Best Zelda Games Of All Time

Minish cap should be #1
Also good to see a link between worlds high up.

I'm not ok with this list.

First, the Zelda Oracle of are superior in every way to Link's Awakening.
They've got everything it has, but better and more diverse.
They should be the top of the list, in my opinion.

I played Link Between Worlds just after Link to the Past to compare them.
I'm sorry, but objectively, Worlds is superior in absolutely every departement compared to Past. Like, I'm not even kidding. I was suprised, because my nostalgie says otherwise. And I'd bet yours too.
But objectively, I have to give the point to Worlds.
You should swap them.

The rest of my remarks are subjective, out of my own experiences with the games, so in fairness, I won't criticize you for them.

100% agree with the top 3! A lot of the rest is inter-changeable depending on how I feel

Glad to see OOT gets recognition at no. 2 - I would have placed Windwaker nearer the top tho 👍

Why do people like Ocarina of Time so much? It seems like people like their memories of it but to be honest it didn't age well.

Wind Waker is still my number one! Breath of the Wild is good too but it doesn't have the same replay value..

My top 5 in order

Breath of the Wild
Ocarina of Time
Windwaker HD
A Link to the Past
Majoras Mask

@Kimyonaakuma

OOT has a unique and magical atmosphere if you embrace the game going in.

@Kimyonaakuma It maybe hasn't aged too well but playing that back in 98 was probably the most magical experience I've ever had with a game.

I had to make an account just to comment that list.

I know that top 10 lists are always an subjective opinion but i don't get why skyward sword is so high up.
Don't get me wrong, i really liked the story from skyward sword, but the game was a mess. It was the frist Zelda game where i had to fight the same boring boss over and over again, revisit the same places for...REASONS and the control scheme was awful. I nearly threw my wii mote out of the window because again it made the wrong move in a decisive moment.

Oracle games are easily the best handheld games so seeing them so low on the list is a massive insult.

This list seems almost scientifically designed to annoy certain people. Well done.

The Oracle games are great, and deserve to be much higher on the list than they are, imo.

And... so does Twilight Princess. It's the worst 3D Zelda game I've played, but putting it under the DS entries seems harsh. And that's the last time I'm going to bat for it.

Anyway, for me:
5) A Link to the Past
4) The Wind Waker HD
3) A Link Between Worlds
2) Breath of the Wild
1) Majora's Mask 3D

1 Breath of the Wild
2 A link to the past
3 Zelda 1
4 Link's awakening
5 Zelda Oracle of Ages/Seasons

I disagree with BOTW being no 1. I got bored with the non linear style gameplay very quickly with many a time picking the game up and spending 20 mins hopelessly trying to find something to do. Just ended up wandering around large empty spaces finding nothing. In my opinion Zelda works best when there are set objectives and a path and story to follow. OOT and Windwaker are a better true Zelda experience IMO.

The problem with BotW - for me - is that I don't feel the game has much to offer in terms of replayability. I got a great sense of wonder out of the constant cycle of exploration and discovery, but I don't see this kind of lighting striking twice. Plus, it's also a game you can easily spoil rotten for yourself. I mean obviously using a guide would do the trick just fine, but really, just glancing too long at a map of the game somewhere would already take away a great deal of the joy that is to be found in the whole undertaking.

The question is whether this means it's any less of a great game. I played through OoT more times than I can count (probably the game I played through most often together with BGII and Incubation), but I am not sure that this makes it necessarly 'better'. On the other hand, I don't see myself starting a new run on BotW anytime soon and probably never at all - esp. considering that I am not really 'done done' with BotW yet anyways and probably never will. Maybe that, too, should count for something.

Ultimately then, and if just going by the magic of the first experience, I think OoT and BotW really can stand just fine as equals for their respective generations and for the respective time in my life

Majora’s Mask, all the way. It’s not the best, but it is soooo good!

I'm not the greatest fan of the Zelda games despite playing most of them, so maybe I'm no the best to say which one is the better one, but of all the Zelda games I played, Wind Waker is the ony one that is one of my favourite games. Link's Awakening was quite enjoyable.

Ocarina of Time wouldn't be so close to number 1 for me, and I still haven't played Breath of the Wild.

Have to disagree with the low placement of the Oracles and Twilight Princess. But yeah, Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece.

Wand of Gamelon for the most iconic Zelda scenes.

I do not agree with this list even a little. And just like mario games, even the worst zelda is still better then most other games period.

These lists are so useless. Everybody has their own opinion on the matter.

"Was it ever really in any doubt?" No because it's the most recent and therefore you were always going to put it at number 1 regardless, because you're probably still in hype-frenzy mode. BOTW is great, but I would only give a 9/10 and wouldn't put in my top 5 Zelda games.

The main issue for me was that I thought the map was too big. I get that it's "open world" and that's kind of the point, but I think they went a tad overboard and it really spoils the pacing of the game. There's just so much walking (and climbing). Progress (which I otherwise thought was quite cleverly done) feels painfully slow at times. It takes too long to get anywhere and too long between anything exciting or rewarding happening. There are a few too many dull, repetitive, barren areas that walking/climbing through them all becomes tiresome. Some of the exploration is great, but it wears a little thin and too much of the game feels like an empty, tedious, soulless slog. There's so much of it that's utterly forgettable compared to more varied, vibrant Zelda games (in terms of story, characters, environments, dungeons, bosses, items, music, etc). Reducing the size of the map by maybe just 5-10% (or maybe just cutting one or two of the blander areas) would have made it a tighter and more enjoyable experience. As it is, Breath of the Wild feels like a normal Zelda game that's been stretched out too thin. It's like Ocarina of Time, if Ocarina of Time soley consisted of walking across Hyrule Field a billion times. Yes, kudos for breaking from the formula, but this formula kind of felt like: [field + lake + ruins + mountain + group of bokoblins] x 1000 = Breath of the Wild. The Zelda name has pretty much become deified by this point, so it's guaranteed blanket 10/10s regardless, but if it was a brand new IP (but otherwise the same game), its scores would go down across the board.

I really feel that putting BotW at no.1 is a choice born more from the outlet you are than actual feelings. It was a superb game but upon reflection, there was so little character, atmosphere or charm to the game, the three defining traits that make this series. Name me one iconic character from BotW that will stand the test of time.

I think what says it all for me is that it's not the best Switch game I've played (1. Odyssey, 2. Mario + Rabbids, 3. BotW) and it's not the best open world I've played (Skyrim) and none of those games come even close to Majora's Mask or Wind Waker!

@andykara2003 I first played it when I was very young and the only part that seemed magical to me was when you first go to Hyrule field. I'm not saying that it's bad, because it isn't, but it's not one of the better Zelda games.

@OorWullie It must have been amazing when it first came out, it's a shame I missed out on that

I never knew zelda 2 released in 2007..?
I'm not sure I have a favourite but my top 3 would be Oot, Majoras Mask and Windwaker.

@Kimyonaakuma Same reason people still rate Mario 64 so highly, I think. It was revolutionary at the time, and people have warm, fuzzy memories associated with it.

I didn't play it at the time, so, without that historical context, I didn't fall in love with it. It's a good game, but there are a lot of way better games in the series.

@Savino Breath of the Wild is overrated

Listmade more sense than the Best RPGs one lol

Agree with the top 3. Think Twilight Princess should be higher. Overall, think this list is pretty accurate

Haven't played Four Swords, Oracle of Seasons, or Four Swords Adventures.

Favorite 3D Games:
1. Breath of the Wild
2. Skyward Sword (because of nostalgia, not quality)
3. Wind Waker
4. Twilight Princess
5. Ocarina of Time (honestly, 3-5 are all great though)
6. Majora's Mask (just not for me; I do not enjoy it)

2D Games:
1. A Link Between Worlds (for sure)
2. A Link to the Past
3. Spirit Tracks
4. Oracle of Ages
5. Minish Cap
6. Phantom Hourglass
7. Link's Awakening (never gotten into it)
8. Tri Force Heroes (could have been really fun but the game had major issues...)
9. Zelda 1
10. Zelda 2 (the original Zeldas are too archaic for my tastes)

Twilight Princess should be in the top 5. Also, stop riding BotW d*ck, it's not that good as a Zelda game. Ocarina of Time should be el numero uno.

Very bold to do this list guys.
And while I do stand for OoT as the very best, it's a fair choice.

To me is
3- Breath of the Wild
2-Skyward Sword
1- OoT

Skyward Sword is ranked too high IMO. The world wasn’t believable at all to me. A few people living on a small rock in the sky was considered a town. Motion controls were more annoying than fun.

Windwaker was a game/style changer. should be higher up

I haven't played Skyward Sword so I'm not sure where I'd rate it and I've never really got into any of the handheld titles but the 'worst' Zelda for me is without a doubt Twilight Princess. I didn't enjoy that at all on the GameCube. That said, I never enjoyed Windwaker too much on the GameCube either but after playing the remaster on Wii U I have it up there with the best of them. If the TP remaster ever comes to Switch I'll give it another go.

@Haywired well-said. BotW is a great, awesome open-world game, but not a very good Zelda game. It shouldn't even be in the top 5.

By the way, failed to mention that Twilight Princess also got released on GameCube at the same time as the Wii, same with BotW also got released on the Wii U (where I played the game for more than 350 hours).

Less than an hour up and look at all these complaints in the comments. xD

It's impossible to make a Zelda ranking list that everyone agrees on, because the entire franchise is so good that everybody has their favorites. I don't think you'll find a single fan that completely agrees with the list. (I for instance think Zelda 2 and Twilight Princess should be higher.)

Still glad to see you take a shot at it though.

@Kimyonaakuma though Ocarina of Time didn't age well, it's still one awesome game, and my choice for the #1 Zelda game ever. The 3DS remake is the definitive version of the game now. Unless Nintendo releases a 20th anniversary full HD remake later this year.

BoW is one of greatest games ever. I had two issues. Weapons break way too easy. The shrines were great but the major dungeons were big disappointments.

Breath of the Wild is not even a proper Zelda game.

My top 3:

1. Twilight Princess (HD)
2. Ocarina of Time (3D)
3. Majora's Mask (3D)

@WOLF13 the shrines were a bit to easy, me says. Compaired to other Zelda games

1-link to the past
2-ocarina of time
3-wind waker
4-legend of Zelda
5-links's awakening
6- breath of the wild (as open world lacks good good side missions and as a Zelda lacks almost everything. It is fun but the new one needs to mix the new things with the mechanics from the past)

Kinda sick of seeing another countdown list that places Ocarina so high for how revolutionary it was in 1998, rather than judging it for how it plays compared to other games today. As for Breath of the Wild, I still think it's too early to say if it's the best game in the series. I love it, but will we be praising it as much 10 years from now? Probably not.

My top 5 would probably be:

1. Ocarina of Time (N64)
2. Twilight Princess (GC)
3. A Link to the Past (SNES)
4. Wind Waker (GC)
5. A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

I’ve got LBW but not played it yet.
My order

1 ocarina of time
2 Majoras Mask
3 Breath of the wild
4 wind waker becuase of it’s timeless charm

Uh oh, @Tingle_The_Great won’t like this Wind Waker placement. Prepare for hellfire. Brace yourselves.

