These reviews are my own personal reviews of each Zelda game. I am reviewing each as if it were the year of release, so I won't fault older games for poor graphics or hardware limitations of the time. Also, I'm only considering the actual game, gameplay, puzzles, and other things like graphics and sound while leaving out the story. The review of the storylines will be a separate post. And please understand that my purpose isn't to criticize the games to tear them down, but to improve them. Most of them I would give a 9.5/10, and in my view, the changes I would suggest would make them 9.9/10 or better.
Title: The Legend
of Zelda
NA Release Date: 22 Aug 1987
System: NES
Game Format: 2D Top-down perspective, open world, non-linear
New innovations:
Basically everything. Sword that beams with full life, boomerang, bomb, bow, raft,
exploration, armor upgrades, warping, power bracelet, rupees, candle, fairies,
dungeon map/compass, keys.
How it compares to past
Zelda games: Since it’s the first, there’s nothing to compare to.
What I liked: It
took elements from other adventure type games and gave it great controls, cool
monsters to fight, and plenty of secrets to find. In fact, about 3 out of 5 overworld map
screens have some kind of cave or hidden secret on it. Another great feature is
that almost every part of the overworld is explorable from the start, and
levels can be completed in almost any order despite them being numbered. It’s
not hard to see why this game was so successful.Personally one thing that really sold it for me was the sword beam with full hearts thing. Link has 8 usable items (bombs, arrows, boomerang, etc.), as well as more that are used automatically or at the right place (ladder, raft, rings, etc.).
What I didn’t like: My
only real complaint is the uselessness of the “bait,” aka the “grumble meat” as
my friend used to call it. It seems odd to have one item slot for something
that’s used only once or twice.
Where it fits in the
timeline: Second to last game in the “Fallen Hero” branch after the 3-way
split. Preceded by TFH, followed by AoL.
What I would have changed:
While some of the messages from the old man have become popular memes and
examples of bad translation, I would change a few of them to make more sense.
Also, I would call the Magic Sword the Master Sword in the instruction manual and item screen.
Other than that, it’s a masterpiece and needs no changes to the actual game or
gameplay. Despite its age, it’s still fun to play.
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Title: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
NA Release Date: 1
Dec 1988
System: NES
Game Format: 2D Top-down map, 2D side-scrolling platform action, gated, linear.
New innovations:
Magic meter, spells, most items are passive, jumping, side-scrolling, a much
expanded Hyrule, towns and villages, hammer, leveling up system, Down Stab.
How it compares to
past Zelda games: The format is very different from the first game. All
items Link finds are either used automatically or on the map screen, and
instead of an item button it’s a jump button.
What I liked: Most
people consider this to be the black sheep of the Zelda games because of the
different format, but plenty of games go a different direction for the second
game of a series. Part of the complaint is about the difficulty, but my
4-year-old son beat the game, so how hard can it be, right? There’s a lot to
this expanded version of Hyrule that still hasn’t been seen in any game to
date. I did enjoy the intense action, especially against Iron Knuckles.
What I didn’t like: Some
of the spells had limited usefulness. The first 3 spells are used constantly,
while some of the later spells are used only once or twice. It would be nice to
have a couple more spots where each would be used.
Where it fits in the
timeline: Last game in the “Fallen Hero” branch after the 3-way split.
Preceded by LoZ.
What I would have
changed: About the only thing I can think of is would be to let players
start at the Palaces on a continued game, lengthening and strengthening the
sword beam, and maybe add a little variation to the townspeople’s messages that
don’t actually convey any information. I realize that memory space was limited
back then and so they did everything they could to maximize what they had, but
a few more interesting hints and some added variety would have made it even
better. Other than that, I would rename it to be The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link to be more in line with the rest of the series like it is in Japan.
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Title: The Legend
of Zelda: A Link to the Past
NA Release Date: 13
Apr 1992 (Original), 2 Dec 2002 (GBA Version)
System: SNES (Original), GBA (Re-release)
Game Format: 2D Top-down perspective, slightly restricted dual open world.
New innovations: Incorporated
plot development, dual worlds, Master Sword, multi-use action button, hookshot, bottles, Pegasus boots,
swimming, pieces of heart, ocarina, Cane of Somaria, magic powder, shovel, mirror
shield, chickens, Big/boss key, detailed overworld map, spin attack.
How it compares to
past Zelda games: The format is very much like the first one, but with the
addition of an action button and a greatly expanded item/equipment system.
What I liked: This
is the game where they perfected the 2D Zelda formula. While mostly
What I didn’t like: Link
didn’t get to keep the shovel, and saving/turning off counted as a “death,” but
those were corrected in the GBA version.
