Summary
- Four Swords Adventures was a co-op action game that was worth the investment for a unique experience.
- A Link Between Worlds introduced non-linear progression and unique abilities, making it easy to get into.
- Hyrule Warriors offers fast-paced action with multiple characters to choose from, focusing less on story and puzzles.
The Legend of Zelda series began in 1986 with a humble entry on the NES, or Famicom as the system was known in Japan. Even though it was early in the console's lifecycle, it was a revolutionary game that pushed boundaries by eliminating them. The non-linear design of the game was an early example of an open world, and the innovations only continued from there.
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Since then, the Zelda games have only become bolder, but some of them do start a bit slow. These next examples of Zelda games are fun from the jump though. The gameplay isn't held back for a drawn-out intro, and the story and overall good vibes kick in from moment one. Let's go through the easiest Zelda games to get into.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Bring Back This GameCube Classic
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
- Released
- March 18, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Puzzle, Fighting
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures was a sequel to Nintendo’s experimental multiplayer game, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords, which was released on the Game Boy Advance. This sequel was released on the GameCube and required GBAs and link cables to play between four friends. It was costly, but worth it, as it created one of the better co-op experiences on the system.
All players could see was their colored Links on the TV, but if they went into buildings, like houses, the screen would jump to each individual’s GBA screen. Instead of focusing on a grand story and puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures was more of an action game that borrowed from that classic arcade style of hooking players in and never letting go. It was a short experience, but that’s why it’s so easy to get sucked into, although it does really depend on how many players get into it.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
A Non-Linear Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Released
- November 22, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds was a sequel in concept to the iconic SNES game, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, as they both take place in the same version of Hyrule. However, instead of going into a dungeon, acquiring an item, and using that item throughout the rest of the game in a linear progression, this 3DS game introduced players to Ravio. Ravio set up a rental shop where players could rent gear, allowing them to progress into areas at their own pace.
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While it wasn’t an open-world adventure by any means, this gave the illusion of choice and thus made it a faster game to get into. Plus A Link Between Worlds featured a unique ability that Link learned right away. He could turn into a 2D painting and flatten himself through cracks which created some unique puzzle twists for the series. The only bad thing about it is that The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds remains trapped on the 3DS.
4 Hyrule Warriors
A Musou Crossover
Hyrule Warriors
- Released
- September 26, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Action
Hyrule Warriors is a blast, from the original release on Wii U to the 3DS port and the Switch finale. It was a Musou game developed by the fine folks at Omega Force and Koei Tecmo. Players can choose one out of dozens of characters in the final release to battle through tons of maps and slay hundreds of enemies to their heart’s content.
There are several in-game versions of Zelda and Link, including a female version of Link named Linkle. King Daphnes is playable from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and can even turn into his boat form. Even Ravio from the aforementioned The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is present. With tons of characters to choose from and the ability to play co-op, players will have plenty to do without worrying about puzzles or a story getting in the way.
3 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
An Open-World Revolution
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that is still so well loved that players continue exploring it almost 10 years after its release. They will probably do it again once the Switch 2 launches, since it boasts better load times and improved visuals that will make it seem like a new game. While the load times were a bit problematic at launch on the Switch, that didn’t matter to players in the grand scheme of things.
They got sucked into The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild because of the open-world and the non-linear design of the story and dungeon layouts. Dungeons were more snack-sized and asked players to experiment with physics and Link's various environment-manipulating abilities. It was an achievement for Nintendo, and now, the world has changed thanks to its many innovative mechanics, from the Paraglider to the stamina-based ability to climb nearly every surface in sight.
2 Cadence Of Hyrule: Crypt Of The NecroDancer Featuring The Legend Of Zelda
A Link To The Beat
Cadence of Hyrule
- Released
- June 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Rhythm
It's still hard to believe that Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda exists, even years later. Nintendo should allow more indie studios to work on Zelda games or their other franchises, as this game turned out well beyond expectations. Like the original Crypt of the NecroDancer, this pseudo-sequel was a rhythm-based roguelike in Legend of Zelda clothes.
As Link, Zelda, or the titular Cadence, players can explore Hyrule one tile at a time to the beat of remixed classic tunes. While it did have roguelike tropes like losing things upon death, it was fairer in its penalties. Plus, it was easier to get through thanks to the difficulty balancing. It’s a fun game to pop on and play a few rounds in, bopping to the excellent soundtrack.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
Zelda’s Big Breakout
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a return to the classic top-down Zelda entries while keeping the open-world mentalities of modern games like Breath of the Wild. It’s also the first mainline game that puts Zelda at the forefront of the adventure, giving her a unique weapon called the Trirod. With it, players can create Echoes of items like beds and then tap them into the world wherever they like.
This allows players to solve puzzles in different ways, from stacking boxes to get up onto a ledge to summoning a bird to fly them up there instead. Giving players the ability to approach dungeons any way they want was exactly why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a hit, besides the giant open world. While it may look small because of its top-down perspective and cartoony art style, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is quite massive too, and players can easily get lost in a side activity or five on their way to complete a story quest.
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