A Link To The Past trumps them all.

Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess have aged very well if you play the 3D and HD versions with the visual update that respects the original art. Besides, Majora's Mask on 3DS is a bigger game and has many gameplay improvements.

I have not even got past the first page and the list is already going o be deplorable for me.
Edit: It was not a bad list.

@Spectra BOTW won Game of the Year in 2017 and is praised by both fans and critics. Are you trying to troll?

And I don't think Hyrule Warriors is better than all the Zelda games. It's a okay game, but not well loved by fans, I think.

I certainly don’t envy making a list such as this one, that’s a difficult task. I love The Wind Waker, so that was the biggest surprise to me.

I like them all. Too hard.

Why Breath of the Wild is the worst 3D Zelda game:

Ridiculous divine beasts dungeons - dungeons are the defining feature of the series!; empty cloned shrines, some of them with one chest and zero puzzles; gimmicky puzzles; nightmarish user interface and armour management; lacklustre story; pause-to-play scheme; oversized and frustrating climbing; bad targeting system; boring sidequests and bosses and empty and soulless world.

Hard to argue with most of it, but I'd rate the Oracle of games above the DS ones, and I'd drop Link Between Worlds closer to minish cap, possibly even below it. It was a good game but no where near as good as the elite ones above it. Personally prefer link to the past over ocarina too.

@Alantor28 Hype, commercial interests and marketing always make the last game look like the best. It doesn't mean that it is.

I find this list's existence insulting. Which Zelda is best is always a hot-button topic. For you guys to just arbitrarily decide which one is best and which one is the worst is insulting. I haven't even finish reading most of them and you've already put one of my favorite, Seasons below Ages? I found Ages to be quite conflicting and most certainly would not have put it above Seasons. You also discuss, for Zelda 2, "tacked-on RPG"? Here's a bizarre thought. Action adventure games are part of the macro genre RPG. You effectively said that a horror show has tacked-on scary elements...

@Medic_alert @Spectra @BlueOcean Wow, I thought I was the only one who didn’t like breath of the wild

Tri Force Heroes holds a special place in my heart as I was able to demo it the day after it was announced

@Avenger103 A single tear rolls down my face......

@Medic_alert Twilight Princess is one of the best in my opinion and it has some of the best dungeons in the franchise. The only one I haven't played yet is Tri Force Heroes but I consider it a spin-off like Four Swords.

Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask optimise all the elements that make The Legend of Zelda so special. The three of them have those elements but Ocarina of Time is the most well-rounded, Twilight Princess has the best dungeons and Majora's Mask the best side quests and atmosphere.

They are not my favourite but The Wind Waker has a lot of charm and so do A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Oracles, A Link Between Worlds and The Minish Cap. I agree that the DS games are not as good.

twilight princess under phantom hourglass...huh
The list is more about adding to the formula of the franchise than being a good game on its own. I think the title is misleading.

@Spectra That's not it at all. U honestly believe that? I see the user score for BOTW on Metacritic and it has 2500+ positive reviews by users alongside official reviewers.

what a craplist, lol

1. link to the past
2. twilight princess
3. OOT

botw is far from being the best zelda ever.

@Zuljaras I know. I like all Zelda games, including OOT, Link to the Past, Link Between Worlds, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Majora's Mask, Skyward Sword (Which I hope it gets a remaster on the Switch) and BOTW with BOTW being my most favorite Zelda game for the Switch.

Tough one! Navi and I have had a discussion - and we've decided that our top 5 is...

1. Ocarina of Time (N64)
2. Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
3. Ocarina of Time (WiiU VC)
4. Ocarina of Time (Wii VC)
5. Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (featuring Ocarina of Time) (GC)

Personally i think TP should be way higher. I agree with Wind Waker, but i honestly thought it would make atleast top 5 here lol...

@HeroLink98 @Spectra Agreed.

For me it's

1. BOTW
2. Link to the past
3. Wind Waker
4. Links Awakening
5. OoT

Didn't play a whole lot of the others in all honesty though. I think we can all agree on one thing though, Zelda is probably one of the best, most influential franchises ever. Can't wait to see what they do next!!

@NaviAndMii Navi and the targeting system in Ocarina of Time is a masterclass. The story was so well told, too. The music is awesome.

If you honestly think that Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game ever then that's absolutely fine (though the line "Was it ever really in any doubt" suggests that not much serious thought or contemplation did go into it), but to me it seems a little fishy that according to NintendoLife, the best Zelda game ever is Breath of the Wild. The best Mario game ever is Mario Odyssey. The best Mario Kart ever is Mario Kart 8. The best Smash Bros ever is Smash Bros 4, etc. Again, could all be legit, but seems there's a bit of a pattern here... You should do a list of best Metroid games ever and just put Metroid Prime 4 at number one to save time later. Being the newest one seems to be the only criteria.

@Haywired Exactly! Truth has been told.

@Spectra Dude, people may label you as a troll if you continued to bash games like this one and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and bashing Nintendo and try to turn your opinions into facts.

@BlueOcean What truth? If Nintendo Life likes games that have been released for this generation, then they like it and placed it at the top of the list. It's perfectly normal for things like that.

@Alantor28 And people would think that you are a fanboy if you don't let them have a different opinion than NL's or yours. They haven't told you so but you tell them that they are trolls, you are acting childish like any other fanboy that annoys other people.

Lol

First thing I see is Tri-Force Heroes and Zelda 2...
Not gonna keep reading after that...

@Medic_alert I somewhat agree with you on Twilight Princess. Also, OOT may be a great Zelda game, but it gets overrated over time. Don't get me wrong, I loved OOT. But I can point out some flaws to OOT. Like Navi for example and the targeting system can be confusing sometimes. OOT may be a good Zelda game, but it's not the Greatest of All Time.

@MajorasLapdog Oof. Everything you said about Breath of the Wild having little character is how I feel about Ocarina of Time. I feel like all the individual character is lost as soon as you leave the tutorial areas. Afterwards you're treated with expansive fields. Even with the more linear goal, OoT still lacked character to me.

Discounting that premise, I still think Breath of the Wild is a 10/10 game. I love it dearly. Imo 10/10 does not mean perfection, nor perfected suited for you, nor emotions it pulled from the player. It means there was an impact that makes it a game almost everyone can enjoy (note how most say its overrated and not a "bad game").

PS: Majora needs a spiritual successor. Character is so infused into that game its nuts.

@BlueOcean How exactly am I a fanboy? Judging from your comments on this page, you were fanboying over OOT and TP despite the flaws they have.

@Alantor28 I don't insult other people and I give solid arguments and, most importantly, I don't force others into thinking the way I do, thus I am not a fanboy.

@BlueOcean Well ok. I'll take your word for it. Sorry about that. I know you don't like BOTW, but it's your opinion and I need to respect that.

@Alantor28 Thanks for your last comment. Yes, I think that it's the worst 3D Zelda game and I gave my reasons, but I have to deal with other people thinking it's the best. LOL That is life. They won't change my mind and I won't change theirs.

@Medic_alert I respect other people's opinions and agree with you about a few things, Majora's Mask for example. However, if you know what you are doing it has the absolutely best side quests I have ever played and the atmosphere is terrific. Once you learn a few songs, you just need to go back and slow time if you want to complete the main side quests and they are so rewarding. And time going slowly gives you enough time for anything that you want to do in the game like one of the most complex dungeons. The 3DS version is much better, though.

This is why I consider Majora's Mask to be one of the best games ever made, along with Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess for reasons explained above.

I feel Majora's Mask is genuinely the most brilliantly designed video game ever created judging on play alone. The atmosphere, characters, story, music, etc are also probably the best the series has seen. Have a great fondness of Oracle and Awakening as well, Wind Waker. Otherwise you're splitting hairs though tbh BoTW is far and away my least favorite - seems like the standard choice for "best Zelda ever" by people who have maybe played one other.

@Alantor28 The camera and targeting system in Ocarina of Time is wise and has been refined through the years until it was dropped for Breath of the Wild. I think that's why Nintendo made boss battles so boring and slow in Breath of The Wild, because the camera system is a featherbrain and players need to deal with it.

18. Triforce Heroes
17. Legend Of Zelda
16. Zelda II
15. Phantom hourglass
14. 4 Swords Adventures
13. Skyward Sword
12. Oracle Of Ages
11. Spirit Tracks
10. Ocarina Of Time
9. Link's Awakening
8. Minish Cap
7. Twilight Princess
6. Oracle Of Seasons
5. Majora's Mask
4. Link To The Past
3. Breath Of The Wild
2. Wind Wakering
1. Link Between World's

All just my opinion of course. Saying that though, my list of the best Zelda's changes constantly depending on my mood because, at the end of the day, none of them are bad games and are all amazing (except Triforce Heroes. Uch!)

If you're going to claim you used a data driven approach to this list, you have to at least disclose your numbers and how you got them. That said, it's hard to believe the original would rank so low.

I think Breath of the Wild is missing a lot of story which is why I love the other Zelda games more. I know this is ironic considering my icon is BotW Link, but it's still a cool character.
Another thing that's missing from Breath of the Wild is music. I love being able to go out somewhere and travel across it because there's amazing music to it, but when it's all atmospheric.... It lacks that sense of epicness that I have when I step out into Hyrule Field in TP or when I'm in the Lanayru Sand Sea in SS.

Not my order, but good list none the less. Fun to hear about the games from different perspectives.

Inb4 "BOTW is so overrated it's not even a REAL Zelda game the OBVIOUS true champion is (MM/OOT/WW/ALTTP) you guys SUCK!!!!!!!

Ah, damnit, too late again.

BOTW is IMO the best game ever, but I don't consider it to be a Zelda game. It doesnt follow the zelda conventions and cannot be considered in the list of zelda games, its an incredible new genre (they called it open air rather than open world).

So my top Zelda games are Majoras Mask, Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time, Minish Cap, and A Link To The Past

Oooof. I've got some issues with this list. As far as it being reflective of the author's feelings, it is absolutely 100% correct, so I'm not arguing with the choices, BUT MY FEELINGS ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT.

I will say that Adventures of Link is a pretty fantastic NES game. But as far as Zelda games go, it should definitely be at the bottom of the list. But I feel similarly about Breath of the Wild. Probably going down as one of the best games of our generation... but I got very little nostolgic "Zelda vibes" from it. Not the best Zelda, but absolutely the best from all other technical standpoints.

Thanks for the article. Lots of memories (and discussion based on preferences) are arising. I just want to say that A Link to the Past seems like the perfect balanced Zelda type of game. I enjoyed a lot Skayward Sword and now I am very pleased with BoTW. Did not had the pleasure to experience Cube or 64 games (but I wouldn’t play them now) and I really wish I could play the 2/3DS and Gameboy ones. Hoping to be able to do that on The Switch Online Service. Thanks again.

I've only played three, botw on switch, lttp on snes classic, and then lbw for a little on my friends ds

Spot on apart from my top three which would be Link To The Past at number one, BotW, then Ocarina. Mainly because LttP is embarrassingly perfect. BotW and Ocarina not quite so.

