1. Zelda and Ganondorf
Alright, it's two. I cheated. And... it wouldn't exactly be a spin-off. But hear me out. Am I the only one who feels that the Zelda series is a little stale? One of the best game franchises of all time, dont get me wrong, and there was little to criticise with recent iteration Skyward Sword (which made some much needed improvements in movement and combat, especially), but all the same its impossible to escape the fact that the series is now over 25 years old. This, along with the fact that Nintendo set almost every iteration in Hyrule and use the same 3 main characters, does tend to make playing a new Zelda title a very mixed experience, relying on nostalgia in place of the pleasant surprises that other games might offer the player. So Im going to make a radical suggestion:
A New Threat Give Hyrule a new enemy. Not just a new minion of Ganon(dorf); an actual new force that is as powerful as Link, Zelda and Ganondorf (the holders of the Triforce) combined. Someone so powerful that this time, Link wont be able to take him down by himself. So after a while during the game, Zelda starts helping out. Playing as either Zelda or Sheik, shed have access to the various spells incumbent in a Zelda game, and be faster and nimbler than Link but also weaker. Dungeons would require you to change between the characters in order to solve all the puzzles, as some would require one character or another to progress. For example, Zelda uses an ice spell to freeze blocks, and then Link has to push them into place in the right sequence. Imagine all the new possibilities open to the (genius) minds that create those famous Zelda puzzles. But then, towards the end of the game, you confront the enemy, and you fail. All seems lost. Until...
Ganondorf Let Ganondorf work with Link for once. If you think thats ridiculous, go play Chrono Trigger, recruit Magus and then come back.
You see? If not, maybe try out Mario RPG. Prior to that game, people would have shot down any hint that Mario and Bowser should team up but it turned into one of the greatest Mario titles ever made. While Im not suggesting Link and Ganondorf get all buddy-buddy, they would be forced to work together in order to defeat the new threat, as neither one of them wants Hyrule to fall into the hands of another. Nintendo wisely leave dialogue out of Zelda, for the most part, and there could be lots of great wordless character interaction here, with Link constantly suspicious of the arrogant and smug Ganondorf who would play as a brute strength character with dark magic. All three characters would be necessary to complete the various dungeons and challenges ahead. At the end of the game, Ganondorf would inevitably try to betray Link and be confined again to the Dark Realm, the natural status quo of Hyrule restored.
Have I convinced you? Whether you agree or disagree, have your say in the comment section below. Let us know if we missed out any characters who deserve spin-offs, and remember to Like us on Facebook and Twitter.