General Zelda Rank-Order The 3D Games

[the8thark]

Ok here is my order.

1. Majora's Mask
My favourite for many reasons.
- Dungeons are not a main part of the game
- The 3 day thing was a brilliant move by Nintendo
- For the most part (there are a few little exceptions) the game is hard but not too hard.
- Gives all 3 magic arrow types equal billing and use
- I could go on for ever, but I really think it's a great game and it's defo my favourite.

2. Twilight Princess
A tough call here. But I did like the graphics/aesthetics here quite a lot. And yes a lot of the game is just rehash from other games and the story line of the game itself really contradicted itself, it was very fun to play. To me the downsides here are equally outweighed by the upsides.

3. Ocarina Of Time
The old classic. Yes it was revolutionary, and the dungeons were pretty amazing. But a lot of rehash here, like most of the music was just taken from Zelda 3 and the whole hit the bosses ball back at the boss was also used in Zelda 3. Plus Ocarina was a little too easy for my liking. After all of that, it's still a very good game. One of the best, but age has not treated it well. It's still worth playing but there are others better than it.
A big exception here is the Spirit Temple. That entire dungeon is full of win. The music, the design, the boss, all of it, It's just really well designed. One of the best dungeons ever. But Ocarina is all about the dungeons. And they all are done pretty well.

3. Wind Waker
Yes this also gets a 3 as in my eyes it's just as good as Ocarina. The cel shading to me is hit or miss. Love it or hate it. I don't like it but it does work. The dungeons and bosses here are very weak. Some of the worst in all of the Zelda series. But for me the huge plus in this game are the NPCs. They really have a life of their own. I really liked their back stories and how Link interacted with them. Even all that sailing and fishing up a mountain of sunken treasures was not that annoying, each one felt satisfying, even if it was yet another silver rupee when I was at the max 5k rupees. Having a helper in the last 2 dungeons was a really good idea, a shame that the dungeons themselves were not better. But overall a good game.

5. Skyward Sword
Yes I rate it last for these reasons.
The good
- the combat itself is very good. Having to really think how to attack things and having to time your attacks work really well.
- the aesthetics of the game is not too bad. Very colourful, light and airy.
- The stamina idea I think is different. It works for the most part.
The bad
- The control scheme outside direct combat is terrible. Flying on the red bird is just not a nice feeling at all. Much more complicated than it needs to be. And how you unsheathe your sword is just annoying after a while. Also it's too complicated to do basic things like roll or dodge out of the rode of something.
- So much rehash in this game. At the beginning of the game you get a sail, ummm where have i seen that before, yeah in WW. And Zelda with her harp, that's rehash from Medli and her harp in WW. And the list goes on and on.
- I don't like how the main NPCs are animated. I just find them ugly. TP and WW did a much better job. (Graphics and aesthetics though similar are two different things).
- Being told what to do so often in the game. No where so I have to work out what to do like in previous Zelda games. The game tells me what to do, where and how to do it. Actually working this stuff out for yourself is fun.
- No mini map in the corner of your screen while you play. It's only a little thing but I really noticed it when it was gone. Makes navigating around the place much harder.
- No save anywhere. All those bird statues everywhere was a waste of time, just have a save anywhere and a fly to the sky option anytime Link is outside and be done with it.
I've not finished WW yet but from what I have done of it so far I like it. But I like it less than the above games.

 

[Garo]

1. Majora's Mask
2. The Wind Waker

Both of these games are among the best games ever made, by my vote, and I've written rationale for them extensively. In short, Majora's Mask has a wonderfully evocative atmosphere throughout its entire playtime, features some morally intriguing ideas, and ultimately manages to draw the character of the world Termina better than any other gaming world. The Wind Waker manages to capture the romance of free sailing on the high seas, features the most emotive Link in the franchise history, has the best musical score and visual style, and contains the best character arc the series has ever seen.