Twilight Princess so low because you think it's derivative, but all the umpteenth handheld ones that repeat the same formula over and over? Cmon.

@JasmineDragon Man you're like double layers of original with that comment

@RETRO_J Majora's Mask might have been fashioned quickly out of OoT's assets, but the game design itself is utterly unlike any other game I've ever played. There's a traditional Zelda structure underlying the experience, but the time manipulation, intricate side-quests, and morbid themes make it feel like its own special thing. It's a fascinating, beautiful experience from beginning to end.

OoT is, without question, the most influential game in the series, but it's very boring high fantasy and lacks the character, charm, and atmosphere in games like Majora's Mask, Breath of the Wild, and The Wind Waker (not so much the atmosphere for this last one, but WW is easily the most charming game I've ever played).

1. Breath of the Wild
2. Wind Waker
3. Ocarina of Time
4. Majora's Mask
5. Link to the Past.

Oracle games are too low.

Minish cap is too low.

Four sword adventures is too low.

Skyward sword is too high.

@gutsack I know, I know. Just always amuses me to see how personally people take these lists. The outrage is delicious.

Imo the 2 ds game should be last. While good games in their own right for me they were just the worst in the series. Didn't like Phantom Hourglasses one dungeon but exploration was decent. Liked Spirit Tracks a bit more but still not by much. I do give them credit for trying something new though and that makes both games unique.

Twilight Princess is far to low on this list for my liking. My favorite thing about Zelda games are dungeons and for me it had the best in the series.

If I had my way, Wind Waker would be ranked around 4 because of how well it has aged. Hard to do this list, though. They all merit high ranks.

I'm just going to say I only agree with Zelda II's placement and leave it at that.

I would call this more of a feature than a guide TBH. These lists tend to vary wildly from person to person; I would revise a good deal of this list, personally. That variety is a testament to the high bar of the series IMO.

I also think that both Four Swords entries should be separated out, but I am glad that Ages and Seasons were ranked separately.

@Spoony_Tech I agree. The DS games were technically good and fun to explore, but they can't be considered so highly as Zelda games. They are just great DS games.

I agree again about Twilight Princess having the best dungeons, but not only that but the Wii U version looks stunning.

Twilight Princess THAT low on the list? Even below the DS games and Skyward Sword? Bleh! It's clearly the best one!

Also, there's this thing sites seem to do a lot of times of ranking the newest entry in a series as the best one. BOTW is amazing, but for me it doesn't hold a candle to OoT, ALttP, and TP.

@BlueOcean I played TPHD on Wii U earlier this year (first time playing it), and I found the art direction very 'blah.'

I've played all of the 3D games with the exception of Skyward Sword, and I would say that TP's dungeon design ranges from the best in the series (Arbiter's Grounds; Lakebed Temple) to the worst (City in the Sky; Temple of Time).

This list is all over the place 🤪

Ocarina of Time is too high, I said it. OoT 3D is great though, but Majora's mask is a great game better than OoT. Zelda II was dark souls before Dark Souls.

Fairly straightforward...

1. Botw
2. Wind Waker
3. Ocarina

@Giygas_95
To be fair, if the list had been done in 2007, Twilight Princess would probably have come top, hehe.

1. Wind Waker - Open world Zelda done correctly. Proper story, dungeons, and lots of extra, optional locations to explore that yield proper rewards. Lots of Epic moments, but Molgera is probably my favorite memory playing any Zelda game.

2. Skyward Sword - Arguably the best dungeons in the entire series. Absolutely the most personal and immersive story the series has ever done, with lots of great lore. The motion controls work great for anyone that cares enough to actually try. Yeah, it's not "wiggle your wrist Twilight Princess".

3. A Link Between Worlds - An improvement on A Link to the Past in terms of dungeon design and the item distribution makes the world feel open from the get go. Great characters too.

4. Twilight Princess - The terrible first few hours lead into a game that is magnificent in every other way. Beautiful art, great dungeons, characters, and story elements. Weird that Nintendolife talks about playing dungeons multiple times? That doesn't happen, unless you're trying to say that switching from wolf Link to regular link at the midpoint in Arbiter Grounds is "playing it multiple times".

5. Minish Cap - Just fun, not that long, emphasis on exploring as regular Link or minish Link, which is fun and rewarding. Kinda obtuse design in story progression sometimes though. Great environments and art, especially for a GBA game.

6. Ocarina of Time - I'd say it just hasn't aged well with all the improvements in dungeon design that series has made over the years. I hate all of the young Link dungeons, there's some obtuse design, but there's also really good dungeons and story sequences too. Lots of memorable moments and great lore for the entire series. Atmosphere overall is amazing.

7. Phantom Hourglass - Mixed feelings about the stealth dungeon that you revisit the entire game, but the rest of the game is basically pocket sized Wind Waker. Dungeons are short but good enough and boss fights are great.

8. A Link to the Past - Feels the most magical and definitely the most raw "Zelda experience". The start of the tried and true collect 3 items, get story, get mastersword, get story, do the rest of the dungeons, get story, fight Ganon formula. A lot of Nostalgia for this one but the dungeon designs devolve into mazes late in the game.

Those are the ones I care most about.

And Breath of the Wild is an open world game that is so barren and empty I legitimately can't understand how anyone finds it rewarding to play at all. 4 main dungeons that pretty much suck, lame bosses, and a story told in broken collectable cutscenes that the game doesn't even list in chronological order in the menu. The entire progression of the game is grinding until you think you're ready to take on Ganon, and once you succeed, there's no reason to keep playing, because you've completed the sole objective. All rewards in the game are intrinsically tied to the ultimate goal, which if you can already accomplish, makes the rewards meaningless. Even as a sandbox game, it's mechanics are not fun. Climbing is slow and limited to stamina. Rain and thunder is stupid. Cooking is supposedly balanced by being absurdly strong but a chore to actually do?

@Ralizah Yeah, I know that you don't like TP much, I have read all your comments. I can agree to some extent with you that a few dungeons are not as great but they are lots of them and most are among the best in the franchise. The visual art is beautiful, especially on Wii U.

Twilight Princess is almost perfect but one thing where it wasn't so good is music compared to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Breath of the Wild doesn't even have a proper soundtrack.

Skyward Sword is a bit of a mess and according to NL that and the DS games are better than Twilight Princess, not to mention the rest of their arguments and ranking, so I can't take their opinion seriously, but I can take most comments here seriously because they have much more solid reasoning than the article which is funny.

This site gets worse and worse all the time and this list just killed it. Only a complete moron would make a list where the 2 best Zelda games being the first 2 and one of the worst being Breath of the Wild being rated completely opposite. What a joke!

@jayda I agree. Loved the story between Link and Zelda... hated Fi and you basically had to traverse the same 3 worlds over and over. Thrre two DS games I'd rank at the bottom as they got so repetitive playing the one dungeon over and over. Breath of the wild is amazing but i think lacking in boss fights and complex dungeons. The 4 didn't quite scratch that deep thinking itch.

@Haywired True. Still, I think any of those games are more deserving than BOTW. It's great like I said, but I will always find OoT, TP, and ALttP better.

@Kimyonaakuma I played Ocarina for the first time in 2009, so I wasn't enamored with the graphics or anything like that, but I'd still place it as my #1 game I've played. I think as @andykara2003 said, the atmosphere is really great. The world feels lively and the characters are all memorable. The game's story is a bit simple upon reflection, but it does have a few plot twists and a memorable antagonist in the form of Ganondorf. The game's central "gimmick", Time Travel by traveling 7 years to the future and back to the present, was IMHO the best gimmick the Zelda series has ever introduced. All the subsequent 3D Zeldas had a gimmick with noticeable flaws (Majora's Mask — the game with the second-best "gimmick" after OoT but the time mechanic can still be annoying occasionally (although masks are amazing), Wind Waker — Sailing got tedious and boring after a while, Twilight Princess — Wolf sections were tedious, especially the Tears of Light, Skyward Sword — Motion Controls weren't reliable and annoying at times, Breath of the Wild — Open World felt empty and repetitive at times). Idk about others, but for me, going into the future and seeing characters I knew from the present changed in different ways was a really memorable experience for me.

Also, it helps that Ocarina of Time has, IMHO, the best final boss fight of any game I've played. The atmosphere, the dialogue, everything was basically perfected in that final boss fight. If you can, I'd recommend playing the final boss fight in the N64 version versus the 3DS version, since the N64 version has less lighting during the fight that actually greatly adds to the atmosphere.

Nope.

Skyward sword above Wind Waker?!

@greengecko007 I agree a lot with you and I like your comments, but to be fair Twilight Princess has Wii Remote swinging because it was a dual release and the game was designed with GameCube in mind and the definitive version is on Wii U. The Wii version is the worst.

I don't remember Skyward Sword so fondly but it has some cool ideas with the Wii Remote Plus, but not as great as, say, Zack & Wiki years before (without Plus).

Damn... People on here are truly over-sensitive.

I haven't played all of the Zelda games (the GC/Wii ones In particular), but most of them. I have truly nostalgic feelings for Ocarina of Time, but I also really enjoyed Breath of the Wild, it made me feel like a kid again. I also love A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening. No need to rank them, but I think these four games are 10/10. Some of it might be a tiny bit nostalgia for the older games though.

Twilight Princess worse than the DS ones, really...? And Wind Waker is too far, it should be in the fourth position for what it meant. The rest of the list is kind of ok, being BotW undoubtely the best.

Lol the second I saw Skyward Sword above Wind Waker I knew people would be upset.

I replayed TWW HD recently and the worst thing is that you can clearly see the padding after a certain point (though it was improved compared to the original, which itself improved from the Japanese one too). Been meaning to go through SS again too, it gets a lot more hate than it should and I'm still hoping for a 2021 HD version that manages to at the very least reduce the handholding and shut Fi up. Moving to completely non-motion controls would be tricky given how ingrained it was, but I'd welcome them to try.

The Oracle games also got the shaft, especially being below Four Swords Adventures.

I get why BoTW is at the top right now, 'refreshing' was an understatement (especially after the prior decade or so in Zelda), but I have doubts about it aging very well. On that note, OoT has aged spectacularly regardless of which version you play.

@Spectra Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean that they can’t put it on THEIR list.

I don't understand what you mean by saying that you need to replay dungeons in TP with Wolf Link.

@BlueOcean BotW actually has a lot of good music in it, but you're mostly exposed to the ambient stuff because 90% of the game is running around the open world. I actually really loved the use of music in that game, and felt it really added to the sound design (versus having trumpets blaring constantly as you're running around Hyrule Field), but I can understand wanting a more traditional soundtrack. My only complaint is that the gorgeous music in the trailers for the game doesn't even seem to make an appearance in the game proper.

I will say, and this is why I kind of went to bat for it in my initial comment, that Twilight Princess becomes a much stronger experience as it goes on. It certainly doesn't deserve to be ranked under a game like Phantom Hourglass.

@Shard1 @Korosanbo Probably, they made an article about all Zelda games without playing all Zelda games.

@BlueOcean I would agree that at the very least TP and Skyward need to be swapped. While I loved both, the flying mechanic just did that game in for me. Nothing like the relaxing sailing in WW which brings me to my last point. Wind weaker is in my top 3. Not sure where but it far to low on this list. It had far too much charm to ait so low on this list.

