My Life in Zelda Games (woot woot)

This is the approximate order in which I completed each Zelda game, including my history with the game, and what I thought of it.

This is listed in the order I first beat the game, not the order I first played it. Screenshots of the finale screen are taken and placed in that game's section, updated with the latest time I've beaten the game.

Have fun, and enjoy the ride!

Key:


 * ✅ Played on the original intended console
 * 🔵 Played via port
 * 🌟 Played the remake or remaster
 * 💀 Emulated
 * ✴️ Emulated a remake
 * 🔖 Played a fan-game
 * Bolded games I have yet to complete

Nintendo 64 ● Wii Virtual Console ● Nintendo 3DS
This game I have the earliest memories of playing as a kid, especially since I used to run it on Mom's old N64. I have fond memories of strolling through Kokiri Forest, or doing the quest to get into Hyrule Castle really early on. I never got very far in this game before I played it for real, as Mom and I were stuck right after Death Mountain.

When I finally did end up playing this game, it was through the Wii Virtual Console, and I had to use the Wii pro-controller to use it. I remember feeling overjoyed that I could relive the same journey I did when I was younger, and I definitely breezed through the first two dungeons. But after that, I needed a guide. I remember watching Zelda Dungeon YouTube video walkthroughs and writing notes down detailing exactly what to do and where to go, then jumping into the game and doing exactly what I saw.

I remember being at Aunty Jenny's parent's house after having defeating Bongo Bongo (or maybe that was my next boss) and then coming home to find that Tommy overwrote his save file to copy me... and he has the nerve to say he beat the game first... unreal.

When I finally beat the game, the screen froze on the "The End" screen, and this being the first Zelda game I ever beat, I was so confused?? Why couldn't I save?? Why was the screen frozen?? I reset the game, beat the boss again, then it froze... I guess then I realized Zelda games don't have a post-game...

Subsequently, in around the same year, the 3D remake for this game came out, and I played that too. I ended up losing the game, so we had to rebuy it, so now the game is in possession of Nadia... great.

Wii Virtual Console ● Nintendo 3DS
After realizing that I could play Ocarina of Time on the Wii, this game was the next one I bought on the Wii Virtual Console.

This game was hard, man, I mean, it was such a different experience than Ocarina, and I remember it feeling so foreign to me. It was a difficult game for 9 year old Jake! For this game I also used a guide just about the entire time. Zelda Dungeon is my friend!

My memories of this game are great, I really really enjoyed this when I finished it the first time, and because I followed ZD's guide, I basically almost 100% completed it.

In 2015 I copped the 3D remake, and I think by that time I had solidified that this was one of, if not the best Zelda game. They have yet to miss!

Nintendo DS ● iNDS Emulator
This game was also the first Zelda game I ever owned on my own. I had played Ocarina and the Zelda I before on mom's old consoles, but they weren't my games. This one was entirely on my own.

I got it I think the second Christmas in Cranston, and I remember having a lot of trouble getting past the first part, and cousin David had to help me out. I have a lot of nostalgia for that game because I played it so often on my old DS Lite. It's a game that is, in my opinion, synonymous with my old (now broken) golden Zelda DS Lite.

When I ended up beating it I was extremely happy, but I did use a guide. I have a lot of fond memories with this game, and even though it is generally not considered one of the best Zelda games there is, it has a special place in my heart.

Wii
Twilight Princess is likely the second game I ever really owned, but I hadn't beaten it until later. I wanted this game for a while, and I got it for my birthday in about 3rd grade. I remember asking people at school who were coming to my birthday party for it... that's embarrassing... I ended up getting it when Auntie Meh took me out to Toys 'R' Us, and I remember feeling embarrassed to tell her that the game I wanted had the word "princess" in the name! Good times...

This is the game that I remember feeling the best playing. I'm having flashbacks now as I write this to stand in the middle of the living room, with the shades open, sunlight pouring in, me swinging my arms rapidly to swing my sword... Ugh! What a magical time!

When I ended up finishing this game I remember saying "this is my favorite Zelda game ever!" even though I had played like 5 at that point... It is definitely up there though. Maybe I should replay it one of these days.

Nintendo DS
I absolutely adore this game. I got it for my 10th birthday with Grandma and Auntie Meh, and I have the absolute best memories playing this. The two of them took me out to eat, and I couldn't put the game down. I remember playing it for the first time in Gram's car, and then being force-fed a zucchini later on while I was trying to play. What a game.

