Top Ten Zelda Games
- Thread starter timmy0929
- Start date
Iridescence
Emancipated Wind Fish
- Joined
- May 11, 2014
- Location
- United States
Here's my ranking list and some brief reasons why.
1. Majora's Mask
Emotional storytelling, character development, subverts the formula ; stone tower temple
2. A Link to the Past
Best 2D dungeons, seamless exploration combined with a strong narrative
3. A Link Between Worlds
Non-linearity, freedom, diversity of dungeons, and portrait puzzles are fun.
4. Ocarina of Time
Well-rounded, takes you to a lot of diverse places, lots of complex thematic dungeons
5. The Wind Waker
Expressive characters ; radial overworld ; beautiful atmosphere ; great sound and smooth combat
6. Link's Awakening
Philosophical thought-provoking story ; Groundbreaking for a portable game
7. Legend of Zelda
Classic ; tons of replay value ; tons of discovery and exploration ; simple but great
8. Skyward Sword
Flawed but singular ; motion controls ; portrait-like art style ; unique atmosphere
9. Oracle of Ages
Great mind-bending puzzles ; makes excellent use of time travel ; unique bosses
10. The Minish Cap
Amazing graphics and visuals for a GBA game ; all around well-rounded.
1. Majora's Mask
Emotional storytelling, character development, subverts the formula ; stone tower temple
2. A Link to the Past
Best 2D dungeons, seamless exploration combined with a strong narrative
3. A Link Between Worlds
Non-linearity, freedom, diversity of dungeons, and portrait puzzles are fun.
4. Ocarina of Time
Well-rounded, takes you to a lot of diverse places, lots of complex thematic dungeons
5. The Wind Waker
Expressive characters ; radial overworld ; beautiful atmosphere ; great sound and smooth combat
6. Link's Awakening
Philosophical thought-provoking story ; Groundbreaking for a portable game
7. Legend of Zelda
Classic ; tons of replay value ; tons of discovery and exploration ; simple but great
8. Skyward Sword
Flawed but singular ; motion controls ; portrait-like art style ; unique atmosphere
9. Oracle of Ages
Great mind-bending puzzles ; makes excellent use of time travel ; unique bosses
10. The Minish Cap
Amazing graphics and visuals for a GBA game ; all around well-rounded.
ich Will
Not very nearfetch'd
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2014
I dunno if I exactly have a top ten, but I know my top four are The Minish Cap, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and maybe Majora's Mask too (haven't played that one for ages though).
Link's Awakening and the Oracle games were great as well, but I find myself not enjoying them nearly as much today as I did back then.
After that comes Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, Skyward Sword, Legend of Zelda, and Adventure of Link, in no particular order. They're all somewhere on the lowest tier.
With that said I wouldn't really call any of them straight up bad games.
Link's Awakening and the Oracle games were great as well, but I find myself not enjoying them nearly as much today as I did back then.
After that comes Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, Skyward Sword, Legend of Zelda, and Adventure of Link, in no particular order. They're all somewhere on the lowest tier.
With that said I wouldn't really call any of them straight up bad games.
Last edited:
JuicieJ
SHOW ME YA MOVES!
Whoa, this thread got necromance'd the **** out.
Eh, I guess I'll chime in with a much-updated list since last time (like, seriously, very updated).
1) Majora's Mask
2) A Link Between Worlds
3) Ocarina of Time
4) A Link to the Past
5) Skyward Sword
6) The Minish Cap
7) Link's Awakening
8) Spirit Tracks
9) The Legend of Zelda (NES)
10) Phantom Hourglass
Eh, I guess I'll chime in with a much-updated list since last time (like, seriously, very updated).
