The Breath of the Wild 2, or rather Tears of the Kingdom, it's fun to look back on all the arguments that audiences often get into about the series.
Some of them might concern how the wider world views Zelda as a saga, while others are to do with personal opinions over what works and what doesn't. Regardless of these arguments, fans can agree that the adventures throughout the franchise have been stellar!
Zelda Isn't The Lead
It's the annoying argument that every fan of the Zelda saga has to get into with anyone who hasn't actually played the games. Most outsiders assume that the lead of the games is called Zelda when in actuality the name of the warrior is Link.
It's incredible, considering how long the franchise has existed on Nintendo consoles, that there are huge portions of the mainstream audience who still don't know that Zelda is actually the princess that the player is tasked with saving. It is perhaps slightly unusual to name a series after a ing character rather than the protagonist.
Change To New Animation
Zelda has had quite the graphical upgrade over the years, since its initial release in 1986. While the 2-bit game is a classic for fans who consider themselves purists, plenty of modern gamers have pointed to Breath of the Wild as the perfect look for the saga.
But the 3D animation style, that plays on the Switch and takes advantage of the current gen of consoles, is a far cry from the classic imagery that audiences were familiar with. There are sure to be arguments to be had there over how the image of this fantasy world is portrayed.
The Best Game
It seems a foregone conclusion that most fans will point to Breath of the Wild as the best Zelda game, considering it allowed the franchise's potential to be fully realized. But, that isn't actually the argument that many gamers would be having.
After all, plenty of players have nostalgia for older titles and are likely to make comparisons between them, over which of the releases truly is the best outing. Ocarina of Time and Link To The Past are two examples of titles that could rival Breath of the Wild.
Breath Of The Wild Sequel
The concept of a sequel to Breath of the Wild is such an exciting prospect. The original lived up to expectations in a way that people might not have quite believed, and the sequel now has a huge ask of meeting the standard. Fans want to see a lot of different things from the latest entry.
Some elements could be improved upon from the first and there are surely narrative directions that some audience might want the saga to go in. Arguments are arising among consumers about ultimately what they actually want Breath of the Wild 2 to deliver, from combat style to plot beats.
Open World Move
There's some debate over the nature of the open world in the Zelda saga. Many point to the initial game as an early example of an open-world title on NES, suggesting that after this the entries continued to be slightly more guided versions of that, with secretive areas to explore.
However, others would argue that Breath of the Wild is the first true open world for the franchise, with the huge map allowing the player to quite literally go anywhere. Ultimately, it's a matter of opinion on what can truly be considered an open world, although it's fairly clear that Breath of the Wild did it best.
Other Consoles
It's a tradition that the Zelda saga has its home on Nintendo. It's pretty much exclusive, but there have been Xbox ports for instance for Breath of the Wild. There's certainly a debate to be had over whether the games should forever stay on the Nintendo consoles.
It would be interesting to see the titles on various different platforms and although it might be difficult to make the move, considering they are optimized for their original console, there's definitely a market there to make that change. However, there are definitely arguments surrounding the purism of staying with Nintendo and the options when moving the game across multiple platforms.
Comparison To Other Nintendo Titles
There are always comparisons to be made to other Nintendo titles, as there are a range of franchises that have attempted to corner the console. Is Zelda the game that absolutely defines Nintendo platforms, or are characters like Pikachu and Mario using their respective brands to dominate?
That's an argument to be had, as Zelda fans will surely be battling off the other fandoms for supremacy. Interestingly, Link's involvement in titles like Super Smash Bros. only adds to that debate, since those brands are among those that rival Zelda as a representative of Nintendo.
Purists And Remakes
For those who have been a fan of the series from the early days, it seems almost criminal to want remakes of those classics. After all, there is something very nostalgic about playing through the retro adventures, in their original formats. But others would argue for remakes.
There are certainly those games that could benefit from being ported to the Switch, with new graphics and potentially gameplay mechanics. Link's Awakening is a perfect example of how a remake can work, putting Link's adventures in a slightly newer format. That argument is sure to continue though.
Canon
Which games are actually canon has caused a great deal of conflict within the fan community. There is some confusion over the timeline of the releases and which entries, including remakes, should and shouldn't be considered to be a part of Nintendo's canon.
For many, the latest Breath of the Wild series has acted as a bit of a soft reboot. There are spinoffs out there like Tingle's odd series, which are also up for debate when it comes to the canon nature of the releases. The CD-i games are also in those arguments, with the canon nature of the releases debated (although it's pretty much confirmed they are not in the timeline).
Live-Action Production
Video game fans are always looking for big or small-screen adaptations of their favorite titles. Zelda certainly falls into that category, with debates running for years over whether there should be a live-action iteration at all and who could step into the role of Link.
Unlike other Nintendo projects, there's no news to report on an TV show or movie. However, not all fans want one, with the suggestion that sticking to the games is a purer way to enjoy this franchise. One day there will surely be an adaptation and hopefully, it can quell any debates by putting quality storytelling first.
