It's Time To Let Go Of Zelda: Wind Waker & Twilight Princess On Nintendo Switch

Summary The Switch 2 is a more likely destination for Wind Waker and Twilight Princess.

2024 is likely the last year of major Switch support.

Bolstering the Switch 2's launch library with classic Zelda games would increase its appeal.

Being able to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on the Nintendo Switch has been the dream of many console owners since its launch, but the smart thing to do at this point is to accept that it's not going to happen. Both of these classic Zelda titles made triumphant returns on the Wii U, but they've been stuck there ever since. Considering how many Wii U titles have received Switch ports, it's been odd that two remastered entries in one of Nintendo's biggest franchises never made the jump.

The Wii U versions of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess aren't radically different from their original presentations, but there's a strong case to be made that the remasters are the best way to play the games today. This is especially true for Wind Waker, which translates exceptionally well to HD thanks to its timeless cel-shaded style. Both games also benefit from a few quality-of-life changes, like streamlining a slow treasure hunt in Wind Waker and making it possible to switch into Link's wolf form with the press of a button in Twilight Princess.

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The Switch 2 Might Have Wind Waker & Twilight Princess

2024 Is Probably The Last Year Of Major Switch Support

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The Nintendo Switch has been out for seven years already, and although it's still going strong, it's just about at the end of its life cycle as the central Nintendo console. Rumors have been flying about a Switch 2 release in the near future for some time now, which was originally looking like a 2024 release but seems more likely to arrive in 2025 now. Even with that delay, the Switch's days are numbered, and Nintendo will obviously want to put the spotlight on the Switch 2 in the near future.

At this point, it makes more sense that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess would release as early Switch 2 catalog entries rather than late Switch ones, even if the current system is more than capable of handling them. The Switch seems to be making its final salvo with remasters like Luigi's Mansion 2 HD and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, presumably lead-ins to the transition period that don't require Nintendo to invest in the development of major new franchise games. Since the Zelda Wii U remasters haven't been revealed among these, that ship has probably already sailed.

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The Switch 2 Will Need Zelda Games In Its Launch Year

A New 3D Zelda Game Isn't Likely In 2025

Custom Image by Glenn Bunn

Considering the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a major new Zelda game probably isn't in the cards for the Switch 2's launch year, which would make Wind Waker and Twilight Princess perfect ways to fill the gap. The Switch had both Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild to cover Mario and Zelda in its first year, with the souped-up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe performing an assist. A new 3D Mario game is likely for the Switch 2's launch, and letting classic Zelda remasters support it would flesh out the library's immediate appeal.

It's not impossible that Wind Waker and Twilight Princess could end up being a cross-generation release on both the Switch and Switch 2, since anything short of actual remakes would presumably work on both systems. Unlike the cross-generation releases of the original Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, however, the company has no promise of a current-generation release to uphold, and making them exclusive to the Switch successor would help incentivize sales.

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At the same time, complaints about the lack of a Switch release would be inevitable without major changes to the game, leaving Nintendo in a weird situation. One possibility is that a full-blown remake or two could indeed be in the works, and the more realistic style of Twilight Princess could be the perfect material to update as a way to show off the full extent of the Switch 2's graphical capabilities.

At any rate, Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remasters aren't likely to release this year in any scenario short of a Hail Mary to fill the gap caused by the Switch 2 delay. Between the expansive open-world games, the polished Link's Awakening remake and Skyward Sword remaster, and the classic games on Nintendo Switch Online, there's more than enough Zelda to play on the current platform as consolation. Getting The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on the Switch would be wonderful, but holding out hope is more likely to end in disappointment than anything else.