3. Twilight Princess

I played the Wii version of this title, and loved it from start to finish. Despite its frequent comparisons to Ocarina of Time, I found the game to be notably different from that earlier title on a number of levels. On the most apparent level, Twilight Princess is far more of a gothic fantasy game than a high fantasy one as Ocarina of Time was. The not-quite-oppressively-but-still-pretty grim tone of the whole affair, coupled with the rather grotesque dark designs of most of the Twilit creatures and the unnerving, unusual echoing emptiness of most of the game's dungeon (Arbiter's Grounds and Temple of Time, while both stunningly beautiful, are rather haunting given how wonderfully lost and forgotten they feel in contrast to most of the series' dungeons). On less apparent levels, Twilight Princess is driven by a far stronger and more personal plot than Ocarina of Time, and while most of the characters don't have the emotive capacity of Wind Waker's Link or the emotional depth and growth of Wind Waker's Ganondorf, they're still well drawn characters that I actually cared about, for the most part. Link's initial drive to save his town's children - his friends - is a more personal touch than the grander adventure starts that mark most games in the series, and I love that.

4. Ocarina of Time

The classic manages to be outdone by three of its successors, but not by all. Despite being the first time that the series' designers get to stretch their wings and design fully realized 3D dungeons and overworld content, they managed to set a number of standards that are even still hard to match. As always the visual presentation and score is top notch (with the former being markedly improved by the recent 3DS rerelease), so no need to really dig into that. The overworld design is fairly impressive, with a number of hidden goodies that are easy to miss and fun to stumble upon. But the game mostly shines in its dungeon design, with two series highlights in the Forest Temple and the Water Temple. The former is as isolate and chilling as dungeons in the series come, with its unnerving metallic echoing music and dark lighting and twisted corridors and oh man it's just wonderful. The latter is perhaps the only dungeon in the series that so forces players to simply explore, tossing them headfirst into a large central chamber with no clearly defined paths, so that they must resort to simply going room by room to find their way to the boss. It's masterful.

5. Skyward Sword

This is an interesting case, because it ranks at the bottom almost entirely because of my experiences with the game after my initial playthrough. The first playthrough of this game was exceptional, with the motion controls being an absurdly novel and engaging input method that I greatly enjoyed - when they functioned perfectly, which was reasonably often but not always. Still, control issues were mostly minor and easily resolved. The dungeons in the game were competently designed but on the whole not very memorable, with only the Lanayru Mining Facility, Sandship, and Sky Keep being decidedly memorable. The overworld was a bit of a sore point for me - while it was well designed, it lost the feeling of an overworld and instead felt like an extension of dungeon-like gameplay, with a very set path reliant on completing objectives in order rather than allowing for free and open exploration. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it felt really restrictive and less like an actual world. What ranks it so low on this list, however, is the motion controls. Upon a second playthrough, I found that they were not nearly as novel, and in fact were a significant hindrance to my enjoyment of the title. Performing motion dependent tasks became tedious rather than engaging, and the precision necessary to have Link perform the exact sword strike I desired became frustrating after a short while. Ultimately, after the initial novelty wore off, the controls became a barrier between myself and the game, and have ever since kept me at arm's length rather than pulling me in and allowing me to just freely enjoy the game.

 

[BoxTar]

From least favorite to most favorite:

5) Skyward Sword. Motion controls are bleh. They aren't inaccurate, just tends to get a bit...annoying after a while. I know its the same complaint everyone else has with the game, but its the only real fault I had other than storyline, gameplay feel, the items, etc. Artwork is brilliant though, whoever complains about the graphics is just trying to make everything seem horrible. Skyward Sword looks freaking beautiful, that I can say for certain.

4) Twilight Princess. Basically, from this point on its a practical 4 way tie XD God I love TP, why is it so low on this list? Is it because I love the others that much more for varying reasons? Yes. Most definitely yes. TP had a very dark feel but I felt as though it wasn't trying to be subtle, like the others. I know that sounds a bit odd, but the only real dark things that happen is kidnapping, murder, transforming into horrible dark beasts...yeah, this game is dark. Art style is wonderful, I just feel as if it can be a bit TOO dark at times, and the colors get washed out, especially in the Twilight Realm. Plus, collecting the tears can be a bit repetitive after a while. And Hyrule Field, being as large as it was, was a HUGE missed opportunity for some amazing features. Nonetheless, this game is amazing and I come back time and time again.