Where it fits in the
timeline: First game in the “Fallen Hero” branch after the 3-way split.
Preceded by OoT, followed by OoS.
What I would have
changed: My only beef with the game is the upgrading of the Master
Thoughts on the GBA
version: I liked the addition of the riddle quest and the Palace of the
Four Sword, that saving no longer counts as a death, and the slight textual
changes. I’m even cool on the ability to start from multiple locations, new
shops, and pretty much everything else. But one thing I didn’t like was the
addition of Link’s yell when swinging the sword. It gets annoying after a
while. Also, I didn’t like how the functions of the start and select buttons
were swapped. The only other thing I would like is an alternative way to unlock the Riddle Quest and Palace of the Four Sword without needing to play Four Swords (sorta like what they did with the Anniversary Edition of Four Swords).
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Title: The Legend
of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
NA Release Date: 6
Aug 1993 (Original), 15 Dec 1998 (DX version), 20 Sept 2019 (HD version)
System: Game Boy (Original), Game Boy Color (DX Version)
Game Format: 2D Top-down perspective, gated, linear
New innovations:
Shield is now an active item, equipping multiple items, trading sequence,
Nintendo character cameos, fishing, different dungeon music, bomb-arrows,
photographs, secret seashells.
How it compares to
past Zelda games: For being a Gameboy Game, it is incredibly detailed with
graphics resembling A Link to the Past more than, say, Zelda 1. Also for being
able to pull off SNES type moves with only 2 buttons was impressive. But mostly it was like a Gameboy version of ALttP.
What I liked: This
was the first “gaiden,” or side-story Zelda game, and as such it was originally
regarded as a little weird compared to the other 3. But now in retrospect, it
fits right in and blazed the path for other gaiden games. It borrowed heavily
from ALttP (and with good reason), but added its own little charm and had to do
many of the same things with only 2 buttons. It’s kind of a sad tale, but one
that is satisfying to complete.
What I didn’t like: Not
being able to see how many pieces of heart Link had found (corrected in the DX/HD version). Having a more plot-based story makes non-linear exploration
impossible – but each game has to find a balance between plot and open explorability.
Having 2 options for the first picture, and that getting one of the pictures
results in everyone calling Link “Thief” for the rest of the game (both in the DX version).
Where it fits in the
timeline: Fourth game in the “Fallen Hero” branch after the 3-way split.
Preceded by OoA, followed by ALBW.
What I would have
changed: Restoring the ability to skip conversations in the DX version and the ability to re-equip the green tunic. Also, the music for the Piece of Power/Acorn
gets old if the player is good at not getting hit. I would change it to more
of a 20 second loop.
Thoughts on the DX
version: Color made it better. And the additional dungeon and picture quest
are great as well. But I would have added the ability to go back to a green
tunic. Also, for some reason they cut out the ability to skip past dialogue
boxes, which is particularly annoying when Link runs into cracked blocks or
weird objects, or when he gets a Guardian Acorn. I’m also not a big fan of
“forever-gones,” meaning things that can be missed and never recovered. In this
case, some of the pictures can only be taken while Marin is around and if the
player doesn’t know this might skip past it.
Thoughts on the HD version: This version kept all the charm of the past versions and only upgraded the visuals and music. But since there are more than two buttons available, the controls are much better. The inclusion of a dedicated Shield, Run, Lift, and Sword button means far less item switching. More heart pieces and seashells means more scavenging/searching, which adds a little depth, and there's even a log of found pieces/seashells. The fishing and crane mini-games were given new features, and the bosses are a bit harder (which is good), but not completely different (like what they did with Majora's Mask 3D). The only thing taken out were the pictures from the DX version, but it was replaced by a Mario Maker-like feature to make your own Zelda dungeon. It's not quite as deep of a feature as I was hoping for, but I think with a future update it could be made even better. One other nice thing is that the one thing I wanted on the DX version was included - the ability to switch back to the green tunic. My only real gripe with the game is the name - it should have been called Link's Awakening HD or something. Overall a nice remake, but I think full price ($60) was perhaps a bit too high. If there's a future update making the dungeon maker better then I will retract that statement. And also, here's hoping they use the same engine to make an Oracle games remake on the same cartridge.
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Title: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
NA Release Date: 23 Nov 1998 (Original), 19 June 2011 (3D Version)
System: N64 (Original), 3DS (3D Version)
Game Format: 3D, mostly linear, gated
New innovations: 3D, horse, Equipment options, Light arrow (instead of silver), fire/ice arrows, Z-targeting, constant companion, slingshot, Deku and Goron and Gerudo races, playing music instead of pre-made songs, wallet upgrades, skulltullas, rolling, masks, bombchus.
