Video Game Review: Top 5 Legend of Zelda Games

For the first blog post in this new videogame section, I thought to write about my love of the Zelda franchise, more than just about Breath of the Wild, which was the first game I wanted to talk about.

I think that talking about how wonderful Zelda is through its top five games is the way to go. Besides, I will include Breath of the Wild on the list.

When making this list, I think about the story, the gameplay, the map, the dungeons, and the look of each Zelda game when I rank them. It’s a complicated process, and although some games are basically ties, I will talk about them and why they are all still great anyway.

Here are my top five Zelda games, according to me.

5. Link to the Past

A classic, for sure. This was my introduction to the world of Zelda. I did play a few minutes of the first two games (Legend of Zelda I, II), but I never got the hang of those. I never loved them. I remember being stuck in a town unable to cross a river (was that even a thing?).

But, Link to the Past? Wow! Amazing! The puzzles were hard, but not too hard. It was easy to walk around in the open world (one of the first open-world games out there, I would think). I would walk Link around everywhere on the map trying to find more bombable walls and see how else I could go about finding pieces of hearts. And then there was the Dark World. You needed to learn how to use one world or the other to advance. Perfect. I played it twice if I remember correctly.

4. Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda in 3D. I remember having a hard time understanding what 3D meant and how it worked. I used to get so confused in the beginning. Of course, most RPG/open-world games are 3D, but back then, it was a nightmare to understand for me. I almost gave up. Thankfully I didn’t, and what followed was an amazing experience as Link went back and forth in time instead of Light World/Dark World like it was in Link to the past. The gameplay was very similar, too. Most of the same weapons, dungeons, etc. It was the beginning of something amazing. I played it twice, too.

3. Wind Waker

I really love this game. I think it ties with #2. The visuals were fantastic, and I would spend hours sailing the ocean trying to find obscure island or treasure. The anime-style was amazing (is amazing). I later got the new game for the Wii U and enjoyed it just the same —if not more! The idea of an open world made up of islands was also intriguing. The world was vast, and each island had something special. They really outdid themselves with this one; there’s a Hyrule castle underwater, too. Love it. This one I’ve played three times, already.

2. Twilight Princess

This is another game I’ve played three times. It was my favorite for a while. I just loved the darkness and wolf-Link. The world was amazing, huge, and varied. The side quest about finding souls was entertaining, too (I didn’t get all of them until my third playthrough). This game introduced sword techniques. I had never really minded how the sword moved, until this game. I learned to memorize the controls, something I had never done before. Also, the sword moved with my wrist movement, which was ok. Nothing too complicated, just a little twist of the wrist was enough to move the controller. This is one of the best games ever created, I tell you.

1. Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild definitely gets the number one spot. It is the most amazing game I have ever played. It was hard, but never too hard. The only beast I could never, ever kill was that white lyonel up north. Apart from that, it increased in difficulty as you gained hearts. It also had a stamina wheel (like the title before it, Skyward Sword —which doesn’t deserve a spot on my list). The stamina could be increased by experience or by cooking special food. The teleportation system was also pretty cool. Besides, each teleport point was actually a dungeon, which provided with a puzzle. With sixty of those, the game became so vast it was a pleasure going everywhere, climb everywhere and glide everywhere. The story was pretty awesome, too, and the way you discover it, bit by bit, was excellent. The DLC was also very enjoyable, providing tidbits of the story that enriched the original tale. This is the best game out there for me. At least, I haven’t played another one like it. If you haven’t tried it, what are you waiting for?

What about you? What is your best Zelda game? What do you like about it?

Cheers!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.