Rumor: Popular Philips CD Zelda games are being remastered for the Switch

Photo: Damien McFerran/Phillips

We’ve received word from a source close to Nintendo that the Phillips CD-i The Legend of Zelda The games are coming to Switch later this year, and Nintendo will reportedly save advertising for this summer’s Nintendo Direct, with a planned shadow drop.

Three Zelda titles were released on the platform in the 1990s thanks to a deal between Nintendo and Phillips – Link: Faces of EvilAnd Zelda: Gamelon’s Wand (both in 1993), W.J Zelda adventure (in 1994). And all three are coming to Switch in ‘Remastered’ form as part of the blast of Zelda that Nintendo plans in 2023 following the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in May.

Our source — who wishes to remain anonymous — told us that while Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma isn’t a trilogy canon of Zelda lore, they’re “an important part of Nintendo’s history and The Legend of Zelda and as the first games to allow players to control Zelda, deserve to be be available on more modern systems. All three games will feature polished visuals and a rearranged orchestral soundtrack.

In fact, both The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda Adventure mark the first time that Princess Zelda has been playable in a non-spirit form — hey, Spirit Tracks! — and she still hasn’t played a human in the main Zelda game. This means that these two entries, despite controversy and reviling by Zelda fans, are important milestones in the series.

The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon were developed simultaneously by Animation Magic. At the time of release in October 1993, reviews were mixed but tended towards positive. Both games are side-scrolling action-adventure titles that put you in the shoes of Link (Faces of Evil) and Zelda (Wand of Gamelon). Using expressive animated scenes, some of the most memorable moments in the history of the Zelda series took place in these two games.

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Zelda’s Adventure, the third CD-i game, was developed by Viridis Corporation and instead of using animated cutscenes, used FMV throughout the game. The action was top-down, unlike the efforts of Animation Magic, and once again saw you play as Zelda on a mission to rescue Link from Ganon.

The deal between Nintendo and Phillips infamously caused Big N to breach its previous agreement with Sony, which was developing a CD add-on for the Super NES. Then Sony moved into PlayStation development – and we know how that ended.

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