Top 50 Best Action Adventure Games Like Zelda

#20. – Sylvan Tale

Here’s a bit of an oddball. Many of Sega’s handheld titles tried to copy the formula of Nintendo’s own successes, and Sylvan Tale is a prime example of this. It’s like a mix between the original Legend of Zelda and Link’s Awakening. Heck, you even play as a character named ‘Zetts’ for crying out loud. Sylvan Tale doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, and that’s one of the major reasons it’s one of the best action adventure games. You trek across an overworld containing within it dungeons and town areas. Your main method of attack is a sword, but you gain various tools to help with solving puzzles and dispatching foes. It does little to innovate, but it’s a solid package and easily one of the best Zelda clones around. It’s well worth playing, and has very charming graphics and a great soundtrack for the hardware.

#19. – Gunman’s Proof

Now here’s a wacky game. On the surface it looks like a combination of A Link to the Past and Earthbound. Honestly that’s a fair comparison. It uses a similar sense of humor as Nintendo’s Mother series with crazy enemies and out of this world scenarios and dialogue. In terms of gameplay however it’s much more like an action adventure game, and I would dare say it’s one of the best Zelda clones around. You wander across a world map gunning down foes, gathering items, and from here trekking into dungeons. The layout is very similar to Zelda. The biggest difference however is the fact that it’s based on a bizarro wild west and as such guns are your main weapon instead of swords. You also have more control options. The protagonist can fire in eight directions, strafe, and even duck under enemy fire. Gunman’s Proof is an amazing game.

#18. – Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Years later I’m still surprised to see many gamers herald this as the best Zelda game. Mind you, it’s a very good one, but in terms of gameplay, depth, and exploration it plays second fiddle to all the others higher on this list. It is still however one of the best action adventure games of all time. This title takes Link out of Hyrule and places him in the dream world of Koholint Island following a shipwreck in a storm. It’s up to Link to awaken the Wind Fish so that he can escape, but to do so he’ll have to gather various musical instruments tucked away inside dungeons. This looks like it uses a toned down version of the Link to the Past engine. I really like how you can combine weapons for various effects, and Roc’s Feather is one of the best tools in the franchise.

#17. – StarTropics

As I mentioned earlier it was more than a little strange that Nintendo took the time to invest in another action adventure series when they already had Zelda. Either way, StarTropics is different enough to distinguish itself from Nintendo’s legendary franchise in a number of ways. It takes place in the tropics and has more of an RPG overworld map. Combat is different as you can not only jump but your primary tools to attack are modern items. This includes things like yo-yo’s and baseball bats. Furthermore the protagonist, Mike, can also jump inside dungeons. This allows for a different gameplay approach to progression and puzzles. StarTropics isn’t just tropical Zelda. It’s actually one of the best action adventure games of all time. Don’t believe me? Give it a shot because you won’t regret it.

#16. – Daikatana

Daikatana is an infamously bad FPS released on both PC and Nintendo 64. It was so bad that it basically sunk the career of the legendary developer John Romero. So what then is this game doing on a list of the best action adventure games you may ask? Well, the version I’m talking about today was released for the Game Boy Color and is a completely different beast. The developers decided to go for a top down action adventure title here, and it’s easily one of the best Zelda clones. Daikatana is played from an overhead perspective as you embark on a quest to acquire a legendary sword. The adventure has you mostly slogging through dungeons where you’ll fight enemies, collect monsters, and solve light puzzles. The major difference here is the use of firearms, and the multiple playable characters. Daikatana is a bit weird, but definitely worth playing.

#15. – Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

I really struggled with considerations to the Goemon franchise while establishing this list. First of all most of them have elements from the action adventure genre, but few of them are straight up Zelda clones. They mostly lend themselves to the action platforming genre with RPG elements. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon however really felt like a lead in to Ocarina of Time. The move to 3D did away with the perspective changes the franchise is known for. Now it was straight up action adventure with platforming elements. It’s definitely one of the best Zelda clones. There’s an overworld linking to towns and dungeons and even light use of puzzles. Gameplay is solid, and the story and setting have a healthy dose of zany scenarios. I may have stretched the genre to fit this game on this list, but it’s definitely one of the best action adventure games of all time.

#14. – Beyond Good & Evil

This one caught gamers by surprise. This holds especially true in an age where many were avoiding the Legend of Zelda series because of the jump to cel-shaded graphics. It’s one of the best Zelda clones around, but with more than enough elements for it to stand on it’s own two feet. First of all you travel the world map via a hovercraft, and eventually an airship. This is very different from travel in the Wind Waker despite being a similar premise. Secondly, as the protagonist Jade, you fight your way through a series of dungeons solving puzzles, but with a healthy dose of stealth gameplay thrown into the mix. There’s also a sub-plot involving the main character being a journalist so you can even take pictures which you can sell for in-game money. I absolutely love the world in this one, and the combat is a lot of fun.

#13. – Okami

Clover studios at Capcom did here what they do best. Okami is a Zelda clone of sorts but has a ton of innovation behind it. It’s heavily based on Japanese mythology. You play as a white wolf exploring worlds that look almost hand drawn by using a unique sketch style cel shading effect. You fight through various dungeons filled with enemies, puzzles, and what have you. The main innovation here is a concept called the celestial brush. By activating it you can freeze the action and using the controller drawn over the screen. This allows you to generate various things such as winds, destroying enemies, fixing environmental elements to move forward, and more. This concept is incredible and the integration was on point. Okami is an absolute joy to play and looks like a watercolor painting in motion. It’s easily one of the best action adventure games of all time.

#12. – Illusion of Gaia

Typically this one is classified as an action RPG. I mean, I get it. I even included it on my list of the top 100 best RPGs of all time. So why then am I getting more mileage from it here? Illusion of Gaia is laid out in a way that makes it feel like a Zelda clone. Basically you move from various town areas into dungeons which cover all the traditional trappings of this genre. Puzzles? Check. Tools used to progress? Check. Hordes of monsters chomping at the bit to destroy you? It has that too. Illusion of Gaia also has some of the best dungeons in any action adventure title that will really make you scratch your head. There are even two other characters you can transform into. I absolutely love the world of Illusion of Gaia, and it’s definitely one of the best action adventure games.

#11. – Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

This was an interesting release in the series for numerous reasons. Nintendo didn’t often make direct sequels in the Zelda timeline. They made an exception for this one because it’s a direct follow up to A Link to the Past. It’s basically the same map and everything complete with a parallel land which isn’t the dark world. It has however been adapted to reflect time having passed. You play as a new iteration of Link years after the original quest. This one focuses on a new antagonist named Yuga who throws the kingdom of Hyrule into peril on a quest to acquire the triforce. It’s the typical tale, but gameplay has seen some big changes. You now rent special items for a price instead of just finding them within dungeons. The concept sounds alien, but works remarkably well. The dungeon designs have also been seriously upgraded. It’s an amazing game.