The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom released May 12th, 2023. It’s hard to believe, but we are nearing one full year of its release already. Anniversaries are wonderful for sitting back and reflecting on the accomplishments, trials and tribulations, and promises of Nintendo’s top-tier franchise next to Mario. As a major fan, this topic is near and dear to me, and looking back helps me look forward to the future of Zelda.
Looking Back
The development cycle for Tears of the Kingdom was a long one. It was first announced in 2019, with minimal updates between then and its release in 2023. In retrospect, four years between two massive, open-world games isn’t a terrible wait, especially with COVID-19 throwing a wrench into everyone’s lives. If anything, perhaps it was announcing it “too soon” and the delay in 2022 that dampened the fan hype for a little while. As a Zelda fan, the wait felt like forever since 2019, but in the end, it’s quite normal for games of this ilk to have a lengthy development cycle. Because Nintendo is so tight-lipped, we will never know what truly caused delays, and more importantly, why they chose to announce it so early.
Despite what seemed like forever, Tears of the Kingdom lived up to the hype of Most Anticipated Game of 2024 upon release. Nintendo sold roughly ten million copies opening weekend–a number that no one can sneeze at. In fact, the company recently released an updated financial report, indicating 20.28 million sales as of December 31st, 2023. This makes Tears of the Kingdom the ninth best-selling title on the Switch.
With a strong release, players were eager to share their creations, thanks to the Ultra Hand mechanic. It became clear that the primary “gimmick” for Tears of the Kingdom was the ability to create almost anything. Although that wasn’t my cup of tea, Nintendo hit it out of the park with this since they re-used the same Hyrule, leaving the sense of exploration and wonder slightly less than with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Yes, we had the Sky Islands and the Depths, but nothing beats that lighting in the bottle of venturing forth from the Shrine of Resurrection in Breath of the Wild.
Between Ultra Hand and Fusion, players were able to customize their experience to the max. I personally had more fun playing around with the Ascend ability to see where I could end up. Also, I gravitated towards the dungeons and story. The Zonai was a great new race to learn about, and the inclusion of Ganondorf was a major draw for me.
Ganondorf, the Gerudo thief, had not been featured in a Legend of Zelda game since 2006’s Twilight Princess. Enough time has passed where he was a very welcome sight as he gave players that bit of nostalgia, and yet, his design was so new, the character felt fresh. Yes, “Daddy Dorf”, coined by many (or “dehydrated/hydrated” Ganondorf), is a formidable antagonist in Tears of the Kingdom, and his final form at the end of the game was the coolest things I have ever witnessed in the franchise.
The game was far from perfect. Many weren’t fans of the returning Korok seed hunt (primarily because of the significant effort and disappointing reward) and the lost magic of exploration as mentioned before. However, the critiques seemed minimal, as proven by a 96 on Metacritic. Yes, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom received high praise, and although Baldur’s Gate 3 edged it from Game of the Year, it did win Best Action/Adventure Game.
Last but not least, Nintendo did celebrate its release with three new amiibo for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There is one of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. While the functionalities were nothing special (granting special sail cloth designs and goodies), the artwork on the figures were simply sublime. They also held a virtual concert almost a half a year later that featured music from several games within the Zelda franchise. You can check it out below:
Looking at the Game Today
Many people are still playing Tears of the Kingdom. While I have put the controller down since I rolled credits, there are still more shrines to complete, Koroks to find, and side quests to conquer, so I do intent to revisit it someday. This is the type of game that will have a long tail, with content that will keep giving for years. Speaking of giving, Nintendo is quietly honoring The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with new merchandise:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom original soundtrack
Just like with Breath of the Wild, there will be an official OST to Tears of the Kingdom. But wait, this will have nine CDs and over 300 tracks! Now, this is technically a Japan only release at this time, but there is a standard and limited edition available to pre-order on Play-Asia that will ship to the United States. It is set to ship in August this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom—Masterworks Art Book
This will feature over 400 pages of gorgeous art; however, what many people are pointing at is a possible hint at an updated timeline (as translated from the product description). Who knows, but one thing is for certain, sick fans such as myself will be theorizing about the timeline nonstop until this hardcover book releases. Like the OST, this is a Japan only release at this time (which means the text will be in Japanese), but you can still obtain it via Play-Asia. It is set to drop September this year. We hope there will be an English translation announced soon!
Master Sword Proplica
Tamashii Nations is manufacturing this gorgeous Master Sword, and it is being sold through the IGN store. While not unique to Tears of the Kingdom, this is an amazing collector’s items to snag. It is 41.3 inches, can play right songs from the franchise, and will release November this year.
Looking Ahead
Nintendo has already confirmed there will be no DLC to Tears of the Kingdom. While there was some disappointment felt in the community, many friends and colleagues of mine were content with the company’s decision, citing that the game already has enough content. In addition to that, Nintendo is turning their focus to a new Legend of Zelda game, which I think we would be more excited for anyway.
I believe The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was an extension of Breath of the Wild, and that’s not a bad thing. Nintendo changed the formula for the franchise with Breath of the Wild, and it appears that they will continue in this direction. Tears of the Kingdom leaned on the success of an open world concept with an improved story, improved temples to satiate the fanbase’s love for old-school dungeons, and continued focus on flawless gameplay. I firmly believe many of us will still be playing Tears of the Kingdom well into the announcement of the next Zelda game, as we will look fondly on King Rauru, dehydrated Ganondorf, and freefalling from the skies.
Nintendo–thank you so much for giving us The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Your stamp of quality continues to shrine through this game, and while I can’t believe it’s been about a year, I hope this games’ legacy will stand the test of time just like the titans before it such as Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past.
Have you played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? How do you think it shaped the franchise, and will you be purchasing any of the new merch? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
Want more Tears of the Kingdom anniversary talk? Listen to Boss Rush’s Expansion Pass episode where bossman Corey and Eddie V discuss its anniversary:
Pow Block Podcast – A Nintendo Podcast by Boss Rush
Pow Block Podcast is the Nintendo podcast for The Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, Edward Varnell, Corey Dirrig, and their friends from around the internet discuss the week that was in the world of Nintendo, including news, rumors, new and upcoming games, NSO, answer listener questions, discuss their weekly snacks, and more. New episodes now release on Tuesdays for everyone.
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