Edit: sorry Skyward and WW need to be Swapped at the very least. TP just needs to be in the top 8 as well.

@Spoony_Tech
At least the music was good in both of those.

@Ralizah That was nice to read. Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask can be kind of a bit "hardcore" experience at first, but then they develop nicely. The Wii and DS Zelda games insisted so much on holding your hand.

A Link to the Past has some late dungeons that are a total maze, I would add Oracle of Ages here, too. Those two games were a bit frustrating for me, I have to confess. When I played A Link Between Worlds I found that the game clicked with me more.

Considering that they are different games and genres, it's a nice and interesting sensation how Sea of Thieves reminds me so much of The Wind Waker.

@Spoony_Tech Yes, I agree. For me The Wind Waker is not as good as Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess but it would probably be fourth. It has few dungeons but they are good and the game and the main island have a lot of charm.

This makes me realise that I much prefer 3D Zelda games. I think it's because The Legend of Zelda is the perfect franchise for feeling immersed in its world and that is easy if they are 3D.

I still waiting for a game that looks like the Wii U Zelda tech demo, do you guys remember it? A Zelda game like that would be my fantasy.

My 2 pennies worth;
1 Breath of the Wild
2 Ocarina of Time
3. Wind Waker

Skyward Sword is also a favourite, but the hand holding Fi ruined it

My top 5 would be 1 Link to the past 2 breath of the wild 3 a link between worlds 4 wind waker 5 OOT.

Yeah, my least favorite things about BotW was the Music and even worse was the lack of traditional dungeons. For me dungeons are half the reason I love Zelda games so much. However what BotW did right was big enough to outweigh those things to offer an enjoyable experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. Not ready to say it was my favorite but definitely top 3 as well.

LTTP will always be my favorite for personal reasons, but my top five in no order would be:

MM
LBW
TP
SS
BOTW

I loved OOT just like everybody else in the world, but I personally feel MM was the better game. I felt more connected to the world and not just the 3 major players. (This is coming from a woman -well kid at the time- that burst into tears of joy at the opening and ending of OOT, and crying isn't my thing.) In a way I feel like MM started the very immersive story telling in game (and not manuals or starting screens) that made WW (not as much), TP and SS so content rich and captivating. MM,TP and SS really worked hard to define Hyrule as a place and the unnamed world it occupied as a world with real history and mythos and change. BOTW didn't expand on this (to match it's dystopian setting) but its very obvious that it inherited this rich history/mythos. It is one thing to go...this is another game in a franchise but something else when you realize this is another chapter in lore history, which requires more than game mechanics to do.

Thank you to the localization team for NA LTTP ...all those liberties they took finally paid off.

@BlueOcean would love to see that tech demo used in a real game!

I'm with you, I would rate all the 3d versions over the 2d in a heartbeat! Not that I didn't like the 2d outings I just love all the 3d ones that much more.

I have to disagree with people saying OOT hasn’t aged well. That game was magical when I played it on N64 way back as a kid and was just as fantastic when I revisited it as an adult on 3DS. It deserves to be at the top of the list. BOTW is superior in my books. I think the oracle/ages games should be ranked higher but it gets hard because these are some truly fantastic games.

Of chourse there is always a lot of discussion in Top lists like this, but you have to see 2 things when you consider the positions.
1. How well do they present them selfes these days - for example Ocarina of time still stands the test of time pretty well

2. How do you see them in their historical context / time. Where they influential or did thy just improve in what their predecessors did. The Oracle games for example may seem much better than Links Awakening, but how much time has passed since then? How did the series evolve? Links Awakening for example was the first time you got the full (Zelda 3 Like) experience on the little 4 grey tones Handheld.

In my opinion Zelda 1 must be at least in the Top 10 – it was not just super influencial at the time. It can still be played prett well today and while some might be turned of of its lack of direction on where to go it is just this freedom that lets you discover a whole world which made the series so great in first place.

@Ryu_Niiyama I agree with you and some other guys about Majora's Mask. It's true that it recycles assets but the results are so different and it's still an unique game that has widely surpassed what it was meant to be.

I'm surprised some people think Ocarina of Time hasn't aged well. I replayed it a couple of years ago and it was as great as ever.

@Medic_alert I would agree. I did actually like bits of it but I was overall disappointed by the whole game. It’s not bad, just ok

@Mamabear @Haywired I also played Ocarina of Time as a child and Ocarina of Time 3D as an adult and I found the game as wonderful now as then. The little updates made by Grezzo got my approval so I'm not a purist. Actually, I believe that the 3DS version of Majora's Mask is much better than the N64 version and the added fishing holes (with boss battles included!) fit perfectly well.

I got oracle of ages and seasons this week on the VC for 3ds - which other Zelda’s should I pick up on there - fancy a Zelda binge.... any recommendations...

It’s an interesting list/topic!

Twilight Princess is underrated. The story is great (I recommend EmceeProphIt’s Symbolism videos on Youtube).

Link’s Awakening is overrated. The only reason I can see this game getting as much attention as it does is because of Brian Altano hyping it. It’s great for being a Game Boy game, but so was Super Mario Land 2.

I don’t agree with the write-up of Zelda II. You most certainly are on an adventure! The problem with that game is that things are too hidden / too hard to find / too few hints, and that it’s extremely challenging.

5. BotW
4. OoT
3. Seasons/Ages
2. LttP
1. WW HD

My top 5 personally.

Struggling to appreciate OoT's placement? The game is a seminal piece of work. Things don't suddenly stop being seminal.

My top 10 Zeldas:
1. Breath of the Wild
2. The Legend of Zelda
3. A Link Between Worlds
4. A Link to the Past
5. Wind Waker
6. Ocarina of Time
7. Skyward Sword
8. Zelda II
9. Twilight Princess
10. Link's Awakening
Bonus: Hyrule Warriors
Rated in order of relaxing fun and replayability. If its not in this list, I don't need it in my life...looking at you Majora's Mask.

5-A Link Between Worlds
4-Ocarina Of Time
3-Link’s Awakening
2-Majora’s Mask
1-Breath Of The Wild

That is the most boring top 3 a human could make.

Also, putting Phantom Hourglass over Twilight Princess is just...wrong.

Who made this list? who thought any of the DS games were actually better than Twilight Princess?

oh god, delete pls

I'm sorry but BOTW is not even close to being the best Zelda game with it's mediocre story and complete lack of dungeons. It had some amazing ideas but they never came together for me.

I would put Windwaker as number one, the sense of adventure in that one is unparalleled in the series

BOTW doesnt deserve top spot, honestly, the best zelda games are entirely subjective. I personally think WW and MM are the best, but of course others think, maybe BOTW or OOT or TP, its entirely different for everyone, but all in all, BOTW is the least Zelda like game on this list, crap dungeons, uninteresting characters, and kinda gets old after a while. I still really liked BOTW, but it just has more problems than Wind Waker or even Skyward Sword.

Not sure how Skyward Sword surpassed Twilight Princess on a data-driven ranked list of the best Legend Of Zelda titles, but I'll bite (it's still a great Zelda game, though! I am incredibly interested in an HD Skyward Sword remaster for Nintendo Switch with reconfigured traditional control support for direction-based combat and puzzles, motion control mode optional).

My list:
Honorable Mention: Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB)
5. Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
4. Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
3. Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (SW) (tied)
2. Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (N64) (tied)
1. Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

LttP is still number one for me. I loved BotW, but honestly after two 100+ hour playthroughs, I really don't see myself returning to that game. LttP on the other hand, can be ran through in a few hours, and is still just as enjoyable now as it was 20 years ago.

OOT didnt set the blueprint, ALTTP did

You can't make a list of best Zelda games. You simply can't. Depending on my mood or my focus (music, visuals, characters, flow, world, alternate world, nostalgia, game mechanics,..) my personal list changes entirely, and I always feel bad about excluding this or that game from my top 5 or whatever.

@Mopati Links Awakening has a better story and created all the assets for the Oracle games. The oracle games are good, but not in the same league.

I agree with 1-6. But idk anymore. I played OOT again this year on 3ds, and played MM last year for the first time on 64 (which got me back into gaming and bought a switch for BOTW). I need to play MM again but I'm thinking MM might be better. ALTtP was the first Zelda I beat. Need to play it again. Great game.

Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake

@NewAdvent what the hell do you expect? they all think OOT is still the best and BOTW is the second coming of christ. SPOILER they arent, and also, just because Zelda 1 is influential doesnt mean its still as amazing as it was in 1986, same goes for OOT in 1998

Breath of the Wild is a good open world game, but it is a very bad Zelda game, and Twilight Princess should be higher.

I knew breath of the wild was gonna be number 1 because of the hype but in reality it's not a good Zelda game at all and Twilight Princess to me will always be my number one since they are planning to take the Zelda franchise to a different path thanks to BoTW

My fav will always be Majora's mask, the runner ups would be Ocarina and Twilight, BOTW is great, but MM feels more like a Zelda game with a great world and such a amazing tone, atmosphere and story.

I don’t understand, why aren’t the 3do games included yet tri force heros and four swords are, what about links crossbow training? Hyrule warriors? Surely they should be included based off the other non canon games included.

Also it’s a really bad messed up list, screw what OOT actually meant in gaming at the time? It just doesn’t make sense any of this

@NewAdvent Sorry to say this but your nostalgia it's blinding you especially with Zelda 2 that's one of the worst Zelda games ever and the original Zelda hasn't age well at all

@BlueOcean I remember that tech demo! I was super excited for a Zelda game that looked like that and to be honest I was a little disappointed when they first showed Botw. I wanted that tech demo visual style!

List blew its credibility early placing Zelda 1 at third-to-last. Also, ALBW is about 11 spots too high.

Winder Waker and Link's Awakening go back and forth between my top 2. Love both those games. The rest are a toss up.

Love all the comments complaining about the order lol

It's not a science, people. Get over it.

The two Capcom developed GBC titles Seasons/Ages are vastly superior than the two DS Zelda's. In fact I would put the two DS titles at the bottom of the list, for me they didn't even feel like Zelda games. Maybe it was just because they forced me to use stylus controls..

Wow. Just wow.

Hard to choose. I like windwaker, ocarina of time 64. Link to the past and fresh from the past breath of the wild

The way this list made perfect sense to me was: if someone came up to me right now in 2018 and asked me how to get into the Zelda series, then this list would make perfect sense. In fact, witj this in mind, Worlds would beat Past, no problem.

It is a good list. And I got nostalgia tickling all the way from seeing Zelda 2 at the bottom. That was my first Zelda, and I still finsh it with relative ease from sheer muscle memory.

Good job!

Look, I like botw, OOT, and twilight princess. besides Nintendo would probably keep with the open world formula, so the next game should be even better, what they learned from making botw.

Phantom Hourglass AND Spirit Tracks over Twilight Princess? Excuse me?

