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There is no lack of drama in The Legend of Zelda. Whether it’s the perpetual return of Ganon, time travel hijinks, or sleep-induced amnesia, there’s always something interesting going on in the land of Hyrule. If you’re new to the franchise and looking to explore some of its most groundbreaking efforts in the wake of the launch of Tears of the Kingdom, we’ve got you covered.
There are a lot of games in the Zelda franchise. Mainline entries, spin-offs, crossovers, and more, which means there’s also plenty of places to start. Not to mention an encyclopaedia’s worth of lore. So we’re here to help with a breakdown of what to expect from all the currently available Zelda games on Nintendo Switch, and where you should begin.
Additionally, if you’re just trying to get a grip on the wider Zelda lore, it’s worth knowing that it jumps into separate timelines after the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo released a compendium called The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia in 2013, which details the official branching of the games if you’re keen to dig into the nitty-gritty.
The Legend Of Zelda (1986)
The game that launched a thousand ships! The Legend of Zelda is essential to play if you want to learn more about the humble origins of this series. Or maybe you just want to see the famous phrase “It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.” on-screen…
In the 8-bit original, the goal is simple. As Link, you must explore perilous dungeons from a top-down perspective, picking up items that develop your skills in order to surpass obstacles and find the fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom to save Princess Zelda from the evil plight of Ganon, who has invaded Hyrule in search of ultimate power. This framework defined the cadence of Zelda games going forward, and created a strong basis for developers to riff on. And riff they did! Speaking of which…
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993/2019)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening launched in 1993 for the Game Boy, but received a chunky-cute remake for the Nintendo Switch in 2019, allowing a whole new audience to experience this top-down action adventure. Shipwrecked on the mysterious Koholint Island, Link is found by Marin, a local who looks remarkably like Princess Zelda – this develops into a delightful twist on Nintendo’s Zelda formula.
After getting his head together, Link is tasked with collecting a series of magical instruments to wake the Wind Fish and ultimately escape the island. Across stunning diorama-like environments, you’ll take on dungeons and formidable bosses, solve tricky puzzles, and open up new areas to seek out the tools for your eventual getaway. As you progress the story, you’ll find the world has a uniquely surreal, dreamlike feel (it was inspired by Twin Peaks after all!). Link’s Awakening is a great place to start if you want to check out one of the classic TLOZ games souped-up on a modern console.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
There’s a reason so many people tout The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as the best Zelda game. An epic adventure that debuted on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, OoT set the benchmark for 3D Zelda games, and almost certainly created a surge in ocarina sales worldwide…
A time-travelling emotional rollercoaster, players step into the shoes of Young and Adult Link as they seek the artefacts necessary to repel Ganondorf, utilising the Master Sword to deflect his evil plans. Along the way, you’ll explore challenging dungeons (including the dreaded Water Temple), meet a charming cast of NPCs, gallop across open fields, enjoy optional side quests and get to grips with the Z-targeting combat system whose DNA still lingers in most modern Zelda games.
As well as the 2011 remake for the Nintendo 3DS, you can play Ocarina of Time on your Nintendo Switch by subscribing to the Expansion Pack service, which provides access to a catalogue of N64 games.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is Ocarina of Time’s weird, esoteric younger brother. Having launched in 2000 for the Nintendo 64, Majora’s Mask puts a timely twist on the classic action-adventure framework, pushing players to save the day in just 72 hours.
Set months after the events of Ocarina of Time, this tale begins with Link being jumped by the game’s antagonist, Skull Kid. Met with a terrible fate, Link is then led to Clock Town in Termina, a nightmarish landlocked in a cyclical three-day state as a giant (terrifying) Moon descends ominously, seeking to collide with and destroy Termina and its inhabitants.
As you strive to save the world, you’ll collect over 20 transformative masks which unlock new forms for Link to take, allowing him to solve this time-based puzzle successfully. Of course, like Arkane’s Deathloop which came much more recently, you’re not meant to be able to run the gauntlet successfully on your first try.
