5 Most Significant Zelda Games to Understand the Series' Progress

It's been almost four decades since the original Legend of Zelda was introduced by Nintendo. It was arguably one of the first games that offered open-world gaming with non-linear exploration. Needless to say, it became an inspiration to many game titles out in the market.

Every Zelda game featured captivating stories packed with deep lore and memorable adventures. Many players have been hooked to the world of Hyrule and its inhabitants. The franchise also promotes critical thinking and puzzle-solving skills which help in enhancing the players' skills.

With the recent news of a live-action Zelda film coming to life, it can be pretty daunting not knowing where to start from its storyline. Whether you want a memory refresher or a newbie in the world of Hyrule, here are the Zelda games that must play to understand its storyline:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)

The Ocarina of Time was released in 1998 and is widely known as one of the greatest video games of all time. The classic action-adventure game follows the story of Link as he embarks on an epic journey to stop the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf. One of the most memorable items in the Ocarina of Time is Link's magical instrument which he used to perform songs with various unique effects.

This marked the first important Zelda game as the concept of Sacred Realm, the Triforce, and the three spiritual stones were first introduced here. It also featured Link's adventure as the Hero of Time as players can leap from time and play both the young and adult versions of Link.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)

The Wind Waker was initially released in Japan in 2002 and was distributed to other regions in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube. In this installment, Link must rescue his sister by defeating the evil sorcerer Ganon. The game is set in an open world filled with islands in a vast ocean which requires Link to ride a talking boat and use the Wind Waker, a magical baton, to control the wind and go to various destinations.

In this game, the Hyrule became flooded which resulted in the wet setting. The timeline connects directly to the Ocarina of Time as Link must face the consequences of the split timeline from the previous game. The Wind Waker first introduced the concept of reincarnation. It also introduced Ganon as the villain, who should not be confused with Ganondorf from the previous installment.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)

The Twilight Princess is known for its darker and more realistic art style as compared to The Wind Waker. In this game, Link is a young farmhand who is transported into a quest that requires him to save Hyrule from being eaten by a mysterious twilight realm.

The game adds more depth to the characters and the lore as Link gets transformed into a wolf and is introduced to an imp-like creature, Midna. Together the new duo will unravel the mystery and confront the mysterious evil that is lurking in Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)

Although the game is technically the 16th main installment in the franchise, Skyward Sword actually delves into the history of the Zelda timeline. The origins of the Master Sword, Ganon, and the conflict between Link, Zelda, and Demise are all explored in this installment.

In this game, Link lives in the floating land of Skyloft and is tasked to rescue his childhood friend Zelda, who was taken to the surface world below. The Improsoned is the evil force that must be stopped by Link at all costs.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild (2017)

The Breath of Wild is an open-world setting that touches various lore and references from the previous installments. In this game, Link awakens from a long slumber and finds that Hyrule is in ruins. The kingdom is now run by Calamity Ganon, whom Link must defeat. In addition, he is also tasked to rescue Princess Zelda and bring back the old Hyrule.

While the game is not directly linked to its predecessor, it has so much impact on the Zelda community as they can explore and piece together the larger story by exploring the ruins of Hyrule.