Vincent Alexander
Member
I can't really be too picky with Zelda rankings, because they're all so damn good.
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Kotaku: The Legend of Zelda Games, Ranked From Worst To Best
- Thread starter Kthulhu
- Start date
Yoshimitsu126
Member
Any list with Link to the Past on top is a pretty damn good list.
cartman414
Member
I find it pretty rich you're accusing me of narrow-mindedness when you're declaring what you say as fact.
First, those "elaborate and memorable" scenarios may not be so memorable beyond the first time for some, leaving a less entertaining play experience. Remember, gaming is interactive, not passive.
Now here's the thing: I loved Majora's Mask, since it had a pared down but more active and substantial overworld combined with just enough dungeons (they were getting 3d dungeons down at the time; any more than 4 would have overstayed its welcome).
Part of the acclaim the Mario Galaxy games were given was how platform-y they managed to be. Not one of those 2d vs. 3d things. It's good that Mario was there to set the template for 3d, but the torch was meant to be passed. I love lots of different genres and subgenres of games, from Metroidvanias to RPGs and what have you. Mario, in light of his straightforward run/jump/powerup use moveset, works best in his more platform-y moments. The more exploration geared games are better suited towards characters such as Yoshi (see: Yoshi's Island).
Lastly, I should add that on its own terms, 7, while still being quite solid, isn't that remarkable amongst RPGs on the whole. If nothing else, it climaxes a little early right when your party escapes Midgar. And of course there's the characters rendered interchangeable due to ability system that was only eclipsed in extremity by FF8. If you call me a hipster for preferring, say, Zelda II, you're the one who's being blind, namely, to the fact that different people have different yet pertinent concepts of how well games succeed at what they do.
C.Olimar788
Member
Tri Force Heroes is really fun though? I didn't think it was forgettable at all. Certainly a helluva lot better than trying to play Zelda II.
And I'd personally rather play it than LttP which I feel has aged very poorly but that's just me
MineralCraver420
Banned
My top 7 (for all the record, all of these would have a place on my top 100 games of all time)
7: A Link to the Past
6: Majora's Mask
5: Link's Awakening
4: Ocarina of Time
3: Skyward Sword
2: A Link Between Worlds
1: Wind Waker
7: A Link to the Past
6: Majora's Mask
5: Link's Awakening
4: Ocarina of Time
3: Skyward Sword
2: A Link Between Worlds
1: Wind Waker
My personal ranking, including only games I've played (duh):
9. The Legend of Zelda - I think the gameplay is fun and the challenge is good but it was simply way too cryptic for me.
8. Adventure of Link - Similar to above, but I thought the gameplay was deeper and better.
7. A Link to the Past - For some reason this game doesn't resonate much with me. It's fun though.
6. Minish Cap - Dungeons are very creative in this one and I liked the art style.
3. Ocarina of Time - Don't have much preference between OoT/TP/SS. OoT has by far the best pacing between these 3 but it's easy to tell OoT was the first 3D one when comparing them.
3. Skyward Sword - Love the motion controls, the characters and the dungeons. Only dislike the lack of a regular overworld.
3. Twilight Princess - Love the dungeons, items, swordplay and Midna. Main gripe is the unnecesarilly big overworld but it's pretty easy to avoid needing to navigate it much.
2. Wind Waker - Unparalleled sense of adventure. It has many flaws but I just love playing it. My favourite story in Zelda games too, the concept of flooded Hyrule is really cool.
1. Majora's Mask - Best setting in the franchise and probably in all games I've played. Other than that, gameplay is really good with all the masks and the dungeons (except the swamp one) are all complex and well designed.
Should be clear from my ranking but I strongly prefer 3D Zelda over 2D Zelda, which doesn't do much for me. However, I haven't played Link's Awakening or Link Between Worlds which are super highly regarded so...
9. The Legend of Zelda - I think the gameplay is fun and the challenge is good but it was simply way too cryptic for me.
8. Adventure of Link - Similar to above, but I thought the gameplay was deeper and better.
7. A Link to the Past - For some reason this game doesn't resonate much with me. It's fun though.
6. Minish Cap - Dungeons are very creative in this one and I liked the art style.
3. Ocarina of Time - Don't have much preference between OoT/TP/SS. OoT has by far the best pacing between these 3 but it's easy to tell OoT was the first 3D one when comparing them.
3. Skyward Sword - Love the motion controls, the characters and the dungeons. Only dislike the lack of a regular overworld.
3. Twilight Princess - Love the dungeons, items, swordplay and Midna. Main gripe is the unnecesarilly big overworld but it's pretty easy to avoid needing to navigate it much.