@BlueOcean I remember that tech demo and thinking, if they really release a Zelda like that in the Wii U i buy a Wii U just for that game alone but then Nintendo show BOTW and my dreams of a nice HD Zelda game die on that day I feel like Nintendo has a lot of problems when it comes to HD games

Pretty much all of the Zelda games are great in their own way and ranking them is entirely subjective. It's pointless, except to get clicks and start arguments (or debate if you prefer) in the comments, which I guess was the point.
Also, TP below the ds games! are they mad?
Also, there was no repeating dungeons as wolf link in TP. Are they referring to using the wolf scent to track things in some areas?
And Botw is a wii u game. Nintendo life sure does love to bash the wii u, or in this case blatantly ignore it's existence

My list would be very different and BotW wouldn't even be in the top 10. It's a good game but not that good as a Zelda game.

Not a good list. Breath of the Wild is one of the worst in the series. Phantom Hourglass being so high is a joke.

I was about 5 years old when I played the first LoZ, 7 when I played Adventure of Link, 10 when I played Link to the Past, 13 when I played Ocarina of time. In highschool when I was in Wind Waker, and in college when I played Twilight Princess. I remember being amazed by how expansive Adventure of Link was once you got the raft and saw the new continent, or when you went to the Dark World in LttP, etc.

In my early thirties now and I just beat Breath of the Wild last week(all shrines all quests, all DLC, Tunic of the wild armor set fully upgraded)....and although my nostalgia for the older games is still super powerful.. Breath of the Wild really captured my imagination and the feeling of wonder I had as a kid. Even when I felt like I pretty much figured out the game's combat and all its mechanics so there weren't any surprises left....I still feel like just picking it up and running around Hyrule to enjoy the scenery. 100% fantastic as a Zelda game; it was ambitious enough to dispense with the usual dungeon system while still keeping clever puzzle solving intact. I know some people wanted the older system of dungeon+new item= boss...but you have that older system in so many Zelda games already; just accept something new once its not so bad.

I think the sequel for the next Zelda game will probably mesh more about what was great about Botw and what people yearned for from the older games(Large labyrinth style dungeons). So Botw also just showed me what's possible in the future; and it looks great.

Wind Waker HD
Breath of the Wild
A Link Between Worlds
Ocarina of Time 3D
Majora's Mask 3D

I really want a Skyward Sword port on the Switch

1. Majora's Mask
2. Breath of the Wild
3. Link's Awakening
4. Ocarina of Time
5. Adventure of Link
6. Twilight Princess
7. Oracle of Seasons
8. Oracle of Ages
9. Wind Waker
10. Minish Cap

Garbage: LoZ, LttP, SS, FSA, PH, ST, TFH
Never played: LBW

Some of the statements on the list are just wrong. Like that Twilight Princess "forced you to fight through a few dungeons multiple times, both as Wolf Link (...) and as regular Link." You had to do that literally one time, in the Sacred Grove, which technically wasn't even a dungeon (that was pretty boring though, I'll give you that). The other times you use both forms to get through the dungeons. you never have to go through the same dungeon more than one time.

And "Skyward Sword laid down the framework for Breath of the Wild, with a much vaster world than we'd seen previously." SS has the most linear world of all the 3D Zeldas (except maybe MM, which I still like better due to its lack of filler, among other reasons), and the surface areas are all separated from each other. Also, there isn't a lot to do in the sky. I guess, in a way, you're right that it laid down the framework for Breath of the Wild, because some key design choices in that game are a direct response to criticisms against Skyward Sword.

BotW #1? Yeah right, it’s a good game, but a terrible Zelda game.

@Schwifty85 you forgot BotW costumes in Hyrule Warriors Defintive Edition.

1. Breath of the Wild
2. Skyward Sword
3. Wind Waker [HD]
4. Minish Cap
5. Twilight Princess [HD]
6. Spirit Tracks
7. Link to the Past
8. Four Swords Adventures
9. Ocarina of Time [3D]
10. Phantom Hourglass
{Hyrule Warriors}
11. Legend of Zelda
12. Four Swords
13. Majora's Mask
14. Zelda II
15. Triforce Heroes
Haven't Yet Played: Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Link's Awakening, Link Between Worlds

@NYCallday totally agree.

Glad skyward sword got some respect. List is pretty good in my opinion.

I would say

1. Botw
2. Skyward
3.alttp
4.albw
5. Windwaker

"If it wasn't for a certain recent Zelda entry ... blowing all of us away"

"Was it ever really in any doubt?"

"Ever since Breath of the Wild launched ... we all knew that it would take the crown as the finest Zelda ever"

Seems a little presumptuous that we would all agree with this. We don't all conform to the hive-mind.

Surprised the DS games are rated so highly here, I always thought they were rubbish but perhaps I need to revisit them and give them another chance.

@tedko Same here! Hopefully next Zelda game is like the Zelda Wii U tech demo and also has a proper story, soundtrack and dungeons.

@Spectra
I actually feel the same way as you about BotW. It felt so little like a Zelda game to me, TBH. (I'm fine with "shaking up the formula", but I just thought it went way past that.) But I'm aware we're in the minority, and that's fine.

As for the rest of the article's rankings, I was quite shocked to see Twilight Princess so low - particularly lower than the DS games. (I did enjoy PH a fair amount, but not so much ST. Neither was amazing.) That seemed pretty odd to me.

But I did find it refreshing (and surprising) to see Skyward Sword so high. In terms of me vs. the masses, that game is basically the opposite of BotW - most hate it, and I love it. (It helps that I truly enjoyed the sword motion controls, while most did not, of course.)

Here's my top 5 favorites:

1) Link's Awakening
2) Twilight Princess
2) Wind Waker (tied for second)
4) Skyward Sword
5) Majora's Mask

Note: I said "favorites." I'm not saying that Link's Awakening is the best Zelda game ever - it's merely the one I like the most. Same with the other 4. All of this stuff is subjective anyway. And yes, I've experienced every single Zelda game. (Except Tri-Force Heroes - still waiting to play through that with some people.)

Edit:
@jobvd
I 100% agree.

have you guys done any research? "SS has a vast world" Seriously is this a joke?

@GKO900 They do have problems with high definition graphics, but I hope that they make a Zelda game like that one day, co-developed if necessary.

It’s a bit annoying to see people constantly unilaterally judge games as bad with no awareness that it’s just their opinion. It’s fine to say that in your opinion, Breath of the wild is empty and soulless and in your opinion Ocarina of time has no magic and is tedious and boring. But to state it as fact is an unintelligent and immature way of looking at games in general. I don’t like God of war 4 and Horizon zero dawn much (played through both), but recognise that they’re great games. The fact is that a large majority found BOTW and OOT to be revolutionary and fantastic games.

@shard1
I too was baffled by their comment about replaying dungeons as wolf/normal Link. ... I got nothing.

Twilight Princess at #13 (below Skyward Sword and the DS ones) seems mad to me, but then again, you did specify the Wii version, so maybe the GC version is out there on its own list of unparalleled awesomeness or something.

Wouldn't be surprised if, in 10 years time, like TP, Breath of the Wild drops to #13 when it's no longer the hot new thing that needs to be pushed at all costs.

Was it ever really in any doubt?
Yes, the answer is yes to that question.

How on EARTH is Skyward Sword higher than Wind Waker? I know that reviews, at the time, were high for Skyward Sword, but haven't we - the Internet - collectively decided that Skyward Sword was not that great, and Wind Waker is one of the absolute best Zelda games? Or have the Internet and I been completely wrong the past several years? I can't stomach this.

@andykara2003 Anytime someone makes a statement about a particular game (or movie or book or album or whatever) being good or bad or better or worse than any other, it's understood that this is their subjective opinion, whether they say so or not. If they specifically claim that it's a fact, then they don't know the difference between a fact and an opinion, and are not worth paying attention to.

Oh look, another unnecessarily clickbaity 3+ page list that basically no one really agrees with - and not even a few days after the objectively awful 5-page list of the Switch's best "RPGs". I swear some of the picks are purposefully "controversial" so as to generate more comments. Since Thomas Whitehead's departure, the quality of this site has gone steadily downhill.

Anyway, if I had to choose the best Zelda game overall, it would probably be ALttP. It was a wonderful evolution of the two Zelda's that came before it, taking those game's best concepts and expanding upon them in every way possible on a 16-bit system. Not only that, but it greatly influenced every mainline Zelda title thereafter, thus establishing the classic "formula" used in nearly every entry since. BOTW ultimately broke free from ALttP's thrall, but there are still tiny elements borrowed from the game here and there.

@Rocky2418
I was really confused. Certainly there were parts of dungeons where you had to traverse through as Wolf Link, but it was never a whole dungeon and these segments were usually short.

@Haywired Actually, most people seem to disagree with those statements.

@Mopati Except for the silly rent a weapon mechanic.

@tedko Exactly. In any case, @andykara2003 should have complained about the ridiculous cockiness and ignorance in this article.

Thanks for including the purchase....Links.... ok cya

@andywitmyer "Since Thomas Whitehead's departure, the quality of this site has gone steadily downhill".

I think we all can agree about that.

@onlyonemello
The 'internet' doesn't decide anything for me. Its like if you have a room full of people, are the ones shouting the loudest automatically correct and everyone else should just agree with them?

I loved Skyward Sword, it's one of my favorite Zelda games. Objectively I'd rank other games higher, but for my own enjoyment it was way up there (partly due to how it linked with OOT).

@CaPPa I think it's @onlyonemello's way of saying "Once the hype had died, I thought that we agreed to knock Skyward Sword off the pedestal". Basically, the same thing that is happening now with Breath of the Wild.

@BlueOcean @andywitmyer I second that 100%

@CaPPa Sorry! I never want anyone not to enjoy a game because of my opinion! Sorry about that if it came out too elitist.

But yes, I'm with @BlueOcean. He summed what I was trying to say. I enjoyed Skyward Sword too, but yes felt that time has judged it harshly. Breath of the Wild I also agree with - great game. Definitely groundbreaking. But now that the dust has settled, I'm not 100% convinced it's the greatest Zelda ever.

Sorry again for getting caught up in my surprise at this list and making it sound like my opinion is more important than anyone else's!

I absolutely agree with the whole list!

To be fair to the author though, whatever he picked at number one or however he'd have listed everything, it would've been contentious.

@onlyonemello "but haven't we - the Internet - collectively decided that Skyward Sword was not that great, and Wind Waker is one of the absolute best Zelda games"

absolutely no

@BlackenedHalo My opinion came out to strong. Sorry! I still think Wind Waker is better than Skyward Sword, but sorry for the assumption that, generally, others think this way too.

@tedko Their opinion is understood to be subjective by us, but not necessarily by them - that’s the problem 🙂

@Haywired But the problem is more the writing than the ranking.

@onlyonemello I don't think that you have to apologise, I think it was a creative way of saying your opinion.

Reverse the top 3 for me.

@ieatdragonz what a genuinely wonderful, diplomatic response. We're going to have to disagree on a few things - I think OoT oozes character, from the 'brotherhood' of the stoic gorons to the brilliant love affair of sorts between Link and Ruto, I think every beat is memorable - and that's not even mentioning the despair seen in future Hyrule!

BotW IS wonderful. But for me it's an 8/10 - I think it evolved a lot of Zelda elements while removing a lot of other important ones.

