The Legend of Zelda is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, being a major release on most Nintendo platforms over the years. The games feature amazing adventures in which players can get lost for hours, with the central plot revolving around Link and his efforts to save the world or rescue people from the tyranny of Ganon.
Given the long history of these games, it would be easy to assume that the older titles in the series can be slightly harder to get into, especially from a visual standpoint. However, this couldn't be further from the truth, with the amazing art style of certain games in the series leading to them being absolutely timeless. In fact, many of the pre-2005 Legend of Zelda games are still visually stimulating to this day.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
A Link to the Past is the game that put The Legend of Zelda series on the map. The amazing sense of adventure and progressions brought about in this game is a thing of beauty, allowing players to make progress through a vast and diverse world that is mirrored in the Dark World as well. Suffice it to say, any fan of great action-adventure games should definitely give this title a shot.
It helps that this game looks absolutely gorgeous, which is hefty praise given that the title was released all the way back in 1991. It may be old, but its amazing art style and bright color palette make each and every area all the more memorable. It helps that the Dark World's muted palette gives both worlds a great sense of identity that players will remember long after they're finished with this legendary title.
4 The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords is a rather unique Zelda game that a ton of people might not have heard of. This multiplayer title groups players together as they go through various rooms in a dungeon, defeating enemies and solving puzzles that require quite a bit of teamwork. It's a unique gameplay loop and a fun title to play with friends. The fact that the dungeons are randomized means that each and every run in this game has a few surprises of its own.
Not only is Four Swords a fun co-op game to play through, but it also has great visuals that have aged pretty well. A lot of this is due to the title using an art style that is largely similar to A Link to the Past, with these 2D graphics and sprites having a life of their own that make them quite pleasing to the eye. Fans of classic Zelda titles will find Four Swords to be a delightful visual treat indeed.
3 The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Breath of the Wild is considered by many to be the greatest Zelda game ever made, with its cel-shaded visuals being one of the many things that players absolutely loved about this title. In fact, the art style of this game actually brought a ton of attention to another title in The Legend of Zelda series that many people consider to be a highlight of the series that also used cel-shading. It's clear at this point that this game is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
The seafaring adventures of Link are a blast to play through, especially with the game's graphics being truly sublime. Even now, the visuals of The Wind Waker can be simply breathtaking at times, with players entering a state of zen as they sail the seas and take in the beautiful vistas, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack that makes the adventure one of the very best in this illustrious series.
2 The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords was a great bit of experimentation on Nintendo's part, with the effort to make a co-op Zelda title being quite welcome indeed. In fact, Nintendo liked this change so much that they decided to develop another Zelda game that would continue the gameplay established by Four Swords. Fittingly enough, this game was called The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
Four Swords Adventures expands on the gameplay of its predecessor in admirable ways, featuring everything from cooperative combat and puzzle-solving to PvP modes that are also quite fun in their own right. It helps that the game looks beautiful, with the GameCube making the most of the 2D sprites and art style that feel like a natural evolution of the visuals employed in A Link to the Past.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Game Boy Advance is a console with a ton of games have aged really well. Even now, playing games on this handheld is fantastic, mainly because the majority of titles look pretty visually satisfying, even if the resolution might not be the highest. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to learn that a Zelda game on the GBA would also be quite a peach to look at.
The Minish Cap is one of the more beloved titles in the series, with this Zelda title featuring relatively simpler gameplay when compared to some of the other titles that came out before it. However, this isn't a slight against The Minish Cap at all, with the game's sense of adventure and wonder still remaining intact, especially with the striking 2D art style that looks absolutely beautiful.