Few video game franchises have had more influence over the industry quite like The Legend of Zelda. The series began on the NES in 1986, becoming one of Nintendo's biggest hits, but it wasn't until the Nintendo 64 title Ocarina of Time that the franchise fully transitioned into 3D action-adventure. However, some have still remained nostalgic for the 2D roots of Zelda.
Particularly in the world of indie games, homages to The Legend of Zelda and its 2D titles, including ones like Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link and A Link to the Past for the SNES, are not uncommon. These eight video games, some of which have become iconic in their own right, some would say bear a great resemblance to the 2D adventures in Hyrule.
8 Ittle Dew 2
The original Ittle Dew was released in 2013, but its sequel three years later is the superior version in my fans' eyes. With its cartoonish graphics and top-down perspective, it's very easy to see how this game's aesthetic and design take heavy inspiration from the 2D Zelda games, but this is even true of the game's very Zelda-esque story.
In Ittle Dew 2, players control the green-shirted Ittle, who ends up stranded on an island and make it their mission to repair their raft and escape, paying tribute to the storyline of the Nintendo GameBoy title Link's Awakening. Along the way, they encounter enemies and dungeons very reminiscent of the Zelda franchise, though with not a lot of originality in store.
7 Tunic
The recently-released Tunic is one of the most obvious, and charming, 2D Zelda clones out there. Available on all platforms, players control an anthropomorphic fox wearing a familiar green tunic, wielding a sword and shield. While exploring this fantasy world, players collect pages from an in-game manual, which offers directions on how to advance.
Its endearing art design and clever gameplay and worldbuilding will certainly delight fans who miss the good old days of The Legend of Zelda on NES. Though many aspects of it are clearly ripped off of Zelda, the developers do a great job at making it trend more toward the side of homage rather than a blatant cash grab, which Tunic certainly is not.
6 Songbringer
Released in 2017, Songbringer was crowdfunded by its lead designer, Nathanael Weiss, with the intention to make an homage to The Legend of Zelda incorporating a procedurally generated world. This makes for a much more unique 2D Zelda-esque experience than most other indie games can offer, mixing the franchise's staples with rogue-like randomness.
It's particularly the dungeons of Songbringer that resemble the 2D Zelda experience the most, as players lead their charismatic sword-swinger through darkened rooms solving puzzles to advance to the next. The edge it has over many other Zelda clones is also its stellar synthwave soundtrack that perfectly fits its 1980s retro vibe.
5 Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King originally released in 2017, features an extremely polished top-down fantasy world that will leave even the most hardcore 2D Zelda fans stunned. In 2022, it was followed up by a sequel, Blossom Tales 2: The Minotaur Prince, which upgrades pretty much every aspect of the game as a good sequel should.
What Blossom Tales as a franchise boasts over the lower entries on this list is its choice-based storytelling, allowing players to truly influence events more so than they can in 2D The Legend of Zelda adventures, which tend to be fairly linear. However, the next four entries on this list simply have Blossom Tales beat in both polish, originality, and legacy.
4 Crosscode
This 2018 game is another crowdfunded RPG that takes place in a fictional MMORPG called "CrossWorlds." Unlike other 2D Zelda clones, this trades the typical fantasy and medieval settings of The Legend of Zeldafor a neo-futuristic video game world. It also boasts an incredibly fun and complex real-time battle system that lets players grow stronger over time.
It also boasts similarities to 2D Zelda games with its array of side quests, which players can complete in exchange for bonuses and items they wouldn't normally find elsewhere. Overall, it's the type of Zelda clone that allows players to fully immerse themselves in the video game world as much as they would in Hyrule.
3 The Binding Of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac is one of the most iconic indie games of all time, though many might be oblivious to its obvious Zelda inspirations. In the game, players control the naked Isaac, a boy who escapes into the vast catacombs underneath his home after God tells his mother to sacrifice him. For the unaware, the actual game is just as disturbing as it sounds.
The Binding of Isaac particularly features procedurally generated dungeons and roguelike mechanics, giving players an infinite number of chances to escape and eventually defeat Isaac's mother. Though the game drew controversy for its religious themes, even barring a port to Nintendo 3DS, its lively community of supportive fans has kept it relevant today.
2 Hyper Light Drifter
According to lead designer Alx Preston, Hyper Light Drifter combines the worldbuilding of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past with the fast-paced combat of the Diablo franchise. As a result, the game has remained one of the most iconic indie games of all time, spawning spin-offs, guest appearances in other games, and even an upcoming anime.
Though the game does not have as many obvious references to The Legend of Zelda as other titles on this list, its top-down perspective and vast fantasy world will certainly delight longtime fans of The Legend of Zelda and its various 2D forms. Though it was originally released in 2016, the game still feels completely fresh and original even in 2023.
1 Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight has many retro games to thank for inspiring it, but Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link appears to be one of the clearest. In the game, players control the heroic shovel-wielding protagonist as he takes on the Order of No Quarter, a Mega Man-esque cavalcade of villains, while also exploring vibrant towns and even utilizing familiar Zelda moves.
Though it may be reductive to simply label a game as polished and expansive as Shovel Knight as a mere 2D Zelda clone, the indie game definitely wears its heart on its sleeve. However, fans of both Zelda and Shovel Knight will want to keep their eyes out for Yacht Club Games' upcoming title Mina the Hollower, which is even more of a Zelda tribute.