How it compares to past Zelda games: This was new territory, as 3D games in general were newer. It retained many elements of past games, such as stepping on switches and pushing blocks, but did so in an additional dimension. There were many new kinds of puzzles that couldn't have been done in previous games.
What I liked: This
was an extremely groundbreaking game. Many 3D games owe their control scheme,
GUI, and gameplay elements to this game. It transitioned a 2D series into 3D
perfectly. It had many new musical cues that continue to be used. Going back
and forth between adult and child times was cool, as it let the player see the
difference having a hero makes. The plot made the game more cinematic than any
of the previous games. The game was perfectly balanced as far as dungeons,
overworld, and side-quests.
What I didn’t like: Hyrule field seemed really open and vast, ripe for exploring, but it was actually quite empty. I’m guessing that part of it was by design to make Epona more desirable, but I wish it had more character and features. I also wish that game makers would have stuck a little more closely with past Hyrule maps unless they have specific reasons in the story. Also, Navi was quite annoying, sometimes revealing the answer to a puzzle before the player had a chance to try it. She should have been more of a guide to consult rather than a spoiler alert. Overall the game seemed a little too easy and I wish there was a Hero Mode. Also, I didn’t like how fairies filled up all 20 hearts, making red/blue potion completely superfluous.
Where it fits in the timeline: Last game in the unified (i.e. pre-split) timeline. This game’s outcome is what makes the split happen. Preceded by FS, followed by ALttP, MM, or WW.
What I would have changed: About the only change I would make is so that the Biggoron
Thoughts on the Master Quest version:
I thought this was a great alternate version of the game. The overworld is all the same, but all of the dungeons have been remixed and made considerably trickier. Besides having more obscure solutions to the puzzles and traps, some are made intentionally deceptive by subverting patterns learned by playing the regular version of the game multiple times. There really is no downside to it, especially since the game was free with a pre-order and gives a harder challenge to those who want it. But it is in an odd place when it comes to classifying it - is it a remake, or a spin-off? In a way it almost feels like an official ROM-hack, and not unlike the BS-Legend of Zelda games.
Thoughts on the 3D
version:
The graphics and animations look way nicer. The addition of
the Sheikah Stone helper was a bit unnecessary, as Navi already gives too much
away, but at least it’s voluntary to use. However, I wish there was an option to turn off the Stone entirely. Being able to organize your equipment your
own way was nice, I guess. But changing the boots to an item instead of
equipment was a godsend. Having 4 items open plus the Ocarina instead of just 3
also made things a little more convenient and required less pausing for
switching equipment. Finally, adding the traditional Zelda overworld theme to the 3D remake credits was a nice touch. Plus including the Mirrored Master Quest as a bonus was the first opportunity for a lot of people to play it if they missed out on the original limited release for the Game Cube.
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Title: The Legend
of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
NA Release Date: 26
Oct 2000 (Original), 13 Feb 2015 (3D Version)
System: N64 (Original), 3DS (3D Version)
Game Format: 3D, gated, mostly linear, recurring
New innovations: Transformation
masks, pictobox, Tingle.
How it compares to past Zelda games: Extremely similar to Ocarina of Time but with a new twist, a smaller overworld, and fewer dungeons. However, it made up for it with a lot of personality and charm.
How it compares to past Zelda games: Extremely similar to Ocarina of Time but with a new twist, a smaller overworld, and fewer dungeons. However, it made up for it with a lot of personality and charm.
What I liked: This
is one of my favorite Zelda games. I love getting to know all the
What I didn’t like: This
game runs low on dungeons. If Ikana Canyon and the Mountains had a small
mini-dungeon (like the spider houses), it would have been nice.
Where it fits in the
timeline: First game in the Child branch of the timeline. Preceded by OoT,
followed by TP.
What I would have
changed: Tweak the economy like I suggested in OoT. Other than that,
Thoughts on the 3D
version:
Like the 3D version of Ocarina, it looks much better. The new
Bomber’s notebook is too easy to obtain, and it gives too many hints. Changing
all the bosses to have a Majora’s Eye weak spot really changed the way those
battles are fought, and I’m not sure if it makes them better, worse, or just
different. I’m not a big fan of the fishing, so including it didn’t add any value to
me. And the change to the Zora swimming wasn’t welcome. But the fan-made patch that restored a lot of these things makes the game quite a bit better and closer to the original version. 
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