How many Zelda games are there?
There is no single official integer. I print four counts and I do not collapse them. Other pages on this site link back here instead of inventing a fifth number.
Last checked:
21 mainline games
The mainline run starts with The Legend of Zelda on 21 February 1986 and, as of Echoes of Wisdom on 26 September 2024, contains 21 games. Four Swords is in that 21. The 2026 Ocarina of Time release is a remake, so it is not a 22nd mainline game.
12 remakes, which makes 33
Link’s Awakening DX, Master Quest, Ocarina of Time 3D, Four Swords Anniversary Edition, Wind Waker HD, Majora’s Mask 3D, Twilight Princess HD, the 2019 Link’s Awakening, Skyward Sword HD, the two Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, and Ocarina of Time (2026). That is 12. Twenty-one plus twelve is 33. A poster that says 8 remakes is leaving out HD editions and the Switch 2 upgrades.
34 with a compilation, 48 in this archive
Add Nintendo’s Collector’s Edition compilation and some writers say 34. That disc is not a new adventure, so I mention it and I do not give it a row.
Including the 12 spin-off rows gives 45 entries before CD-i. This archive’s table has 48 rows: 21 mainline, 12 remakes, 12 spin-offs, and 3 CD-i games. Other media lists also include Game & Watch, a Nelsonic watch game, and other small products. Counts depend on which product types a list includes.
The three CD-i games are real Philips releases. They are not part of the 21. The CD-i page keeps their dates, including the places where sources disagree.
| Year | Title | Type | Platform | Score | Sales / reported period | Play today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Legend of Zelda | mainline | Famicom Disk System, NES | 84 (GBA reissue) | 6.51M lifetime (Wikipedia/CESA) | NSO NES (base tier); GameCube Collector's Edition (second-hand) |
| 1987 | Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | mainline | Famicom Disk System, NES | 73 (GBA reissue) | 4.38M lifetime | NSO NES (base tier); GameCube Collector's Edition (second-hand) |
| 1991 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | mainline | SNES | 95 (GBA version) | 6.5M (SNES + GBA, 2004) 2004 | NSO SNES (base tier); GBA version on NSO GBA (Expansion Pack) |
| 1993 | The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | mainline | Game Boy | — | 3.83M (GB) + 2.22M (DX) 2004 | NSO Game Boy (base tier, DX version); 2019 Switch remake |
| 1998 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | mainline | Nintendo 64 | 99 | 7.6M (N64) 2004 | NSO N64 (Expansion Pack); 2026 Switch 2 remake |
| 2000 | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | mainline | Nintendo 64 | 95 | 3.36M (N64) lifetime | NSO N64 (Expansion Pack); 3DS remake (physical only) |
| 2001 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages | mainline | Game Boy Color | — | 3.99M combined with Seasons lifetime | NSO Game Boy (base tier) |
| 2001 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons | mainline | Game Boy Color | — | 3.99M combined with Ages lifetime | NSO Game Boy (base tier) |
| 2002 | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | mainline | GameCube | 96 | 4.6M (GC) + 2.37M (HD) 2023 (HD) | Switch 2 GameCube Classics (Expansion Pack); Wii U HD (physical only) |
| 2003 | The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords | mainline | Game Boy Advance | 95 (bundled with ALttP) | bundled with ALttP GBA | NSO GBA (Expansion Pack) via A Link to the Past & Four Swords |
| 2004 | The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures | mainline | GameCube | 86 | — | GameCube disc only (second-hand); not on NSO |
| 2004 | The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | mainline | Game Boy Advance | 89 | 1.76M lifetime | NSO GBA (Expansion Pack); original GBA cartridge |
| 2006 | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | mainline | GameCube, Wii | 95 (Wii) / 96 (GameCube) | 8.85M (Wii + GC) + 1.17M (HD) 2015 / 2022 | GameCube/Wii disc; Wii U HD (physical only); no Switch port |
| 2007 | The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | mainline | Nintendo DS | 90 | 4.13M 2008 | DS card; Wii U Virtual Console (purchased before 2023 closure) |
| 2009 | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | mainline | Nintendo DS | 87 | 2.61M 2010 | DS card; Wii U Virtual Console (purchased before 2023 closure) |
| 2011 | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | mainline | Wii | 93 | 3.67M (Wii) + 4.15M (HD) 2022 | Switch Skyward Sword HD; Wii disc |
| 2013 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | mainline | Nintendo 3DS | 91 | 4.26M 2022 | 3DS card only (eShop closed March 2023) |
| 2015 | The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes | mainline | Nintendo 3DS | 73 | 1.36M 2020 | 3DS card only (eShop closed March 2023) |
| 2017 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | mainline | Wii U, Nintendo Switch | 97 | 34.28M (Switch, Sep 2026) + 1.70M (Wii U, Dec 2020) 2026-09-30 (Switch) / 2020-12 (Wii U) | Switch / Switch 2; Switch 2 Edition (June 5, 2025) |
| 2023 | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | mainline | Nintendo Switch | 96 | 22.90M (Switch, Sep 2026) 2026-09-30 | Switch / Switch 2; Switch 2 Edition (June 5, 2025) |
| 2024 | The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom | mainline | Nintendo Switch | 85 | 4.09M 2025-03 | Switch / Switch 2 |
FAQ
Is Echoes of Wisdom one of the 21?
Yes. It shipped worldwide on 26 September 2024 for Nintendo Switch and it is the latest mainline game in this count.
Does the 40th anniversary add a new mainline game?
The 40 years run from 1986 to 2026. The November 2026 release is a remake of Ocarina of Time, already inside the 12.
Why do I see “20 main games” elsewhere?
Some lists drop Four Swords because it first shipped inside the Game Boy Advance A Link to the Past cart. I keep it, because it is its own game.
Related
Sources
| Claim | Status | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Historical dates, platforms and background | 1 source: Wikipedia | Read the linked game or series entry; multiple Wikipedia pages count as one publisher. |
| Mainline release sequence and original consoles | 2 sources | Nintendo game history compared with Wikipedia. Remakes and spin-offs use the linked individual entries. |
- Nintendo, official Zelda game history — checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia, The Legend of Zelda — checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia, List of The Legend of Zelda media — checked 2026-11-10
- Zelda Wiki (additional reading; HTTP 403 at audit), Timeline — checked 2026-11-10
Page updated 2026-11-10. Site check date 2026-11-10.