Every Zelda Game, Ranked!

Welcome to the Twelve Days of Switchmas! We'll have something new every day for the next twelve days. Be sure to check back tomorrow!

Today, all of the mainline Zelda games are put in their place by Zelda mega-fan Matthew. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

[nikanj]

Majora's Mask is my favourite Zelda game. Of the entire Zelda series it has the most moving story and the most interesting characters. The time mechanic was unique and thought-provoking and the music was unforgettable. Quite simple it was a stand-out masterpiece.

[DoctorFalchion]

I find it a little strange that, being a comic writer/drawer, you still place the original Legend of Zelda at the top of the list. Sure, it really does nail that exploration, but I think that games like Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Wind Waker easily out-do it.

Those games, while they have their linear parts that people just _love_ to complain about, have enough open exploration and non-linearity in certain segments to scratch that itch, while also giving the series great design, context, and original creative ideas.

The original just feels super-plain at this point - you don't get the memorable set pieces, charming characters, or gameplay variety of later games.

Don't get me wrong, it deserves the credit for its influence on gaming, what it achieved for the time, and setting the strong foundation for the series, but I think Nintendo has easily topped it in the years since.

[DemonicLoki]

my top 10
10. Zelda
9. Majora's Mask
8. Links Awakening
7. Link between Worlds
6. Breath of the Wild
5. Skyward sword
4. Windwaker
3. Twilight Princess
2. Link to the Past
1. Ocarina of Time

[Pinao]

That Ocarina of Time rant was so satisfying to listen to. To this day it's my all time favorite game to play, and is easily replayable because the core gameplay is fun, disregarding anything else in the game. Granted it was overhyped, but that hype shouldn't be an excuse to discount such a landmark title.

[General_Flippy]

Matthew Thank you so much for that bit defending Ocarina. it's not even my favorite zelda (though it is pretty high up) but it is such a good game and people give it a lot of needless flack for it not being a different game. I have beaten it nearly 6 times in like 2 years and It was the first one I beat. Again Thanks! You're one cool dude

[TheShadowDragon]

Good list, I don't agree with the placement of some of them, but I enjoyed hearing your guy's comments on the games. Majora's Mask is my top one, especially the 3DS remake, it just made my favorite Zelda even better.

[NuBlirViFarliga]

Worst to best:
18. Triforce Heroes
17. Four Swords
16. Skyward Sword
15. Breath of the Wild
14. The Legend of Zelda
13. The Adventure of Link
12. Spirit Tracks
11. Four Swords Adventures
10. Link's Awakening
9. A Link to the Past
8. A Link Between Worlds
7. Phantom Hourglass
6. The Minish Cap
5. Majora's Mask
4. The Wind Waker
3. Twilight Princess
2. Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons (Tied)
1. Ocarina of Time

[nelsdanburg]

Interesting list. Here is my personal ranking of All 19 Legend Of Zelda Games including Breath Of The Wild From Worst To Best:

The Game I Dislike:
19. Phantom Hourglass (DS, 2007) - C-

The Games I Like:
18. Four Swords (GBA, 2002) - B-
17. Four Swords Adventures (GC, 2004) - B-
16. Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link (NES, 1987) - B
15. Twilight Princess (Wii, 2006) - B

The Games I Love:
14. Oracle Of Seasons (GBC, 2001) - B+
13. Tri Force Heroes (3DS, 2015) - B+
12. The Legend Of Zelda (NES, 1986) - A-
11. Skyward Sword (Wii, 2011) - B+

The Games I Adore:
10. Spirit Tracks (DS, 2009) - A-
9. Oracle Of Ages (GBC, 2001) - A
8. Link's Awakening (GB, 1993) - A+
7. A Link Between Worlds (3DS, 2013) - A
6. The Minish Cap (GBA, 2005) - A

The Games That Are Truly Special To Me:
5. Ocarina Of Time (N64, 1998) - A+
4. A Link To The Past (SNES, 1992) - A+
3. Breath Of The Wild (NX, 2017) - A+
2. Majora's Mask (N64, 2000) - A+

My Favorite Game Of All Time:
1. The Wind Waker (GC, 2003) - A

[head]

How do the CDI games not count!? Those games are revolutionary!

[goliathe]

I think phantom hourglass had worse controls then it's successor. and I had more fun on the train and I loved they got rid of having to run through the entire temple again.... and again... and again..

