Have you ever sat down with a cup of coffee and tried to list off all the Legend of Zelda games in order?
If you have, then this is the article for you… and I bet there’s a tonne in here that you have never even heard of!
From classic NES games to DS titles that hit 11 on the obscurity gauge, I’ve listed all the Legend of Zelda games in order for you to peruse over.
Yes, all 45 of them!
1. The Legend of Zelda (1986)
The very first Zelda title on the NES. This is the first time we ever became acquainted with the pointy-eared chosen one, alongside Ganon, Zelda, and the Triforce.
Imagine a world without the Triforce!
2. Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link (1987)
A direct sequel to the first Zelda game and the only direct sequel in the canon. Link and Impa go on a mission to find a sleeping Zelda after Link discovers a weird mark on his hand.
The catch; all the girls in the land are called Zelda. Great…
3. Zelda Game & Watch (1989)
This Zelda Game & Watch dual-screen console recently made our list of the best Game & Watch games of all time, and it’s not hard to see why.
Heavily based on the first two games, play as link as you move between screens and seek out eight dragons in eight dungeons.
4. The Legend of Zelda –Nelsonic Game Watch (1989)
Now you too can be the hero of time… in a manner of speaking.
The Nelsonic Game Watch takes portable Zelda action to the next level, making time for Zelda time, all the time. This watch holds a simplified version of the very first Zelda game.
Now you can time yourself wile listing back all the Legend of Zelda games in order from memory!
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
One of the best SNES games ever made, A Link to the Past is an absolute tour de force. After an evil wizard manages to both save and imprison Hyrule (nice move…), Zelda asks for a hero to save the Kingdom.
No prizes for guessing who takes on the challenge!
6. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
It’s almost 30 years since Link first appeared on the Gameboy. Save Koholint Island from evil creatures and uncover the secret of the Wind Fish’s Egg!
7. Link: The Faces of Evil (1993)
Did you know that Link featured on other consoles other than bona fide Nintendo systems?
The Faces of Evil is the first of three games on the Phillips CDI. It dropped alongside the Wand of Gamelon on the same day. Head out to beat Ganon; job done!
8. Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993)
Link was the star of The Faces of Evil, and as the title of this next game says, it was Zelda’s turn to take the reigns!
Alongside Impa, Zelda has to save both the King and Link when they don’t come back a battle.
9. Zelda’s Adventure (1994)
The Wand of Gamelon was such a popular title that Zelda got another chance at the spotlight the year after. Zelda’s Adventure sees the Princess of Hyrule setting out to save the day once again!
10. Zelda no Densetsu – The Hyrule Fantasy (1994)
Zelda no Densetsu is the Japanese release of the first Zelda home console title, featuring a Famicom save feature.
11. BS Zelda no Densetsu (1995)
This one is a bit of en enigma. It’s the first spin off game in our list and one that doesn’t even feature Link as a character.
I know; bet you didn’t expect that!
This is a remake of the original Zelda game with voice actors and a character called BS taking the main role.
Oh yeah; when I said I was going to list all the Legend of Zelda games in order, I meant every single one!
12. BS Zelda no Densetsu Inishie no Sekiban (1997)
You might have heard of this one under a different name; Zelda and the Ancient Stone Tablets. It’s another ‘remix’ of a previous game, a changed verstion of A Link to the Past with players taking a male or female character from the BS-X Network on an adventure.
13. Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce (1997)
This was the last BS Zelda game to drop on the Satellaview. It’s essentially a remake of A Link to the Past, this time with voice actors providing speech for the characters!
14. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
We all know this is the best of the best N64 games… if not the best game of all time!
Ocarina was Link’s first full 3D outing and a pivotal title of our time. It’s received more commendations than any game ever and regularly tops ‘best games’ lists to this day.
I get chills just thinking about it!
15. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (1998)
Turning Link’s Awakening colour was a bigger deal than any of you could ever imagine. Not only did it bring a new area to the fold, the Colour Dungeon, but it also gave the game a whole new lease of life!
