Nintendo boss stays tight-lipped when asked about Zelda 40th anniversary plans

Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa, has declined to comment on potential plans to mark The Legend of Zelda series’ 40^th anniversary this year.

The Zelda franchise is the second major Nintendo franchise to celebrate its 40th anniversary in the last 12 months, after Super Mario Bros., which currently has its own dedicated promotional campaign across games, merchandise, and the upcoming movie sequel.

The first Legend of Zelda game was released for the Famicom on February 21, 1986, followed by the NES in North America and Europe in August 1987.

During its latest earnings call, translated by VGC, Nintendo president Furukawa was asked directly if the company had plans to celebrate non-Mario anniversaries, like Zelda’s 40^th and Pokémon’s 30^th, with special activities or promotional campaigns.

“As we have already announced during the Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary, in addition to releasing several new titles, we are also pursuing initiatives beyond games, including the theatrical release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” he replied.

“As the film’s release nears, we hope even more people will take the opportunity to play Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, which we launched last year.

“We are also expanding our software lineup with new titles such as Mario Tennis Fever, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Bellabel Park, as well as Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, creating even more opportunities for players to experience the world of Mario during the anniversary.”

He continued: “With regard to plans beyond the Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary, there is nothing we can share at this time.

“That said, milestones of 30 and 40 years represent an extraordinary length of time. We are truly grateful that these characters have continued to be loved by players around the world for so long, and we will work to ensure they can continue to be enjoyed for many years to come.”

While the Zelda series turns 40 this month, Super Mario Bros.’ current anniversary campaign has run into the following year, allowing its promotions to line up with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

With The Legend of Zelda movie due to release in May 2027, it’s possible Nintendo could run a similarly staggered celebration for the adventure series.

The last mainline Zelda entry, Tears of the Kingdom, was released in 2023, while the last 2D version came out in 2024, so a remaster or collection is likely more possible than a brand new game.