There have been some good Zelda games, some good ones, and some that I would have to declare are average, but with a spark that warrants a mention. Here are my honourable Legend of Zelda mentions.
Ocarina of Time

It might surprise some people to know that Ocarina of Time, released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, is not within my top three Zelda games. I did love it when it first game out, and I will always appreciate the fond memories of playing through it on that first occasion, but to me – in defiance of commonly-held convention – Ocarina of Time is a good game, indeed great at point of release, but one that hasn’t aged all that well. It takes its place in the gaming pantheon for a host of reasons, not least of all as it debuted several esteemed traits of the Zelda series, but Ocarina of Time is also the moment that the Zelda games devoted themselves to a linear path. Everyone who plays Ocarina of Time will experience largely the same game.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of side-quests and stuff to find, but the game is fundamentally the same journey, every time, for everyone. For a series built on the concept of adventure and exploration, this was, to this meerkat at least, a misstep. However, due to Ocarina of Time’s huge success, Nintendo would adopt this model for a number of future games.
The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker was first released in 2002 for the Game Cube, and it vastly changed the art style from past games. It adopted a more cartoony look, which divided opinion a little bit, but I for one didn’t mind this. In fact, I found The Wind Walker to be quite a beautiful game. Here, Nintendo gave you the freedom of the ocean, and there were also some direct links to Ocarina of Time. The story was as strong as any Zelda game, and there was a certain, poignant wistful tone to the plight of Ganon.
This is also arguably the first Zelda game where Zelda herself gets something of a personality.
Skyward Sword
I have some serious issues with Skyward Sword. It offered up a great story, rich in lore, and took us all the way back to the origin story of Link, Zelda and Ganon. Utilising the Wii’s motion controls, this 2011 title certainly delivered some crazy battles, and some of them were very enjoyable. Running around with the Wii remote and slashing away at enemies felt very satisfying too. Some of the boss fights were brilliant.
The biggest problem with Skyward Sword is a symptom of what began with Ocarina of Time. This game follows a very linear path, directing players across the same landscape, sometimes more than once. There are some repetitive boss fights with frustrating creatures, and sometimes the motion controls fail you. At times, there are monstrously frustrating segments, seemingly added as filler to pad out the game. As a case in point, a dragon sets an arbitrary test of Link, right at a point where time is supposedly of the essence, in order to prove his worthiness, despite Link wielding the Master Sword at this point!
It all adds up to a very mixed experience, but from this turmoil came the decision to move to a more open field of play, and Breath of the Wild. In that sense, Zelda fans sort of owe Skyward Sword a great deal.