We recently ran a poll on the site to find out which game you, the Nintendo Life reader, considered to be the very best Legend of Zelda title released so far. The response was staggering, and we're now ready to reveal the results. The video below showcases the top ten picks in reverse order, and should trigger a fair bit of discussion and debate.
As we've stated in the video, although in the original poll we allowed votes for updates — such as Link's Awakening DX and Wind Waker HD — we've combined the votes here. The reasoning behind this is that the top ten was dominated by three titles and their subsequent remakes (no prizes for guessing which), and many of the games were tied on total votes. Going under the reasoning that a vote for Wind Waker HD is essentially a vote for the GameCube original as well, we decided to combine the figure to create a more realistic view. Please don't hate us!
With that out of the way, feel free to get your eyeballs well and truly stuck into the footage below, and let us know in the comments section what you think of the results.
Comments 152
Yay awakening made the list at least!
If you're gonna get it wrong I guess this is how you do it.
Well played.
Meh, Link to the past its so much better than Wind Waker and so is Twilight Princess
but still a fair list, even thought i would still rank Awakening slightly higher, besides TP, i would say it has the best story out of Zelda games
There we go.
Anyways, I much prefer other Zeldas over the top three (the ones I prefer mostly being on the list). Zelda 2, Majora's Mask, and the Oracle games (especially Ages) take the cake for me over those ones.
Pah! Each to their own, but Twilight Princess is flawess to me.
Not exactly my personal favorite order, but I agree with the list except for the fact that Skyward Sword should be in Twilight Princess's place
Youtube is blocked here. Darn I was hoping for a list.
I'm on mobile and I don't wanna use up my data limit. Can anybody list the results?
No Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks? Interesting.
@Whopper744 @outburst
10. Adventures of Link
9. Minish Cap and Original
8. Link's Awakening
7. A Link Between Worlds
6. Skyward Sword
5. Majora's Mask
4. Twilight Princess
3. A Link to the Past
2. Wind Waker
1. Ocarina of Time
@Webby-sama
Thanks man. I will watch the video later. So we have a 3D, celshade and top down on the top 3. Followed by 3 OoTesque graphics.
Make your voice a tad louder or check your sound balance when you do those videos k. It's important!
No game will probably ever leave me with the amount of awe I first had while playing OOT back in 1997. @Tsurii897, the pure amount of feelings it brought at it's release is why it's still captivating to this day. If it wasn't for the wild success that OOT had, WW would probably not exist. I love WW, but I think this list is pretty spot on, in terms of pure impact these games had in the Zelda universe anyways.
No Oracles... hmmm :/
That's a great list of zelda countdown i hope just hope when the next Zelda comes out on wii u ( not warriors ) is a complete covered in art wii u console and pad instead of just a stingy bit of gold art around the edge of the pad.
Thanks for the video!
Of the Zelda games I have played:
1) ALTTP
2) Zelda II
3) Link's Awakening
4) Legend of Zelda
5) Wind Waker
6) Skyward Sword
lists like these are impossible to agree on...
Series like Zelda are just too good in every way to be compared to anything but each other. Each has flaws and things we want different. Skyward Sword and TP are my personal favs, but OOT has a special place in my heart as the 1st video game to "move" me. I cant just sit here and say that game 15 years old is better then Skyward Sword. That is like the Ultimate Zelda game. im 32 as well, and this is what I grew up playing.
Seems like a pretty accurate list.
Now let's rank the Mario games
Hooray, Wind Waker got 2nd!
I wasn't a huge fan of OoT, but it did have some of the best bosses in the series
@LDXD it is, #9. Which is fine. But I think the same thought about it being a classic and deserves to be there, like OOT, but OOT isn't my personal #1. its like 2.5.
@LDXD The original tied for 9th....
@Emaan Of course it's an accurate list, REAL Zelda fans voted for it.
So THAT's how you all sound over at Nintendo Life. I'll have to change the way I hear you in my head when I read articles!
A more accurate list would be to make a poll where you can vote 3 of your favorites.
