Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now claim freebies based on a pair of classic games in the Zelda franchise. This time around, Nintendo is offering designs based on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link on NES and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on N64. As is often the case when Nintendo adds icons based on older games, there is a catch: subscribers must access these games through their corresponding Nintendo Classics app before they can then claim the icons. However, as long as the software is launched from the app, the icons can be claimed immediately after without actually playing the software.
For The Adventure of Link, Nintendo has added five icons, each of which can be claimed for 10 Platinum points each. All of the designs are based on the pixel designs that appeared in the original NES game. The icons for Ocarina of Time are a little different, and are instead based on art from the game. Nintendo offered a more significant amount of icons for the N64 game, with 13 in total. There are multiple designs based on Link in both his young and adult incarnations, along with characters like Sheik, Ganondorf, Navi, and more. After launching either game, subscribers will be rewarded with 50 Platinum points, with a total of 100 for both.
Perception around Zelda II: The Adventure of Link isn’t the best; the game’s high level of difficulty has earned it a rough reputation with many fans of the series. However, Ocarina of Time is widely considered one of the best video games of all-time. Since its release back in 1998, the N64 game has continued to appeal to new audiences. If you’ve somehow never played the original game, this batch of Nintendo Switch Online freebies is the perfect excuse to discover what you’ve been missing over the years. The game holds up very well, and completely changed the direction of future Zelda titles, as well as the industry as a whole.
In addition to these profile icons, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now find music based on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the Nintendo Music app. For the game, Nintendo has added a stunning 344 tracks, which translates to nearly 12 hours of music! There are still several Zelda soundtracks that aren’t in the app yet, but it’s likely we’ll see that list continue to shrink over time.
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The future of the Zelda series is a big question as we head into the Nintendo Switch 2 era later this week. Several Zelda games on Switch will be getting upgrades on the new system, including Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Link’s Awakening, and Echoes of Wisdom. However, Nintendo has yet to announce an actual new Zelda game, outside of a Hyrule Warriors spin-off. Hopefully that will change in the not too distant future, but for now, fans will have to settle for currently existing games in the series.
Do you plan on claiming any of these free profile icons? What’s your favorite game in the Zelda series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!