Best Order To Play All Mainline Zelda Games

Nintendo has become pretty notorious for what they did with the Zelda games back in 2011. Back then, I could've told you to play all the games in release order, but now, we have a whole timeline to consider.

This timeline gets pretty convoluted, branches off into three different realities, then somehow merges into one timeline for no explainable reason, but I'll be trying to make some sense of it.

I'll be explaining how the previous game connects to the next, and when it's applicable, I'll be telling you the best way to play the game nowadays, since some of these classics haven't gotten a decent re-release.

In my eyes, this timeline order is the ideal way to play the series, as we can see Nintendo trying to tie everything up in a very messy bow, while still getting a ton of gameplay variety with each new entry.

1 Skyward Sword

Events in Motion

The most agreed-upon thing with the Zelda timeline is where it starts. Skyward Sword shows us the rebirth of Hylia, Link gaining the Triforce for the first time, and Demise cursing the trio with an endlessly repeating cycle.

It's got one of the most incredible soundtracks in the series, a story with a strong emotional core, and I simply like it a lot. It's way too overhated, and you should give it a try.

The best way to play it is pretty simple, as Skyward Sword HD on the Switch is pretty much the definitive version of the game. It looks slightly cleaner, the tutorial isn't as painful, and it's super accessible.

That said, the game often gets criticized for its motion controls, but especially when it comes to the Switch version, I find it to be the ultimate way to play the game and absolutely a necessity for the best experience.

2 The Minish Cap

Bite-Sized

After the world becomes far more familiar to what we're used to in the Zelda-verse, a species called the Minish descends to assist with sealing evil beings. Festivals are thrown in their honor, and this game takes place on the hundredth anniversary of these festivals.

The Minish Cap is a cute little 2D Zelda game that often gets overlooked in place of Link to the Past, but it's great on its own merits. That said, GBA games aren't the most accessible nowadays.

The easy way to play this requires that you pay $50 a year for the Nintendo Switch Online expansion pack, which gives you access to the GBA Nintendo Classics app that comes with The Minish Cap.

That said, I hate the incredibly laggy Switch Online emulators, so I'd honestly recommend either emulating the game yourself or going for the original hardware, if you can afford it.

3 Four Swords

Multiplayer Madness

After his defeat in the Minish Cap, Vaati eventually reappeared with no memories of those events, claiming a palace for himself and once again causing more havoc in the kingdom of Hyrule.

After being sealed, then escaping again, Link decided to draw the Four Sword and create one of the most enjoyable four-player puzzle games, given that you can get the necessary people together to play it.

Original hardware isn't much of an option, since that would require 4 GBAs with 4 copies of the game and 4 link cables, so I'd once again either go for the Switch Online Expansion pass, or some other means.

Namely, you can set up netplay with the few GBA emulators that support it, or be like me and have four GBA emulators running at once, then use Parsec to let everyone play on your computer.

4 Ocarina of Time

The Split

The most important game in the timeline, Ocarina of Time, comes after a long civil war that broke out after Four Swords. This results in a Hylian Woman delivering her child to the Kokiri, which is where this Link comes in.

This game is already notorious for being one of the highest-rated and most beloved classics of all time, and it just so happens to be the one that split the timeline into three branches for no good reason.

You can play it on Switch, but I'd highly recommend against that, as the 3DS version is pretty much the ideal option, sacrificing nothing and improving the game in quite a few ways. But if you want the OG, I'd say go for an emulator or the fanmade decompilation.

Now that the timeline splits depending on whether you go back to the past, stay in the future, or die somehow, I'll be going over the branch that continues immediately after the events of Ocarina of Time, as that makes the most sense.

5 Majora's Mask

Creepy Crawlies

After returning to the past to live out his life as a child with Ganondorf firmly defeated, Link wanders off into the forest to search for Navi, but ends up falling into an entirely new parallel world.

Majora's Mask is easily one of my favorite Zelda games, taking an incredibly dark thematic approach alongside a depressing story and characters that feel so real. It's a truly impactful and beautiful game, and I love it to bits.

