Every Mainline Console Zelda Game Ranked
Every console Zelda game is a Legend, but which is the best of the bunch?
Throughout its almost 35 year history, The Legend Of Zelda has consistently revolutionised gaming. From essentially inventing the adventure video game genre to pioneering 3D action titles and perfecting open world gaming, Nintendo's second most famous son (well, daughter, technically) has been at the forefront of numerous milestones in video game history.
Each and every Legend of Zelda game is a joy to play, offering countless hours of exploration and innovation. While Nintendo's flagship 2D Mario franchise has become somewhat stale over the years, even entries into Zelda franchise which follow a similar formula add something new to the mix, making each title a must-play for fans of the franchise. The series constantly reinvents itself, encouraging players to return and save Hyrule from Ganon once again.
However, some of the games on this list have aged better than others. Some titles in the Zelda franchise, despite the influence they've had on gaming, are not as enjoyable today, while others have stood the test of time and remain video game classics, decades down the line.
From the franchise's humble NES debut to 2017's megalithic masterpiece Breath of the Wild, how do the mainline console Zelda titles stack up today?
11. The Adventure Of Link
The second entry in the Legend Of Zelda franchise was a huge side step from the original formula, with Nintendo changing almost everything in the game's follow up.
Instead of producing another top-down adventure title, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link was more of a side-scrolling RPG. Though the top-down perspective was maintained for the overworld (which was more of a hub of individual villages and points of interest, rather than a landscape that could be fully explored in its own right), battles took place in side-scrolling sections, relying more on players' reflexes and the use of Magic Spells than the relatively basic combat of the original game.
Though Zelda II is a very obtuse and strange entry in the franchise, the influences of Adventure Of Link on later titles expand further than many fans realise. The introduction of villages and habitable locations, NPCs who do more than just provide ambiguous hints (teasing Zelda's trademark humour), and a sort of Magic metre (albeit in a very different format than fans have come to know and love) were all introduced here. The game's RPG elements were even revisited, in a refined way, by more recent entries into the franchise, such as Skyward Sword and Breath Of The Wild.
Though The Adventure Of Link has aged horrendously, it's strange to think that without it, fans might never have been introduced to iconic locations like Kakariko Village.