It made it feel like a brand new game!
16. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
Collect masks, stop Skull Kid, and prevent the moon from falling. Majora’s Mask set a pretty high precedent for gaming in the noughties. Protect Clock Town and Termina from imminent destruction by going back and forth through time!
17. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages (2001)
It’s time for two of the best Gameboy Color games of all time to enter the fray: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons!
Players have to play both games in order to fully understand the story, making it essential to buy both titles.
It would be rude not to!
18. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)
Who could forget Link’s first-ever cel-shaded adventure, one of the best GameCube games of all time.
Take too the high seas while searching for your sister, picking up treasure and Triforce shards while battling badguys.
19. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest (2002)
What could make Ocarina of Time better? How about a double disc with two enhanced versions, one of them harder than nails?
Master Quest sees the original adventure mirrored with harder bosses and more enemies to deal with. And of course, using the gamecube controller is much nicer than the old N64 claw grip.
20. The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition (2003)
This special edition game gives 4 titles for the price of 1. And the price was actually free; it came as either a part of a bundle or redeemable for points through the Nintendo rewards programme.
Play The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time & Majora’s Mask from one disc.
21. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)
Did you know Capcom had a bash at making a Zelda game? Yep, it was The Minish Cap, a game that takes heavy inspiration from both A Link To The Past and Link’s Awakening.
Become acquainted with the pint-size Picori as you and your cranky hat beat bosses and save the land.
22. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
If you’re looking for a game with strong Ocarina feels and motion controls, then look no further. Save Hyrule from the perils of the Shadow Realm and stop Zant from causing havoc on the world of light.
23. Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland (2006)
Weirdly, like Jar-Jar Binks in the Star Wars canon, Tingle has become a bit of a cult character with people flocking to buy his stand alone games.
In this game, players must collect rupees while wandering around Rupeeland. Lse rupees, and you die. Talk about money being a matter of life or death, eh?
24. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
Following on from the stylings of the Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass takes place in the timeline that sees Link leaving Hyrule altogether.
Zelda plays a big part in this game too, unleashing Phantom Guardians as you move through the game’s dungeons.
25. Tingle’s Balloon Fight DS (2007)
I thought this was an article about all the Legend of Zelda games in order? Well, Tingle’s many games drop into that category too… unfortunately for most of us.
This is a remake of the original Balloon Flight game with Tingle as the main protagonist. It was only available through Nintendo Japan and their reward points program.
26. Link’s Crossbow Training (2007)
Links Crossbow Training gets a bad rap, but I love it. A shooting game where players use a crossbow instead of a gun, Hyrule action at it’s finest.
Fight Stalfos, Moblins, and many more enemies from the canon as you move through each level, knocking back wave after wave of enemy. Use the Wii-Zapper for the ultimate experience!
27. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009)
Finishing off the cel-shaded series, players use the stylus to move Link and trains around this wacky world.
This game is an odd one because it’s as far from the normal Zelda games as one could get when it comes to the controls, but it really works. A fresh new idea for the DS Zelda series.
28. Dekisugi Tingle Pack (2009)
5 Tingle mini games on one cart. Dekisugi Tingle Pack boasted cool DSI camera features and was available through the Nintendo reward points system.
29. Irozuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip (2009)
It’s Tingle time… again. A man falls into a story book and becomes Tingle.
The aim of this game is to buy gifts for women and dance with a Princess… weird right?
30. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
This might be the 30th game in the canon, but it’s actually the first chronologically in the overall storyline. Start of on Skyloft and explore the unknown surface as you race to save Zelda.
This game brought lots of the ideas that would go on to feature in BotW.
31. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (2011)
Ocarina of Time 3D is the quintessential version of Ocarina of Time. Playing through Kokiri Forest, Dodango’s Cavern, and many more epic levels in 3D never gets old.
