Breath of the Wild broke the Zelda franchise wide open, perfecting many existing mechanics and introducing a ton of new ones. But, with the immense number of changes made to the games, BOTW actually removed a ton of series staples and items. In most cases, these mechanics are relics of the past, making sense in their own game but not having much use in the new Hyrule. But, some could make the game’s sequel even more fun.
As Link explores Hyrule, various older game mechanics could come in handy. Here are some of the best choices for the things that existed in older Zelda games, but could make for a great addition to BOTW2.
10 Dogs
Fans were outraged to learn that you couldn’t pet the dogs that appeared at various stables around Hyrule when Breath of the Wild first released. They’re so cute and they’re begging for affection from Link. You can feed them but it’s just not the same.
In Twilight Princess, not only can you pet the dogs, but you can pick them up and carry them around. It’s too cute for words and needs to be added in BOTW2. These dogs work hard to find treasure for Link, the least he could do is give them a little pat on the head.
9 Kinstones
One of the best features unique to the adorable and underrated Minish Cap is the kinstone fusions. Link can find pieces of small runestones that have certain edges on one side. If he finds someone with the matching edge, they can fuse the kinstones together. This fusion causes certain things to happen in the overworld and grants items or rupees to Link.
These little fusions help Link form stronger relationships with the NPCs around Hyrule, and could do the same in BOTW2. The new Hyrule has no shortage of fun citizens and a kinstone system would encourage interaction with them.
8 Enemy Variety
One of the few critiques of BOTW was its lack of enemy variety. Aside from a few varying colors of a handful of enemies, there isn’t much diversity in Ganon’s army like there has been in past games. In some older games like Wind Waker, each dungeon has an almost entirely new set of enemies.
BOTW2 should rectify this problem or the fanbase might be severely disappointed. There are hundreds of enemies that have been seen in older games and any number of them would be great in the sequel.
7 Transformation
The ability to transform has long been featured in the Zelda franchise in a variety of capacities. There’s the mask transformations from Majora’s Mask that grant Link new powers, the forced transformation into Wolf Link in Twilight Princess, the wall merging mechanic of Link Between Worlds, and more.
It’s unlikely that a mechanic like this would be added in BOTW2 but it could provide some variety to Link’s arsenal beyond his Sheikah Slate tools. What Link could transform into is entirely up to the imagination, but the possibilities are endless.
6 Loftwings
Fast-travelling is always up for debate in open-world games. On the pro-fast-travelling side is the fact that you won’t have to trudge across huge maps. Proponents of taking the long way argue that you will miss a ton of a game’s charm and secrets if you fast-travel everywhere.
Why not have the best of both worlds? Taking inspiration from the fantastic soaring mechanic in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Link could have some sort of way to fly across Hyrule. This would allow you to see everything without having to walk for hours (or deal with the finicky Master Cycle). The Loftwings from Skyward Sword could be the perfect solution here.
5 Instruments
Almost every Zelda game has featured some type of musical instrument, from the titular Ocarina of Time to the Goddess’s Harp of Skyward Sword, along with many, many more. Music always seems to have a central role in the world of Zelda until Breath of the Wild. Music is so important to Zelda that it maybe inspired a whole game: Cadence of Hyrule.
The lack of an instrument is not too detrimental to BOTW in reality, but the addition of one could add that little something extra. An instrument is often used for puzzle-solving and this could be implemented easily into BOTW2.
4 Fishing
From the illegality of the Sinking Lure in Ocarina to the side-scrolling fish of Link’s Awakening, and even arguably the treasure grappling hook of Wind Waker’s King of Red Lions, fishing has long been present in the Zelda franchise. With the presence of large bodies of water and fish themselves, why was fishing not implemented in BOTW?
Of course, one can “fish” with bombs or by simply going up to the fish and clicking on them. But, it’s not the same as the days of old, where Link was granted a fishing rod with which to find himself a winning prize.
3 Hookshot
Speaking of staples in the Zelda series, the hookshot (or clawshot/longshot) is noticeably absent from BOTW. This item, first introduced in A Link to the Past, allows Link to grapple to various surfaces and objects, and can even be used to damage or stun enemies. The item is so iconic that it’s part of Link’s arsenal in Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo presumably left the hookshot out of BOTW to focus more on manual exploration: climbing, jumping, and working to get where you need to go. However, the hookshot’s addition in BOTW2 would be a welcome one.
2 Dark World
It might be a stretch of the imagination to picture a dark world being added to BOTW, but it’s not impossible to visualize. Many Zelda games have featured some variation of an alternate world, from the Dark World of A Link to the Past to the Twilight Realm in Twilight Princess.
Even if a game doesn’t feature a dark variant of its world, it can feature some “second” world, like Adult Link’s life in Ocarina or being shrunk in Minish Cap. BOTW2 could even implement something like the Silent Realm Trials found in Skyward Sword — temporary visits to another dimension for a short, difficult challenge.
1 Diving/Being Underwater
Bodies of water come in all shapes of sizes in the Hyrule of BOTW. Despite being able to swim across them, dash up waterfalls, catch fish, and freeze the water, Link is never able to actually dip his head beneath the surface.
Like A Link to the Past and Wind Waker, Link is only able to swim across the top of the water. This removes a ton of potential for underwater dungeons, treasure-hunting, and more. Ocarina, Skyward Sword, and Twilight Princess (and a few others) all allow for underwater exploration and various items that aid in it, like the Iron Boots and Zora Armor.
Perhaps BOTW2 will join these older games in letting Link swim deeper than a small child with their water wings on.
NEXT: Top 10 Zelda Characters We Want in Smash Ultimate, Ranked