1) Majora's Mask
2) A Link Between Worlds
3) Ocarina of Time
4) A Link to the Past
5) Skyward Sword
6) The Minish Cap
7) Link's Awakening
8) Spirit Tracks
9) The Legend of Zelda (NES)
10) Phantom Hourglass
Malia
Passive aggressive custom rank B)
1) Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask
Wow, I know, really generic answer lol but I think it's one of those games that you really had to be -there- for when it was released, and it was amazing. I still remember it, like every single minute of playing this for the first time. I mean, all landmark achievements aside for this game, for a very young Malia, the transition from 2D Z games, to 3D, the gorgeous environments, the music, and just seeing the world of Zelda come to life in a way I hadn't seen before blew me the **** away. I mean, I play it now and even with my srs luv for the game, I can see how dated it is lmao, but I am basing this entirely on the first impression I got with it, and it is by far the biggest one of all the Zelda games I've played.
Also I refuse to put MM as no. 2 lol. They're ranking even for me. In the total opposite direction of OoT, this isn't a game I'm listing for first impression; I'm listing it for its long-lasting impression that I grew to love over time. I mean, I also remember the reception to the game when it was first released; people were piiiisssed because they wanted another OoT, but got this 3-day cycle game where you start out as a lowly Deku Scrub. Tbh it was a little hard for me to swallow to going from an epic Z adventure to something else--don't get me wrong, I liked it! But the transition was a tad difficult if you had been part of the mind-boggling 2D-to-3D thing.
While I enjoyed the game the first time I played it, it was in going back a few years later, after I had a chance to play a few more Z games that basically had the same formulaic set-up as OoT, and seeing just how incredibly lucky we were to have MM as part of the series whether we're talking about emotional depth, char development, the dark nature of the story, all that good stuff. And having played it again, and again, years later, and understanding just how fantastic the game is, it's now pretty much ranked my no. 1 game with OoT.
'64 bias yiiiisssss.
2) A Link to the Past
This is actually the game that nailed it for me in making me a die-hard Zelda fan haha. I was a very, very young Malia when I first got my hands on it, and I was just amazed at the story-telling, music and vast adventure of it all. It prob still has some of my favourite music to date for a Z game (Dark World theme <3).
3) A Link Between Worlds
I... didn't expect this game to even register for my Top 5 when I first picked it up because, tbh, I've been a bit eeehhh @ Z handhelds since after the Oracle games. They aren't bad, but I started looking more to console Z than anything else. So I got me a copy of aLBW and wasn't sure what to expect because, in my head, aLttP was a masterpiece that I worried would get ruffled up if we touched it too much, but I still got excited at the prospect of playing something related to it. So I played it. And I was legit impressed that it expanded upon what was originally built, and did it wonderfully. It's the first handheld Z game I've absolutely adored in a very long time.
4) The Legend of Zelda
The original game~! Now THIS game I played when I was incredibly young, and I still remember being amazed by the amount of control I had over Link--I could go anywhere I wanted to! And there was this huge world to explore. I think it's prob the game that nailed it for me with loving huge maps in games.
5) The Windwaker
You know, having gone through the release of most Z games, it's funny how you can remember how every game is going to be the worst game ever because of x lmao. Like, the reactions to Link's (now staple) design xDD people were so OFFENDED by it! But now, looking at the game, it's look is still very appealing and that's because it's all cel-shaded/toon-ish, and that sorta look is prob always gonna be timeless, kinda like Okami. That aside, I'm particularly happy with how charismatic Link was with his facial expressions, and I adored Zelda as Tetra (in that I think Tetra might be my fave reincarnation of Zelda).
6) Link's Awakening
I think I was in melancholy for a week after I beat it lol. It's a great story, has some super-cool music and fun dungeons. Also Windfish, dat bad-*** Windfish.
7) Adventure of Link
I actually LIKE the difficulty of this game :3 a lot. It's why it's in my top 10. Also the Temple Theme is one of my fave Z themes of all time.
