Reissue

It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include information on the later The Legend of Zelda series titles and Hyrule Warriors.

A reissue (often informally referred to as a remake) is a term that refers to any newer version of a previously released video game. There are five distinct types of reissues: remakes, ports, enhanced ports, re-releases, and retools. In The Legend of Zelda franchise, most games that have been reissued are part of the main series.

Categories

• Remake: A re-released game built from scratch usually long after the original game, on a new system, with updated graphics to fit with the new engine capacities, and additions brought to plot and gameplay (all these conditions may not be met in every case).
• Port: A game released on a different platform than the original game, with some minor changes such as new controls or new graphics to fit the new system. Usually, they are very close to the original game and share the same name. Compilations are considered as ports because they consist of at least two ported titles. A game released on the Nintendo Entertainment System after its original release on Famicom is not a port because the two consoles are considered identical. The Virtual Console service consists of games ported from older consoles.
• Enhanced port: A game released on a later platform than the original game, bringing more changes than a standard port, but is not built from scratch.
• Re-release: A game released on the same platform as the original game, with only superficial or inconsequential changes. It may have a different name than the original game.
• Retool: A retool, also called a sprite-swapped game, is a game made after applying a graphical overhaul on a previously released game, with or without minor gameplay differences as well. It is generally released on the same platform as the original game.

List of games reissued

The Legend of Zelda

Re-releases

• 1992: Re-released on the Nintendo Entertainment System as part of the "Classic Series"
• 1994: The original Famicom Disk System version was backported on a Family Computer cartridge, exclusively in Japan, and renamed to The Hyrule Fantasy: The Legend of Zelda 1.

Remakes

• 1995/1996 A game titled BS Zelda no Densetsu was broadcast for the Super Nintendo's Satellaview add-on in four episodic, weekly installments.

Ports

• 2001 - In the Nintendo GameCube title Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda is an unused playable game, and cannot be accessed in-game without the use of a cheating device.
• 2003 - Included as one of the four full games on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition. This technically marks the game's first actual release as a port.
• 2004 - Ported to the Game Boy Advance as part of the Classic NES Series
• 2006 - Ported as one of the first Virtual Console titles on the Wii
• 2008 - Available as a Masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• 2011/2012 - Ported to select Nintendo 3DS units as an Ambassador Program title, and later became more widely available with a Virtual Console release in 2012 (December 2011 in Japan).
• 2013 - Ported to the Wii U as a downloadable Virtual Console title
• 2014 - Also appears as a Masterpiece on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• 2016 - Released as one of the 30 games included on the NES Classic Edition and its Japanese counterpart, Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer.
• 2018 - Included as a playable title on the Nintendo Switch Online service. A "special save data" version was released a month later, allowing the player to start the game with more items and Rupies.
• 2021 - Included on Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda as a playable title

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Re-releases

• 1992 - Re-released on the NES as part of the "Classic Series", included on a gray cartridge

Ports

• 2003 - One of the four full games included on the Nintendo GameCube compilation, The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition
• 2004 - Ported to the Game Boy Advance as a Classic NES Series installment
• 2007 - Ported to the Virtual Console for the Wii
• 2011/2012 - Ported on select Nintendo 3DS units as an Ambassador Program title, and later became more widely available with a Virtual Console release in 2012.
• 2013 - Ported to the Virtual Console for the Wii U
• 2014 - Included as a Masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• 2016 - Released as one of the 30 games included on the NES Classic Edition and its Japanese counterpart, Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer.
• 2019 - Included as a playable title on the Nintendo Switch Online service. A "special save" was also released where Link starts his adventure with his ATTACK, MAGIC, and LIFE at level 8.
• 2021 - Included on Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda as a playable title

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Remakes

• 2002 - The game was remade for the Game Boy Advance and included in the compilation, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords

Ports

• 2006/2007 - Ported to the Wii's Virtual Console
• 2013/2014 - Ported to the Wii U's Virtual Console
• 2016 - Released for the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console service
• 2017 - Included as one of the 21 titles in the Super NES Classic Edition
• 2019 - Included as a playable title on the Nintendo Switch Online service.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Enhanced port

• 1998 - Ported to the Game Boy Color as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, which itself released for the 3DS's Virtual Console in 2011

Remakes

• 2019 - The game was remade as a Nintendo Switch title

Ports

• 2021 - Included on Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda as a playable title

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Re-releases

• 1999 - Re-released as a Players Choice title

Ports

• 2002 - The game received a release for the Nintendo GameCube, and was included with the previously unreleased The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest, a harder mode of the original game.
• 2003 - Included as one of the four playable titles on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition
• 2003 - Released as a launch title for the iQue Player; a timed demo of the game can be found on every unit. A few years later, a Traditional Chinese translation for the console was planned but ultimately ended up being cancelled.
• 2007 - Released for the Wii's Virtual Console service.
• 2015 - Released for the Wii U's Virtual Console service.

Remakes

• 2011 - Remade for the Nintendo 3DS as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which also includes Master Quest as an unlockable mode.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Ports

• 2003 - Included as one of the four playable titles on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition
• 2009 - Released for the Wii's Virtual Console service
• 2016 - Released for the Wii U's Virtual Console service

The game was planned to be ported to the iQue Player but ended up being canceled.

Remakes

• 2015 - Remade for the Nintendo 3DS as The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

The game was originally included on the compilation The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords, in which it was paired with a remake of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Both games have features that can be unlocked through specific means in the other game.

Remakes

• 2011 - A remake, titled The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition, was released as a DSiWare title

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