So the similarities between what has been happening with the Zelda franchise upon hitting 3-D and what happened with the Burton Batman saga are far bigger than you may assume.
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Ocarina of Time was a huge hit, the biggest hit of the four and was the highest-acclaimed. It set the bar for blockbuster video games everywhere because of its size, scope, and sheer domination of the gaming world for a good period of time.
Batman 1989 set the bar for blockbusters because of the heavy merchandise tie-ins, massive opening weekend that set the record at the time, and pretty much establishing the Batman franchise and in what direction it was heading.
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Majora’s Mask is the darkest of the Zelda games since Ocarina of Time (and I can take it a bit farther by saying it’s arguably the darkest Nintendo game ever made) and by far the most unique. The doom-and-gloom tone and pacing of the game turned off some gamers, while establishing a cult audience that have since demanded a re-release of this gem.
Batman Returns also established a cult audience while receiving backlash for being far too dark. It felt in place with the franchise but felt out of place for trying too hard to be gloomy. The result is good money, but demand for a change.
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The Wind Waker is the animated Zelda game in the group that was still dark, still serious, still adventurous, but despite looking very different still felt like it had the Zelda touch. Despite the final tedious sequence, it was a heck of a good game and one of the best in the Gamecube era.
Pretty sure none of you saw this gem, but Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a spectacular animated film that follows the Batman mythos to a T even though it was never met the success, acclaim, and praise it deserved.
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Twilight Princess was a return to form in the Zelda franchise by looking like Ocarina of Time with a subplot twist of becoming a wolf. Gamers and critics accept the changes and the niches and view it as arguably the best Zelda since Ocarina of Time (Even though in my opinion Majora’s Mask remains the best video game of the new millennium). However, something didn’t stick, something was lacking as the competition was beginning to catch up to the Zelda quality.
Batman Forever was a massive success that was met with minimal critical praise but the moviegoers loved every moment as it became the second biggest American movie of 1995---trailing only Toy Story. Despite the great performances, the better tone, and plenty of action, something wasn’t really clicking, and a downward spiral was inevitable.
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Skyward Sword is a Zelda game that was quickly forgotten, quickly moved aside, and did not have the outstanding or lasting appeal of your typical Zelda games. While critics seemingly loved it, the game did not feel Zelda, did not feel complete, and the overall experience was sorely lacking. It barely outsold Majora’s Mask while not even coming close to the sales of Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and especially Ocarina of Time. Couldn’t even outsell Link’s Awakening or Zelda II.
We all know what happened to Batman and Robin. Let’s move on.
Now I bring this parallel to this article because it appears that Nintendo is attempting to restart the Zelda franchise, similar to how Batman Begins started the mythos from scratch. Wind Waker is most definitely not the signature Zelda title, but the most accessible. So could it be that Nintendo is priming Wind Waker to become the rebirth of Zelda? The relaunch? The reboot?
Hear me out. This isn’t just going to be a release, it’s actually going to be packaged with most/almost all WiiU purchases starting in late September. Wind Waker is being treated like Mario Bros. and Mario World, Nintendo’s pick to become your first gaming experience with the new system. Wind Waker is being primed to cater to a new audience as well as appeal to the hardcore that (according to Nintendo) saw the Gamecube gem as the last truly great hardcore Zelda title.
I theorize that the future Zelda installments are going to run with the Wind Waker look and feel as opposed to the Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask tone. After all, the lighter Zelda saw good success on the Gamecube and also on the DS with Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. And if you read some of the interviews, there are hints that the producers want to continue reverting back to what made Wind Waker good when planning their next epic Zelda game.
I firmly believe that Wind Waker isn’t just a way for the WiiU to get back in the game, this is Nintendo acknowledging the disappointment of Skyward Sword and a desire to go back to basics, and a desire to reboot the franchise to a new audience while obtaining whatever scrambling fans are left.
Just like Batman Begins.
And if Zelda down the road can go the route of the Nolan Batman Trilogy, the gaming industry will definitely not complain.
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