I love the aesthetics of this game probably near the most out of any other game. The colors are fantastic, the world, the music, and the story. Ugh! And the fact that it's a direct sequel to my first ever Zelda game and my current favorite at the time!?? Doesn't get any better than this!

I pretty much beat this one a few months, if not a few weeks after I got it. I had a lot of fun with it, and it's another game I definitely should try to pick up again.

Nintendo 3DS
Yet another game that I thought, at the time, was my favorite Zelda game.

I got this one on Christmas Day 2013 and fell in love with it. I had played ALttP in the past, and was head over heels for it. I played this one pretty quick, but my memories of it are divine. The end of the game, which I finished at about 2 AM by the way, blew me the fuck away. Second Triforce?? Ravio is Lorulean Link!?? Holy shit! And the final battle was insane!

The main gimmick of the game was cool too, and it didn't bother me that it was almost shot-for-shot ALttP. It is a straight up masterpiece!

3DS Virtual Console ● Nintendo Switch
I can't recall exactly when I actually beat this, but I'm pretty sure it was around this time. This game was originally downloaded on Tommy's old by 3DS XL on the 3DS Virtual Console.

This was my first 2D Zelda game I played from this era, and when I played it at first I was kind of put-off by it. I genuinely didn't think it could live up to the other games, but it sure as hell did! I thoroughly enjoyed this game my first time around playing it. I think it was around this time I stopped using guides for games, but I'm pretty sure I used a guide for at least a few parts in this game.

The Switch remake in 2019 was also a fucking blast. The updated artstyle and graphics made me fall in love with the game all over again, and who could forget that reveal trailer man?? Shit was tight!

NES ● Wii Virtual Console ● GBA port ● Nintendo Switch Online ● snes9x
I've played this game a ton before I actually beat it. We had the original gold NES cartridge from Mom's old Nintendo system, I was then able to play it on the Yobo we have, and I think I even had a GBA port of it that I played on my DS Lite.

When I did finally end up beating it, it was on the Wii from the Virtual Console. With Mom's help for some of it, and a guide for most of the rest of it, I finally beat this game which I've had in my possession for about 6 years. It was a decent game, I don't exactly have the most amazing memories with it, but I do have nostalgia from playing it for the first time as a kid on those old NES controllers and such.

I remember the final battle being really really difficult, and the final dungeon I definitely needed a guide for.

Edit: At some point recently I was looking through the Zelda Wiki and realized that I could play the BS Legend of Zelda games! I looked them up, and it looked like one of them was a sequel to A Link to the Past, and the other was a remake of the first game... I ended up having to download a SNES emulator to play it, but it was actually really fun! It was interesting to play through the original game again, so fast this time too, I beat it in like two days, and it was a remake, which I'm surprised Nintendo hasn't ever done yet before or after this. It was short and sweet, but the remake of the first Legend of Zelda game was really fun to play!

3DS Virtual Console ● Nintendo Switch Online
This game was infamous for being unbearably and ridiculously hard! Around the same time I beat the original Zelda, I downloaded Zelda II off of the 3DS Virtual Console.

I'm lucky I did, because without those save states, I never would have gotten through it. I used a guide for pretty much the entire thing, and even though some parts were teeth grindingly frustrating, I genuinely had a good time with it, and I don't think it deserves the hate that it gets.

A few specific memories I have with it come from the Great Palace, cause that place was hard as balls. I also remember reaching the Thunder Bird boss and having to retreat because I didn't have the required magical ability or something.

Wii U Virtual Console ● Delta Emulator
Finally ended up playing this game around 2015 by downloading it on the Wii U Virtual Console. This was one of those really obscure games that I had every intention of playing but just never got around to.

Really genuinely enjoyable and adorable little game. I must have played it pretty quickly my first time around, cause I don't super remember a lot of it. A memory I do have, though, is sitting on my couch while some weird show was on tv playing through Dark Hyrule Castle and beating Vaati after Grandma gave me my brown pillow. I also played it to get away from the ugly thoughts after watching clips from the Rob Zombie Halloween remake... ugh!

Anyway, my first time around I really enjoyed it a lot, and then just TODAY in 2021, I played it again. Started it yesterday, and took about 4-5 hours in total just to finish off the whole thing. As a part of the Four Swords Trilogy, I love every part of it, and it's really goofy and fun, and was honestly such a nice little (haha) game to play on my phone on my free time. Adorable and sweet!

