Without a doubt, if there is a saga par excellence in the world of video games that has moved and, in some moments, moved many users, it is The Legend of Zelda. Link’s Adventures have spanned 36 titles published for over 34 years. Today we show you a compilation of all The Legend of Zelda games in chronological order and ranked from best to worst.
Nintendo’s most mythical story
One of the most acclaimed and desired sagas by all “gamers” are the titles in the history of the warrior Link. A story in which we have accompanied him to save Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from many dangers.
In this compilation we want to group all the published titles of this game in order from its release so that, quickly and easily, you can see a complete map of the saga. If you are already a fan of these games, you will know that this is not the chronological order in which the events of the story happen. If you want to know this classification and give a quick review of the main events of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo itself made a video in which, as a Draw my Life, he told his story:
Of course, within this classification, in addition to letting you know the history and year of publication of the game , we will also inform you of the platform on which it was available for sale. This can be incredibly useful if you want to reminisce about old times when you play them again or, if you are new to this saga, know and enjoy how many we have been enjoying for years. If you find it interesting, in this video on our YouTube channel we explain how you can play emulators from a Mi TV Box, although the process is the same if you have any Smart TV:
As for the scoring system that we will use to assess the different titles, to be as critical as possible we have used the score provided by Metacritic . This website bases its verdict on the opinion of users and the number of their reviews received over the years.
All The Legend of Zelda games
Now that everything is clear in this classification, let’s begin to list each of the 36 titles that Nintendo has published in this saga so far. We started from the original game, from 1986, to the most current ones. And, at the end, we will tell you some details of what is to come.
The Legend of Zelda (1986)
The Legend of Zelda was the title that started it all in this long history. Originally released for the Famicom Disk System consoles, it soon became available for the NES . Set the story in the land of Hyrule in which Link’s main objective is to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. All this will be possible with the collection of the 8 fragments of the Triforce, a powerful artifact that was presented to us for the first time in this game.
In this case, there is no Metacritic score for the first installment.
Classic NES Series: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)
Zelda II is the second installment released just a year after the original game. Repeating the NES as a gaming platform, in this installment we continue to commission Link to try to rescue Zelda, but Nintendo decided to implement different changes to the gameplay. He focused more on combat and on Link getting experience to improve his skills, becoming able to cast spells.
This title did not like as much as the original delivery to most of the public, obtaining a score of 73 according to Metacritic.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
Fast forward to 1991, A Link to the Past arrived, a title that debuted on the SNES , although it is also available for the Game Boy Advance . In this Nintendo, Zelda returned to its “original” playability but with a small improvement, which later ended up becoming a hallmark of the saga: the parallel worlds of darkness and light.
The third installment of Zelda, in its version for GBA, obtains a score of 95 in Metacritic.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
Link’s Awakening was the first installment in this series designed exclusively for the Game Boy portable system and its Color edition in its DX version. This title leaves the kingdom of Hyrule behind to visit the island of Koholint, where Link is locked up and from which he must escape.
In this case, we again do not have a score for him from Metacritic. Although we will find the value of its remake for Switch 2019 , obtaining a total of 87 points . A title with graphic improvements, compatibility with the latest console and some details at the gameplay level.
The Legend of Zelda BS (1995)
The Legend of Zelda BS , which stands for Broadcast Satellaview , was an “extension” of the original game released for the SNES . Different changes at the image level of the characters and graphics but, in general, it is the same game from 1986.
As it is a slight extension, we once again have no assessment by Metacritic.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Ocarina of Time was originally released for the Nintendo 64, and later the Nintendo 3DS version arrived. Considered one of the best games in the series, it was the first title in which we saw Zelda in 3 dimensions, with which we could explore Hyrule in all its splendor.
As expected, the score for this installment is the highest in the entire saga, reaching 99 points .
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
Two years later, Nintendo wanted to continue its saga with the sequel Majora’s Mask , the “darkest” installment of all its games. A title that originally came out for N64 (and later got a version for 3DS ) in which Link backs the kingdom of Hyrule by the parallel called Termina. Here the warrior must achieve, in just three days, that the Moon does not fall and destroy this kingdom.
