Ranking Every 2D Zelda Game, From Worst To Best

There are critically acclaimed franchises in the world of gaming, and then there’s The Legend of Zelda. Every time a new Zelda game comes out, it’s an event, with the series split into two different gameplay styles. So, let’s rank every 2D Zelda game from worst to best!

Ranking Every 2D Zelda Game, From Worst To Best

The Legend of Zelda has been going strong since 1987, with virtually every game in the series beloved for one reason or another. Each Nintendo console always has at least one Zelda game released for it, and they tend to be some of the best-selling and best-reviewed games for their respective systems. With that said, there are two distinct gameplay styles that the series has experimented with – 2D games that focus on top-down action and 3D games with more open navigation and exploration. Some gamers prefer one type of Zelda game over the other, but for today, we’ll be looking at Zelda’s 2D history.

What actually defines a 2D Zelda game is a bit subjective, though. Is it a game with no 3D segments? What about games that explore with depth, like the DS games? For the purposes of this list, a 2D Zelda game, quite simply, is a game where the majority of the gameplay is limited to just two dimensions. There can be games that have 3D elements in them, but as long as the game primarily takes place in 2D environments, it’s fair game. Also, we’re sticking with mainline Zelda games that are part of the series’ canon. While I’m sure that fans of Cadence of Hyrule and Tri-Force Heroes are sad, it also means that we don’t have to include the CD-i games, which is a blessing in so many different ways.

With that, we have a clear list of 13 2D Zelda games to place, so here are our rankings.

13) Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1998)

I don’t think I’m shocking anyone when I say that Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is rough. And I mean really rough. This sequel, like most NES sequels, changed a lot of what worked from the original game and made it different, and oftentimes worse. Zelda II is a tough-as-nails side-scrolling adventure game that seems designed to frustrate you. NPC dialogue that’s meant to tell you where to go is cryptic, and whenever you die, you have to trudge your way back from the beginning of the game to where you left off. It’s made even worse when you realize the game is unreasonably hard, to the point people often cheese the final boss because they just can’t be bothered fighting it fairly. I can relate.

12) Four Swords Adventures (2004)

When you get a group of four people together, Four Swords Adventures can be a fun time. It expands on what made the original Four Swords work as a multiplayer game but adds the raw horsepower of the GameCube with several flourishes from The Wind Waker. So why isn’t it any higher if it’s a generally fun game? The barrier of entry is next to impossible, even under ideal circumstances.

If you want to play the game as intended with four players, you need a GameCube, four link cables, and four Gameboy Advances. Even when the game first came out, getting all of the equipment together was no easy task, and going through the bloated campaign together required a ton of coordination. Nowadays, it’s almost a lost cause even attempting to play this in multiplayer, making the neutered and lackluster single-player campaign your only option. Sad, but them’s the breaks.

11) Spirit Tracks (2009)

The DS Zelda games are polarizing thanks to their stylus-centered control schemes, but despite liking Spirit Tracks when I first played it, my opinion of the game cratered on a revisit. The game is oddly restrictive, literally railroading you on a series of train tracks to navigate the world and enter dungeons. Exploration is at a minimum here and while some steps were made to correct some of the tedium of Phantom Hourglass, it overcorrected and made multiple parts of Spirit Tracks almost mindless. I do love the characterization of Zelda as a character here, but a lackluster overworld and mediocre dungeons really do drag down my enjoyment of the game.

10) Four Swords (2002)

Like Four Swords Adventures, most people probably won’t be able to enjoy this game’s multiplayer elements, but unlike that failed experiment, Four Swords could be a serviceable single-player game. It’s accessible via Nintendo Switch online through the GBA re-release of A Link To The Past. It’s a basic Zelda game, one that only lasts an hour or two at best, but its bite-sized dungeon crawling is perfectly fit for on-the-go gameplay, especially if you can get a group together, as opposed to the massive and bloated adventure Four Swords Adventure puts players on. Sometimes, smaller is better.

9) The Legend of Zelda (1987)

No matter what I say, I feel like I won’t be able to do The Legend of Zelda justice. It pioneered not only the format that every other game in the series would follow, but it set the standard for what a top-down action-adventure game could be. You’re simply plopped into the world of Hyrule and just left to explore it however you want. It can be tough, and dying often sets you back an unfair amount depending on how far into the game you are, but the sense of exploration and discovery never gets old. Yes, it has become dated in the decades since its release, but the simplistic game design is still easily accessible and playable for any kind of gamer, both old and new. It’s a classic, plain and simple, and you have to respect it, even if it’s a bit unpolished by today’s standards.

8) Phantom Hourglass (2007)

As a kid, I hated The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. I, like most people, hated the fact that this game had a central dungeon that you constantly returned to, the Temple of the Ocean King. Throughout the game, you have to return to this single dungeon and repeat the same puzzles ad nauseum, making it unbearable the more the game goes on. As I’ve grown older though, I started to appreciate how players can circumvent most of the repetition with careful planning, and the actual level design is pretty strong throughout the game. Exploring the ocean and being able to chart your own course with the DS stylus is fun, and while it can be a bit cumbersome using the stylus in combat, it generally works well enough. And that’s the best way to describe Phantom Hourglass – a well-enough Zelda game that has its flaws but can be overlooked with the right mindset.