GBA port ● Wii U Virtual Console ● Delta Emulator ● Nintendo Switch Online ● SNES Classic
This game was another one of the earliest games I ever played. I got it for the first time a way long time ago from the GameStop that was once near Stop & Shop (RIP) as the GBA port that also included Four Swords.

I played a really good chunk of this game as a kid, and I have this really specific memory of playing through Skull Woods at Grandma's house during some holiday. I'm pretty sure I got to either the last dungeon or the dungeon before the last one before I mysteriously stopped for some reason.

I ended up playing it again in 2015 when I downloaded it on the Wii U Virtual Console. I remember blowing off Sophia to hang out at the park to play this game at the end of 7th grade... ahhh... good memories!

Otherwise my playthrough was decent, it's a really stellar game. I actually have little to no memory of the final battle, but I do have a lot of memories from the earlier parts of the game. Very super fun, and an all around classic.

3DS Virtual Console
I played these games around the same time, and I'm aware that they're totally separate games, but for this I'll group them together.

I think my first exposure to these games was with Seasons. I can't remember where or when, but I played through about 5 seconds of the beginning and I really hated it. Like I legitimately did not enjoy it.

It wasn't until later on that I really got into it and I loved it. Both of these games, as different as they are, are both about equally fantastic fun Zelda games. It really interested me to play through both to the end, and eventually link them up in order to fight Ganon! I still have the save state ready from when I first beat it in the middle of the fight with Ganon.

Playing these games gave me the same inner feeling of accomplishment and glory as a lot of other games did. I love the lore and the tie ins to the other Zelda games, and the fact that it carries over immediately following ALttP.

I played these games, I think either during the summer or school break, as I remember playing them while John and Maryanne came over to visit for the weekend. It's funny, all of my memories of them being here are synonymous with these games!

Nintendo 3DS
I think at first I didn't comprehend that this game was a legit Zelda game, because I got it for Christmas in 2015 and just like kinda didn't care. I played the multiplayer mode for like six seconds with my family, but got bored of that pretty quick. During Summer time, while sleeping over at Grandma's, I made it my mission to complete it. I ended up finishing it in the online mode with some strangers, but it was a blast!

I love the aesthetics of the game, and I had such a fun time going through the random tiny little side-quests in Hytopia and learning all the secret lore. Getting all the costumes was really fun, and I think the part that I enjoyed the least was the main game.

That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, it was a blast, and I can recall tons of moments where I seriously had a lot of fun. I absolutely love the artstyle of this game, the colors, and some of the music, and how similar it is to A Link Between Worlds. The level design was stellar, and the world of Hytopia and the Drablands was really intriguing!

Also there were so many little things that I enjoyed, like hitting the music ball in the multiplayer lobby, and just exploring the Hytopia Castle. It's not widely considered to be an incredible Zelda game, but I sure had fun with it, and it's a must play for multiplayer Zelda fans.

Wii U ● Nintendo Switch
Oh boy, this one!

Watching the hype evolve over the years was really something, and I was so intrigued watching the trailers leading up to its release. Although I was put off by the title at first, I love it now.

I got it the day it came out on the Wii U, because Mom had preordered it (yes!!!!!) and I fucking loved it. I played it for a good week or two, and I have some good memories talking about it with David Steets. I love the music, themes, and style, and you just have no fucking idea how much I love the decaying and forgotten kingdom vibe that this game gives. My favorite thing is discovering new ruins and their secrets, and seeing things that I can compare to older games.

I remember speculating to death about the timeline placement of the game, being slightly disappointed with my answer, and then later realizing the timeline can be whatever I make of it...

The end of the game was fantastic to play, and yes, in retrospect it was kind of lame, but in the moment it was epic as hell. Every moment of the game was fun, discovering how outmatched I was at Hyrule Castle, seeing the world for the first time, and finding all 120 Shrines. So epic!

Even the DLC was enjoyable, even though I got it a little late, it was still definitely fun, and I hope they expand the BotW world some day.

Wii ● Wii U Virtual Console
This feels like it was yesterday that I beat it, but I started it almost 8 years before.

I first got the game I think either on my birthday or Christmas 2011, and I was STOKED, this was the first Zelda game that I was aware of before it released, and I was so happy when I finally got it. When I did though, I realized that I couldn't play it because it required that I have the Wii Motion + add on, which I didn't have at the time... Never fear, because mom bought one for me the very next day!

Like most 3D Zelda games, this one was a blast to play though, and 2011 days hit me right in the nostalgia gut!

