I'm going to start things off by ranking every single Zelda game I've ever played because...why not? I feel like doing some typing.
The Legend of Zelda (NES)
Still a classic. I still enjoy going back to this every once in a while. It doesn't hold your hand at all. You're set on a map, given two buttons two work with and off you go. I can still play this over and over again. On the downside, it is a short game. I can play it in 2-3 days. I've played it so many times, I still have all but maybe 2-3 of the dungeons memorized. So it's one of the smaller Zelda games.
--A+
Zelda II The Adventure of Link
Now here there's a few things that come into play. This did a lot of things right. Magic meter, spells, levels, sword fighting. In so many ways, it is a very good game. But on the original cartridge version, you get a game over, you lose all your exp points. 1-Up Dolls and point bags do not respawn after a game over. You just lose them. And at the end of the game going to the Great Palace, you need those extra lives. In a series where you always restart at the beginning of a dungeon, it also doesn't help things that in this game you start at the very beginning after a game over. They also put Death Mountain (arguably one of the hardest parts of the game) very near the beginning. That's a hell of a difficulty spike. But later releases are helped by Save States. Save states are a huge consideration.
--Original Cartridge C
--Later releases with save states B+
Zelda: A Link to the Past
This is everything the original Zelda was only better. Better map, better sword fights, better puzzles, better graphics, better enemies. This is a classic in every way. Even the graphics have aged extremely well. I honestly can't think of anything bad about this game.
-- S tier
Zelda: Links Awakening
Sure it's a gameboy game. But it's a great gameboy game. It's awesome because you can actually go swordless. The story with Marin is bittersweet. It's just such a sweet story that even for a gameboy game, it's just awesome. And having a Switch remaster that's very faithful to the original..it's a must play
-- Gameboy A++
-- Switch Remaster S
Oracle Games
These are good. But I did run into a brick wall on both of these. So keep in mind this is my personal opinion on games I couldn't even nearly finish. I had fun with the parts I was able to play, but having run into those brick walls...
-- B
Ocarina of time
Okay, this is painful. I love this game. If not for this game, I would have gotten out of gaming altogether after the SNES. This game is what helped me meet someone who has been my best friend since college. I have so many personal reasons that make this the top of S tier games. It built the Zelda universe more than any other Zelda. It intruduced Ganon's human form, the Gerudo, Zora (as we know them now), Gorans. It introduced so much to the mythology. But to be totally honest, it simply has not aged well. Graphics on the N64 is painfully headache inducing. And while the 3DS alleviates this, it's just hard to say anything but that it simply has not aged well.
-- N64 S- (and I hate myself for scoring it that low)
-- 3DS S
Majora's Mask
I love the Mask transformations. If they brought back mask transformations, I would absolutely love to play that game. Unfortunately, the time limiting factor really does put a huge damper on the game play. Imagine, you've spent hours on a dungeon. It's been nerve wracking but you're finally near the end. You're at the boss door and...oops! Time to play the ocarina and return to the first day. I got this on the 3DS too. But I just could never play through it again. Especially that couple's mask quest...I just can't. It's a huge thing, sure I had fun playing it the first time, but do I have any inclination to ever play it again? Unfortunately, no. I can't bring myself to pick this up again. I had a lot of fun mechanics. But in the end, I just can't go back to it.
-- B
Wind Waker
When this first came out, I was one of the neigh sayers. What the heck is with those graphics. This isn't my Zelda. Except that it was. It was Zelda in every way that was important. Once I actually started playing it, I loved it. Would I go back and play it again? I absolutely have. I played Game Cube twice and the HD remake once. Yes the ocean is empty and boring until you're able to teleport. And yes it take a while before you can get that teleportation ability. But even at that, this game is so much fun. I love the story. I love the play style. And I'm just going to say it, I love the graphics.
