Core Elements of a Zelda Game

Every Zelda game is unique while still maintaining the core elements, and each game has a different amount of each element. Some are exploration heavy, like BotW. Some are loaded up with side quests, but light on dungeons, like MM. With a series that has 19 games under its belt (not including remakes/spinoffs), it’s good to take a retrospective look at what elements make a Zelda game, and which ones exemplified them best.

Gameplay/Controls

This is an immensely important part of any game, but Miyamoto was concerned about making them both intuitive and fun. The tight controls helped elevate Zelda games to the top of the charts. And as new/different controllers were introduced, the games adapted. Ocarina was truly groundbreaking in its variable action button and other 3D game elements, while Phantom had all new stylus controls. And even though it’s reviled by many for it, Skyward Sword’s motion controls were actually pretty good.

Best Exemplar: Ocarina of Time



Exploration

Getting lost in a forest and exploring the world is at the core of the Zelda franchise. The fact that the original game let the player go to any screen (except two) from the get-go made it a classic. Finding hidden caves or secret grottos for loot/upgrades rewards exploration and spurs on further searching.

Best Exemplar: Breath of the Wild



Dungeons

On top of exploring a whole world, there’s always a second underworld with dungeons. Some are just mazes/labyrinths with locks and one-way doors, and some have some kind of central mechanic (like raising/lowering water level). Usually a dungeon has 2 incentives - a new item and some kind of MacGuffin (like a Triforce piece or medallion).

Best Exemplar: A Link to the Past



Puzzles

Puzzles come in many forms, whether it be figuring out the right person to meet in a trading sequence, finding a creative way to use items to do something useful (like hit a switch or get to the other side of a chasm), or just figuring out where to go. The Zelda games have a trademark solution sound that plays as a signal upon puzzle completion.

Best Exemplar: Oracle of Ages



Combat

What started as simple button pressing for a stab motion has evolved into complicated moves to find enemies’ weak spots. Games like TP and BotW put more focus on this.

Best Exemplar: Twilight Princess

Side Quests/Mini-games

To add a little variety, almost every Zelda game has some mini-games and side quests. Fetch quests, shooting galleries, speed challenges, trading sequences, and large scale scavenger hunts have been a series staple ever since ALttP and LA.

Best Exemplar: Majora's Mask



Story/Lore

And lastly, the Lore. The actual legend of Zelda itself - the story dealing with the Triforce, the struggle against Ganon, the magical land of Hyrule, and all the history that goes with it. This also includes all the little elements like Link’s motivation (kidnapped sister, princess in need of saving, fulfilling a request to save a distant land, etc.) Some games have more than others, and tied in with this is how linear or non-linear the game is. For the most part, the more linear a game is, the more it tends to include a detailed plot. On the flip side, a non-linear game tends to have less plot because it’s hard to tell a story when those pieces need to be able to be arranged in any order.

Best Exemplar: Wind Waker

There are a few other elements that tend to be common among games, like a catchy overworld theme or callbacks to previous game, but I wouldn't consider them to be as crucial as the categories listed above.