JudgmentJay
Member
I'd slip Link's Awakening in between #1 and 2 and move A Link Between Worlds up a bit, but other than that it seems OK.
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IGN: Top 10 Legend of Zelda games
- Thread starter maxcriden
- Start date
jack_package_200
Banned
My favorite series
1. Ocarina of Time
2. Link's Awakening
3. Wind Waker
4. Twilight Princess
5. A Link to the Past
6. A Link Between Worlds
7. Four Swords Adventures
8. Oracle of Seasons
9. Majora's Mask
10. Legend of Zelda
11. Skyward Sword
12. Spirit Tracks
13. Phantom Hourglass
11-13 are games I fucking hate
I need to play Zelda 2 and Oracle of Ages and finish Minish Cap
1. Ocarina of Time
2. Link's Awakening
3. Wind Waker
4. Twilight Princess
5. A Link to the Past
6. A Link Between Worlds
7. Four Swords Adventures
8. Oracle of Seasons
9. Majora's Mask
10. Legend of Zelda
11. Skyward Sword
12. Spirit Tracks
13. Phantom Hourglass
11-13 are games I fucking hate
I need to play Zelda 2 and Oracle of Ages and finish Minish Cap
Holy Order Sol
Member
The list is wrong by virtue of existing. You can't get this right no matter which order you pick.
Art Vandilay
Member
Yep.
I have beaten the following this year in a personal study of Zelda (getting ready for Breath of the Wild):
- A Link to the Past
- Link's Awakening
- Ocarina of Time 3D
- Majora's Mask 3D
- Wind Waker
- Twilight Princess
Surprisingly Twilight Princess is the game to have come out on top. I fell in love with Majora's Mask (never beat it on 64) and love the world of Wind Waker. But I have no idea why Twilight Princess just gives me the right amount of feels. It's essentially an Ocarina of Time clone, with a crap ton of more polish. It lacks the quirky craziness and creativity of its two predecessors. It's not iconic nor did it pave the road in any meaningful way but gosh darnit it has risen to the top of my Zelda power rankings. It does everything right. The mood and atmosphere is top notch.
- A Link to the Past
- Link's Awakening
- Ocarina of Time 3D
- Majora's Mask 3D
- Wind Waker
- Twilight Princess
Surprisingly Twilight Princess is the game to have come out on top. I fell in love with Majora's Mask (never beat it on 64) and love the world of Wind Waker. But I have no idea why Twilight Princess just gives me the right amount of feels. It's essentially an Ocarina of Time clone, with a crap ton of more polish. It lacks the quirky craziness and creativity of its two predecessors. It's not iconic nor did it pave the road in any meaningful way but gosh darnit it has risen to the top of my Zelda power rankings. It does everything right. The mood and atmosphere is top notch.
Maybe because Rich George, who gave it the 10, doesn't work for IGN anymore?
Also Jose who now does most IGN Nintendo stuff isn't a big fan of SS, and generally the rest of the NVC crew are relatively down on it
cr0w
Old Member
ChaosZeroX
Banned
- Link to the Past
- Ocarina of Time
- Twilight Princess
My top 3.
CaviarMeths
Member
"Nostalgia" is like this weird magic word on GAF which, when invoked, magically turns great games into merely good ones.
Nah ALTTP and OOT are still near-perfect games.
JustSomeone
Member
wind waker should have been number 1
GusZamboni
Member
1 - twlight princess
2 - ocarina of time
3 - link to the past
2 - ocarina of time
3 - link to the past
Skyward Sword received a 10/10 from IGN lol.
I know different people for different articles and the people working there has changed over time, but it highlights how immediate reviews for a game series as big as Zelda don't really mean much. Zelda games are always going to receive perfect reviews, no matter their quality.
I remember when A Link Between Worlds came out and it was receiving perfect reviews, I just sorta shrugged it off, then I got it anyway, because it's a Zelda game and I was always going to buy it anyway and was amazed to find it was actually really good.