I played through a really huge chunk of it as a kid and loved it so much. The music, bosses, and atmosphere absolutely had me on the fucking floor, I mean, Faron Woods?? Skyview Temple?? Eldin Volcano???? Lanayru Desert!??!?! Holy shit dude! This game serves as the biggest inspiration to my longest running fanfiction series, Legends of Ogaji, and it's because of that that this game is so special to me.

I never originally finished it because by the time I got to the Sky Keep, I had literally no idea what to do. Those sliding room puzzles man, I just couldn't do it. I guess at the time I was too stupid to look up a guide, because when I originally got stuck, I ended it.

Back in 2019 I finally purchased it again on the Wii U Virtual Console and started it up again. I was so happy to have done that, reliving my childhood, and then finally conquering the Sky Keep, and defeating Demise felt SO GOOD. Such a good game, and it'll be in my heart forever.

Wii U
THIS game I beat like a week ago. I originally got the HD remake on the Wii U for Christmas or something or other back in 2014-15 or so, and played a decent chunk of it before I quit, similarly to SS. I played it in my room for a while, and stopped after I beat the Earth Temple. I think I originally stopped because of a mix of me having other interests, and being put off by the up and coming Triforce Shard quest.

Whatever the case, I put the game down for a solid 4 or 5 years before finally deciding to get it done this year. Boy I'm glad I did! What an absolutely stunning masterpiece, that I've heard so much about, finally in the books! To actually live the final battle with Ganondorf and seal the Master Sword in his skull, watch Hyrule finally disappear under the waves, and FINALLY witness the events that led up to my first Zelda game. Unreal!

Also what's funny is immediately after I beat it, I accidentally deleted my save file... Whoops...

Game Boy Advanced ● Nintendo DSi ● VBA Link
I literally beat this game TODAY.

After YEARS of waiting to get my hands on and complete, I banged this motherfucker out in an hour tops.

So my history with this game actually goes pretty far back, even though I started and finished it just today.

I originally had my hands on the original original cartridge that came packaged with A Link to the Past on the Game Boy Advanced but I had no way to play it because I was the only kid I knew with the cartridge, and because none of my friends had GBA's or DS Lites. Before knowing that I had a whole nother Zelda game underneath ALttP, I had just assumed this was some mini game that I was unable to play. Try as I might, and as much as I really really wanted to, I just couldn't do it.

Eventually I learned that this was Four Swords, and I grew an interest in the premise and concept. I read the manga based on it, I watched YouTube videos, and I soon discovered that this was the only Zelda game I've yet to properly play! (with the exception of one other game.) I also learned that it was remade in 2011 for the DSi and 3DS, but I missed the deadline to download it, and never got the chance again. I did play the Anniversary Edition once, that was with Nonna's old neighbor who brought his DSi over, I played the game for five seconds.

Up until recently I just wallowed in self pity, thinking I had no way to ever play the game by myself, but then hazah! Ideas struck me! I've been emulating and playing Pokémon games for years now, how come I never thought to do it with Zelda?!!?

Obviously emulating the original Four Swords game on the GBA was a no-go, because I'd need other people to play with, so I opted to download the ROM for the Anniversary Edition, which I ended up discovering was fucking pointless. Took me a fucking painstaking week and a half, but long story short, no emulators exist that can run DSiWare games...

I had lost hope... until! I realized I can play the original GBA Four Swords using multiple tabs. So I did just that! I hooked up VBA Link, wired up a controller, and Nadia and I beat the game in one go today! For my first time playing and beating it, it was a blast, and I really hope to play again soon!

Edit: A few weeks later I went on Ian's 3DS and played all of the Anniversary Edition in singleplayer! It was short and sweet, but I love the gameplay, and I'm glad I was able to give this game another shot in a new experience. I didn't beat the final boss, though. I will soon probably!

Dolphin Emulator
Just beat this game today, around a week after beating Four Swords!

Man, what a journey I've had with this game. All my life since I got into Zelda I've basically seen this game as a bigger version of Four Swords. I didn't know much of the story besides what I read in Hyrule Historia, and it's not that I didn't have an interest in playing it, but pretty much since I knew what the game was, I knew that I'd never be able to touch it because it was on the fabled Game Cube, a system which I have never owned.

It wasn't until about a month ago when I realized that wait a minute! I can emulate the game! I wanted to play it so bad, after having gotten back into a Zelda swing from playing Age of Calamity, I finally finished The Wind Waker, and found a way to play Four Swords, and finally this game!

