# The best games in The Legend of Zelda series

Every main Zelda game with a strong critic score, ordered by Metacritic as compiled by Metacritic itself and Game Rant. Remakes and remasters of the same game count once.

- 482 votes · 16 items
- Nov 25, 2023 · Leah Grant
- https://even.best/en/l/445/the-best-games-in-the-legend-of-zelda-series

## Top 12

1. **The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time** (51 · ▲58 ▼7) — Nintendo 64, 1998. Metascore 99, the highest of any game: Z-targeting, the ocarina and Link's leap to 3D.
2. **The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild** (38 · ▲42 ▼4) — Switch and Wii U, 2017. Metascore 97; the open-world reinvention of the series.
3. **The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom** (29 · ▲34 ▼5) — Switch, 2023. Metascore 96; sky islands, the Depths and building with Ultrahand.
4. **The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess** (29 · ▲30 ▼1) — GameCube and Wii, 2006. Metascore 95; the darkest, most realistic Hyrule, with wolf Link.
5. **The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask** (27 · ▲29 ▼2) — Nintendo 64, 2000. Metascore 95; three days before the moon falls on Termina.
6. **The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass** (26 · ▲28 ▼2) — DS, 2007. Metascore 90; the Wind Waker sequel controlled with the stylus.
7. **The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker** (25 · ▲28 ▼3) — GameCube, 2003. Metascore 96; cel-shaded sailing across the Great Sea.
8. **The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword** (25 · ▲27 ▼2) — Wii, 2011. Metascore 93; motion-controlled swordplay and the origin of the Master Sword.
9. **The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past** (19 · ▲22 ▼3) — Super Nintendo, 1991. The 2D blueprint of the series, with its Light and Dark Worlds.
10. **The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap** (19 · ▲22 ▼3) — Game Boy Advance, 2005. Metascore 89; Link shrinks to the size of the tiny Minish.
11. **The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds** (16 · ▲22 ▼6) — 3DS, 2013. Metascore 91; a sequel to A Link to the Past where Link turns into a wall painting.
12. **The Legend of Zelda** (14 · ▲20 ▼6) — NES, 1986. The original: open exploration of Hyrule from the very first screen.
13. **The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening** (12 · ▲19 ▼7) — Game Boy, 1993, remade for Switch in 2019 (Metascore 87); Link stranded on Koholint Island.
14. **The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks** (12 · ▲19 ▼7) — DS, 2009. Metascore 87; Link as a train engineer, with Zelda as a spirit sidekick.
15. **Zelda II: The Adventure of Link** (4 · ▲12 ▼8) — 1987 NES sequel with side-scrolling combat and RPG levelling, the black sheep of the series.
16. **The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — 2024 Switch game where Zelda herself is the playable hero, using echoes of objects and monsters.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.