2. Wind Waker - Unparalleled sense of adventure. It has many flaws but I just love playing it. My favourite story in Zelda games too, the concept of flooded Hyrule is really cool.
1. Majora's Mask - Best setting in the franchise and probably in all games I've played. Other than that, gameplay is really good with all the masks and the dungeons (except the swamp one) are all complex and well designed.
Should be clear from my ranking but I strongly prefer 3D Zelda over 2D Zelda, which doesn't do much for me. However, I haven't played Link's Awakening or Link Between Worlds which are super highly regarded so...
I've played all of these games except for Tri Force Heroes, but I'm just gonna list my top 5 since it's kinda pointless after a certain number.
1. Majora's Mask
2. Wind Waker (HD)
3. Ocarina of Time
4. A Link Between Worlds
5. Skyward Sword
It's interesting to me that Skyward Sword consistently makes it to my top 5 despite me having so many problems with it. I think its highs are just higher than many other games in the series, which to be fair felt a bit mechanically outdated in 2011 anyway.
1. Majora's Mask
2. Wind Waker (HD)
3. Ocarina of Time
4. A Link Between Worlds
5. Skyward Sword
It's interesting to me that Skyward Sword consistently makes it to my top 5 despite me having so many problems with it. I think its highs are just higher than many other games in the series, which to be fair felt a bit mechanically outdated in 2011 anyway.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
I'd have trouble with the top two as well. I can't choose between them but since LA was my first Zelda I'd probably choose that one instead.
Inferno313
Banned
????
I've never heard this opinion before. I was playing ALttP a few weeks ago, it feels fine, great in fact.
Vampirolol
Member
Then you'll be happy to know that Breath of the Wild is directed by the same guy who made Minish Cap! (and Skyward Sword, wich is still awesome)
eXistor
Member
I always found the game lacking in side-quests. I never found the dungeons to be all that memorable. Game was too easy and overall too short. Fun game, very polished and all, but it just doesn't reach the heights it should have for me.
Most people haven't even played it. They just assume it's bad because of Phantom Hourglass.
Sad.
Keep up the good fight!
Great! The monthly Zelda ranking thread! Love these almost as much as the Link's gender threads.
I forget the exact order of my past rankings (and there have been several), but if I have any actual convictions whatsoever, it should be fairly similar. I recently played Skyward Sword and Wind Waker so that may influence this newest list.
Ga-harbage Tier
|16. Phantom Hourglass
|
|15. Skyward Sword
Unremarkable Tier
|14. Triforce Heroes
|
|13. Four Swords Adventures
|
|12. Oracle of Seasons/Ages
Fine, Fine, OK Sure Tier
|11. Legend of Zelda
|
|10. Link's Awakening
|
|9. Adventure of Link
The Minish Cap Tier
|8. The Minish Cap
Zelda Tier
|7. Ocarina of Time
|
|6. Spirit Tracks
|
|5. Majora's Mask
|
|4. A Link Between Worlds
Tier of the Goddess
|3. A Link to the Past
|
|2. Wind Waker
|
|1. Twilight Princess
I forget the exact order of my past rankings (and there have been several), but if I have any actual convictions whatsoever, it should be fairly similar. I recently played Skyward Sword and Wind Waker so that may influence this newest list.
Ga-harbage Tier
|16. Phantom Hourglass
|
|15. Skyward Sword
Unremarkable Tier
|14. Triforce Heroes
|
|13. Four Swords Adventures
|
|12. Oracle of Seasons/Ages
Fine, Fine, OK Sure Tier
|11. Legend of Zelda
|
|10. Link's Awakening
|
|9. Adventure of Link
The Minish Cap Tier
|8. The Minish Cap
Zelda Tier
|7. Ocarina of Time
|
|6. Spirit Tracks
|
|5. Majora's Mask
|
|4. A Link Between Worlds
Tier of the Goddess
|3. A Link to the Past
|
|2. Wind Waker
|
|1. Twilight Princess
timetokill
Banned
Yeah, this is true.
Walt_Clyde
Member
Cosign.
These lists are interesting because it clearly shows that people like different things about Zelda games. World exploration, side quests with interesting NPCs, and music are my favorite parts of Zelda games. I think Skyward Sword is an abomination.
But people regularly put it in their top favorites, so there must be something redeeming about it. It can't be exploration - maybe some people prefer linear adventures. Conversely, Legend of Zelda sometimes gets put near the top because it has that Dark Souls element.
