There are not many gaming franchises that have marked practicallyevery Nintendo generationthroughout the years as consistently asThe Legend of Zelda.
From 8-bit swords that made sure we would never walk alone to fully open-worlds full of details, the iconic legend of Link, Zelda, and Ganon has evolved with each Nintendo console, always surprising us fans with a new adventure to save Hyrule and people in danger.
I woke up today feeling quite nostalgic, so I decided to explore all of Nintendo’s eras and pick the Zelda game that best captured the essence of the series on each console, considering its importance and influence on the franchise, critical reception, and overall quality.
So prepare your shield and protect your piece of the Triforce, because we are about to travel through the history of one of the best gaming franchises out there.
13The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Best of Game Boy Color
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
The Oracle series is a great set of games, and I will never forgive Zelda’s fans for keeping thesehandheld gemsas underrated titles.
Especially becauseZelda: Oracle of Seasonsexcels at giving an engaging main quest, fun dungeons, known (and updated) bosses, and an innovative mechanic of controlling all four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter).
The idea of this mechanic is great, but it is also a little limited, since you learn one season at a time (being able to change between all seasons when you are already halfway through the game), and can only change the seasons while standing on specific tree stumps. Either way, it is a solid adventure on the Game Boy Color.
12The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Best of Game Boy Advance
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Zelda: The Minish Capis another handheld worth visiting, with charming visuals and a unique mechanic that shrinks Link to a very small size in order to solve puzzles throughout the story.
It may have some difficulty spikes and not so much interesting optional content in comparison to other contenders on the list, but every dungeon manages to be fun and simple, following a more linear structure than other games in the series, living up to the adventurous spirit of the franchise’s 2D titles.
Oh, and I also love that Link screams “HYAAAAAH” when you roll with him, just like the 3D Zeldas. Extremely satisfying.
11The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Best of Nintendo DS
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Yes,Zelda: Phantom Hourglass’ controls can be a little awkward, but its atmosphere and inventive way of using the Nintendo DS’s unique elements as in-game mechanics are super fun, such as having to close the console to copy maps.
I also remember when I got stuck on Isle of Ember, since it requires the player to puff on the microphone to blow out the candles in front of the Temple of Fire to open the door – which I accidentally discovered by sneezing on the mic. I was completely amazed by that!
That said, it can be a very fun and different experience for a Zelda adventure, with cool bosses, decent puzzles, a nice sailing touch, and a quirky sidekick (yes, Linebeck, I am looking at you).
10The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
Best of Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
I have to put it out there:Zelda: Majora’s Maskis my personal favorite title in the whole franchise, and its version on the Nintendo 3DS is a must-play for every gamer. It is only lower on the list because it is a remake.
Either way, it not only preserves one of the best (and darkest) gaming experiences you will ever have, but it also adds a bunch of small improvements that modernize the classic game.
Link’s adventure in Termina looks amazing with the more detailed visuals and smoother gameplay – and you also get a better version of the Song of Double Time, which allows you to advance to a specific hour of the current day, making it much easier to keep up with all NPCs’ calendars.
9The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Best of Game Boy
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
I like to describeZelda: Link’s Awakeningas the strangest adventure Link has ever had to face so far, since it puts him on a mysterious island that follows a very unique and linear storyline.
Forget about Zelda, saving Hyrule, or defeating Ganon for good. Your job here is to awaken a giant fish by playing a special ballad. Get what I mean?
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Jokes aside, it is a very fun and intriguing experience, with memorable music and great characters, that also manages to be visually charming despite the original Game Boy’s limitations.
8The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Best of Nintendo Wii
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
I am a big fan of the darker chapters in The Legend of Zelda (or any franchise for that matter), soTwilight Princesshas a very comfy, special place in my adventurous heart.
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Its story is amazing and full of plot twists, with an iconic soundtrack and remarkable characters, alongside a unique mechanic that transforms Link into a wolf – literally. Also, all the bosses are epic, and Midna is probably my favorite (and weirder) sidekick ever.
All of that leads to a nice change of tone for the franchise, but sadly, many of its great concepts did not find their way to other Zelda titles (so far, at least).
7The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Best of Nintendo Wii U
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
For me,Zelda: Skyward Swordis one of the most interesting and important 3D Zelda games in terms of narrative, since it adds a lot to the franchise’s lore as a whole.
Not only that, but it also has phenomenal dungeon designs (and one of the best bosses in Zelda history), great combat with motion controls, well-crafted puzzles, and many remarkable characters.
I also think that its impressionistic art style is very unique, adding an amazing feeling of visiting a story from a very distant and sacred past.
6The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Best of Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This one is probably unanimous, since no one can denyZelda: Breath of the Wild’s influence in the current phase of the franchise and in the gaming industry as a whole.
Following the series’ original roots, it delivers a fully open-world design with a lot of emphasis on player freedom, presenting a completely non-linear DNA and a “please, go explore anything you want” philosophy.
For instance, you can get to the final boss from the very first second of the game – a very hard task, sure, but you can still do it with a lot of persistence and hope.
5The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best of Nintendo Switch 2 (So Far)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Fextralife Wiki
You simply can not talk about Breath of the Wild without mentioningZelda: Tears of the Kingdomright away, right? And it also stands out from its predecessor because it manages to further expand the concept of freedom that governs this current phase of the franchise.
It is an amazing sequence that manages to deliver the impossible: an experience that deepens even more the philosophy of its predecessor due to its great mechanics of creating different structures, combining items, traveling through ceilings, and even reversing object movements.
I know that it was first launched on the original Nintendo Switch, but an enhanced version was released on theNintendo Switch 2day one, and it is the best way to fully enjoy this one.
4The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Best of Nintendo GameCube
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
I simply love to sail and explore every nook and cranny of the enormous ocean inZelda: The Wind Waker– it is an extremely charming experience that I wish for every fan to have.
I remember how amazed I felt while playing it for the first time at the time of its release. It is a game that retains the old classic formula of 3D Zelda while still innovating on new hardware.
Its cartoonish art aged like fine wine, every puzzle is challenging enough to make you feel like a genius, all the cities are filled with NPCs and many things to do, and the storytelling is probably one of the best ones in the series.
