The Legend of Zelda at 40: Every game you can play on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom running on a special edition Nintendo Switch OLED — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

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NSO Zelda games
Other Zelda games
Zelda cameos

With the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s never been a better time to be a fan of The Legend of Zelda series. It’s been forty years since Link first stepped into the caves of Hyrule and what better way to celebrate the series’ 40th anniversary than by replaying your favorite classic Zelda games or trying out the latest ones.

From Link’s 8-bit origins on the Nintendo Entertainment System to enhanced editions with updated and gorgeous 4K visuals, The Legend of Zelda library on both the Switch and the Switch 2 is absolutely massive. Whether you want to hack and slash your way through Hyrule Warriors, fight your way through dungeons while staying on the beat in Cadence of Hyrule or play as Zelda for a change in Echoes of Wisdom, there’s a game for everyone and every play style.

Here are all the mainline Zelda games, the spinoffs and even a few where Link just makes a cameo to help you celebrate The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary.

Every Zelda game you can play on Nintendo Switch Online

If you’re looking for even more Zelda games to play on the series’ 40th anniversary, you’re in luck as quite a few of them are available on Nintendo Switch Online ($20, Amazon). With Nintendo’s standard paid subscription service, you get access to Zelda games on the NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Color.

To return to the series’ roots on the NES, you can play both the original The Legend of Zelda as well as its sequel Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. While the first game in the series features the top-down gameplay other 2D Zelda games are known for, its sequel mixes things up with side-scrolling areas and a larger world map.

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Then on NSO’s Super Nintendo app, you can play what many fans consider to be one of the best games in the series, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Set many years before the events of the first two Zelda games, it brings back the top-down perspective and introduces Link’s iconic Master Sword for the first time.

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Finally, with the standard NSO subscription, you can play a handful of Zelda games from the Game Boy and Game Boy color including Link’s Awakening DX, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. The former is a colored version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the Game Boy while the latter two are meant to be played back to back. Oracle of Ages is more focused on puzzles while Oracle of Seasons is a bit less linear and more action-oriented.

Now if you pay extra for an NSO subscription with the Expansion Pack ($50, Amazon), you get access to even more past Nintendo systems including Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance.

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — (Image credit: Nintendo)

On Nintendo 64 you can play the first 3D Zelda game Ocarina of Time as well as its darker, more experimental sequel Majora’s Mask which features a 3-day time-loop mechanic.

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Then on Game Boy Advance, you can play The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap in which Link literally shrinks down to a much smaller size and this completely changes how you interact with the world around him. You can also play Four Swords which is a multiplayer Zelda game that takes place before Minish Cap.

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — (Image credit: Nintendo)

If you’ve upgraded to a Nintendo Switch 2, then you can play one of the most beautiful and unique Zelda games ever: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Known for its cell-shaded graphics which have stood the test of the time, the game also lets you traverse the seas on a talking boat.

Zelda games you still can’t play on Switch

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Although you can play the majority of titles from The Legend of Zelda series on the Switch and Switch 2, there are still a few games you can’t. These include Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks from the Nintendo DS, A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes from the Nintendo 3DS and Twilight Princess which released first on the Nintendo Wii and then shortly after on the Nintendo GameCube.

Beyond Hyrule: Other Switch games that feature Link

Now if you’re looking for something a bit different but still want to play as Link or even just be reminded of Hyrule, there are a few other Switch games worth playing. From racing to fighting, these “outlier” titles are certainly worth checking out for anyone that wants to own and experience every piece of Zelda history on modern hardware.

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Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

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