The Legend of Zelda is one of the most influential adventure titles ever released on home consoles. Before Link stepped into the picture, most fantasy adventures were limited to words on a screen and maybe a map if the player was lucky. The original game was one of the first to bring gamers a fully-visualized magical kingdom in need of exploring and a princess in need of saving.
Since then, there have been dozens of carefully crafted clones and blatant rip-offs wanting a taste of Zelda's fame. That being said, the game laid the groundwork for many incredible quests on other consoles. Hyrule isn't the only realm worth visiting.
Crusader Of Centy (1994)
This forgotten little treasure from Sega was essentially the company's answer to A Link To The Past, using a very similar design, color palette, and layout. While it might lack a certain pointy-eared hero, the game features more than a few familiar elements with the Nintendo classic.
The game centers around a boy who inherits his father's sword and must purge the world of the villains and monsters that wish to destroy it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and players coming off the heels of Link To The Past might want to give this one a try.
Secret of Mana (1993)
Sega wasn't the only developer wanting a piece of the adventurous action, as Square soon developed their own top-down adventure in a mystical land. While it was heavily inspired by Zelda, the game took more inspiration from its predecessor, Final Fantasy Adventure. It took the exploration elements, but mixed them with several features of the famous JRPG series.
While it's true that the game features a top-down perspective, a world full of monsters, and a magical sword, it also features a party of adventurers, a rich lore-heavy story, and (surprisingly) a multiplayer mode. Needless to say, the title was easily ahead of its time.
Alundra (1997)
Alundra is to the PS1 as Link To The Past was to the SNES, plain and simple. That being said, Sony's take on the formula went an entirely different direction, in favor of a more dark fantasy approach rather than one of heroes and princesses in magical kingdoms.
The adventure concerns the titular Alundra who must use his dreamwalking powers as an evil wizard threatens to poison the world with waking nightmares. Throw in some heavy puzzle elements and some hack-and-slash combat all tied together with a 16-bit fantasy style and it makes for a solid title every PlayStation owner should try.
Swords Of Ditto (2018)
Swords of Ditto is a weird game, but that's a good thing. It might not seem like it at first, but the indie darling is one of the most unique and imaginative Zelda-likes out there. This game is what would happen if The Legend of Zelda, Adventure Time, and Studio Ghibli were all thrown into a blender and deep-fried in '90s nostalgia.
This roguelike has the player become the Sword of Ditto, a constantly reincarnated hero who must slay an evil sorceress every 100 years. With the aid of toy-based weaponry, puzzle-solving, and the titular sword, gamers have a colorful adventure with loads of replayability.
Beyond Oasis (1994)
Beyond Oasis is what Zelda would be like if there were a heavier focus on fantasy and combat rather than exploration and puzzle-solving. As Prince Ali (mighty is he), gamers wield a mystical golden gauntlet against ancient guardians and the evil force who wears the gauntlet's silver companion.
Combat and magic are the backbones of this title, focusing more on action than dungeon crawling. There are plenty of monsters to mow down and bosses to bash amongst the ruins, deserts, and ancient temples. It's truly an underappreciated gem on the Genesis.
Blossom Tales (2017)
One of the most recent entries on the list, Blossom Tales is essentially Zelda minus Link. It jumps through similar hoops that the series is known for, but this time it's the princess that puts down the crown and picks up the sword. A damsel in distress Blossom is certainly not.
In no uncertain , it feels impeccably similar to a traditional 2D Zelda game, but not a clone. The developers undoubtedly loved what made the Nintendo series great, and only sought to amplify that adoration by changing perspectives. The results certainly speak for themselves in this 16-bit fairytale.
Hyper Light Drifter (2016)
2016's Hyper Light Drifter trades in traditional fantasy for a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk style with its pixelated adventure. It bears a few key features needed for a traditional adventure game seen on the SNES and Genesis, but it earns a special mention due to how open to interpretation the game's story is.
The game features no text, no dialogue, and no verbal storytelling whatsoever. Everything the Drifter experiences in his journey throughout the ruined world is entirely up for the player to interpret. It's as enigmatic as it is deep and complex.
3D Dot Game Heroes (2009)
Surprisingly, this colorful and cheery tribute to The Legend of Zelda comes from FromSoftware, the sadistic minds behind the infamous Dark Souls series. 3D Dot Game Heroes takes the familiarity of a traditional Zelda-like, including more than a handful of similar bosses and plot elements, and gives them a full 3D makeover.
And no, this isn't a 3D adventure title with fully-rendered character models, but rather a game composed of 3D cubes to create blocky, chunky pixels. Similar but not congruent, it's one Zelda-like that pays perfect tribute to the original series while maintaining an identity all its own.
Darksiders (2010)
The original the game is a juicy hack-and-slash experience any fan of the genre can get sucked into with little resistance.
As the Horseman of War, players must fight through the forces of Heaven and Hell as they seek to clear their name for the destruction of the world. With a gritty combat system and a comic-book-inspired art style, there's loads to love in this action-heavy title.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising (2020)
While Ubisoft's mythological epic might wear its Zelda influence heavily and proudly on its chest, there's no denying that it doesn't make excellent use of the elements it takes from Breath of the Wild. Although a lot of connections can be made to Link's open-world adventure, to call the game a blatant clone would be unfair.
As the titular Fenyx, players are exposed to a gorgeous mythological world of gods and monsters. When the Olympians are laid prone by the monstrous Typhon, it's up to the gamer to fight their way to glory and save the realm. It's every bit as epic as a Greek myth should be, and an experience no Zelda fan should ignore.
