Daily Debate: Which Zelda Games Have Improved With Age?

“The flow of time is always cruel…  Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it.” – Sheik

As time changes, so do we, and so does our perception. The buildup to a game’s release fills us with excitement, which is either fulfilled or dashed to pieces when we finally play it. Upon a game’s completion, we have cause to reflect on the journey we just experienced, which creates what is often called “recency bias”, a cognitive favoritism towards what’s new. When we experience a game for a first time, there is so much novelty that we often fail to see cracks in the surface, things we may not notice until after that novelty has worn off.

So, time often sours our appreciation for games, as is the case with Tears of the Kingdom which dropped in ranks in Zelda Dungeon’s recent Best Zelda Ever. Tears lost half of its first place rankings among staff members and went from a low ranking of 10th place, to 18th. Granted it still took home third place this year, but what caused this changed? It wasn’t the release of a newer game; Echoes of Wisdom ranked ninth. Nothing changed with the game, rather it was us who changed. The novelty wore off and our perception became clearer.

Though time certainly can be cruel, Sheik was mistaken. Time is not always cruel. Some games actually manage to get better with age. Maybe a game was ahead of its time. Maybe recent trends formed a new appreciation for times of old. Maybe something about it finally clicked. So, which Zelda games, if any, have improved with age?

For me, it’s Skyward Sword. To avoid spoiling too much of an upcoming editorial, I will give you the short version of the story. I hated Skyward Sword when it first came out. It was too repetitive, too restrictive, and overall boring. I hated Fi. I hated that she wouldn’t shut up. I had a hard time finding any praise for the game, which is why I ranked it last in last year’s Best Zelda Ever (the author who ranked it 21, that was me). However, burdened by the feeling that I must have missed something that other’s enjoyed, I recently decided to give it another shot. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it! Now, it isn’t among my favorites, but I found that — being that we are now in the age of open-world Zelda — many of the things that I disliked about Skyward Sword at the time of its release are the very things that I enjoy so much now.

Now tell us, which Zelda games do you think improved with age? What about your perception changed that makes you enjoy it more now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Nick Miller

Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders. His other favorite video games series include Kingdom Hearts, Fallout, and Ratchet & Clank.