The best Zelda games of all time

The best Zelda games speak to how many memorable adventures the long-running series has brought us over the years. Not only that, but this selection speaks to how it has continued to evolve and reinvent itself since the original Legend of Zelda game launched back in the late '80s.

With well over 20 games across various console generations, we've seen the Hylian hero and the princess in pixelated Metroidvania-style adventures, to the most recent open-world RPGs, and many new games have been influenced by the entries that have come our way. Bringing us some of the very best Switch exclusives that are now finding a home on the new-gen Switch 2, too, this list is here to celebrate the standout highlights from the extensive repertoire of Zelda games.

So whether you're looking to experience the series for the first time, you're looking for more recommendations, or you want to reflect back on the series and one of the best video game heroes from Nintendo, read on below as we take you through our pick of the best Zelda games.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Release: 2016
Platform: Wii U

Twilight Princess is the fulfillment of the promise made by Nintendo's early GameCube tech demos, and while it ultimately didn't end up as memorable or beloved as the cartoony Wind Waker, it still holds a place in the pantheon of great Zelda adventures.

Transform into a wolf, utilize some of the series' most interesting tools (the spinner remains one of my personal favorites), and explore the dark side of a world that looks like the Japanese anime take on Tim Burton's earliest work. The HD version on Wii U fixes many of the original's biggest problems (no more required cow herding!), making for a much more streamlined experience. For more, read our The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD review: to find out why "Twilight Princess' charms make it almost impossible to resist".

9. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Release: 2004
Platform: Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Wii U

After Capcom and its subsidiary Flagship proved themselves worthy of the Zelda franchise with the Oracle games, the developers returned with the even better Minish Cap. Minish Cap introduced gamers to Ezlo, one of our favorite side characters in the series and one who had the power to shrink Link.

The shrunken world of the Piccori people gave the series a new perspective, and the deliciously colorful graphics are some of the most memorable the GBA ever hosted. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was smaller in scale but massive in heart and ambition and it's hands down one of the best GBA games ever made.

8. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Release: 2013
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

It's a bold move to make a sequel to one of the most beloved games of all time, but The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is easily one of the best 2D Zelda games ever made. While the story takes place in the familiar Hyrule (Light World) and Lorule (Dark World) of A Link to the Past, Link's adventure is anything but a carbon copy and flips many of the linear Zelda conventions on their head.

The ability to rent the series' mainstay items like the bow, boomerangs, and bombs from the lovable, new character, Ravio, brings back the truly open-world feel of the original Zelda. Now, you're free to explore the beautifully detailed, stereoscopic 3D world as you hunt down dungeons, collect heart pieces, and spin-attack spear-wielding Moblins. A Link Between Worlds is all killer, no filler; a game that lives up to its storied legacy while able to carve out its own identity. Find out why we though it was a "must play" back in the day in our The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds review.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Release: 2011
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time isn't just one of the best N64 games of all time; it's arguably one of the most important games of the 3D era. It was never going to be easy transitioning Link's adventures into the third dimension, but Nintendo handled the challenge with grace. Its tight camera control and Z-targeting system ensured that we were able to easily navigate the sprawling version of Hyrule, and survive the many dangers it contained within.

While the original release is still brilliant, the 2011 remake for 3DS is undoubtedly the best way to experience the game today. As we detail in our The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D review, It takes the foundations and improves upon them, with an overhauled control system helping to sand down some of the rougher edges, and the updated visual design giving this version of Hyrule more spirit than ever before. For more, you can discover how the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time became a timeless legacy.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

Release: 2015
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Majora's Mask arrived in Japan a mere 18 months after the release of the Ocarina of Time (which came out in 1998), and while it may reuse a lot of assets from the N64 classic, it's easily one of the best 3DS games and most experimental Zelda games ever made. Young Link finds himself trapped in Clock Town, doomed to be crushed under an angry, demonic moon. In order to prevent imminent disaster, he must repeatedly live out the same three days, all while the town's inhabitants adhere to their daily schedules.

