Stardew Valley could allow players to be Malon and run the ranch.
Lon Lon Ranch is one of the many recurring locations in Zelda games. On the ranch, players can find Super Mario characters added to Ocarina of Time in the form of Talon, Malon, and Ingo. One major benefit of visiting Lon Lon Ranch is being able to obtain milk, which will restore Link's heart containers. However, sometimes a ranch is included in games under a different name, like Romani Ranch in Majora's Mask or Ordon Ranch in Twilight Princess.
The Legend of Zelda series is no stranger to including a variety of mini-games in its titles. Some of these mini-games already occur on the ranches featured, like Talon's Chicken Game in Ocarina of Time or Doggy Racetrack in Majora's Mask. Yet places like Lon Lon Ranch are the perfect location to put in a Stardew Valley-style mini-game or even adapt it into a full spin-off.
A Zelda Farming Simulator Would Show A New Side Of Hyrule
Players are always in the role of hero when it comes to Zelda games. Running Lon Lon Ranch as Malon would be more rewarding than simply doing Zelda side quests, which can be missed anyway. Plus, seeing Hyrule through Malon's eyes would be refreshing because she doesn't have the mantle of hero placed upon her, so players could see how the citizens of Hyrule go about their daily lives when Link isn't around. The familiar setting alone might be enough to draw in players who don't tend to try farming simulators, but are willing to when it's connected to the Zelda series.
The Legend of Zelda is one of the most recognizable franchises, and it has the potential to enter the popular farming simulator market currently dominated by Stardew Valley without the resulting game feeling forced or appearing to be no more than a cash grab. If Nintendo is unwilling to make a spin-off, then it could at the very least make a farming mini-game, which would go well with the ability to cook powerful recipes in Breath of the Wild. It would be a shame for Nintendo to up this perfect opportunity to expand the genre of games included in The Legend of Zelda.