-- S
Four Swords Adventures
Fun game. Even single player I made it through and had fun with it. But it felt very much like a side game. Official timeline that has this featured in it notwithstanding, I just feel this odd disconnect between this and the rest of the series. It's fun, but just doesn't quite measure up to what I look for in a Zelda game.
-- B
Minish Cap
I loved it. I played it to completion. I loved the shrink feature. I loved the Kinstones. Ezlo was okay. It is a very solid Zelda. Unfortunately, it's one of those I had fun while playing, but never really cared to go back to after I was done. I even have a hard time coming up with concrete memories of this game other than it was fun and I played it. So...average? And keep in mind, an average Zelda game would still be considered kick ass if it were any other series.
-- C+
Twilight Princess
Thus far I believe it's still the only Zelda with a T rating. This is the art style I was looking for since Ocarina of Time. I've played it on Game Cube, Wii and Wii U. Zant's hand is the only thing that made me not finish it on Wii U. Zant's Hand is absolutely the only thing I find infuriating about this game. Everything is spot on perfect. Even Midna, the "fairy guide" was a character I absolutely came to love with all my heart.
-- S
Phantom Hourglass
I like some of the functionality they gave the touch screen. That's honestly the only thing I can say in favor of this game. And the thing that made it so unbearable for me? That hugging Temple that you have to visit over and over and over again. Sure there's shortcuts later on. But too little too late. It's just too tedious. I absolutely could not like this game.
-- F
Spirit Tracks
Slightly better than Phantom Hourglass. They took the pain out of revisiting the same temple over and over again. I actually did enjoy this...more than its predecessor at least. I ran into a brick wall. But this was allright, especially compared to Phantom Hourglass. It's nowhere near my favorite Zelda, but it isn't the worst.
-- D
Skyward Sword
Well, I did a play through on Wii and a Playthrough on Switch. The Switch improved the graphics. But while sharing the right stick with camera control and sword swinging is a welcome and vast improvement over the waggle controls of the Wii, it's still not the best ever controls in a Zelda game. There's only so much they could do making an inherently motion control game into a standard controller game. It does have its good points. Especially on the Switch, the graphics are really good. I love the relationship between Zelda and Link. The environment is colorful and fun. But the controls, repeated fights with the Imprissoned, the tear medallion sections...this is not Zelda's finest hour.
-- C+
Link Between Worlds
This is so loaded with nostalgia going back to Link to the Past. The map is instantly recognizable. But it's also a game that plays with your expectations. I also love that you can buy/rent items starting from the very beginning. The first 8-bit game was very much go anywhere do anything. But there was still very much an intended order of how to do things. Here...there is no intended order. You can do things in any order you want. And it's glorious.
-- A++
Breath of the Wild
If you haven't played this...for hugs sake go play this. I actually have played this twice: once on the Wii U, once on the Switch. Go anywhere, do anything...heck, if you're good enough, you can go straight to Ganon as soon as you leave the great plateau. This is the best Zelda game EVER. Like seriously, before Breath of the Wild, the closest any game ever came to overtaking Ocarina of Time was Twilight Princess...and I stubbornly held that one down at a close number 2 so that Ocarina could stay number 1. This game right here...it decisively dethroned Ocarina of Time. And I do not say that lightly. Breath of the Wild is the...best...Zelda game...EVER.
-- S+
Tears of the Kingdom
When I was watching trailers of this, I was kinda excited just because I always like having a new Zelda game to sink my teeth into. But I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat. Like what others seemed to think, it just looked like Breath of the Wild with a few tweaks. But then I started playing it and...wow! If I had one complaint about BotW it would have to be that the story was hidden and didn't quite grab my the way previous Zelda's had. But with TotK, the story had me hooked. I seriously choked up several times watching the story unfold. It was fantastic. And the gameplay, while reminiscent of BotW, added so much that I'm really not sure if I can go back and play BotW. I gave BotW a "S+" rating. This game outclasses BoTW so much, I can't imagine giving it anything less.
