Nintendo is continuing its push into smartphone gaming with another classic franchise: The Legend of Zelda.

The game, which is yet to be officially announced by Nintendo, will be released following a mobile version of Animal Crossing, which was delayed from a planned March 2017 launch until "the next fiscal year." Citing insider sources, the Wall Street Journal claimed Animal Crossing will launch in the "latter half" of 2017, with Zelda likely to follow in 2018.

Earlier this year, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima noted in an earnings call that the company planned to release up to three new mobile games by March 2018. So far, only Animal Crossing has been made official.

Since the launch of its first mobile game Miitomo in March 2016, which became a surprise hit before quickly fading from the App Store chart, Nintendo has found greater success with Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes. Both have contributed to a small but growing stream of income, which totalled ¥20 billion ($176.4 million) for its fiscal year ended March 2017.

A Zelda mobile game could be its biggest hit yet. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which launched on Switch and Wii U in March, has become one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. Ars called it "the best Zelda game ever" in its review.

While a mobile version is unlikely to hit the same critical heights, Nintendo does have some experience making Zelda work on touchscreens: both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks can be controlled by touch.