10 Best Zelda ROM Hacks Of All Time (All Tested)

Get ready to see Link in a whole new light as we check out the best Zelda ROM hacks of all time! The retro gaming community never ceases to amaze me. Their mission to provide us with new adventures, long-awaited sequels for cancelled games, and titles where characters would never normally meet is worthy of multiple awards.

More than that, however, the community’s love of gaming shines through in the new and exciting stories its members create, as these Zelda ROM hacks prove below.

From brand new adventures to characters from other Nintendo games stepping into Link's boots, these exciting unofficial Zelda games take players on a whole new journey in ways that they never thought possible. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s step into a world of genuine brilliance and madness as we take a look at the first modded Zelda title on our list!

Disclaimer: ROM hacks exist in a complex legal grey area. While creating and using ROM hacks for personal use may be permissible if you legally own the original game, distributing ROM hacks that contain copyrighted material is illegal. Do not share, upload, or distribute ROM hack files online, as this constitutes copyright infringement. Users assume full responsibility for ensuring their ROM hack usage complies with applicable copyright laws and should consult legal counsel if uncertain about their specific circumstances.

1. Ship Of Harkinian

• Release Date: 2022
• Made By: Harbour Masters
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

Sometimes they say that you can't improve on perfection, but Ship of Harkinian proves that point to be wrong. If you think you knew Ocarina of Time inside out and thought that you couldn't enjoy it anymore, then think again, because this ROM hack lets you experience the game in a whole new light, as well as adding in so many features to enhance your gaming experience.

And yes, I know you've all seen the videos of Link using Falcon Punch to move people out of the way!

For starters, seeing Ocarina of Time with enhanced graphics is nice enough by itself. It still feels like Ocarina but looks better than it did in the N64 days. The game also allows you to customise every single element of it as you go ahead, including playing sections that you might have played as Young Link as Adult Link, and vice versa. You can toggle on different weapons, add cheats like climbing on anything, and make shields fireproof to make earlier levels easier.

Just check out the amount of scope you have to change the game at any point here. Everything from stopping Gibdo's freezing you to being able to Hookshot absolutely everything. You can customise Link's tunic (I've got him looking like Fierce Deity Link in my game), and you can also ramp up the difficulty and play around with graphics, text speed, and more.

There are multiple patches created by members of the community that you can use with this game too to further enhance it and add other characters into the mix. Honestly, I can't recommend Ship of Harkinian enough!

2. Jiggies Of Time

• Release Date: 2020
• Made By: Kurko Mods
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time/Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie and Ocarina of Time were two of my favourite games growing up, so when Kurko Mods put the two together and created Jiggies of Time, it combined so many thoughts and memories from my youth in a game that blows my mind every time I play it.

From delving into Hyrule Castle and the Dungeons to turning into a Bomb Bag to fit through small gaps and climbing Death Mountain as a Tektite, this game is the ultimate 90s amalgamation and has so many amazing features in it.

Seeing Banjo and Kazooie in key Zelda locations that have been given the 'Rare treatment' is a dream come true. Kokiri Forest looks so cool, as does Goron City and The Forest Temple. The storyline has the kind of humour that you can only get from a Rare title in it, and you'll find yourself wondering why this was never released for the N64 in the first place.

The one thing that I've said the most about this game is that you can tell that Kurko Mods is a huge Zelda fan and that his passion for the game and the series shines through in this ROM hack. Plus spotting all of the N64 Easter eggs will keep you occupied for hours too!

Check out my rundown of all of Kurko Mods Banjo hacks here!

3. Sealed Palace

• Release Date: 2023
• Made By: Jinnosuke9
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

Sealed Palace feels like the official sequel to Ocarina of Time that we all deserved back in the day. It's vast, with incredible dungeon design that will have you in awe from the moment you start playing. Starting off behind bars in Hyrule Castle Dungeon after being imprisoned by Ganondorf's guards instantly gives the game a whole new feeling, and exploring the castle to get to the highest tower will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The overworld is put together perfectly, all accompanied by incredible music that manages to capture the essence of the original game while taking you on a much, in my opinion, darker journey.

The game has completely new dungeons that more than hold their own compared to the originals. I might go as far as to say that some of them are more impressive, which is high praise from a Zelda nerd like me. There's the right amount of nostalgia to the events in the original N64 game with new things added in. It's how I wanted TotK to feel instead of it being basically a carbon copy of Breath of the Wild.

4. Voyager Of Time

• Release Date: 2013
• Made By: Brynna Giadrosich
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

I guess it was always inevitable that Ocarina ports would take up the bulk of this list, and Voyager of Time adds more humour, excitement, and challenges to one of my all-time favourite Zelda games.

For starters, the signs are now much funnier. They inject humour into all of the instructions, and the newly designed dungeons offer seasoned Ocarina fans the chance to test their mettle all over again.

Taking place after Majora’s Mask, Voyager of Time is essentially a hard-as-nails version of the Ocarina Master Quest with new NPCs and much more action. You'll start off with the insinuation that Link had another adventure in Termina that you don't know about, with the Deku Tree Sprout, now a full-grown Deku Tree, calling you to explain that Ganondorf has once again messed with The Door of Time.

As you might have guessed with the name, time travel plays a huge part in this game, with the level progression and Link's adventure set out in an interesting way that keeps you incredibly engaged from the moment you load it up. The locations feel rich and vibrant with a lot more going on than you might have remembered from the original game, and like Sealed Palace, the game ends up taking a bit of a darker turn that shows how evil Ganondorf is a whole lot better than the original.

5. The Legend Of Zelda: Outlands

• Release Date: 2001
• Made By: GameMakr24
• Base Game: The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda: Outlands spin-attacks into the Number 5 spot, and boy is it a tricky title.

