The Legend Of Zelda is second only to Mario in Nintendo's first-party catalog of games, releasing classic after classic over the years with no signs of slowing down soon. Several elements come together in The Legend Of Zelda to bring gamers a fantastical adventure every time.
What makes Zelda games work so well is a carefully crafted blend of lovable characters, addictive gameplay, wonderful music, and a beautiful setting. The main setting for most of The Legend Of Zelda games is the world of Hyrule, a land of castles, fiery mountains, and endless deserts. Hyrule is a place of intrigue and mystery begging to be explored.
10 The Adventures Of Link
Following one of the most iconic action RPGs of all time is no easy task. The Adventures Of Link was released in 1988 two years after the original The Legend Of Zelda for NES. Stepping away from the top-down perspective in the first game, The Adventures Of Link uses a side view allowing platforming sections throughout Hyrule that weren’t possible before.
With three huge continents and seven towns, players discovered the world map in the first title was only a small section of Hyrule in the sequel. With an entirely new gameplay style and map to explore, The Adventures Of Link is certainly one unique franchise entry.
9 Skyward Sword
Set in the earliest part of the confusing Zelda franchise, Skyward Sword told the story of the first incarnation of Link and Zelda. Set high above the clouds in a place named Skyloft, The Surface below the clouds is destined to become a grand kingdom named Hyrule.
Link can use bird statues to freely traverse between Skyloft and Hyrule. The Surface or Grooseland is split into three distinct provinces. The first of these is Faron with its woodlands, Skyview temple, and Lake Floria. Eldin, the most Northern province has an Earth temple and fire sanctuary, and lastly Lanyru with its mining facility, sandship, and the temple of time.
8 Spirit Tracks
A unique entry in the toon Link trilogy, Spirit Tracks is the sequel to Phantom Hourglass and Wind Waker. Set in a kingdom named New Hyrule, players use a train to travel around the world map making for a unique Zelda title.
This New Hyrule has five new realms: forest, snow, ocean, fire, and sand. Each is different from the next containing its unique landscapes, creatures, and inhabitants within. In the center of the map, players will find the Tower of Spirits, a giant fortress which houses the Demon King Malladus.
7 A Link To The Past
The first and only SNES entry for the series, A Link To The Past is often named the best 2D Zelda game of all time. With new 16bit graphics and a massive new map, A Link To The Past earns its moniker and then some.
Many first appearances happen in the game. Players get to see Hyrule Castle, Lake Hylia, Kakariko Village, and Zora's Waterfall. All of these became staples of the series going forward as well as the Dark World, an alternate Hyrule. Dark World is an evil twisted parallel version of the main kingdom.
6 Ocarina Of Time
In 1998 players got to experience Zelda in 3D for the first time with Ocarina Of Time, released on the Nintendo 64. Considered by many as not just the best Zelda game but as one of the greatest games ever, Hyrule in Ocarina Of Time is the version most recognizable for the majority of fans.
Hyrule Field became the central hub and areas like Death Mountain and Lake Hylia became established mainstays on the overworld. A wonderful landscape allows players almost open-world exploration for the first time in 3D. This version of Hyrule also introduced Lon Lon Ranch, Gerudo Valley, and Kokiri Forest.
5 Minish Cap
Like a mashup of Honey I Shrunk The Kids and The Legend Of Zelda, The Minish Cap features a Hyrule like no other. Not only do players get to explore main Hyrule and above the clouds, but there are also new Minish areas that can only be explored by shrinking Link down.
Brand-new areas such as Melari’s Mine and the Minish Village in the Minish Woods would not be seen by an average-sized human. Link shrinking to Minish size allows exploration of these fantastic new zones. Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, and Hyrule Castle also return, making for one of the most varied Hyrule maps in the entire franchise.
4 Twilight Princess
A cross-gen release on GameCube and Wii, Twilight Princess had the twist of being able to transform Link into a wolf. Hyrule is much larger this time and also has a twilight realm to explore. A wonderful map that uses subtle hints to build lore between games such as the hidden village named Old Kakariko, which may be the same Kakariko village from Ocarina Of Time.
The twilight realm is similar to the dark world, an alternate twisted version of Hyrule filled with shadow creatures and danger. Traveling between the realms means using the mirror of twilight, which acts as a gateway between the worlds.
3 Age Of Calamity
Calling Age Of Calamity a spin-off would be doing the game an injustice. Set years before the event in Breath Of The Wild, players get to experience a fully functioning prosperous Hyrule bound to a tragic fate.
Getting to see the broken and burned down villages from Breath Of The Wild as fully functioning inhabited places is fantastic. Understanding the layout of the land before the war is incredible storytelling between the two games with a level of care not often seen in video games. Seeing Hyrule castle full of soldiers and towns with residents when fans know what is to become of them is fascinating to witness.
2 Breath Of The Wild
The new king of Zelda, Breath Of The Wild fans patiently await the sequel to one of the best games in the franchise. Breath Of The Wild has a fully open world Hyrule for the first time.
Starting with nothing, the game tells its story and teaches players the mechanics of the game through subtle visual cues. Giant towers become fast travel waypoints, and overworld puzzles unlock shrines that act as mini-dungeons all while giant dragons swoop around the valleys. The broken-down, burned-out, almost post-apocalyptic Hyrule is a sight to behold and one that all Zelda fans should experience at least once.
1 Wind Waker
Cell-shaded graphics more so than any other 3D art style are the most resilient to the test of time. Toon Link was a divisive design at the time and still is to this day, but that doesn’t stop Wind Waker from having the most beautiful version of Hyrule to date.
Gorgeous cell-shaded vistas await players across the open ocean, mysterious islands, and bustling towns are only scratching the surface of Wind Waker’s Hyrule. The great flood means the areas in the game are the highest mountains of Hyrule with the middle of a lake being home to Hyrule Castle itself. The rest of Hyrule is sealed below the great sea but what is left to explore gives a whole new version to explore and fall in love with.