Some high school anime story in the intro that drags on endlessly. Then you get out into the world and it's actually just Mario levels. Ridiculous forced minigames that take up hours. Really ugly environment textures. Unresponsive controls - could have put sword swing on a right analog stick. Bla bla.
Majukun
Member
actually i loved phantm hourglass..but i didn't even finished spirit tracks
I bought the game and could not make it past that long anime intro. What the hell was that? I played for a hour and it still wasn't over and I had enough. I paid for a game not a anime movie. Just for that it shouldn't be higher than any of the other Zeldas.
What do you mean by Mario levels?
How's the overworld? Is there an overworld?
Majukun
Member
not really an overworld..there's the main "village" where you start the game,and then 3 areas that you are gonna visit multiple times...he probably refers about them as mario levels because they are evidently "game-ing" areas, they don't look or feel like real places,but more like mario levels with tightly condensed "gamey" parts that you are gonna tackle sooner or later,either on this visit or the next, depending on what items you have
while i understand the critic,i really didn't mind this structure, but it's not really one of my favortie zelda either.
combat was probably the hugest missing opportunity of this game...they had a lot of potential with the 360 movement of the sword,instead only 2 max 3 enemies in the entire game actually need precise strikes,meanwhile the bokoblins (?) that you ind everywhere in the world have all the same weaknesses,feints.
basically if you start swinging to the right and then attack to the left,they will always take the bait and get hit...it gets so ridicolus that when you reach the second half of the game you can just RUN through hordes of those enemies without getting a single scratch and killing everyone...
i get it that the enemies that require precise strikes slow down the game considerably and you can't have more than one or two per time without that gimmick becomes frustrating..but still, combat becomes trivial in the worst possible way...when you can you actually prefer to try and outrun them.
I don't think the beginning was that bad either though,not enough to not actually play the game really.
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
Majoras Mask should be top, and the oracle games have no place so high, otherwise fine.
Yoshimitsu126
Member
Dungeons were great but the difficulty mixed with the game's moody atmosphere and realistic design had so much dissonance it fails to be top 3 for me.
I love the intro to SS, super charming and memorable. Then again I'm one of those in the minority that likes slow openings. WW had a good one too.
Combat was simplistic as it is in most Zelda games but I really enjoyed it, not for it's complexity but for how fun it is simply to wield your sword and various items and use them against the different enemy types.
MechanicalWall
Banned
Silent Hill has a much more 'standard' list outline. SH2 at the top, SH3 second, SH1 below that, and honestly who gives a shit after that. Series like Zelda and FF are much more difficult to come up with one 'definitive' list that is generally accepted partly because of how many games there are in each series, and how different they are from one another. If you liked SH1, they you'll probably like SH2 and SH3. Meanwhile, it's possible to love FFVII and utterly hate FFXIII, or XV, or VI...
Greatest Ever
Member
Also a game that has been thoroughly outclassed in every single way. The game doesn't have the weirdness MM had to set it apart, nor is any of the gameplay other than Z-targeting particularly great today.
Word. I hated the opening of SS so much. And it makes me want to pull my hair out everytime someone cites it as "the best Link and Zelda interaction evar!"
First off, play Spirit Tracks.
Secondly, no, it's not. It's generic as fuck childhood best friend anime filler for an hour, then Link spends the rest of the game
chasing after her where she clearly doesnt need his help at all.
When the game would actually shut up and let me play it, I had a good time (for the most part - fuck degradable equipment tho). But I never replayed it due largely to that shit opening.
I'm re-doing Twilight Princess (HD version) as we speak and goddamn this game is a mess. It is so fucking linear with extremely long corridors to get to the objective even if it has an open Hyrule Fields, which is extremely barren anyways. The story makes you go back and forward all the time (A to B to A to go back to B now) without any real reason besides taking time (and justifying your 60$ purchase?). Graphics, even for an HD remaster, didn't age well at all. Gameplay is also not precise at all when you want to take an item, throwing the Boomerang is weird with the lock-on system (and you can't even move during it) and trying to steer the horse is very difficult. Dungeons layout is fine (good for some), and some items are awesome (like the dual-claws), but the overall feeling of this game is just a "meh". The story doesn't make any sense and the Twilight Realm is more like a copy/pasta of the Dark World from other games with many "medieval magic" phenomenons that aren't explained and just looks stupid (Midna appearing where she wants even if the light world, the way portals works, etc.). But the worse is probably when you can jump much higher as a wolf with Midna's help... Why the heck you can do this only in specific areas? It's also quite simple, aka press L + lock + jump and spam jump... ok. This clearly demonstrates bad level design.
