Ranking my favourite games from the best video game series of all time.
For as long as I can remember, I have been a Zelda fan.
I grew up watching my parents play Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, until I was old enough to play it on my own. From then on, my life was a blur of Zelda games, each one marking a special place in my heart.
Although each Zelda game is special in its own right, there are some that have an especially important place in my heart, and that is what I am going to discuss today.
Without further ado, here are my top 5 favourite Legend of Zelda games.
5. Breath of the Wild
The very thing that irked me most about the Breath of the Wild was the very thing that I loved the most about it, and that was the fact that Breath of the Wild was extremely different from every other instalment in the series. The open-world concept and lack of structure in the storyline made for a very different game, but something very distinctive and memorable. Although I really didn't like the temples or the music in this game, exploring the world was extremely enjoyable, and the amount of side-quests, shrines, and additional downloadable content allowed me to play this for hours upon hours and never once feel bored. It's also a very beautiful game with great graphics and excellent controls.
4. Skyward Sword
The story, the characters, the graphics, the temples. Although some regions were better than others, this entire game was extremely memorable, and includes my favourite temple out of the entire series (the Ancient Cistern). Introducing an entirely new world outside of Hyrule and incorporating the most fun characters ever (e.g. Ghirahim and Groose, to name a few), this game was so much fun to play for the first time. Plus I seriously enjoyed the new motion controls and being able to swing my Wii remote around like mad fighting enemies!
3. Ocarina of Time
I mean, come on. This one is just a classic, and it's hard to name a single thing wrong with it. Also considered to be the greatest game of all time, this one is what made my love for Zelda come to life. With an absolutely incredible storyline that transcends time (literally), some of the best music in any of the Legend of Zelda instalments, and some absolutely original and fun temples (my favourite being the Forest Temple), it's hard to disagree with the fact that this Zelda game has got it. Playing it again as a teenager, I was struck by the beautiful nostalgia that this game gave me, from the music on the starting screen, to the final boss battle against Ganondorf. Amazing.
2. Twilight Princess
An absolutely incredible game in every respect. Despite being darker than many of the other Zelda games, both in content and in graphics, Twilight Princess is one that will stick in my head for a long, long time. The storyline, which forces you to experience an uncomfortable sort of darkness for long periods of time, made the progression through the game even more satisfying and epic. When I played it as a kid I was scared of it and couldn't get past the first temple for a very long time, but now that I have finished the game I realize what a true masterpiece this is. This game also has really great dungeons, each one a really good length and with often very eerie enemies and bosses. Plus the music in this game is cinematic perfection. It has my favourite song from the entire series, which is Midna's Lament. Let's not forget how much fun it is to play as a wolf.
1. Majora's Mask
It was extremely hard to choose a favourite, because Twilight Princess is such a close second. However, Majora's Mask has always had the greatest impact on me, and it's easy to see why. The intense and emotional storyline, the strange "parallel-universe" feel of Termina, the anxiety-inducing pressure of the moon coming crashing to the ground, plus the incredible sidequests (e.g. Kafei and Anju) make this game extremely unique but one of the most fun games ever. Collecting the masks is so entertaining, and each region of Termina is distinct and filled with great characters. I also love all the theories surrounding this game, one of my favourite being each region in Termina representing a different stage in the 5 stages of grief. Majora's Mask is intensely emotional, with all the characters basically having to come to terms with their approaching deaths, but much of the beauty of this game is in the way that it explores mortality and grief. Overall my favourite Zelda game, and I will never get tired of replaying it.
Overall, Zelda will always be my favourite video game series ever, and although it was difficult compiling the games into a single list of 5 (plus ranking those 5), it just makes me realize how amazing these games are. So thanks to Nintendo for creating this series and changing my life forever.
Nice list