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Every Legend of Zelda Game Ever Ranked by USGamer
- Thread starter Deleted member 249
- Start date
I don't get the love for Wind Waker. Yes it's pretty, but holy shit it is a FLAWED game. They only finished half their dungeons, the parry breaks all combat suspense by literally being a "Press A to Win" button, and the Triforce fetch quest is garbage.
While I did enjoy A Link to the Past a lot, I'd have to put Ocarina of Time as my #1. And though I know a lot of people hated it, I actually enjoyed Wind Waker quite a bit (though the sea travel did get really annoying after a while). Might put that at #3 for me.
The best Zelda games. Fujibashi turned out to be a great influence upon the series. SS is a timeless masterpiece.
My only complain is that the Oracle games and Link's Awakening should be higher on that list.
Tho, I'm biased towards Link's Awakening; that game single handily made me love the TLoZ serie after hating Zelda 1.
Tho, I'm biased towards Link's Awakening; that game single handily made me love the TLoZ serie after hating Zelda 1.
I'm happy with that top 2! I'd probably swap them, but ALTTP is def the best 2D Zelda, and I only beat it for the first time like two years ago
Eh. There's some I'd move around. I still prefer OOT to MM, Spirit Tracks to Phantom, and Twilight Princess to Wind Waker.
ALTTP deserves number one.
ALTTP deserves number one.
Having replayed Wind Waker (original) a week ago, I'm a bit soured on it now. It's a good game, and I actually think it's the best-looking in the series, but compared to even it's immediate predecessors, it's lacking. Not only is the combat almost totally vapid (of course I remembered this coming in), the dungeons are mostly comparable to OoT's child dungeons in terms of complexity, and although sailing can be a bit relaxing, it's hard to get around the fact that very little is happening during it most of the time.
I really feel that the only thing WW has going for it is it's aesthetic. It's a very, very strong aesthetic to be sure, but I don't think that's enough to make it a great game.
I really feel that the only thing WW has going for it is it's aesthetic. It's a very, very strong aesthetic to be sure, but I don't think that's enough to make it a great game.
I'm currently playing and loving A Link Between Worlds. It says it is based on the Hyrule "map" of LttP. So it is pseudo remake or something? I have never played LttP (hope to one day on SNES Mini) so I have no point of reference.
Of the Zelda games I played, I would probably rank them LA, Zelda 1 and Zelda 2. I could never get into the 3D games. Tried to like Oracle games but they just felt like LA knockoffs. Also struggled with Minish Cap to my surprise. ALBW has been a great callback to LA for me, it will likely rank above the NES games on my list when I'm done.
Of the Zelda games I played, I would probably rank them LA, Zelda 1 and Zelda 2. I could never get into the 3D games. Tried to like Oracle games but they just felt like LA knockoffs. Also struggled with Minish Cap to my surprise. ALBW has been a great callback to LA for me, it will likely rank above the NES games on my list when I'm done.
I haven't played Breath of the Wild extensively, but seeing as I really agree with the rest of your top 5, you're on to something.
Having played both ALBW and ALttP back to back, I think there may not be as many video games in history as massively overrated as A Link to the Past. A Link Between Worlds is just superior in almost every way.
Pretty solid list. I'm not in 100% agreement, but most games are roughly where they should be. Though I'd shuffle the top 5 a bit and swap TP and SS. Whilst TP is more consistent, it's kind of ho-hum the whole way through. SS is heavily flawed, no denying that, with many low lows but it also had much higher highs than anything TP. That elevates it above for me.
Edit: I'd also shunt the OG Zelda much lower on the list. It's a great first effort and proof of concept, but you can't deny the strides that were made with LttP and onwards put the rest of the series a peg higher.
Edit: I'd also shunt the OG Zelda much lower on the list. It's a great first effort and proof of concept, but you can't deny the strides that were made with LttP and onwards put the rest of the series a peg higher.
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It also has a stellar stoundtrack. Otherwise I completely agree, it's such a shallow game.
I've always wanted to play Minish Cap and never have. Debating on picking it up and playing on my GB Micro.
How does it truly compare to the Oracle games... cause I thought those were brilliant. I honestly don't love any of the handheld Zelda games except for those two. I like them all fine enough (and found ALBW To definitely be pretty damn solid).
How does it truly compare to the Oracle games... cause I thought those were brilliant. I honestly don't love any of the handheld Zelda games except for those two. I like them all fine enough (and found ALBW To definitely be pretty damn solid).
Nah, the sense of discovery, adventure and exploration in WW was unparalleled up until BotW. That game had the only over world in the series that I just had to explore every inch of.
(I haven't played Zelda 1 so I'm not including it, maybe it is).
Also, yes, the charming aesthetic and OST were amazing as well.