@Webby-sama thankyou, kind sir
And I still don't like Twilight Princess. Outside of that title, good list, ya'll..!!!!
Good list. The margin of "favorability" in the top 4 are so slim that its legitimately hard to pick one over the other. I'd put TP higher, but again, they are all so good. Anybody who doesn't like TP (@bezerker99 , @Haxonberik) is someone I disagree with... Also I have to LOL at the people who don't like WW, seeing as hows its #2 which is only an indication that they simply don't get it.
Please knock it off with the insults — TBD
@WaveBoy: Back when Wind Waker came out, I probably wouldn't have touched it even if I had a Gamecube. GTA and Halo "realism" was my jam. I recently finished Wind Waker HD and I actually really liked it. If it wasn't for the improvements over the original I don't know if I ever would have finished it though since sailing around wasn't really my favorite and not having the swift sail in addition to the Ballad of Gales would stink like Shredders dirty socks.
Strange way to deliver the results.....I was hoping for more of a breakdown. Maybe a few charts with percentages showing combined remake AND individuals.....2d vs 3d.....most popular generation.....dark vs casual....maybe in pie chart format....maybe......possibly....please =)
So much disagreement but what a series, though, right?
My favorites change quite a bit, but there was nothing like the genius leap to Ocarina. Every 3D Zelda since has been a copy of it with incremental improvements (save the more radical Majora's Mask).
Also, I really enjoy these short videos with narration behind them. You guys should do more of them!
I played the very first Zelda when it first came out. I remember it being marketed as a 20+ hour game. And I've recently finished the most recent title, ALBW, and I would say with the exception of TP this is a good solid list.
TP was a great game but not a very good Zelda game. In fact it was a terrible Zelda game. It was one of the reasons I sold my Wii so early on in its life. It was way too linear, boring and lacked any sense of exploration, secrets and puzzles. It baffles me why it's some peoples favourite.
Anyways, pleased that OTT is no.1
Link's Awakening and Wind Waker as my favourite Handheld and Home games, though I love every Zelda game
It's good to see Wind Waker being near the top of the list. I bet it would be near the bottom if this poll was taken 10 years ago. I've always thought it was one of the best Zeldas but I remember so many people constantly bashing it and saying how terrible it was when it first came out.
All is well with the Zelda universe. I picked WW but have no real problems with OOT at the top. Can't really argue with anything on that list. Glad neither of the ds offerings made it!
No mention of the Oracle games at ALL?
Well, at least Link's Awakening made it...
Wind Waker should of been number 1
How is Zelda 2 on this list?
Also, Wind Waker and Skyward Sword are overrated.
@TheAdrock I'm not a hater and I run the risk of being dragged into other arguments here so please dont take this the wrong way. I'm neutral on tp, I really liked it but it wasn't my favourite ( I voted oot). I loved the art style and storytelling aspects, it varied the gameplay allot too which was great. However it seemed shorter than usual and didn't involve me emotionally like others, I also can't bring to mind any boss fights which are normally a highlight for me (could have been great at the time). I was surprised to see so much love for that title, is there anything special about it that made it such a favourite for you? Just to help me understand why others found it so good. Cheers man. =)
Great list. My personal top three includes those same games, albeit in a different order (1. Wind Waker, 2. ALttP, 3. Ocarina of Time).
Where are Link: The Faces Of Evil, Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon & Zelda's Adventure?
No surprise ocarina of time is number one. But i still love twilight princess made into the list, i love that game.
ZELDA 2 HAS FANS!?
@twadezelda3dsxl sarcasm?
A Link Between Worlds was so good. Glad to see it make the list.
The Oracle games missing is very surprising though. Certainly they're more fun than Zelda 2. Nintendo should make a Zelda 2 that isn't frustrating. That game needs a remake.
Completely understand why OoT is number one here. Although personally my favourites are ALTTP and Majora's Mask.
1-Link to The Past
2-Ocarina of Time
3-Link's Awakening
4-The Wind Waker
5-A Link Between Worlds
6-Twilight Princess
7-The Legend Of Zelda
8-Skyward Sword
9-Majoras's Mask
10-Zelda II
this is my top 10
@xj0462 Yep!!!