3) Wind Waker. Ah, this ol' game. The 2nd 3D Zelda I ever played. So fun and whimsical, the art style fun, new and imaginative. Why does everyone hate on the art style? Cuz it looks cartoony? Directed at children? Nonsense! Nintendo went out of their way to make something that was different, new and exciting, something people wouldn't expect. I loved every minute. Sailing was a bit of a pain in the ***, tbh, but I'm thinking about when I first started and I saw a new island in the horizon. It was a complete mystery. What was on it? What was special about it? Who lived on it? Some of these questions could only be answered in time. I loved that about this game. It was an exciting and new adventure, and I had no idea what to expect from it.

2) Majora's Mask. Choosing between this and OoT is really difficult. I mean...REALLY difficult. I love Majora's Mask because it is dark, but not in your face about it. Even though it reuses the OoT engine, it is a completely stand alone game. Dark, brooding, and full of mysteries and puzzles, I unfortunately didn't get a chance to play this until I was around 16 (I played OoT when I was 6). I was teased throughout childhood. A sneak preview demo at Toys 'R' Us, a hospital where I was able to play it in the activity room. Actually getting it and excited to play it when i realized I needed the Memory Card for my N64. I had only rented it, and it went back the next day. Words could not describe my disappointment. I never had fully played it until years and years later, and man, did it satisfy. Masks, sidequests, interesting storylines like with the Zoras and the Romani Sisters. Plus, being a freaking GORON AND ZORA! HELL YEAH!

1) Ocarina of Time. Cop out? Maybe. The fact that this was the first video game I played EVER, it might have a bit of a nostalgia factor. But I played other games when i was a kid that I don't preach so avidly to these days (*cough* Razor Scooter *cough*). Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece. Its long, dark, has good humor, interesting characters and character models, awesome items, incredible dungeons and boss stages, and the music. The goddang music. Its what made me wanna be an audio engeneer, I swear. This ame will always have a special place in my heart. I don't think I could love any game more than it...aside from, possibly, DK 64. Maybe. DK 64 is amazing, I mean, cmon.

Anyway, yeah that's the list.

 

[Cfrock]

#1 - Twilight Princess

This is the best Zelda ever made, in my opinion. Everything I want and expect from the franchise is right here and executed so well that I have few to no gripes with the game. If it were up to me, this would be the game to base Zelda's future on more than any other.

#2 - Majora's Mask

This is my favourite Zelda game, my favourite game of all time. Everything about it is just sheer brilliance. The true majesty of Majora's Mask is in how it truly creates a world--a place that feels real, has personality, and engages you on an emotional level--without ever distracting you from the pure sense of adventure. I cannot sing this game's praises enough; it is a true masterpiece.

#3 The Wind Waker

I have always loved The Wind Waker and always will. It's just 'Happiness: The Game'. No other Zelda captures the essence of adventure the way this game does. That feeling of freedom and excitement when faced with a world that feels truly boundless is unmatched and really makes this game something special.

#4 - Ocarina of Time

What's to say about this that hasn't been said before? Maybe that I don't agree with the sheer volume of praise it receives? Ocarina is an exceptional game but when compared to what came after it (and I am including the Oracles and The Minish Cap there) I feel that it pales in comparison. Ocarina was a basic building block; what followed after it built on it and improved on the formula.

#5 - Skyward Sword

While I would say that Skyward Sword is a good game I would not say it was a good Zelda game. It's the only entry in the entire franchise to disappoint me and the only one that I know I won't play again for recreation. The motion controls' impact on game design was detrimental to the point of frustration and there was so much repetition that the game feels unfinished and ill-planned out. It might be a good game, but it falls well short of even the most basic standards of the Zelda franchise.

 

[misskitten]

Man, tough question... I want to state right away, that I see my own preferences as separate to what I think are better games in general, and that I enjoy each of these five titles for different reasons.

1: Occarina of Time - Nostalgia does play a huge factor as it was my first ever Zelda title, but this is just a game that I keep replay from start to finish, it's to this day the only Zelda title I have actually completed. That could change as time passes, who knows.