You'll slowly piece together riddles and make permanent changes to your routine that help bring you closer to saving the world from apocalyptic doom. As we cover in our The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D review, this 2015 update makes tracking its myriad side quests much easier and adds helpful hints if you need them, bringing out the full potential of the weirdest game in the entire series. You can find out more with our exploration of the surrealist sequel that was never supposed to exist.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Release: 2013
Platform: Wii U

Proving that a great aesthetic can outshine realism every time, Wind Waker remains one of the most beloved games in the series. Set in a version of Hyrule long covered by a gigantic body of water, the last vestiges of society mete out existence on islands that dot the ocean.

You'll navigate the waterways thanks to a magic talking boat, explore some of the best dungeons the series has to offer, and learn the secret ties its story shares with the Ocarina of Time. Some late-game padding prevents it from achieving a higher place on this list, though much of it is mitigated with some helpful additions and changes in the Wii U's HD port. But for a good 14 years, Wind Waker was the best 3D Zelda game in its decades-long history. For more, check out our The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD review.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Release: 2019
Platform: Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening was always one of the series' most underrated gems, a smaller-scale adventure with big ambitions. Today, it's remembered as not only one of the best Game Boy games, but one of the best Game Boy Color games too, thanks to a fantastic enhanced port. The thing is, there's an even better way to experience the joys of Link's Awakening these days, and that's through the utterly delightful 2019 remake for Nintendo Switch.

With its beautiful visual redesign and updated mechanics, Nintendo breathed new life into Link's Awakening and the densely packed Koholint Island, where the game is set. Link's Awakening is a lot of fun, features an extremely smart structure, and works hard to celebrate the Zelda series and Nintendo's wider history. It's a pure delight. Find out more about why it's "peak old-school Zelda" in our The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening review.

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Release: 1991
Platform: SNES

Like other 16-bit Nintendo classics like Super Mario World and Super Metroid, A Link to the Past expanded brilliantly on its NES predecessor and defined how all future entries in the series are measured. The graphics, gameplay, and music were also top-notch for their time, introducing many ideas that are now core to the series.

Nintendo also used the game to push storytelling in impressive new directions, setting the mood early with its unforgettable opening. Its scale was incredible for its time too, and its version of Hyrule is still one of the largest and most diverse worlds in gaming. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past isn't just one of the best SNES games, it's one of the best games of all-time. And if you want to learn more about this adventure, be sure to check out the making of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Release: 2023
Platform: Nintendo Switch

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is everything a sequel should be. It's smarter, larger, and more intuitive – building off the foundations established by Breath of the Wild to create something that's truly special. While Tears of the Kingdom was never going to be as groundbreaking as its 2017 predecessor, Nintendo has worked to enhance the sandbox to allow for more creativity.

An overhauled set of powers lets you build weird and wonderful weapons and contraptions, giving you new ways to survive and traverse the expanded overworld. Islands in the sky and dungeons below the depths offer new opportunities to explore, while the refined structure of the experience allows for a true adventure. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is undoubtedly one of the best Switch games ever made. You can read more about our verdict on this adventure in our The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Release: 2017
Platform: Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is simultaneously a reinvention of everything you know about the Legend of Zelda as well as the next logical step for the series. It deviates entirely from the traditional formula established in A Link to the Past, instead giving you a small handful of abilities that can be exploited in ways both obvious and obscure, then sets you loose into an unpredictable world.

It's absolutely massive, ensuring that you can run off in any direction and find something interesting, whether it's a new quest, a small town off the beaten path or one of over 100 mini-dungeons that force you to discover innovative ways to use your small-yet-versatile toolset. All of it is wrapped in melancholy, its greatest monuments lying in post-cataclysmic ruin, as our hero attempts to rectify previous failures. It's, in a word, breathtaking, and it marks a rebirth for The Legend of Zelda. For more, read our The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review.

Look ahead to future releases coming our way with our roundup of upcoming Switch games and upcoming Switch 2 games.