The Legend Of Zelda: 10 Best Intro Dungeons
From the Deku Tree to Water Temples, Zelda's dungeons are amongst gaming's most iconic locations.
Of all the elements in The Legend Of Zelda series, dungeons are arguably the most iconic. Providing a sharp contrast to the often expansive and open-ended overworlds, the franchise's dungeons, shrines and temples are concentrated puzzle rooms which require players to pay attention to each and every element found therein, often tasking them to track multiple streams of information in order to reach the final boss.
The best opening dungeons of Zelda games tend to be those that subtly introduce players to the central gimmicks and mechanics within the game, providing relatively safe spaces for Link to get acclimatised to all the tools and tricks at his disposal.
This list contains some of the most iconic, aesthetically unique and innovative dungeons from the history of the franchise, each advancing the concept of what a dungeon can be in considerable ways. Spanning both the mainline 3D titles and top-down The Legend Of Zelda classics, the entries that made this list all have one thing in common.
Each of them, in their own way, helps set the tone for their respective games, providing exciting and memorable introductions to the series, hook players new and old to their games from the get-go.
10. Link's Awakening: Tail Cave
Starting with Link's Awakening, the Legend of Zelda games on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance transformed the franchise's overworlds from the vast expanses seen in The Legend Of Zelda and A Link To The Past into grids of dense areas which often contained dungeon-like puzzles in themselves, maximising the use of space in the minimal maps the handheld consoles could produce.
Tail Cave, the first dungeon of Link's Awakening, starts in many ways before Link reaches the dungeon itself. The player must explore all the nooks and crannies of the Mysterious Forest, finding the Witch's Hut and securing the magic powder to rescue Tarin. Doing so will clear up the forest's fog, leading straight to the chest that contains the Tail Key.
While Tail Cave, like most of Link's Awakening's dungeons, is similar in structure and design to the dungeons seen in its early console counterparts, the introduction of 2D sections (and Super Mario's famous goombas!) first seen here helps cement the game's distinct identity, drenching the game with charm.