The best Zelda games, ranked from best to worst

Link’s Awakening, the first handheld entry in the franchise, morphed from a port of A Link to the Past into the weirdest entry in the iconic series. Featuring cameos from Kirby, a SimCity character, and 2D sidescrolling sections where Link hops on Goombas, Link’s Awakening had an experimental vibe to it that simply oozed charm. Swapping Hyrule for Koholint Island, Link’s Awakening cemented itself as a unique and valiant foray into portable adventuring. Since its 1993 launch on Game Boy, Link’s Awakening has received two remakes. In 1998, Koholint Island was doused with color in Link’s Awakening DX. But it’s the Switch remake that convinced us to catapult Link’s Awakening from the fifth spot on our list to number two. Updated with a bright visual style that makes all the denizens of Koholint Island resemble adorable toy dolls, Link’s Awakening on Switch is stunningly cute. Nintendo updated far more than just the graphics. A cleaner inventory system allows Link to have more than two active items at once. There are far more Heart Pieces and Secret Seashells to find. The more robust scavenger hunt is complimented well by a map pin system borrowed from Breath of the Wild. Link’s Awakening was always incredible, but the Switch remake solidifies it as the best top-down Zelda game ever made.

Using a Pokémon-esque release model, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons launched simultaneously on Game Boy Color. They appear as one entry on this list because together they formed one, overarching story. Impressively, however, they were two completely different games. Seasons gave Link the ability to change the seasons (of course) with the power of a magical rod, and the Harp of Ages sent Link to a world called Labrynna. The two experiences complemented each other quite well, with Ages focusing the brunt of its time on puzzles and Seasons featuring more action. To see the final ending, you had to work through each of the game’s dungeons. The Oracle games are tremendous and often overlooked in the grand scheme of Zelda history.

“It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this,” the old man said. And with that, Link started his journey as a hero. Link’s first adventure, The Legend of Zelda introduced as an NES game, offering a gameplay loop that would change the way we thought about video games. Unlike most subsequent entries in the franchise, the original offered very little direction and allowed players to discover the dungeons in basically any order they pleased. The Legend of Zelda remains a masterpiece.

The second of the two Nintendo DS Zelda games, Spirit Tracks retained the cel-shaded cartoon visuals and isometric, 3D perspective. Spirit Tracks subbed in a steam train for travel across the overworld, a mechanic that we enjoyed quite a bit. The dungeons were interesting, and the touchscreen controls remained as solid as they were in Phantom Hourglass. It’s a great game, but the DS easily holds the crown for the Nintendo system with the worst Zelda games. “Worst” being relative, of course.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is an oddity, and not just because its title didn’t start with “The Legend of Zelda.” After the success of the original, Nintendo decided to alter the formula for the direct sequel significantly. It subbed the top-down perspective for sidescrolling and had an integral emphasis on RPG tropes. As a result, The Adventure of Link is probably the most trying game in the series as well as the most divisive. It’s passable (even good), but some of the Zelda magic slipped in this transition. Still, Zelda II has its share of die-hard fans. But if you want classic gameplay that invites nostalgia, you might opt to pass on this title.