Legend of Zeldafans, old and new, will be delighted to know thatNintendo Switch Onlinenow has a veritable selection of the classic series up and ready on their monthly subscription service. While theGameCubeZelda games are still up in the air at the moment, the over a dozen that are now available should tide you over until Nintendo finally brings Wind Waker and Twilight Princess home.
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8Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link
While it is the weakest entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise (let us act like thehorrendous CD-i Zelda gamesdidn’t exist, shall we?), it is by no means a bad game. This is the only side-scrolling Nintendo Zelda game, and you have to respect Nintendo for trying to mix it up with just the second entry.
You will also notice that this game doesn’t have “Legend of” in its title. This was done to help separate it from the main Legend of Zelda games. The game’s shift to a side-scrolling perspective also changed the main focus from exploration to combat.
The Adventure of Link is one of the harder Zelda games out there, and if you are looking for a good challenge, it is available for Nintendo Switch Online members.
7The Legend Of Zelda
The classicNESgame that kicked off the multi-billion-dollar franchise, The Legend of Zelda, is an8-bit treasure. Featuring gameplay that was innovative and revolutionary, the first Zelda game became the blueprint for future games and is still being used today.
The Legend of Zelda features a non-linear story and focuses more on exploration than the standard level-by-level design that was the norm back then. There are no points or high scores to beat here; it’s just you venturing into the world of Hyrule to defeat the evil Ganon.
6The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
This 2005Game Boy AdvanceZelda game features the classic top-down view and an emphasis on problem-solving via size manipulation. The Minish Cap is the third entry that follows the Four Swords story arc. The game gives Link the ability to change size with the use of Ezlo, a magical talking hat.
Think of The Minish Cap as another return to form, but with some new twists to give the classic Zelda vibe a fresh take.
5The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakening was initially released on theGame Boyin 1993 and was rerelease for theGame Boy Colorin 1998. The game took a departure from the typical Zelda adventure and, strangely enough, did not feature Princess Zelda or have the McGuffin of the series, the Triforce.
Instead, the game throws Link into a brand-new setting, where he gets trapped on the mysterious Koholint Island. You will then go on a journey to find a way out of this strange land and go back to Hyrule.
A major hook of Links’ Awakening is the cameos fromother popular Nintendo games, such as Yoshi and Kirby. Again, Link’s Awakening further expanded on the whole multiverse concept that this series is steadily building up to.
4The Legend of Zelda: Oracle Of Ages and Oracle Of Seasons
Nintendo takes a page from one of its other successful franchises,Pokémon, and releases this Game Boy Color Zelda game in two versions simultaneously. Similar to Pokémon games with different release versions, wherein you’re able to’t complete the Pokedex with just one game, you won’t be able to get the main storyline by playing only either Oracle of Ages or Oracle of Seasons.
Just classic Nintendo being crafty without actually being scummy. Fortunately, both versions of the Zelda Oracle games are top-notch and well worth the purchase.
3The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The third entry in the Zelda series and the only Zelda game that was released for theSNES, A Link to the Past, went back to the first game’s formula of utilizing a top-down perspective. A Link to the Past was a masterclass in game development and design and was the first game to almost get a perfect score in Famitsu magazine with a 39/40.
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Considered by many as one of the greatest games of all time and one of the best games for the SNES, A Link to the Past was also the first Zelda game where the idea of parallel universes was presented.
2The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
The second N64 Zelda game is also one of the most memorable in the series. Majora’s Mask has ashockingly bleak premise, with Link trying to stop the moon from crashing into Termina and effectively ending the world.
To do so, he must relive the last 72 hours over and over until he figures out the solution to the catastrophe at hand.
Considered by many to be the darkest Legend of Zelda game, Majora’s Mask dives deep into themes of loneliness and death. The surprising shift in tone, along with iconic images such as the frightening face on the moon, among others, makes Majora’s Mask a must-play for fans of the genre.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Often cited as the best Zelda game in the series, Ocarina of Time was released on theN64in 1998. This was the first Zelda game to jump into three dimensions.
Additionally, Ocarina of Time also introduced auto-targeting and context-sensitive controls, once again innovating the gaming industry with mechanics that have become mainstays.
While the game might be dated today, you cannot deny the impact that Ocarina of Time made and the mark that it left in the action-adventure video game genre. This Zelda entry was also the first to introduce darker and more serious themes into the otherwise lighthearted franchise.
Ocarina of Time has yet to be topped by another Zelda game and probably never will.
