Fan Shows Off 'Paper Zelda' Concept

One creative Legend of Zelda player shares their genius idea for a conceptual ‘Paper Zelda’ version of the original NES classic.

Highlights

The “Paper Zelda” concept could potentially revive interest in the classic top-down or side-scroller style RPGs that fans miss from the franchise.
A visually similar game like Paper Zelda could generate hype and help the Zelda franchise, especially following the announcement of a remastered release for Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Introducing a paper version of Link could add a comedic take and expand the rich lore of the Legend of Zelda series, providing a fresh concept for fans to enjoy.

One Legend of Zelda fan has shared their idea for “Paper Zelda.” While most fans enjoy the success of modern entries such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its positively-received sequel Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there still exists a fan base that enjoys the simpler classic titles from the franchise. The last game which followed the original game style closely was 2019’s Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the Switch.

The “Paper” concept was originally popularized by the Mario franchise. With a few games under the Paper Mario brand, some fans have wondered whether a similar idea would work for other Nintendo properties. One of the titles being discussed by a few gamers would be a “Paper” take on The Legend of Zelda.

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Nintendo struck gold with Breath of the Wild’s open-world style of gameplay, but it shouldn’t forget The Legend of Zelda’s beloved beginnings.

Reddit user Separate-Painter-69 shared a photo of their conceptual take on Paper Zelda, which looks to be a remake inspired by NES’s Legend of Zelda title. While the background tiles are obviously still based on the original game, the sprites for Link and the enemies seem to be redone for modern times. Many comments praised the concept, with some even marveling at how amazing it looked, considering the work had only been done for three days. Some worried about the idea, since Nintendo is known to be litigious when it comes to copyright infringement.

Paper Zelda Could Be A Good Idea

The idea seems like perfect timing, especially as the previously mentioned Paper Mario series just announced that Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is getting a remastered release on the Switch. While the two franchises are hugely different, the hype for a visually similar game might help the Zelda franchise. The Legend of Zelda games have regularly experimented with varied art styles with each release. While the developers may have found the sweet spot in terms of looks with Breath of the Wild, some fans still vividly remember and miss art styles like those found in Wind Waker.

Adding one more version of Link could help expand the rich lore of the Legend of Zelda series. While not necessarily interconnected, a paper version of Link could give a more comedic take that’s missing from the newer games in the franchise. Granted, each version of Link has their own backstory and character that Paper Link could bring a new flavor to. Perhaps Paper Zelda could introduce a fresh concept that could revive interest in top-down or side-scroller style RPGs that the old titles used to utilize.