Eiji Aonuma says 2D Zelda games on the Switch could be a thing

Up until recently the there’s been two types of Zelda titles, 2D and 3D. The 2D titles are traditionally on handhelds and the 3D ones on home consoles. This all changed when Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D were released and this dynamic will change again once the Switch arrives.

So with the Switch blurring the lines between handheld and console is there any chance of the 2D style Zelda game continuing? According to series producer Eiji Aonuma the answer is ‘yes’.

So what about the two Zelda teams, are they going to come together now as well – make one game? That answer isn’t as cut and dry;

The dev pace is not really dependent on how many people are on a team, so combining them would not necessarily expedite the development pace. The 3DS team and the Wii U team have different approaches to game development, so I don’t necessarily want to combine them and have them think together, but rather have each think about what they can bring to Nintendo Switch from their own perspective.

The handheld development team will not be phased out because of Nintendo Switch. Switch will allow the users to bring their home console on the go, but this doesn’t mean handheld game development like Nintendo 3DS will be discontinued.

Aonuma then continued saying that while a 2D game could come to the Switch, he doesn’t want it to be just a regular game and instead be evolved. Much like the Switch itself;

There are definitely good things about the 2D world and the playstyles of the 2D world. There are a lot of fans who enjoy that style. This Nintendo Switch style, which is the evolved style of gameplay is not necessarily… I want you to think of it more as an evolved style of 2D style. For the 3DS team, I am trying to make them think in a more evolved 2D-style approach.

We certainly don’t want to lose games like A Link Between Worlds but then again Tri Force Heroes was a bit naff. However with the Switch immediately more accessible to play multiplayer perhaps they could give that another go.

Source: Game Informer