2: Twilight Princess - Ever since I managed to get my hands on a GameCube copy (which cost me a bundle, but was completely worth it), my opinion of this game has really gone up (I'm so and so on the motion controls thing, it's fun for a while, but then I get tired of it, or frustrated when I try to do a certain move and the game doesn't respond accordingly). It looks gorgeous, plays really well, has a great story, plenty of nostalgic throwbacks to OoT (which just increases my enjoyment).

3: The Wind Waker - This would have been my second place had I still just had the wii copy of TP. The artstyle is not a favourite (I like more details and textures and the cel-shading just comes off as simplistic, which is unfortunate), but I absolutely adore the game. It's fun and whimsical.

4: Majora's Mask - It was a toss-up for me which of the games I put as fourth and fifth, and what ultimately landed MM the fourth place was that it was button-based. Now, I love the masks, love the transformation of link into deku, goron and zora. But the time-constraint really put a damper on my enjoyment. I really don't like to operate on a time-limit. I can tolerate a sequence being timed, but an entire game? Not so much. If I forgot something, I had to redo already finished sequences just to get to that spot, and it just became an annoyance for me.

5: Skyward Sword - Now, let me say this right away, putting this last does not mean I didn't enjoy it. There were plenty of things I really liked in this game. It's gorgeous, colorful and fun, I loved flying around on the loftwing, really loved that the entire overworld was like a dungeon in and of itself. The exploration aspect where the three lands were expanded upon as you returned was actually very interesting. However, there were some issues I had with it that made it my least favourite 3D game.

Firstly, I have a love/hate relationship with the motion plus controller. On one hand I liked that you had to be more specific on how you fought an enemy and how the controller effectively became your sword - on the other, there were sequences where I again and again moved my controller one way, and the sword in the game moved a complete different way. My first fight with Ghirahim got riddiculous because my sword just wouldn't move the way I knew it had to, and it took me forever to get past him grabbing my sword. I actually nearly gave up before I finally succeeded, that's how long it took me. The stamina bar thing got to be an annoyance (its only purpose was to limit movement, and that rather takes from a game instead of adding to it).

But the thing that I disliked the most were the silent realms. They were uncomfortable to play, all eerie one minute and then hell incarnate the next. One thing had been if it was just that one challenge, then I wouldn't have minded replaying it in later gaming sessions, but since I knew I would have to do the same thing in other locations, I actually put the game down after completing the first one.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

1.Wind Waker
I hate having nostalgia play a factor in this,but no matter what,this game will always be my personal #1.Great story,music,gameplay,and probably has the best content [yeah I actually USED the Tingle Tuner]

2.Twilight Princess [GC]
The adventure & experience that I had w/ this game I really can't explain.If only it had a bit more content or sidequests,it probably would've been tied w/ Wind Waker

3.Skyward Sword
This is the 2nd most disappointing game I've played b/c my expectations were just through the roof.But what I actually played was still a fine game.I was completely open to the motion controls,music is outstanding,I just overall have a good time w/ it either way.

4.Majora's Mask
Depending on my mood,I would actually put this as #3,but whatevs.I personally feel this has the best story in the entire series,hella amount of stuff to do,3 day thing really added to the experience.Unfortuantly thats also a downside.Like when I beat the game I just wanna free roam Termina w/o the time limit,and it ultimately gets pretty old.That's when I actually have to rely on a glitch so that I can once again feel the sense of urgency the next time I play through it.It should've had some kind of epilogue or something

5.Ocarina of Time
Most disappointing game I've ever played.I'm sure this was phenomenal back in the days,but guys,the game hasn't aged too well.Its not the I think its bad,its just I enjoyed the other installments a lot better;and the fact that I heard people calling this the best game ever REALLY just made me feel the disappointment once I actually played it.

 

[Not Take Mirror]

1) MM. Perhaps one of the more innovative Zelda games. The storyline, the sidequests, the characters, the masks, I love it. Transform into a Deku, Zora, or Goron, yes! I hardly missed the fact that there were only 4 dungeons.

