The Zelda Wii U release date delay took a lot of Nintendo fans pretty hard. There were cries that this was the end of Wii U, even the end of Nintendo. Of course, that’s nonsense: Nintendo is doing just fine. But the lack of Zelda Wii U has thus far just been frustrating. I say, why don’t we take another viewpoint? Why don’t we look at the potential the delay represents?

Why The Zelda Wii U Delay Is A Good Thing

Remember Wind Waker? Wind Waker came out for the GameCube in early 2003 in North America, and it came out right on schedule—a rarity for the Zelda series (In fact, it hasn’t happened for a console Zelda game since). To make that deadline, two full dungeons were cut from the game, and as a result the back quarter of it—the Triforce quest—felt both abbreviated and dragged out at the same time. The game didn’t have enough dungeons but had too much busywork. It was an unfortunate situation all around.

All the console Zelda games since have been delayed, and, while none are perfect, they’ve been better for it. Twilight Princess was converted to Wii, and nobody’s going to complain about that! It was worth the wait. The delay of Zelda Wii U—the most ambitious game Nintendo has ever made—is completely unsurprising. And it’s also good news.

An extra year of development for Zelda Wii U, from Nintendo’s largest team ever, brings a world of opportunity. It provides a chance for a more fleshed-out game. More dungeons, more sidequests, more streamlined gameplay. And that’s especially important since it’s an open world game. This Zelda can’t feel half-assed, and because of that extra year, it won’t.

I’m not thrilled that the Zelda Wii U release date got pushed back anymore than you are, but I understand it—and I look forward to reaping the benefits of that delay in the not-too-distant future.