The Legend of Zeldahas included a variety of minigames over the years, but that doesn’t mean that a minigame appearing in one game will appear in other games in the series, which can be a bit disappointing. At the same time, not every minigame that’s been in the series should make another appearance in newer games, as some of them end up being more frustrating than fun. However, they can act as the perfect way to help players perfect different controls in-game, just like how the bamboo cutting game helped teach motion controls inSkyward Sword.

Minigames inZeldacan serve quite a few different purposes. In older games,they’re commonly used to give Link a Piece of Heart or some items. However, games likeBOTWandTOTKhave deviated from the series' past and tend to reward Link primarily with Rupees and food when he completes a minigame, which might make them less appealing to spend time on. If these forgotten minigames return, better rewards should make a return alongside them.

Link waits to hit a ball with a bat during an Octoball Derby game in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

10The Doggy Racetrack Is A Game Of Luck

Only Appears InMajora’s Mask

With itsiconically unlucky blue dog finally winning a race, it’s time to bring the Doggy Racetrack back toZelda. This minigame only appears inMajora’s Mask, and it follows the same idea as betting on horses or any other type of race. Link can bet Rupees on a dog, and if that dog wins, Link receives triple the amount he bet. Additionally,Link can earn a Piece of Heartthrough this minigame, which might be more useful than Rupees depending on the player.

Since this minigame involves a lot of random luck, it receives mixed feelings regarding if it’s a good minigame or a hassle that’s necessary to grab an extra Piece of Heart. However,there’s a way to get a good idea about which dog might winby picking them up while wearing the Mask of Truth, which tells Link how each one feels that day. This makes it much easier to win a Piece of Heart through this adorable minigame that could fit in anyZeldatitle.

Princess Zelda from Echoes of Wisdom in front of Zelda art from Tears of the Kingdom and Skyward Sword.

9Squid-Hunt Comes With Its Own Sound Effects

Only Appears InThe Wind Waker

A minigame that only appears inThe Wind Waker, Squid-Hunt is essentiallyBattleshiprepurposed forZelda. Link has 24 shots, and he needs to use them to sink three squids of varying lengths that are hidden on an eight-by-eight grid.For his first victory, Link receives a Piece of Heart. As a reward for his second victory, he gets Treasure Chart 7. Finally, if he can sink the squids with fewer than 20 shots, Link receives Treasure Chart 23.

Out of all the minigames inZelda,Squid-Hunt has the most novel touch added to it, which has resulted in it becoming a meme among fans. This is because theNPC who runs the minigame, Salvatore, includes his own sound effects to indicate if Link’s shot is a hit or miss. For a miss, he says “Sploosh!” and for a hit, he says “Kaboom!” Such a classic minigame deserves a return toZelda, but the sound effects of Salvatore must return with it.

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8Oracle Of Seasons And Oracle Of Ages Include A Rare Rhythm Game

Dance Minigames Are Difficult, But Fun

Oracle of SeasonsandOracle of Agesare games that have a lot of parallels to each other by design, which makes it unsurprising thattheir plots and minigames share similarities. InSeasons, there’s a Subrosian Dance minigame, and inAges, there’s a Goron Dance minigame. For the Subrosian minigame, Link has to avoid running into other dancers and keep the tempo as it speeds up to win the Boomerang and Strange Flute. In the Goron Dance minigame, Link has to copy the instructor to get the Brother Emblem.

Both of these games are tough, butthe Subrosian Dance version seems to be the more difficultof the two overall, since Link has to not only keep the tempo, but also avoid hitting the other dancers. With dance minigames, or any minigame that forces Link to follow a rhythm being so rare, it’d be fun to revive them in a newZelda. Plus, the technological upgrades and smoother controls of modernZeldagames can help make these minigames less frustrating.

7Octoball Derby Brings Baseball To Zelda

Octoball Derby is a minigame that’s only found inA Link Between Worlds, andit brings baseball to Lorule, which is a counterpart of Hyrule. With the namereferencing a home run derby, it’s not surprising that the minigame’s design mirrors this event by having 30 pitches thrown to Link and requiring him to hit as many of them as he can. Like many minigames inZelda, aim is important, as Link has to not only hit the pitches, but he also needs to break the pots on the field with the balls to earn points.

This minigame is a fun break from adventuring and fighting, so it would be great to see it make a return inZelda.

If Link gets over 100 points, he’s rewarded a Piece of Heart. Otherwise, Link will receive a Rupee for each point. Since the game costs 50 Rupees to play, Link needs to score at least 50 points to break even. This minigame is a fun break from adventuring and fighting, so it would be great to see it make a return inZelda.

6Fun Fun Island Would’ve Been Perfect In Tears Of The Kingdom

Only Appears InSkyward Sword

Fun Fun Island is a minigame that only appears inSkyward Sword. It appears inHyrule Warriorsas a decoration in one stage, but it’s not actually accessible or used as a minigame. As a game, it’s like skydiving target practice, asLink falls onto the island and is rewarded based on which colored section he hits. Unlike a lot of classic minigames, Link won’t get a Piece of Heart for playing this game, and he instead only receives Rupees.