2) OoT. It may have aged a bit but I still love playing this game and don't tire of it. I think this game along with MM has some of the best songs in the series. About the only downside is Navi's Hey Listen! I had a hard time determining which I like better, OoT or TP. I put OoT above TP, because it doesn't have such a slow beginning to it. Within minutes you are already in the first dungeon.

3) TP. I love the realistic graphics and the dungeons and the overworld are top notch. Even though the bosses are on the easy side they feel epic and fun to fight. Midna is my favorite companion and I actually liked transforming into a wolf. On the downside, the game starts out really slow, the tears of light segments are tedious, and there could have been alot more sidequests.

I have a hard time ranking the top three- they tend to be interchangeable depending on my mood.

4) WW. I loved exploring all of the islands, the characters, and the sidequests. As to why the game doesn't rank higher, I think the combat was way too easy, sailing was too slow, and the dungeons weren't as memorable as in the other 3D games.

5) SS. Even though its last there are some things the game did well like the graphics and some of the dungeons. As to why its last, it's largely due to all of the hand holding (Fi) and the motion controls. The motion controls caused some things to be needlessly frustrating. I know other people loved the motion controls and didn't have problems with them but I had issues with them. I also expected there to be more things to do in the sky. Even though the soundtrack was orchestrated and the music was decent, it wasn't as memorable for me as it was in the other games.

 

[Salem]

I hate having nostalgia play a factor in this

There's nothing wrong with nostalgia.

 

[Shadow Blade]

I have to agree with Sroa Link, nostalgia plays a huge roll in the in the zelda franchise.

 

[Mask-Salesman]

1. Majora's Mask
My favourite game of all time. I can't even describe what this game meant and still means to me. The dark atmosphere, the brilliant three day cycle, the excellent side quests, the themes on friendship and death, the awesome gameplay with the transformation mask, the beautiful music (song of healing FTW!) and some pretty cool bossfights. Plus, I never felt more powerfull playing Zelda when I first used the Feirce Deity mask.

2. Ocarina of Time
The first Zelda I ever owned. I was familiair with Zelda before, but this game opened my eyes. As a little boy (think I was 8 or 9 years old) it was epic to discover everything on my own. Remember, back then i didn't use the internet so you had to do anything yourself. Even though it's not my favourite Zelda, the feeling I had when I was playing this game will never be forgotten.

3. Twilight Princess
Brilliant game and my favourite version of Hyrule ever. It just was so extremely massive and huge. I liked the dark theme in this game as well, guess I have a thing for that. This game had awesome dungeons and various cool sidequest. Plus, the fishing mini-game was the best mini-game in any game EVER. Couldn't stop playing the game until I caught that damn Hylian Loach.

4. Wind Waker
The artwork was awesome and I think this Zelda had the most catchy music of all. The Dragonroost Island theme still makes me want to dance when I hear it. I still feel this game deserved an extra year of development. The Triforce quest seemed like an easy way to extend the game and I hated this part, it was so repetitive. The bosses weren't that good either. The final version of Ganon before the last fight, the snake one, got me more frustrated in a Zelda game then I ever been

5. Skyward Sword
This Zelda was great. The mechanics with the Wii Motion Plus were awesome. After the first bossfight against Ghirahim I became 100% convinced of it. Biggest point of critic was that it was extremely linear to me.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Personal Enjoyment List: I can't justify this list without constantly saying "It's my opinion, I like it." So the most substance is in the following.

1.)TP
2.)MM
3.)OoT
4.)WW
5.)SS

REAL List: What I believe to be universally true from a game design point of view, attempting to objectively evaluate them all:

1.) Majora's Mask

Majora's Mask is a special kind of game that seems so old, yet does so many things brand new. Initial appearances make it look like the inferior little brother to OoT, but that's where the similarities end. After that, you find out that MM is sporting one of the most unique gameplay elements of all time: Rewinding time constantly, and being able to do different things every time you do it. It's a concept so ingenious, that of course Nintendo brought in into the spotlight. MM uses this to garner a massive advantage over the other 3D titles, immediately setting in apart and making itself the king of an innovating new type of gameplay that hasn't been matched since.

