I've put a lot of deep thought into all the Zelda games and which ones are better than others. This is my personal list of the best Zelda games in order of their quality, and reasons why they are in that spot. (However the Four Swords games will not be on this list due to the fact that they are party games and can't really be classified as Zelda games imo)
To start of the list these following games are not ranked by number. These are the god tier games in my opinion, the games that in my mind are perfect or as close to perfect as possible. They are tied equally
A Link To The Past
- Just a masterpiece in gaming, it's where the Zelda series truly found it's footing and in some elements I feel no Zelda game has even come close to topping it.
Ocarina of Time- Pretty much exactly what I said about A Link To The Past applies to OOT, although I feel this deserves a bit more respect for bringing the gameplay into the 3rd dimension and introducing the Zelda series penultimate villain of Gannondorf. It's not nostalgia as why this is commonly seen as the best Zelda game in the series, it truly is a game that can withstand the test of time, for all time. And the graphics style for the game I feel are the most suited for the franchise
Wind Waker
This personally is my favorite 3D Zelda but I can't necessarily call it the best, so it's tied with the other god tier games. I felt that cel shaded art style was beautiful and fit the world and the story perfectly. I loved the storyline that felt completely different from all the other Zelda's, It was the most complex and also had the most complex villain in the series. I'd honestly say that WW Gannondorf is one of the best villains in all of gaming. The huge world, and the amazing cast of characters was also great, as well as some amazing dungeons and bosses (Ghodan is my favorite boss in the series), and also has some of the greatest moments in the series (walking into Hyrule Castle and seeing it frozen in time is my favorite of the entire series) and the game I feel is one of the games like OOT that will hold up forever.
Links Awakening
My favorite of the series yet still tied with the other 4. The story was emotional and amazing and had a complexity and depth that I don't feel any Zelda has yet approached yet. There are literally no flaws with the game (except for how much you have to switch items) and I could go on and on about why this game is amazing. I'll just leave it as it is. And that's perfection
Now the numbered list begins
Number 1
Oracle of Ages- This was a fantastic game, and the best game outside of the god tier in my opinion. Had an amazing story, and a great villain. And some fantastic dungeon designs. The only reason it wasn't part of the god tier was because it just didn't have that same feeling to me that the god tier games did to me.
Number 2
Oracle of Seasons
Almost all the I said about Oracle of Ages applies here, while I personally didn't enjoy it as much as Ages it's still simply fantastic. Also I have to note that Oracle of Seasons has one of the most amazing overworlds in the entire series.
Number 3
Spirit Tracks- This game gets a large amount of hate for some reason I don't know. It takes all the negative aspects that Phantom Hourglass had and made them actually enjoyable. The game had a great story, and introduced a very compelling new villain. And the Spirit Flute I felt was a really great instrument, and the tweaks in the controls and updated graphics from PH really made this in my opinion one of the best Zeldas in the series.
Number 4
Majoras Mask- This is a great game that sadly has some negative aspects that keep it out of god tier. The game has an amazing dark story with complexity and depth that rivals and on some parts surpasses WW and LA and also has the amazing Stone Tower Temple, 3-Day system, and a great amount of amazing sidequests with amazing characters and character development, and Links transformations. Sadly the games main overworld; Termina Field feels very cluttered and ill designed, and the other 3 dungeons that aren't Stone Tower simply aren't very memorable nor very good in general. Add in some at times clunky controls and this is an amazing game that was held back by just a few negative qualities keeping it from perfection.
Number 5
Skyward Sword- This was a great game with some amazing temples, bosses, a great story, and some great characters (Groose and Ghirahim especially) and a beautiful art style, I loved the Beetle, and flying, and especially the Silent Realms. The reason it isn't in god tier is due to both personal reasons as well as some actual criticisms. To get my personal opinions out of the way, I just don't like using motion control for everything. I liked it being used with certain puzzles and the beetle but I hated controlling my sword with complete accuracy. Real criticisms was Fi was terrible and honestly spoiled a large amount of puzzles and bosses and story elements, it really felt like Nintendo was just trying to spoonfeed the entire game to us and remove the satisfaction of actually figuring out things ourselves. The sidequests also weren't as well done as Wind Waker or Majora's Mask. I didn't care for many of the characters and I didn't like how the sidequests didn't feel seamless like MM and WW's did. The overworld being sectioned off was quite irritating as well.
Number 6
Adventure of Link- A game that gets a lot of hate for trying something different, the game though is an amazing game, maybe not god tier and maybe not great enough to be the best in the series compared to others but it's definitely in my opinion a fantastic game and a must play. It has imo some of the best music in the series, and an amazing combat system that has you infusing tactical swordplay and magic. And 2d nonlinear sidescrolling dungeons similar to Metroid. The game is a bit hard but I don't see that as a negative quality at all. It's a great game it just doesn't compare to the game above it.
Number 7
Minish Cap- A great Zelda game. With an amazing villain in Vaati, I personally just didn't feel the game did enough new as a whole to be higher on the list. Still a must play in the series.
Number 8
Phantom Hourglass- This is a good game hindered by some terrible design choices, one thing I enjoyed about the game the most unlike Spirit Tracks allows much more exploration. Sadly the game is hindered immensely by the terrible repetitive Temple of the Ocean King and really touchy controls that were fixed in Spirit Tracks. Also the story is really so-so as well.
Number 9
Twilight Princess- This is the worst 3D Zelda, game. in the past I used to few this as a terrible game and an embarrassment to the Zelda series, however I've begun to realize that while it still isn't by any means the best Zelda game, it isn't as terrible as I've seen it. As a whole it's an average Zelda game with so-so dungeons, terrible bosses, 1 dimensional characters, and a story that feels all over the place which has some good ideas but is never really sure what it wants to be. I also feel that Nintendo trying to hard to remind players of Ocarina of Time really hurt the games original elements it was trying to bring to the table. And sadly some amazing items like the Spinner and the Ball n Chain really had no useage whatsoever outside of the dungeons you got them in. I feel like the art style and dark and gritty mood really didn't fit the game or the franchise and felt forced as well, and the game did not handle the usual Zelda humor well with the new art style. There are a lot of things wrong with the game, but it's still a perfectly playable game that as a Zelda fan you will get some enjoyment out of it.
Number 10
Legend of Zelda- Now I know this is going to be a bit of controversy putting the first game in last place. But while I recognize that this was the game that started it off and is still a playable game it just isn't the best. It doesn't hold up as well as any of the others yet is still a good game. I'd reccomend playing it to learn about Zelda's roots or if you are a Zelda completionist. But yeah.
27 Apr 2012, 10:01 pm
Followed by Skyward Sword Granted i like all the zelda games lol
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