Echoes Of Wisdom Made Me Realize What Zelda Game Needs To Come Next

Echoes of Wisdom is the first game in the franchise to have Zelda as the playable character, and it definitely shouldn’t be the only title to do this.

Tears of the Kingdomwith Link having to use the Sky to fall to specific locations would’ve been perfect for a new version of Fun Fun Island to be included. Having the island spawn at various locations and changing the rewards it can give each time would make it worth finding in a game likeTOTK, and it could be a good way for Link to collect the many resources he needs for features like cooking. It’s a shame that this opportunity was missed, so it must make a return if there’s another game likeTOTK.

5Goron Racing Was One Of The Most Fun Racing Minigames

The Goron Race only appears inMajora’s Mask, but there are a few other versions of racing minigames in other titles, like the race against Dampé inOcarina of Timeor the snowboard race inTwilight Princess. It’s only available after completing the Snowhead Temple, andwinning rewards Link with Gold Dust. Gold Dust is used to craft the Gilded Sword, but Link can sell the extra dust he gets from winning races.

There are some tricky elements in the Goron Race that add difficulty to it so that Link doesn’t win every time. In addition to obstacles like ramps,at least one Goron will keep pace with Linkuntil the end. Link needs to collide with the Goron to change its direction, but he also needs to avoid getting hit himself by other Gorons, as that forces him to lose all his speed and regaining it wastes a lot of time.

Only Appears InWind Waker

A minigame that only appears inWind Wakeris the mail sorting minigame at the mail center on Dragonroost Island. For this minigame, speed and accuracy are both important, and it’s made difficult by the touch of randomization that comes with the mail. The order in which symbols appear is random, soplayers are unable to memorize which symbols will come next as it’s not the same each time. In combination with the tight time limit, this minigame requires Link’s full attention.

For rewards, Link receives a Rupee for each letter he sorts correctly, and an extra 20 Rupees as a bonus the first time he sorts 25 letters correctly. However,Link can also earn a Piece of Heartif he returns to the mail center after Baito is hired at the post office, and he correctly sorts 25 letters a second time, as he later receives a letter from Baito’s mom with said Piece of Heart inside it.

3Fishing Is A Classic Zelda Minigame

Fishing might be the minigame that appears the most often throughout the series, although the last time it made an appearance was when it was added to the 3D version ofMajora’s Mask. Depending on the game, Link could receive a variety of rewards from fishing minigames, butsuccessfully fishing was required to progress inTwilight Princess, making the prize in that case the ability to progress through the story. Now, Link just grabs fish from the water in games likeTOTK.

With how iconic games likeOcarina of Timeinclude fishing minigames, it feels natural that they should make a return to the series. However, ifTwilight Princessgets another remaster, then the fishing aspect should be switched to a minigame that’s no longer required for progressing the main story. This is because the fishing inTPcan be a bit tricky, and that can stop players from giving the game a complete try, since the fishing is early on and getting stuck there blocks off most of the game.

A Minigame FromOcarina of Time

The Bombchu Bowling Alley is a minigame fromOcarina of Timethat forces Link to release a Bombchu at the right time to hit his target, while avoiding obstacles. While using Bombchus isn’t a requirement to get through the game and defeat Ganondorf, they can definitely make some sections a little easier compared to using traditional bombs. Since timing is important with Bombchus – along with avoiding obstacles so they don’t blow up early – this minigame provides great practice.

Bombchus haven’t been in newerZeldagames, butthey’re a fun item to have and can offer unique ways to solve some puzzlesthat Link comes across. However, the combat systems and puzzles in games likeBOTWandTOTKmake it feel like Bombchus would be useless. Still, even if they aren’t added as items that Link can carry, the Bombchu Bowling Alley can return purely for the sake of having fun.

A Minigame That Appears In Many Zelda Games

Similar to fishing, Shooting Gallery is a minigame that appears in a fair number ofZeldagames. The rewards Link can earn vary between each game, butRupees are a standard prize. Then, inOcarina of Time, Link can earn a larger quiver as a prize when he plays the minigame as an adult, or he can get a Piece of Heart as a reward inMajora’s Mask.

Considering how iconic it is in some of the most beloved games, bringing it back not only brings a touch of nostalgia with it, but it’s a fun way for Link to earn prizes, like the ability to carry more arrows.

There’s still the horseback archery minigame in newerZeldagames, but the Shooting Gallery version has largely disappeared. Considering how iconic it is in some of the most beloved games, bringing it back not only brings a touch of nostalgia with it, but it’s a fun way for Link to earn prizes, like the ability to carry more arrows. Additionally,it’s nice to have the option to practice aiming arrowsin a low-stakes scenario.

When it comes to minigames, recentZeldatitles have been rather lackluster compared to the games of the past. As a result, it’s time for more minigames to make their comeback with a revamped selection of prizes for Link to pick up. Minigames should at least offer more of a variety of rewards instead of only Rupees, which is often the case in newer games, going forward inThe Legend of Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda franchise follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements, often revolving around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining core elements while introducing new characters and settings.