8) Twilight Princess
Hilariously, I had a big talk with some friends last night about this game. It's not without its flaws, I know that, like there are some glaring plot holes that are so huge, it'd take 50 King Zoras to fill it, but I.loved.the.boss.battles. They weren't hard, no, but **** they were FUN and reminded me so much of Shadow of Colossus. I've never really been a fan of Z bosses, I mean, yeah okay they're there, but none of 'em ever made me feel all too excited to fight them. But i really enjoyed the fights in TP. I loved climbing, chasing, dragging them down, stabbing 'em, ah, good stuff. Also I like Midna :3
9) Skyward Sword
Groose. End of review.
10) The Oracle Games
Just really basic Z fun, like I'm not sure I can say much else beyond that.
Wow, I know, really generic answer lol but I think it's one of those games that you really had to be -there- for when it was released, and it was amazing. I still remember it, like every single minute of playing this for the first time. I mean, all landmark achievements aside for this game, for a very young Malia, the transition from 2D Z games, to 3D, the gorgeous environments, the music, and just seeing the world of Zelda come to life in a way I hadn't seen before blew me the **** away. I mean, I play it now and even with my srs luv for the game, I can see how dated it is lmao, but I am basing this entirely on the first impression I got with it, and it is by far the biggest one of all the Zelda games I've played.
Also I refuse to put MM as no. 2 lol. They're ranking even for me. In the total opposite direction of OoT, this isn't a game I'm listing for first impression; I'm listing it for its long-lasting impression that I grew to love over time. I mean, I also remember the reception to the game when it was first released; people were piiiisssed because they wanted another OoT, but got this 3-day cycle game where you start out as a lowly Deku Scrub. Tbh it was a little hard for me to swallow to going from an epic Z adventure to something else--don't get me wrong, I liked it! But the transition was a tad difficult if you had been part of the mind-boggling 2D-to-3D thing.
While I enjoyed the game the first time I played it, it was in going back a few years later, after I had a chance to play a few more Z games that basically had the same formulaic set-up as OoT, and seeing just how incredibly lucky we were to have MM as part of the series whether we're talking about emotional depth, char development, the dark nature of the story, all that good stuff. And having played it again, and again, years later, and understanding just how fantastic the game is, it's now pretty much ranked my no. 1 game with OoT.
'64 bias yiiiisssss.
2) A Link to the Past
This is actually the game that nailed it for me in making me a die-hard Zelda fan haha. I was a very, very young Malia when I first got my hands on it, and I was just amazed at the story-telling, music and vast adventure of it all. It prob still has some of my favourite music to date for a Z game (Dark World theme <3).
3) A Link Between Worlds
I... didn't expect this game to even register for my Top 5 when I first picked it up because, tbh, I've been a bit eeehhh @ Z handhelds since after the Oracle games. They aren't bad, but I started looking more to console Z than anything else. So I got me a copy of aLBW and wasn't sure what to expect because, in my head, aLttP was a masterpiece that I worried would get ruffled up if we touched it too much, but I still got excited at the prospect of playing something related to it. So I played it. And I was legit impressed that it expanded upon what was originally built, and did it wonderfully. It's the first handheld Z game I've absolutely adored in a very long time.
4) The Legend of Zelda
The original game~! Now THIS game I played when I was incredibly young, and I still remember being amazed by the amount of control I had over Link--I could go anywhere I wanted to! And there was this huge world to explore. I think it's prob the game that nailed it for me with loving huge maps in games.
5) The Windwaker
You know, having gone through the release of most Z games, it's funny how you can remember how every game is going to be the worst game ever because of x lmao. Like, the reactions to Link's (now staple) design xDD people were so OFFENDED by it! But now, looking at the game, it's look is still very appealing and that's because it's all cel-shaded/toon-ish, and that sorta look is prob always gonna be timeless, kinda like Okami. That aside, I'm particularly happy with how charismatic Link was with his facial expressions, and I adored Zelda as Tetra (in that I think Tetra might be my fave reincarnation of Zelda).
6) Link's Awakening
I think I was in melancholy for a week after I beat it lol. It's a great story, has some super-cool music and fun dungeons. Also Windfish, dat bad-*** Windfish.
