Has anybody tried the binding of Isaac? Just curious, I haven't, but the gameplay is supposed to be a modern take on the Zelda style (gameplay-wise). Mind you I'm not a fan of gore.
Important key: Zelda I has a charm and a sense of otherworldly mystery that is very difficult to replicate. One that no other Zelda has properly replicated except maybe Zelda II. Even possibly OoT and MM. SS is a much more tangible Zelda, and I like that. But the modern series may need to pull some inspiration back from its roots, or a 2D branch can be released which conveys that mystery much more powerfully though the obfuscation of a physical dimension.
About difficulty, I found the motion controls of SS pretty hard actually. Maybe I'm a noob, but I died a few times.
Separating the branches. They should have a take on old-school Zelda without derailing the modern version of Zelda. These need to be two separate branches. (See sales chart below for why)
There are two topics here actually: 1) the quality of the modern Zelda and what you would do to improve it if you were in charge. 2) The value of bringing back classical Zelda to the market.
Handheld Zelda. The two branches should be maintained on the portables as well as on the home consoles. 2D or 3D is no longer limited by weaker hardware. Have both on both consoles.
Importance of SS. The time spent on SS was not a waste, since it was the flagship for motion controls and had higher sales expectations. It's the motion+ strategy that failed mostly, the "platform" wasn't properly supported. SS as part of the Motion+ strategy had all the reason to exist. Low sales of SS are difficult to explain, and have little to do with the quality of the game itself. Something wasn't conveyed in marketing. With these past 3D Zelda games, the sales of SS vs TP actually match Majora's Mask vs OOT sales performance (N64 sequel):
| Pos | Game | Platform | Year | Genre | Publisher | North America | Europe | Japan | Rest of World | Global |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | N64 | 1998 | Adventure | Nintendo | 4.10 | 1.89 | 1.45 | 0.16 | 7.60 |
| 2 | The Legend of Zelda | NES | 1986 | Adventure | Nintendo | 3.74 | 0.93 | 1.69 | 0.14 | 6.51 |
| 3 | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | Wii | 2006 | Adventure | Nintendo | 3.34 | 1.84 | 0.60 | 0.62 | 6.40 + 1.59 (GC) |
| 4 | The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | DS | 2007 | Adventure | Nintendo | 1.78 | 1.71 | 0.95 | 0.46 | 4.91 |
| 5 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | SNES | 1991 | Adventure | Nintendo | 2.42 | 0.91 | 1.15 | 0.13 | 4.61 |
| 6 | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | GC | 2002 | Adventure | Nintendo | 2.60 | 0.99 | 0.89 | 0.13 | 4.60 |
| 7 | Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | NES | 1987 | Adventure | Nintendo | 2.19 | 0.50 | 1.61 | 0.08 | 4.38 |
| 8 | The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | GB | 1992 | Adventure | Nintendo | 2.21 | 0.96 | 0.54 | 0.13 | 3.83 |
| 9 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | N64 | 2000 | Adventure | Nintendo | 1.90 | 0.67 | 0.73 | 0.06 | 3.36 |
| 10 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Wii | 2011 | Adventure | Nintendo | 1.56 | 0.92 | 0.33 | 0.28 | 3.08 |
| 11 | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | DS | 2009 | Adventure | Nintendo | 1.29 | 0.76 | 0.74 | 0.24 | 3.04 |
Things to fix in SS. As for what I dislike about SS, despite everything I love about it, the tutoring needs to be a removable option. The story needs to be skippable (for experts), just like the HUD is dismissable in pro mode. The dialogues for upgrading items was also deadly to bear. Mind you, I enjoyed the fetch quests.
With these basic adjustments, the modern series should be a better fit for advanced users.
