Top 10 Totally Not-Zelda Zelda Clones You Need to Play | Oldschool Edition
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- This is a top 10 list of great Zelda clones for [mostly] classic systems. These are the games that have either perfected the mechanics of Nintendo's flagship series, added their own original twists, or directly inspired the Zelda series in some way.
Some might claim they're just cheap Zelda knockoffs but no! Dammit. These are some of the best Zelda clones ever made. Perfect for impatient Zelda fans eagerly waiting to get their mitts on the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
*Please note: I can barely pronounce English intelligibly. Don't be surprised when I butcher Japanese names.
Featured Games:
Magic of Scheherazade [NES] - 0:45
Alundra [PSX] - 1:42
Star Tropics [NES] - 2:27
For the Frog the Bell Tolls [GB] - 2:52
Golden Axe Warrior [SMS] - 3:48
Marvelous [SFC] - 4:44
Crusader of Centy [GEN] - 6:00
Sylvan Tale [GG] - 6:46
Beyond Oasis [GEN] - 7:30
3D Dot Game Heroes [PS3] - 8:23
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Up for one hour and not a single WELL ACTUALLY yet. Congratulations! And I must play For the Frog the Bell Tolls, it looks fantastic
:)
SNES drunk that game looks great!
Thanks to you, I now know about Ganperu Gunmans Proof. Which is an awesome Zelda clone!
Lol Daria is very well studied and does a great job with the facts. I love video's that are done by true professionals who really know their craft. Far too many casual gamers posing as pro's here on TH-cam these days.
Was expecting to see Chrystalis, Illusion of Gaia, and Darksiders. Glad to see some deeper less well known games make the list though.
There was an NES game...Chrystalis? Anyways. I think it would also be a solid candidate for this list! Nice recommendations!
That's more an action RPG than a Zelda clone.
@@Mari_Izu There was a Zelda adventure/rpg so I'd say it totally counts
Crystalis is a great game
Would also recommend
Simon's Quest
Faxanadu
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Land Stalker
And I've heard some praise for
Willow
Battle of Olympus
My Top 3 Zelda "clones" would easily be Legend Of Thor (Beyond Oasis), Soleil (Crusader Of Centy) and Landstalker. These games made my childhood!
I love you went directly for the goods at 5:34. Well played.
There's SOMETHING in that pocket.
Daria, great video! In particular Crusader of Centy and Startropics are just wonderful games which still hold up today. It also shows how much the first Zelda influenced games at the time and how important this game was by introducing core elements of gameplay which are still used today.
Alundra is fantastic, and it's a damn shame those games don't get the attention they deserve. StarTropics too! I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Golden Axe Warrior and Beyond Oasis for some time. Also I prefer Adventure of Link over OG Zelda. The frog game and Crusader look sweet! Fantastic video as always, though I'm way behind.
Ever play Neutopia on the TruboGrafx-16? That's another good Zelda clone.
Neutopia 2 is better.
I really like Golden Axe Warrior! It was a mail in offer if you bought a power base converter in 1990. Expand this like to 12 and you can include Neutopia and Ys as well! Ahh.. 3D Dot Game Heroes. When I first played it, and even now, I called it "the final game" as its the last game to actually play like a game and not be an interactive movie. Will always be a fav of mine. Thanks for making this list.
I'm just amazed that I was shown at least 4 games I have never heard of. I'm such a hardcore gaming nerd and it blows my mind that there are still great games that I have never tried. I have to play all of these! Thank you Daria. Beyond Oasis is one phenomenal game. I prefer the Sega Saturn version though, if you ever get a chance check that one out. Though, It's called Legend of Oasis on the Sega Saturn.
The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls it's one of my favorite games for GB
!
I'm a huge Zelda and Zelda clone fan, and I haven't heard of a few of these! So thanks, can't wait to check them out
Crusader of centi! Golden ax Warrior! Those were MY zelda games back then! ...and still are!!
I don't know how you do it, but thanks for another star-studded list of lesser-known greats! (Schehera-who now?)
The only game that came to mind that wasn't mentioned was Beyond Oasis' Saturn sequel, Legend of Oasis.
Its puzzles are brutal, but everything about the game holds up very well, and was an improvement in just about
every conceivable way.
Great videos, Daria!
You've shown me a lot of games I've never heard before!
hope to see more
Wow Daria! I'll have to give you major props for including 8 games I've never heard of lol. Although Star Tropics and Beyond Oasis are obviously both great games. Beyond Oasis in particular looks more like something you'd see on the PlayStation or Saturn. Really impressive for a 16-bit game.