I know different people for different articles and the people working there has changed over time, but it highlights how immediate reviews for a game series as big as Zelda don't really mean much. Zelda games are always going to receive perfect reviews, no matter their quality.
I remember when A Link Between Worlds came out and it was receiving perfect reviews, I just sorta shrugged it off, then I got it anyway, because it's a Zelda game and I was always going to buy it anyway and was amazed to find it was actually really good.
vainglorious
Member
ALttP is literally the template for the entire franchise. There's nothing overrated about it. If anything the rest of the series is derivative when compared to ALttP.
Huge Succeeded
Banned
Skyward Sword is better than GC Wind Waker
Wind Waker, which feels like half-a-game, should be well below TP, which is probably the best playing, most enjoyable, and most fully realized 3D zelda.
Yes. The game has graphical charm, but it is totally half-baked in so many ways..
Yes. The game has graphical charm, but it is totally half-baked in so many ways..
KingdomHeartsFan
Member
Skyward Sword didn't even make the list...
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
There's no fucking way Wind Waker is better than Majora's Mask.
Its art is easily better but it ends there.
Its art is easily better but it ends there.
TheMoon
Member
Because the reviewer who gave it a 10 has not worked at IGN for years
(now works at NOA's PR firm)I remember that review. The opening with "Once again, Zelda raises the bar for not only the series, but video games in general" was absolutely laughable.
Jorok Goldblade
Member
1 and 2 could switch places and they'd still be right. Depends on your flavor of Zelda. Both are the most influential games in the series and both still hold up today.
Because the reviewer who gave it a 10 has not worked at IGN for years
Yup. The reviewer who manages IGN's Nintendo team now gave it a B+
http://www.1up.com/reviews/legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-wii
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Wind Waker is exponentially more approachable, not to mention more fun.
Chubzdoomer
Banned
I wouldn't put SS anywhere near the top of the list and I'd almost argue it's not even a top 10 game just because of the lows in SS are the lowest of lows in that game compared to the lows in other Zelda games. You have tadtones, you have the boss you fight three times (even if it changes each time, it's still the same bloody idea to beat him), you have the retreading of areas, you have the annoying fetch quest, and you have an escort mission as well (that is also not fun). For as much as SS tried to do new, many of the things throughout it that are part of that new are a real detriment to the enjoyment of the game; especially on any potential second playthrough.
Which, IMO, if you dread replaying many parts of a Zelda game that should really factor into how good the game is. But that's just me. If a game isn't very fun to replay then what does that say about the game's overall quality? Sure, not the sole factor in determining how good the game is but it is another factor for at least a list like this.
This is all ignoring the myriad of complaints about the motion controls but I, personally, never had those issues and played through it mostly fine. I enjoyed the motion controls. But I'd never sit down and replay SS again, even on Hero Mode, because of all those parts of the game I really, really don't like. And I just can't imagine how anyone can ignore those parts of the game. They're absolutely dreadful. Not even the Sandsea part of the game makes up for all those smaller parts that are just so, so bad.
So this list really speaks to me, it's almost what I would pick except I'd probably put Majora's Mask higher up on the list; above WW for sure. Not sure about above OoT. Probably mostly the same except like I said MM higher.
Which, IMO, if you dread replaying many parts of a Zelda game that should really factor into how good the game is. But that's just me. If a game isn't very fun to replay then what does that say about the game's overall quality? Sure, not the sole factor in determining how good the game is but it is another factor for at least a list like this.
This is all ignoring the myriad of complaints about the motion controls but I, personally, never had those issues and played through it mostly fine. I enjoyed the motion controls. But I'd never sit down and replay SS again, even on Hero Mode, because of all those parts of the game I really, really don't like. And I just can't imagine how anyone can ignore those parts of the game. They're absolutely dreadful. Not even the Sandsea part of the game makes up for all those smaller parts that are just so, so bad.
So this list really speaks to me, it's almost what I would pick except I'd probably put Majora's Mask higher up on the list; above WW for sure. Not sure about above OoT. Probably mostly the same except like I said MM higher.
