The Legend of Zelda spin-off games<\/p>\n
Though we\u2019re only officially ranking main series Zelda games, we thought it\u2019d be important to mention the treasure trove of spin-off titles available on Nintendo Switch as well. Most of these are Hyrule Warriors games \u2013 on Nintendo Switch, you have Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. These two titles won\u2019t appeal to every Zelda fan, but if you enjoy mindless hack-and-slash action with tons of different playable characters, they\u2019re certainly worth considering.<\/p>\n
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is generally considered the stronger title of the two thanks to its better technical performance \u2013 Age of Calamity suffers from extreme frame rate drops that haven\u2019t been fixed even on Nintendo Switch 2. Speaking of which, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and its performance is a step up from Age of Calamity. It doesn\u2019t have as many playable characters, and it\u2019s been relatively forgotten since its November 2025 release date thanks to its $70 price tag, but it\u2019s still a decent pick. There\u2019s also Cadence of Hyrule, which is a rhythm crossover between Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer. We don\u2019t see many discuss this game in the modern age, but it\u2019s a great option for anyone who loves Crypt of the NecroDancer. You can find links for all of these games below to purchase, if you\u2019re interested:<\/p>\n
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD<\/p>\n
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If we absolutely had to pick a Zelda game as the weakest on Nintendo Switch, it would unfortunately have to be this one. That\u2019s not saying much, though, because Skyward Sword HD is still incredibly high quality. This is without a doubt the most polarizing entry in the Zelda series, mainly due to its focus on motion controls. In the Nintendo Switch version, you can use the right control stick to control Link\u2019s sword instead, which is a definitive improvement, but it\u2019s still rather awkward compared to other 3D Zelda titles. Without getting too specific, there are only three major areas in the game other than Skyloft that are each visited multiple times, and one of the most annoying boss fights in the game is reused twice, which winds up feeling like a lack in variety. A good chunk of players will greatly enjoy this game, but others will find themselves unimpressed.<\/p>\n
Still, this is a really good remake, and one that\u2019s eventually worth playing if you like the Zelda series. If you\u2019re interested in giving it a try, Skyward Sword HD is currently available on Amazon.<\/a> They don\u2019t have the USA version for sale, but Nintendo Switch is region-free, which means you can play any region\u2019s games regardless of your console\u2019s region settings.<\/p>\n 4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom<\/p>\n Echoes of Wisdom is the most recent 2D Zelda, and it\u2019s an all-new one created by the developers of the Link\u2019s Awakening remake. In it, you play as Zelda and not Link, and her main gimmick is the ability to create copies of enemies and objects she encounters at will. This leads to some creative puzzle-solving and the return of traditional dungeons after their absence in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It\u2019s a neat concept in theory and it\u2019s just about as neat in practice \u2013 though when you\u2019ve accumulated dozens of echoes, you have to scroll through a really long menu to find the one you want. This does create a very passive fighting style where you\u2019re often forced to run away and spam echoes, and often times I found myself just wishing I could permanently play as Link instead so I could attack more easily. Zelda can transform into a swordfighter mode in this game, though it\u2019s very brief and runs on a timer. Though Echoes of Wisdom\u2019s story isn\u2019t anything too crazy, it\u2019s well-presented and (in my opinion) more put together than Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom\u2019s respective stories.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for something new and want to give Echoes of Wisdom a shot, it\u2019s available on Amazon.<\/a> Of course, it\u2019s also available on the Nintendo eShop.<\/p>\n 3. The Legend of Zelda: Link\u2019s Awakening<\/p>\n Ranking Zelda games is really subjective, because in my opinion this is the best one on Nintendo Switch at the moment. Its only major flaw is its frame drops, which only occur on the base Nintendo Switch and not Switch 2. Link\u2019s Awakening is a full remake of the Game Boy original, with an amazing unique art style and excellent music across the board. You\u2019ve got some new features like a dungeon creator and such, but the base game here is so solid that it\u2019s an easy recommendation for any Zelda fan. It\u2019s also one of the rare Zelda games that takes place outside of Hyrule, and it feels more unique and memorable for it.<\/p>\n Zelda: Link\u2019s Awakening is available here,<\/a> if you haven\u2019t played it yet!<\/p>\n 2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom<\/p>\n Many would say that Tears of the Kingdom is the best Zelda game on Nintendo Switch, and it\u2019s easy to see why. In many ways, it\u2019s the pinnacle of player choice and creativity \u2013 its puzzles and objectives can be solved in dozens of unique ways thanks to the versatility of Link\u2019s abilities. Ultrahand and Fuse alone are incredibly useful, allowing the player to move objects and combine them as they please. You can drop a log across a river for a shortcut, combine weapons together to boost damage, and much more. Tears of the Kingdom is an open-world sandbox sort of game just like Breath of the Wild, and the major difference between it and Breath of the Wild (other than the new abilities) is the presence of classic dungeons rather than Divine Beasts as well as sky islands and the depths. As fantastic as this game is, though, we don\u2019t recommend playing Breath of the Wild and then immediately moving on to Tears of the Kingdom \u2013 take a break between them, because they\u2019re both 100+ hour adventures that take place in the same world.<\/p>\n![\"Echoes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Echoes-of-Wisdom-key-art.jpg\")
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