7) Adventure of Link
I actually LIKE the difficulty of this game :3 a lot. It's why it's in my top 10. Also the Temple Theme is one of my fave Z themes of all time.
8) Twilight Princess
Hilariously, I had a big talk with some friends last night about this game. It's not without its flaws, I know that, like there are some glaring plot holes that are so huge, it'd take 50 King Zoras to fill it, but I.loved.the.boss.battles. They weren't hard, no, but **** they were FUN and reminded me so much of Shadow of Colossus. I've never really been a fan of Z bosses, I mean, yeah okay they're there, but none of 'em ever made me feel all too excited to fight them. But i really enjoyed the fights in TP. I loved climbing, chasing, dragging them down, stabbing 'em, ah, good stuff. Also I like Midna :3
9) Skyward Sword
Groose. End of review.
10) The Oracle Games
Just really basic Z fun, like I'm not sure I can say much else beyond that.
1.Wind Waker
2.Twilight Princess
3.Skyward Sword.
4.Majora's Mask
5.Minish Cap
6.Ocarina of Time
7.Link's awakening
8.Link to the Past
9.Adventure of Link
10.Legend of Zelda
even though its been a year,i still don't have a definitive placement for link b/w worlds
2.Twilight Princess
3.Skyward Sword.
4.Majora's Mask
5.Minish Cap
6.Ocarina of Time
7.Link's awakening
8.Link to the Past
9.Adventure of Link
10.Legend of Zelda
even though its been a year,i still don't have a definitive placement for link b/w worlds
misskitten
Hello Sweetie!
Let me just preface my list that it all comes down to how much and how well I have experienced the games. Some titles may not get onto the list because I haven't played enough of them to form a proper opinion, and some titles may appear lower than expected because I've only played to a certain point and not gotten the full game experience, and some games may not have appealed due to what kind of Zelda titles introduced me to the series.
1. A Link Between Worlds - As much as I love OoT, this game was just so much fun from beginning to end. I actually wanted to 100% it and it felt worthwhile to do so, while in OoT I view the Skultula quest to be a drag and never bother to go past 50. I loved how open it was, how I had so many different ways of choosing my path and I look forward to replaying it sometime in the future.
2. Occarina of Time - This was my number #1 game until ALBW, and it still holds a close second. Sure the Skultula quest is a pain, so I have no desire to 100% the game, but that's just a minor irk in my mind. It's still as epic as it was when I as a 14 year old venture into my very first Zelda adventure, and the 3DS re-release is just gorgeous and streamlined the game, making it even more fun to play.
3. Wind Waker - I only actually properly played and completed the game recently on the WiiU, even 100%-ing it. I agree that it's dead easy, but I actually have no problems with that. It's easy without feeling insultingly so (unlike say Fable 3, where they removed the option of death completely). I love how vibrant it is, and how much there is to explore in the overworld. I had a lot of fun just sailing around, discovering things, taking my time.
4. Twilight Princess - I actually haven't completed this one yet (got stuck and my GC-compatible wii has not been connected to my TV for a while), but I plan on getting back to it soon. But I really enjoy the atmosphere and story of the game, Midna is absolutely the superior companion, and I enjoy playing as wolf-Link a lot.
5. Majora's Mask - I dislike the 3 day constraint, but I really love the transformation masks, especially the Zora one. I haven't completed this one either as I got stuck after completing the third temple and my N64 isn't that often connected, and the controller is getting old and hard to play with. Really looking forward to the 3DS release so that I can pick it back up and maybe at some point complete it.
6. Skyward Sword - I have a love/hate relationship with the motion controls. On one hand I really like having to actually observe enemies to know when to hit them and in what way, but on the other I don't feel Link always obey my commands the way he should, which was a real pain when I came up against Girahim the first time. I was close to ragequitting it in the middle of that battle. I'm also not a fan of the silent realms (stopped playing after completing the first one and haven't gone back yet), however I love the idea of revisiting and exploring new sections of the lands you've already visited.
