Eiji Aonuma Talks About The Possibility Of More Legend Of Zelda Spin-Offs

As long as we can keep theorizing, then you can keep em comen.

Zelda has always had weird spinoffs. Link's Crossbow Training, Four Swords Adventures, Cadence of Hyrule and the like. It's totally in keeping with the series history.

I don’t want them to go nuts about it but I think that the spin offs have been great. We’ve come a long way since the cd-i (granted if you know the history behind those games, the end result for those was impressive considering the lack of direction, shoestring budget and mismanagement) and while the genres used might not be for everyone, they allow a format of storytelling that traditional LoZ games don’t (can’t?) do.

I do wish K-T would elevate their programming style though. There is a certain amount of “jank” that they leave inherent to their games that I think they have the technical experience and money not to do, but it’s “tradition” almost seems to be the reasoning.

I'd love to see more spinoffs.

I could see spinoffs as an RPG, RTS, MMO, or even build-your-own, like Super Mario Maker.

If you are going to have spin offs how about you give it to devs who actually love the franchise. Like how Sega let fans make some of their games. Or how Sony is able to find devs who know how to make remakes. How about that?

I can see it now

Zelda Fighter Z & Knuckles.

@N8tiveT3ch did you play Hyrule Warriors or Cadence of Hyrule? Those games were clearly made by people who love Zelda.

@N8tiveT3ch you mean like Candice of Hyrule?

@link3710 I did play Cadence of Hyrule and it was alright. Hyrule warriors is not a new concept. In fact a safe concept.

I just want a new Tingle game, or a remake of the original Tingle games.

How bout make more sequel/prequel spinoffs to Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword just like how you make sequel/prequel spinoffs to other Zelda games. Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are the only two main Zelda games that didn't see sequel/prequel spinoffs.

Here are all past examples with the main Zelda games with their sequel/prequel spinoffs in parentheses:
Legend of Zelda (BS Legend of Zelda, Zelda's Adventure)
Zelda II: The Adventures of Link (Wand of Gamelon and Link: The Faces of Evil)
A Link to the Past/A Link Between Worlds (Link's Awakening, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages)
Ocarina of Time (Majora's Mask, Link's Crossbow Training)
Wind Waker (Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Track, Tetra's Tracker)
Minish Cap (Four Swords, Four Swords Adventure, Triforce Heroes)
Twilight Princess (none)
Skyward Sword (none)
Breath of the Wild (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the upcoming Zelda Switch game)

Spinoffs/titles that doesn't connect to any games: Hyrule Warriors, Soul Calibur II, Zelda Game and Watch, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Phantasy Star Online 2: Cloud Edition, and Super Smash Bros. series.

How about doing some other IP:s? Nintendo's got a lot more than just Zelda and Mario.

I would love a Legend of Zelda JRPG. They already have the idealized setting. Let's get some classic level up systems, character classes, subclasses, skill trees. And a long story with lots of optional side content.

Then throw in some off the wall completely optional secret super boss at the end that I'll never manage to beat.

I'd buy that in a heartbeat over a Warriors game!

I wouldn't mind seeing a prequel to Wind Waker... Though in terms of content it probably would be pretty similar to Age of Calamity (both essentially are massive wars in their distant past leading to what is an apocalyptical event).

Personally I'd love an old school Paper Mario type game as "Paper Zelda"

I’d absolutely love a Zelda Theatrhythm game. So many great tunes across loads of different games. Characters in that chibi style would be adorable too!

The only Zelda spin off I will accept is Zelda maker, anything else goes in the bin.

Could always do a dating sim too. Call it ‘That Hylian Over There’ or THOT for short.

No more Musou games!!

Instead the Tingle games were GEMS

@breathe_easy Based. Persona at its core is a watered down SMT game and look how popular that’s become, it’s eclipsed the main series. Mario Kart is a spin-off of Mario, same as Paper Mario, Wario Land and Mario and Luigi, all great series. If a child doesn’t like Hyrule Warriors but watches literally any video of the main series then they’ll see it’s a different game completely. Zelda has the potential to see spin-offs done well but they just haven’t explored it enough compared to Mario and Pokémon.

@Retro_Player_77 time to nerd out with you about that list.

Just call Zelda II the direct sequel timeline wise to zelda I. It was meant to be that originally. No need to include BS zelda if you’re not including ancient stone tablets (which would be another direct sequel to link to the past). And no need to include any cdi game.