That said, whether you should play the original or the remake is a controversial subject. The remake cleans up and brightens a ton of things, makes some bad reworks, but is way easier to play and way nicer for anyone unfamiliar.

But if you're asking me, I'd say the original vision for the game should be what you prioritize here. Since the 3DS version isn't that faithful, you should play the fan-made PC decompilation instead.

6 Twilight Princess

To The Depths

After the events of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is sentenced to death, but his execution gets so botched that they end up having to banish him to the Twilight Realm, leading him to take over the throne there, causing even more chaos.

Twilight Princess is another title with practically universal acclaim, and it's a properly massive adventure that is pretty much where the old 3D Zelda formula peaked before everyone agreed it was getting stale.

That said, this game is currently not available on a modern platform, but it is on the GameCube, Wii, and Wii U. The Wii U remake doesn't do that much for improvements, so don't feel like you need to play that version.

As usual, I'd say the easiest way to play is emulation, particularly on the GameCube version. It's nearly identical to the Wii in terms of everything but controls, where it ditches the half-hearted motion controls for buttons, and un-flips the screen.

7 Four Swords Adventures

Web of Wires

After Ganondorf died, the Gerudo were finally at peace with the Hylians. Then, Ganondorf got reincarnated as that century's male Gerudo, proceeding to release Vaati and stealing a dark mirror to create a shadow army.

I think a ton of people confuse this for a console port of the original, but it's a unique experience more focused on cooperative dungeon solving, and I think that works decently well, even if it's not my favorite.

Unlike the original, this one is even harder to play nowadays, as it isn't on Switch Online. If you want the original experience, you'll need 4 GBAs, 4 GameCube Link Cables, and the game, which is pretty damn expensive all in all.

Out of every game, this is the one I recommend emulation for the most. Dolphin and mGBA are compatible now, and you can use the same Parsec solution to try and play this one, but it's still pretty inconvenient and intensive.

8 Wind Waker

As Far As I Can Sea

Now that we've finished the child timeline, we're onto the branch of Ocarina of Time where Link remains an adult. This one goes a long time without a new Link, leading to divine intervention flooding the world to stop Ganondorf's reign.

The Wind Waker notoriously went underappreciated in its time, but got far more love from the fanbase over time. It's an incredible Zelda game with a timeless art style, and I love it.

The Wii U remake is slightly divisive for the genuinely blinding amount of bloom added to the visuals, but it also streamlines the endgame Triforce quest and has great inventory management with the GamePad, so it's solid overall.

If you prefer the original, though, you should probably emulate it on PC. If you have a Switch 2, you can get this one through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass and the new GameCube app.

9 Phantom Hourglass

Spooky Situation

After Wind Waker, Link and Tetra go sailing together on a quest to find new land. They happen to find it and board a ghost ship in the area, leading to the two getting split up for a while in this unfamiliar territory.

This is a cute little game that feels like a mix between traditional 2D Zelda and an attempt at mixing in the elements of 3D games, alongside a funny little drawing gimmick with the DS hardware.

That said, it's only ever been re-released once on the Wii U eShop, and given that eShop no longer exists, you've only really got two options, one of which is to buckle down and play it on the original hardware.

This isn't hard, as you probably have either a DS, 2DS, or 3DS, and getting the game used online is relatively cheap. I'd recommend this if possible, because emulating touchscreen-heavy DS games just feels weird.

10 Spirit Tracks

Trained Professional

After a ton of extra exploration, Link and Tetra eventually discovered a continent they named New Hyrule, which spans a massive area, has built-in train tracks, and wasn't affected by the great flood nearly as much as the other continents.

Admittedly, this game is a little bit dumb, the plot is a bit contrived, and the train gameplay is some of the most uninteresting on offer in the entire series. That said, if you want to play them all, then this is certainly a game that exists.

Just like Phantom Hourglass, this game's only re-release was on the now deceased Wii U eShop. It's far better to get it on the original hardware if you already own a DS, as it's generally around the $15 mark.

Even then, I can't say you'd be missing all that much by emulating it, and I don't even think you'd be missing a ton by just watching a playthrough online, as the gameplay here is super dry.