For me:
1. Majora's Mask
2. The Wind Waker
3. Ocarina of Time
4. Twilight Princess
5. Link Between Worlds
6. Skyward Sword
7. Link's Awakening
8. Link to the Past
9. Oracle of Ages/ Oracle of Seasons
10. Minish Cap
Oh my, who would've guessed... well, I guess the poll related to opinions, so it was obvious that Ocarina once again creeps to the top...
OoT at #1 comes as a shock to no one. It's the safe choice. Yawn...
Minish Cap, you deserve better!!
Excluding nostalgia, my list would most likely be:
10. Adventure of Link
9. Twilight Princess
8. Phantom Hourglass
7. Minish Cap
6. Link to the Past
5. Link Between Worlds
4. Ocarina of Time
3. Link's Awakening
2. Majora's Mask
1. Wind Waker
I haven't actually played the other games (except Skyward Sword, which I just couldn't get along with) but I'm desperate to and would buy them if I had the money to do so.
@ULTRA-64, I take nothing "the wrong way". TP had everything that OoT had but was just more. I found it to be gorgeous visually, musically, thematically/cinematically. I haven't played it in years but I still recall the haunting mood of the snow area, the serenity of Lake Hylia and the fishing spot, the creepiness of the Twilight Realm and the antagonist Zant. I played on the Wii so the Wiimote was new and gave a new cool element. The final battle with Ganon was the best of any Zelda game to-date (most climaxes are short and simple). The goodbye scene with adult Midna was actually emotional, as was Link riding home after the credits. I am surprised to hear you don't find it to have been an emotional game as I found it to be the most. Cheers.
Again, please stop with the insults — TBD
Didn't really need the video to basically say "Well Twilight Princess is pretty much trash but people like so here it is!" It's in the top 4, wanna highlight some it's amazing factors like you did with the others? Also the GCN version is by far superior IMO and doesn't feature the annoying waggle combat.
Well my fav was Zelda-A link to the Past..Majora's Mask was my least fav.
Everything seems accurate besides Majora's Mask being ranked higher than Skyward Sword. If you switch those two, it would be perfect.
I agree with the people who absolutely hate Wind Waker. (But without it I wouldn't have the Bonus disk Master Quest which I really did like) - I dislike Skyward Sword slightly less but I still really don't like it.
I do really like the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess.
@TheAdrock that all makes allot of sense really. I loved the wiimote at the time and the more I recall the more fondly I remember the artwork, you mentioning that snow area brings back memories, even that parting with midna is coming back to me.....I think my problem with that game is I smoked too much weed! I've forgotten all the best bits might have to put it to the top of my replay list for the next game drought......
For some reason, I just couldn't stand Link to the Past. It ranks right next to Oracle of Seasons on my list.
It's not Zelda, but I had an idea for Shining Force (the one Sega game that made me put down ALttP, back in the day).
Sega and Atlus, sitting in a tree. One makes Sonic, the other.. SHINING FORCE 3. Come on Segatlus! Let's port the FULL SF3 on the 3DS.
Or just a new SF, developed by Atlus.
It could be great.
@twadezelda3dsxl i knew it!!!
I really want Skyward Sword, but it is sold out...
Zelda II is so underrated. IMO, it's one of the best Zelda games. Glad to see it on the list but I would have had it (along with original LoZ) a little higher up.
My favorites are in the top 2 =D
Great list! Happy to see Ocarina of Time get top spot, as it's my favorite of all time.
Pretty fair all those games are on my top 10. It is Zelda so I'm alright with the list
How did Skyward Sword do so well? List should be IMHO
10 Oracles
9 ALBW
8 LOZ2 TAOL
7 LOZ
6 Majora's Mask
5 Link's Awakening
4 Minish Cap
3 Windwaker
2 ALTTP
1 Ocarina of Time
I would rather vote for the Phillips CD games than have Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks make my top 10.
I agree with how this turned out. I might rate WW a bit higher though since that was my first ever Zelda, but that is just me.
