Are popular old Zelda games worth playing in 2024?

There are quite a few The Legend of Zelda games in 2024, with more almost assuredly coming. That library is full of classics which are quite old. Even now, gamers have pretty easy access to titles that came out back in 1986. The majority of the franchise as a whole is pretty old, and through online services or remakes, most games are playable on the current console. 

The Nintendo Switch allows players to play so many Zelda games, from Ocarina of Time to Skyward Sword, including A Link to the Past. While the console is nearing the end of its life cycle, new games aren’t coming out, but the back catalog of Zelda classics is ever-inviting. Does that mean they’re worth diving into now?

Zelda games are absolute classics

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For good reason, The Legend of Zelda is considered one of the greatest franchises of all time. It continuously redefines the genre and provides groundbreaking gameplay. For that reason alone, the games might be worth a trip back for. Each one more or less marks a milestone in gaming, and it’s so much fun to revisit where the world of video games was for a time. 

All of these games are considered classics for a reason. Not all of the Zelda games are fully beloved,
but they all follow a formula that has largely stood the test of time. This means that the game design
more than holds up even well past each initial release date. Graphics are what they are, but the gameplay and story are as good as ever even though some games are over 30 years old. 

There’s also a good chance that someone out there considers each title their favorite. Zelda II? Someone prefers that one the most. There are plenty who are still partial to the original. Even Skyward Sword, one of the more controversial entries, has its diehard fans. Nintendo crafted a devoted fan base that will convince you every single game should be tried out. 

Each Zelda Title Has Something Unique

Playing all the games in one franchise can certainly get monotonous. Even though each one offers a different experience and story, they’re still similar and may require some break to even get through. That’s not exactly the case for the Zelda games. Each one carries a pretty unique experience. Everything you could go back to will be different. 

At the most basic level, there are eight 2D games and 9 3D games (including the newest releases). There’s also one hybrid in A Link Between Worlds. That alone gives great variety in such a long-running franchise. But even within the styles, they differ mightily. Try playing the original title and then Link’s Awakening, and you will have two extremely different experiences. 

Within the 3D games, there is a wide variety of gameplay as well. Going from the skies of Skyward Sword to the world of Ocarina of Time is almost whiplash-inducing. As for gameplay, they differ there pretty strongly. Try playing Majora’s Mask with the three-day timer and different locale. It’s a direct sequel to Ocarina and yet the two could not be more unalike. 

Whether you want to explore the franchise in full or just hit the all-time classics, there’s no reason not to. The Legend of Zelda games bring something new to the table every single time out. With very few new titles being released for the Nintendo Switch right now, it’s a great time to revisit these. They might not be as smooth or simple as they were to play on the original consoles, but they are still more than worth revisiting in 2024. 

Where To Play All Zelda Games

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Thanks to the Nintendo Switch, almost all of the Zelda games’ wondrous titles are available. Through remakes on the new console, everyone can play Link’s Awakening and Skyward Sword. Unfortunately, games like Twilight Princess and Wind Waker aren’t available except on much older consoles, but here’s where all the games can be found:

That does leave the aforementioned Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, as well as A Link Between Worlds, Spirit Tracks, and Phantom Hourglass, impossible to find presently unless you go back and get a Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, GameCube, or Wii U. There’s a good chance these will all eventually be available in some capacity for either the Switch or its leaked successor, but that’s not true yet. 

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