Pretty much agree with the top 5 (assuming wind waker is the HD version).
Regarding tri force heroes: if you play the game like a single player puzzle game it actually is pretty great. Would certainly put it above the DS games.
Regarding tri force heroes: if you play the game like a single player puzzle game it actually is pretty great. Would certainly put it above the DS games.
That list is missing Zelda, The Legend of Zelda Game Watch, My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess, Tingle's Balloon Fight DS, Ripened Tingles Balloon Trip of Love and BS The Legend of Zelda: The Stone Tablets so the basic premise is shot.
How the heck do they include the first BS Zelda game and not the second one?
Also how the heck are Hyrule Warriors and Tri Force Heroes so low?
Also, also I doubt they actually played the CDi games, given their descriptions.
Bad list.
How the heck do they include the first BS Zelda game and not the second one?
Also how the heck are Hyrule Warriors and Tri Force Heroes so low?
Also, also I doubt they actually played the CDi games, given their descriptions.
Bad list.
It's hard to argue that list, especially as there has never been a bad mainline Zelda game.
I would personally move Majora's Mask down a bit. I'd then move Skyward Sword up a little and I'd move Minish Cap up a lot. But those are minor changes.
Also, I don't trust a person who doesn't think aLTTP is one of the greatest games of all time.
I would personally move Majora's Mask down a bit. I'd then move Skyward Sword up a little and I'd move Minish Cap up a lot. But those are minor changes.
Also, I don't trust a person who doesn't think aLTTP is one of the greatest games of all time.
It's so hard to take Zelda lists seriously when they put Wind Waker anywhere within 1000km of the Top.
It's such a bad Zelda game.
Not to mention how low Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are. 2 of the best Zelda games ever made.
It's such a bad Zelda game.
Not to mention how low Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are. 2 of the best Zelda games ever made.
Yeah, I really disliked Wind Waker. Played it on the Wii U, and traversing the oceans is such a chore. Also, the music in the daytime on the boat is fantastic, but at night it is so grating.
The game is extremely slow, and especially the Triforce quest is an exercise in tedium.
I vastly prefer A Link Between Worlds, which imo has perfect pacing, the best in all of Zelda (never played ALTTP though).
I don't agree with this list, but my best Zelda list would have been way more controversial then this one.
Skyward Sword and Hyrule Warriors would be in the top 5
Skyward Sword and Hyrule Warriors would be in the top 5
It's always tricky to find the right balance between how significant these games were at the time, and how well they hold up today. A Link to the Past is a game that did a lot and helped shape the series to what it became for years, but I would not recommend it to any one that isn't committed to playing every Zelda game. It established a lot of conventions, but it ends up having very little memorable of its own. Its successors would refine and and expand on all of its most interesting aspects.
To me, A Link to the Past is the game where most of the dungeons are kind of samey, items are only rarely encouraged to use, puzzles are relatively rare making the game more about simplistic combat and maze-navigation, and tons of dull, sword-fighting bosses. It also has a mostly empty world where timeless characters like "old man", "flute boy", sick boy" and "Lumberjack 1" and "Lumberjack 2" get as much development as the named characters. Probably great in the early 90s, but I didn't play it until well into the 2000s and it basically had very little to offer to me back then. I'm assuming that's why A Link Between Worlds deviated from a straight-remake, and attempted to spice things up with much improved level and puzzle design, and giving the world's inhabitants some more characterisation and personality.
To me, A Link to the Past is the game where most of the dungeons are kind of samey, items are only rarely encouraged to use, puzzles are relatively rare making the game more about simplistic combat and maze-navigation, and tons of dull, sword-fighting bosses. It also has a mostly empty world where timeless characters like "old man", "flute boy", sick boy" and "Lumberjack 1" and "Lumberjack 2" get as much development as the named characters. Probably great in the early 90s, but I didn't play it until well into the 2000s and it basically had very little to offer to me back then. I'm assuming that's why A Link Between Worlds deviated from a straight-remake, and attempted to spice things up with much improved level and puzzle design, and giving the world's inhabitants some more characterisation and personality.
I would at least put Minish Cap in the top 10. I like where ALBW is at though.
Skyward Sword is too fucking high on that list. Also massive LOLS at them including the CDi games and that weird Sateliteview Zelda-remix that no one outside of Japan ever played unless they pirated or emulated it. They have no business being ranked alongside the other games.
Well the similarities are there due to Koizumi being a main writer on both LA and MM, coming up with the dream world of LA and the three-day system of MM. The guy should have been in charge of the Zelda series with his masterful storytelling yet they put him on fucking Mario which doesn't have story.
If that was the case, then most of the 3d Zelda games should be lower because they are linear and have restricted exploration.