Imagine A Nintendo Console Without: The Legend of Zelda

In what will be the first of a few threads on this theme, I ask you: just imagine this. Consider whether any of Nintendo’s consoles would have suffered without Link, Ganondorf or any of the other Zelda characters whom I know nothing about, or whether their absence would have made little difference to each system's fate. Think about the wider context and also your own impression of, say, the SNES if it wasn’t host to The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. Given the major prestige of the franchise and the overall quality of the series, how does completely taking it out of the equation impact on your overall feelings about the console? Are you happy that the spotlight is now on other titles, or is Zelda automatically so important to you that you think less of the machine it no longer appears on? Same applies with the original on the NES, Link’s Awakening on Game Boy, and so on.

Let's stick to consoles of the past (retro thread!) - the 3DS and Wii U still have plenty of years left on the market. Also, I'm well aware that the Virtual Boy didn't have a Zelda, but that machine was beyond redemption.

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I'm one of those rare Nintendo fans who isn't overly fussed with the series. I suppose I can imagine a Nintendo console without Zelda as I lived it; I owned the GBA, DS, GameCube and Wii throughout their lifespans and I didn't buy nor anticipate any of the Zelda games. I eventually got some of them for cheap, but they haven't made much of an impression on me as regards to I feel about the consoles they found their way to. I'm a Nintendo Gamer with or without Zelda, truth be told.

Hmm Zelda is the main reason I buy nintendo consoles, without it I'm not sure if something else from nintendo would replace it to be the game a nintendo system for. I reckon I would still have nintendo consoles as I always have all the systems in a generation but with little play.

I think the N64 would have suffered the most without a Zelda. The impact Ocarina of Time had for the system was huge.

I reckon without Zelda, Metroid would likely have a much higher stock in Ninty's eyes.

Ocarina of Time pretty much made the N64 for me, after the initial rush of Mario 64 and Kart, OOT came along and really made the console memorable.

The Gamecube could have survived without Wind Waker but that really isn't worth thinking about  and the Wii could have survived without Zelda seeing as Twilight Princess wasn't the big story on it's launch and Skyward Sword came along when it was on it's last legs.

Virtual Boy. Failed. Next!

Scary Smurf wrote:

The Gamecube could have survived without Wind Waker but that really isn't worth thinking about  and the Wii could have survived without Zelda seeing as Twilight Princess wasn't the big story on it's launch and Skyward Sword came along when it was on it's last legs.

I'd agree with that. The loss of Zelda on Gamecube wouldn't have hindered it, but it's my favourite Zelda so a world without it would be grim indeed.  

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I think the N64 would have suffered the most without a Zelda. The impact Ocarina of Time had for the system was huge.

I reckon without Zelda, Metroid would likely have a much higher stock in Ninty's eyes.

THIS.

I really couldn't imagine a Nintendo console without the LoZ series though, nothing apart from Metroid has a greater sense of adventure & I always bugged my brothers to let me play on the NES original.

On the Cube, one of the reason's I voted it so high on my list was because of all the zelda goodness on it. Without the cube would of been a lot lower that's if it was even around.

So are these once a week TCK are they just nintendo or are we going to have imagine a sega console with out sonic.

masofdas wrote:

So are these once a week TCK are they just nintendo or are we going to have imagine a sega console with out sonic.

I haven't thought about that. My initial reaction is: probably not. Let's just focus on Zelda the now.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

In what will be the first of a few threads on this theme.

I just gathered you were doing more imagine something without something. I did think without Zelda we might of saw more IPS from nintendo Project HAMMER might of actually been a game.

MiniblinMoyles wrote:

I think the N64 would have suffered the most without a Zelda. The impact Ocarina of Time had for the system was huge.

I reckon without Zelda, Metroid would likely have a much higher stock in Ninty's eyes.

Another echo for Mr. Moyles here. Although Super Mario 64 would have carried it some, Ocarina Of Time really sold the N64. The loss of the inventive (for Zelda) Majora's Mask will lower its stock, too. I reckon the SNES could have carried on more or less regardless without A Link To The Past; ditto the GB, GC and, in fact, most of Nintendo's other machines. The Wii may have lost hardcore gamers earlier without Twilight Princess at launch, though.

With the Zelda gap, imagine an N64 Metroid game!

I think that... pretty much what everyone else said. I think the N64 would be fine because of Mario 64's impact, and also Goldeneye / Perfect Dark / Banjo Kazooie. Rare basically.

But the GameCube... when it first arrived I wasn't too keen, and eventually bought one because I knew there'd be a Zelda game. So maybe... hmm... things would be different. I don't think any Mario game from the 'Cube era onwards would cause an automatic purchase... not even Galaxy.

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I just gathered you were doing more imagine something without something

Not every topic has to be turned into a series

He even said his self in his first sentence, In what will be the first of a few threads on this theme.

Maybe so but why rush it?

Here's a question for you - how do you videogaming in general would have suffered without Zelda? As in what game mechanics did Zelda introduce that the wider world of gaming benefited greatly from?

That's a interesting one as a lot of games have tried to be like zelda but haven't quite nailed the formula. So don't how much gaming would be affected without it.

JayMoyles wrote:

Here's a question for you - how do you videogaming in general would have suffered without Zelda? As in what game mechanics did Zelda introduce that the wider world of gaming benefited greatly from?

I think that things like the Elder Scrolls would've had more trouble jumping from Arena to Skyrim without the input of Zelda. Having said that, LTTP was over 20 years ago now... maybe something else would've taken its place. It just wouldn't've been as loved.

How about the lock on mechanic? (Did OOT introduce that?) some games would really fiddly without that.

To add to Jaster's point: was OoT he first game to introduce the "action button"? I seem to remember it being a big thing at the time.

Zelda is beloved in the eyes of the Nintendo gamer and the critic, but has never been a massive seller in relative Nintendo terms. If nobody ever knew about Zelda, I think Nintendo would still be in a pretty good place today; it's got loads of other great franchises to fall back on.

I guess I'd probably speak with more passion were I a bigger Zelda fan, but I think my opinion is valid.

I know i wouldn't own a Wii without zelda, if you took my twilight & skyward away. You might as well take the Wii with you whilst doing it.

You've all made very good points there.

Although again, I think eventually someone else would've twigged the now-ubiquitous targeting /context-sensitive buttons; it would just have taken a lot longer to get right probably. The world would be a different place, that's for sure.

Stu_the_great wrote:

Zelda is beloved in the eyes of the Nintendo gamer and the critic, but has never been a massive seller in relative Nintendo terms. If nobody ever knew about Zelda, I think Nintendo would still be in a pretty good place today; it's got loads of other great franchises to fall back on.

I don't know... looking at this page, only one Zelda game has sold under a million copies. I mean obviouly that pales in comparison to your Marios and Pokemons, but on the whole it still dwarves the other Ninty franchises.

Also, fun fact from reading that: I would not have guessed that Twilight Princess is the biggest Zelda seller.

They're not earth-shattering figures, but they're by no means shabby, as you say. I was also under the impression that Skyward Sword tanked, but looking at the numbers it's a pretty average Zelda seller.