Whether you're a newcomer or have been loving Pokémon since the Game Boy days, seeing FireRed and LeafGreen come to the Nintendo Switch is a big deal. There's no need to forage around for a mint condition copy on eBay or wonder whether it's sitting in your parents' attic anymore. But an equally important moment for Nintendo lovers is The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary, which came and went on Saturday, February 21, 2026. So why isn't Link's huge birthday getting the same level of fanfare?
Right now, you can access a few beloved Zelda games through Nintendo Switch Online. Within your subscription, you can fire up The Legend of Zelda and its sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, for just a few dollars every month. There are even a few Game Boy installments, including Link's Awakening DX and Oracle of Seasons. If you're feeling like flashing the cash, NSO's Expansion Pack includes Nintendo 64 staples such as Ocarina of Time. It's all well and good that these titles are accessible to various degrees, but it also poses a problem.
You don't actually own these games outright. At any point, Nintendo can delist them from Nintendo Switch Online, just like any other title on its service. With the Zelda series celebrating its 40th anniversary, it's surprising to see Nintendo show so little interest in parading Link around on social media.
A quick glimpse at the 'ZeldaOfficialJP' account on X shows retweets about Nintendo Today and a spotlight on the forthcoming Ocarina of Time Ganon's Final Battle LEGO set. Oh, and you can get some Animal Crossing: New Horizons Zelda cosmetics.
The Nintendo of America account tells a similar tale. As you can expect, with the Pokémon 30th anniversary creeping up on us, that's all the rage on there. We've got posts about Pokémon Pokopia, the FireRed and LeafGreen ports on the eShop, and various other mentions. Even on the day of The Legend of Zelda's 40th anniversary over the weekend, there wasn't a single celebratory post. What gives?
Maybe there's a surprise Nintendo Direct in the works, but that feels unlikely given the presence of Pokémon at the moment. Time is ticking, though, and the further away we get from February 21, the duller Zelda's anniversary becomes.