@Tender_Cutlet You have Link's Awakening on your list twice.
@DarkLink95 LOL good spot! Edited. That give me room to promote the Oracle games that I felt bad for cutting! WIN
Glad to see Wind Waker at two. It's my favorite but OOT deserves number one. Love OOT but not the first zelda game you're gonna want to play, very tough.
If you swapped out ALBW or SS for MM, that's pretty much identical to what my Top 5 would look like. I think OoT and WW are a cut above the rest, easily #1 and #2, and then the next 4 games (ALttP, TP, ALBW, SS) can be arranged in pretty well any order depending on my mood.
I still think TP should have been #1...it just felt more epic. Oh, and you actually fight Ganondorf with sword to sword combat... ;D
I'm a little sad that Link Between Worlds is so low on this list. The puzzles are never too arcane, the open-world design makes it so that you don't have to do one specific thing in one specific spot on the map to advance the story and can instead explore the Kingdom of Hyrule at your own pace, and it makes PERFECT use of the system's 3D capabilities. It has some of the best game design I've ever seen in a video game. For me, it is A Link to the Past perfected.
Link's awakening was best
@moomoo FINALLY someone I agree with on here.
In general, I finished WindWaker which meant its wasn't... terrible, I guess ... but I really don't understand why it was so much higher than other Zelda games. To further that confusion no one ever presents a reason besides story and graphics... which to me I hated and still hate the graphics and the story is as non existent as any other game but only features an interesting back story.
Ocarina of Time always ends up being number one. ALWAYS.
I think OOT is #1 all the time because of Nostalgia. There's other Zelda titles out there that deserve #1 Ya know....
I'm just glad Link's Awakening made the list. Fantastic story, gameplay, and music. For me it will always be #1!
OoT wasn't my number one but it is on my top X list. I didn't play it as a kid, I played it when I was older, I think 18 or so when I first actually sat and played start to finish. It's a genuinely great game. The combat is dated, the sit, wait, strike formula is long past but elements such as character progression, difficulty progression, the actual puzzle adventuring and other elements make it a wonderful title. OoT was also the first Zelda game to REALLY build a deeper story arch. LttP had the story but it's story telling abilities were limited. OoT also made you jump through hoops to progress but it's method of doing so allowed you to be mesmerized by this world where most areas/objects have meaning.
Getting Epona for the first time opens up paths, drastically increases progression and was just so well played that it still stands as a highlight of game progression to me. Warping was later implemented but it never really overtook traveling either (twilight princess killed this mechanic, I never walked anywhere again - warp and wolf, warp and wolf).
Twilight Princess was a perfect update of the style from Ocarina of Time and had the greatest enemy design and story in the series. It is however incredibly safe and didn't bring as much to the franchise as the other 3d entries. It's probably the perfect gateway drug though.
Without the nostalgia surrounding ALttP it just didn't quite live up to it's reputation to me when I finally played it this year. Link's Awakening is likely to remain my favourite 2d entry.
This made me want to play all the Zelda games all over again immediately. I'm surprised the two Oracle games weren't on this list though. My first Zelda was Ocarina and then Link's Awakening DX back in '98 or so. Those were the days!
And I wouldn't be surprised that, decades down the road, Wind Waker takes over as #1 on a lot of future lists.
"we added the MALIGNED Zelda 2 because it has fans"
wow just wow guys. way to go.
And wind waker is above twilight princess and Link to the past? I call BS on that.
What a stupid list.
Good list! i don't have a problem with it
Fanboys outnumber everyone else. What can you expect.
I'm surprised by the fact Skyward Sword even placed considering just how many on the internet despise it. Unsurprising however is that the Ocarina of Time cultists overpowered the rest of us and landed that the title of best Zelda game ever.
@minotaurgamer We didn't add anything to the list, these are the results of the poll we ran. Don't get annoyed with us, this was a democratic vote!
Anyone who thinks ocarina of time is better than wind waker is blinded by nostalgia. Also, zelda 2 shouldn't even be on here.
