ZD Top 5 – A Link to the Past Locations

A Link to the Past is widely regarded as one of the Zelda series’ finest entries, and its game world is one of the primary reasons why. It’s beautiful and its compact, which ensures that there is something hidden in every nook and cranny. Anyone who’s played the game knows the map by heart, and everyone who does certainly has a long list of their favorite locations.

Alexis Anderson – View Profile

5. Ice Palace (Light World)
4. Hyrule Castle
3. Misery Mire
2. Chris Houlihan Room
1. Sanctuary

The music in the Sanctuary is one of my favorite Zelda tunes and it makes the location just that much more memorable. Of course the Christ Houlihan room makes my list; it was cute and gives me hope that my name could appear in a Zelda game someday. I like the alliteration of Misery Mire, Hyrule Castle is always iconic, and the Ice Palace was the only ice palace in a video game that didn’t make me grateful for global warming.

Mark Olson – View Profile

5. Zora’s River
4. Ice Rod Screen
3. Swamp of Evil
2. Sacred Grove
1. Death Mountain (Dark World)

The Sacred Grove made its first appearance in A Link to the Past, and this is my favorite of its incarnations. The rabbits parting for you as you run up to the master sword always makes me smile. The Dark World’s death mountain is fun to navigate, but the music is what really puts it on this list. I always spend more time than necessary on Death Mountain just to hear that wonderful song.

Jon Lett – View Profile

5. Village of Outcasts
4. Lost Woods
3. Death Mountain
2. Kakariko village
1. Hyrule Castle’s Grounds

The Light World has more of my favorite non-dungeon locations in the game, mostly because the Dark World, at least to me, feels like many of its outdoor areas are actually part of that world’s dungeons. I was tempted to put Kakariko at the top of the list, what with the many NPC’s and sweet Dark World counterpart, but Hyrule Castle and the surrounding grounds won. The first thing you do in the game is go out in the heavy nighttime rain, weaponless, to sneak into the castle. The area just feels so imposing and ominous.

Mases Hagopian – View Profile

5. Village of Outcasts
4. Kakariko Village
3. Swamp of Evil (Outside of Misery Mire)
2. Dark World Death Mountain
1. Pyramid of Power

I loved the calmness of Kakariko Village, but other than that, the various places within the Dark World are more memorable for me. My favorite location is atop of the Pyramid of Power, the very first location that you arrive at once you enter the Dark World. Just hearing the magical Dark World theme and the golden color palette makes me all giddy inside every time I reach this portion of the game.

Alasyn Eletha – View Profile

5. Lost Woods
4. Gargoyle’s Domain
3. Hyrule Castle
2. Kakariko Village
1. Dark World Death Mountain

I picked my top five for mostly nostalgic reasons. The first things that come to mind when I think of this game are the musical themes in each area, my favorites of which have always been the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, Hyrule Castle, and of course, the Dark World. And how could I ever forget transforming into a fuzzy pink rabbit upon first entering the Dark World on Death Mountain? Ah, the memories.

Kevin O’Rourke – View Profile

5. Sanctuary
4. Under the Bridge
3. Hyrule Castle
2. Haunted Grove
1. Kakariko Village

When playing A Link to the Past, I always preferred the locations that were safe. These places also have some great music, and finding out that you could go under the bridge was always funny to me. Places like Kakariko Village and Sanctuary always gave me a moment to catch my breath and look at what objectives I needed to do next. They were very memorable because they were the places I visited the most on my adventures in A Link to the Past.

What do you guys think? Share your own lists in the comments below.