7. Spirit Tracks - Not the biggest fan of the stylus controls, but I actually enjoyed this game a lot and am only one temple away (I think) from completing it. I may not be a fan of the restriction that comes with traveling on tracks, but I feel this is made up for by how the tracks expand in different directions when you do sidequests, and the way the teleports work. I loved how Zelda actually held an active part in this game, and it made for some interesting puzzles.
8. Link's Awakening - Another one I haven't fully completed, but I like what I have played so far. It's adorable and it actually took me a while to understand that you could combine items in order to reach areas that seemed impossible to get to.
9. A Link to the Past - Now, don't shoot me for putting this one so low. I don't hate it, I just don't love it as much as I thought I would. And I think playing ALBW first kind of ruined it for me. I kept mentally comparing them, which isn't fair to do to a game that's 22 years older. And I can't say for sure if I would have loved ALttP that much if I played it first either, because it was playing ALBW that got me excited about actually checking out this game - before that I always figured that top-down Zeldas mainly didn't appeal to me.
I guess I will have to stop at top 9, because while I have played a couple of dungeons in the original Legend of Zelda, I just didn't like it all that much. Too much aimless wandering and empty overworld. I barely managed to do anything in Adventures of Link and absolutely detest the game for it (and this is coming from someone who enjoys sidescrollers). I think Minish Cap seems cute, but I haven't really played a lot in it yet, so cannot give it a fair evaluation at this point. I have not yet tried the Oracle Games, barely played anything in Four Swords, and haven't started Phantom of the Hourglass yet.
1. A Link Between Worlds - As much as I love OoT, this game was just so much fun from beginning to end. I actually wanted to 100% it and it felt worthwhile to do so, while in OoT I view the Skultula quest to be a drag and never bother to go past 50. I loved how open it was, how I had so many different ways of choosing my path and I look forward to replaying it sometime in the future.
2. Occarina of Time - This was my number #1 game until ALBW, and it still holds a close second. Sure the Skultula quest is a pain, so I have no desire to 100% the game, but that's just a minor irk in my mind. It's still as epic as it was when I as a 14 year old venture into my very first Zelda adventure, and the 3DS re-release is just gorgeous and streamlined the game, making it even more fun to play.
3. Wind Waker - I only actually properly played and completed the game recently on the WiiU, even 100%-ing it. I agree that it's dead easy, but I actually have no problems with that. It's easy without feeling insultingly so (unlike say Fable 3, where they removed the option of death completely). I love how vibrant it is, and how much there is to explore in the overworld. I had a lot of fun just sailing around, discovering things, taking my time.
4. Twilight Princess - I actually haven't completed this one yet (got stuck and my GC-compatible wii has not been connected to my TV for a while), but I plan on getting back to it soon. But I really enjoy the atmosphere and story of the game, Midna is absolutely the superior companion, and I enjoy playing as wolf-Link a lot.
5. Majora's Mask - I dislike the 3 day constraint, but I really love the transformation masks, especially the Zora one. I haven't completed this one either as I got stuck after completing the third temple and my N64 isn't that often connected, and the controller is getting old and hard to play with. Really looking forward to the 3DS release so that I can pick it back up and maybe at some point complete it.
6. Skyward Sword - I have a love/hate relationship with the motion controls. On one hand I really like having to actually observe enemies to know when to hit them and in what way, but on the other I don't feel Link always obey my commands the way he should, which was a real pain when I came up against Girahim the first time. I was close to ragequitting it in the middle of that battle. I'm also not a fan of the silent realms (stopped playing after completing the first one and haven't gone back yet), however I love the idea of revisiting and exploring new sections of the lands you've already visited.