One thing we can agree on, though, is the absolute magic of Majora's Mask's world. Termina is honestly such a tragic and deep world that I am just in love with. I feel they tried to replicate that with Twilight Princess and, sadly, lost that sense of effortlessness.

Have a great day!

Bore of the wild number 1? Hah

2D zeldas -> 3D zeldas

Ah yes, the perennial "Make the Internet mad by ranking Zelda games" game. I love it. When did Twilight Princess require going through dungeons multiple times? I don't recall that at all. I do recall the dungeons were ENORMOUS. TP was a bloody great game, but in hindsight it may have lost a tiny bit of Nintendo charm by acquiescing to Western gamers' demands for a more 'mature' look. The game was pretty for its time, but man, there were a lot of ugly browns in that game.

My list, of the ones I have played, would have to be...

1. Ocarina of Time
2. Link's Awakening
3. Breath of the Wild
4. Twilight Princess
5. Majora's Mask
6. The Legend of Zelda
7. A Link to the Past
8. The Wind Waker
9. Zelda II

...

23. Skyward Sword

My Top 3 Zelda games:
1. Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, A Link Between World, Breath of the Wild
2. Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons/Ages
3. The rest

Why original Four Swords isn't on the list?

@Wapazi because NL is weird

Don't get me wrong, BOTW is easily one of the best games I've ever played. But is it the best Zelda? No. Way. Not even close. Also, how is Skyward Sword, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks higher than Twilight Princess? I love those games as well, but I think TP outshines them easily.

1) Ocarina of Time
2) Twilight Princess
3) The Wind Waker
4) Breath of the Wild
5) Majora's Mask

@Kai_ I cracked up when I saw Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks ranked higher than Twilight Princess. Ooph. Might want to re-examine those data sources. Spirit Tracks? Laughing so hard

I still think it is funny that people act like BOTW was some novel shake up. It's a LOZexpy in 3d with breakable weapons and MM style costume system (which is fantastic!). The only real change up aside from the weapons system is the crafting. But it kinda made sense logically as its not like Link had a ton of places he could get provisions from. I still hope that Nintendo uses the BOTW assets to make the next Zelda a tale of the battle 10,100 (is it a hundred extra years since botw is 100 years after Link got the snot beat out of him?) years pre BOTW.

We know that the hero and goddess reincarnate win, you get the creation of the guardians and the Sheikah are at their best. I HAVE to see that. (as much as I love BOTW the two...Link sucks the first time around stories --OoT did it first-- are kinda disheartening)

Growing up my favorites were: ALttP, Oracles, and Phantom Hourglass

Didn't have a huge selection back then, but I did have the GBA LOZ port, I just found it ugly and tedious.

Now it's: ALttP, Majora's Mask, and Skyward Sword

Yeah, I still think SS is amazing. *Still haven't played ALBW, BOTW, STracks, uh, and Zelder II.

Wind Waker is easily the best Legend of Zelda. A masterpiece in game design from beginning to end, in my humble opinion.

I can't decide which one comes in second place, though: Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild. BotW would've easily come in second place if not for its barebones soundtrack and forgettable main dungeons. However, BotW as a game is so amazing, it's almost perfect. I'm a sucker for exploration, and BotW gets everything right in that regard (sure, the world may seem empty but it is a delight to explore every square inch anyway). Not to mention the freedom the player has when it comes to solving problems. Absolutely fantastic stuff. It's a shame the main dungeons were such a letdown.

Ocarina of Time is obviously a much smaller-scale BotW, but yet it's "3 initial dungeons, then 5 main dungeons afterwards" design is such a sweet spot for me. Let's not even forget to mention the fact that every single one of those dungeons are memorable as all heck. To this day, I still don't really understand how people prefer MM to OoT. Don't get me wrong, MM is a good game in its own right but I believe OoT is the more revolutionary game due to how it changed 3D Zelda forever.

All in all, I think every Zelda game I've played (oh, and I've played a lot of 'em) have been superb experiences, except Zelda II. I mean, what even was that game trying to do, anyway? No matter how many times I played it, I never EVER got into it.

Twilight Princess is the only Zelda game I like, and I like it A LOT. Imo it is completely different than OOT (a game that I really dislike, for me it's very boring and uninteresting) and Wind waker (boring, and the art style is not a good fit for this kind of game). My favourite version is the Gamecube version. It is a very fun game, its world is wonderful to explore and the art style is so immersive, fascinating and elegant, I really love this game.

I have tried Majora's mask (on 3DS), actually I had the feeling that it was a very good game too, but it is way too difficult for me, so in the end I don't enjoy it very much but I'm sure it is a good game.

Usually I don't like other Zelda games aside from TP, I'd like to appreciate MM too but I just can't, I try to keep up with it and I only get headaches :/

BOTW is the number one game OF ALL GAMES, not just of Zelda games.

Showing my age, but it hurts to see the original LoZ ranked so low on the list ;_;
It was one of the first games I bought for my NES back in the day, knowing next to nothing about it other than the goofy "Zeldaa!? Zeldaaa!?" commercials NoA was airing on TV at the time. What a revelation it was to play! Probably the best gaming money I ever spent.
So yeah, I'm nostalgic. ^_^

@LuckyLand Follow a guide until you get Song of Time (go back in time) and Inverted Song of Time (slow down time), you should be fine afterwards, especially playing the 3DS version.

Check this:

https://www.zeldadungeon.net/majoras-mask-walkthrough/

It depends on when you played them. If your first Zelda was BotW then of course the other ones will seem dated. But if you played A Link to the Past when it first came out I can't imagine anyone thinking anything has bested it.

My choices in no particular order:
MM
OOT
ALTTP
MC
TP

Not only is Ocarina the greatest Zelda, it is the greatest game ever created. Nothing in the Zelda franchise has or ever will live up to this masterful work of art, especially not Breath of the Wild. But that's the great thing about Zelda though; everyone has a different favorite, and that's completely fine.

@FlashmanHarry
Link to the past seems to be released in 2007 as well according NL

Mine.

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

At times reading the list, I found myself saying "that's that low?" but then I remember this list is ranking them by a combo of their impact and how beloved they are, so I agree with about 99% of it. The only... "only"... one I disagree about is the original. It has not held up good from a technical standpoint agreed, but it is "essential" to the existence of the series AT ALL, so I'd lock that in the top 10 for now. Just my opinion

Link to the Past #1, I really enjoyed reading through your list.

Ranking Skyward Sword above Wind Waker is just blasphemy

If you're specifically ranking GCN wind waker, it's gotta be towards the absolute bottom, it's I think the rare objectively bad Zelda game. The HD remake, while still not really being my type of game, fixes a lot of what's wrong with it (cough swift sail cough cough) and you could probably justify it at 8th.

Skyward Sword's gimmick controls severely hurt what I thought would have been a solid game otherwise.

Majora's Mask should have been at the bottom of the list; easily the most overrated game in the franchise. I hated the repeating day concept. I thought it was an interesting way to start the narrative, but then I realized it was going to keep repeating. No thank you.

BOTW was awesome but looking back on the game in hindsight, Nintendo dropped the ball by not adding some true dungeons with puzzles. Everything in the game feels more like sidequests than anything. I was hoping for dungeon dlc but it doesn't look like we will be getting anymore dlc. The game was great and honestly could have been a foundation for Nintendo to continue adding dlc throughout the Switches lifecycle. Each area could have told a new story every year. Like others, I have no clue where Nintendo goes from here with the series but the groundwork has been laid for future installments. I m not sure it belongs at number one but it's arguable, I guess.

This list is pretty good. I would have had Wind Waker and Twlight Princess higher, majoras mask lower.

Legend of Zelda NES is my favourite game of all time , never mind Zelda game, and you have it at 16 out of 18 games almost made me puke, than I realized this story was written by someone born after most these games came out and I felt old

@LuckyLand Hang in there with Majora's Mask. Like you, I disliked the game when I first played it in 2000. I saw it as inaccessible and daunting. It has grown on me over time as I've gotten older and more able to handle the difficulty and better able to appreciate its nuances. It is now my favorite game of all time.

For my top Zelda games would

1. A Link To The Past
2. Skyward Sword
3. Breath of The Wild
4.Majora's Mask
5. Minish Cap

@Chozo

Yeah, I feel the same. I think Majora's Mask often gets placed too high (great side quests, but 3 of the 4 dungeons are meh IMO) and Twilight Princess too low (good dungeons, sword-fighting mechanics and best sidekick). Links' Awakening is still a good game, but better than WW? Nah M8. Personally I'd put SS higher, but I can also understand why everyone doesn't love it as much as I do.

Excuse me, I’d just like to point out a small mistake in the list. Everything seems to be perfectly in order except the worst Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, has accidentally been placed in first place. I’m sure this is all just a minor clerical error that can be very quickly cleaned up and the rightful top three can be restored to their full glory.

(OK so I didn’t like BOTW 😜, it’s weird though, the rest of the list is exactly how I’d rank the rest!)

@BlueOcean I have nothing against motion controls, the Wii version of Twilight Princess is my favorite (well, I never got the Wii U version). I like having the motion aiming and crosshairs.

I also love Skyward Sword. I just meant that while I had a great time with the controls, they ask a lot more from the player than what Twilight Princess does, where you can get by just fine with wiggling your wrist for everything.

A Link to the Past best video game ever made, not only best Zelda game ever.

Amazing to see how varied everyone's favorite Zelda game is. Just goes to highlight to consistent quality of the franchise.

No lol

Spirit Tracks is way too high. Awful game.

IMO breath of the wild is a good game, but not really a Zelda game. My top 3. Ocarina of Time/ Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess. Breath of the wild is a good game and I can see why people like it. But to me it feels like a game that isn't made by Nintendo at all, but a game with zelda game elements. I'm missing good music in Breath of the wild. In the open world there should've been a background music that makes you remember the game and takes you back. It's just walking in open world with little here and there music/sound, but that's it. To me it's a very bland game... well each his own

@darkswabber no it shouldn’t.

Most of this list has good reasoning, but skyward sword not in Davy Jones locker at the bottom? AND beating out Windwaker? Ouch.

@Savino no they aren’t

Don’t think anybody can dispute the games in the top 3, that’s pretty much fact that they are the 3 best and each hold a huge amount of influence and recognition for the gaming industry as a whole and not just within the genre and franchise they represent.

As good as breath of the wild is, I still think it and Ocarina are interchangeable at the No.1 spot.

Everything from 4th place down is just personal taste. I hated wind waker and thought twilight princess was brilliant and would have been higher for me.

That is all.

There really is nothing above or besides Ocarina of Time. It is the true masterpiece. Breath of the Wild lacks so many core elements which makes a Zelda game what it should be. If anything is overhyped Breath of the Wild is. In time it will show. A Zelda game with no real dungeons or a musical score is just wrong on so many levels. It was a good game but never a Zelda one.

Link to the Past is the unquestionable number 1 for me, I consider it a top tier game even though I'm hardly what one could call a big fan of the series.

My top 5 entries would be:
1. Link to the Past
2. Majora's Mask
3. Four Sword Adventures
4. Breath of the Wild
5. Zelda 2 Adventure of Link

How are the Oracle games so low on the list? They are pretty much my favorites after Majora.

