The Nintendo Movie We Need Before Zelda
After the runaway critical and commercial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo excited fans everywhere by announcing an upcoming film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. It’s exciting to think of seeing Link fighting Ganon on the big screen, but we’ve got an idea we’re gonna shoot to Nintendo and the fandom quicker than a Deku Scrub shoots nuts at the player. For more reasons than you can shake an ocarina at, Nintendo needs to make a Star Fox movie before they make a Zelda movie. Here’s why…
The Designs Already Exist
One of the reasons we should get a Star Fox movie before we get a big-screen Zelda is that the designs for Fox McCloud and his teammates already exist. That’s because Star Fox creator and Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto was working with CollegeHumor to create a claymation TV series adaptation. He had been so impressed with the Wes Anderson film adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox that he wanted a Star Fox movie with a similar aesthetic.
The only reason we never saw this series is that Netflix leaked info about a Zelda TV series they were allegedly working on.
Ironically enough, the only reason we never saw this series is that Netflix leaked info about a Zelda TV series they were allegedly working on. In response, Nintendo canceled plans for multiple adaptations, including Star Fox. Given this, we feel it’s only fair for Fox McCloud to get a crack at the big screen before Link or Zelda does.
More Room for Character Development
For better or for worse, Star Fox games rarely develop their characters that much. Characters are broken into broad archetypes (Falco is your cocky competitor, Slippy is your nervous ride or die, etc.) that allow us to focus on the simplified story: Andross is hurting innocent people and only Team Star Fox can stop him. Believe it or not, that simplified characterization is one of the main reasons we’d like to see a Star Fox movie.
Why burden the Zelda lore with additional details when Nintendo can finally give Star Fox characters the epic mythology they deserve?
Such a movie would have a chance to deepen these characters and add to the otherwise basic lore of the Star Fox franchise’s simple mythology. Compare that to the Zelda games: not only do these titles have much more fleshed-out characters, but there are several distinct mythologies connected to different Links (heck, we’ve had at least a dozen so far). Why burden the Zelda lore with additional details when Nintendo can finally give Star Fox characters the epic mythology they deserve?
A Chance To Bring the Franchise Back
It’s an open secret that Nintendo movies are big-budget advertisements for Nintendo games. That brings us to the final reason we need a Star Fox movie before we get a Zelda movie. In short, Nintendo has a chance to revive the Star Fox franchise which hasn’t had a new game (and no, that belated Star Fox 2 port doesn’t count) since 2016.
Zelda doesn’t need any help to continue thriving.
Since Nintendo stopped making new Star Fox games, we’ve had a whopping four titles: two completely new titles and two remakes. As a game franchise, Zelda doesn’t need any help to continue thriving. But if Nintendo gives the world a killer Star Fox movie, it might be enough to resurrect one of the best sci-fi shooting franchises in video game history, and that’s reason enough to bring Fox McCloud to the silver screen.
