The 18 Best Zelda Games for the Nintendo Switch, Ranked (2024)

Oceanhornwas the closest that mobile gamers got to aZeldaexperience, specificallyWind Waker’snautical adventures. Still, Oceanhorn holds up, even on a system with actualZeldagames on it. The sequel ages things up for a very Breath of the Wild-style adventure, albeit a more linear one.

Yonois a kinder, gentlerZeldagame where you play as a baby elephant on a big adventure. If you want Zelda-like action with adorable creatures, this is the game to get.

The first Hyrule Warriors celebrated the Zelda franchise as a whole, but Age of Calamity focuses on Breath of the Wild's world and characters. From the cel-shaded art style to the focus on gathering, weapons, and recipes, this game brings you right back to the first time you set foot in this new Hyrule. Granted, battling monster hordes isn’t quite as cerebral as BotW's open-ended exploration, but the spirit is there.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (for Nintendo Switch) Review

The Dynasty Warriorsgames are ho-hum affairs, as they feature repetitive, hack-and-slash action vs. idiotic enemy hordes. Slappinga Zeldaface on it makes the experience better, though, in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, a Nintendo Switch-enhanced port of the original Wii U game.

DarksidersisThe Legend of Zelda…but in Hell! This hack-and-slash adventure sees you play as War, one of the Four Horsem*n of the Apocalypse, in a political struggle between the angel, demon, and human worlds.

Re-releasing this Gamecube-era,Zeldarip-off on Switch always struck us as kind of odd. But between the nifty Egyptian setting and clever environmental puzzles, we’re glad this wasn’t lost to the sands of time.

After conqueringDiablowithTorchlight, developer Runic Games took onZeldawithHob, an effectively wordless, action-adventure title that lets you do a whole lot with your big, robot hand.

Skyward Sword originally disappointed some fans with its motion controls and linear design, but it's still a well-crafted Zelda adventure with some excellent dungeon designs. The Switch version gives the game a gorgeous HD facelift at 60 frames per second, speeds up the pacing, and provides alternate control options.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (for Nintendo Switch) Review

Breath of the Wild takes more than a few ideas from Ubisoft-style open-world games, so the company returns the favor by mashing up Breath of the Wild with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to create Immortals Fenyx Rising. Challenging puzzles, flexible RPG combat, and an ancient Greek world make this adventure soar. Switch owners can bring their save over to PC, if they want to trade portability for better graphics.

Immortals Fenyx Rising (for PC) Review

Blossom Talesis a love letter toA Link to the Past, arguably the pinnacle of the 2DZeldaseries. It’s almost likeA Link Between Worldsin its reverence to the source material.

If you’re exhausted by a traditionalZeldagame's epic scope, tryMinit, a quirkyZelda-like game that forces you to play in one-minute chunks before dying and restarting.

If the fox's sword, shield, and green outfit weren't a big enough clue, Tunic is an indie adventure heavily inspired by old-school Zelda games. That also includes an old-school level of difficulty, but you can reduce it if all you want are the adorable vibes.

Letting an indie team take a crack atZeldaresulted in one of the franchise’s bestspin-offs, and polished Crypt of the NecroDancer's rough,rhythm-roguelike formula. Take notes,Binding of Isaac.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer (for Nintendo Switch) Review

Okami tasks you with restoring ancient-fairy-tale Japan via a godly paintbrush. It was already one of the bestZeldagames not calledZelda, so the divine wolf feels right at home on Switch.

Nintendo's online subscription services comes with an expanding library of retro games to enjoy, including all the classic Zelda games you could ask for. Play the NES original, A Link to the Past on SNES, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask on N64, and even The Minish Cap on Game Boy Advance.

Nintendo Switch Online Review

Forget A Link to the Past. The original Game Boy's gem, Link’s Awakening, is the best 2D Zelda. On Switch, it gets a faithful remake that features improved controls, customizable dungeons, and an absolutely gorgeous, handmade art style. 2D and 3D Zelda games can coexist in peace.

This Switch launch title is still the best game on the system, and one of thebest video games of all time. If you haven’t played this masterful, open-world adventure then what are you even doing?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (for Nintendo Switch) Review

One of the most exciting aspects of Breath of the Wild was that, for as amazing as it was, you could see all the ways Nintendo could make it even better. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is just that. It layers on so many abilities, quests, and entirely new maps that we can't imagine a grander adventure—or another Zelda game better than this one.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review

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