Performing the Song of Time on Link’s Ocarina will save the game and transport you back to the dawn of the first day, your accomplishments intact. Eventually, thanks to your trusty in-game notebook (and probably another one in real life), you’ll figure out a route through the game’s main quest that saves the day. This groundbreaking, historic Zelda game is available as part of the Nintendo 64 catalogue in the Expansion Pack. Or, if you’ve got a 3DS lying around, you can also check out the 2015 remake.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap launched in 2004 on the Game Boy Advance, and was something of a throwback to the classic 2D Zelda games, while boasting plenty of its own ideas, and an adorable art style.
The game begins in Hyrule, where Link and Zelda are celebrating at the festival of the Picori (otherwise known as the Minish), a race of teensy critters. That is until Vaati, an evil sorcerer, shows up, breaking open a legendary chest that had previously been used to contain the world’s evils. Princess Zelda is turned to stone in the ensuing mayhem, and Link is left with yet another world to save.
With the help of the eponymous (and talking) Minish Cap, Ezlo, Young Link ventures out to restore the realm. Crucially, Ezlo affords Link the power to turn into Mini Link, shrinking down to communicate with the Minish and solve puzzles in bold new ways. This switches up the formula considerably, but you can still expect to engage with the classic dungeon crawling and exploration the series is known for.
Like Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is available to play with a subscription to the Expansion Pack service, which opens up a catalogue of Game Boy Advance games.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011/2021)
Originally released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011, you can now play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on your Nintendo Switch courtesy of the 2021 HD remaster. Skyward Sword takes place at the beginning of the known Zelda timeline, so if you’re looking to get up to speed on the lore of the series, this is considered the bedrock.
In this prequel story, Zelda is Link’s childhood friend, and they both reside in the floating sanctuary of Skyloft. Unfortunately, during a friendly flight, Zelda is pulled down to the lands below, and with the Goddess Sword in tow, Link is sent to track her down. As well as being known for its motion-controlled sword-fighting, Skyward Sword is special in how it explains how the evil in this land came to be, detailing the origins of the Master Sword, the kingdom of Hyrule and the long-standing curse that revolves around Zelda, Link and Ganon throughout the series.
This iconic origin story makes for an unforgettable adventure that encapsulates a lot of the tenets of Zelda games, from both a narrative and gameplay perspective. Where Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have transformed the franchise with an open-world sandbox approach, Skyward Sword feels like the last ‘traditional’ 3D game in the series before this revolution, so it’s well worth investigating from a historical perspective, as well as being a great game in its own right.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched in 2017, serving fans a reimagined Hyrule to explore. From the Gorons to the Zora, the Rito and Gerudo, the calamity-coated Hyrule of Breath of the Wild is soaked in the magic iconography of all the games that came before, but exists in its own peculiar space outside of the timelines, inevitably summoning a remarkable atmosphere. And that’s before we get to its revolutionary, emergent approach to gameplay that has inspired so many games since its launch.
This time around, an amnesiac Link awakens to a corrupted version of Hyrule overrun with manipulated technology and all manner of monsters. An open-world adventure instead of a linear dungeon-crawler, you’ll chart your own path to the finish line while helping Link reconnect with his past and rehabilitating the Divine Beasts towering over the land. It’s up to you to dress, feed and upgrade Link’s powers to squash the latest ancient evil.
A runaway success from both a critical and commercial perspective, Breath of the Wild has cemented itself as an essential part of the series canon, even with all of its bold strides away from the established formula. A hotly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, has just dropped to similar levels of acclaim, so there’s no better time.
It’s worth saying that there’s no right way to get into The Legend of Zelda. It’s in your best interest to play around and explore our suggestions (and the rest of the series) to find a game that sticks with you. Luckily, thanks to remasters and ports, there’s plenty of variety on offer so that you can experiment to your heart’s content!
Of course, while everything on this list is available on Nintendo Switch as it’s the only modern Nintendo console, some series’ high points, like the Wii release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which features the iconic Wolf Link, or the pirate-filled WiiU remaster of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, aren’t covered in our comprehensive list. With that said, they’re absolutely worth checking out if you have the means.