With 2020 now firmly in the rearview mirror, a new year means a host of new milestones with this year being no different. As we kickstart 2021, the year ahead will see significant video game anniversaries for some of the medium’s biggest franchises. Some of which include;The Legend of Zelda,Pokemon,andSkyrim.Today I’m looking ahead to have a look at some of the biggest video game anniversaries of the year and what we could expect to see from their franchises.
The Legend of Zelda (35 Years)
Arguably this year’s biggest and most anticipated anniversary isThe Legend of Zelda. The action-adventure title released on the NES in 1986 and the series has since grown into one of the most beloved and esteemed in the history of video games.
What could we see?
There have been plenty of rumors in the lead-up to this anniversary, however, nothing has been officially announced yet. Last year, to celebrateSuper Mario Bros.35thanniversary, Nintendo releasedSuper Mario 3D All-Stars,so there is some expectation that it may release a similar collection for Zelda turning the big 35. The prevailing theory is a compilation ofWind Waker, Twilight Princess,andSkyward Swordwill be making its way onto the Switch.
There is also hope and anticipation that Nintendo will bless us with more information onThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. This sequel wasannounced at E3 in 2019but, as expected, apart from a few rumors has gone quiet since. One of the strongest rumors claimed the title wasdue for a 2020 release, however, if this was true, the pandemic could have easily caused it to slip into a convenient 2021 launch window.
Nintendo also released a handful of smaller titles forSuper Mario Bros.35thanniversary and it will be interesting to see if they follow suit here. ALegend of Zeldabattle royale (in the vein ofSuper Mario Bros. 35) is a possibility and they also have a plethora of handheld games they could give theLink’s Awakeningtreatment to.
Metroid (35 Years)
Alongside Link, Samus made her bow into gaming in 1986 in the NES hitMetroid. The game was revered for its atmosphere as players explored an alien planet, finding power-ups and fighting extra-terrestrials. WhileMetroidas a franchise hasn’t quite hit the lofty heights ofThe Legend of Zelda, its cultural relevance can’t be ignored as the series played a huge part in the creation of the Metroidvania genre.
Rumors of anupgradedMetroid Prime Trilogyhave been flying around for some time now, and there seems to be no better time to release it than 2021. There was also arumor ofMetroid Samus Returnsgetting a Switch portthat surfaced towards the end of last year that may, or may not, come into fruition.
LikeThe Legend of Zelda,Metroidfans are eagerly awaiting information on the next mainline entry in the series.Metroid Prime 4was revealed back at E3 2017but has seeminglyhad some development troublessince then andstill seems a way off. While some information and updates may be a possibility this year, I wouldn’t expect aMetroid Prime 4release any time soon.
Sonic the Hedgehog (30 Years)
Sega’s answer to Mario,Sonic the Hedgehog, turns 30 this year after releasing on the Sega Genesis in 1991. The Gotta Go Fast hedgehog has never been far from the limelight, featuring in regular video games, cartoons, and most recently twolive-action movies.
Sonic has already received acool new logoahead of the series’ 30thanniversary andit’s already been confirmedthat there will be new Sonic “games, digital content, events, major announcements, and a tailored licensing programme.”
Spinoffs aside, we’ve not had a brand new mainline Sonic game since bothSonic ManiaandSonic Forcesreleased back in 2017. It will be interesting to see if Sega leans into either of these games or takes a brand new route. The rest of the Sonic catalog is generally widely available so it remains to be seen if Sega will pull together any kind of extra compilations.
F-Zero (30 Years)
One of themore dormant franchises on this list,F-Zero, celebrates its 30thanniversary in the west in 2021. The high-octane, futuristic racing series is one that is beloved by fans but one that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves from Nintendo. It begs the question as to why? WithMario Kart 8 Deluxestill selling a staggering amount of units, Nintendo could easily capitalize on the desire for a second top-tier racer on the Switch.
Probably not a lot. Nintendo seems to have shoved the beloved racing series aside and forgotten about it over the last few years. With two other massive Nintendo franchises celebrating big milestones this year, plus the game’s 30thanniversary already passing in Japan, it’s highly unlikelyF-Zerowill be returning.
Back in 2015, Shigeru Miyamoto did sayhe would like to bring the franchise backprovided Nintendo could come up with a controller interface that makes sense for it andF-Zero GXDirector, Toshihiro Nagoshi, also recently stated thathe’d be open to working on a new gamein the series. However, these were both likely just passing remarks as Miyamoto hasn’t mentioned the franchise since and Nagoshi has been hard at work on the Yakuza franchise for a number of years now.
