Both The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild are getting their very own Switch 2 editions. It should be an exciting time for Zelda fans as they get to revisit their favorite games, explore Hyrule all over again, and complete every Shrine for the umpteenth time, all while oogling at the game’s improved visuals and framerate. However, the way Nintendo has treated these versions is nothing short of disappointing, especially for those who have been patiently waiting for more open-world Zelda experiences.
While there won’t be any new Switch 2 Zelda games, at least at launch, these Switch 2 editions are meant to be enough to tie fans over. However, while they carry over the majority of the content from those original games, they are lacking a key component that would not only help sell these editions to newcomers but give returning fans a reason to stick around beyond running around Hyrule for a little bit and then playing something else entirely. Worse still, Switch 2 editions of other games include that key component.
Nintendo Should Have Added New Content To BOTW & TOTK On Switch 2
It Has For Other Switch 2 Games
During the extremely disappointing Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo confirmed a lot of things that players had been expecting, namely that a handful of Switch games would get upgraded versions on the new hardware. This includes Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, both of which benefit from improved framerates, HDR support, and a few other minor visual tweaks on the Switch 2, making those versions easily the superior ones. Well, that would be the case, were it not for the fact that, unlike other games getting a Switch 2 port, neither one is receiving new content.
Both Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree are getting DLC, which, while making their upgrade cost more expensive, does mean that there’s a meaningful incentive beyond better visuals to return to them. Players have been clamoring for more Super Mario Party Jamboree content since it launched, especially as that game only gets better the more boards and minigames Nintendo manages to cram into it. Curiously, I’m not sure anyone was expecting 2022’s Kirby and the Forgotten Land to get DLC.
It is strange, then, that Nintendo added more content to both of those on the Switch 2, but neither of its flagship Zelda games. This is made all the more perplexing by the fact that there is another co-operative, arcadey Mario game on the Switch 2 in the form of Mario Kart World, and a platformer – albeit one unlike Kirby – in the form of Donkey Kong Bananza. There isn’t a new Zelda game in any form, so it would surely make more sense to give at the very least Tears of the Kingdom new content on the Nintendo Switch 2.
TOTK Deserves To Get Its Own DLC
It Never Got Any Post-Launch
For some strange reason, TOTK never got DLC. On the one hand, it is interesting that Nintendo never tries to force DLC or sequels where they are not needed, even with its huge franchises like The Legend of Zelda. In an interview with Famitsu, producer Eiji Aonuma discussed how they had no plans for additional content, largely because they felt they had done everything they could with both this version of Hyrule and its gameplay mechanics. Aonuma explained to Famitsu:
We don’t have plans to release additional content this time, but that’s because we feel like we’ve exhausted all the possibilities of creating gameplay in that world. The reason we made this a sequel to the previous game in the first place was because we thought it would be valuable to experience new gameplay in that Hyrule setting.
However, as much as I respect that, it seems hard to believe that they couldn’t think of any way to tweak, innovate upon, or add to the gameplay and world of Tears of the Kingdom. Simply put, TOTK absolutely deserves DLC. There are so many possible improvements TOTK DLC could make, such as stripping the player of everything beyond mechanics like Ultrahand and seeing them deal with tricky combat and puzzle scenarios with just that, not unlike Breath of the Wild’s Master Trials.
Aonuma did say that if they were able to think of any new ideas or ways to interact with this version of Hyrule, they would return to it. In that same Famitsu interview, he discussed that they might do that in a sequel or new game, but didn’t allude to potentially doing it in DLC. Nevertheless, as the demand was high enough, it seems logical that they could have added something to TOTK were they to have the ideas for it.
Even if there were minor additions, such as the Master Cycle Zero that was added to Breath of the Wild, it would have made all the difference for a Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom. It would have also given fans that little bit extra to enjoy in this sprawling world, a potential final treat if TOTK is the last entry. It is a genuine shame that Nintendo couldn’t find even a small way of adding to the Tears of the Kingdom experience, especially as currently, Zelda fans likely feel a tad abandoned and forgotten about.
Zelda Fans Keep Getting The Short End Of The Stick
It Hasn’t Started Well On Nintendo Switch 2
In addition to the long-abandoned Animal Crossing fans, Nintendo has really not been treating its Zelda fans particularly well. It isn’t just the lack of DLC for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, nor is it the fact that Nintendo thinks it is okay to charge $70 for them on Switch 2, or the awful app integration that feels like a slap in the face to those who’ve been asking for repairable weapons since the very start. The worst part is that Nintendo hasn’t even included Breath of the Wild’s DLC in its Switch 2 version.
In what is a move only modern Nintendo could make, those who purchase BOTW’s full-price, expensive Switch 2 version will not get any of the DLC. It feels as if Nintendo doesn’t understand its fans anymore when not only is it not adding any new content to some of its most successful games, but it also isn’t including any of the already existing DLC. Of course, those who upgrade and already own the DLC will likely still be able to access it on the Switch 2, but those purchasing it for the first time will need to buy it separately.
Related
If TOTK’s Sequel Keeps The Same Hyrule, It Must Change One Important Detail
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may keep the same Hyrule, and, if it does, it absolutely needs to change one major feature.
It is hard to defend Nintendo at the moment, especially when it continues to increase the prices of practically everything in a time when not only has gaming become a luxury, but people are struggling financially. Had Nintendo offered some form of interesting new content for either game, then perhaps the more expensive cost could have been justified. Unfortunately, it didn’t, and as a result, those who buy the Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom are saddled with the same great experience they’ve already played 100 times before.
Source: Famitsu
