Nintendo Switch is a haven for Zelda-clones

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Zelda-clones are my second-favorite genre, right behind real Zelda titles. The Nintendo Switch has been getting a ton of awesome indie games, and among them are some fantastic Zelda-clones. Nintendo probably won’t be releasing a 2D Zelda on Switch anytime soon, but that’s fine — these Zelda-clones fill in that gap wonderfully.

Elliot Quest

Elliot Quest is a top-five game on Nintendo Switch for me. As I said in my review: “Elliot Quest is a beautiful ode to Zelda II that transcends the Nintendo classic. It’s one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch — and it’s only $9.99 USD.”

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas

Oceanhorn isn’t quite the masterpiece that Elliot Quest is, but it’s still a fine Zelda-clone. Oceanhorn takes its queues from Phantom Hourglass: there’s a vast ocean that you sail on-rails from island to island with a handful of dungeons and side-quests.

Moonlighter

Moonlighter was announced for Nintendo Switch recently, and is the spitting image of The Minish Cap. We don’t know a whole lot about Moonlighter yet other than what was shown off in its debut trailer.

Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King

Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is my most-anticipated Nintendo Switch game — I might be crazy, but I’m more excited for this Zelda-clone than I am for Super Mario Odyssey or DOOM. It looks and plays like a cross between A Link to the Past and the Oracle games for GameBoy.

There’s something novel about playing Zelda-clones on a Nintendo console. Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform for these games, and I hope we keep getting more Zelda-clones to fill in the gaps before the next Legend of Zelda game releases.