Opinion: The Five Worst Zelda Games

Talking about what game is your personal favorite in the series

is a rather popular talking point. We all have various opinions and enjoy

several different facets of the Zelda kingdom that at any given point we could

prefer one game over another. What we don’t talk about are the games that are

arguably at the bottom end of the spectrum. In the end, none of the Zelda games

are bad. I don’t even know if Nintendo knows how to make a bad Zelda game, but

in my humble opinion I believe I have compiled a list of five games that are

probably at the bottom of my list of Zelda titles. Games I will probably not be

replaying anytime soon.

• 5. Ocarina of Time
• 4. The Minish Cap
• 3. Four Swords
• 2. The Legend of Zelda
• 1. Phantom Hourglass

I am sure when you take a glance at the listing your first

reaction will be “how did Ocarina of Time make it to the bottom 5?”

Reality is that I base my rankings mostly on how much I truly enjoyed the

experience. Every other game not on this list I enjoyed more than Ocarina of

Time. It also doesn’t help that when I played the game, it actually felt like I

was playing A Link to the Past. While it was revolutionary for various reasons,

I have never been able to wrap my mind around what it did that makes it

“that” special. It’s the same Zelda experience I had already played

on a previous console. However, I understand the high place it has for many

people. It was the first 3D Zelda and it didn’t contain many

“glaring” flaws. It successfully transitioned a game to 3D at a time

when many failed to do so (hello Mega Man and Sonic). Still, it just wasn’t my

cup of tea.

The Minish Cap is a fun game that opened up a world of

controversy with timeline enthusiast. It’s an experience that I am thankful to

have played. It’s also extremely easy – to the point I questioned if it was

intended as an entry point for new fans. Obviously, difficulty isn’t the sole

measure of quality, and by no means is this a bad game, but I have a hard time

trying to place it ahead of the 12 games I put before it. I have no real

reason I dislike it more than Ocarina of Time, but I just didn’t enjoy it as

much. Maybe it was too short for my tastes? I don’t know, something about the

experience just seemed… off.

Four swords takes the 3rd worst spot simply for the fact it required

too much equipment to enjoy. Multiple game carts, cables, Gameboys… it was a

giant mess to enjoy this game for what it was. Four Sword Adventures, at least,

let you play even if you didn’t have any friends. Still, when I finally did get

to experience the game, it quickly occurred to me just how underrated it is.

It’s just a shame Nintendo put in such a massive barrier to gain entry.

The Legend of Zelda is an iconic game, and I doubt anyone would

ever place it this low but me. Unfortunately, I have a hard time bringing

myself to enjoy it – which seems ironic consider how much I enjoy The Adventure

of Link. While I enjoyed the simplicity, I think I have grown fond of at least

having some slightly better tips. The main problem for me is that I am a story lover,

and frankly, there just isn’t a story present here if you don’t count the

manual. Of course, I still enjoyed it much more than…

Phantom Hourglass is a neat experience. I thought some of the

boss fights were absolutely brilliant. Besides, who can forget Linebeck?

However, I hated the centralized dungeon, and of all the sequels I have seen

over the years it felt forced. Add on the fact it’s such an easy game and…

ug, I just wasn’t a fan of the gameplay. It’s ironic a bit, because I really

enjoyed Spirit Tracks. What are your least favorite games in the series?