Breath of the Wild would have a hard time even getting into my top 10. The game has just too many things i don't like.
Open World games are just too boring for me and the weapon system is just annoying. The shrines and "dungeons" just don't compare to previous titles. Only the castle is a worthy dungeon but even that can be bypassed.
There is hardly any story in the game and for that you have to go out of your way just to find it.

OoT, MM, WW, TP, ALttP, LA, OoA, OoS and MC are all easily more enjoyable games.

@KingSandyRavage you can’t say the top 3 is fact. Everything is personal taste including the top 3. My top 3 would contain minish cap, albw and link’s awakening as I think top down zelda is vastly superiour to 3D zelda. In my list botw would rank really low as I think botw is a good game but isn’t a zelda game.
I know a lot of people that think the same way. So no, the top 3 isn’t a fact, it’s their opinion and you happen to agree with it.

In what universe is skyward sword rated better than windwaker? Also love the way that everyone pretends the Philips cdi Zelda games never existed.

@Alucard83 Your favourite three are also mine so you have good taste, for Zelda at least.

Welp! I've only beaten 3 so far. I started on Majora's Mask but got frustrated by a missing chicken and haven't gone back to it yet.

So my top 3 is:

3. Wind Waker
2. Ocarina of Time
1. Breath of the Wild

Wind Walker could be higher, but just a few obscurities really put a dampener on it for me at the time, but I feel the next Zelda game could be similar to WW, but make it less annoying, and it would be fantastic.

I remember playing OoT on the N64, but only fleetingly as it wasn't my console, but I do remember a sense of wonder from it. So when I finally played it fully on my 3DS about 16 years later, I was utterly charmed to find that sense of wonder return. A beautifully made game, and those cutscenes between Link and Zelda genuinely touched me - so wonderfully done. But it wasn't confined to those scenes, the same magic could be found at various points through the game. That kind of artistry is timeless.

But Breath of the Wild... just magnificent. This time the wonder was at the sheer beauty and scale of the world I was given to explore. Any 3D game now that doesn't allow climbing is a let down.

@darkswabber I can say what I want, that’s the beauty of this world 😜

But you have opinion based on fact. The top three have always been universally and critically recognised as franchise, genre and industry benchmark titles.

The fact you make every effort just to be different and not like them and back other lesser played Zelda games is your freedom and right, not disputing that.

But LTTP, OOT and BOTW are and always will be the three literal game changers in a vast number of ways.

Sad to see the lack of love for Twilight Princess - easily in my top 3. Never understood why people dislike Midna =0/

"the Deku Mask, which tranforms Link into a Zora, Goron, or Deku Scrub."

Er...

Too low: Majora's Mask, Zelda I and Zelda II.
Too high: A link between worlds, Ocarina of Time and Minish Cap.

@BlueOcean Personally I think Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game ever made, and all the ones in your top 3 was boring to the point of me requiring energy drinks to get through them.

I tried to love this franchise for so many years, bought all the games and bored myself through them, hoping to see some of the magic so many Zelda fans were seeing... And then Breath of the Wild came. Amazing in every aspect with great gameplay, tons of freedom and superb non-handholding storytelling. They also made Dungeons (shrines/beasts) faster and less of a Chore. Amazing game.

You probably disagree but thats why all our top 3's differ from time to time

@OorWullie could not agree more! There was a sense of complete magic even from looking at pictures posted in N64 magazine. I just remembered looking at the detail in the forest and I was blown away. OOT in my opinion is the finest game ever created.

Wind Waker only 8th? Controversial.

Also puzzled as to why you've labelled this a guide. Time for a "List" category, I reckon.

I would switch Wind Waker with Ocarina and call it good.

5. Skyward Sword
4. Breath of the Wild
3. A Link to the Past
2. Ocarina of Time
1. Wind Waker

Why isn't Four Swords (GBA) on the list? That and nobody down here is mentioning it either. Just because it was released on the same cartridge as ALTTP for GBA doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Its a full Zelda game with its own story and placement on the timeline. It even got its own release as a dsiware game. That game deserves more love from you guys...

Even tho breath of the wild has a nr1 spot.
ocarina of time and majoras mask felt legendary. I loved the mysterious parts ib those game and the powers you could unlock. In Ocarina of time i was a big fan of link having Dins Fire attack which sorrounded link with fire, also Nayrus Love and farores wind.
those moves could fit in a awesome manga style movie. Same goes for majoras mask the Fierce Deity Link, best thing i ever saw in a zelda game.

I have tried many, many times in my life on multiple consoles and in various formats to play Ocarina of Time and understand why people regard it so highly... I guess that's one dungeon puzzle I'll never solve.

Wow. Some of your descriptions make it sound like you've never even played that game. With the exception of Hyrule Dungeon and Sewer, there was not one main dungeon where you were forced to play as wolf link through all of it. Skyward Sword certainly did not lay the groundwork for BotW, as it is a central hub with drop off points and no way you can get to any of the regions on foot. Whereas there were 3 open world Zeldas before Breath. shakes head Not a great article.

Anyway my rankings of the ones I've played are:

15: Spirit Tracks
14: Windwaker HD
13: Skyward Sword
12: A Link to the Past
11: Breath of the Wild
Top Ten:
10: Oracle of Seasons
9: Ocarina of Time 3D
8: Oracle of Ages
7: Minish Cap
6: A Link Between Worlds
5: Link's Awakening DX
4: Twilight Princess
3: Majora's Mask 3D
2: The Legend of Zelda
1: Adventure of Link

Skyward Sword over Wind Waker is messed up, no other way to say it.

@tsdenizen To each their own, but I personally find Windwaker really freaking tedious, boring and empty. Plus the dungeons are forgettable. Skyward Sucks isn't much better, what with the awful controls, hand holding, stamina meter, hub world and awful pacing. But it did have some great dungeons. Both are low on my list.

The first game, the one that introduced almost it all should be in a higher position just because it continued to be used as a base for many of the games in the series, which says it contained a formula that worked (still works, for some).

I'm playing A Link Between Worlds now. It's been a long time since I didn't get so crazy about a game. Just can't put my 3ds down! The game is full of dungeons and the more you achieve, the more you want to see. Nothing gets boring in that game! Absolutely excellent!!!

The next one I'm gonna play will probably be Link's Awakening.

I just need to know which timeline this list came from? I can’t properly sort it out in my mind without that information. Anyways, all the games are good, and Zelda’s green tunic and Master Sword has made him one of the most iconic characters in the history of video games.

Gotta disagree with Skyward Sword being this high on the list... that is my pick for the worst Zelda game. The less times I deal with atrocious motion controls, the better!!! I will agree with the NES games being that low on the list, however. They haven't aged that well.

It's hard for me to pick a favorite Zelda game, but A Link to the Past is definitely one of them. I also dig Link's Awakening DX, Ocarina of Time 3D, Wind Waker HD, A Link Between Worlds, and Breath of the Wild.

@kurtasbestos Haha I hear what you're saying. Try seeing the other comments early on, like what I said about OoT in comment #140: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/07/guide_the_best_zelda_games_-_every_legend_of_zelda_game_ranked#comment4578555 .

I really liked the whole time travel mechanic, but I forgot to mention the music. The music is absolutely incredible. It is woven into the game itself, and is very fun to use to warp to places via the ocarina as well as to simply listen to. Overall though, I think the atmosphere of Ocarina is what makes it #1 for me. Did you try playing it all the way to the end? If you do that you'll get a better idea of what I mean. The time travel mechanic really makes the story impactful by letting you see characters change from the present to the future. And as an older adult it's kind of eerie to see a bright colorful world as a kid transformed into a dark barren wasteland as an adult. IMHO it's the right mix of fun and magical with seriousness and somberness.

Reason BoTW is #1 is that it is on the NSW and can be played Docked and Portable that is also why it won the contest. It's the first to go hybrid and all Zeldas are still a Nintendo IP no one else has come close to getting them.

@greengecko007
Wind Waker is my top as well! It was so well done!

@Blizzia No problem.

Twilight Princess! Then OoT, MM, BotW, and so on!

@Mopati ....dude....

Having Twilight Princess ranked below the DS games is just plain criminal.

I was around when this franchise launched and have played the vast majority as a result. My top 5:

1. Breath of the Wild
2. Wind Waker
3. A Link Between Worlds
4. Ocarina of Time
5. The Legend of Zelda

Breath of the Wild is perhaps the best game ever made and easily gets my top spot. Wind Waker is a Saturday morning cartoon dream. A Link Between Worlds surpasses its SNES predecessor in every way, with super gameplay, unique dungeons and a link to the previous game,. Ocarina of Time offers a legendary adventure. Quite frankly and in my opinion the original did stand the test of time and is an endlessly replayable classic.

Best Franchise Ever? I say yes, right ahead of the mainline Mario Franchise.

You totally omitted Four Swords

Oh, it's been said at least 30 times, but Link's loftwing is red. So there.

1. Ocarina of Time
2. Wind Waker (easily the best iteration of Ganondorf as a character)
3. Breath of the Wild (pretty cool Ganon as a monster, but absolutely no agency)
4. Majora's Mask
5. Link to the Past
6. Twilight Princess
7. - 10. Pick 'em

"It also forced you to fight through a few dungeons multiple times, both as Wolf Link...and regular Link."
When did that happen?

@jayda I completely agree with you about Skyward Sword. I have replayed each title on numerous occasions due to the joybthey bring in different ways but the thought of replaying that game sends a shiver down my spine as a lot of it was just a chore to get through rather than a challenge or fun

@Kimyonaakuma but once again that is personal opinion. Played through Ocarina of Time on a real N64 recently and it was excellent.

@kurtasbestos hey man, don't worry about it. Everyone has different tastes and opinions.

@fixxerjoe yeah
Sadly i wouldn't replay it either

I opened this and thought "BotW better not be #1." Yep, there it is.

Honestly BotW is one of the few that have failed to capture my continued interest. Majora's Mask, though? That right there is #1.

I dunno 'bout this list. I agree with Breath of the Wild's placement. That is the best Zelda right now to beat if it's sales are of any indication.

A Link to the Past is truly the best 2D Zelda and no 2D Zelda has been able to top its quality since its release. So it deserves high placement. Ocarina set the stage for the 3D Zeldas but people gotta start letting that game go, seriously. It's like holding onto mario 64 as the best 3D Mario game when its been surpassed long ago. Majora's Mask is a quality Zelda but it belongs close to the end of the line with Wind Waker.

Twilight Princess (for Wii) should be like 2nd. Side by side with Ocarina it's just a superior Zelda experience in nearly every way. It's not about Ocarina being released first, t's about quality. It shares a close format to Ocarina but that should not penalize it from the acknowledgement that it surpasses Ocarina as a core experience. And Wind Waker has no business occupying a placement higher than Twilight Princess.

I'm happy to see Skyward Sword somewhat close to 1st but it should be like 3rd. It doesn't contain an open world like Twilight Princess but it contained 1 to 1 combat (the Zelda's series best combat thus far) and several RPG moderization elements which paved the way for Breath of the Wild.

Link's Awakening was a feat for the Game Boy but it is an inferior Zelda experience compared to the Oracle series which deserves to be placed in front of it.

