandise.
There are very few Zelda Jakks Pacific action figures, except for games like Wind Waker
with a more child-friendly art style.
Instead, Nintendo produces or licenses fewer pieces of Zelda merch, but they’re generally
of a premium quality and price point.
There are so many Zelda amiibo.
Every possible version of Link from nearly every game.
These figures are more expensive collectables that appeal to the older consumers with deeper
pockets.
The latest piece of Zelda merch to be added to the UK Nintendo store is a £90 statue
of Revali.
Nintendo doesn’t allow anything like this to be made for Mario, instead sticking to
far cheaper pieces of merch (a few Lego sets notwithstanding).
Hence why, for the Zelda anniversary, we’re getting a more-expensive-than-usual Loftwing
amiibo.
Nintendo knows that Zelda fans will tolerate the higher price.
The company’s still not producing enough to meet demand, but that’s another issue
altogether.
Hence also why Mario gets 3-in-1 All Stars packages for re-releases, while Zelda games
are released individually as HD remasters.
Nintendo knows that, with the right layer of extra polish, fans will be willing to pay
a premium price for older games.
As Nintendo typically makes fewer, more expensive Zelda products, we can see why they might
not want to give the Zelda brand the same wide anniversary experience that Mario had.
But, hey.
That’s just a theory.
And, of course, there are plenty of other factors at play here.
Work-from-home delays in 2020 that are impacting the current line-up, the possibility of future
releases in 2022 depending on Breath of the Wild 2’s development schedule.
There may even be another surprise yet to be announced once Skyward Sword has been released.
For now, though, Nintendo is having a minimalist Zelda anniversary.
A Marie Kondo Zelda anniversary, focusing on things that will definitely spark joy for
every single Zelda fan, avoiding the clutter that comes from having too many releases at
once.
And as for Metroid fans…well, at least there’s Metroid Dread.
To be honest, that’s more than any of us expected.