Bravo for another great video!
Will you cover the 3D titles as well?
* nudges Okami *
Heh maybe.... I love the idea of sequel videos but I've yet to actually make one.
I actually like to think of Golden Axe Warrior as a second iteration of Zelda where they improved a lot of the mechanics.
Not to mention graphics. And controls. Holy crap switching back to LoZ after Golden Axe Warrior. Felt like I was navigating a rock.
@@DariaPlaysRPGs4:10 That's not very lady like.
I'm very happy to see that you included Crusader of Centy and Beyond Oasis on this list. Well Centy really is a blatant clone it does have its charm, but Beyond Oasis is by far one of the best games on the Genesis hands down
This is so great. Thank you so much for these suggestions and the hard work!
Liked for Beyond Oasis Alone. In an alternative universe that would have been Sega's Legend of Zelda had they not EPICALLY fucked up the marketing
Cool channel, cool commentary, listening to you talk about games with your humor is like listening to a close friend.
Finally, someone is talking about Beyond Oasis.
If you keep stretching 4:3 footage to widescreen, I'm gonna come to your house and knock your stuff off your shelves! Also, this rules.
Avalanche Reviews hey I zoom in and crop. Can't speak for the Let's Play stock footage I borrowed for the Zelda stuff though.
I've been sitting here trying to make a pun with "zoom" or "crop" for like 20 minutes. It's 3 in the damn morning! What am I doing?!?!
Yeah that's a pretty croppy waste of time.
Ooooooooooo! Snap Daria! Yeah super late response, I just discovered your channel.
yeah, Beyond Oasis looked really weird.
Then again, you also have Crystalis, Willow, and Battle of Olympus.
thx for your work, I love your commentary in general.
I really love your channel here, the content is fantastic and I love how you cover a lot of the more obscure stuff as that is right up my alley. You definitely deserve more subscribers, but I suppose that's the plight of those who cover the obscure vs the mainstream.
Good list! Of the games I played on the list, crusader of centy is my favorite. I'm lucky enough to still have my copy, too. Alundra is another great one. Thanks for the video
Yeah me too. Definitely wouldn't want to buy it now!
@@DariaPlaysRPGs Pal copies named "Soleil" in France seems to be much cheaper than the US release, now I understand why, the relative numbers were not the same ! Lucky
Before watching: Crusader of Centy better be on this list.
I was not disappointed.
Also Landstalker! But I know you covered that one before. I just love it
Miles Greb yeah that was really the biggest reason I didn't mention it. Wanted to cover other games.
Totally missed Crusader of Centy back in the day but now I really want to hunt it down. Great video!
Always finding games I've never heard of...great list!
Marvelous is a legit fantastic game. It deserves a sequel.
Love your content, keep up the good work!
You have excellent insight into the games. I say this as a long time gamer!
Hey thanks. Trust me, I'm not new to the hobby either. ;)
This was excellent Daria, first video of yours I have watched and it’s an easy subscribe from me. Looking forward to checking out the rest of your stuff in your back catalogue.
Awesome list!
I *love* Zelda clones! With future games being Open Air titles like BoTW, I hope that we get more classic styled Zelda clones to fill that void.
Man, I will never forget beating link to the past in 1995 when I was 11. It took me 251 plays to reach the end and defeat Gannon according to the statistics the game evidently records and discloses upon completion of...
Damn that's a long playthrough. Kudos to eleven year old you for sticking with it.
Yep, shortly after, I discovered final fantasy 2,3, the secret of mana, Soul Blazer, and chrono trigger. Not only were these games awesome, but they were totally responsible for turning me into an eventual high school lothario!! But on a serious note, your videos are brilliant and I love the way you nonchalantly use the F-word.
Love the shout-out for Scheherazade, but I've gotten into wars claiming that Crystalis > Zelda 1 and 2. A bit shocked not to see it here, but the list was great, considering it went across several retro platforms.
Personally I love Crystalis, and definitely enjoyed it more than Zelda 2. But ultimately didn't include it because it's an Action RPG and I was trying to focus on "Adventure" games. Also some day would like to do a full video on it. ;)
Please do. Between that, The Guardian Legend, Legacy of the Wizard, and Magic of Scheherazade, good games like that get lost in the nostalgia shuffle of everyone fawning over freakin' Mario 3, Zelda 1, Tecmo Bowl, and Mega Man 2/3.
