RETROCANON
LIBRARYNINTENDOTHE LEGEND OF ZELDA

The Legend of Zelda

Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda began in 1986 and has grown into one of gaming's most celebrated franchises, putting you in the boots of a hero named Link on grand quests through a magical kingdom called Hyrule. Every game tells a complete, standalone story — you don't need to have played any previous entry to enjoy one — and the series has reinvented itself repeatedly, from classic top-down dungeon crawlers to open-world adventures spanning hundreds of hours. The modern open-world games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, are both on Nintendo Switch and make the perfect starting point today.

SINCE 1986 · 25 GAMES

▶ WHERE DO I START?
  1. 1980s

    The 1986 classic that invented the action-adventure genre: explore an open Hyrule, find eight dungeon pieces, and defeat Ganon using nothing but your map and your wits.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda

    6 releases & editions

  2. The unusual 1987 NES sequel where Link navigates a side-scrolling world, levels up RPG stats, and fights enemies in a style completely unlike any other Zelda.

    LaterMainline2D Zelda

    6 releases & editions

  3. 1990s

    A Link to the Past

    1991 · SNES

    The SNES classic that perfected the Zelda formula: a hero's journey across a light Hyrule and its dark mirror world, packed with inventive dungeons and iconic moments.

    Mainline2D Zelda

    6 releases & editions

  4. Link's Awakening

    1993 · Game Boy

    The beloved 1993 Game Boy adventure that sent Link to a mysterious island on a quest to wake a dreaming whale — surprisingly deep for a handheld game of its era.

    Mainline2D Zelda

    4 releases & editions

  5. Ocarina of Time

    1998 · Nintendo 64

    The 1998 N64 game that redefined what an adventure game could be: a fully 3D Hyrule, a young hero, and an epic race to stop Ganondorf before he seizes the sacred Triforce.

    Mainline3D Zelda

    6 releases & editions

  6. 2000s

    Majora's Mask

    2000 · Nintendo 64

    The haunting 2000 N64 follow-up to Ocarina of Time: Link is trapped in a doomed land where the moon crashes in 72 hours, forcing you to relive those hours over and over.

    Mainline3D Zelda

    5 releases & editions

  7. Oracle of Ages

    2001 · Game Boy Color

    A 2001 Game Boy Color adventure where Link travels between past and present to restore the flow of time in Labrynna — pairs with Oracle of Seasons for a linked two-game story.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda

    3 releases & editions

  8. Oracle of Seasons

    2001 · Game Boy Color

    A 2001 Game Boy Color adventure where Link commands the four seasons to solve puzzles across Holodrum — designed to link with Oracle of Ages for a combined finale.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda

    3 releases & editions

  9. The Wind Waker

    2002 · GameCube

    The 2002 GameCube adventure with a striking cel-shaded art style: Link sails a vast, sun-drenched ocean world, hopping between islands above a flooded and sunken Hyrule.

    Mainline3D Zelda
  10. Four Swords Adventures

    2004 · GameCube

    A 2004 GameCube adventure designed for up to four players: each person controls a separate Link on a linked Game Boy Advance, cooperating and competing across Hyrule.

    LaterMainline2D Zelda
  11. The Minish Cap

    2004 · Game Boy Advance

    A 2004 GBA adventure where Link can shrink to tiny size by wearing a magical talking cap, exploring a world from a bug's-eye view full of hidden passages.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda

    4 releases & editions

  12. Twilight Princess

    2006 · GameCube, Wii

    The 2006 dark, cinematic Zelda: Link transforms into a wolf to fight through a twilight-realm-invaded Hyrule, guided by a mysterious imp named Midna.

    Mainline3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  13. Phantom Hourglass

    2007 · Nintendo DS

    A 2007 DS sequel to The Wind Waker: Link sails ghostly seas to rescue Tetra, racing against a cursed hourglass that drains his life inside a central tower dungeon.

    For fansMainline3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  14. Spirit Tracks

    2009 · Nintendo DS

    A 2009 DS sequel set 100 years after Phantom Hourglass: Link pilots a magical train while Princess Zelda herself travels along as a spirit possessing enemy phantom armor.

    For fansMainline3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  15. 2010s

    Ocarina of Time 3D

    2011 · Nintendo 3DS

    The 2011 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time: the landmark adventure that shaped a generation of games, rebuilt from scratch with new visuals and a built-in hint system.

    2 releases & editions

  16. Skyward Sword

    2011 · Wii

    The 2011 Wii game that tells the very first story in Zelda's official timeline: how Link and Zelda descended from a sky kingdom and why their eternal conflict with evil began.

    Mainline3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  17. A Link Between Worlds

    2013 · Nintendo 3DS

    A 2013 3DS follow-up to A Link to the Past where Link can merge into walls as a flat painting, slipping through cracks to approach familiar dungeons in entirely new ways.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda
  18. The Wind Waker HD

    2013 · Wii U

    The 2013 Wii U HD remaster of The Wind Waker: the same cel-shaded ocean odyssey with updated lighting, faster sailing, and the GamePad used as a sea chart.

    For fansMainlineRemaster3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  19. Majora's Mask 3D

    2015 · Nintendo 3DS

    The 2015 3DS remake of the most unconventional Zelda: an intense time-loop adventure in a cursed land where the moon falls in 72 hours, rebuilt with overhauled visuals and refined systems.

    For fansMainlineRemake3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  20. The 2016 Wii U HD remaster of Twilight Princess: the brooding wolf-Link epic with improved visuals, an extra challenge dungeon, and amiibo support.

    For fansMainlineRemaster3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  21. Breath of the Wild

    2017 · Switch, Wii U

    The 2017 open-world revolution: a vast, gorgeous Hyrule where you can climb any surface, cook ingredients, and solve every puzzle in a dozen different ways — no hand-holding required.

    Start hereMainline3D Zelda

    5 releases & editions

  22. Link's Awakening

    2019 · Switch

    The 2019 Switch remake of the beloved 1993 adventure, rendered in a stunning toy-diorama art style: Link washes up on a mysterious island and must wake a dreaming whale to escape.

    2 releases & editions

  23. 2020s

    Skyward Sword HD

    2021 · Switch

    The 2021 Switch remaster of Zelda's earliest story: Link descends from a kingdom above the clouds, now with optional button controls replacing the Wii's MotionPlus sword-swinging.

    For fansMainlineRemaster3D Zelda
  24. Tears of the Kingdom

    2023 · Switch

    The 2023 sequel to Breath of the Wild: sky islands appear above Hyrule, Link gains new physics-bending Ultrahand and Fuse powers, and a long-buried mystery threatens everything.

    Mainline3D Zelda

    2 releases & editions

  25. Echoes of Wisdom

    2024 · Switch

    The 2024 Switch adventure starring Princess Zelda as the playable hero for the first time: use a magical Tri Rod to copy objects and enemies as 'echoes' and solve puzzles entirely your way.

    For fansMainline2D Zelda