Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games

We’re starting this list off with the game that it all. The first console game ever that allowed you to save your game via battery backup, and one of the first to introduce non linear gameplay on a large map. While the gameplay hasn’t aged as well compared to the other titles in the series, the fact that the 10th slot is one of the best games on the NES, meant the series only got better.

Between this game and Oracle of Ages, both the games were released on the same day. With similar gameplay mechanics held together by the ability to travel between 2 different time periods, or change the seasons and thus the landscape. For us we’re going with Oracle of Seasons since Time Travel has been used in Zelda before, though this is essentially a tie.

It’s true this game gets more than its fair share of criticism compared to other entries, lets quickly address those: Yes Fi is annoying, The open sky is rather empty, and shooting the bow is more complex than it needs to be. But on the good side, this game has some of the finest and most creative dungeons in the series, Ghirahim is a great new villain, and this by far is the best portrayal of Link and Zelda out of all their incarnations.

The only game in the series to be released on 2 consoles at the same time, while some complain that its essentially a darker and edgier version of Ocarina of Time, we say: That’s not a bad thing. Changing into a Wolf was satisfying and the atmosphere in the Twilight Realm hit right tone of chilling environments, and its probably the closest we’ve had to a cinematic Zelda experience.

The Gameboy may not have had the horse power of its SNES big brother, but didn’t stop Link’s Awakening from not only retaining its tight responsive gameplay, but it also brought another series first: Emotional Storytelling. There’s a plot twist halfway through the game that makes you question whether your quest is the right thing to do. And the game’s ending, left few gamers with dry eyes, pretty impressive for a game released on a monochrome brick.

One of the more unconventional games in the series, this game explores the theme of impending death, as the Moon is on a collision course with the land of Termina. While it only makes the 5th slot for have the least amount of dungeons in the series, the Majora’s Mask makes up for that with creative side quests the require clever thinking and Groundhog Day style trial and error. Which is why it also has a strong community campaigning for a 3DS or Wii U remake.

The most recent entry in the franchise, admittedly when this was on the horizon the Zelda formula started to get a bit repetitive. But Link Between Worlds managed to do the unthinkable. It was able to completely redesign its formula while staying true to its roots. Opting for non-linear exploration, having all items available to you up front, and multiple solutions to the dungeons. It may have looked like A Link to the Past, but it was revolutionary in terms of progression.

Cel-shaded graphics may have been controversial back in the 2000’s, but today we now see they hold up better than traditional graphics. Wind Waker is by far the most beautiful Zelda game out there, with vibrant colors being set to the backdrop of a vast ocean, truly captures the sense of an epic adventure very well. And the HD re-master on the Wii U trims a lot of the unnecessary padding in the final Triforce quest.

Who would have thought that the SNES game released more that 20 years ago, still holds up as one of the best in the series. This game has more dungeons than any other entry in the series, yet still manages its pacing very well. And introduced new elements that would go on to become a standard in future titles, most notably; The debut of the 3 triangle Triforce design, and the franchises most iconic weapon: The Master Sword.

Before we get to the probably obvious number 1. Lets look at some Honorable mentions.

And just for fun, here’s some Dishonorable Mentions (Zelda CD-i Games)

Yeah yeah yeah, call us predictable, call us unoriginal. But in reality Ocarina of Time is still as amazing as it was back in 98, in fact the recent re-master on the 3DS has the game both looking and feeling better than ever. After all this was the game that not only set the standard for future Zelda games, but also all action-adventure games in general, and to this day few even come close to matching this game’s grand scale.

With all the games in the series being regarded like gaming royalty, our list is obvious going to be different from everyone elses. Let us know what your favorite games in the franchise are. And for more defining Top 10’s published everyday, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com