Pokemon (25 Years), Diamond & Pearl (15 Years), Pokemon GO (5 Years)
Maybe the only anniversary that could toppleThe Legend of Zelda’sis Pokemon as the mega-franchise turns 25 this year. Pokemon is the highest-grossing franchise in media history, making an estimated $100 billion since its 1996 inception, and you may bet they’re going to go all out to celebrate this year.
Astonishingly, aNew Pokemon Snapis already confirmed for release in 2021 and that’s likely to be the tip of the iceberg.Pokemon Let’s Go Johtohas beenheavily rumored since last summer, a game that would certainly go down well.Diamond & Pearlalso turn 15 this year and they are the oldest mainline games yet to receive a re-release so it’s reasonable to expect something on this front.
We may also get details on the next new generation of Pokemon as we generally receive a new one every three years. By the end of 2021, it will also have been two years sinceSword and Shieldlaunched andthe DLC is also now wrapped up, so it will be interesting to see if The Pokemon Company shows their hand here.
Aside from that, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have an absolutelycracking back catalog of spinoff titlesthey could pull from.Pokemon Stadium, Colosseum, Pinball,andPuzzle Leagueare all titles that would be worthy of returning.
Pokemon GOalso turns five this year, meaning that the summer ofPokemon GOwas half a decade ago! Niantic now seems to finally be finding its stride with engaging, real-world events.GO Fest was playable worldwide this yearand there’s anew Kanto event on the horizon, so there will certainly be a blowout event this summer as Niantic looks to better the$1 billion they made in 2020.
N64 and Super Mario 64(25 Years)
Now we’re talking. Nintendo’s first foray into 3D turns 25 this year, although, for some, it’s not the company’s most fondly remembered console of all time. It’s hard to deny the quality of the games that released on the platform. There wasSuper Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie, Mario Kart, Goldeneyeand so, so many more.
Nintendo has gone quiet on the classic mini console front, with theSNES Mini releasing in 2017. What better time to bring back this (slightly gimmicky) fad andgive us an N64 classic, loaded with some of the console’s best games?
Failing that, updating theNintendo Switch Onlineservice to include a handful of N64 games would be a welcome addition. At this point, I’d even settle for them releasing some of the console’s better games for sale on the Nintendo eShop.
Resident Evil (25 Years)
It’s been 25 years since players first visited Racoon City on the PlayStation, and the series has since almost certainly become the premiere video game horror franchise. Although the franchise lost a little bit of its edge betweenResident Evil 5and6, it found its footing again withResident Evil 7and the future is looking bright.
Resident Evil’seighth mainline entry, Village,is already confirmed for a PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S release this year. There’s also therumor that Capcom could decide to follow its pattern of releasing remakes, and that the reveredResident Evil 4could be getting the makeover treatment this year.
Resiis also gettingA LOTof different adaptations over the coming year. The rebootedResident Evilmovierecently wrapped shootingahead of its release in September and there are also two differentResident EvilTV shows in the works. Onelive-action,one animated.
Crash Bandicoot (25 Years)
DualShockers’favorite marsupial joins our video game anniversaries list as the franchise turns 25 this year. Crash was supposed to be Sony’s answer to Mario and although he never quite hit those lofty heights, he is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters in PlayStation history.
We’ve been inundated withCrash Bandicoottitles over the last few years. TheN.Sane Trilogyreleased in 2017,Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueledfollowed two years later, and last year we got the first new major entry in years,Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Because of this, I wouldn’t expect a great deal fromCrash Bandicootthis year, however, we do havethe mobile runner to get excited about…
Persona (25 Years)
The Persona series has been thrust into the mainstream over recent years.Persona 5became an instant classic and the recent re-release ofPersona 4 Goldenonto Steam has made the series more accessible than ever.
We already havePersona 5 Strikerscoming to the West next month and Atlus kindly dropped a bunch ofPersonasoundtracks onto Spotifyover the last few days. A Switch port ofPersona 5/Royalwould, of course, be a welcome addition to those.
In aninterview with Gematsu, Atlus was well aware of the series’ 25thanniversary, saying “In 2021 we’re also planning a ‘Persona25th Anniversary’ commemoration project. Please look forward to it!”
GameCube, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin, and Animal Crossing (All 20 Years)
Like the N64, the Nintendo GameCube celebrates a big milestone this year, turning 20 and along with it, some major games.Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, Animal Crossing,andLuigi’s Mansionare some of the standouts turning 20 with Nintendo’s cube-shaped console.