@anthonysea Agreed. Oh well, atleast it made 2.
I'm kinda sad Skyward Sword is that low. It's so underrated. I prefer it over OOT, I prefer every 3D Zelda over OOT. I am happy that MM and WW made it that far.
OOT is a great game, really, but I feel it was chosen purely out of nostalgia. Just look at most people's list. The most nostalgic game for them always on Number 1. That's their opinion though.
@Maelstrom
I know right. Next to Zelda 2 it's my least fav zelda out there. I do like some of the bosses though, and the music. That's about it.
Such an accurate list, Ocarina deserves it despite my top being WW:HD. Very well presented too!
Unfortunately, too predictable of a list. Ocarina of Time is always first...It's still very well made and I would agree with most of the games on here.
i say MM and Oot and Skyward sword are best
I love Zelda 2 but probably because I haven't played it much since its original release. OoT on the other hand, though I appreciate what it means for the franchise and remember how I felt the first time I played it, I have played it to death and couldn't care any more if I never see it again. If Ninty ever make a Skyward sword HD I hope they tone Fi down too as she just ruined a lot of that game not letting me solve the puzzles myself or just simply talking about the stuff I had picked up for the first time...........every time you loaded your game.
Great video!! Playing wind waker for the first time on Wii U and its so much fun also the video reminded me..how's that Majora's Mask 3D coming along Ninty?
Great list except for LOZ 2 making the list, would of prefered any other entry in the series including the DS entries. My top three would be:
@Thats-what-she
Minish was great! In my top 4 for sure
I was hoping Minish Cap would've got a spot, oh well I wasn't even aware you guys made a poll about what is our favorite Zelda games.
I can't comprehend how someone could watch this video and give it the A-okay to upload it as it stands. The audio needs to be redone completely; the speaker keeps moving away from the mic. It's incredibly distracting and it feels very amateurish.
skyward sword was the worst zelda game, the only game in the series i cant stand to finish..
@Mr_Rawky tp is my favorite too.
I would not say Wind Waker or Ocarina of Time are better than A Link To The Past.
My personal top 10:
10 - Oracle of Ages
09 - Minish Cap
08 - Link's Awakening
07 - Link to the Past
06 - Twilight Princess
05 - Link Between Worlds
04 - Majora's Mask
03 - Ocarina of Time
02 - Wind Waker
01 - Skyward Sword
Love seeing what people's favorite Zelda games are. So much diversity in opinion, and a lot of deserving games!
@Webby-sama Of course OoT wins...
Truly a crime there's no Oracle of Seasons/Ages.
Far superior to Zelda II.
@Iggly Is in the list, is tied no 9 with the original Zelda.
Every one can says that this list is wrong because has some games that you don't like, or do you thing they are not the best. But this is not a personal list, or a one man opinion list, is fan, and if more of the fan vote for this list, so it is ok.
It is not a list for the best zelda games gamplay,story, graphic or developmen wise, is a fan opinion list
what @Thats-what-she said. Oracle games were both far superior to Zelda II. I consider Zelda II perhaps the worst in the entire series.
I expected Link Between Worlds to be even higher on the list. Same with MM (my personal favorite).
@bizcuthammer while I dont agree with your list I DO agree with your latter statement XD
Great list! Overall though, every Zelda game is awesome, such a great series!
@Guitardude7 It is pretty rude to call anything overrated. If a number of people 'rate' something then it is 'rated' as such. You are essentially saying that your opinion is better than everyone else's. Oh, and by the way Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece!
Great list. Glad to see common sense has prevailed as far as combining the votes of Wind Waker HD and the original - they're the same game after all! I think this list is darn near perfect too The only game I don't rate so highly is Twilight Princess but that's just me.
@minotaurgamer Haha, you're calling everyone who voted stupid because you don't agree with the list? You're bold Personally I think Wind Waker is waaaaaaaaaaaay better than Twilight Princess and it appears most people do too!
Meh. Oracle Of Ages > Everything else
Great list. For me it's a tie between Oot and Twilight. Probably Skyward sword after that. And even though it's as tough as nails, I love Zelda 2. Also, I really love that picture at the top of the page of Link fighting that sand monster. Legendary game art.