And since you put Link’s Crossbow training on there... that game overlaps with Twilight Princess, not ocarina of time. The bulbin designs from the shootout are twilight princess designs. The final boss is the full body dragon stalfos (you fight the head in the Twilight princess game, it’s the boss when you get the spinner).

They need to just make more Zelda games. I just finished A Link Between Worlds and it was fantastic. Make more 2d Zelda games. Make real Zelda 3D games...

The Breath of the Wild world has been wonderful and obviously captivated us as an audience, but any story needs closure at some point. There is a feeling of the three games feels like it could be like the original Star Wars trilogy, and we all know what happens when you artificially add another six or seven or eight parts to a story like that.

@Heavyarms55 I'd be totally on board with that if MonolithSoft were involved and the gameplay were derived from the real-time combat style of the Xenoblade Chronicles series (1 and X though; leave 2's rhythm game combat mess in the rubbish where it belongs). The XC games were so exploration focused that it would be a wonderfully natural fit, and both series have games with excellent stories and soundtracks. You're onto an awesome idea! 😁

I would love to see a remake of the CDi games.

Said nobody.

@Retro_Player_77 a couple of remarks :
1. Some of the “spin offs” you listed are actually just mainline Zelda titles, just because they were released on a handheld doesn’t make them spin off games. Not only the console games count as mainline titles, the handheld games do too. And sequels are sequels and not spin offs.

2. Link’s Crossbow Training is TP related and not OOT related.

3. Never talk about the cd-i games ever. They simply do not exist

4. Even though you claim that FSA is a “spin off” (I saw that claim from someone else too), it is in fact a mainline title.

Eiji, no. We do not want spin-offs, we demand Majora's Mask remake and Ocarina of Time if you really wanna milk Legend of Zelda - otherwise focus on new titles or expand the canon (that is logical)

I would not mind a Zelda in classic turn-based RPG like Bravely Default, but fully 3D like Dragon Quest XI S, and also would like to see a Hyrule Warriors 2. I like both gaming genres.

Another game genre I think would go well with Zelda would be a game with the Ys VIII mechanics like having 3 characters at the same time, but with a little twist using some Zelda items like the Spiner, Lens of Truth, Hover Boots and Din's Fire.

Hey, Nintendo. Let Square make a retro-style RPG with Zelda characters. Get on it.

@Heavyarms55 The idea of a skimpy story with a truckload of side content, like the original Hyrule Warriors, doesn't appeal to me as much as it did when I bought it. I beat P5R recently and took over eighty hours with very barebones side completion. This is a great idea, but I'd buy both.

All I need is a Zelda Roguelike with Alttp-style gameplay.

I'll take them all. Spin offs done right and mainline. Ta.

Genuinely loved some of the spin offs if not as much as the mainline games. Hyrule Warriors series, Cadence of Hyrule, Link's Crossbow.

@JasmineDragon Four Swords Adventures is a mainline Zelda game, the twelfth entry to be exact. Even Four Swords is considered a mainline game, the tenth in that case.

Honestly.. I think it’s about time Namco were given a shot at making a beat em up based in the Zelda / Fire Emblem universe.. since Soul Calibur 2 fans have secretly been dying for this..

I just want more Nintendo warriors games in general, not just Zelda. Still going for Mushroom Kingdom Warriors most of all. Though that's not gonna happen on merit of being too cartoony for the developers probably.

Rather have remakes of the 2d games made by partners

@Yosher
Smash Bros Warriors, i would so buy that one. Or just ad it as DLC for smash adventure mode lol i would go nuts.

@The-Chosen-one Now that would be something. Would probably only be Nintendo only IPs though, don't think they wanna get the rights to using all those 3rd parties for this game as well.

I don't mind any spinoffs, especially the RPG idea i saw in the comments sounds really interesting. Of course only if there are no less normal zelda games coming out, i want more 2D zelda games in between the big titles

Everyone talking about spin off prequels and what not but the new Hyrule Warriors isn’t even a prequel... like what a let down. I was honestly okay with the idea of a new warriors game until I read that... just give us BoTW 2

I would love to see fire emblem crossover with Zelda
That would be so interesting it would be a day one for me.

I will admit I like the hyrule warrior games .