Wow, I didn'ty know Soleil was called Crusader of Centy in America.
Thanks!
Café and Ragnacenty in Japan. :P
That's not confusing at all. Good job SEGA on naming your Megadri- I mean Genesis games.
Great vid daria
Was expecting to be underwhelmed but came out of the video pleasantly surprised. Good choices of games (not the typical run of the mill WatchMojo lists and whatnot that everyone knows from years ago), good knowledge on said games and weird shy but effective delivery of particular humor (I've just realised this is the DARIA part of your name comes from). You've come out as a recommended sub on MANY other channels but this is the first one I watch a video from you. I've owed myself to have watched your videos before. You've earned a new sub and fan.
Yeah the lazy WatchMojo lists have always bugged me. I can acknowledge that lists are nothing more than opinion pieces but a lot of times it's painfully obvious that the author didn't dig any deeper than the popular developers. Probably even did a google search and called it a day. I've always been more interested in suggesting games that people really might not have considered playing before.
Also thanks for the sub. :P The Daria connection is actually a happy coincidence (as I now love that show) but my nickname's just short for Alexandria.
Glad Beyond Oasis got a mention :)
I was thinking of playing through 3D Dot Game Heroes this week before Zelda comes out.
Definitely a wise decision.
I have no idea how I got a copy of Alundra as a kid, but damn I feel so lucky that I did. That is a truly epic game.
I should probably consolidate my comments. :P
3D Dot Game Heroes is one of my favourite PS3 games.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Beyond Oasis' soundtrack. (One of many testaments to Yuzo Koshiro's versatility!)
I remember screenshots of Crusader of Centry, but never knew much about it- I really like the talking to animals concept and I really want to play it now!
Brad Smith
Yeah I'm not a music person. I can pretty much comment to the extent: "this is awesome!" which I can do silently with my BGM choice. Otherwise I know nothing about music.
Ni No Kuni is probably my favorite PS3 game but.... 3D Dot Game Heroes is easily number 2. I love the stop motion aesthetic they capture with the frame-rate, lighting, and camera angles. It's subtle but pulls off a really neat effect.
Awesome video! and some really nice looking recommendations there I'm afraid I won't get around to them all within a week ;)
I found you through Pam and I've been binging your videos so haven't left many comments, but the word binge to me is a pretty good compliemnt so I think you'll apperiate it too.
Great list! Also to anyone reading i'd also like to add Landstalker on the Genesis!
kevin bhall Landstalker was an amazing game!
Awesome vid xD
great video!
Solid list. I probably would have also included Golvellius: Valley of Doom on the Master System and Guardian Legend on the NES. (Both Compile games, as it turns out!)
Yeah I should really get around to Guardian Legend. Have to admit I'm a little intimidated by the shooter bits.
Golvellius I didn't like. :/
Guardian Legend is great and the shooter bits aren't too hard. It's not like Gradius or anything where you lose all your power-ups if you die.
DariaPlaysRPGs Honestly, it is more like a shooter padded with exploratory RPG segments, where you just power yourself up enough to survive the next shmup section. It even has shooter-only mode. But it is not very hard, in comparison to other Compile shmups, and, in general, an adorable, if simplistic, game with unique atmosphere due to its sci-fi setting.
Beyond Oasis is AMAZING and every sega fan should play it. Crusader of Centy and Golden Axe Warriors are on my list and I shall play them very soon.
Yeah, they're great games, and I know she brought up Alundra, but I wish Landstalker could have gotten at least an honorable mention
I’m just now checking out this video and great job with it! Like others have mentioned, the Neutopia series and Crystalis / Godslayer are some of my favorite Zelda clones. Hoping to add a personal fan-translation project I’m working on of Compile’s Wander Wonder for PC to this list as well of Zelda-like games available in English. It’s pretty good and has a lot of secrets, even a lost woods section!
Alundra is a good shout, absolutely love that game. Terranigma is another fantastic game and one of my all time favourites, its predecessors Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia (or Illusion of Time as it was called here in the UK) were pretty good too.
Terranigma is just an action-adventure, there is about no puzzling to be done. Not like Zelda at all.
LOL Finally someone else who has played Magic of Scheherazade!!
Great vid
Def need to check some of these out!
I just subscribed to your channel the other day. You have AWESOME content and I've discovered so many games because of you. Please keep making videos. 💙
Thanks! But no worries, I'm slow but not quitting any time soon.
DariaPlaysRPGs Yay 😍 💜
Great video. Surprised to not see Landstalker on here.