Forget everything you know about the original Legend of Zelda game. Yes, it might be one of the best Zelda games of all time, but this epic remake has given it a brand new lease of life. We’re talking a new map of Hyrule, new dungeons to explore, new enemies, and even extra secrets to uncover.

Yes, I am serious. Just take a moment to let all that sink in. This isn’t a slapdash mod either. The new map looks like the real deal, and the new levels provide fast-paced gameplay even for fans who know the old story inside out.

And, as I said earlier, it’s a seriously hard game to play. You’ll regularly switch between tears of joy and frustration without even realising, so make sure you keep yourself hydrated while playing!

6. Conker’s High Rule Tale

• Release Date: 2021
• Made By: SePH
• Base Game: A Link to the Past

If you’re looking for the most bizarre Zelda game ever, this next entry in our list takes the top prize.

In true Conker style, Hyrule now has countless references to other famous films and games. Tingle, the annoying green fairy, is addicted to drugs, and Hyrule looks more like a slice of South Park suburbia than the usual medieval menagerie.

Still, Conker’s High Rule Tale is jam-packed with new and exciting features such as original items, fantastic dungeon levels, and tons of upgrades to collect. There are times when it doesn't even feel like a Zelda game at all, and then BANG, something pops up to remind you you're playing a Zelda ROM hack.

Using the 'Animus' to recall previous memories might sound incredibly familiar from a certain game about Assassins, but it seems that you're using it in this game to relive the memories of a certain squirrel's bloody adventures through Zelda-esque experiences, with cameos from Toad and other Nintendo characters. It’s funny, it’s got all the elements that us puzzlers crave, and it plays like a dream. Give it a try, but only if you’re one-hundred-percent not a small child.

7. The Missing Link

• Release Date: 2021
• Made By: Kaze Emanuar, /Zel/
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

If you think you're going to jump into The Missing Link and feel right at home, then think again. I had to use special sword powers to knock a tree down, enter a strange world seemingly ruled by Deky Scrubs, and discover why fairies have been disappearing. Kokiri Forest looks very different too, though Mido is still his annoying self.

It's tough to pick parts of the game that won't spoil the surprise for you as it's not the longest title, taking around 6 hours to complete. There is one dungeon to complete, which more than stands up against the mainline dungeons in the original game, and the storyline of finding what has happened to Navi is a nice touch.

I love how the Retro Gaming community has managed to give one of my favourite games a much darker, horror theme. Seeing the Cuccoo Lady fretting in a warped version of the Lost Woods just felt super eerie!

Bombchus were sort of an optional item to use in Ocarina of Time for the most part, though they play a much bigger part in this game which is nice. The fact that the game takes place between Ocarina and Majora kind of gives it a 'Hunt for Gollum' vibe or the lore of the Clone Wars cartoons. It's a brilliant little hack that any Zelda fan will instantly gel with.

8. The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (Ganondorf Hack)

• Release Date: 2018
• Made By: XModxGodX
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

We all know that bad guys are the best parts of games. For me, Ganondorf is up there with the greatest villains of all time, so having the chance to play as him blew my freakin’ mind!

This hack concentrates on two very important features, namely the two main versions of Link. Instead of playing as Young Link and Adult Link, gamers play as a Stalchild, and then as the King of the Gerudo himself.

Seeing Ganondorf in the Temple of Time and going up against enemies such as Volvagia (even though he’s the one who caused all this mess in the first place) brings a whole new dynamic to the game.

This mod doesn’t add anything new to the story, but I don’t mind. If anything, I’m glad that it hasn’t touched the plot because there are so many times I wondered how Ganondorf would have tackled the temples in this game instead of Link.

If you know Ocarina like the back of your Triforce-covered hand, then this mod should spice things up a bit.

9. The Legend Of Zelda: Parallel Worlds

• Release Date: 2017
• Made By: Euclid, SePH
• Base Game: A Link to the Past

The Legend of Zelda: Parallel Worlds takes the 9th spot in our list. Sometimes, the humble pot is mightier than the sword. Both can take down enemies in this widely known Zelda ROM hack, and you’ll need both if you’re to make your way through the epic new dungeons.

Parallel Worlds boasts a new plot and an overworld that’s got more than a few surprises up its sleeve. The game looks and feels completely different to A Link To The Past, but some of those dungeons left me wishing for the original while crying into my knees.

Honestly, this is one game that newbies should avoid at all costs. It’s tough!

Exploration is the key, and keeping a cool head is the only way to tackle this game. There’s an even tougher mode to tackle once the main game has been completed too... dare you take on the challenge?

10. Star Fox 64 Survival

• Release Date: 2021
• Made By: Kaze Emanuar, /Zel/
• Base Game: Ocarina of Time

I had to include Star Fox 64 Survival because of my lifelong love of the Star Fox games. Plus Fox McCloud wielding the Master Sword on an unknown planet... what's not to like about that?

Fox McCloud has 30 days to survive this odd series of challenges, defeating enemies each day as he fights to see the next one. It has a feeling of Pikmin meets Majora's Mask to it, and again, just like Jiggies of Time, it's perfect for Nintendo fans who grew up wishing they could take the world's greatest fox and his Arwing into other adventures.

Star Fox 64 Survival doesn't quite hit the 'adventure' feels like the other games in this list do, but I've included it because of the innovative ideas in the game and the feel of the world you find yourself in. Fox seems right at home with the Master Sword too, and the random items that drop down after successful completion of different days keep things interesting.

I would say this one, while exciting, is more for the Star Fox fans looking for a Zelda touch rather than the mass appeal of Jiggies of Time, but I'd urge you to download it and test it for yourself all the same, if not just for seeing how long it takes you to figure out what on earth is going on!