Sunday, February 7, 2021

The Zelda games every Switch owner should have in their library

Whether you're curious to check out Hyrule for the first time or you've been a fan of Link for years, there are so many wonderful Zelda Switch games for you to play on the hybrid console. Each one can take dozens of hours to complete, so you'll be entertained for long stretches as you play through them all. We'll go through all Zelda Switch games, starting with some of the very best Nintendo Switch games.

★ Featured favorite

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Link awakens to discover he's been asleep for 100 years after suffering a near-death defeat from Calamity Ganon. Hyrule has been ravaged, and it's up to him to become strong enough that he can back Princess Zelda in her fight against her ultimate nemesis. It's an open world adventure filled with so many things to do and see. It's definitely the best Zelda Switch game out there.

$60 at Best Buy

Protector

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Staff Pick

This quirky remake takes place on Koholint Island. Link gets washed ashore after a storm at sea destroys his raft. Now it's up to him to dive into various dungeons and acquire powerful weapons so he can unravel the mystery of the Wind Fish Egg and return safely to sea. Get ready for one of the weirdest and most charming Zelda games in the franchise.

$58 at Amazon. $60 at Best Buy

Link busts a move

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer

While this isn't a core Zelda game, Nintendo and developer Brace Yourself Games did team up to create a new adventure where players control Zelda and Link with rhythmic combat. You'll need to move to iconic Zelda music to execute powerful attacks and make your way through dungeons. Take down Lynels, Bokoblins, and more as you move to the beat.

$40 at Amazon $40 at Best Buy

Gather round everyone

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

This hack and slash adventure doesn't include intense puzzles like a core Zelda game; however, it allows you to play as a host of different Zelda characters from the franchise. Cut your way through enemy hordes playing as Zelda, Midna, Princess Ruto, Sheik, and much more.

$88 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy

BotW prequel

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

After the tremendous success of the Breath of the Wild, it wasn't too surprising to learn that Koei Tecmo's next Dynasty Warriors-style game would serve as a prequel. Age of Calamity explores what happened between Zelda, Link, and the Champions before Link was wounded and fell asleep for 100 years. It's a hack and slash adventure complete with voice acting and new enemies.

$50 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy

Retro classics

Nintendo Switch Online Zelda games

Obviously, Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) isn't a game, but we'd be remiss not to mention all of the classic NES and SNES games that come from being a member of this service. This includes three retro Zelda titles: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II - The Adventure of Link, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. If you love classic 2D Zelda or want to experience it for the first time, you'll want an NSO subscription.

$20 for 12 months at Amazon $50 for 12 months at Best Buy

We can't wait!

Breath of the Wild 2

At E3 2019, Nintendo surprised us with a teaser trailer that revealed that a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild was in the works for Nintendo Switch. It seems to be a bit darker than the first game and has already introduced an evil power that we assume will be the main villain. No release date has been given yet, but we can't wait to get our hands on this new Zelda game.

Coming Soon

All Zelda Switch games

If you're only going to play one Zelda game on the Nintendo Switch, it really ought to be Breath of the Wild. This open world adventure rewrote the Zelda playbook and has influenced countless other games since it was released. You can go straight to the final boss shortly after starting the game if you want to, but there are so many magical places to explore you'll willingly dive into the rest of Hyrule. After all, you've got to figure out what happened to make Link fall asleep for 100 years.

Anyone looking for a classical Zelda game will absolutely love The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. It's a remake of one of the quirkiest and most playful Zelda games in the franchise. Plus, that top-down view combined with the cartoony art style does such a good job of paying homage to the original. You'll find yourself diving from one dungeon to another, eagerly figuring out puzzles and uncovering the mystery of the Wind Fish Egg.

I don't know about you, but I'm desperate for Breath of the Wild 2 to come out. If you feel the same, you should definitely check out Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. It's a hack and slash rather than your traditional puzzle adventure. However, it allows players to see interactions between Breath of the Wild characters. You even get to play as Mipha, Urbosa, Zelda, Revali, and Daruk. Not to mention that baby Prince Sidon also makes an appearance.


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