Highlights
- The Legend of Zelda series has consistently provided players with high-quality adventure games that excel in storytelling, gameplay, and exploration.
- Some games in the series have been revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of video game innovation and inspiring other developers to innovate and expand on established concepts.
- Iconic titles like The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild have left a lasting legacy in the gaming industry, with their unique features and gameplay mechanics shaping the landscape of video games. Tears of the Kingdom continues this trend of innovation with its impressive rune system.
The Legend of Zelda is a gaming franchise that needs no introduction, easily serving as one of the most popular and beloved series in gaming history that has wowed players with its wealth of amazing games over and over again. Every title in the series serves up an adventure of the best quality, with their stories, gameplay, and exploration being top-notch.
Some of the games in this series have been revolutionary, changing the landscape of gaming for the better and showing developers the path forward to innovate and expand on well-established concepts. There's no denying that some Legend of Zelda games haven't really pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved in a video game... but those are the exception, not the norm.
6 The Legend Of Zelda
The first-ever game in The Legend of Zelda series had to be a massive success if Nintendo wanted this IP to get off the ground running. This turned out to be the case, with the amazing action-adventure gameplay of this title being an absolute blast to experience that has consistently wowed players to this day.
The manner in which this game was structured coupled with its gameplay loop was revolutionary for its time, with many people considering this title to be the progenitor of the action role-playing genre. Even now, fans who don't mind rudimentary graphics and simplistic gameplay will love what this title has to offer. The fact that this game is the first title to allow players to save their progress is also a huge milestone that shouldn't be ignored in the slightest!
5 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Most people are intimately familiar with A Link to the Past, which is one of the greatest action-adventure games ever made. The title features some of the most gorgeous pixel art ever seen, which has aged like a fine line and still looks breathtaking to this day. This, coupled with a wealth of options during combat and some truly amazing exploration, makes it clear why A Link to the Past is such an iconic title.
The easter eggs of this game have become the stuff of legend, and the wealth of gameplay options coupled with a world that switched midway through has been seen as truly innovative ideas that have shaped the video game landscape in many ways. Even now, after all the excellent titles that have been released in the modern landscape of gaming, there's something about A Link to the Past that makes it infinitely playable to this day.
4 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
It would be impossible to talk about iconic Legend of Zelda games with a lasting legacy without mentioning Ocarina of Time. The title is a masterpiece of video game design, showing how well the formula of this action-adventure series translated over to a 3D medium. The adventures of Link as he traveled through time in a bid to stop Ganon's plans from coming to fruition made for a blast in every way.
The world of Ocarina of Time is truly massive, with its dungeons and boss fights being memorable. Before full open worlds became the norm, Ocarina of Time served as a template for games like Fable to structure their fantasy adventures similarly too. Of course, another game that was heavily inspired by Ocarina of Time is its sequel, Majora's Mask, which employed a lot of what made the first game special with some darker elements of its own.
3 The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda needed something huge to make the switch to an entirely new console generation, which was achieved with the release of The Wind Waker. Adding its fair share of naval exploration, the game's cel-shaded art style, and endearing charm made it an instant hit among Zelda fans who wanted this franchise to evolve in a new direction.
The game showed just how effective cel shading could be, allowing games to age well — a fact that was proven with the launch of this game's HD version on the Wii U, which made it look almost brand-new! The seafaring adventure of Link makes for a great time as players explored some well-designed dungeons and uncovered interesting secrets along the way.
2 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The launch of Breath of the Wild was extremely hyped, with players wondering how the series' formula would conform to the open-world genre. Suffice it to say, the game blew everyone's socks off upon release, with the many sandbox elements of this title being executed in a brilliant manner that proved just how engaging the world of Breath of the Wild was.
The sense of exploration was truly amazing, with the open-world design negating the need for any markers to be present on the map that would guide players to these destinations in a lazy manner. Exploring areas of one's own volition and discovering a wealth of secrets is a huge part of what made Breath of the Wild such a masterpiece... and set a base for its sequel to be a massive hit in its own right.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Many people were worried that Tears of the Kingdom wouldn't have the same impact as Breath of the Wild, especially with news coming out that the game would be based on the same map of Hyrule as its predecessor. However, all of these worries were addressed when Tears of the Kingdom showed just how innovative its runes would be.
Every rune in Tears of the Kingdom is a marked improvement over its predecessor, with Ultrahand being one of the most impressive upgrades in gaming history. The fact that players could make whatever they wanted and approach puzzles using their own creative solutions is a huge reason why Tears of the Kingdom will capture player hearts for the years to come.