Andrew Oberhauser Yeah, I didn't want to talk about it again after devoting an entire video to its review. But I still love Landstalker.
Awesome!
Gambare Goemon 3 is my best Zelda clone on SNES, i love it so much and actually replayed it more than aLTTP xD
Yeah, regarding Marvelous, there seems to be a whole bunch of interesting Super Famicom games that were never released in the US. I might as well mention the Great Battle series on Super Famicom. They're essentially a crossover between Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Gundam, and explore various action genres such as platforming, run and gun, and gallery shooting. They're the main series of the Compati Hero series, and I don't think any of it's games were ever released in the US. Regardless, I think the Great Battle series can be enjoyed without having to know Japanese.
woah! startropics? had to take the bananas out of my ears to hear that
Honorable Mention: Lagoon on SNES, although it is admittedly quite flawed.
That's more of an Ys clone than a Zelda clone.
Imo, Beyond Oasis is the single best looking game of the entire Genesis library. It's freaking GORGEOUS!
there is a very fun, free, and quite old zeldaclone/parody called like “shadow of power”. or something like that.
I'd also recommend the Japanese freeware title Guardians of Paradise, but it seems to have fell off the internet. The site hosting it - and the dev's other games, such as the Maze of Galious-like "Hydra Castle Labyrinth" - died many moons ago.
Yeah, Daria! Great video showcasing some of games I also recommend. Some I haven't played like Alundra and some I haven't heard of like The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls. That gameboy game looks just like Link's Awakening, it's so weird! and with frogs! cool! :D Anyway, I used to be excited for the new Zelda game, but at this point I'm burned out waiting for it and won't be playing it... oops! but these other games look much better ;)
This is really good! Beyond Oasis is the only one I've even heard of before. I really wanna check out that Link's Awakening one.
YASS. For the Frog is SOOO good. Little light on gameplay but really really charming and funny.
Actually we discovered an oddball arcade game called Mysterious Stones: Dr. John's adventure while doing our arcade LP series at Trouble Planet. I thought it was strikingly Zelda-like but my cohorts disagreed. Have you ever heard of that one? I'd rate it as worth checking out at the very least.
More games to add to my backlog thanks :)
I was obsessed with Magic of Scheherazade as a kid - it was a slightly worse Zelda + slightly worse Dragon Warrior 2 combined but had a lot of charm. Rented it a few times but could never find anyone selling it.
Anyone here heard of The Speris Legacy? It's a Zelda clone on the Amiga, published by Team 17 during the death-throes of the micro-computer era. Graphically, it greatly resembles ALttP.
I also should mention Young Merlin, developed by Westwood for the SNES. It's more of an adventure game, as combat is rare.
You and I seem to have similar interests. I like Zelda clones too. We seem to like a lot of the same things, actually. I think we're about the same age too so it's pretty awesome that someone feels the way I do about some things that not as many people seem to care about. Anyway, just wanted to say I'm glad you're around.
That was one of the factors that weighed in heavily on decision to start a TH-cam channel. Like damn, no one talks (or really knows) about the games I like. This way people who like the same things I do can find me. So "Hi!" (:
PS. I'm 33.
Well then hi back! We're the same age. Thought so.
oh never knew of Frog bell tolls! will check it out! for NES i also recommend Crystalis and Radia (the latter one is totally underrated).
Beyond Oasis has the worst hit detection though. I tried it out over the weekend and kept getting frustrated by attacking and enemy and just having my weapon fly over their sprite with no damage leaving me wide open to a counter attack. Maybe I'll try it again, but the drop rate on enemies makes it easier to run past enemies than attack them, until you need a dungeon key.
A nice #11 is CrossCode though the game is early access it's proving to be something really special.
I'll have to try some of these!
You need to check out Shining Wisdom for the Sega Saturn, which is so much like a Zelda game that there's even some in-game dialogue where an NPC makes fun of the developer for being so unoriginal.
Seeing as I'm a huge, huge fan of LttP, I definitely need to check out Crusader of Centy.
I watched a Let's Play of 3D Dot Heroes... it's a pretty solid Zelda-clone title.
Came here for Alundra, was not disappointed
The characters in the thumbnail look awesome
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse should be on the list. It is essentially a sidescrolling Zelda game.
The dungeons are structured exactly like Zelda dungeons. There are several rooms you can reach normally, other require keys you find in the easy to reach rooms and eventually you find the dungeon treasure, which allows you to reach and defeat the boss. Then you can use that treasure to reach more heart pieces scattered in the overworld.
