The Best Nintendo Game Every Year 1983 - 2024
8. 2017 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The darkest days of the Wii U were finally behind us. A new dawn had begun. In 2017, the Nintendo Switch arrived and put Nintendo back front and centre. With the console dropping in March, it had plenty of time to bolster its catalogue and make it a must-buy for the Christmas period with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Odyssey and its industry-shaking Zelda launch title.
In many ways, Breath of the Wild was a perfect way to introduce the Switch as you could play Link’s new console adventure at home and then take it with you on your own adventure (to work, to the shops, to a different room… endless possibilities). But obviously, what made the game truly great was the boldness to throw out tradition.
Zelda’s formula had gotten more tired than tired and Breath of the Wild’s laser focus on a feeling of discovery was key. Hyrule was now a wide open expanse and players were left to their own devices to conquer its enemies, environments and secrets. Landmarks and shrines in the horizon drove players forward, and physics-based puzzles made them stop and think.
The freedom of not just exploration but the approach to it would eventually be bettered by the sequel Tears of the Kingdom, but Breath of the Wild was an event that stopped gaming in its tracks.