Nintendo, partnered with DeNA, was widely rumored to have had a Legend of Zelda mobile title in the works back in 2017. The same rumor spread the belief that it would release following Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Well, Animal Crossing's mobile release passed with no sign of Zelda in the wake. Now, as 2019 begins to peter out, there has been an influx of mobile titles released by Nintendo, yet still no sign of a Zelda release on the horizon.
Just because something hasn't been seen, doesn't mean it wasn't there. Right about this time last year, Nintendo is said to have applied for a claim on the Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks title, with the wording "program for a smartphone" included. Spirit Tracks was a Zelda title originally released in 2009 for the DS. It's not very likely that Nintendo would port a game like this to mobile platforms. In fact, Nintendo has said they won't be porting any existing titles to mobile period.
This doesn't mean that Nintendo has no interest in pursuing the path of mobile games. On the contrary, they have stated their aim to release two or three mobile titles a year. Some had hoped we might see the Zelda mobile title in that push this year. But 2019 instead saw the release of Dr. Mario, Pokémon Masters, and Mario Kart Tour.
Mario Kart Tour might give a clue as to how Nintendo would utilize an existing title on mobile platforms. A spin-off title in one of Nintendo's most popular main series franchise, Mario Kart, shows how Nintendo might have been planning to apply the Spirit Tracks title to a Zelda mobile spin-off.
So What Happened?
There may be some skeptics out there who claim these rumors are just that and a Zelda mobile title was never in the works. It seems odd that Nintendo would go through the hassle of claiming rights to an old title if they didn't have something brewing though. A more likely scenario might be Nintendo decided to take whatever they had been working on in a different direction.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, originally released on the GameBoy, was recently rebooted for the Nintendo Switch. Though not the Spirit Tracks title they'd recently laid claim to, Nintendo could've possibly decided to refocus their efforts into a Zelda project they deemed more enterprising at the time. Both games share a similar style of gameplay, but with nostalgia being all the rage, a Link's Awakening remake probably proved to be more profitable. However, it seems unlikely Nintendo would've scrapped the mobile project altogether.
After securing the rights to the title, Nintendo could've very well put the project on the back burner. This is likely for a couple of reasons, the first being stated above. The developers likely set their sights on a more profitable project for the Zelda franchise. The release of Link's Awakening coupled with the multiple partner projects Nintendo has had going with DeNA gives plenty of reason to put the project on hold.
At the same time, Nintendo's and DeNA's active partnership is a promising sign fans might eventually see some form of a Zelda game make its way to mobile platforms. To date, DeNA has helped Nintendo produce six mobile titles since 2016. This includes Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Mario Kart Tour, and Pokémon Masters. It is interesting to note that since 2016, Nintendo and DeNA have produced two games a year together, except for 2018; the year the Link's Awakening remake was released.
Will We Ever See Zelda Come To Mobile?
The push that Nintendo is making with mobile titles and their flourishing partnership with mobile port providers, DeNA, are promising signs that fans will see a Legend of Zelda mobile title at some point in the future. How far into the future still remains uncertain, but with the focus being put on craze-worthy franchises such as Pokémon and Super Mario, The Zelda franchise fits rights in. Who knows, fingers crossed for a Zelda title in 2020's mobile line-up?
Source: androidheadlines