Interesting. Sounds like I should give it a play sometime.
Great.
"Pirate's Curse" is the most Zeldalike. The other games in the franchise are different.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Landstalker when talking about Alundra, since they have similar elements between them. I'm glad you mentioned Beyond Oasis, another hidden gem of the Genesis library, I even made a full walkthrough guide for it on GameFAQs. I sometimes think I was the first one to discover you can actually beat the game with only 3 spirits.
Okami is another must-play! Hint hint: the awesome HD remake for PS3 is available physically from Asia and Japan and includes the English text, so it's more than merely import-friendly!
ladyjaye27 Oooo. I didn't know that about the remake. thanks for the tip!
Dang...I was just thinking about a list on this exact topic, but looks like you beat me to it by a year! But, since it's all old games, I might still be able to get away with it and not seem like a copycat :p
Also Alundra sounds super cool, I'd never heard of that and it looks totally legit.
I don't own the topic, make whatever video you want! I look forward to seeing your opinions on the topic.
Haha I know that! But when I see a video of an idea I have, I'm always worried that I'll accidentally steal from it...hence why I'm glad it's all older games I probably wouldn't include (not because I don't like older games, very much on the contrary, I just tend to separate "Let's reminisce about a console's history" from "Here's games similar to ones you'd like" because generally newer games are more similar to other newer games). Though I'd actually forgotten about 3D Dot Heroes...never played that when it was first popular...that's a SUPER solid Zelda clone choice (whereas a lot of the others feel enough like their own thing to just be INSPIRED BY)
Unfortunately, Golden Axe Warrior is far more fiddly to play. Hit detection on weapons is a giant pain throughout the game, and only gets worse when you get the speed boots. Also, many of the navigational tools require magic to use, so finding secrets is much more difficult than it needs to be compared to its inspiration. It's my go-to example of a game that almost, just ALMOST, was great. Some tiny tweaks and it's an instant classic.
EGG:elemental gimmic gear - amazing sci fi zelda clone nobody talk about
Hmmm... you know I have that but have never really played it. Guess I'll have to fix that! Thanks for the suggestion.
4:38 "NOT LINK earned 10 horns." LOL
This video was amazing! I don't know much about sega, really. Which is a shame, when I was young I had a SNES growing up, and later when I had a PS1 I spent my savings on a Genesis model 3 with Sonic and Knuckles. I didn't get many other games, though, I started playing RPGs on the PS1... so I don't know much bout Genesis and it pains me a little.
Brilliant timing tho
Alundra looks pretty cool to play!
It is a great game. If you're a Zelda fan, you will most likely enjoy it.
Saw you talking about this on Twitter. HOW DO YOU HAVE SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE? AND it's funny you mention Beyond Oasis last night ...it was free via android app but mobile controls always annoy me. GREAT and INSIGHTFUL video!
Heh. Combination experience and research. I got into emulation when I was 16 and have downloaded and played a ton of games in the umm... almost 20 years since.
Alundra is amazing. It's interesting that developers behind the game didn't use the Playstation tech to utilize and force 3D gimmickry like a lot of early Playstation games with a 2D design view and instead used the tech at their disposal to enhance the 2D visual look and feel. I just bought my copy a week ago. Good thing that you can find this game for cheap because of how much it was sold, I thought the game would be extremely pricey. Such a shame Alundra 2 isn't as good.
I still have my original copy of Crusader of Centy. I found out how much it's worth, and became very pleased. I've always loved that game.
Lucky dog. My copy has a damaged box, probably worthless but looks nice on the shelf at least.
@@DariaPlaysRPGs I'm not always one to toot my horn, but I have a handful of highly valuable games, including Albert Odyssey and shining force 3 on the Saturn
new video, yay.
Totally agree that the name of Scherezadeedeeeddedde was unfortunate. I reckon many people skipped it just on the strange name alone. Shame.. that game is fantastic!
Blame the writers of 1001 Nights - the bedtime stories told by Scheherazade were the framing device for popular tales like Ali Baba and Aladdin.
Great video! You should check out the Saturn sequel to Beyond Oasis called the Legend of Oasis
Thanks for the suggestion!
Surprised Oceanhorn didn't get on this list. Probably one of the better mobile titles out there and as close to a Zelda title as you can get.
Nice video. I like console RPGs but I can't get into party management. (A)RPG games with a single protagonist are much more my thing.
Thanks for sharing. :)