So tough.. I love them all!
I'd rank the main series games i've beaten like this:
1.ALTTP: Never gets old, my first Zelda.
2.Ocarina: Blew my mind
3.ALBW: Only issue is it could have been more difficult
4.WindWaker: Love this game, could be harder
5.Minish Cap: Underrated gem, it would probably be higher if i had beaten it more than once.
6.Twilight Princess: Pretty much perfect, just doesn't stand out.
7.Oracle games: Great games, i think i slightly prefer Seasons.
8.Skyward Sword: Awesome game, i think i'll appreciate it more on a second playthrough.
9.Links Awakening: It's great, there's just been many better 2D Zeldas at this point.
10.Majora's Mask: It's good, the masks are unreal, but i found the pacing off.
11.Phantom Hourglass: Really good game from my memory, haven't played since launch and it never did enough to not make me wish i had a new classic 2D Zelda.
12.Zelda II: Great game for it's time but too hard early on causing the player to have to grind, also some things are very difficult to figure out when progressing.
13.Zelda I: The template of the series it's rightfully been surpassed by nearly all of it's sequels.
Spirit Tracks is the only mainline game i haven't beat, i got a few hours into it and quit i hate the train. I love exploring and the train killed that.
I never, even as a kid when it was first released, really though all that much of OoT. Majora's Mask & LttP imho stand well above the other Zelda titles.
Only on NintendoLife can a top 10 list have 11 games in it. XD
These comments are entertaining. So much love and hate. As much as I love the Zelda series, I have not enough passion to defend any title. All Zelda games are very well crafted products that we had fun with. There is no best Zelda game. In the end Nintendo did try awesome, different things on all of them. Even if NL went and did the amazingly hard and broad research needed to objectively determine which Zelda is the best, most people won't agree, and there would be hate and anger, and that would be... actually very entertaining too.
But the point is, even if one Zelda were objectively better than other, like, lets say WW>OoT, so what, I don't like boats or the sea, but I like horses, so I like OoT better. And what if objectively TP>WW, well I don't like when games have realistic environments, so I would still prefer the cartoony look of WW. I don't care which Zelda is best. I don't mind which Zelda the rest of the world thinks is the best. I play what I like.
1. The Legend of Zelda
2. A Link to the Past
3. Twilight Princess
4. Majora's Mask
5. Ocarina of Time
6. Wind Waker
7. The Adventure of Link
8. Skyward Sword that no good piece of garbage
Just home consoles. I also really like Minish Cap and A Link Between Worlds. Link's Awakening is also solid.
*Disliked
Wind Waker has to be my favourite Zelda game, but Twilight Princess or Ocarina are probably the best, if that makes any sense.
@Donutman 32yo here as well. OoT was a dream come true when it came out, I was so impressed I couldn't stop playing overnight, going to school like a Zombie.
Anyway, I'd say my fav one is Twilight Princess because I think it's the perfected formula of OoT. Skyward Sword was a boring game and Wind Waker didn't captivate me as much
There's some there that surprises me. I thought Skyward Sword would score much higher. I can't go top 10 because after 5 they become so hard to decide but my top 5 would have to be
5. Ocarina of Time.
4. Twilight Princess
3. Link To The Past
2. Skyward Sword
1. Zelda II: Adventures of Link
Saying that, I'm not surprised it's at number 10 Just glad it got into the top 10. I think what I like about Zelda fans, is that there are so many different preferences and although everyone has their own personal favourites, everyone respects the next fan for their personal opinions. Zelda fans rule!
@Guitardude7 I 100 % agree, but could you expect anything different from the internet...
Skyward is best.
This is my top 3 favorites
1. Link to the Past
2. Twilight Princess
3. Wind Waker
What about faces of evil and Winds of gamelon???
@Whopper744 Blocked where?
I watch the list and question peoples' taste.
I'm pretty ok with this list. In particular, I was really happy to see Wind Waker rank so highly, though I do think it should have been swapped with A Link to the Past.
