TheLegend of Zeldafranchise is one of the most diverse out there in terms of the sheer variety of experiences it’s home to. TheZeldaseries has a tendency to keep evolving, significantly changing its gameplay formula, art style, and tone with each new console generation. For instance, while the N64’sThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeandMajora’s Maskwere quite similar entries, the series' next entry, theGameCube’sZelda: The Wind Waker, was a complete reinvention of the series.
That’s just scratching the surface ofThe Legend of Zelda’s diversity. TheZeldafranchise is also home to a wealth of handheld titles and spinoffs, many of which take the series in new and distinct directions. The Nintendo Wii’sLink’s Crossbow Trainingis one such entry in the franchise, offering a completely different experience to anyZeldaentry that came before it, and it’s an experience that could pave the way for a great Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.
A Link’s Crossbow Training Sequel Could Be a Great Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Title
Link’s Crossbow Training Showed The Potential of the Wii Zapper
Released in North America in November 2007,Link’s Crossbow Trainingwas a pack-in title forthe Wii Zapper peripheral, the successor to Nintendo’s classic NES Zapper light gun controller. As a peripheral, the Wii Zapper was far from a must-have add-on given that it was simply a plastic shell that held the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. ButLink’s Crossbow Trainingdid its very best to show that the Wii Zapper was a worthwhile purchase.
Using the same art style, enemy designs, and many of thesame locations asThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,Zelda’s Crossbow Trainingsaw players engaging in a series of shooting gallery challenges that had them blasting away at various targets. Some of these challenges were simple target practice levels, some were Defender levels that had players fending off waves of enemies while stationary, and some were Ranger levels that let players move Link freely around an environment.
Link’s Crossbow Trainingwas an incredibly short game, taking just an hour to beat and four hours to complete fully, and the gameplay itself was far from complex. ButLink’s Crossbow Trainingwas still a fun time, and it helped to justify the purchase of a Wii Zapper for early adopters.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Might Benefit From a Pack-In Game Like Link’s Crossbow Training
Unlike the Wii and Wii U (Premium Edition) before it, the original Nintendo Switch didn’t come with a pack-in game at launch. At the time,former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimeclaimed that the lack of a pack-in title was to keep the Switch’s price tag down and to give consumers a choice of the game they bought on launch day.
But due to the somewhat lackluster launch line-up (aside fromZelda: Breath of the Wildand a few others), many early adopters of the Switch ended upgrabbing1-2 Switchon launch day, making it the de facto pack-in title in the eyes of some fans. This was reinforced by1-2 Switch’s whole premise, which centered around showcasing the Joy-Con’s unique features in a party game format.
At the time of writing, theNintendo Switch 2’s launch line-uphasn’t been announced just yet. But it might be fun to see the return of the Nintendo pack-in title, and aLink’s Crossbow Trainingsequel could actually offer the perfect backdrop to showcase the new features of the console and its revamped Joy-Cons.
Link’s Crossbow Training
With Link’s Crossbow Training, you’ll master the Wit Zapper in no time!
