Top 10 Zelda Games

There is no greater video game series than The Legend of Zelda. Since its arrival in 1986, it has set the standard for non-linear action-adventure games. Packed with puzzles, secrets, collectibles, swords, and sorcery, Zelda games allow players to disappear into a medieval fantasy world and conquer evil in the comfort of their living rooms.

Zelda games are some of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. Ocarina of Time, the fifth game in the series, is generally considered the greatest game ever made. Skyward Sword, the most recent franchise game, was named by IGN as the best game of 2011, beating out games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City.

In honor of the upcoming Zelda game for 3DS, announced on April 16, please find below a list of the top 10 Zelda games. This list represents the best of the best from over 25 years of The Legend of Zelda.

#10

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

It took Nintendo five years to finally unlock the full potential of its revolutionary motion controller, and it was Skyward Sword that did the unlocking. Boasting the best, most responsive motion controls of any game ever, Skyward Sword demonstrated once and for all that motion controls could be woven intelligently and masterfully into a game world without gimmickry. But it came at a cost. Nintendo EAD's deep focus on motion controls prevented the development team from investing in larger, more open worlds -- a staple of The Legend of Zelda. Still, the game is outstanding, technically and artistically. It features the best storytelling of any Zelda game, and it provides an origin story worthy of the franchise.

#9

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

It took several years for a Zelda game to arrive on a Nintendo handheld system, but the end result was worth the wait. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is one of only a few Zelda games that takes place outside of Hyrule; in fact it features none of the elements that traditionally appear in Zelda games: Ganon, Princess Zelda, and the Triforce. Those omissions, however, don't detract from the overall experience. In fact, Link’s Awakening is great in no small part because of its heterodoxy.  The game might not compare favorably with some of the console Zelda titles, but it remains a fun, unique, and sometimes irreverent take on The Legend of Zelda that has, in the years following its release, attracted a substantial cult following.

#8

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

When discussing the best incarnations of the Princess Zelda, many fans point to Ocarina of Time or The Wind Waker. Very few pay tribute to Zelda from Spirit Tracks. It's a shame, really, because the Princess plays a very important role in this handheld Zelda adventure, not only in the narrative but also in the mechanics of the game itself. Zelda's personality -- smart, curious, trusting, stately, brave, at times comically incredulous -- is on full display in Spirit Tracks. It makes for a very funny, very touching game. According to the Zelda mythology, Link and Zelda are partners in time and space; in Spirit Tracks they are partners in crime(stopping).

#7

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

For most of its run, the Zelda series has been developed by Nintendo EAD. There are several titles, however, that were designed by Capcom. One of those titles is The Minish Cap, which features two  Zelda superlatives: best overworld and best sidekick (sorry Midna). Although Capcom designed much of the game, it continues the legacy of the series: action, adventure, puzzle-solving, dungeon-crawling. Where it strays from the formula is its hook -- Link's brand new ability to shrink down to microscopic size -- and the inclusion of “kinstones,” two-part artifacts that produce items when matching pieces are combined.

#6

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

After its experiment with The Wind Waker, it was perhaps inevitable that Nintendo would opt for a more conventional Zelda adventure. Originally planned for a late 2005 release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was postponed a year and released in November 2006 alongside the Nintendo Wii, making it the first Zelda launch title. Twilight Princess is a loving tribute to Ocarina of Time, and pays homage to its precursor throughout the game. It's one of the most ambitious Zelda games ever made and easily the largest, taking some 60 hours to complete. Twilight Princess marks the first appearance of Midna, one of the all-time great Zelda supporting characters, and several innovations, including horseback swordfights, Wii remote swordplay, and Link’s ability to transform into a wolf.

#5

The Legend of Zelda

There are only a handful of games that could earn the title "most influential game of all time" and the original Legend of Zelda would be counted among them. Like many of Shigeru Miyamoto's early creations, The Legend of Zelda was years ahead of its time. When it arrived in 1986, it set the standard for open world, non-linear gameplay, and would go on to influence generations of action-adventure games. Through its pioneering use of a backup battery installed in the game cartridge, the game allowed players to experience an enormous game world that needn't be completed in a single sitting.

#4

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Unfairly criticized for its cartoonish appearance, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker features some of the most memorable and vibrant art direction of any Zelda adventure and boasts, without a doubt, the most visually expressive Link of any franchise game. Set on a huge, never-ending great sea, The Wind Waker is the story of Link’s quest to rescue his captured sister. Unlike other Zelda games, in which Link travelled by foot or on horseback, The Wind Waker asks its players to navigate across the vast ocean in a small sailboat. Aside from its gorgeous cel-shaded graphics, The Wind Waker boasts a terrific soundtrack and a deep, sometimes unpredictable story complete with several mid-game revelations and a truly shocking ending.

#3

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

How does a company like Nintendo follow up one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time? It releases another one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. Such was the scenario with Ocarina of Time and its sequel Majora's Mask, a game that actually improves upon the graphics and play control of its predecessor. Whereas Ocarina was a "traditional" Zelda experience, Majora's Mask is unusual; it's much more cerebral and much darker than other games in the series. It also features an unusual hook: the 72-hour timeline, which gives the hero Link only three days to save the world from destruction.

#2

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

While not necessarily the greatest Zelda game ever developed, A Link to the Past is certainly the quintessential Zelda experience; it established many of the items, enemies, and tropes that appear in almost every Zelda game. The Master Sword, for example, first appears in A Link to the Past. The game also introduced to the series the idea of parallel or alternate dimensions, across which the hero can travel. This added a new (forgive the pun) dimension to puzzle-solving in The Legend of Zelda; items and portals that appear in one universe may be manipulated to produce effects in a parallel universe.

#1

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Generally considered the best video game ever made, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time tops this list of the best Zelda games. What makes it so great? Well, it pioneered innovations like z-targeting, auto-jump, and context sensitive buttons. It took existing game mechanics like horseback riding, fishing, and the realistic passage of time and wove them into the game narrative like never before. It also achieved great things for the franchise: it pushed The Legend of Zelda into three dimensions using a modified version of the Super Mario 64 engine; it gave players never-before-seen glimpses into the origin of the Triforce and the genesis of Ganondorf; and it established a foundation for future titles like Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword.