The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening launches today, bringing a gorgeous remake of the Game Boy Zelda game to the Nintendo Switch, including the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite. And we really dug it! But it’s far from the only Zelda game you can play on Switch. Zelda is one of Nintendo’s oldest, most acclaimed, and most influential franchises. So naturally many games inspired by Zelda have found their way to the handheld/console hybrid.
While we wait for Breath of the Wild 2, here are some other Zelda and Zelda-adjacent games you can play on Nintendo Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This Switch launch title is still the best game on the system and one of the best video games of all time. If you haven’t played this masterful open-world exploratory adventure experience then what are you even doing?
Cadence of Hyrule
Letting an indie team take a crack at Zelda resulted in one of the franchise’s best spin-offs, and polished the rough edges of the Crypt of the NecroDancer rhythm roguelike formula to boot. Take notes, Binding of Isaac.
Hyrule Warriors
Dynasty Warriors games, with their endless repetitive hacking and slashing of idiotic monster hordes, are bad. But slapping Zelda on it does make it better, if only slightly.
Retro Zelda Games
A Nintendo Switch Online subscription gives you access to a bunch of great classic Nintendo games, and that includes NES and SNES bangers like the original Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past.
Breath of the Wild Rip-Offs
Breath of the Wild left an impact on the entire industry, so much so that games like Decay of Logos and Genshin Impact just rip it off wholesale.
Okami
Okami’s beautiful journey of restoring ancient fairy tale Japan with the power of your godly paintbrush was already one of the best Zelda games not called Zelda. The divine wolf feels right at home on Switch.
Minit
If you’re exhausted by the epic scope of a traditional Zelda game, try Minit, a quirky Zelda-like game that forces you to play in one-minute chunks before dying and restarting.
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Re-releasing this Gamecube-era Zelda rip-off on Switch always struck us as kind of odd. But between the nifty Egyptian setting and truly clever environmental puzzles, we’re glad this wasn’t lost to the sands of time.
Blossom Tales
Blossom Tales is a love letter specifically to A Link to the Past, arguably the pinnacle of the 2D Zelda series. It’s almost like A Link Between Worlds in its reverence.
Oceanhorn
Oceanhorn was the closest thing mobile gamers got to a Zelda experience, specifically Wind Waker’s nautical adventures. But even on a system with actual Zelda games on it Oceanhorn holds up.
Yono and the Celestial Elephants
Yono is a kinder gentler Zelda game where you play as a baby elephant. It’s the most precious thing.
Hob
After conquering Diablo with Torchlight, the developers at Runic Games took on Zelda with Hob, an effectively wordless action-adventure that lets you do a whole lot with your big robot hand.
Darksiders
Darksiders is The Legend of Zelda… but in Hell! I’m throwing up devil horns and shredding on air guitar right now.
For more check out our hands-on with the upcoming Zelda-esque game Sparklite.
Buy The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