But MM doesn't stop there. It brings the more traditional Zelda elements, such as dungeons, items, and whatnot. It doesn't seem unique in that aspect, except that the dungeons are noticeably more difficult that what OoT, or any other successive 3D title, had to offer. Combine this with a fantastic overworld, with many different areas branching off of it, and you have a game that could stand with OoT and TP just on that basis alone. But no, MM keeps going the extra mile. It has side-characters out the whazzo - more than any other 3D Zelda game. And because of the revolutionary gameplay style, you're allowed to connect to each and every one of these side characters, and the story they have to tell. Mix together all of that, and MM is surely the best of the 3D Zelda games.

2.) Skyward Sword

My personal least favorite of the 3D Zelda games for a number of reasons. I find he graphic style ugly and unfitting, everything reeks of Mario Galaxy with the different "worlds" being incredibly linear levels, the control scheme is something I just can't appreciate, and Fi annoyed the hell out of me with her obviously canned statistics that meant absolutely nothing.

That aside, however, SS does a fantastic job with this new direction it's trying to take. I personally don't care for motion controls; but I have to acknowledge that SS utilizes them in the best possible way that they Wii had to offer, and if it's your cup of tea, I believe the design works very well. Numerous new items take advantage of it, many of which are brand new to the Zelda franchise, and many bosses are based around it as well. It's been met with very near universal acclaim on that front, so I do at least recognize that it's something new and exciting. The new level-esque system is also used well, with the game being obviously built around it. The levels each have different quirks and methods of traversing them, and the puzzles sprinkled throughout give a nice break from the motion combat. The dungeons are nearly the same as the levels as well, as they seem to be built the same way.

Side-characters are also very strong as well. Not as strong as MM, since a lot of SS characters fall into common tropes, but it was nice to see that Zelda was attempting to get more story-focused. Story is also something SS has going in favor for itself, with the origin story of Hyrule and all, along with the Master Sword and Triforce origins as well. I'm also a very big fan of Demise, and the atmosphere his battle brought with it. Quite spectacular indeed.

3.) Twilight Princess

At its core, it's OoT 2.0, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. What's important is that, after the deviance of MM and WW, we finally got the "classic" Zelda back on 3D. No time limit quirks, no tedious ocean to sail, none of that. Just a massive overworld with multiple connected areas, familiar locales and identical items, and characters that fall right back into the place they were with ALttP and OoT. TP does all of this quite nicely - it doesn't try to revolutionize anything, just take something old and try to make it better. (NOTE: This is a Gamecube game, and I will judge it as such.) The art style reverts back to what OoT and MM had, and the mood compliments it as well; this time, it's serious. Full scale invasion has happened, and you have to take on an otherworldly race that you know nothing about. You collect three items, plot twist, and then five more. Music plays at your nostalgic heartstrings, and you enter dungeons that seem a lot like they came out of 1998. It's OoT on steroids, and it's not afraid to admit it. I excels at establishing a darker mood, and taking a classic gameplay style and just modernizing it.

The characters and emotion are quite lacking, however. This isn't to say that it isn't there, because it certainly is: Midna is a perfect example of a character done right, developing throughout the game, having a revolution/climax in her development, along with a unique story of a ruler who has been usurped. Supporting characters are present, but outside of Illia, you won't be caring too much about any of them. The plot twist at the end annoyed many, but it's purpose was, again, to recapture OoT and ALttP (to a lesser extent), which ended up working anyway

4.) Ocarina of Time

The one everyone loves to hate, just because it's the trendy thing to do. You have to appreciate what it did for 3D gaming, but I believe that it also does many things right in spite of that. It brings a much more classic feel to it that later games like WW and SS would lack, mainly because all of the mainstays that ALttP established are here: Ganon/dorf is a completely evil, unsympathetic character, you need three pendants and then five medallions, etc. It feels like a very mainstream Zelda game. But to look at it objectively, you need to realize that it does what it's meant to do very well - capture Zelda in 3D. It does a very good job attempting to emulate the open-world feel of LoZ and ALttP, especially when you play the game for the first time. Music and scenery are AMAZING at establishing where you are, and what kind of place it is, and the gameplay that compliments it is fair enough. It feels very clumsy by today's standards, however.

