The Legend of Zelda series is among the most well-respected video game series of all time, with multiple trend-setting and industry-changing games released over the last few decades. The series has more than a dozen main games in its roster, going all the way back to the '80s. What's more, Nintendo has no plans to stop making new entries any time soon.

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As much praise as the main Zelda franchise receives, there have been a number of spin-off games released throughout the years to varying reception. Some of these were official Nintendo collaborative projects. Others used the Zelda license when Nintendo opened it up, resulting in some of the worst-rated video games of all time. Bearing this in mind, let's look at all these spin-off games from worst to best.

9 Zelda's Adventure

Zeldas Adventure Zelda Spin-off Games

Zelda's Adventure is one of three games developed for the Philips CD-i console in the '90s, when Nintendo opened up the Zelda license to the game development company Viridis Corporation. This title featured Zelda as its main protagonist, and was a top-down RPG much like the original The Legend of Zelda.

The game's controls were difficult and the game was unintuitive for many players. Furthermore, the full-motion video sequences throughout the game were supremely lackluster. This is definitely one to skip.

8 Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

Zelda waves a wand to seal Ganon into the Book of Koridai in Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon

Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon was another of three games developed for the CD-i, this time developed by Animation Magic. It released on the same day as Link: The Faces of Evil in 1993, though neither game saw any kind of measurable success.

The game had a lot of the same problems that Zelda's Adventure would have two years afterward. Bad controls, unintuitive game design, and awful full motion video sequences make this one of the worst games of all time.

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Whereas the previous entries both feature Zelda as the playable character, Link: The Faces of Evil puts Link at the forefront. This game and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon were both based on the second Legend of Zelda game, and thus play as side-scrollers rather than top-down RPGs.

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The one redeeming factor of Link: The Faces of Evil is the new life the game's full motion videos have seen. The internet picked up on the hilarious visuals contained therein, and ran with them. Although all three CD-i Zelda games are awful, they are at least redeemed by just how bafflingly, unintentionally hilarious some of the cutscenes are.

Link's Crossbow Training screenshot

Link's Crossbow Training was a spin-off title from the Gamecube and Wii title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This spinoff was never available as its own standalone game, though. Players could only buy it paired with a Wii Zapper.

The game was essentially a series of shooting galleries themed around various areas in Twilight Princess, and taught the player how to use the Wii Zapper. It's a short game, but surprisingly replayable.

5 Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland is a Nintendo DS exclusive Zelda spin-off with the strange elf Tingle as the lead. The story revolves around Tingle building up a tower near his home, but he needs money to do so.

Thus, Tingle delves into various dungeons to find things to sell and acquire rupees. There's a cool bartering element to the game in shops. Additionally, the Nintendo DS's capabilities were put to good use when it came to navigation and mapping.

4 Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love

Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love

Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love is another Nintendo DS exclusive. This one puts Tingle at the center of a romance-themed narrative. Instead of collecting money like in Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle must find a way to escape the fictional world by dancing with the world's Princess.

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It's a very different game to the Zelda series. There are almost no references to the main series, aside from the main character himself and the point-and-click adventure gameplay. Nonetheless, it's one of the most unique games on the DS, and one of the strangest games in the Zelda canon.

3 Hyrule Warriors

Legend Of Zelda Hyrule Warriors Link Finds Link Amiibo

Hyrule Warriors is a game with the same settings, narrative, and characters of games spanning the entire Zelda series. However, it incorporates the gameplay of the Dynasty Warriors series. Instead of taking on a few enemies at a time, Hyrule Warriors pits the player against hordes of enemies.

There's a huge amount of variety and depth in this spin-off Zelda title. Furthermore, it was popular enough to deem a more complex sequel just a few years later in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

2 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

hyrule warriors age of calamity hero shot

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is the souped-up, enhanced sequel that fans of the first Hyrule Warriors wanted. This time, though, the game doesn't feature as many characters from throughout the franchise. Instead, the game takes place in the Breath of the Wild timeline, 100 years before the beginning of the game.

It's more complex, more relevant to current Zelda titles, and it will tie directly in to the hotly anticipated Breath of the Wild 2 – as soon as it's released, that is.

1 Cadence of Hyrule

Cadence of Hyrule art

Cadence of Hyrule is a spin-off game of both the Zelda series and the indie game Crypt of the Necrodancer. The game was initially planned as a DLC for the latter, but instead it was released as its own Nintendo Switch exclusive.

Cadence of Hyrule plays just like the original top-down Zelda games, but with a twist. Players must perform every action in time with the music. Crypt of the Necrodancer is hailed as one of the most interesting indie titles to come out in the last few years, and before long players will be tapping along to Saria's Song while dodging to the beat.

NEXT: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Link And Zelda’s Relationship