If the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U generation will be known for anything, it will be the wealth of remastered games reappearing on our hard drives and shelves. All of these games from the two generations prior keep reappearing with minimal alterations, like improved music and graphics or an altered control scheme. It’s disappointing, because The Legend of Zelda remasters are setting a new standard.
When Nintendo decided to remaster The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , people expected the usual. We thought there’d be improved graphics, better audio, and a control scheme that adapted to the Gamepad or Pro Controller. It’s the precedent we’d already come to expect from games like Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition , The Last of Us Remastered , Saints Row IV: Re-Elected , and the Journey remaster. That’s when Nintendo set a new standard.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD started by improving the game. It added Swift Sail, for people who didn’t want to always use the Wind Waker. Then, it made you only have to read charts for three of the eight Triforce pieces. It let you use the Gamepad to search your inventory and maps, or even play the whole game off-screen. From there, it added features it didn’t have to, like a Hero mode that’s more challenging, Miiverse integration via the Tingle Bottles, and an improved Picto Box for selfies. It made the game feel better than before.
Now, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is doing the same thing. Of course, it’s doing the expected stuff. It has better graphics, better audio, new control options, and so on. But it also brings back Hero mode, for people who like stronger enemies and only being able to heal with fairies and potions. It’s bringing a new dungeon to explore, provided you have a Wolf Link amiibo to access it. For people who want a little help, other The Legend of Zelda amiibo add hearts and arrows. Things are being done to make the experience feel different and worth playing again.
Think about what the other games did. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was basically a slightly prettier version of the original. The same goes for Journey , Saints Row IV: Re-Elected , and God of War III: Remastered . Those all scream “cash in,” while Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda remasters exhibit actual effort.
We’re getting to a point in this generation where lazily porting a game from one platform to another with a little shine won’t work. Nintendo has raised the bar with its The Legend of Zelda remasters for the Wii U. One can only imagine that Twilight Princess HD will have even more secrets to share. Other developers and publishers need to take notice and step up.