One of the best features of the Nintendo Switch is that it has the majority of The Legend of Zelda games onto one platform. This means players who want to get into the franchise have multiple options for their first Legend of Zelda, but some choices are definitely better than others, even if the trickier games aren’t necessarily bad.

✕Remove Ads

A Legend of Zelda game can be difficult for beginners due to being more difficult than other entries in the series or because of some outdated design elements. Meanwhile, the best games for beginners might be decades old, but their gameplay loop and world are timeless, so even kids can don a Link hat and go on an adventure without getting lost.

10Start With – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time Is an N64 Classic That’s Still Amazing to This Day

To many fans, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the finest entry in the franchise. Link’s first 3D outing is still considered a classic to this day, with gameplay that has aged like wine. The only reason it has been placed so low is that the Water Temple is still agonizing to go through, but at least players get plenty of time to prepare before they enter.

While the Nintendo 3DS version of Ocarina of Time is the definitive one, owing to its updated visuals, putting the menu on the bottom screen, and making the hated Water Temple a lot easier, not everyone will have access to it. Luckily, Ocarina of Time is available on the Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pass.

Worst – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

The First Zelda Experiment Was a Failure

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was the second entry in the series, meaning the familiar gameplay loop hadn’t been established yet. This means it’s the black sheep of the family, with a 2D side-scrolling viewpoint for the dungeons and small random encounter areas filled with enemies on the overworld.

The main reason why Zelda II is a bad choice for newbies is that it’s brutally difficult, especially in the early hours of the game, when Link is at his weakest point and lacking the helpful spells and abilities that are unlocked over the course of the game. Zelda II is only really worth checking out for people who want to experience the whole franchise.

Start With – The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages

The Twin Link Adventures Work Both Ways

Image Via Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda franchise took a leaf out of the Pokémon playbook on the Game Boy, when two entries were released at the same time, which could connect to each other. Oracle of Seasons had more of a combat focus, while Oracle of Ages featured more puzzles. These refine the gameplay formula from Link’s Awakening, resulting in two epic adventures.

What makes these games so great is that once one is completed, a password is given to continue the story in the other title. This means there are multiple ways to play these excellent Legend of Zelda games. Those looking to experience them on modern platforms can do so on Nintendo Switch Online via the Game Boy app.

Luckily, the Nintendo Switch version of Skyward Sword fixed things somewhat by replicating the motion controls to the stick and cutting the dialogue down significantly. The fights are still more awkward than the other Legend of Zelda games, so this one shouldn’t be used as an introductory game to the franchise, as no other entry was this finicky with the sword fighting.

Start With – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

The Dark World In Link to the Past Is Still Fun to Explore All These Years Later

Image Via Nintendo

After Zelda II, Nintendo went back to the drawing board and created a new entry that more closely resembled the first game in the series. This game was A Link to the Past, where Link must not only survive in a Hyrule ruled by an evil sorcerer but must venture into the Dark World, where truly powerful monsters reside.

A Link to the Past offers the perfect distilled Legend of Zelda experience, with tons of secrets to find in the overworld and lots of places to explore. Even after all this time, exploring the 16-bit Hyrule is fun, with an epic adventure somehow packed into such a small amount of memory. Those looking to play this classic can do so easily via Nintendo Switch Online.

Worst – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Twilight Princess Has a ‘90s Point & Click Adventure Intro

Image via Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a fantastic game. Well, most of the game is fantastic. The game gets good as soon as Link is transformed into his wolf form with Midna on his back and it doesn’t slow down until later in the game when a couple of lame fetch quests slow things down.

The reason why newbies should avoid Twilight Princess is due to the intro. The first section in the village, with its ridiculous puzzles, might be the low point of the mainline Legend of Zelda games, with some truly woeful design. The quest chain that involves getting the slingshot might have the stupidest tasks in video game history, and anyone looking to play Twilight Princess should have a guide ready for the first few hours.

Start With – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In BotW, Link Enters the Open World

Image via Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the greatest open-world games of all time, with a ton of incredible content to experience. The epic scope of Hyrule and the constant threat of danger from the reviving monsters, slumbering Guardians, and the equipment that keeps breaking means that there’s never a dull moment when saving Princess Zelda.

 

For a new player, it’s better to start with Breath of the Wild and move on to Tears of the Kingdom rather than the other way around. While Tears of the Kingdom is also an excellent game, it’s a little more complicated, owing to all of the building puzzles and machinery made by the player.

Worst – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

The Time Twisting In Majora’s Mask Is Too Much

Image Via Nintendo

When choosing between the Nintendo 64 entries in The Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time is the easy pick. This largely is due to Majora’s Mask being more frustrating, owing to its three-day time limit and needing to reset most progress when zipping back to the past.

Majora’s Mask is one of the best entries in The Legend of Zelda franchise, but it’s definitely not the friendliest game to newcomers. The constant ticking clock can feel like a threat, and the player is constantly rushing through dungeons, even with the song that slows down time, and that pressure might be too much for a total newbie.

Start With – The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Zelda Takes the Spotlight for a Change

Image Via Nintendo

The most recent Legend of Zelda game is a great entry point for new players, even if it does things a little differently. In Echoes of Wisdom, Link and Ganon vanish at the start of the game, while Hyrule is devoured by darkness. This means Princess Zelda has to take up the hero mantle, using magic to replicate items in the game world.

Echoes of Wisdom is a game that’s bursting with creative solutions to its puzzles, with the player able to copy numerous items and monsters. The fact that the player can conjure creatures to fight for them and use items to brute force puzzles means that Echoes of Wisdom is a fair bit easier than most Legend of Zelda games, making it a great choice for newcomers.

Worst – The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

In Spirit Tracks, Players Take the Train to Nowhere

The Nintendo DS wasn’t kind to The Legend of Zelda series, with Phantom Hourglass forcing players to go through the same central dungeon on multiple occasions, and Spirit Tracks trading horses for riding trains across the overworld.

The trains are the reason why Spirit Tracks is one of the worst Legend of Zelda games for newbies, as they slow the game down to a crawl, and often lead to slow battles against enemies. The sense of exploration is also stripped out, especially as the game literally sticks Link on rails for most of the story. This is in the running for the worst entry in the franchise, and newcomers should be kept far away.