Seeing those Spiritual Stones spinning out of your screen is a sight to behold… almost literally!
32. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (2011)
One enemy, four links. Take four swords on the rampage after Shadow Link splits Link into four separate entities with the Four Sword.
This is a true couch-co-op classic and one of the best 4 player GameCube games of all time!
33. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)
The worthy winner of our best 3DS RPGs, A Link Between Worlds is one of my favourite Zelda titles ever. It’s refreshing mechanic of being able to rent all the weapons at the very beginning is great and allows for full concentration on the compelling storyline.
34. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (2013)
If you didn’t think that cel-shaded graphics could get any more vibrant, then think again. This HD version of the GameCube classic is so pixel perfect that you could almost reach out and touch the people of Outset Island!
35. Hyrule Warriors (2014)
If wave after wave of enemies running at you and trying to kill is what you’re into, then Hyrule Warriors should be right up your street. Pick a classic character and go to war!
36. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)
If you loved Four Swords, then Triforce Heroes will be a nostalgic blast from the past. Take three Links based on Spritual Stones through a mad world with classic Zelda enemies to battle.
37. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D (2015)
Majora’s Mask was great on the N64, but with all of the elements highlighted in 3D, it gave it an incredible boost the made it 1000x times better. It’s almost like a brand new game, and taking it on the bus or playing on the toilet never gets old.
38. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (2015)
Twilight Princess HD is the quintessential version of the story. It looks beautiful on the Wii-U, and it’s so much nicer to play without the motion-controls.
39. Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016)
An updated port of Hyrule Warriors for the Nintendo 3DS. Portable button mashing play with a 3D edge; what’s not to love!
40. My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2016)
For the sum of 1000 Nintendo coins, you too can get in on the Picross action. This Zelda themed Picross game is definitely one for the puzzle heads amongst you.
41. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
The greatest Zelda game of all time is also the most open-world Zelda game ever made too. If anyone out there hasn’t given this game a go yet, then stop reading this article now and grab it immediately.
No loading times, beautiful graphics, and sublime gameplay. It’s the gift that gives on giving.
42. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (2018)
The definitive version of Hyrule Warriors with all the characters from the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game as well as new BotW clothing for Link and Zelda.
43. Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (2019)
What happens when you mix a famous rhythm-based game series with characters from the Legend of Zelda. The answer – Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer featuring the Legend of Zelda.
Play as either Link or Zelda while getting down to the beat everywhere from Hyrule Castle to Death Mountain!
44. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)
Links Awakening in beast mode. This is the ultimate version of the classic adventure, beautifully recreated for the Nintendo Switch.
Ok, so it’s not BotW, but it never fails to put a smile on my face whenever I slot in. It’s still a great filler until BotW 2 drops too!
45. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020)
As Hyrule Warriors and BotW were such rip-roaring successes, it’s no surprise that the Hyrule Warriors sequel brought Ganon’s minions into the mix!
Pick from Link and his fellow champions, smashing Moblins, Guardians, and many more into the dust.
46. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (2021)
Those motion controls felt a little slap-dash when Skyward Sword first came out. Still, the HD version ironed out all the kinks and even provided the chance to play without them all together.
The game looks cleaner, it plays smoother, and it’s a fantastic enhancement, the version of Skyward Sword that we all deserve!
47. The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom (2023)
We’re all counting down till the release of The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom arriving on our Switches in May. We’ve got it marked on our calendar here at Retro Dodo Towers, and I think the anticipation has already reached breaking point.
We’re diving back into Hyrule, literally from floating platforms and worlds all over the shop! With a new piece of ancient tech that looks like a falcon and a gauntlet that seems to do the job of the Sheikah Slate as well as tonnes of new abilities, this promises to be the greatest Zelda game yet!
Congratulations; you’ve got through all of the Legend of Zelda games in order! I hope you’ve discovered some new titles and added a few to your collection.
Join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tell us which Legend of Zelda games are your favourite!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 31 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
