The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and another game in the series, Tears of the Kingdom, are being re-released on Switch 2 on June 5. I recently had the opportunity to play with Switch 2, so let’s break down what’s new in the updated Zelda game.
Before I get my hands on the console, let’s review what we know about these new Switch Zelda games.
How To Get Them?
You can get the remastered versions in a few ways: if you already own a Switch version of one of the games, you can buy a Switch 2 upgrade pack, which costs around $10, or if you’re a Switch Online Expansion Pack member, you can get it directly.
You can also buy digital and physical copies of the games for Switch 2, which include Switch 1 cartridges with the upgrade packs installed. This way, your data from Switch 1 can be quickly transferred to Switch 2.
Finally, Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 is DLC that does not include the game. If you already have the game, it should be transferred to your account later so that you can play it on the new version.
Improvements
On Switch 2, these games have higher resolutions, smoother frame rates, and support HDR - deeper and richer colors and contrast on compatible screens.
They also look great on the handheld, which many initially speculated would be inferior to Switch OLED screen, but this is not the case. The Switch 2 screen is larger, 1080p, and supports HDR.
Especially when running some games that often stutter, such as Guardian, the Switch 2 still performs very smoothly.
These games run on powerful hardware with significantly reduced loading times Fast travelling or entering and exiting Shrines are much faster.
New Features
Navigation
Zelda Notes has a few main features. The first is navigation, which is a satellite navigation feature. You can let the app guide you to the location of the items you need to find.
Voice Memories
The second feature that players are excited about is Voice Memories. When visiting certain locations, you will be able to hear characters in the game talk about these places and their experiences there.
In Breath of the Wild, these voices come from Princess Zelda. In Tears of the Kingdom, you will be able to find more Voice Memories in the area and may even be able to tell where they are from.
One feature that only exists in Tears of the Kingdom is Autobuild Sharing, which will be available at the launch of the game. This feature allows you to transfer Zonai creations to your phone and then share them by scanning a QR code.
To receive an Autobuild schematic, you need to connect Zelda Notes to the game, click Send to Game, and when you open Autobuild, you will be prompted to receive it.
Item Sharing
Another feature that exists in both games is Item Sharing, which is an icon in your Key Items inventory that allows you to deposit to or withdraw The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Items from a separate inventory in the app.
This allows you to share items in the game with other players. What’s more, it allows you to transfer items between the two games, which is really fun.
Tracks Gameplay Stats
In addition, Zelda Notes tracks a lot of game data, which you can view in My Game Data.
This is not just the simple “number of Shrines completed” or “hours played” - it also includes the number and type of enemies defeated, the number of weapons collected, or the number of times a Zonai ability is used.
These stats can also unlock medals in the app - such as Distance Trekker - which you can see in the trailer unlocking Distance Trekker at bronze level, after driving 100 kilometers, or Wealthy - which unlocks at silver level after collecting 30,000 rupees.
So while Switch 2 doesn’t feature achievements, the Zelda games do. You can compare these stats with other players’ Global Play Date to see how you rank in different categories and how your play style compares to other players.
Daily Bonus
Zelda Notes also has a daily bonus that you can randomly roll over in the app and then redeem in-game via Key Items tab. These bonuses include Hasty Meal, Sneaky Meal, Energy Cell Recharge and more.
While these aren’t huge bonuses, they can come in handy at key moments.
Amiibo Scan
Zelda Notes tracks how many times you scan a particular Amiibo, and once you’ve scanned five times, you’ll get one chance to use the bonus each day.
The above is a summary of Switch 2 versions of these two games. In general, I am still looking forward to experiencing these versions of the game, especially the newly added Voice Memories and Autobuild Sharing functions. Although these versions are still paid, I will still pay for these wonderful contents.
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