Your score? a 95 on the Metacritic scale.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages (2001)
This pair of games released in 2001 for the Game Boy Color platform should go together in this list, since both complement each other. In Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages , two separate stories are told, but they are continuously interconnected with each other. Although you can play one of these titles and not play the other, you will understand the final story much better if you finish both.
In this case, we did not find a score for either of the two titles.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (2002)
Four Swords is a multiplayer mode as an expansion system for A Link to the Past for the Game Boy Advance . This cooperative multiplayer was later followed by Four Swords Adventures in 2004 for the GameCube . The latter obtained a Metacritic score of 86 points .
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)
The Wind Waker became the “worst” looking title for our main character. Not so much at the graphics level, since the first installments were of worse quality, but because of the aesthetics of the game itself. It was reminiscent of a cartoon world for young children. In this title, which was originally designed for the GameCube , our warrior crossed the sea from island to island and crossed dungeons to acquire enough power to defeat Ganondorf.
Despite its “strange graphics”, it scored a 96 on the Metacritic scale thanks to its playability.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)
Until the delivery of The Minish Cap , we had crossed Hyrule from end to end with Link but, this time, this warrior crosses the portal to the kingdom of the Minish becoming a miniature version of himself. An exclusive GBA title.
This game was also very popular among fans of the saga, obtaining a score of 89 points .
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Originally released for the GameCube , and later versions for the Wii and Wii U, Twilight Princess is another rather dark adventure in the series where Link becomes part of the game as a werewolf. This installment obtained a score of 96 on the Metacritic scale.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
Phantom Hourglass is a sequel to Wind Waker that came to the Nintendo DS platform. Very similar aesthetics and gameplay, but with one main difference: we have the possibility of drawing the route with the touch screen of this console. This game scored 90 points on Metacritic.
In 2009 Nintendo would repeat the same dynamic with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks . In this they change the boats for trains.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
The next major title for this series was Skyward Sword for Wii . This title begins the story of Zelda and Link, which begins on the floating islands of Altárea and Celéstea. In this realm humans rule the heavens and demonic creatures the earth. Of course, once again, we see the duality between worlds so popular in the saga. This obtained a score of 93 according to Metacritic. It is considered one of the best designed installments of the entire saga.
A Link Between Worlds (2013)
A Link Between Worlds is the sequel to A Link to the Past but, this time, designed for the Nintendo 3DS platform. The story of this installment takes place in the same area as its predecessor but several generations later. A young blacksmith apprentice has to save the 7 wise men to discover his true goal. On this occasion, Zelda has new abilities among which the possibility of turning into a painting and moving around the walls stands out. In this case, Link Between Worlds got a score of 93 .
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)
Tri Force Heroes is the successor to Four Swords Adventures although, in this case, it is a title for Nintendo 3DS and can be played without the need for multiplayer with a relay system. It seems that, this time, it was not a very accepted or acclaimed title by the public of the saga obtaining a “simple” 73 in the Metacritic score .
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Coming to the last great launch of the saga (since Link’s Awakening is a remake, as we mentioned before) with the title Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch . This title has been considered the most incredible and best designed “open world” game in the history of video games. Although the plot of the story is in itself a delight, the best thing about this game is to walk through the kingdom of Hyrule and see each of its corners. On this occasion, how could it be otherwise, he obtained a score of 97 on the Metacritic scale.
What’s next in The Legend of Zelda?
After the success of its first installment, taking advantage of the arrival on the market of the Nintendo Switch, it was to be expected that the company would not take long to continue with the sequel to Breath of the Wild.
Little more than the game’s own trailer presented at E3 2019 is the data we have until the moment of this installment. Although, what is resonating a lot around the “leaks” of this game is a possible cooperative mode. When will it be released? Rumors pointed out that during the year 2020 but, “with which it is falling”, it may be delayed a bit.
