The Best Legend of Zelda

"A perfect blend of old and new, Skyward Sword takes the classic Zelda formula and mixes it with the modern action adventure, leading to a tighter, more linear and story focused game that simultaneously refreshes the series while reminding you of everything that makes Zelda great. The near-flawless motion plus controls prove once and for all that motion controls can work, and even be integral, to a hardcore gamers game."

"By removing any sense of continuous overworld, the developers at one fell swoop removed the best part of many Zelda games.  What remains was a tour de force in how to use Motion+, punctuated by terrifying stealth sections, and a very interesting arsenal... but that lack of overworld, combined with the environmental and enemy repetition in the second half of the game, prevents SS from reaching classic status."

"Whilst it felt a lot more linear than many of the other Zelda games it gets a lot of extra credit for trying so many new things such as returning to previous dungeons and sprinting, things I think Zelda Wii U/NX will build upon. Like Wind Waker before it, the cartoon style made this a real looker and in particular I loved a lot of the different dungeon themes they went for with Skyward Sword, more of these original styles in the future please."

"good game, solid controls but the world was just missing something, also a little forgettable (I missed it off the list for quite a while)"

"The Wii's last hurrah with this sometimes looked down on Zelda but lovely art-style, story, characters part from Fi and world place it this high"

"The beginning of it all. SS is stuffed with so much nostalgia it's a wonder that there's room for any innovation, but there is: the stamina meter is a series highlight, although I could have done without the flying bits. There are also some genuine characters with proper development here, instead of the cardboard cutouts that have populated the series in the past. A more gentle and focussed story works wonders and, finally, SS is the single reason Nintendo gave us the Wii Remote Plus."

"The most recent 3D Zelda certainly was big - after the slightly truncated DS games, having a sizeable amount of Zelda to wade through was a delight. There are a lot of new elements (stamina management, crafting bits etc.) that will probably do well for the next big Zelda adventure. However, the re-using of areas, although a good idea in theory, did lead to a repetitive feel. Also, MotionPlus is still a minus. I wasn't swiping to the left, I was pulling my arm left so I could swipe to the right."

I've always said my favourite game would be the Wii Zelda if it was all one game. I love Twilight Princess' sense of foreboding and adventure, the big world, the drama of it all and the technical dungeons. Skyward Sword, on the other hand, has the gorgeous visuals, the orchestral music, the characters and the innovation. I see them as two sides of the same coin, and struggle to choose which one I like the most. Right now, I'm leaning towards SS so I gave it first place. I'm getting an SS tattoo (not something I should ever say out loud) and playing through Twilight Princess at the moment means SS is the dreamy one that exists only as a warm feeling in my heart. But you're probably tired of hearing me harp on about how much I love Skyward Sword, so I'll hand over to someone else.

Luke ***ING Summerhayes says:
"NO. You know what, I ain't done. Skyward Sword is the absolute tits and you're gonna hear about why.

For starters, those visuals are incredible. Obviously Wind Waker looks nice, but it looks so clean and deliberate. Skyward Sword looks like art, in the personal, perfectly imperfect way the best masterpieces do. The painterly distance blur, the swirls, the cloudscapes, the characters... gorgeous.

The gameplay was absolutely top. The Stamina bar took some hints from SotC and DS, making combat and exploration more kinetic and tactical. The motion controls were impeccable, and allowed for incredible innovation in the dungeons, with puzzles and fights unlike anything else the series had seen. The puzzling and bosses even spilled out of the dungeons, making the world feel like one big dungeon in a wonderful world.

Speaking of the world, there's a lot of chat about it not being as exciting and exploratory as elsewhere. I will admit that the world doesn't feel as much like a big open place to explore as the others, but that's just because the smoke and mirrors it employs are slightly less believable than elsewhere. The individual areas are much bigger than any of the islands visited in Wind Waker, but flying to them is more jarring than hopping on a boat, so one notices it. Similarly, they're bigger than comparabel areas in OoT or TP, which were just small sections linked by obvious loading gates. I'm all for good open worlds; I liked ALBW, and the if-you-can-see-it-you-can-go-to-it of Dark Souls is the main thing I love. But no 3D Zelda has ever really done it the way people seem to think when they're criticising Skyward Sword. It does look like we'll get that in Zelda U, though, so maybe that'll take my top spot. It looks like a nice blend of TP and SS in other ways as well.