I finished Wind Waker HD just before and I had a blast. Graphics did age well (while I understand some simply doesn't like the look), gameplay is extremely tight, story is good and there is an open-world vibe to it with, since you can do many things in a different order (like the two last dungeons) and gives a good sense of freedom. You actually feel you're on an adventure. I think the only con this games have is the dungeon layout, which is definitely not the best (especially the last two dungeons in which you have to escort someone and can be a pain). In HD version, they changed the Triforce hunt and it is much more fun.
Wind Waker > Twilight Princess.
I finished Wind Waker HD just before and I had a blast. Graphics did age well (while I understand some simply doesn't like the look), gameplay is extremely tight, story is good and there is an open-world vibe to it with, since you can do many things in a different order (like the two last dungeons) and gives a good sense of freedom. You actually feel you're on an adventure. I think the only con this games have is the dungeon layout, which is definitely not the best (especially the last two dungeons in which you have to escort someone and can be a pain). In HD version, they changed the Triforce hunt and it is much more fun.
Wind Waker > Twilight Princess.
It's crazy how this ranking has spawned so much heat and discussion when the article is beyond barebones. There are only a few measly, surface-level sentences about each game! You all are spending way more time debating the merits of the list than Jason spent writing it 
I'm not at all trying to dissuade anyone from the discussion; it's just a shame that such a vibrant thread is based on such a vapid piece.
If a leading industry site is going to present a bold ranking of titles in one of the most iconic franchises ever, especially ahead of the series' most ambitious game launch, the ranked entries should provide enough substance to justify the list existing in the first place. As it is, these snippets read like shallow and rushed decrees by someone who knew this piece would get a ton of hits regardless of the effort put into creating it. That alone should be enough to make people not care about what Jason is saying here (and I generally quite like the guy)!
I'm not at all trying to dissuade anyone from the discussion; it's just a shame that such a vibrant thread is based on such a vapid piece. If a leading industry site is going to present a bold ranking of titles in one of the most iconic franchises ever, especially ahead of the series' most ambitious game launch, the ranked entries should provide enough substance to justify the list existing in the first place. As it is, these snippets read like shallow and rushed decrees by someone who knew this piece would get a ton of hits regardless of the effort put into creating it. That alone should be enough to make people not care about what Jason is saying here (and I generally quite like the guy)!
On the other hand, what the hell else is there to do while we wait for the next three weeks to pass?
The overworld you literally select the place you want to go on a level-select screen and when you get there, they're narrow corridors - not as bad as FF13, but getting there.
Confused Cheeseburger
Member
LTTP is master design. Everything in its right place design wise with that game.
Majora's Mask is arguably better than OOT.
I don't think any argument would ever make me think it is better than OoT.
MegaManTrigger
Banned
Majora's Mask rated higher than Ocarina of Time? All is right in this world.
Nah
15. Tri Force Heroes
14. Phantom Hourglass
13. Spirit Tracks
12. Skyward Sword
11. Zelda II: Adventure of Link
10. Legend of Zelda
09. Wind Waker
08. Link's Awakening
07. Oracle of Ages/Seasons
06. Minish Cap
05. A Link Between Worlds
04. Link to the Past
03. Twilight Princess
02. Ocarina of Time
01. Majora's Mask
15. Tri Force Heroes
14. Phantom Hourglass
13. Spirit Tracks
12. Skyward Sword
11. Zelda II: Adventure of Link
10. Legend of Zelda
09. Wind Waker
08. Link's Awakening
07. Oracle of Ages/Seasons
06. Minish Cap
05. A Link Between Worlds
04. Link to the Past
03. Twilight Princess
02. Ocarina of Time
01. Majora's Mask
Majukun
Member
please, elaborate
Saucestin_Roast
Member
God damn. What a hot take. Care to explain this craziness?
crazy monkey
Banned
1.oot
2.tp
I did not enjoy ss. Rest i have not played to finish.
Tp was just amazing. Similar to oot.
2.tp
I did not enjoy ss. Rest i have not played to finish.
Tp was just amazing. Similar to oot.
Don't act surprised like I'm the first to not care about MM. Time limits alone in a game where I would traditionally be exploring is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Professor Beef
Banned
I'm gonna guess you don't like Dead Rising 1 or 2, right?
MegaManTrigger
Banned
Every time I see this complaint, I'm legitimately baffled. Just because you have a groundhog day 3-day system, doesn't mean you're pressured to do all of your exploring in one shot. Not to mention, you have access to songs that help slow down time, thus giving you even more time to explore.
Majukun
Member
i don't like time limits but i love majora...mainly because you can manipulate time so freely that they don't really matter that much