S1: The Legend of Zelda Ranked
Tristan’s List
#1 - Majora’s Mask
Majora’s Mask is my favorite game ever, so of course it’s topping the Zelda list so far. It’s also quite likely it will keep that spot, as its gameplay and atmosphere are unmatched in the whole art form.
#2 - Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time is kind of the Citizen Kane of video games: the obvious favorite for “greatest game of all time” conversations. That place may be shifting, but it’s undeniably an all-timer.
#3 - The Wind Waker
Although it worked with a lot of what defined the 3D formula of the two Nintendo 64 Zelda games, The Wind Waker was in some ways a major shift for the series. Besides that, it’s incredibly fun to play!
#4 - Tears of the Kingdom
It was hard to imagine that a Zelda as many years in the making as this could top the seismic shift that was Breath of the Wild…and yet here we are!
#5 - Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild’s total reinvention of the Zelda series comes with a host of incredible mechanics and exciting moments, but it’s hard for me to ignore the impact of older games' different approach.
#6 - A Link to the Past
Playing A Link to the Past today, you wouldn’t necessarily think it’s 30 years old. And yet its age is also part of what makes it special, as it initiated the beginning of a new era of gaming.
#7 - Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword’s linearity makes it both pleasurable and less great than a few other Zelda games, but its breathtaking moments and satisfying core gameplay make it one of the best in the series.
#8 - Twilight Princess
I have strong nostalgia for Twilight Princess, especially the opening I’d played a million times. There’s a lot to love about it, but some frustrating design choices hold it back from the best 3D games.
#9 - A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worlds nearly beat out a couple of 3D Zelda games because it is an installment I wanted to jump back into over and over.
#10 - Link’s Awakening
The Zelda series didn’t lose any of its charm or gameplay innovation by going handheld. Link’s Awakening is one of the defining Game Boy games and a still unique exploration of a land outside Hyrule.
#11 - Oracle of Seasons
Oracle of Seasons was my first Zelda game, and I still hold a lot of love for the Game Boy Color and this installment’s place in the 2D legacy of the series.
#12 - Oracle of Ages
While Seasons and Ages are so easily compared, the more puzzle-focused game in the GBC duology has something a bit lacking in its progress…perhaps it’s just the nostalgia I feel for its partner.
#13 - The Legend of Zelda
By virtue of it being the very first game in the series, of course The Legend of Zelda set the template. But it did so with such grace, enough that to this day the 35-year-old game is still a joy to play.
#14 - four Swords Adventures
Four Swords Adventures is a slick Zelda-lite with a lot of charm and immediate fun, but its scope mostly can’t stack up to the scale and ambition of other games in the series.
#15 - The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap offers a solid foundation of 2D Zelda fun, but its many gameplay elements don’t often cohere into an experience that stacks up with the best of the series.
#16 - Spirit Tracks
Although it’s quite similar to Phantom Hourglass and so still has many of that game’s same problems, this DS follow up refined the formula just a bit more to make it more enjoyable.
#17 - Phantom Hourglass
Phantom Hourglass’ structure as a pretty basic Zelda game combined with inaccessible and often janky touchscreen controls make it one of the weaker (yet still good and often fun!) entry in the series.
#18 - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II is definitely the black sheep for the series, and not without reason. It’s terribly hard and really difficult to understand. But it still offers an exciting adventure.
#19 - Four Swords
I don’t think Four Swords is a bad game, but it’s as close as it gets for Zelda. Some of its ideas would soon be improved, but it’s definitely the most marginal entry in the series.
#20 - Tri Force Heroes
It’s undeniable that the experience of playing Tri Force Heroes years removed from its release hobbles it, but even if its core gameplay was experienced as intended, it’s not an impressive time.
Isaac’s List
#1 - Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time sits on its throne of "greatest of all time” for a good reason: it’s royalty. I love this game and there’s not much more to say here (but you can listen to our episode for a lot more).
#2 - The Wind Waker
Ocarina of Time only beats out Wind Waker because of nostalgia. But my fond memories of the GameCube game, plus how good it is to play and sail around it today, nearly make it my favorite Zelda.
#3 - Majora’s Mask
Majora’s Mask was such a great follow up to Ocarina of Time, but I feel it lacks some of the epic scale of my favorite games in the Zelda series.
#4 - Breath of the Wild
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and it has something to do with Breath of the Wild being “this low.” But it’s undeniable that it’s an incredible game I want to, and have, come back to over and over.
#5 - A Link to the Past
A Link to the Past is a certified classic and immediately showed itself to be a landmark that many games would follow, not just in The Legend of Zelda series.
#6 - Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom’s follow-up to Breath of the Wild’s template is great, but there’s something about its predecessor that keeps it just a bit above.
#7 - Skyward Sword
“Railroading” is a word that comes to mind for Skyward Sword’s structure, but instead of a negative context, I think the game’s guidance makes it one of the best games in the series.
#8 - Twilight Princess
I often got frustrated trying to navigate Twilight Princess’ Hyrule Field, and it didn’t always offer up the memorable moments I crave from Zelda, but it’s definitely a great game by any standard.
#9 - A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worlds is nearly the best 2D game in the series, but even for all its charms and fluid gameplay, its scale as compared to the 3D installments is all that holds it back.
#10 - Link’s Awakening
Even though its many meta references to other Nintendo franchises kind of turned me off, Link’s Awakening turned out to be a worthy follow up to A Link to the Past.
#11 - The Legend of Zelda
An oldie but a goodie, The Legend of Zelda offers an exciting adventure even though it’s more than 35 years old. A great start to a great adventure!
#12 - Four Swords Adventures
Four Swords Adventures is an incredible improvement of its Game Boy Advance predecessor, a streamlined Zelda game that’s deeper than it looks. And it looks really good, graphically!
#13 - Oracle of Ages
Ages’ puzzles create a better gameplay flow than Seasons’ combat, and its emphasis on story is much more engaging than the basic plot of the other Zelda Game Boy Color game.
#14 - Oracle of Seasons
I like Oracle of Seasons alright, but in some ways it doesn’t feel like a Zelda game. Too many of its systems don’t feel fleshed out enough for me to put it high on this list.
#15 - The Minish Cap
I found myself not really wanting to keep progressing through The Minish Cap, with the Kinstone system, boss battles, and fenced off exploration not really welcoming me each time I played.
#16 - Spirit Tracks
I got so tired of the DS gimmicks after playing Phantom Hourglass and then Spirit Tracks, especially since the train sequences railroaded my exploration, but it is otherwise better designed.
#17 - Phantom Hourglass
As a sequel to nearly my favorite Zelda game, Phantom Hourglass is disappointing both as a continuation of Wind Waker’s story and as a simplified, touchscreen-based version of its gameplay.
#18 - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Zelda II: what’s there to say? There’s a reason it’s the black sheep and a reason not a lot of people finish it. There are some gems hidden in there, but it just wasn’t for me.
#19 - Four Swords
Pfffft. I really don’t like Four Swords. It barely feels like a Zelda game, like a cheap knockoff of the great gameplay and stories that I love the series for.
#20 - Tri Force Heroes
I couldn’t stand playing through Tri Force Heroes in single player, but having the formation system I really liked from Four Swords Adventures wouldn’t save it from the costume and level structure.
The Guest List
Compiled “scientifically” from the ranked lists of season 1’s guests, this stands as the ultimate Butt Heads ranking of The Legend of Zelda series.