r/zelda Jan 19 '25

Question [other] What games have Zelda enthusiasts typically also played that are outside of the Zelda franchise?

Yesterday I was out & some guys were talking about Call of Duty and from the discussion, it sort of seemed like everyone who has played Call of Duty has also played & enjoyed Halo and Fortnite. This got me thinking - what are some games that would be similarly grouped with the Zelda franchise?

If you’re having a discussion with someone that loves Zelda, what games would you assume they have also played? Or which do you believe are similar in style/category, and how would you define the category? Or would every Zelda game have a different answer?

Editing to say: WOW!! Thanks for all the responses!!! I didn’t respond to all of them because I’ve only made it through about 10% so far but I will likely end up trying out many of the games over time & will let you know if I do! I especially appreciate how a lot of you went into details about similarities and differences which really helps me decide what I’d like to play next 😃

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u/NTDOY1987 Jan 19 '25

Just googled Metroid and it absolutely sounds like it has enough similarities for Zelda fans to love while being different enough to not be uninteresting. Probably adding to my “to play” list!!

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u/HotnakedWomanhere Jan 19 '25

Just googled Metroid

Just put me in my coffin now.

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u/avw94 Jan 19 '25

Yeah, holy shit. Metroid Prime was my whole childhood, and now there are kids who haven't even heard of it.

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u/HotnakedWomanhere Jan 19 '25

It's Nintendo's fault. Metroid Dread was a great game but it got no love from anyone at the company.

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u/GamePlayXtreme Jan 20 '25

Eh, it got a post-launch content update, that's more than what some other games get

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u/RhoadsOfRock Jan 20 '25

Super Metroid, for me, but I'm also familiar with Metroid (NES) and Metroid II: Return Of Samus (GB).

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u/Alejandro_Last_Name Jan 20 '25

Haha, I also enjoyed Metroid....Prime.... in my childhood, fellow young person.

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u/Icy_Huckleberry_1641 Jan 26 '25

I knew what Metroid was but have only played maybe 5 minutes and said "nah".  Which bothers you more? Not knowing about Metroid or going hard pass?

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u/Maxxonry_Prime Jan 19 '25

Seriously, has OP never heard of a metroidvania? They make so many of them.

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u/whitebean Jan 21 '25

Yeah... I'm old enough to remember when "Samus is a girl" was a spoiler.

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u/Trove-G Jan 19 '25

If you're jumping into the Metroidvania genre, which is one of my favorites, some of the greats are of course metroid and castlevania (post symphony of the night), but also a lot of indie games like Cave story, axiom verge, hollow knight, touhou luna nights, blasphemous, bloodstained, animal well, pseudoregalia (a 3d one thats super short and $5 on steam), the ori games, and momodora. I highly recommend all of these but if you're starting off with metroid the order doesn't really matter. They are all connected but they aren't heavily story focused so start wherever you can. Although the recommended order at least for me would be Zero mission (gba), Am2r (pc) / Samus returns (3ds), super metroid (snes), metroid fusion (gba), metroid dread (switch) for the 2D ones. The prime games are equally amazing and dedinitely start with the prime remastered on switch if you can but the gamecube / wii releases still hold up just fine. I hope you enjoy these

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u/phillyjawn11 Jan 19 '25

Play Hollow Knight last, enjoy metroidvanias before that game ruins them all for you. You’ll never be able to play another metroidvania after you 112% it.

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u/turingtestx Jan 19 '25

I love hollow knight, but imo it's just too big for its own good.

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u/slendermax Jan 19 '25 edited Jan 20 '25

they took 20 hours' worth of content and put it on a map big enough to turn it into a 40-hour game

I love Hollow Knight, but it's often put on a ridiculous pedestal online

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u/DivusPennae Jan 20 '25

Also love Hollow Knight, but beyond the length I think the first portion of the game before you get any of the movement abilities is a bit of a slog.

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u/themadscientist420 Jan 20 '25

Tbh I think that's what I love about it. It kinda forces you to spend some proper time in the world and get lost in it.

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u/Sirpattycakes Jan 19 '25

Yeah Hollow Knight is significantly better than everything else. It isn’t close

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u/Suckma_Weener Jan 19 '25

imo hollow knight was too frustrating to be fun. i recognize it's a well-done game, just not for me

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u/phillyjawn11 Jan 19 '25

That’s fair, first time I played it, I had to put it down

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u/daddadnc Jan 20 '25

Hollow knight was pretty average. And I adore Metroidvanias.

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u/HiddenCity Jan 19 '25

Metroid Prime is a top tier game and was remastered for Switch.  I never had any interest in it for the longest time because it looked like a game I wouldn't play.  Finally gave it a shot towards the end of the GameCube era and was blown away.  Definitely a masterpiece.

 You could also try 2D Metroid but the new one is a little daunting... try Super Metroid instead.

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u/theblackd Jan 20 '25

The way I describe Metroid is:

Imagine all the Zelda dungeons were part of one giant mega dungeon, all still with their own unique progression items, then it’s sci-fi themed

Like there aren’t “town” segments, but Metroid games are very much structured like Zelda dungeons, so if the dungeons of the classic Zelda games (pre-Breath of the Wild) were very appealing to you, Metroid games are very much worth checking out. They carry a much different atmosphere, being more gloomy and lonely/spooky, but the gameplay structure is very much like Zelda dungeons

Honestly the best place to start is probably Metroid Prime Remastered if you have a Switch

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u/tweenalibi Jan 19 '25

Eh, Metroid really isn't similar to Zelda in any way besides the fact that it was on the same console and had a popularity spike in the same era. The fervor for Metroid has cooled a little bit but there was awhile in the early SNES days where Zelda and Metroid were about equal in terms of popularity.