I like how in most countdown lists,
Nobody cares for the items that aren't number 1.
Either that or I'm watching the wrong Top 10 Videos.
Wind Waker will always be #1 for me! I think Majora's Mask is also MUCH better then OoT, but no Oracle of Ages or Seasons!?!? Hmmmm... well opinions are just like donkeyholes everyones got one and they usually stink!
Watch the profanity — TBD
Ocarina of Time is clearly the best Zelda game out of that list and I applaud everyone who voted for it for having common sense that everyone else seems to lack.
1 ALTTP
2. WW
3.Zelda NES
OoT is not in my top ten, nor is MM
I also love all the handheld Zelda titles with DX and PH my favorites.
I always have a hard time with these lists. 2D and 3D Zelda games are pretty different so I personally rank them in separate lists. I'll give my top three for both then combine them as best I can.
2D:
1. A Link Between Worlds
2. Minish Cap
3. A Link to the Past
3D
1. Wind Waker
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Twilight Princess (GC version)
Tentative Top 5:
1. Wind Waker
2. A Link Between Worlds
3. Minish Cap
4. Ocarina of Time
5. A Link to the Past
A Link Between Worlds came out of nowhere last year and blew me away. It not only surpasses ALTTP but is the best Zelda game since Wind Waker. Also it should be noted that I prefer the games where you're given freedom to ignore the main quest and just enjoy yourself in the world. Wind Waker, A Link Between Worlds and Minish Cap both do this really well. I can play Wind Waker for hours just sailing around seeing what adventures I can find.
That's also part of why I hated Skyward Sword. It leads you by the hand the whole way through and Fi treats you like you have the IQ of a goldfish. I like it when the game puts a mark on the map and leaves me to figure it out the rest.
@Mr_Rawky That's the thing. Twilight Princess has a ton of flaws.
I personally find it really difficult to rank the five "3D" Zelda games. They're all unique and special in their own ways.
Minish Cap...so good, way too short
@piggie_pie Just letting you know that when you do, the Remote+ reads your wrist motions not your arm motions. If you make calm deliberate movements, it'll read it fine. Also, you get to experience one of the best Zelda villains of all time, Ghirahim.
I don't like their list. To each there own.
OoT should not have won. It was not as good as people say, and I think this vote was blinded by nostalgia. It is flawed in many parts, such as the water temple and I think many of the dungeons were bog-standard fire/water/forest dungeons. I know I do not share many people's views. This poll was just click-bait anyway. We all knew what would come first: OoT. The poll should have been based on specific qualities, such as best dungeons, characters etc. And OoT, in my opinion does not have those.
FSA is a most under-appreciated game.
Adventure of Link on this list? It surprises me a bit, though I remember some very positive comments on this site regarding the game. Also, Minish cap and Links awakening should have scored much higher. Also, I thought Albw (wich everyone seems to love) would score higher.
But Windwaker second and Oot first: I totally agree! Nice taste guys!
Honestly, no one should be surprised that the most popular Zelda game and most commonly redone one is on top of the list. If nothing else, I guarantee it was the most common game on literally everyone's list. Few people really hate the game. Even I am only mildly disappointed at what it fails to accomplish in terms of story, but it's not like anyone expected Majora's Mask or Skyward Sword to be on the top of the list. The higher you get on the list, the more predictable the games get, especially considering this is a very Western website, giving the 3D games a massive edge on the handheld and 2D ones.
Very good top 10, actually. Hell yeah, OoT!
I honestly think Ocarina still isn't the game it could be. The 3DS version's great but the graphics aren't amazing even by the system's standards, the interface is really under-developed and ugly (see gorgeous touch screen elements of A Link Between Worlds by comparison). If they remade Ocarina on Wind Waker's engine, give it an HD reskin, then we'd have a truly amazing game and the game it deserves to be.
We could argue about the exact order for all time but the fact the pretty much every single Zelda game is genuinely brilliant, to the point that almost every single one of them could arguably sit comfortably atop this list, is the real genius here.
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