Worthy of note is the gameplay mechanic of time traveling. While obviously limited by the hardware, OoT does do an acceptable job with it. There are a few instances where it becomes a really neat thing to do, and it helps set itself apart from all the other 3D games. It isn't used to it's full potential, but it does enough to justify it not being at the bottom of the barrel.

There's little to no complexity from a character or story point of view, so there isn't much to say. It's a very familiar good vs bad theme, with some sometimes touching moments laid throughout. Nothing to write home about in this day and age though.

5.) Wind Waker

People give this game a pass for some reason, and I don't know why. Yes, it's very cute and has charm. Yes, the mood and atmosphere it establishes is pretty good. And yes, the characters can also be involving if you're the kind of style that it presents itself with. But this game is so utterly flawed to its core when it comes to a design point of view, and it just overshadows everything. I urge everyone to look past the cel-shading, and realize what this game does so wrong.

You know from the beginning that something is going to be wrong. You're on an island, and there's little to nothing to it. Yeah, there are two rocks you can't move yet, and a cutscene happens behind the island. But outside of that, there is nothing to this island. Little to no secrets, little to nothing to do. And here's the thing: It's one of the biggest islands in the game, with one of the biggest amounts of characters. It's fine while you initially run around for a little while, but then you realize that the ENTIRE GAME is made up of islands that aren't connected to each other in any way. But a VAST majority of these islands have very little substance to them, even moreso that Outset Island. Some are the tiniest things imaginable with just a single purpose to them. Some of them are just "get-an-item-and-you-can-do-this-one-thing-here" islands. Some of them are just REEFS for crying out loud.

They're not connected at all. Going to all of them could very well devolve into a chore, because SO MANY of them are just completely irrelevant to anything. "But Vergo, it's exciting going to all of these dis-jointed islands, because you'll never know what you'll find!" No, it's not exciting, because you realize how predictable the entire game is once you leave Dragon Roost: There's on island in every little square on your map, except for one, which becomes the Tower of the Gods. So you can look at your map, think "Oh hey, I have 24 islands left", and the exploration is gone because you know exactly what to expect. And these islands aren't "adventure" in and of themselves, because of EXACTLY my reasoning above - there's quantity, but not quality. So many of them are completely void of people (Outset, Windfall, Dragon Roost, and Forest Haven are the only ones with a substantial amount, and Forest Haven is REALLY pushing it), and so many of them are void of anything meaningful to do.

But it doesn't stop there. It would have been bad enough because of that design, but the game makes it worse through something I can honestly say is the worst ever design choice in a Zelda game: sailing. I cannot think of a more tedious, boring, and time-consuming way to travel distance. The sailing is so slow, that making a B line to two islands that are somewhat far apart just becomes a matter of setting the wind, and waiting for far too long. And oh yeah, wind is a factor too. Decided you need to go back to an island for some reason? Have fun cycling through the Wind Waker process so you can do that. And then doing it again to set yourself on the right path forward. And then again if you want to move an additional 90 degrees. "But Vergo, sailing allows you to find tons of secrets and treasure throughout the sea!" NO IT DOESN'T. People act like there's tons of secrets sprinkled through this sea, and there aren't. Sure, you may find an enemey ship you can do into, or any enemey bomb checkpoint you can climb up on. But these aren't secrets. You defeat enemies, and get rupees or loot (f-ing joy pendants). This becomes so predictable, you start ignoring these types of things, because you know exactly what it is you'll get - rupees and joy pendants. And the treasure? RUPEES AND BOOTS. Oh, but I hope you like interrupting you sailing constantly to get treasure chests, because you're going to need EVERY SINGLE rupee you can get. You guys know why.

But again, it doesn't stop there. A new parry function is implemented, which makes any sort of challenge you could have gotten from stouter enemies void and null. This parry ability single-handedly makes the combat of WW average. I've gotten used to the fact that 3D Zeldas are easy outside of MM, and WW falls right into that because of that parry option. And then the game does the unthinkable, and makes the arguably worst design decision of all time: Triforce Quest. Why this happened, I do not know. Was it because the developers knew they had to force us to interact with the world? That would make sense, because you have no incentive to do so before that. Or was it because the developers wanted to artificially extend the game time by making a tedious fetch quest? I think it's both.

