{"id":134940,"date":"2023-09-24T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-155844"},"modified":"2023-09-24T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T13:00:00","slug":"mailbox-missing-zelda-ports-nerd-rage-16-bit-blowback-nintendo-life-letters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2023\/09\/24\/mailbox-missing-zelda-ports-nerd-rage-16-bit-blowback-nintendo-life-letters\/","title":{"rendered":"Mailbox: Missing Zelda Ports, Nerd Rage, 16-Bit Blowback – Nintendo Life Letters"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Nintendo<\/a>
Image: Nintendo Life \/ Karolina Grabowska \/ Pexels<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Welcome back to the Nintendo Life Mailbox<\/a>. You hear that? That’s the sound of 2024 creeping up on you as we plough into the last week of September.<\/p>\n

Yes, we’re back (slightly later than planned \u2014 hey, last week turned into a busy one!) with another selection of your correspondence for our monthly letters page feature.<\/p>\n

Got something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we\u2019ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month\u2019s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme<\/a>. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.<\/p>\n

Let’s see what’s been bouncing ’round your brainboxes for the past month, shall we?<\/p>\n

Nintendo Life Mailbox – September 2023<\/h2>\n

“Mediocre” (***STAR LETTER***)<\/h3>\n
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As someone who grew up in the DS\/Wii generation and didn\u2019t know what a \u201cVirtual Console\u201d was as a child, I had limited exposure to retro games for a long period, other than seeing people online and in magazines talking about how the SNES generation was the greatest of all time. That\u2019s why I was so excited for the SNES Classic Mini – I why I was disappointed to find out that I disliked so many games from that era (not Super Metroid though – that still rules). Initially, I wrote this off as a generational difference – growing up in the modern era of gaming, I had grown use to the more polished mechanics, and so even the best SNES games would feel archaic to me. That was until Game Boy games came to NSO, and I realised that despite the weaker hardware, I enjoyed these games far more. Super Mario World? Mediocre. Super Mario Land 2? Underrated gem. A Link To The Past? Boring dungeons and unfun combat. Link\u2019s Awakening? Still the best 2D Zelda.
I am genuinely unsure what the cause of these feelings is, and so would like to ask the Nintendo Life community if anybody else has a similar experience of not liking one particular generation of Nintendo?
Munchlax<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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There’s certainly a generational aspect, although I’d argue that those 16-bit entries set the modern template to such an extent that we’ve essentially been playing variations on a theme for three decades. Has 2D Mario really<\/em> changed since Super Mario World? Likewise 2D Metroid and Zelda. Despite the shift to 3D for the latter, the structure of every Zelda game essentially followed LttP’s lead until BOTW! It’s little wonder that someone who wasn’t there at the time might be underwhelmed by the modern series’ progenitors. (Perhaps the GB entries feel sufficiently removed from that template that their idiosyncracies spark your interest?)<\/p>\n

I don’t personally have rabid<\/em> nostalgia for the SNES. Hey, I was a Mega Drive kid that gen! Super Mario Bros. 3 aside, it was really the 64-bit era that hooked me on Nintendo and that’s the generation I’m crazy for, although I’d imagine that it’s also the one many NL readers struggle with most these days. Trying to play those games on Switch using anything but an NSO N64 pad isn’t helping its legacy, unfortunately.<\/p>\n

Have a month’s worth of Hookshot Supporter subscription. Plenty more video games out there to enjoy if SNES isn’t clicking with you! – Ed.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

“Because Nintendo”<\/h3>\n
\"Zelda:<\/a>
Image: Damien McFerran \/ Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Hi guys! I wanted to share an idea for a poll. I’m a huge Zelda fan and I’ve been wondering why Nintendo haven’t released Twilight Princess and Wind Waker on the Switch. It’s weird right? Given that almost every other 1st party Wii U title got ported. It could be interesting to see what everyone thinks about it….<\/em>
Franc001<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Let’s have a look with a little guest poll, shall we? Here’s a slightly adapted version of Franc’s poll…<\/p>\n

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Why haven’t Nintendo released Twilight Princess and Wind Waker on the Switch? (1,576 votes)<\/h3>\n
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  1. They are just waiting for a window with no other Zeldas in the pipeline to release them<\/strong>25<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. They will release the original versions with Nintendo Switch Online GameCube service<\/strong>4<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. They will release them on Switch successor as launch titles to push the new hardware<\/strong>22<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Not on the agenda – they are moving on with other projects<\/strong>14<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Saving them for the 40th anniversary in 2026<\/strong>6<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Because Nintendo – we should just expect the unexpected<\/strong>27<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Some other reason (comment below)<\/strong>1<\/span>%<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Personally, at this point in Switch’s lifecycle, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nintendo hold these back to fill gaps in Switch 2’s launch year. Easy wins to help maintain that monthly cadence of new games that put the Switch in such good stead back in 2017. – Ed.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

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