With all the talk of Majora's Mask 3DS and the back and forth about whether it's actually a good game or not, it got me thinking. How do people rank the Legend of Zelda series? What games are higher than others? How different will each person's list be? How pissed will people be when they see where Windwaker falls on my list?
Controversy time!
Anyway, here is my list of Zelda games, in rank order -main series only, so no Smash, CD-i, Hyrule Warriors, etc.
16: Spirit Tacks
-The hero of trains? Really? I don’t know, this game may be OK. I just can’t finish it because of the awful controls. Who could have thought using the stylus to move was a good idea? Ugh.
15: Phantom Hourglass
-Same issues I have with the previous number. Using the stylus is so frustrating for me I have only made it about 3/4 through the game.
14: Four Swords
-Truth be told, I hate that this game was only multiplayer at first. Mainly because I am the only one of my friends who actually liked handheld consoles at the time. But the 3ds rerelease of this game allowed a single player function and I finally got to fully play the game. It’s an interesting concept and I see how the multiplayer feature was so important and added to the game. Not the worst, but not great.
13: Windwaker
-Sailing…DON’T GET ME STARTED! This is actually a really good game and it plays/ controls amazingly. It is also really fun...at times. But the sailing, oh the sailing…I hate it. It just took me out of the game. I know some people like it, and that’s cool, but for me (at the time) it was the worst thing in a Zelda game (only thing worse was stylus controls in the DS games). I still have PTSD for searching for those damn Triforce pieces. I know the HD version fixed this, but the original’s flaws still make me want to spit whenever I say this title out loud.
12: Four Sword Adventures
-I think this game really improved on the Foursword concept. It added a really good story that still tied in to the other titles (Vati, Ganon, etc) and allowed people to experience the multiplayer mechanic on an actual console. It had interesting puzzles and a solid fun factor. Unfortunately, for me the replay-ability of this game is pretty low.
11: Oracle of Ages/Seasons
-I lump these two together, as most do, since they’re basically the same game. These games are fine. Similar to Link’s Awakening, the GBC controls and graphics were good for the times, and I appreciate the ambition of linking the games together to get the true ending and fight Ganon. I just wish these games were more memorable to me. I played them, I beat them, I put them on the shelf and haven’t really touched them since. I got them in digital form a few years ago and replayed them, but I just don’t get that level of satisfaction I get with some other titles.
10: Link’s Awakening
-This is a fun play it and be done title. I know some people really like it, and i see why. But for me this title never did much for me. I enjoy it for what it is, but the addition of some Mario enemies and silly bosses kind of threw me off. I know it was a dream (spoilers!) so some of that stuff makes sense, it just took me until I was an adult to appreciate what this game had to offer.
9: Minish Cap
-I missed this game for a long time, not playing it until about 2010. I don’t know why or how I put it off for so long, but I am sorry I did. This game is fun. Like, really fun. I love the idea of shrinking down to get to new areas and the addition of new tools, like the claws, really offered a different style of play. The talking hat weirded me out a bit, but hey, listen, it could have been worse.
8: Skyward Sword
-This game gets a lot of flack, and I get it. For a Zelda game it was fairly linear and didn’t really add too much to the Zelda mythos or game play experience. It’s kind of like the Final Fantasy XII of the Zelda franchise – it’s good, but forgettable. The game would be higher, but I hate motion controls and making Link right handed because of it (in every other game besides Wii TP he is LEFT handed) just piss me off.
7: Majora’s Mask
-Admittedly, I am pretty ‘blah’ on this game. I like it, but am no way as in to it as others are. However, the 3ds remake is winning me over on this game. It improved the game in a lot of way for me, and I find it easier to just pick up and play than the N64 version. Truth be told, I just really hate the 3 day mechanic, and while others enjoy it, for me I just get sick of doing the same things over. And over. And over.
6: The Legend of Zelda
-Ah, the original that started it all. This game unknowingly started a legendary franchise that would span generations, and seemingly only increase in popularity over time. The game is great, so…I don’t know what else I can really say about it. If you haven’t played it, wtf is wrong with you? Go play it.
5: Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
-*gasp* I prefer the inferior sequel to the original title!? Blasphemy! This wasn’t my initial ranking 20 years ago, however in the 28 years since the original release we have seen several top down iterations (including the near flawless LttP) which have improved on the top down experience. AoL is the only side scroller in the series and I really think it is a solid title. And when I feel like going back and picking up one of the classics, I will go to this one instead of the original. Many complain it is too difficult, to them I say, you probably just suck at the game. It’s hard, yes, but a lot of great NES games are. Difficulty is not a reason people should discount this game. Some don’t like the side-scrolling aspect, which I understand and respect, but that doesn’t bother me. It also introduced a bunch of special moves and magic to mix up the game play.
4: A Link Between Worlds
-Wow. This game blew me away. I thought it was going to be good, but I never thought it would be THIS good. A new handheld Zelda that rivaled the console games? Who’d have thought? But as a direct sequel to LttP this game had a lot it needed to get right – the setting, the gameplay, the enemies – and it all worked perfectly. I really enjoyed the story o the game and the back and forth between light and shadow worlds. I thought I would hate the “painting” mechanic, but I found it surprisingly fun, and gave a new way to explore a land that I have spent so many hours exploring 22 years earlier.
3: Twilight Princess (NGC version because ****the Wii)
-To me, this game feels like the TRUE sequel to Ocarina of Time. It takes place generations later, and Ganon is still a beast when released from the phantom zone. He then transforms into Ganondorf and engages with Link in an epic sword fight. It was awesome! Also, I prefer adult Link to the child version. Many claim this version is too dark and depressing for a Zelda title, and while I agree the series should stay light hearted as a whole, I think we need these darker entries every once in a while to mix things up. The story was kind of depressing and the gameplay was violent – but that’s what I love about it.
2: A Link to the Past
-OMGWTF!? Not number 1? Well, truth be told, even though I grew up in the 80s/90s, and this game is very nostalgic for me, I am just not in to it as much as others are. The game is near flawless, and it is a damn fine experience. I just don’t find myself loving this as much as I want to. I didn’t have an SNES until the N64 was out, so I didn’t own this game as a child. I played it at a friend’s ALL the time and beat it 2 or 3 times, but when I think back on the fun factor and the exploration, I just don’t have as much of it as do with...
1: Ocarina of Time
-Some will agree, many will disagree. I was 16 when this game came out. It had been 7 years since LttP. I had just finished Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil 2. I was looking for something…more. The N64 completely underwhelmed me both then and now. I just don’t care about it that much. But this game…this game made me go out, preorder the game, buy the system and spend the next 6 months glued to it trying to find every item/heart piece. While LttP is a superior game in almost every aspect, this game has a better story and higher FUN FACTOR. And for me, that’s what it is about. As I said before, I prefer adult Link to young Link, and this is really the first game to introduce the badass that we think of when we hear the name “Link”.
