(ThyBlackMan.com) The Legend of Zelda franchise has been around for over 30 years now. It’s one franchise that sparked my interest in RPGs and to a degree open world games. What’s funny is that Zelda isn’t actually an RPG series but it had the elements that pushed me to pursue others. Let’s take a look at the ten best games out of the Legend of Zelda series.
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC, 2002)
This was the first game I picked up for the Nintendo GameCube and I wasn’t disappointed! At the time, there were some people who didn’t like the art direction here but I felt it went with the whimsical nature of the Zelda series. It just didn’t seem out of place.
The adventure you’re taken on as Link sees you navigate the seas which can sometimes be more dangerous than land. Battles were typical Zelda fare and your quest just seemed more expansive at the time. I chalk this up to being out at sea instead of running through Hyrule which could seem closed in while playing some games.
This is one Zelda game worthy of a remake for the Nintendo Switch.
2. Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)
My first Zelda game and for a period one of two games I had for Nintendo 64. It was a time when I had to wait until Christmas for new games. That said, this game tied me over for a while. By this time storytelling had gotten better in games and Ocarina of Time was one of those titles that didn’t deviate too much from the Zelda story but had enough going on around it to make the story seem fresh for that generation.
Playing this at thirteen, Ocarina of Time seemed vast and it felt like I was going on a journey. That was the selling point at the time because there weren’t many games out of console that really let you travel the land. At least there weren’t many action games. Revisiting it as the years go on, you realize how small the land of Hyrule was in this game and that you didn’t necessarily need a horse to traverse it.
That aside, the boss battles, puzzles, and interactions with characters makes this game that still holds up. As a matter of fact, I tend to play Ocarina of Time—as well as Final Fantasy VII and VIII—every fall. Of the Zelda games, OoT still has the most violent cuccos. The ones in our next entry are tame compared to them.
3. Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017)
Beautiful game, it’s the Zelda experience I’ve wanted since Ocarina of Time. I always felt Hyrule should’ve been sprawling with various terrain and a lot of distance between them. However, considering the Nintendo 64’s limitations and what I thought it should be, I can’t fault Nintendo on this.
When playing Breath of the Wild I found the puzzles to be a mix of pretty easy and head-scratching. This is down to them being shorter and you having a number of gadgets and such to use. Sometimes trial and error come into play. I will say that in the franchise, the puzzles are the most rewarding in Breath of the Wild. You never get the feeling of “That’s it? That’s all I get?” There’s incentive to actually find temples and challenge the puzzles.
Enemy battles are somewhat varied. You’ll run into different variations of the same enemies but Link can do more to fight them than slash, power slash, block, and backflip. I mean before Link could do more but the more he could do didn’t get used much.
Ultimately, I hope Nintendo takes this approach with Zelda going forward.
4. Twilight Princess (Wii/GC, 2006)
This was the other grim Zelda game. Zelda is known for bright landscapes, wonderful music, complicated puzzles, fun boss fights, and so on. Twilight Princess had all of that except it wasn’t all bright and colorful. It still looked wonderful and again, it didn’t really make any leaps in the story. Actually, Breath of the Wild featured more lore than in most Zelda titles.
All of that considered, Twilight Princess was a bit of a departure theme-wise and I really dug it.
5. A Link to the Past (SNES, 1991)
Here’s a classic Zelda adventure. This one actually gave you something of an origin and a story to set you out on your journey. It’s something future games would continue since storytelling advanced with each console generation.
Just think, you pretty much just started the game in The Legend of Zelda. The instruction manual filled
things in for you. Without it you were pretty much just playing the game and moving along without knowing why you were on this quest or why Link was chosen. In this one, you get your story, you set out on a quest, and it’s fun start to finish.
I will say the old 2D games had a difficulty to them purely because they were 2D. Without the ability to move freely, you had to really know your distance from attacks and where bosses’ blind spots were. Think playing the Nintendo and Super Nintendo Mega Man games.
6. Oracle of Seasons and Ages (GBC, 2001)
Zelda has been on Nintendo handhelds since there’s been Nintendo handhelds. These tend to be really good but Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Time were two games that really stood at the top the mountain. You’re given just enough story to work with and you’re sent out on your quest. Mind you, you’re not getting a big cinematic experience pre-Nintendo 3DS handhelds. I’d say this is more of a throwback to Legend of Zelda’s approach and difficulty.
7. Majora’s Mask (N64, 2000)
The follow up to Ocarina of Time is the original grim and doom-tinged entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. It played pretty much like Ocarina of Time but you had different masks which gave you different abilities and reactions. Speaking of the masks, the Deku mask—while useful—could really be annoying since enemies saw you as prey.
Majora’s Mask also gave you this story that was dark for a Zelda game. Of all the games in the franchise it’s my favorite story. Twilight Princess just had a dark and dim setting while Majora’s Mask was just dark with a world that was going to end anyway. Think of it as an alternate Ocarina of Time.
8. A Link Between Worlds (3DS, 2013)
I got the Nintendo 3DS at launch and pretty much waited out for a dedicated Zelda game. The remake of Ocarina of Time was great but Nintendo pretty much made games that could make use of its consoles and handhelds’ features. Sure enough, A Link Between Worlds nailed it. It was just what I expected of a 3DS Zelda. While there are always new, challenging puzzles in each game the ones here just felt fresh because you didn’t tackle them the way you had been with a traditional controller.
9. Tri Force Heroes (3DS, 2015)
I’ve become a sucker for Koei’s musou games. Yes, they’re mostly slash-slash-musou attack and yes, all you really do is take out as many enemy troops as possible. That aside, the experience is relaxing. There’s nothing complex to do but run to the next location and keep it up. I love it. Now mix that with Legend of Zelda and give it a decent story and you’re cooking with fire.
Tri Force Heores isn’t the most amazing of the Zelda games but it’s the most action packed. As a matter of fact, it should’ve been called Total Nonstop Zelda because there’s no lulls in activity when you’re stomped on a puzzle or any of that. You’re here to battle and that’s all there is to it.
It’s been roughly four years since its release. I hope there’s another one in the same way I hope there will be another Fire Emblem game in this vein.
10. Skyward Sword (Wii, 2011)
This was another beautiful game in the Zelda franchise. Great puzzles, fun battles, great music. It’s Zelda. The one turn-off initially was having to use the Wii controls for this game. Normally, I’m all for new ways of playing an established franchise but there was just something about playing Zelda using the Wii’s motion controls that seemed unappealing at first.
When I first played Skyward Sword, I just couldn’t get down with it all because of the controls. After letting it sit a bit and coming to the conclusion of “I bought it, I might as well try to make it work” I got the hang of the controls. Overall, it was a really fun experience but I’m glad this was the one game that made heavy use of these kinds of controls in the franchise history.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.