The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most popular video game franchises, with every title featuring an expansive world for players to explore. Aside from a few exceptions, most installments take place in the fantasy setting of Hyrule, though the landscape changes with every new entry, particularly as the series has evolved throughout the innovation of game consoles.

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The Legend Of Zelda: 10 Games With The Best Versions Of Hyrule

There have been many iterations of Hyrule throughout The Legend of Zelda video games. Which among them are the best?

The more recent Legend of Zelda games give players an overworld map to explore that has become way more immersive, with more than enough for players to discover over hundreds of hours. Considering all the changes that have been applied to The Legend of Zelda's maps, these eight versions of Hyrule (and other locations) are the very best that players have gotten to explore.

8 Link's Awakening

Welcome To Koholint Island

This first entry on the list is a rarity in that it doesn't take place in the familiar setting of Hyrule like many other Zelda titles. Originally released for the Nintendo GameBoy before getting a re-release on Nintendo Switch in 2019, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening takes place on Koholint Island, a small but easy-to-explore locale that only exists in a dream.

Though there's not much to the overworld map compared to the vastness of some other Zelda installments, it nevertheless offers a cozy environment for players to experience. Particularly in the Nintendo Switch remake, exploring the overworld has an almost tropical feel, which makes the entire game feel lighter and breezier than other Zelda titles.

7 Majora's Mask

Termina In A Time Loop

Majora's Mask, the sequel to the Nintendo 64's Ocarina of Time, is another entry on this list that doesn't take place in Hyrule. Early in the game, Link is transported to the mysterious land of Termina by Skull Kid. This new land is threatened with doomsday by the forest-dwelling child. As a result, Link makes use of time travel to accomplish a lot within a 3-day time limit.

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Because the game encourages players to retrace their steps, by the end players have gotten quite familiar with Termina and its various map locations, from the bustling central location, Clock Town, to the forests and mountains that make up its terrain. Though it doesn't have as many familiar destinations as Hylian maps, it makes for a memorable overworld nonetheless.

6 Ocarina Of Time

The Definitive Hyrule

The predecessor to Majora's Mask is among the more iconic interpretations of Hyrule throughout the Zelda franchise, establishing many integral destinations depicted in future games. Once players exit Kokiri Forest after the game's opening, they spend time exploring places like Death Mountain, Gerudo Valley, and Lake Hylia.

Overall, the overworld map in Ocarina of Time is iconic, but it's pretty basic compared to future titles in the series. The game itself almost makes traveling from point to point difficult, The fastest form of travel is on horseback, as fast travel would not be added to the series until later installments.

5 The Legend Of Zelda

The Original Hyrule

Few overworld maps in The Legend of Zelda are more iconic than the very first map from its original NES title, which was released in 1986. Until 2017's Breath of the Wild, this was also the most freedom players were given in Hyrule, leaving it up to players to explore with little to no guidance on where they should go, though this did make progressing quite difficult.

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Perhaps the biggest flaw in the overworld map from The Legend of Zelda is its simplicity, but it makes up for it with a massive size compared to titles like Link's Awakening. It may seem overwhelming for new players, but by the time they're ready to face Ganon, they will know the map and its intricacies like the back of their hand.

4 Twilight Princess

A Land Covered In Darkness

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released simultaneously for the GameCube and Nintendo Wii in 2006, introducing players to a darker version of the franchise than they had seen before. This translates to the game's overworld map, with players spending most of the game navigating a Hyrule that has been covered in darkness due to a Twili invasion.

It features many of the iconic locations introduced in Ocarina of Time, including Death Mountain, Kakariko Village, and the Gerudo Desert. Though the game's story is much more linear, leaving little room to explore, the design of this version of Hyrule felt like the most fleshed-out and vibrant the series had seen up to this point, even if it lacked creativity.

3 The Wind Waker

The Flooded Kingdom

In terms of creativity, The Wind Waker has Twilight Princess beat. In this GameCube title, Hyrule has been flooded to prevent the return of Ganondorf, meaning the land is made up of several disconnected islands. Fortunately, players have more opportunities to explore this overworld, sailing on the King of Red Lions anywhere they want.

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While the game's story will direct players on where to go, getting to discover what the Great Sea has to offer is a huge part of The Wind Waker's appeal. There are plenty of secrets to discover, from hidden islands to dangerous enemies. For those who'd rather not explore, the game also integrates fast travel by playing the Ballad of Gales on the titular Wind Waker baton.

2 A Link To The Past / A Link Between Worlds

The Light And The Dark

The SNES Zelda title A Link to the Past was the first opportunity Nintendo had to flesh out the land of Hyrule, and they made a memorable impression. The continuous overworld map is among the most vibrant iterations of Hyrule, giving players the opportunity to explore it for secrets like the NES game, but with the freedom of more modern titles like Breath of the Wild.

After over two decades, Nintendo gave A Link to the Past a direct sequel on the 3DS, titled A Link Between Worlds, which upgraded the map for a newer generation console. What's even more impressive about these two versions of Hyrule is they each have a dark world - an inversion of the game's primary world - to explore, though the one in A Link Between Worlds is a little more psychedelic in its design.

1 Breath Of The Wild / Tears Of The Kingdom

The Most Expansive Hyrule Ever

It'll be difficult for any future Zelda games to top the overworld maps of the two most recent installments. Breath of the Wild was an ambitious move for Nintendo, boasting an expansive open-world map with lots to discover, and boy did they deliver. The overworld map is not only a blast to explore, but players could spend hundreds of hours doing so.

It's even more impressive that they upped the ante in 2023's Tears of the Kingdom. This time around, the expansive map of Hyrule remains nearly identical, with the addition of Sky Islands that give players more to explore vertically. Plus, the mysterious Depths below Hyrule double the game's explorable areas, while also doubling the threat as well.

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