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Essays 18 October 2020, 11:02

author: Matt Buckley

10 Best Legend of Zelda Games - Rescuing the Princess Never Gets Boring!

To consider the many titles in the Legend of Zelda franchise is a daunting task: Most of them set a new standard for video games, and they’ve been coming out for decades. Everyone’s list is probably different, but here are some of the best installments.

Table of Contents

Twilight Princess

Full name: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Platforms: Wii, GameCube, Nvidia Shield TV

Release date: 2006

Metacritic: 95/100

Twilight Princess can sometimes feel like an overcorrection because it was released in the wake of outcry over recent games (like Wind Waker) cartoonish graphics.

The game was very realistic and dealt with a darker world and subject matter. As proof of this, it’s one of the only games in the series to be rated “T for Teen.” The dark tone coupled with a 3D world makes it feel like a successor to the N64 titles like Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time

Though it doesn’t quite innovate as much as those games did, the engaging story, interesting temple designs, and overall atmosphere make it a solid contribution to the franchise. Plus, let’s be real, no other versions of Link can transform into a wolf, and that counts for something.

Oracle of Ages / Seasons

Full name: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, The Legend of Zelda: The Oracle of Seasons

Platforms: Game Boy Color

Release date: 2001

Metacritic: N/A

Releasing two games side by side is not unusual for Nintendo, the developers of the Pokemon games, but it is quite unique among the Zelda series. Also, comparing these two games to the superficial differences in side-by-side Pokemon titles would not be doing either of them justice.

The games share a connection in that you can transfer progress from one to the other, and only completing both games gives the “true ending.” But thankfully, both games easily stand on their own.

Oracle of Ages features more puzzles alongside a more heartfelt story, while Oracle of Seasons is more action-packed and reminiscent of older Zelda titles. So while it’s certainly a great idea to try both, there’s the chance that one of them will be more up your alley than the other.

Matt Buckley

Matt Buckley

After studying creative writing at Emerson College in Boston, Matt published a travel blog based on a two-month solo journey around the world, wrote for SmarterTravel, and worked on an Antarctic documentary series for NOVA, Antarctic Extremes. Today, for Gamepressure, Matt covers Nintendo news and writes reviews for Switch and PC titles. Matt enjoys RPGs like Pokemon and Breath of the Wild, as well as fighting games like Super Smash Bros., and the occasional action game like Ghostwire Tokyo or Gods Will Fall. Outside of video games, Matt is also a huge Dungeons & Dragons nerd, a fan of board games like Wingspan, an avid hiker, and after recently moving to California, an amateur surfer.

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