Zelda may not be the only Nintendo franchise that's going to see drastic alterations. Major changes are coming to Mario, too.
In an interview with IGN, famed Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto stated that he is playing with the idea of making a different kind of Mario game for that series' next installment.
"We're always challenging ourselves to create something new," said Miyamoto. "So hopefully you'll see a new kind of Mario in about a year or two."
Miyamoto clarified that he hopes more information on this new Mario project will be available by next year's E3, but was otherwise light on what, specifically, he has in mind for this possible project.
"It's kind of difficult with Mario because some of the more important conventions of Mario are based on the approachability and accessibility of those games."
Though it is difficult to imagine what exactly a Mario game that changes the franchise as much as Breath of the Wild has altered the Zelda series may look like, it is important to remember that Mario has actually starred in a number of innovative efforts over the years that have reinvented both the character and several genres. Mario Kart practically invented the cart racer, Mario 64 pioneered true 3D platform gaming, and Mario Paint was one of the first major instances of a game designed largely as a creative toolset for its players.
It seems that refreshing a tried and true formulas might become part of Nintendo's new design philosophy, as it prepares to launch the NX console in 2017. The new open-world Zelda game has, after all, already garnered praise from both fans and the media.
Going into E3 2016, we knew that the new Legend of Zelda game was going to be a bit...different. Nintendo directly explained as much when they referred to the title as the first true "open-world" game in the Zelda franchise, and more subtly suggested sweeping changes via a series of interviews and PR releases that hinted at the many innovations fans could expect from the new title.
Still, nothing could quite prepare us for just how different Breath of the Wild truly is. As noted in our preview of the game, the next Zelda is true reset for the franchise. Though there are certainly still a host of distinctive Zelda elements in place (familiar audio cues, returning weapons, Link) the series is now borrowing from such games as Skyrim and Dark Souls while also introducing quite a few open-world innovations of its own.
The response to these changes was tremendous. Breath of the Wild won several "Best of E3" awards and was met with glowing praise from nearly everyone who played the available demo. Given the title's unbelievably positive reception, perhaps it should be no surprise to learn that Nintendo is now thinking of making significant design changes to the Mario franchise as well.
We look forward to bringing you more information on the next Mario game, whatever it may have in store.