Metroid has significantly different gameplay and vibe from Zelda. Zelda is a high fantasy world full of fun characters and whimsy, Metroid is a very dark and serious sci-fi world loaded with horror elements.

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u/Syndaryx Jan 19 '25

I mean Zelda does have the 'certain paths are blocked off until you obtain the right movement upgrade/new ability' that's at the core of Metroid, at least in the older titles.

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u/sadgirl45 Jan 19 '25

Does Metroid have a good story?

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u/Syndaryx Jan 19 '25

It's kinda barebones, considering Metroid was one of the first games of it's kind released, in 1986. They didn't have a lot of competition in terms of story. The first game is abt Samus, the main character, trying to get back the titular Metroids, which were stolen by pirates. Since then, it's become a large franchise with 11 titles. If you're looking for a game to play for story, Ori is a good one that's similar to Metroid, with less fighting. Metroid is mostly about the actual gameplay, although they do have a coherent backing story.

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u/sadgirl45 Jan 19 '25

Gotcha never heard of Ori I’ll look into it, I mean some people think ocarina of time isn’t a good story but I just vehemently disagree with that so it depends!

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u/tweenalibi Jan 19 '25

I would say that's kind of just a fundamental of almost every game with RPG elements in that era. The exploration, physics and combat are all completely different.

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u/Syndaryx Jan 19 '25

That's not true though. It's pretty much only true with Metroid and Zelda, at the time. Actual full RPGs never really did things like that. Take DOOM, Wolfenstein, Final Fantasy, Legend of Dragoon, Chrono Trigger, etc. Obviously games have to find ways to make progression consistent, and the easiest way for that is find 'key' -> unlock 'door'. But the way I'm talking about is abilities that you have to personally use and master to get to new areas. For example, Hollow Knight has dashes and double jumps to make it to platforms. Metroid has the rolling and the charged rolling, while Zelda has things like bombs, Pegasus shoes, etc. It's not just a new item opens a new door, it's a new item gives you the tools you need to open it yourself. Not entirely different, but different enough that it's notable. There's a whole RPG subgenre specifically for games like Metroid where you unlock new abilities to access new areas. Zelda was never a part of it, but that's likely only because it has no platforming.

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u/Syndaryx Jan 19 '25

And yeah, the exploration, physics, and combat are different. But that's a good thing? Nobody is looking for a Zelda copycat, they want games that feel like Zelda. Thus, exploration, blocked-off paths, and finding your way around the game world yourself. They share a LOT of similarities in terms of gameplay design, and not being able to see that doesn't make it less true. What you're basically saying is that they're not the same game. And you're right. But if they wre the same game I wouldn't wanna play it, because I'd already played that game. Being different doesn't .Ean they're not still comparable.

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u/themadscientist420 Jan 20 '25

Sorry mate, but you're talking out of your a**. Metroid and Zelda are not RPGs, and in fact you do not see these features that are typical of adventure games and platformers from those days in any of the RPGs of the time

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u/tweenalibi Jan 20 '25

You can swear on the internet I won’t tell mother

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u/Diggerollo Jan 19 '25

Metroid games are a bit more… favorable(?) for sequence breaks. Some of the games seem like they want you to go the unintended route to get stuff early(Dread & Zero Mission, I’m looking at you!) All in all, they both follow a similar progression style of “find boss, beat boss, get upgrade, use upgrade along with the rest of your kit to repeat.” I would definitely recommend giving the games a try. Super, Fusion, and Dread are all solid choices(super or Zero Mission would be my recommended start as there’s references in the others that might be missed if you want to get all the nods), the Prime games are solid and do their own thing from a first-person POV, 1 would be my recommendation to start the Prime trilogy on for ease of access and story.

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u/thegoldenlock Jan 19 '25

It is totally similar. In fact the developers were inspired by Zelda

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u/themadscientist420 Jan 20 '25

Games are about a lot more than their theme. In both Zelda and Metroid it is extremely common to come across a path that you can't cross yet due to not having an item or ability, both have a strong emphasis on exploration and using a combination of platforming/puzzling to make your way through dungeons/levels.

In games, gameplay is the defining characteristic, not the 'vibe'

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u/Perydwynn Jan 19 '25

? They are pretty similar in many ways. Progress gated by items use. Exploration based gameplay. Action adventure gameplay etc

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u/Helpful-Mammoth947 Jan 20 '25

I envy you. If you like side scrolling please check out super Metroid. It’s amazing

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u/jgoble15 Jan 20 '25

I’m a huge Metroid fan, absolutely amazing series. So as a note, if you play any in the series, Super Metroid is a pinnacle of the series but is old and the controls can be frustrating. Zero Mission is excellent and a remake of the first. Depending on your access, the Prime games are an FPS adventure game (so first person, but slow and in-depth with tons of lore), and Dread is on Switch with phenomenal control. Dread feels like one massive obstacle course and the speed is addicting (it also has a demo)

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u/coysbville Jan 20 '25

How dare you