Gaming Influence: Thoughts - The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct 9.8.2026

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created in WrestleCorp. However, I will not only be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series but also on video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll share my thoughts on The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8, 2026.

Anyway, let's get started!

For those unfamiliar with The Legend of Zelda series, it's a video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and it was developed and published by Nintendo.

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. Did Nintendo do enough to satisfy the existing fans as well as bring in new fans to the series? Well, let's find out and talk about what they've shown.

They first start with an orchestrated music performance of The Legend of Zelda series and highlight the Triforce, showcasing each part of the Triforce: the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda, the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf, and the Triforce of Courage, Link. This was pure beauty here, as I always love the music in The Legend of Zelda games, and when it's orchestrated, it hits the next level. The way they also went through the history of The Legend of Zelda is great, and I can't believe it's been forty years for this series. Incredible. 

Shigeru Miyamoto then appeared and thanked the fans for supporting the series for forty years and also went through what The Legend of Zelda series has gone through in terms of games. He then announced that The Legend of Zelda movie will be released in theaters on April 30, 2027, as he showed a teaser of the logo and said that the Triforce will play a huge part in the story, with the story of the movie being original, using all aspects of the games combined. Man, I was hoping that we'd get an actual trailer for the movie, but hey, it's coming, and it's coming sooner than expected. Hope to see more of it when the time comes.

Next, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that at the Nintendo Museum, there'll be a special limited-time edition of The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary tickets, as well as a special theme involving The Legend of Zelda, including timelines, photo booths, and a family restaurant. He then showcased other 40th Anniversary items of The Legend of Zelda, including toys, amiibo, and figures. Finally, he said that there will be updates on The Legend of Zelda news on Nintendo Today. Nice to see that Nintendo is going to give The Legend of Zelda series special treatment, which is definitely appreciated. Hope it turns out well overall.

Then, Shigeru Miyamoto went to Koji Kondo, who talked about being the composer of The Legend of Zelda series since the first game and how the series has continued to evolve. He then mentioned that there'll be a The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Concert that'll be worldwide starting in early 2027. It's awesome that Nintendo is doing a concert for the 40th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, as they have great music overall. Hope to attend one of those concerts if it's in my area, and if it's in your area and you love The Legend of Zelda music, I would recommend attending it.

Next, Koji Kondo, then went to Eiji Aonuma, who talked about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He discussed how this game was revolutionary when it was released back on the N64 and how a lot of the game's ideas carried over to modern games of The Legend of Zelda. He then mentioned that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a remake of the original game on the N64, but with modern technology, before showcasing the game itself. The game has improved in terms of graphics, but they also added a lot of quality-of-life improvements that weren't in the original game. Eiji Aonuma showed that the game has free camera control as well as jumping, which can't be done in the original game. He then introduced the Great Deku Tree dungeon as well as showed how combat works by locking in an enemy and that Navi can give advice to Link on how to defeat the enemy. He also showcased how the Slingshot works in the game too. He then showcased Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle, as well as showing how the ocarina works in the game, as you can even input audio using the speakers of the controllers of the Switch 2. He then ended the showcase by playing Epona's Song on the ocarina to have Epona appear, as well as mentioning that there'll be voice acting in major cutscenes in the game. He then announced that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be released on Switch 2 on November 5, 2026. Oh my god, what a showcase for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time here, as this game looks incredible! I was hoping that the game would be a reimagining instead of a remake, but they definitely improved a lot of things from the original, and I can't wait to play this game once it's released in two months.

After that, Eiji Aonuma went to Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who discussed the Zelda Notes for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which are implemented in this game. He went over the different categories using Zelda Notes for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, including Today's Record, which is progress on what you did in the game that day; Gossip Quests, which is where players can use it to help them find locations and items within the game; Play Ocarina, which is where players can play the ocarina manually or automatically; and Ocarina of Time Quiz, which allows players to test their knowledge in the game. Man, I didn't expect Nintendo to give Zelda Notes a lot of features, but nice to see regardless. We'll see how this turns out for the game itself once it's released.

Then, Hidemaro Fujibayashi introduced the new amiibo for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He then said that both Young Link and Young Zelda amiibo will be released in 2027. In addition, these amiibo will unlock masks for the players to wear in the game. Very cool to see that Nintendo is still supporting amiibo after all this time. Very awesome to see.

After that, Hidemaro Fujibayashi introduced the Nintendo Switch 2: The Legend of Zelda - 40th Anniversary Edition, which will include both the Switch 2 Joy-Cons and the Switch 2 dock. The edition will be released on October 29, 2026. In addition, players can also get the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: The Legend of Zelda - 40th Anniversary Edition and the Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector: The Legend of Zelda - 40th Anniversary Edition on October 29, 2026. Oh my god, they look amazing! Man, I should have expected this, but man, they look incredible. I'm sure they're sold out already, but I can't deny that they look great. 

Finally, they ended the presentation with one final trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Man, this trailer was everything, and I just can't wait to play this game in a new light. If this game is just like the original game on N64, but with better graphics, updated gameplay, and quality-of-life improvements, we're in for a treat. Looking forward to replaying this game once it's released in two months.

Overall, this was a great presentation from Nintendo. Nintendo is definitely giving a lot of love to The Legend of Zelda franchise thus far when it comes to the movie, concerts, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I still can't believe that Nintendo actually made a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is surreal as it's coming out a lot sooner than expected, too. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Nintendo has in store for The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary, if there is more, but if there isn't, we've got a lot for what we have, and it's great to see. 

You can catch the whole presentation of The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct yourself with the link below:

Those are my thoughts on The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct. Did this presentation convince you to be interested in The Legend of Zelda series?

What was the biggest moment or highlight for you in this presentation?

Let me know in the comments below, and thank you for reading.