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No Zelda and no NX make Nintendo fans go something, something

It was heart-breaking to be a Nintendo fan last week, with news the long-awaited next instalment in The Legend of Zelda series has been delayed for the second time, until 2017 with Nintendo’s next console (codename NX).

We’ve known for a long, long time the Wii U was going to limp to the finish line. But now it’s been shot; put out of its misery long before its successor is ready to make a public appearance and set things right again.

There was never a guarantee the NX – which won’t even be unveiled at E3 next month – was going to launch by the end of 2016. However, we were led to believe the furore of a new Zelda adventure would tide us over until that fateful day.

It is no surprise The Legend of Zelda: No Subtitle is going to be cross-gen, releasing on both Wii U and Nintendo’s next console. Twilight Princess set the precedent in 2006, long before cross-gen became standard practice in 2013-14.

That’s why I have faith there will be a Wii U version, albeit to less fanfare. It won’t be cancelled and it’s this version that will be displayed at E3. Nintendo had no commercial reason to commit to the GameCube edition of Twilight Princess, but honoured its promise to fans after a lengthy delay.

However, with Zelda seemingly a lock for 2016, it was a fair assumption to bundle the two and ascertain both it and NX would launch this year. After failing to meet the announced 2015 release date, we didn’t expect Zelda would be pushed back nearly two years.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/476399683758084098

Last year it was funny, now it’s sad. 

With both the last remaining beacon of hope on Wii U and Nintendo’s reboot into the console landscape almost a year away, 2016 will be the worst year to be a Nintendo fan in decades.

It’s been a rough generation, since 2012, for Ninty. But I maintain Wii U has served as a quality secondary platform. It’s home to a dozen great exclusives that cannot be played elsewhere. As long as you weren’t expecting anything more, it’s been worth the price of admission for the jubilance only Nintendo can deliver.

Last year was weak, adding fuel to the NX in 2016 fire. However, it still delivered Super Mario Maker – a Game of the Year contender – alongside the unique multiplayer hit Splatoon, the underrated Yoshi’s Woolly World and JRPG masterpiece Xenoblade Chronicles X. Gloss over the trashy filler and poor sequels (Amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, Mario Party 10 and Devil’s Third) and Wii U was home to as many top quality exclusives as Xbox One, and more than PS4, in 2015.

But that’s not going to happen in 2016; it’s going to be a painful year.

The stark reality is Twilight Princess HD is likely to be the best Wii U game of the year. I’m adamant re-releases should not be part of the discussion for best game of the year (how can a GameCube game win “best Wii U game”?), but we aren’t going to be afforded the luxury of choice.

Star Fox Zero’s delay severely weakened 2015’s line-up, but will make 2016 look much better on paper – a new game was actually released on Wii U in the first half of the year! Unfortunately it isn’t as good as we had hoped.

So what’s left for Wii U fans this year?

There are only two confirmed exclusives: Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, and Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Oh, dear.

The Legend of Zelda Wii U

There’s also Paper Mario Colour Splash. But it doesn’t have a confirmed release date. Its recent announcement suggests it’s a last ditch effort to get something on Wii U this holiday season (perhaps it was originally planned for NX when Zelda was coming this year), so a delay seems almost impossible…and yet we can’t rule it out.

That’s it. The cupboard is empty.

Nintendo has already said Zelda will be the only playable game at E3 (on Wii U). As NX won’t have been unveiled yet, there aren’t any other upcoming games to show – hence why it’s concerning Paper Mario won’t be hands-on if it’s actually launching this year.

Glass half-full: hands-off mightn’t mean 2017. If we take Nintendo at face value on Paper Mario, perhaps it will announce more Wii U games for 2016 during the E3 Direct, despite not having playable demos ready by June. Surprisingly, Nintendo has only released two HD remasters on its first HD console, both of them GameCube Zelda games. Another, perhaps Super Mario Galaxy or something else from the Wii-era light on waggle, could be given the same treatment to prop-up the second half of the year.

3DS is looking almost as sketchy. Pokémon Sun and Moon will ensure the ageing handheld remains relevant until NX materialises into an actual product, as will a double-dose of Dragon Quest re-releases (VIII & XI). Presumably there’s more to come at, or before, E3. With only one Wii U game, Nintendo needs something to fill the massive booth on the showroom floor, and typically a poor year for one platform means good things for the other, in terms of first party support.

This is what it’s like to be a dedicated Nintendo fan. I conceded it’s going to be a horrible year over 500 words ago, and yet I’ve still managed to talk myself into a glimmer of hope.

I have gone something, something.


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About the author

Ben Salter

Ben has been writing about games in a professional capacity since 2008. He even did it full-time for a while, but his mum never really understood what that meant. He's been part of the Stevivor team since 2016. You will find his work across all sections of the site (if you look hard enough). Gamertag / PSN ID: Gryllis.