-- S+ (and if it doesn't get GotY, there's no justice in the world)
The Legend of Zelda (NES)
Still a classic. I still enjoy going back to this every once in a while. It doesn't hold your hand at all. You're set on a map, given two buttons two work with and off you go. I can still play this over and over again. On the downside, it is a short game. I can play it in 2-3 days. I've played it so many times, I still have all but maybe 2-3 of the dungeons memorized. So it's one of the smaller Zelda games.
--A+
Zelda II The Adventure of Link
Now here there's a few things that come into play. This did a lot of things right. Magic meter, spells, levels, sword fighting. In so many ways, it is a very good game. But on the original cartridge version, you get a game over, you lose all your exp points. 1-Up Dolls and point bags do not respawn after a game over. You just lose them. And at the end of the game going to the Great Palace, you need those extra lives. In a series where you always restart at the beginning of a dungeon, it also doesn't help things that in this game you start at the very beginning after a game over. They also put Death Mountain (arguably one of the hardest parts of the game) very near the beginning. That's a hell of a difficulty spike. But later releases are helped by Save States. Save states are a huge consideration.
--Original Cartridge C
--Later releases with save states B+
Zelda: A Link to the Past
This is everything the original Zelda was only better. Better map, better sword fights, better puzzles, better graphics, better enemies. This is a classic in every way. Even the graphics have aged extremely well. I honestly can't think of anything bad about this game.
-- S tier
Zelda: Links Awakening
Sure it's a gameboy game. But it's a great gameboy game. It's awesome because you can actually go swordless. The story with Marin is bittersweet. It's just such a sweet story that even for a gameboy game, it's just awesome. And having a Switch remaster that's very faithful to the original..it's a must play
-- Gameboy A++
-- Switch Remaster S
Oracle Games
These are good. But I did run into a brick wall on both of these. So keep in mind this is my personal opinion on games I couldn't even nearly finish. I had fun with the parts I was able to play, but having run into those brick walls...
-- B
Ocarina of time
Okay, this is painful. I love this game. If not for this game, I would have gotten out of gaming altogether after the SNES. This game is what helped me meet someone who has been my best friend since college. I have so many personal reasons that make this the top of S tier games. It built the Zelda universe more than any other Zelda. It intruduced Ganon's human form, the Gerudo, Zora (as we know them now), Gorans. It introduced so much to the mythology. But to be totally honest, it simply has not aged well. Graphics on the N64 is painfully headache inducing. And while the 3DS alleviates this, it's just hard to say anything but that it simply has not aged well.
-- N64 S- (and I hate myself for scoring it that low)
-- 3DS S
Majora's Mask
I love the Mask transformations. If they brought back mask transformations, I would absolutely love to play that game. Unfortunately, the time limiting factor really does put a huge damper on the game play. Imagine, you've spent hours on a dungeon. It's been nerve wracking but you're finally near the end. You're at the boss door and...oops! Time to play the ocarina and return to the first day. I got this on the 3DS too. But I just could never play through it again. Especially that couple's mask quest...I just can't. It's a huge thing, sure I had fun playing it the first time, but do I have any inclination to ever play it again? Unfortunately, no. I can't bring myself to pick this up again. I had a lot of fun mechanics. But in the end, I just can't go back to it.
-- B
Wind Waker
When this first came out, I was one of the neigh sayers. What the heck is with those graphics. This isn't my Zelda. Except that it was. It was Zelda in every way that was important. Once I actually started playing it, I loved it. Would I go back and play it again? I absolutely have. I played Game Cube twice and the HD remake once. Yes the ocean is empty and boring until you're able to teleport. And yes it take a while before you can get that teleportation ability. But even at that, this game is so much fun. I love the story. I love the play style. And I'm just going to say it, I love the graphics.
-- S
Four Swords Adventures
Fun game. Even single player I made it through and had fun with it. But it felt very much like a side game. Official timeline that has this featured in it notwithstanding, I just feel this odd disconnect between this and the rest of the series. It's fun, but just doesn't quite measure up to what I look for in a Zelda game.