Spieler Eins
Member
No Zelda is more boring than WW. They did not do a single interesting thing with the setting, i.e. the complete opposite of MM.
MrSaturn99
Member
Wow @ Skyward Sword not making the list. I mean, I don't think it's that good either, but..
Regardless, ALTTP deserves the top spot. Timeless classic.
Regardless, ALTTP deserves the top spot. Timeless classic.
pretty done
Member
muh art style
sammyCYBORG
Member
Ocarina, A Link to the Past and Twilight Princess are the definitive top 3, in that order.
After that the series goes from flawed to bad on a sliding scale.
After that the series goes from flawed to bad on a sliding scale.
InfiniteCombo
Banned
This x1000.
I like A Link to the Past and all, but find that it's incredibly overrated amongst Zelda fans.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
No Zelda is more convoluted, confusing, and painful to play than Majora's Mask. The setting is interesting and everything else is garbage.
Shifty1897
Member
IGN gave Skyward Sword a 10/10 and it still didn't make their top ten, lol.
Spieler Eins
Member
Which is also overrated. I never again want to see a Deku Tree looking like an aborted fetus or Zelda basically being a Bratz doll. I guess WW has a pretty blue field going for it and that's where its positives end.
I'm fine in either order as long as they're 1 and 2.
Scirm_Layton
Member
I don't know why people hate SS so much, this game is fun and has the most beautiful graphics in the series (well, at least till March ). It is a decent game. I had more fun with it than with Ocarina. I like both.
But nothing beats 1st Zelda, it is really, really good. Even today you can jump right in and have fun. And I would place Link Between Worlds higher. This game is fantastic, I played it whenever I had an opportunity. Even tough Nintendo used LttP map, it never felt cheap. It felt like they took care for this game, and focused on every single detail to make it absolutely the best one, and oh boy, it may really be the best in the future lists!
). It is a decent game. I had more fun with it than with Ocarina. I like both.But nothing beats 1st Zelda, it is really, really good. Even today you can jump right in and have fun. And I would place Link Between Worlds higher. This game is fantastic, I played it whenever I had an opportunity. Even tough Nintendo used LttP map, it never felt cheap. It felt like they took care for this game, and focused on every single detail to make it absolutely the best one, and oh boy, it may really be the best in the future lists!
Seeing the TP defense force saying it should be above WW warms my heart.
Don't get me wrong, I still love WW even with all its flaws and I would rank it very highly myself, just not higher than TP. I just want this notion that TP is somehow near the bottom of the series to die a quick death. Where's this damned Zelda Cycle when you need it.
Don't get me wrong, I still love WW even with all its flaws and I would rank it very highly myself, just not higher than TP. I just want this notion that TP is somehow near the bottom of the series to die a quick death. Where's this damned Zelda Cycle when you need it.
At least Wind Waker was going for a different feel, it didn't just rehash Ocarina of Time with better graphics and less charm and a more drawn out boring story and a longer godawful tutorial like Twilight Princess. Wind Waker also had much more of an emphasis on exploration than the other 3D Zelda games, which was great. More memorable music than Twilight Princess.
IceDoesntHelp
Banned
no Skyward Sword? seriously?
I guess this list simply was put together by another guy than the one who reviewed it. Just because person A thought this game was a 10 doesn't mean that the rest of their staff should.
Although it was a surprise not seeing it on the list.
I'd think a top 10 game should, for the most part, be a game that is remembered very fondly. Is SS a Zelda game you'd say is remembered fondly and enjoyed by most of the fanbase? Granted, this list is hardly objective but SS in my eyes just... does so many things wrong that bog down the overall experience and remembrance of it. It's definitely not a game I would replay whereas every other game on IGN's list is a game I could and would (and have!) replay.
The reviewer of SS for IGN has been long gone from the site so it's hardly reflective of the whole site's opinion on SS let alone the person who created this top 10 list. Plus, that review is over five years old now and who knows what the writer of the top 10 list thinks of SS after those five years have passed. Opinions change, as we've seen with TP over the last decade.