Summary

  • Zelda was originally released in Japan on a different system with unique music, almost lost without emulation.
  • The Wii had 3 Zelda games with enhanced motion controls and a Virtual Console for past games.
  • The Switch boasts 8 Zelda games, including a prequel and sequel, making it the ultimate console for fans.

The Legend of Zelda was released in North America on the NES in 1987. It was released a year prior in Japan on a completely different system and not just the Famicom which was the NES equivalent in Japan. The Famicom had an exclusive attachment called the Famicom Disk System and that’s what it was released for.

The-Legend-of-Zelda-Every-Game,-Ranked-By-How-Long-They-Take-To-Beat
The Legend of Zelda: Every Game, Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat

If fans want to beat Zelda in a 100% playthrough or just want to pick up a Legend of Zelda game to finish the main story, here’s how long it’ll take.

The game is nearly identical but there are small changes to it such as the music and that version is almost lost to time without emulation. It brings to mind this question. What consoles have had the most entries in The Legend of Zelda series? Are there some Western fans who don’t know about or are different elsewhere? Let’s dive into some console history and find out.

5 Wii (3 Games)

Thanks To The Virtual Console, Fans Could Relive The Past

  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
  • Link's Crossbow Training

The Wii launched with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which also came out on the GameCube. The big difference was that it had motion controls and the game was also mirrored because of this fact. The motion controls would be enhanced further with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and to a lesser extent Link's Crossbow Training. Those are the three games that were on the Wii and many Nintendo platforms only had three games or even just two.

The reason why the Wii should be mentioned above the other threesome members is because of the Virtual Console. The concept was huge at the time as it allowed fans to relieve their past via console downloads like on the NES and SNES. Zelda fans in particular could play The Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

4 Wii U (4 Games)

Nintendo’s Failed Console Actually Got Great Zelda Games

  • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD
  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Hyrule Warriors

The Wii U was also great because of its Virtual Console contributions which added platforms like the GBA to the mix. Also, being able to play these games on the Wii U GamePad was a treat. Virtual Console aside, the Wii U had some great entries thanks to the two remasters of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Zelda fans are still waiting for those entries to appear on the Switch.

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The Legend of Zelda franchise has put out plenty of quality games over the years. These titles are fun for any fan who can remember them.

Then there was the wild spinoff, Hyrule Warriors, which was like Dynasty Warriors except with Zelda characters. From Link to Ganon, there were tons of heroes and villains to play. There was even a female version of Link named Linkle just to name one new addition to the overall Zelda franchise. Finally, the Wii U closed out with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and while many played it on the Switch instead, it was still a good version on the Wii U.

3 DS (6 Games)

Taking Advantage Of The Stylus And Breathing New Life Into Tingle

  • The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
  • The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
  • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition
  • Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
  • Tingle's Balloon Fight
  • Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love

The DS gave Nintendo a new way for players to interact with Link via the Stylus. The first big get was The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass which was like a spiritual successor to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Link got a steam-powered boat he could customize to then fight off monsters while exploring nearby islands. The boat was then replaced with a train in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks which had some novel vehicular ideas too.

In Japan, Tingle got a trilogy of spinoffs. First, there was Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland which did eventually come out in PAL regions, so it is available easily in English. There was a Balloon Fight remake starring Tingle called Tingle's Balloon Fight and then a more proper adventure via Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love. Lastly, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition was a DSiWare exclusive which was the multiplayer portion of the GBA port of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

2 3DS (6 Games)

Creating Sequels To The Past And Updating Classics With 3D

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
  • My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
  • Hyrule Warriors Legends

The 3DS was a less Tingle-heavy portable although he did pop up. For example, two big Zelda remakes for the 3DS had enhanced 3D visuals via The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The button layout and controls were tweaked for these games as well, making them the best playable versions. There was also a 3D enhanced version of the first game which was demoed at an early showing of the 3DS at E3. While The Legend of Zelda 3D was not finished, other 3D-enhanced NES games were released such as Kirby’s Adventure and Kid Icarus.

Enhanced versions aside, the big 3DS game was The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds which was a sequel to the SNES classic, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. There was also The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes which was a three-player co-op game and My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was a light puzzle spinoff. Finally, the 3DS got a port of Hyrule Warriors called Hyrule Warriors Legends which added new stories and characters like Tetra and Toon Link from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

1 Switch (8 Games)

Nintendo’s Ultimate Zelda Console

  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
  • Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
  • Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda

The Switch truly has become the ultimate console for Zelda fans. It launched with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild which helped the console hybrid sell amazingly well in its first year. It got two tie-in games as well. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was a prequel set before the original but in another universe and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was a straight sequel. There was also Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition which, as the name implies, had a complete and definitive amount of content between the Wii U and 3DS versions.

There was the 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and that is getting a spiritual sequel via The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom which is starring Zelda and that’s a huge win for fans. Another remaster includes The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD which negated the intense need for motion controls. Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda was a roguelike spinoff that was as odd as it was rhythmically entertaining. Finally, there is a myriad of digital ports available on Nintendo Switch Online. So again, the Switch is indeed the best Zelda console of all time.