With word of Nintendo releasing Nintendo Switch ports of some of the greatest entries in the Super Mario series, it begs the question: will The Legend of Zelda series receive the same treatment? Zelda is among the most well-known Nintendo franchises, garnering some of the most dedicated fans that are always voicing support for more entries in the series and remakes of original classics (see: Project Moonfall and the 3DS remake of Majora's Mask).
There's no doubt that Nintendo Switch ports of Zelda entries would inevitably be a great success. The question is: which titles are the ones in most dire need of being ported? The series spans titles across 30 years and countless platforms. Despite this, some entries clearly outshine others.
10 Ocarina of Time
Often lauded as the greatest video game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a smash when it was initially released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. It has since been ported multiple times, including on Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo 3DS, and fans still can't seem to get enough. With such an expansive world, there's no telling what kind of fun features Nintendo could add to a Nintendo Switch port of the game (similar in vein to the Master Quest version when it was ported to GameCube).
9 Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was unique when released on console because it was released immediately on both the Nintendo GameCube and the Wii. The game was and still is gorgeous, with its grim tone and darker themes.
It has since been ported to the Wii U since its initial release in 2006, but could certainly use a port to the Nintendo Switch with some more buffered graphics and potentially new control features.
8 Four Swords Adventures
Co-op multiplayer gameplay with an emphasis on story is currently having a huge resurgence. The port of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles to the Nintendo Switch is a huge indicator that The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is well overdue for a port as well. With multiplayer that required four Gameboy Advance systems and link cables, the multiplayer aspect of the game felt restricted to many who couldn't meet the technological requirement. However, the Switch and online multiplayer could essentially solve this issue and bring justice to the game.
7 Majora's Mask
Another Zelda title that fans go to bat for, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has received similar remake treatment to Ocarina of Time, with versions on GameCube and 3DS as well.
The story of Majora's Mask seems to stand out to many fans, and surely they would be eager for another chance to revisit Termina, perhaps with more features, and more so, maybe with more quests that would reveal more about the lore of the land and characters that seem to stand out so much?
6 Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass incorporated elements of Wind Waker with traveling via boat, taking it a step even further by allowing players to fully customize the boats that they manned as well. The game features a large, open world and interesting characters, with a unique gameplay paradigm at the time for a Zelda game since it was completely touch-screen based. A port on the Nintendo Switch with new control features could be a refreshing way to revisit the title.
5 Oracle Editions
Back in 2001, Nintendo released a very interesting duo of Zelda games on the Gameboy color: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. The two games features two completely unique narratives that intertwined with one another: players could access the full story of the duo via a password system, with the password being revealed to the player at the conclusion of each respective game. This meant that there were two ways of completing the saga: Oracle of Seasons to Oracle of Ages, or vice versa.
The intertwining of stories and the password system is one of the most unique features in the entire Zelda franchise, and is criminally overlooked in the fandom. The duo has been ported to the Virtual Console, but could definitely use an official port with updated graphics on the Switch. Furthermore: a fun-fact about the Oracle saga is that it was originally supposed to feature a third title as well, forming a trio instead of a duo. Due to technological setbacks, the third installment was scrapped—this is all the more reason to port the saga, and potentially finally give fans the third title in the saga.
4 The Wind Waker
Another fan-favorite, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is celebrated for its unique graphic style, characters and open-world. While it did receive an HD remake recently, it could do well to have a Switch port as well, possibly with more features as well.
3 The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap isn't often talked about in the Zelda fandom—however, it offered a formidable title in the series on the Gameboy Advance in 2004, taking the top-down 3rd perspective gameplay as seen with classics like A Link to the Past and giving it upgraded touches.
As seen with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening port to Nintendo Switch, fans are excited for remakes of those entries in the Zelda series, and The Minish Cap could be a great asset in that style if ported.
2 Spirit Tracks
With very similar gameplay and graphics to The Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is another shoe-in for titles deserving of Switch ports. Known for finally allowing Zelda to journey along with Link in his quest (albeit as a spirit), the game is another hidden gem in the series that isn't often talked about that could do well for revisiting.
1 Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword drew players in when it was released in 2011 for its dynamic controls that directly controlled how Link used his sword in-game based on how the player was handling the Wii remote. The Nintendo Switch would obviously have this capability as well with the motion-sensing capabilities of Joy-Cons—however, this doesn't mean that Nintendo couldn't explore other unique ways of porting Skyward Sword to the Switch.