The lost art of the Traditional Zelda Formula

Despite celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, The Legend of Zelda has always felt younger than it looks. It has successfully maintained its youthful spirit in the face of an ever-changing industry, yet one aspect of the franchise that seems to be constantly changing is what is commonly referred to as the Zelda formula.

It was refined and perfected in the 1990s, and for a long time, the Zelda formula was an integral part of the franchise. It has almost become a character in itself, and is expected to appear in a different way during every new game. Without a rock solid foundation, Nintendo will want to change everything with 2017’s Breath of the Wild.

However, with the announcement of the Ocarina of Time remake, Nintendo decided it was time to bring the old formula back to the fore. Even as a fan of Breath of the Wild, this is very exciting, as I firmly believe that the classic Zelda formula is one that we need more of today.

Key Ingredients

Even as far back as the first Zelda game in 1986, you can see pieces of the formula falling into place. Exploring the surface, finding a dungeon, and using an item to defeat a boss or escape was important. It was the secret sauce that made that original game as special as it was.

Even today, despite that classic game being overshadowed by other games in the franchise, it was the starting point of the classic Zelda formula. I recently played the entire game on Nintendo Switch Online, and I was blown away by how well it holds up. A lot of that gameplay can be heard in modern Zelda.

Moving forward, Nintendo will focus on the parts of the game that have worked really well. They were right in their assessment of what worked, and they would put together a signature recipe that they would carry with them for decades to come.

Refinement Adventure

During the 1990s and 2000s, Nintendo would use their experience from the original Zelda game to refine the formula. And they were smart enough to make it that hard, meaning that Zelda games could emphasize parts, while ignoring others, depending on what that particular game needed.

What surprises me the most is that the formula is actually quite simple, relying on a world full of dungeons. Those dungeons are usually closed with a key or story progression, too. Once you’re inside the hole, that’s when the formula starts to take shape.

Dungeons are often multi-level labyrinths, focused on puzzle solving or combat. No matter where the dungeon is focused, the game always leads you to find small keys or solve a puzzle to gain access to its deeper levels. Some sort of special item is the goal, as it will usually allow the player to reach a new location or play a major role in defeating the boss. Or both.

This will be the basis of every Zelda game going forward. Each game can add its own unique twists, but from about 1993 to 2011, the Zelda formula was basic. It was almost comforting. No matter how weird the industry was, you knew a Zelda game was around the corner, and that was enough to keep me excited. It’s still like that.

The End of the Road

After the release of Skyward Sword in 2011, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma had big plans for the continuation of the franchise. The next big Zelda game was going to be different. By the way, that will be the 2017 launch title for the Nintendo Switch, known as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

There were elements of the old formula, but for the most part, it held its own. Due to the huge success of Breath of the Wild, the Zelda franchise seemed to have abandoned the old formula. That became clear when the follow-up to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, was focused on Aonuma and the team as the next big game.

It honestly felt like a nail in the coffin. Not many Zelda games get direct sequels, but I think most of us expected the next game to be something different, and it wasn’t. In fact, Nintendo doubled down on that with Tears of the Empire, pushing the Zelda formula further into the shadows. Even Aonuma himself said they stretched the concept to a minimum, and didn’t expect him to return to the main game anytime soon, if at all.

As much as I love Breath of the Wild and put up with Tears of the Kingdom, I’m not going to lie. I was incredibly disappointed when I saw the old road end. It didn’t make me love Breath of the Wild one bit, but I found myself longing for what the franchise used to be. Over the years, Nintendo has leaned heavily on what Breath of the Wild started.

It was completely inappropriate, as it is the best-selling game in the franchise with 34 million units. It was the way forward for the franchise. And while Aonuma has hinted that the next game will be different, its open nature is likely to be at the center of the game’s development.

The return of the Lord

After the introduction of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, it seemed like the classic Zelda formula was gone. Nintendo seemed to have moved on, and Aonuma was adamant that they weren’t coming back. Or so it seemed.

In June of this year, Nintendo revealed a rumored older version of Ocarina of Time. Along with the announcement of that remake, Nintendo made it clear that they are keeping the classic gameplay. If you follow that to its natural conclusion, then the classic Zelda formula will be along for the ride. I can’t get over how happy I am to hear that.

I understand Nintendo and Aonuma’s desire to do something different. It’s part of the DNA of the series, as it has reinvented itself many times over the years. That being said, it’s been ten years since we saw the old method in action. Since Skyward Sword in 2011, that formula has been put on the back burner.

Part of the reason why Nintendo dropped it is because they felt like they had done everything they could with it. In a way, I suspect that may be true, but as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve always said that the classic Zelda formula is a fertile playground for game design, and even if Nintendo is only bringing it back for a one-night encore for the Ocarina remake, there’s a lot that developers can learn from this satisfyingly simple formula.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

9.5/10

Released

November 21, 1998

The ESRB

E10+ for everyone aged 10+: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Sexual Themes

Engineer(s).

Nintendo

Publisher

Nintendo

Engine

Zelda 64 engine

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