Every The Legend of Zelda Nintendo game ranked, according to Metacritic

There are so many games but let’s be honest, only a few are actually good

12 months ago

To celebrate Nintendo releasing another The Legend of Zelda game – here is Metacritic’s ranking of every single important game. Zelda is a really old franchise, it’s a game even our parents remember playing and that’s why it’s so special. From fun puzzles, to roaming Hyrule with Link and battling monsters – we have been through a lot.

So, here are all major The Legend of Zelda games ranked, according to Metacritic and a few savage reviews.

17. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Score: 73

For a game that came out in 2015 this one was rubbish. The image was like one pixel and it’s the lowest rated game for a reason. There was no real form of progression in the game, no exploration feature and the single player was a SLOG because the puzzles were so tedious without a team of three. Nintendo didn’t slay with this one. End of.

16. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Score: TBD

This game just isn’t fun.

15. Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda

Score: 84

This game is currently being sold for nearly £45 on Amazon. It’s considered by Matacritics as the game that defined adventure gaming.

14. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Score: 86

Four Swords was basic. Some of the levels were annoying as well with the weird and obscure puzzles. This game also messed with the lore and in general the gameplay wasn’t good.

13. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Score: 87

You know what, this might actually be one of the most underrated games in Zelda. It belongs in the top five of Zelda games and it’s a renowned fan favourite.

12. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Score: 89

Maybe I just don’t enjoy games like this but it was annoying to play. Nothing revolutionary about this game – it’s quite mid. But for some reason it still has a high score on Metacritic.

11. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Score: 90

via Metacritic

Phantom Hourglass was actually Metacritic’s DS game of the year in 2007.

10. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Score: 91

This game was released on the 3DS in 2013. It is a game with a storyline set in a world of the Super NES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages

Score: 92*

This game kind of felt like a worse version of Link’s Awakening. The puzzles haven’t aged well and it lacks a lot of charm which can be found in other Zelda games. The design was also a bit poor and it’s a slog to get through alone.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Skwyard Sword

Score: 93

Skyward Sword shook up the typical game formula we were used to and it was a real turning point for the Zelda franchise. The introduction of motion controls enabled by Wii MotionPlus technology allowed the player to synchronise movements with Link.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Score: 95

Majora’s Mask dropped on Nintendo in 2000 and it saw Link get thrown into a parallel world.

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

Score: 95

This game came out in 2002 and it’s iconic. Link travels to the past, going through the dark world and light world. He fights monsters and uncovers Hyrule’s deepest secrets on the way. For a first, this game includes Four Swords which means you can play with three other players. A slay!

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Score: 96

The Wind Waker was the ninth game in the Legend of Zelda series and it is considered to be the 45th best game in the world with Metacritic scoring it 96. This game debuted on GameCube back in 2006 and was a mix of weapon action, puzzles and storylines.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Score: 96

Twilight Princess was released in 2006. Link was able to transform into a wolf and pass the darkened land of Hyrule.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Score: 96

For a game that came out this month on Switch, jumping to 36th place in the world isn’t bad at all. This adventure follows as a sequel to Bread of the Wild which we saw come out in 2017. Players are able to go through landscapes and in the vast skies above.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Score: 97

Breath of Wild comes in second which is so impressive considering it came out in 2017 on Switch. This game broke boundaries and I don’t say that lightly. The open world game allowed us to travel through fields, forests and to mountain peaks. We could climb towers and find new locations. Of course along the way we had to fight enemies, hunt beasts and gather ingredients for food and elixirs but this game was breathtakingly beautiful. A hard serve from Nintendo.

1: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Score: 99

Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out in November 1988 and it’s still considered one of the best games of all time according to Metacritic. The story in the game follows Link being tricked by Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo Thieves. The evil man uses Link to gain access to the Sacred Realm, where he places his hands on Triforce and transforms the gorgeous landscape into a wasteland. Link is keen to fix the problems and travels through time gaining powers of the Seven Sages.