-- B
Minish Cap
I loved it. I played it to completion. I loved the shrink feature. I loved the Kinstones. Ezlo was okay. It is a very solid Zelda. Unfortunately, it's one of those I had fun while playing, but never really cared to go back to after I was done. I even have a hard time coming up with concrete memories of this game other than it was fun and I played it. So...average? And keep in mind, an average Zelda game would still be considered kick ass if it were any other series.
-- C+
Twilight Princess
Thus far I believe it's still the only Zelda with a T rating. This is the art style I was looking for since Ocarina of Time. I've played it on Game Cube, Wii and Wii U. Zant's hand is the only thing that made me not finish it on Wii U. Zant's Hand is absolutely the only thing I find infuriating about this game. Everything is spot on perfect. Even Midna, the "fairy guide" was a character I absolutely came to love with all my heart.
-- S
Phantom Hourglass
I like some of the functionality they gave the touch screen. That's honestly the only thing I can say in favor of this game. And the thing that made it so unbearable for me? That hugging Temple that you have to visit over and over and over again. Sure there's shortcuts later on. But too little too late. It's just too tedious. I absolutely could not like this game.
-- F
Spirit Tracks
Slightly better than Phantom Hourglass. They took the pain out of revisiting the same temple over and over again. I actually did enjoy this...more than its predecessor at least. I ran into a brick wall. But this was allright, especially compared to Phantom Hourglass. It's nowhere near my favorite Zelda, but it isn't the worst.
-- D
Skyward Sword
Well, I did a play through on Wii and a Playthrough on Switch. The Switch improved the graphics. But while sharing the right stick with camera control and sword swinging is a welcome and vast improvement over the waggle controls of the Wii, it's still not the best ever controls in a Zelda game. There's only so much they could do making an inherently motion control game into a standard controller game. It does have its good points. Especially on the Switch, the graphics are really good. I love the relationship between Zelda and Link. The environment is colorful and fun. But the controls, repeated fights with the Imprissoned, the tear medallion sections...this is not Zelda's finest hour.
-- C+
Link Between Worlds
This is so loaded with nostalgia going back to Link to the Past. The map is instantly recognizable. But it's also a game that plays with your expectations. I also love that you can buy/rent items starting from the very beginning. The first 8-bit game was very much go anywhere do anything. But there was still very much an intended order of how to do things. Here...there is no intended order. You can do things in any order you want. And it's glorious.
-- A++
Breath of the Wild
If you haven't played this...for hugs sake go play this. I actually have played this twice: once on the Wii U, once on the Switch. Go anywhere, do anything...heck, if you're good enough, you can go straight to Ganon as soon as you leave the great plateau. This is the best Zelda game EVER. Like seriously, before Breath of the Wild, the closest any game ever came to overtaking Ocarina of Time was Twilight Princess...and I stubbornly held that one down at a close number 2 so that Ocarina could stay number 1. This game right here...it decisively dethroned Ocarina of Time. And I do not say that lightly. Breath of the Wild is the...best...Zelda game...EVER.
-- S+
Tears of the Kingdom
When I was watching trailers of this, I was kinda excited just because I always like having a new Zelda game to sink my teeth into. But I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat. Like what others seemed to think, it just looked like Breath of the Wild with a few tweaks. But then I started playing it and...wow! If I had one complaint about BotW it would have to be that the story was hidden and didn't quite grab my the way previous Zelda's had. But with TotK, the story had me hooked. I seriously choked up several times watching the story unfold. It was fantastic. And the gameplay, while reminiscent of BotW, added so much that I'm really not sure if I can go back and play BotW. I gave BotW a "S+" rating. This game outclasses BoTW so much, I can't imagine giving it anything less.
-- S+ (and if it doesn't get GotY, there's no justice in the world)
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