Honorable Mentions:
Literally every other Legend of Zelda game. This series is one of the most influential and well respected series of all time and yeah, there are games that are not as good as others. Not every game can be as revolutionary and big as Ocarina of Time or Link to the Past, but they all hold up and are fun to play time and time again. Now let's get into the top five.
5. The Legend of Zelda
A tried and true classic. This is where the whole series began, but it isn't just nostalgia that makes this game so great. The open world nature of this game truly was visionary for the time and blazed the trail for the future of open world video games, leading up to Breath of the Wild who appears to be reinventing the open world game once more. The Legend of Zelda is an old game, certainly, and many people can't play it because of the graphics and style of the game, but if you can play it, it does not disappoint.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Tough call here between this or Ocarina of Time, but A Link to the Past was so incredibly well done that I honestly believe it to be a better game than Ocarina. Sure, Ocarina was the first 3D adventure for the series, but A Link to the Past was just a fun game. Introducing the game play mechanic of two separate worlds was genius, and this would later be reused in Ocarina. Best 2D Zelda game made, hands down. (Things are about to get dicey up in here)
3. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Alright, I'll come right out and say it: this is so high on the list because this was the first Legend of Zelda title that I ever played and it holds a great amount of nostalgia for me. BUT also this game was incredibly well done and was an extremely appropriate fit for the Nintendo DS system. The complete touch screen controls are what scare most people away from it, but I find that the controls aren't that much of a hassle nor do they detract from the game. Rather, the precision of the stylus on the touch screen allows Link a certain range of mobility and precision that he had not yet possessed. Sure, the Temple of the Ocean King sucked, but everything else about this game was fun and a great pleasure to play.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
For as much as I loved Phantom Hourglass, Wind Waker was like a bigger, cooler version of that game, minus the touch screen controls and blowing into the DS mic. I loved Wind Waker for the same reason I loved phantom hourglass: the sprawling, open sea that is there to explore presents a massive map to check out. And, although it isn't very densely populated with stuff to do, the vastness of the ocean really is neat to explore. Additionally, the combat system in Wind Waker was definitely my favorite part of the game, very fun. (please don't throw anything at me)
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
I can explain. First of all, Skyward Sword gets a lot of shit for its motion controls and I feel like that's one of the biggest arguments against it even though it actually isn't that bad or much of a handicap. Skyward Sword is such an incredible game because
- The timeline placement: How freaking cool was it to see the creation of the Master Sword and the founding of the land that will one day be called Hyrule? Really cool!
- Greater emphasis on quests: there were items called gratitude crystals that you could redeem for mad money or for bigger wallets. These quests were often enjoyable to take part in, aside from the main adventure, and was a nice addition to the usual Zelda formula of going through the dungeons and then fighting the boss and then the game is over.
- I cannot stress this enough: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword has the best dungeons in the whole series. Seriously. These dungeons were all crafted perfectly to cater to the item received and are brimming with difficult puzzles and tough enemies. Seriously, look back at my favorite dungeons, there is good representation for Skyward Sword there! The dungeons of Skyward Sword are massive, but lose no sense of intrigue and will absolutely confuse you at some point. The final dungeon too is a unique challenge that incorporates all of the previous regions you have traveled to.
And yes, I understand that motion controls could be annoying after a bit. I, personally, only really hated the motion controls when I got to the second to last boss fight of the game against Ghirahim where you have to land a stab attack which is actually impossible with the motion controls, so really its luck not skill. That was frustrating. Also, Fi was annoying, even worse than Navi in my opinion. But, overall the game was big in scale, had interesting and humongous dungeons, large and exciting boss fights and cool items along the way. That's why it is my favorite.
Breath of the Wild, the GOAT?
Too early to tell. Although signs are looking like an absolute yes here. I mean with 59 reviews in on Metacritic, Breath of the Wild is tied for the second highest score of all time on the website with a 98. First place? Ocarina of Time. Unti next time, kcduckling out.