The Triforce quest represents what another Zelda game should never try to do, and that's a Metroid Prime-esque game extender at the end. In Metroid Prime, you encounter the relics THROUGHOUT the game. The game doesn't just tell you at the end "Hey, you need 10 thingies that you need to backtrack to go get". It's well implemented in Metroid Prime. Wind Waker pulls it right out of its ***, and expects you to spend the next few hours of you life wandering this massive sea, wondering if ALL OF THESE TINY ISLANDS might have one, and just floundering around wondering why the plot is going nowhere now, the dungeons are over for some reason, and now you're stuck with this. Constant travel exasperates the flawed design choices of islands and sailing, and it becomes more and more obvious with each Triforce piece that his was meant to just inflate your completion time.
But again, that's not all. No, it has to throw another element into the mix with this god-awful decision. Tingle, maps, and rupees. Hope you like just grinding for rupees, because you'll need to for this Triforce quest. ZELDA SHOULDN'T BE ABOUT GRINDING ANYTHING (Unless you're AoL, and I don't really like that one anyway....). Not ONLY do you have to navigate a lifeless sea searching for Triforce pieces, not ONLY do you have to wrestle constantly with the sailing mechanics, and not ONLY are you being forces to interact with a world, but you're also FORCED to grind rupees just so that you can continue to rinse and repeat the three former elements. Just..... god. why. crap.

WW does a lot of things right though. It's much more charming than any other 3D game, thanks it part to the artstyle with is very easy on the eyes. The dungeons are on par with the rest of the series, and the characters a very likeable as well. Not a big fan of Ganondorf's portrayal, but they do a very nice job with making him a sympathetic and very Shakespeare-esque tragic villain. Also, the music also continues the high standard that many Zelda games live up to, with Dragon Roost Island being a personal favorite of mine.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Perhaps because most everything you said is subjective and some people have a different opinion than you. You're telling me my favourite Zelda game isn't my favourite and I'm just blinded by cutesy graphics? Please.

No problem man. You're entitled to your opinion, and I respect that. Different people see different things, no doubt about that.

 

[Ver-go-a-go-go]

Sorry, I suppose I must have misinterpreted the meaning of your words. I thought you were trying to claim objectivity, basically.

I kind of meant you're entitled to your opinion that I wasn't approaching it objectively. I think I was, but it's fine if you don't. You're allowed to disagree with it.

 

[Maxxy]

1.Twilight Princess
Masterfully crafted, my favorite game of all time.
2.Ocarina of Time
Started the 3D Zelda games, and just an overall great game all round.
3.Wind Waker
Beautiful visuals, and excellent gameplay.
4/5.Skyward Sword/Majora's Mask
Eh. Never really enjoyed them with playing them.

 

[Mask-Salesman]

REAL List: What I believe to be universally true from a game design point of view, attempting to objectively evaluate them all:

1.) Majora's Mask

Majora's Mask is a special kind of game that seems so old, yet does so many things brand new. Initial appearances make it look like the inferior little brother to OoT, but that's where the similarities end. After that, you find out that MM is sporting one of the most unique gameplay elements of all time: Rewinding time constantly, and being able to do different things every time you do it. It's a concept so ingenious, that of course Nintendo brought in into the spotlight. MM uses this to garner a massive advantage over the other 3D titles, immediately setting in apart and making itself the king of an innovating new type of gameplay that hasn't been matched since.

But MM doesn't stop there. It brings the more traditional Zelda elements, such as dungeons, items, and whatnot. It doesn't seem unique in that aspect, except that the dungeons are noticeably more difficult that what OoT, or any other successive 3D title, had to offer. Combine this with a fantastic overworld, with many different areas branching off of it, and you have a game that could stand with OoT and TP just on that basis alone. But no, MM keeps going the extra mile. It has side-characters out the whazzo - more than any other 3D Zelda game. And because of the revolutionary gameplay style, you're allowed to connect to each and every one of these side characters, and the story they have to tell. Mix together all of that, and MM is surely the best of the 3D Zelda games.

Amen to that brother :yes: