Nintendo Switch 1 is Getting the Perfect Zelda Replacement on May 29

Nintendo fans that have yet to upgrade from the original Switch to the Switch 2 have a brand-new Zelda-like experience to look forward to on May 29. Now that the Switch 2 is nearly a year old at this point, Nintendo is largely moving on from the original Switch. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t still some noteworthy and worthwhile new games released for the Switch 1, though.

In fact, a major, first-party Nintendo game has already been released for the Switch 1 this year, with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream proving to be a big sales success on the platform. Later this summer, Rhythm Heaven Groove will launch as a Switch 1 exclusive, and could very well be the final first-party Nintendo game released exclusively on the OG Switch. That means Switch 1 owners shouldn’t expect to see any new Zelda games released for the console, but other, similar titles could help fill the void.

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Mina the Hollower Looks Like a Classic Zelda Adventure

One of the most promising Zelda-like games coming to the Switch 1 soon is Mina the Hollower. The long-awaited new project from Yacht Club Games of Shovel Knight fame, Mina the Hollower is a Zelda-style action-adventure game with an art style that is highly reminiscent of the original Zelda: Link’s Awakening for the Game Boy. The game has also drawn comparisons to Bloodborne of all things, and considering Yacht Club Games’ track record, Mina the Hollower will likely be a very high-quality experience. It is getting a native release on both Switch and Switch 2 (plus PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S), so Nintendo fans that have yet to upgrade to the newest console can give it a go themselves when it launches on May 29.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Mina the Hollower is the kind of game that will appeal to and satisfy Zelda fans looking for similar experiences, though some Switch 1 owners may be disappointed that they will most likely not be getting any new official Zelda releases. Rumor has it that the Switch 2 is getting a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake later this year, with no mention of a Switch 1 version. However, there is at least some hope that the long-rumored Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD Switch 1 ports could eventually be released. The OG Switch still has a gigantic install base, after all, and millions of fans have yet to upgrade to the new console.

But even if there are no new official Zelda games ever released for the Switch 1, games like Mina the Hollower can help fill the void. Switch 1 gamers can also revisit the classic Zelda games that are already available on the console, like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Echoes of Wisdom, and the Link’s Awakening remake. A variety of older Zelda games are playable on Switch 1 through the Nintendo Classics service as well, including the original Link’s Awakening and other Game Boy/GBC-era Zelda games that have similar vibes as Mina the Hollower, like Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons.

Guess the games from the emojis.

Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)

Of course, those that upgrade to the Switch 2 will have even more Zelda and Zelda-like experiences to look forward to. Beyond the previously mentioned Ocarina of Time remake, Switch 2 is also getting The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, which is a new Square Enix game that has serious Zelda vibes. Switch 2 also has access to GameCube games through the Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which includes The Wind Waker — a game not currently playable on Switch 1 at the time of this writing.