TheLegend of Zeldaseries is among the most well-respected video game series of all time, with multiple trend-setting and industry-changing games released over the last few decades. The series has more than a dozen main games in its roster, going all the way back to the ’80s. What’s more, Nintendo has no plans to stop making new entries any time soon.
RELATED:The Legend Of Zelda: The 10 Rarest Encounters In Breath Of The Wild
As much praise asthe mainZeldafranchisereceives, there have been a number of spin-off games released throughout the years to varying reception. Some of these were official Nintendo collaborative projects. Others used theZeldalicense when Nintendo opened it up, resulting in some of the worst-rated video games of all time. Bearing this in mind, let’s look at all these spin-off games from worst to best.
9Zelda’s Adventure
Zelda’s Adventureis one of three games developed for the Philips CD-i console in the ’90s, when Nintendo opened up theZeldalicense to the game development company Viridis Corporation. This title featured Zelda as its main protagonist, and was a top-down RPG muchlike the originalTheLegend of Zelda.
The game’s controls were difficult and the game was unintuitive for many players. Furthermore, the full-motion video sequences throughout the game were supremely lackluster. This is definitely one to skip.
8Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon
Zelda: The Wand of Gamelonwas another of three games developed for the CD-i, this time developed by Animation Magic. It released on the same day asLink: The Faces of Evilin 1993, though neither game saw any kind of measurable success.
The game had a lot of the same problems thatZelda’s Adventurewould have two years afterward. Bad controls, unintuitive game design, and awful full motion video sequences make this one of the worst games of all time.
7Link: The Faces of Evil
Whereas the previous entries both feature Zelda as the playable character,Link: The Faces of Evilputs Link at the forefront. This game andZelda: The Wand of Gamelonwere both based on the secondLegend of Zeldagame, and thus play as side-scrollers rather than top-down RPGs.
RELATED:15 Games To Play If You Liked Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The one redeeming factor ofLink: The Faces of Evilis the new life the game’s full motion videos have seen. The internet picked up on the hilarious visuals contained therein, and ran with them. Although all three CD-iZeldagames are awful,they are at least redeemedby just how bafflingly, unintentionally hilarious some of the cutscenes are.
6Link’s Crossbow Training
Link’s Crossbow Trainingwas a spin-off title from the Gamecube and WiititleThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.This spinoff was never available as its own standalone game, though. Players could only buy it paired with a Wii Zapper.
The game was essentially a series of shooting galleries themed around various areas inTwilight Princess,and taught the player how to use the Wii Zapper. It’s a short game, but surprisingly replayable.
5Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland
Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeelandis a Nintendo DS exclusiveZeldaspin-off with the strange elf Tingle as the lead. The story revolves around Tingle building up a tower near his home, but he needs money to do so.
Thus,Tingle delves into various dungeonsto find things to sell and acquire rupees. There’s a cool bartering element to the game in shops. Additionally, the Nintendo DS’s capabilities were put to good use when it came to navigation and mapping.
4Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love
Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Loveis another Nintendo DS exclusive. This one puts Tingle at the center of a romance-themed narrative. Instead of collecting money like inRosy Rupeeland, Tingle must find a way to escape the fictional world by dancing with the world’s Princess.
RELATED:15 Best Nintendo Switch Adventure Games (That Aren’t The Legend Of Zelda)
It’s a very different game to theZeldaseries. There are almost no references to the main series, aside from the main character himself and the point-and-click adventure gameplay. Nonetheless, it’s one of the most unique games on the DS, and one of the strangest games in theZeldacanon.
3Hyrule Warriors
Hyrule Warriorsis a game with the same settings, narrative, and characters of games spanning the entireZeldaseries. However, it incorporates the gameplay of theDynasty Warriorsseries. Instead of taking on a few enemies at a time,Hyrule Warriorspits the player against hordes of enemies.
There’s ahuge amount of variety and depthin this spin-offZeldatitle. Furthermore, it was popular enough to deem a more complex sequel just a few years later inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
2Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis the souped-up, enhanced sequel that fans of the firstHyrule Warriorswanted. This time, though, the game doesn’t feature as many characters from throughout the franchise. Instead, the game takes place in theBreath of the Wildtimeline, 100 years before the beginning of the game.
It’s more complex,more relevant to currentZeldatitles, and it will tie directly in to the hotly anticipatedBreath of the Wild 2– as soon as it’s released, that is.
1Cadence of Hyrule
Cadence of Hyruleis a spin-off game of both theZeldaseries and the indie gameCrypt of the Necrodancer. The game was initially planned as a DLC for the latter, but instead it was released as its own Nintendo Switch exclusive.
Cadence of Hyruleplays just like the original top-downZeldagames, but with a twist. Players must perform every action in time with the music.Crypt of the Necrodanceris hailed as one of the most interesting indie titles to come out in the last few years, and before long players will be tapping along to Saria’s Song while dodging to the beat.
NEXT:10 Things You Didn’t Know About Link And Zelda’s Relationship
