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The Legend of Zelda as a franchise has spanned nearly four decades and over a dozen consoles, but less than half of its mainline titles are currently available to play on the Nintendo Switch. Despite the number of Zelda ports and remakes released over the years, many of the series’ classic titles are becoming harder to play as their original consoles age. As the Nintendo Switch continues to update its rapidly expanding roster of classic ports and remakes, however, there are sure to be more Zelda games available to play on the company’s current console in future years.
So far, the only classic Zelda title that has been fully remade for Switch is Link’s Awakening, which received a major 3D upgrade in 2019. Aside from that, plenty of classic Zelda games have been ported to Switch through the Nintendo Switch Online’s emulated ports, including the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. Skyward Sword was also given the HD remake treatment for Switch last July despite being one of the series’ more recent titles.
As consoles age and fall out of production, it can be difficult to play some classic Zelda games that have yet to be ported to the Nintendo Switch. While the Wii U and 3DS Virtual Consoles housed some previous ports that made these games readily available to players, these services have since been scheduled for shutdown in 2023. As such, these mainline Zelda titles are overdue for a Switch port of their own.
Four Swords & Four Swords Adventures
Originally released as an expansion of A Link to the Past’s first remake, Four Swords introduced multiplayer to the Zelda franchise. Four color-coded copies of Link allowed players to team up with friends for this adventure, which was originally released on the Game Boy Advance. Since then, the Four Swords Anniversary Edition brought this title to the Nintendo DS and 3DS, but it was only available for a limited time. Currently, neither edition is available on any virtual console.
The game’s successor, Four Swords Adventures, was released for the Nintendo GameCube and featured a single-player option in addition to the game’s namesake multiplayer functions. Four Swords Adventures is currently available from the Wii U Virtual Console, though it will no longer be playable once this service shuts down in 2023. Regardless, the Nintendo Switch would be the perfect console for a new port of both Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures as its online functionality would make these multiplayer Zelda games easily accessible to fans and their friends.
The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker has become a memorable island-hopping classic in the Zelda franchise thanks to its charming cartoon art style, but this 2002 classic has yet to be made available on Switch despite frequent fan requests for a new port or remake. Set after the Great Sea flooded Hyrule, The Wind Waker lets Link set sail to recover the scattered pieces of the Triforce from beneath the waves. After its initial release on GameCube, The Wind Waker was remade for the Wii U in 2013, making it the first HD remake of the series.
Nearly ten years have passed since the release of Wind Waker HD, however, and fans are eager for a new port. There have been plenty of rumors about the potential of a Wind Waker and Twilight Princess release for the Switch in upcoming years, but Nintendo has yet to officially announce any ports or remakes of these classic games. Currently, Wind Waker and its HD remake can only be played on their original consoles, making this beloved Zelda title an excellent candidate for a new port to Nintendo Switch.
Twilight Princess
Like The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess is one of the many games in the Zelda series to be treated to an HD makeover, but this GameCube and Wii title has yet to appear on the Nintendo Switch. Twilight Princess HD was released for the Wii U in 2016, making it the last Zelda remake to be released for a console other than the Switch. Since Twilight Princess is another fan favorite of the Zelda franchise, its absence from the Switch has led many to hope for another port.
The release of Skyward Sword HD for the Nintendo Switch raised a lot of questions as to why older games like The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remakes had been skipped in favor of this more recent Zelda title. However, as Skyward Sword’s timeline-starting story takes players back to the beginning of the Zelda franchise, it makes sense for a remake to be released in the interim between Breath of the Wild and the upcoming Tears of the Kingdom as these games are theorized to loop back to the beginning of the Zelda chronology. Still, Twilight Princess’ story may become relevant in Tears of the Kingdom as well, making this the perfect time for a Twilight Princess HD port to come to Nintendo Switch.
The Minish Cap
Taking place early on in the Zelda timeline, The Minish Cap tells the legend of a miniature Hero of Men descended from the Sky. The Minish Cap was originally a Game Boy Advance game, and despite being ported to the 3DS Virtual Console, it was removed prior to the upcoming shutdown. As such, the only official way to play this classic title is by obtaining an old Game Boy Advance and a Minish Cap game cartridge.
Not only is The Minish Cap a classically charming 2D Zelda, but it’s also possible that the shrinking villagers of the game’s miniature realm may be more relevant to Zelda lore than previously expected. Breath of the Wild had originally planned to feature a shrinking mechanic similar to this GBA Zelda game, making The Minish Cap well worth a revisit before the release of the upcoming BOTW sequel. Fortunately, leaks allegedly revealing an upcoming NSO Game Boy library may have revealed a potential Minish Cap port, though the game still has yet to be officially announced. Regardless, The Minish Cap’s unique 2D Zelda gameplay and classic The Legend of Zelda charm make it more than deserving of a port to Nintendo Switch.
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