The Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially confirmed by Nintendo, and there are hints the Joy-Con will flip on their side and could be used as a mouse. While that immediately makes some people think of Mario Paint or indie game support, I’m thinking about playing Zelda with a mouse. Today I want to dive into that, plus get your ideas on the next Zelda game, and try to answer the question “Are we going to have to use a mouse for the next Zelda game”?
Switch 2 mouse support
Finally, yesterday the Switch 2 was officially confirmed by Nintendo after weeks of leaks. It’s a very exciting time, even though we don’t have many confirmed details related to the new Switch model, as the countdown to the next mainline 3D Zelda can begin. At one point during the trailer, two Joy-Cons can be seen being pushed along a flat service, their wrist straps out the back like little mouse tails. Also, there seems to be some kind of attachment that gives the side of the Joy-Con a smooth edge. They look like they could be used as a mouse, which opens up some interesting questions for The Legend of Zelda franchise.
We’ve seen a steady stream of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks over December and January, with one very interesting detail being posted on the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit on 6th January by poster SwordfishAgile. This is where the optical sensor was picked up and fans started speculating we could get mouse functionality with one or both Joy Con. Now Nintendo have shown off their trailer officially revealing the hardware, showing the Joy Con racing around the table. This isn’t confirmation, we’re likely to get that on 2nd April with the big Nintendo Switch 2 reveal. While it’s not confirmation, it’s certainly a big hint.
Nintendo innovations
Nintendo is well known for their innovations in the console space, and The Legend of Zelda series has always leaned into these innovations to help Nintendo get their consoles out there.
- N64 Expansion Pak – Majora’s Mask, insertable RAM for the N64 for better graphics and loading times
- Gamecube/Gameboy Link Cable – Four Swords Adventures
- Nintendo 3DS – Ocarina of Time 3D, you can play through one of the best Zelda games in 3D without having to wear glasses
- Nintendo DS Stylus – Phantom Hourglass, you can draw on the screen and control Link
- Nintendo DS Mic – Phantom Hourglass again, this time you could blow into the mic to spin the sacred windmills on the Isle of Gales.
- Wii Motion Controls – Twilight Princess, swing your sword and use for bow and arrows
- Motion Control Plus – Skyward Sword, used for tighter controls with the sword
While some maybe better than others, it’s good to see Nintendo always trying to push the series forward with new ideas. Just listing out all the features there, the Nintendo DS was a powerhouse of a console when it comes to innovation. The gimmicks don’t always hit, that’s for sure, but it’s nice to pick up a sword and swing it in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword to feel a bit more immersion.
How could we use a mouse?
If we’re going to get mouse support for the Nintendo Switch 2, then how could we use it? I have a few ideas, but I would love to hear your ideas, post them in the comments.
Aiming – The mouse could be used for more precise aiming, similar to first-person shooters. That makes sense for the right hand, I’m not too sure what we’d used in the left hand, unless we use two at the same time, which could be wild. Or Nintendo may release a keyboard to go with the Switch 2, or perhaps they offer keyboard and mouse support given there is an extra USB-C port on the top of the console, so now you can be charging and have a controller, keyboard or mouse attached.
Dungeon Creator – This might be more for a top-down Zelda game, but I would like to see a dungeon creator in a Zelda game. We had a very early version of this concept in Link’s Awakening Remake on Nintendo. Quest Master was released in 2024, which is an excellent Zelda Dungeon Creator-like game from Apogee Entertainment, I definitely recommend checking that out. I would love to see some of the featurs from Quest Master come into a Zelda Dungeon maker on Nintendo Switch 2 with mouse support to make it easy to create dungeons quickly. Super Mario Maker is a great idea, but it’s quite slow to make a course, and I think mouse support could speed things up.
Card mini-game – Perhaps we have a mini-game in Zelda which is similar to Slay the Spire, where we use the mouse to play. Slay the Spire can be played with a controller, but for me it’s much more comforatble to use a mouse. Or perhaps we have a card game in Zelda where we go to a village and sit down at a card game table and play various NPCs, similar to Queen’s Blood from Final Fantasy or Gwent from The Witcher. Card games whether they are full blown games like Balatro or mini-games in the actual game have exploded in popularity.
Zelda paint – Another spin off idea is to bring back the classic Mario Paint formula but with a Zelda spin on things. We often see paintings around Hyrule, and this could be the chance to create own our Hyrulian works of art.
MMO – Nintendo could go super radical and create an MMO style Zelda game. We have a few MMOs on Nintendo Switch like Ark, DC Universe, Warframe and Skyforge. Games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 are controlled with mouse and keyboard, given you have your attack, spells and abilities at the bottom of the screen on the menu. Compared to the other ideas on the list, this is the most unlikely, BUT… if the Nintendo Switch is going to support a mouse, and other rumours suggest better online features, with a community hub and something similar to discord where you can hang out with a party without the need for 3rd party software, then a Hyrule focoused MMO could be very interesting.
There are a few ideas there, but I am keen to know more about your ideas related to how Nintendo could use mouse controls within the Zelda series.
Do we want to use a mouse?
We could use a mouse, but do we want to? Looking at the list of gimmicks we’ve been through, yes they are fun, can help increase the immersion, but ultimately there’s nothing better than sitting down on the sofa either playing Breath of the Wild in handheld mode on Nintendo Switch, or sitting back, Pro Controller in hand and playing on the big screen. I like the innovations, it what we come to expect from Nintendo. When I think of Xbox and PlayStation these weird Nintendo decisions don’t really come to mind. I want Nintendo to keep doing what they’re doing, and if that means playing Zelda with a mouse… I say bring it on.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
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