[Ueeeeeeehhhheeeeh]

10. Majora's Mask. A lot of personality and the mask collecting is cool but the beginning of the game is a mess and the dungeon quality is low.
9. Phantom Hourglass. A very interesting overworld and a ton of content for a DS game. It was also very innovative and really took advantage of the two screens. The Ocean King temple was really annoying however.
8. Twilight Princess. A great story with a bunch of great characters. Twilight Princesss also has a bunch of satisfying moments. It also has a fun twist on items (double clawshot, ball and chain). The wolf sections are very tedious however and it takes a while before getting to the meat of the game.
7. Minish Cap. I love the shrinking mechanic and Ezlo is still one of the best companions in the series. The music is really great and the dungeons are neat. It has a few tedious moments however (mainly the book collecting) and the kingstone mechanic wasn't very well handled.
6. Zelda. The first game is still a lot of fun and definitely withstood the test of time. None of the other games really managed to replicate the sense of adventure that this game has. It does suffer because of the limitations of the system however and Link's controls are a bit awkward.
5. Link's Awakening. Great plot, fun dungeons, fantastic music. Everything I ask for in a Zelda game. The item management is a bit annoying however and the last few dungeons get annoying fast.
4. Ocarina of time. Still a solid game. It brought Zelda into 3D almost perfectly and still has some of the most memorable moments in the series. It isn't perfect however. The camera hasn't aged well and even tho the temples are memorable, they aren't all that great.
3. Skyward Sword. I don't think it deserves the amount of hate it gets. The controls really aren't that bad. The item upgrades are a great incentive to collect the game's knickknacks and it has some of the best sidequests in the series. It also easily has one of the most engaging plots so far.
2. Link Between Worlds. It's basically an upgraded Link To The Past with a few cool twists.
1. Wind Waker. My favorite game of all time. Amazing timeless graphics, an amazing plot unlike any other Zelda game, great music and a ton of personality. The sailing can get a bit boring at times but the swift sail and the Ballad Of Gales negate that problem. It's a masterpiece.

[elihersh]

Love these podcasts! Super excited for the rest of Switchmas! And I'm curious about what the two game that get a 10 are!

[batofdestiny]

What. I really liked Spirit Tracks... :-:

[AlmightyBruce]

19: Zelda ll: The Adventure of Link (2/4)
18: Tri Force Heroes (2/4)
17: Four Swords (2.5/4)
16: Spirit Tracks (2.5/4)
15: Phantom Hourglass (3/4)
14: Four Swords Adventures (3/4)
13: Skyward Sword (3/4)
12: Oracle of Seasons (3/4)
11: Oracle of Ages (3/4)
10: The Legend of Zelda (3/4)
9: Twilight Princess (3.5/4)
8: The Minish Cap (3.5/4)
7: Link’s Awakening (4/4)
6: A Link Between Worlds (4/4)
5: The Wind Waker (4/4)
4: Majora’s Mask (4/4)
3: A Link to the Past (4/4)
2: Ocarina of Time (4/4)
1: Breath of the Wild (4/4)

We agree for the most part...

[GothicKin]

Phantom Hourglass is amazing, why do people hate it so much?

[Niark]

Interesting choice on Zelda 1. I agree on most of the rest, Except Spirit Tracks, and Four Swords Adventures, TP, and Skyward sword.

[JohnnyFromVirginia]

They hating on that Link II - I also would imagine if they made a “sequel” to it, heads would JUMP on it. Sell it as a “remake” or “revision” in the market or on STEAM or something.

[Panheim]

awwww yeah. This is one of my favourite BitF videos yet.

I mostly think your list is very similar to mine, although while I adore the original Zelda I do prefer OoT, WW and MM. When I first played Zelda I a few years ago, I thought to myself "this sense of exploration, lack of hand-holding and ability to go almost anywhere I want to straightaway is absolutely genius. Why on earth did Skyward Sword (still a pretty good game) stray so far from these principles?" I was overjoyed when Breath of the Wild was unveiled.

Also I agree that it seems 'hip' to dislike Ocarina of Time nowadays. It is a game with flaws (like anything else in existence) but jesus it's a fantastic experience. I had a Nintendo 64 and a Playstation as a child so I like to think my young mind was unbiased but to me at least, Ocarina of Time blew every other game out of the water. Special props to the incredible soundtrack that I can remember every single song from 20 years later (please come back to us Koji Kondo)

[keithberns]

Link to the past is the game that really got the series going.

[kadensmith]

Can't wait til he finds out beedle is in breath of the wild too😂