7) Oracle of Seasons (2001)

The Capcom developed Oracle games often get overlooked when discussing the long history of the franchise, which is a shame since they’re some of the best games. While both games could be linked together to tell a single story, each game approaches the Zelda formula in a different way. In the case of Oracle of Seasons, combat was the primary focus, featuring several recreations of bosses and elements from the original Legend of Zelda. That isn’t to say there are no puzzle elements, but the game is pretty simplistic with its puzzles and wants to quickly get the the action. You’ll still navigate around a decently sized world, and the combat encounters are still fun, but of the two, Oracle of Seasons isn’t as memorable as its twin sibling.

6) The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024)

The first wholly original 2D Zelda game in well over a decade, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a game that, much like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, gives you a large toolbox to approach dungeon progression. There’s no wrong way to approach a puzzle in this game, making the act of exploring Hyrule almost a puzzle in and of itself. It’s not exactly a difficult game, mostly due to how you can use Echoes to break any challenge the game throws at you, whether it be combat or puzzles, but the freedom is appreciated. Plus, the fact that this is the sole adventure starring Zelda is a unique enough hook to make Echoes of Wisdom stand apart from the rest of the series. Granted, it doesn’t do anything special with that premise narratively, but as far as gameplay goes, Echoes of Wisdom delivers a solid and inventive puzzle-focused Zelda game.

5) Minish Cap (2005)

There was a time when I absolutely loved Minish Cap. As one of the last Nintendo-developed games released for the Gameboy Advance, Nintendo squeezed every last drop of processing power out of the handheld, resulting in a bright and vibrant world that’s surprisingly condensed. The gimmick of the game has you shrinking down to the size of a bug and exploring environments, which is neat, even though it ultimately changes little. Some of the items you get are fun and offer mechanics that aren’t present in other Zelda games, and Minish Cap does experiment with how dungeons are structured, making a game that still feels unique when compared to its siblings. There may be a bit too much grinding if you want to see everything the game has to offer, but if you’re just looking to play the game from start to finish with many of the extras, Minish Cap is a solid choice.

4) Oracle of Ages (2001)

If Oracle of Seasons was about action, then Oracle of Ages dedicates itself to puzzle solving. The dungeons in Oracle of Ages are absolutely devious, challenging the player in a way that few Zelda games do. Even the bosses themselves put up much more of a fight because of how the puzzle mechanics seep into virtually all parts of the game.

You would think that time-traveling would feel played out after Ocarina of Time, but Oracle of Ages takes the time-bending concept to a new level, making this arguably one of the hardest Zelda games. It all comes together wonderfully, though admittingly, playing both this and Oracle of Ages back-to-back can be pretty exhausting when there are so few variations between the two. However, if you had to choose one of the two, Oracle of Ages is the Zelda game for those who want a challenge.

3) A Link To The Past (1992)

Now we reach the crème de la crème of Zelda titles in our ranked list. To a certain generation, A Link To The Past is considered a masterpiece, and rightfully so. Not only did it refine the original Legend of Zelda, but it also gave the player plenty to do. Series staples that we take for granted, like getting new dungeon weapons, got their start here and provided the player with plenty of experimentation. Yes, the original game had a sense of freedom, but A Link To The Past felt like a genuine adventure. Not only could you explore Hyrule, but the addition of the Dark World gave you two different areas to explore, crisscrossing between the two to defeat Ganon. Add in some impressive bosses and a soundtrack that is to die for, and it’s hard to think of any genuine flaws in A Link To The Past.

2) Link’s Awakening (1993)

Players approached The Legend of Zelda‘s first handheld game cautiously, but Link’s adventure on Koholint Island turned into one of the series’ most beloved. The island is incredibly small compared to other games, yet there’s so much personality in each frame thanks to the quirky Gameboy visuals and the cast you come across. It’s also one of the few times I actually cared about the plot of a Zelda game, with a twist midway through that puts a filter on your adventures in this secluded island. It’s a perfect entry-level game for the series that anyone can get into, so much so that Nintendo remade it not once but twice. Link’s Awakening may be a simple adventure, but it’s one with a lot of heart.

1) A Link Between Worlds (2013)

There’s no two ways about it: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds redefined what a classic Zelda game was and should be. While it may on the surface be just a copy of A Link To The Past, how the game experiments with items is nothing short of genius. Using a rental system, players can approach dungeons with whatever items they want and tackle them in whatever order they want. While Breath of the Wild may be the series’ poster boy for the “go anywhere, do anything” mentality, A Link Between Worlds pioneered that approach, and that’s not even getting into some of the unique dungeons and bosses you have to fight that both feel like loving homages to A Link To The Past and set out to do their own thing. It’s the perfect blending of old and new mentalities and delivers a Zelda game that has only gotten better with age.

The Legend of Zelda is available to play now.

The above article was updated on 10/15/2024 by the original author to include The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisom.