The Legend of Zelda is a saga with dozens of titles behind it. Whether it be individual instalments or re-releases of others that have already been released, Link’s adventures have been with us for more than three decades. With the imminent release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the million-dollar question arises: which video games in the series are the must-haves?
We tell you which are the 7 Zelda videogames that you must play at some point in your life. We have counted on the opinion of Salva Fernández, author of the bestseller “Zelda, behind the legend“, to compile these 7 titles.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
We start with the predecessor of Tears of the Kingdom, the game that revolutionised the open world genre: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It may be, without a doubt, the most beloved title of the saga thanks to its approach, the huge amount of options available, the way in which the adventure is approached, and so on. So many good things can be said about Breath of the Wild that it would take a book (and not just a few pages).
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
For many, the best Nintendo 64 videogame: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. In 1998, it was a leap forward in the conception of three-dimensional videogames. Some design implementations are fundamental to understand the current videogame, such as the fixed camera on enemies or the approach to puzzles with the environment. To top it off, its dungeons are really good.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
This game set the bar high for the series in the early 90s. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is pure magic on the Super Nintendo thanks to its beautiful graphics and incredible gameplay. Often times, games from the past don’t stand up well to modern revisions, but playing A Link to the Past today is just as much fun as it was on day one. Play it as soon as you can.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
Overshadowed by Ocarina of Time, it’s curious how The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was initially somewhat neglected, but the passage of time has put it in the place it deserves. This instalment reaps the best Zelda gameplay spearheaded by the incomparable Eiji Aonuma, with time cycles spearheading its design. Its plot was darker than what we’re used to, but that’s something we’re even grateful for because of the departure from the preconceived.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
Hilarious. That’s the only word that comes to mind when recalling The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on Game Boy. The game has a level design worthy of praise, as well as puzzles well corseted between combat and combat. This game has several editions with even a great remake included. Our advice is to play them all, as unbelievable as it sounds.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (1999)
As with Majora’s Mask, time has proven The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a masterful game for Nintendo GameCube, to be right. This game allowed us to sail the seas and an exploration never seen before. The poor success of Nintendo’s console (the least sold in its history) meant that fewer people had access to this game. Luckily, and we repeat, time has been good to it.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
We close this article with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Released for Wii, its main attraction was the incredible amount of things we could do with the Wiimote, the console’s controllers. This freedom of action and mimicry with Link came with an additional gameplay burden, which is none other than being able to explore a vast universe. In addition, elements such as the stamina meter were boosted in Breath of the Wild.
