🎮every mainline zelda game, in release order

wikipedia's own list, not mine. the two oracle games and four swords count as mainline whether you like it or not

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The Legend of Zelda (1986)

started it all, still holds up if you accept no map markers exist

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)

A Link to the Past (1991)

Link's Awakening (1993)

small game, weirdest ending in the series

Ocarina of Time (1998)

skip the tutorial? no. water temple will still get you

Majora's Mask (2000)

3 day loop, not for everyone, worth the hours anyway

Oracle of Seasons (2001)

Oracle of Ages (2001)

link them for the real ending, playing just one misses half the point

Four Swords (2002)

The Wind Waker (2002)

Four Swords Adventures (2004)

The Minish Cap (2004)

good art direction, gets skipped a lot

Twilight Princess (2006)

Phantom Hourglass (2007)

the stylus sailing sections wore thin by hour 3

Spirit Tracks (2009)

Skyward Sword (2011)

motion controls aged worse than the story did

A Link Between Worlds (2013)

Tri Force Heroes (2015)

needs 2 other people who also own it, good luck

Breath of the Wild (2017)

the one that got my roommate into the series

Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

longest of the bunch, budget 80+ hours

Echoes of Wisdom (2024)

zelda plays zelda, finally. shortest entry but doesn't feel small

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