Nintendo Shares Disappointing Update on The Legend of Zelda Remasters

This year marks the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda's release on NES, and many fans assumed we might see the franchise get an anniversary compilation similar to Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Zelda fans will still have a lot of ways to celebrate the series this year, but it seems that Switch will not play host to any Zelda remasters beyond The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. During the company's E3 2021 Direct presentation, Eiji Aonuma confirmed that Nintendo doesn't "have any campaigns or other Nintendo Switch games planned." For now, that means fans will just have to settle for Skyward Sword HD and the newly announced content for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity this year!

Despite the fact that we won't see additional Zelda games released, today's Nintendo Direct still had quite a bit of exciting news for fans of the series. Nintendo revealed a new Game & Watch device containing multiple games from the series, and showcased footage from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. The sequel won't release until 2022, but there were a number of interesting details on display. The skies above Hyrule will apparently play an integral role in the game, which seems to explain Nintendo's decision to port Skyward Sword to the Nintendo Switch.

Aonuma's comments seem to kill any hope of a Zelda collection coming to Switch this year, but that doesn't necessarily crush any possibility for the future. Nintendo is clearly aware that there is strong demand for remasters, and it seems like a safe bet we'll see more classic Zelda games arrive on the system in the future.

This year isn't just the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda; 2021 is also the 40th anniversary of the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Rumors had suggested that a new 2D Donkey Kong game would be revealed during Nintendo's E3 Direct presentation, but those didn't quite pan out, unfortunately. Perhaps we'll see some kind of celebration announced for the character later this year!

Are you disappointed that Nintendo didn't announce additional Zelda remasters for this year? Which Zelda games would you most like to see arrive on Nintendo Switch? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!