We got a little sidetracked from celebrating Zelda’s 35th-anniversary thanks to the latest Nintendo Direct, although we’ve done a slew of articles on Skyward Sword HD. Alas, it’s time to celebrate The Legend of Zelda as a franchise. The series has an especially special place in my heart; not only am I the same age as the series, but some of my fondest memories as a child were playing A Link to the Past with my dad and beating Ocarina of Time for the very first time. A Link Between Worlds was the very first game I got from Nintendo to review. Zelda has spanned generations and there is now a whole new generation of fans thanks to Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. As we go into the 35th anniversary with a possible 35th-anniversary compilation on the horizon, as well as Skyward Sword HD, a brand new generation of fans are going to experience the Zelda I grew up with for the very first time. That is very special. So, in honor of the greatest video game series of all-time, we’re ranking all of the mainline Zelda games. This does not include the multiplayer titles that came out, nor the CD-i games.
15. Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass is a fun adventure, but it’s the one game on this list that legitimately isn’t a very good game. The boss battles are a lot of fun, but the controls are awkward and as a sequel to the original Wind Waker, it simply doesn’t stand up. It can be enjoyable, but it’s repetitive and at the end of the day is the worst Zelda game.
14. Minish Cap
The Minish Cap isn’t a bad game, it simply isn’t as engaging as the others. It’s extremely fun and does add to the Zelda lore, and has some gameplay elements that add to the series, but that’s all that can be said about the game. It’s a neat little adventure for the GameBoy Advance, but that’s about it.
13. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was a huge departure from the original game. A 2D sidescroller that was incredibly difficult. It’s a good game, no doubt, but it’s not as good as the games above it on this list. It did add a lot to the Zelda lore and it needs to be given credit for doing something radically different after the success of The Legend of Zelda.
12. Spirit Tracks
Spirit Tracks took everything that Phantom Hourglass did wrong and fixed it, for the most part. The controls are still somewhat awkward with the Nintendo DS stylus, but the train is fun, the boss battles are great, and the dungeons are solid. Princess Zelda as your companion is a great addition to the series. Unfortunately, it takes the worst part of the game, the repetitive nature of constantly revisiting a tower in order to advance through the game. Despite that, it’s a fun, solid addition to the Zelda franchise.
11. The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is a classic and is where it all began in 1986. It’s a fantastic adventure which is very difficult; I don’t know how those in the 80s were able to beat it. That being said, with the advances in technology, it simply doesn’t hold up as well as some of the other games. But that’s okay. It’s where everything began and will always be remembered as a masterpiece, as it should.
10. Majora’s Mask
As we approach the top 10, the games are much closer to the point where some of the games are interchangeable. Majora’s Mask is a solid entry in the Zelda series, but it lacks the spark that the other games have. It only has four dungeons, the story isn’t as engaging as many of the other entries, and most of its assets are simply reused from Ocarina of Time. The sidequests are very good, and the mask mechanic is a nice addition to the series, but it lacks the magic that other titles in the Zelda series have.
9. Oracle of Ages/Seasons
Oracle of Ages/Seasons are two excellent games for the GameBoy Color. The stories are good, the dungeons are wonderful, and the gameplay mechanics are unique in each game. They are a lot of fun, which is what Zelda is all about. The way you could link the games was also a unique mechanic back in the day, and the reward for doing so was well worth it. These are two excellent games and if they were to get a remake like Link’s Awakening, I don’t think anyone would complain.
8. Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakening is like Majora’s Mask, only better. A sequel to A Link to the Past, it’s darker with a wonderful story and a type of melancholy to it. It has a great supporting cast of characters and some great sidequests. It’s one of the best handheld titles in the Zelda franchise, second only to A Link Between Worlds, and that’s saying a lot. The HD remake for the Nintendo Switch only makes the game that much better.
7. Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild is a good game, but it’s not a great one. It’s vastly overrated. That being said, it does get credit for breaking the conventions of Zelda and being rife with exploration with a massive overworld. It’s not for the faint of heart, as the game is fairly difficult, but it’s still an enjoyable game. It’s just not one of the best Zelda games. Not even close.
6. The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker is one of the most fun Legend of Zelda games. The Great Sea is full of exploration and secrets that are hidden away in plain sight. The HD remake made the game that much better, streamlining one of the most frustrating quests in the entire series. The graphical style is endearing and allowed for facial expressions that to that point were simply not that common. Link felt like an actual character. It’s a fairly easy game, and the dungeons and puzzles aren’t that difficult, which keeps it from being an elite Zelda game, but it’s still a lot of fun.
5. Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess is almost a carbon copy of Ocarina of Time, but that’s okay. It’s in excellent company. The dungeons are some of the best in the franchise and the wolf mechanic is very unique. It had some brand new items, but alas, they weren’t used very much in the game. The story falls off about halfway through, but Midna is one of the most memorable Zelda characters and sidekicks to date. The final boss battle will always be one of the most epic in the history of Zelda, but one of the main problems with the game is that it’s too easy. It’s on such a grand scale, but it’s not that hard from a combat perspective.
4. A Link to the Past
A Link to the Past is a classic. It’s basically tied as the third-best Zelda game, but A Link Between Worlds edges it out because of its wall-merging mechanic, which makes for some wonderful puzzles. Despite that, A Link to the Past informed everything that Zelda has become. It introduced musical themes like Zelda’s Lullaby and Ganondorf’s Theme and so many others. The Dark World was a great mechanic and the game was not an easy one. It has some of the best puzzles in the series and the dungeons could be brutal, especially late in the game.
3. A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worlds, despite being a handheld title for the Nintendo 3DS, is one of the best games in the series. It’s in the top three for a reason. Its wall-merging mechanic makes for some of the best puzzles in the series, and it is the ultimate puzzle game, which is what Zelda is best known for. The story is excellent, the characters memorable, and it includes a brand new villain which is memorable in his own right. A Link Between Worlds is a classic and hopefully gets a re-release on the Nintendo Switch.
2. Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword is a controversial pick but is the second best Zelda game. It has the best story in the series, the dungeons are great, and combat itself has become a puzzle element, which makes for a very interesting adventure. The motion controls work very well and give the game its own sense of identity; it’s very unique in a variety of different ways. Some would say there’s a lot of filler in the game and padding, but those moments are great because they give you a break from each dungeon. The characters are wonderful, the sidequests are very rewarding, and the game has the best iteration of Zelda yet. It’s also rife with exploration. Each area may be somewhat dense, but that just means there are more secrets to uncover. Each area is like a dungeon within itself. With an HD remake on the horizon, it could become the greatest Zelda game of all-time.
1. Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time is the greatest game of all-time. Its story is simple yet executed to perfection, which makes it so great. It has the best dungeons in the series, especially the Spirit Temple. After all these years, it has stood the test of time. It’s still just as enjoyable to play as the day it came out. There’s no question that Ocarina is the greatest Zelda game, and if the rumors are true and it receives an HD remake this year, it may catapult it to even more greatness.