The other big criticism, then: Fi. I didn't mind her. I liked the Mr Spock thing of being all logical at first then slowly becoming warmer before tragically sealing herself in a sword. I love her design visually, and her dancing. She never gave away a puzzle before I figured it out myself anyway. And if you think she talked too much, which I didn't particulalry, she was quickly skippable. She inconvenienced you for like a second. Jeez, you're worse than people getting funny about queues in a shop.

Shut up.

10/10"

1: Wand of Gamelon

2: Faces of Evil

3: Zelda's Adventure

3.

2.

1.

Honourable mentions:

Freshly Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupee Land
4 points

Yes. Really.

"A great game, it's genuinely funny and has one of the best art styles ever created. Perfectly wacky."

I played this a bit, when it came out. Humorously written, interesting ideas, attractive sprites, but pretty dull. I might have more time for it if I tried again now. Umm... congrats I guess?

The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest
7 points


"I've had a few spins of this and it's never felt like an amazing thing that I must beat at all costs. It's part of a tech demo and one for a concept that both present and history tell us has not taken off. To be fair, though, the programmers made it look the business."
"In that I've played it, and had a good time with my family when playing it, and love the materially aesthetic which suits the "it's just a bit of fun" atmosphere well."
"Like Nintendo Land as a whole, made good use of the Wii U gamepad and was nice to see my little Mii characters swanning around Sword, Shield and Bow and Arrow in hand."

This was alright. Not the best game on Nintendoland, but a bit of fun and a lovely aesthetic.  

Hyrule Warriors

16 Points

"Only the demo, to be honest, which is possibly not enough to get a full feeling for the game and everything it does. Nonetheless, it takes the silver medal slot with aplomb. I am reliably informed that there is a little more tactical play required than simply mowing everything down with your supremely powerful character, so that's good - I did get bored, truth be told. If only they'd let me have a go at a boss! Final thought: this may have more love for the Zelda franchise than an actual Zelda game."
"This game is so jam-packed with content that I don't have time to vote for any other spin-offs."

The only spin-off that actually made it into the main top ten, HW is a great game. A fun celebration of Zelda, lovely graphics and a perfect introduction to Warriors gameplay for new players.

Minish Cap
6 Points


"If ALBW was an enhancement of the tried and tested, MC was a dumping ground for new ideas.  Shrinking, one-player Four Sword, items like the Cane of Pacci...  The fight against the manta rays is, for my money, the best boss fight in a Zelda game."

Right, I really do need to get on and play this, don't I?

A Link to the Past
11 points


"What a game. The main reason that I love ALTTP is that it is such a step up for the series: the previous top-down Zelda game was the NES original, remember. Whilst that was a fine game, ALTTP took everything about it and made it bigger and prettier, whilst giving the player more to do, see, collect and achieve. It introduces series staples at a ridiculous rate and is tremendous fun to (Pegasus) boot. The dev team were really allowed to stretch themselves and it shows in every minute and every pixel. A brilliant, brilliant game."
"Overshadowed by ALBW, but still a great title by its own right. Plus, that Dark World theme is lush."

Still no justice for LttP fans!

A Link Between Worlds

15 Points

"Wasnae going to be anything else.  A beautiful game, gorgeous 3D, varied dungeons and enemies, much more story and character than the SNES original, and the flattening mechanic!  That mechanic is a stroke of genius.  MORE LIKE A BRUSHSTROKE OF GENIUS AMIRITE? "
"The most fun and absorbing handheld Zelda yet. The simple idea of allowing Link to stick to walls is both a revelation and a revolution which gives ALBW classic status all by itself. Then there's the way that it subverts the familiar ALTTP world: there are just enough changes to make it feel both familiar and alien at the same time. The dungeons may not have been that impressive for the series but the love that went into making the overworld and the quirky little story is clear to see."
"Perfects the 2D Zelda formula – opens up the possibilities for exploration through its rental items, tickles your puzzling bone with its wall-merging ability and even the combat feels okay for a 2D Zelda game. One of the best Zeldas, let alone the best 2D Zelda."

So this top three was just the top three 2D Zeldas in the main vote. Why did I do this, again?