7. Spirit Tracks - Not the biggest fan of the stylus controls, but I actually enjoyed this game a lot and am only one temple away (I think) from completing it. I may not be a fan of the restriction that comes with traveling on tracks, but I feel this is made up for by how the tracks expand in different directions when you do sidequests, and the way the teleports work. I loved how Zelda actually held an active part in this game, and it made for some interesting puzzles.
8. Link's Awakening - Another one I haven't fully completed, but I like what I have played so far. It's adorable and it actually took me a while to understand that you could combine items in order to reach areas that seemed impossible to get to.
9. A Link to the Past - Now, don't shoot me for putting this one so low. I don't hate it, I just don't love it as much as I thought I would. And I think playing ALBW first kind of ruined it for me. I kept mentally comparing them, which isn't fair to do to a game that's 22 years older. And I can't say for sure if I would have loved ALttP that much if I played it first either, because it was playing ALBW that got me excited about actually checking out this game - before that I always figured that top-down Zeldas mainly didn't appeal to me.
I guess I will have to stop at top 9, because while I have played a couple of dungeons in the original Legend of Zelda, I just didn't like it all that much. Too much aimless wandering and empty overworld. I barely managed to do anything in Adventures of Link and absolutely detest the game for it (and this is coming from someone who enjoys sidescrollers). I think Minish Cap seems cute, but I haven't really played a lot in it yet, so cannot give it a fair evaluation at this point. I have not yet tried the Oracle Games, barely played anything in Four Swords, and haven't started Phantom of the Hourglass yet.
onebizarrekai
gay energy
oh boy, not another one of these
1) Wind Waker (this has always been my favorite Zelda game and that has never changed. MY CHILDHOOOOD)
2) Majora's Mask (GIVE ME 3D VERSION NAO)
3) Ocarina of Time
4) A Link Between Worlds
5) Spirit Tracks
6) Twilight Princess
7) Minish Cap
... Oh crud, I can't remember the rest.
Oh wait... I can't finish it anyway because I haven't finished enough Zelda games. Yeah yeah, shut up, I don't care. I can like the series without completing every single one of the games. I know exactly how Skyward Sword plays out thanks to my siblings, so I have no patience to finish it myself by this point. Also, this may shock some people, but I enjoy A Link to the Past just because I find it difficult to play and control. The game is fine and I don't have anything against it, it's just not my thing, especially because I didn't play it until just a few years ago.
I actually have played the Oracle games and the oldschool titles too, I just only felt like listing the ones I really, really like.
1) Wind Waker (this has always been my favorite Zelda game and that has never changed. MY CHILDHOOOOD)
2) Majora's Mask (GIVE ME 3D VERSION NAO)
3) Ocarina of Time
4) A Link Between Worlds
5) Spirit Tracks
6) Twilight Princess
7) Minish Cap
... Oh crud, I can't remember the rest.
Oh wait... I can't finish it anyway because I haven't finished enough Zelda games. Yeah yeah, shut up, I don't care. I can like the series without completing every single one of the games. I know exactly how Skyward Sword plays out thanks to my siblings, so I have no patience to finish it myself by this point. Also, this may shock some people, but I enjoy A Link to the Past just because I find it difficult to play and control. The game is fine and I don't have anything against it, it's just not my thing, especially because I didn't play it until just a few years ago.
I actually have played the Oracle games and the oldschool titles too, I just only felt like listing the ones I really, really like.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2014
- Location
- Long Island
The first 4 are set in stone, but the rest could easily be moved around.
1. Wind Waker
2. Link's Awakening
3. Link to the Past
4. Ocarina of Time
5. Link Between Worlds
6. Majora's Mask
7. Four Sword Adventures
8. Twilight Princess
9. Oracle of Seasons
10. Oracle of Ages
1. Wind Waker
2. Link's Awakening
3. Link to the Past
4. Ocarina of Time
5. Link Between Worlds
6. Majora's Mask
7. Four Sword Adventures
8. Twilight Princess
9. Oracle of Seasons
10. Oracle of Ages