@status-204 At the very worst they have been decent. Most of them are quite good.

@TDRsuperstar2 That fact alone turned this game from a "will buy after a performance patch" to a "maybe, I don't know" for me. I don't know why they can't have a single timeline/story thread and instead have to go for multiple timelines and whatnot. And they don't even achieve a great storyline (for the universe) by having the luxury of multiple timelines, as much as I see. Disappointing.

I can't believe no one has mentioned this one yet!

So at the end of a Nintendo Direct Aonuma looks into the camera and says there will be a special announcement stream at the same time in a week, behind him are papercraft Zelda figures in a diorama and many other things that hint at what people have suggested in the previous comments.

Everyone gets HYPED and tunes in for the sure to be amazing announcement and it's a free to play Zelda MOBA! With potentially crossover with the Pokemon MOBA!

For a small fee (assuming you get lucky on the gatcha) you can have your link in the MOBA ride around on a ponyta or something.

@N8tiveT3ch
If you talk about developers who love the game, then you can't argue about games with whether the concept is new or the game being to your liking.
Both Hyrule Warriors (especially Age of Calamity, as much as I have already seen) and Cadence of Hyrule are prime examples for games with a lot of heart in them. All the attention to detail alone would otherwise not exist.
Both games also do a lot of stuff that is not present in their respective mainline games, just to be closer to Zelda. There is clearly a lot of effort and love for the franchise put into those.

personally i'd like to see more 2D style zeldas. like the Links Awakening remake but a brand new title.

@San_D I completely agree! I purchased the game on preorder and returned it once I found out.

I'd like to see more Zelda spin-offs, as long as they aren't released yearly (saturation) and have a ton of quality control. Basically how Nintendo has been handling the series over the past few years. A few like Cadence of Hyrule aren't my cup of tea admittedly; I discovered from the demo that I'm still terrible at rhythm games.

Cadence is a great game and has one of the best soundtracks in Zelda games! I'm also enjoying Age of Calamity a lot so I'm all for spin offs if they're done right.

@N8tiveT3ch Safe yes, but it was filled to the brim with evidence that the people making it had deep love for the Zelda IP.

@Debo626 We can't be friends if you talk about XC2 like that.

@Heavyarms55 Omg you just described my perfect game. I never thought about a Zelda jrpg until you mentioned it.

@Dethmunk True, however those are all remade for a console that has been discontinued. It would be much better to just make better textures and fix few of the settings so the games look good on Switch than to start a whole new project from scratch. And also, I believe people are more likely to buy a port they love than gamble with a small spin-off... (Tho that idea of farming in Hyrule sounds neat)

@Heavyarms55 Well I meant no offense lol. Obv gameplay preferences are a subjective matter. IDK I just preferred the battle mechanics of the first game to 2. But to each their own. 😁

A multiplayer 3D Zelda has a lot of potential, especially if it supports online play like Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.

Did they actually ask if Nintendo "pump out" games?

A rather disrespectful question. I would have ended the interview right there.

TLOZ: Loftwing Pilot

A Paper Zelda game sounds extremely appealing to me.

I would love to see an zelda turn based rpg game on the level of final fantasy

@JasmineDragon
Four Sword Adventures is not a spin-off, it has The Legend of Zelda in the title.

It would be nice to get “handheld” Zelda games between giant tentpole Zelda events every five years. $30-40 top quality non-huge games like we used to get on the gameboy and ds families.

Keep Zelda special. Look what they did to Star Wars...

They should do a zelda game in the style of F-zero, with all the F-zero cast and just call it F-zero 😉😂
In all seriousness tho im burned out on zelda. Played them all and for some reason i really didnt get BOTW. Loved the world but i didnt like the weapon management and 4 main dungeons. Bosses fell flat for me too. I liked fighting the giant trolls and the big lion things more. Id be up for something tactical tho like a fire emblem or FF tactics zelda

Here's an idea add some dlc...

I’m open for spin offs providing it’s not over done. To be honest I’d rather a 4 swords/triforce heroes style game for switch

The only downside to having more spin-offs is having more timeline debates. Almost every spin-off game fell out of timeline theories with the exception of both Hyrule Warriors games.

Even though the story was partially developed by Nintendo, Age of Calamity's canonicity is still being questioned, despite making absolute perfect sense to fit in the timeline.