Aw well. These are just opinions but we'll never agree completely with the order these games should come in on any given site.

@Tempestryke @MarioLover92

The motion controls were top notch whether your using a bow and arrow or a sword. If you don't prefer them, that's one thing but to say they were awful because perhaps you couldn't grasp them = that's just simply biased.

Skyward Sword deserves a very high spot on the list

@Tempestryke

Dude really? Skyward Sword didn't lay groundwork for Botw?

Stamina gauge, bosses appearing outside of a dungeon, upgrading items, upgrading inventory slots, shield degradation, sailcloth upgrading to para-glider, firing blasts from the master sword, etc.?

I agree with you that Breath of the Wild's overworld is an evolution of the Legend of Zelda > A Link to the Past > Ocarina of Time and then Twilight Princess. But Breath of the Wild's RPG modernizations first began with Skyward Sword.

@Boxmonkey

In a universe where time isn't still. I'll take Skyward Sword's combat, dungeons, transportation, items, protagonist, story, villains, pacing, npcs, over anything Wind Waker offers any day of the week.

If I was on an island and I'd have to choose between those 2 games, Wind Waker would go in the ocean. But to each their own.

Based purely on how much I enjoyed them when I first played them.

1. Ocarina of Time (N64) - A complete game changer.
2. Skyward Sword (Wii) - Great OOT backstory and a top motion game.
3. A Link to the Past (SNES) - A classic that elevated the series.
4. Breath of the Wild (Wii U) - Another game changer, but weak on the story side.
5. Twilight Princess (Wii) - Maybe, there's a bunch of others that could go here but I do remember enjoying TP a bit more when I first played it.

I'm interested to know what "data" was used to get Breath of the Wild at #1 and Twilight Princess at #13. Twilight Princess (GC version) has a Metascore of 96%. Breath of the Wild (Wii U version) has a Metascore of... 96%. TP was also one of the highest selling in the franchise (in the top 2 or 3 depending on SKUs), so what's the data? Apart from: "Breath of the Wild is more recent so our hard-on for that one hasn't died down yet".

In fact, despite having higher review scores, higher sales and being held in higher regard by fans, what data is putting Twilight Princess below Skyward Sword, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks?

Only 346 comments? I thought half the internet would be here, arguing for all eternity, about why 14 and 13 should be swapped because of some obscure bit of trivia that 99% of people who played them wouldn't even know without Googling it.

BotW is a great game, but I hardly count it as a Zelda game

4 Sword Adventures and the DS games above Twilight Princess?? Don't make me laugh. TP was what all the fans were yearning for before it released and it delivered a wonderful adventure. I really can't support these ludicrous claims.

I love Skyward Sword. Go ahead. Hit me!
1)BoTW
2)Wind Waker
3)A link to the past/A link between worlds
4)Skyward Sword
5)Majoras Mask

@King_Johobo but in all honesty every Zelda game is important and great to me in some way ❤️🙌🏻

I wouldn't even put Breath of the Wild in the top 10. It's hugely over-rated. Terrible non-soundtrack, an empty open world, lack of dungeons/temples (the repetitive shrines are no substitute, and there aren't enough divine beasts to compensate), and a lack of likeable and distinctive characters.

Wind Waker takes my no.1 spot, followed by A Link Between Worlds, then Minish Cap.

POOR TRI FORCE HEROES :c

Anyways, here is my list.

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

Swap Twilight Princess with Skyward Sword and I might agree with this list.

If I ran a site like NL I’d do lists like this all the time, just to marvel at how upset people get. I especially like the “It’s not even a TRUE Zelda gaem!!!!!” crying. I pretty much agree with the list and certainly think BOTW deserves top spot. But if I didn’t, I’d shrug my shoulders and go about my day.

I'm confused on how they choose/who they let choose these lists... congrats should be extended though as this might be the first post to ever actually annoy the hell out of me.

The #1 game wasn't The Breath of the Wild for the Wii U? -2.7/10 not enough Zelda.

Seriously though I do like these different guides that's been posted lately, I wouldn't mind seeing more of them.

Haven't played nearly enough Zelda games to rank them but out of the ones I have played, BOTW is the best (my fave game ever), Twilight princess was second, link between worlds next and ocarina last. I only played maybe 5 hours in Ocarina probably 2 years ago and it was kinda boring and confusing. I'm sure it's still a great game though

Author must be a 90's kid...

Breath of the Wild is a really good game but I find it hard to compare with other Zelda titles, it's like Zelda but not quite Zelda.

What this list has revealed to me is that I have not played enough Zelda games.

While Breath of the Wild is far from a perfect game (and maybe not the best Zelda, but I feel like that's subjective), it definitely gets points from me for allowing use of weapons other than a one handed sword. I spent most of the early game as a spearman Link. That could definitely be deepened though, especially horseback combat. What's the point of using a spear on horseback if you can't cup it like a knight and charge?

I would like a new Zelda to refine Breath of the Wild's mechanics and maybe deliver a more densely populated world: one with cities and paved roads, not just a few villages. As beautiful as desolated Hyrule is, some urban areas wouldn't go amiss in a new entry. Walled pockets of civilization in a dangerous world...

I just came here for the comments, I didn't even read the article. I subsist upon the salt of the never ending question, which are the best zelda games?

My top 5?

1.skyward Sword
2.spirit tracks
3.adventure of link
4.Ocarina of Time
5. Wand of Gamelon

"The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Ages was Nintendo's effort to force the Pokémon-style dual releases onto the Zelda franchise"

But both Zelda's have different content and mechanics, while the Pokemon's are almost identical.

"Seasons was most notable for allowing you to use the Rod of Seasons to shift the world's climate. That helped you solve a variety of puzzles, by freezing lakes to growing Deku Flowers. It was a smart system that would later be revisited in various other Zelda entries"

Ehhh, we never have seen manipulating seasons in Zelda's ever since!

"It also forced you to fight through a few dungeons multiple times, both as Wolf Link – who was questionably fun at best – and regular Link"

Wrong!

"soar the skies with the help of a gigantic blue bird"

Actually it was a shoebill and he was red.

This list is full of flaws.

@KayFiOS

Nice list. I’d agree up until you get to Wind Waker. I’d give Majoras mask top, Ocarina 2nd Then Link to the past, followed by wind waker, BOTW, skyward sword, link between worlds, and then links awakening. I’m sure every bodies list reads very differently from that point on

@Kimyonaakuma not only that but Majoras Mask in my opinion is superior to OOT

I think the first Zelda game should be higher on the list. Breath of the Wild was great because it was actually a throwback to that first Zelda game in that you are free to travel anywhere in Hyrule you want. That freedom has been missing from so many of the Zelda games which have been linear PC puzzle games. Also, Hyrule Warriors deserves to be high on the list even though it isn't an official Zelda game. Its all-out action an arcade elements make it more fun to play than many of the official entries.

Not surprised, but still disappointing to see Botw topping so many lists. I just don't get it..

A couple of new mechanics hold some promise to be sure. But as it stands, Botw, to me it felt empty & far from finished.
Many other features that make Loz, were unnecessarily stripped away.

I've given it too many chances and still can't bring myself to continue without boring myself to tears.

SS was more enjoyable even with the freaking, frustratingly constant everyotherminute recalibrations!
(Technical absurdities aside, why do people dislike SS so much?)

Of course everyone is free to their own opinions on which Zelda reigns supreme.
I'm just a bit uneasy with the direction the series is headed at this point.

Also, for WW to place that low..
*faith in humanity- dwindling! :')

Youwch, this list hurts my feelings.

Of course, opinions are opinions.

I thought this list would be pretty close to my own thoughts but... TP that low on the list? Under Four Swords Adventures, which was only playable with four gba’s, special adapters etc.? Only for the fact it’s so hard to actually play it should be lower. TP on the other hand is my personal favourite one since it’s the ultimate “Zelda” game as in what Zelda actually stands for - dungeons filled with interesting puzzles, enemies, and a good story with good characters.

I think ALttP should also be higher - despite being just the third title in the series, it is actually genre-defining and it has aged so well.

Same goes for Wind Waker, but this is more of a nostalgia trip for me. Guess I understand why people don’t rate it that high.

But BotW on one is something I can never agree with. It could just as well not have been a Zelda game. Dont misunderstand me - it’s a great game, and it’s up to Zelda’s standards, but it’s not the reason I’m playing Zelda games for.

I guess it’s nostalgia driven, but I feel like the original legend of Zelda doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It was full of hidden secrets and a truly open overworld that hasn’t been repeated until breath of the wild. I think ocarina is overrated, but based on the ages of many game journalists probably came out when they were getting into games. I love all of the Zelda games though, and more than most Zelda lists I agree with this one.

@Kimyonaakuma Because no game for its time will ever give that same feeling OOT did. It is like when Star Wars first came out - for me thise films are average, but at the time no one had ever seen anything like It. When OOT came out, games had only just started being made in 3D, and what it achieved was phenomenal. Cutscenes that were part of the gameplay, swooping camera giving you views of the World, incredible puzzles in a 3D space, 3D lock on, night and day cycle, a living , breathing 3D open World, a musical instrument to play, incredible music for its time, the best graphics for its time..... and more. Maybe you were not around when it was released, but for people who were, it was an incredible experience and it surpasses every expectation players and critics had for it. There will never be such a significant jump in gaming as there was from 2D gaming, to gaming in the 3rd dimension.

Kinstones are a fun sidequest in Minish cap, and links loftwing is Red not blue.

"Oh cool"
Sees Triforce heroes as last
leaves
"Okay that was fun"

I'm tired as heck, so I do not feel like constructing a through argument, but just know that I am severely disappointed with the low ranking of Twilight Princess... Okay, it's not the best, I guess, but it's a pretty dang good game. Yeah, as many comments had already stated, BOTW really doesn't deserve the praise it gets. It's far too dull and repetitive, lacking the engaging action and puzzle-solving of what had come before. There's a reason why I prefer, structured, linear gameplay as opposed to open-ended exploration.

18. TriForce Heroes
17. Four Swords Adventures
16. Adventure of Link
15. Oracle of Seasons
14. Oracle of Ages
13. Spirit Tracks
12. Phantom Hourglass
11. Minish Cap
10. Link's Awakening
9. Legend of Zelda (my personal favorite, still, but I can unbiased)
8. Majora's Mask
7. Skyward Spirit
6. Wind Waker
5. Twilight Princess
4. Link to the Past
3. Link Between Worlds
2. Ocarina Of Time
1. Breath of the Wild

I believe this list is exactly as it should be
This would be the exact same order my list would be for the same reasons but I probably would have also included the fact for #1 on the list that for the first time they introduced voices for the characters like Zelda
Which in my opinion is one of the best new features they could have included

This is my top 4 (unfortunately this is all I have)
1. Skyward sword
2. BOTW
3. TP
4. LTTP

1. Minish cap & Ocarina of Time (1999 was magical with this masterpiece)
2. Wind walker.
3. Breath of the wild
4. Skyward sword
5. Any other thing there is left for whoever want to decide.

1. BotW
2. TP
3. OoT
4. AlttP
5. LoZ NES
The rest are just side quest.