Top 50 Best Action Adventure Games Like Zelda

#40. – Brave Fencer Musashi

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time was one of the most hyped games of its era. Because of this many developers rushed to make similar looking games on competing hardware to cash in on it’s popularity. I fully believe that Brave Fencer Musashi was designed for this purpose. It was one of the many original titles from Squaresoft in this era, and as such weighs more heavily on RPG elements than most. Make no mistake though because it’s clear Squaresoft was targeting Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time with their gameplay. It even features a day to night system just like Nintendo’s aforementioned title. Brave Fencer Musashi isn’t nearly as ambitious, but I’ll be darned if it isn’t one of the best Zelda clones of all time.

#39. – Legend of Oasis

Sega’s Story of Thor series was created in an effort to no doubt fill the action adventure niche on their Genesis console. In typical Sega fashion they didn’t just make a Zelda clone. Instead they incorporated beat ’em up elements which was really neat for the time. Legend of Oasis is the only direct follow up, and it was released for the Sega Saturn. It’s largely more of the same with a very similar combat engine of hacking away at foes repetitiously. The biggest upgrade you’ll find here is with the graphics. Legend of Oasis uses some absolutely beautiful hand drawn graphics that look great even today. It doesn’t seem to push the Sega Saturn particularly hard, but the artists were obviously very talented. It also helps that the soundtrack is lush and truly beautiful. It’s definitely one of the best action adventure games of all time.

#38. – Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

When this title released I was struggling a bit with my interest in the franchise. The Wind Waker at first felt like a major misstep. Then Capcom was commissioned once again to create that generation’s handheld iteration, and I immediately didn’t like the graphics style. I had long wished for a new 16-bit Zelda title, but not like this. Eventually I was able to see through it but the Minish Cap is still an oddball in my opinion. It plays like a typical overhead Zelda game. You explore an overworld, defeat enemies with your sword and various tools, and trek through dungeons full of puzzles and monsters. The gimmick here is that Link can shrink down to a tiny version of his former self. It sounds more interesting than it is. It’s not the greatest Zelda title, but it’s still one of the best action adventure games of all time.

#37. – Linkle Liver Story

Here’s another Sega Saturn title, but this one was only released in Japan. Thankfully it has since been fan translated making it easily accessible for English speakers. This is good because it’s easily one of the best Zelda clones on any console. Either way, Linkle Liver Story is an overhead action adventure game of the best kind. You can move in all eight directions, run, and have a short range attack (with seven different types of these at your disposal). The weapons system is pretty interesting in that you collect seeds, plant them, and then a new addition to your arsenal grows. Which one you’ll get is based on where you place the seed. These are watered with items gained from defeating enemies. It’s pretty interesting and quite unique. The only drawback is that each has such short range, and the animation for swinging a weapon takes super long.

#36. – 3D Dot Game Heroes

Pixel art has made a comeback in a major way. So what happens when developers adapt this style into the realm of 3D? The results are fantastic and visually striking. Such is the case with 3D Dot Game Heroes. This is easily one of the best action adventure games of all time because it returns to the basics. The game uses the block/pixel art style with fantastic results. Modern effects such as distance blur and particle effects make this one look amazing in motion. In terms of gameplay it’s fashioned like a classic Zelda title. You explore an overworld and trek through dungeons full of single screen rooms. There are various tools you can get, but your main weapon is a sword which can be grown in size with power-ups. My only complaint is that it feels soul-less. Either way it’s one of the best Zelda clones.

#35. – Mega Man Legends 2

Back when Capcom actually cared about Mega Man they released a series of spin-offs. Mega Man Legends was one of their most experimental. It’s clear that Capcom didn’t know where to take the franchise into 3D, and that’s why they went with the action adventure format for the original Mega Man Legends. It must have been successful because they did their usual thing and released a sequel. The platforming elements take a backseat to exploration. You now traverse dungeons and blast away foes with your mega buster. There’s a lock on mechanic like in Ocarina of Time that works exceptionally well. This sequel is less focused than the original and takes place on multiple islands this time around. Typically you’ll have to grind a lot to get money to buy upgrades. I prefer the original, but Mega Man Legends 2 is still one of the best action adventure games.

#34. – Golvellius: Valley of Doom

Golvellius has the honor of being one of the first, and best Zelda clones. It originated on the MSX but was ported to the Sega Master System. By and large the latter is the best version. This one looks and plays very similarly to the Legend of Zelda. Everything from the world map to dungeons are all very similar. Enemies even spawn in almost the same exact fashion. The new gimmick here is that there are a few different modes of play. Aside from the typical action adventure trappings you’ll find that some areas play from a side view and function like a side scrolling action platformer. Golvellius takes things a bit further. In other sections you’ll find that the camera autoscrolls and the gameplay is more akin to a shmup. These mechanics go a long way to making this one of the best action adventure games of all time.

#33. – Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru

I don’t speak Japanese. From what I’ve read this title translates to something like The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls. That’s easier for me to say so I’m going to stick to that version of the name. This froggy quest is one of the best action adventure games of all time. If ever there was a release that screams Zelda clone it’s this one. Even the font looks like that of Link’s Awakening. This one has the same basic gameplay as the aforementioned Nintendo game, but with a few twists. It’s an overhead game with single screen maps on the world. You trek into dungeons collecting tools and items. The big change is the fact that you can’t directly fight enemies. Instead you ram the protagonist into them and he does it on his own. The victor is determined by how great his current stats are. It’s very interesting.

#32. – Beyond Oasis

In the 16-bit era Sega was dedicated to creating the best Zelda clones they could. Beyond Oasis was one of their big efforts. They succeeded to an extent, and the only things that hold it back are what Sega tried to to differently. Exploration is very similar to the Legend of Zelda with an overworld containing within it various dungeons. This is pulled off with a lot of finesse because simply seeing the sights is a real treat. Combat is the major difference. You fight with a dagger, but Beyond Oasis encourages button mashing and various other physical attacks. In action it feels more like a top down beat ’em up when you’re facing off against foes. I rather like the mechanics, but they don’t measure up to more traditional offerings in my opinion. Beyond Oasis is still one of the best action adventure titles however.

#31. – Mega Man Legends

If one word could be used to describe Capcom it would be ‘prolific.’ When they put Mega Man on a console they really went all out. By the time the PS1 rolled around it was fair to guess it would get the same treatment. Capcom is also a big fan of spin-offs, and Mega Man Legends was a big one. It was a drastic departure, and focuses more on action adventure elements. It feels like a mix between Tomb Raider and the Legend of Zelda. I mean that in the best way possible. You play as Mega Man as you trek through dungeons defeating foes, collecting items, and inventing new weapons. The game is fully 3D but uses the lock-on system like in Ocarina of Time. This is easily one of the best action adventure games of all time.