The story of how I finally came to play it is extremely similar to the last game, Four Swords. I've wanted to play it for so long, but I just had absolutely no way or how to do it. When I realized I could emulate it, I struggled with figuring out how to emulate this game specifically, because I knew I could just grab Four Swords on a GBA or NDS emulator (not knowing how difficult that would actually be.) It wasn't until Eddie told me he downloaded this "Dolphin Emulator" to play Pikmin, I realized that I had a shot! With his help (sort of) I downloaded the emulator, and immediately got the game. The process was actually really smooth, which I was happy about compared to my experience trying to emulate Four Swords.

Anyway, I had finally downloaded the game, but I knew I wanted to finish Four Swords first, so I could play it in the supposed order. In order to prep myself for the "Four Swords Trilogy," I played The Minish Cap first, then Four Swords, and finally.... this game.

I ended up playing it using one of Tom's X-Box controllers, which held really nicely. I very much enjoyed playing this game, and even though I did all of in singleplayer, it still posed a challenge. This game might actually be one of the easiest Zelda games there is, maybe not as easy as its predecessor, but the puzzles took pretty quick to figure out, and the majority of it was just fighting a ton of enemies.

I will say, I loved the art style, and the mesh between the ALttP style and Wind Waker was really neat.

Overall, I loved the final experience in my Zelda journey, and I'm so happy (and relieved) that I finally did it. The story played out well, the SFX were neat, and the game was overall really fun. Now I actually have to wait for the next Zelda game I play to come out... The series I've loved for so long is finally complete in my book :)

TBA
TBA

Honorable Mentions
I didn't necessarily beat all these games, so it's not in the order I beat them, just the order I played them in.

Nintendo Switch
I asked for this game for Christmas this year pretty last minute because there weren't that many other games that had come out at the time. I had heard that it was the only canon Zelda spin-off game, so I decided it might be interesting to pick it up.

I played it first thing on Christmas morning, and I guess I wasn't enthralled with it, so I put it down. I still had the majority of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection to complete, so I put the game down for a while to complete those.

Eventually, I ended up playing it for real, and I'm not gonna lie, it was super fun. I enjoyed it a lot more than the original Hyrule Warriors (from what I played of it) and I really appreciated the tie-ins to Breath of the Wild's story. Around the middle of the game I realized it wasn't canon, but I still consider the first half to be, at least before the Champions are saved by their future selves... It's a neat game that provides a (sort of) detailed insight into what Hyrule was like before the Great Calamity! Very good!

Wii U ● Nintendo Switch
I played the original game on the Wii U around the time it came out I believe. I can't remember when I got it or who I got it from, but I remember posting about it on my Instagram account comparing it to the original Legend of Zelda NES cartridge I had.

I think I played like 3 or 4 missions total in this game before I gave it a rest. It wasn't that bad of a game, I just don't think I could get into it at the time. Perhaps one day I'll finish it!

Update: It's March 12th, 2021, and I've finally beat Hyrule Warriors! I was kind of in this Zelda rut, after having finally beaten every single mainline game, then playing the two BS-X games, I felt like the only logical finale to my Zelda 35th Anniversary spree was to finish this game! I wanted at first to finish playing the Wii U version, but some people on the Zelda Wiki Discord told me that the Definitive Edition is much better, and if you're used to the Age of Calamity controls (which I was,) then I'd better pick up the Switch version. So that's what I did! I used what money I had from my summer school thing, and downloaded the digital copy of the game!

If I'm being 100% honest, I do not think it was worth the 60$. In hindsight I probably should have waited a little longer to play it, that way I could have used the 80$ on my Switch for something more important... Besides that, I finished the game today after about two and a half weeks (yay) which is a pretty big accomplishment, because I started it in 2014, and just now finished it!

Overall, the game wasn't that bad, but it was kind of a step down from the experience I had in Age of Calamity. The movement wasn't as fluid, the gameplay wasn't as seamless, and the story (or lack-thereof) was kind of stupid. The structure of every level was A. Villain shows up B. You need to defeat Villain C. Engage in battle D. Villain flees until next time. Rinse and repeat. Very repetitive. AoC definitely improved in this by a long shot.

I found myself wanting to complete levels out of necessity rather than fun, and while generally it was a decent experience, it really wasn't as fun as I was hoping it to be. I found myself more frustrated with the game and wishing I could move on to the next stage purely for the seratonin boost, and the prospect that I will have completed the game eventually. I'm happy now, yes, that I beat the game, but I can't help but feel underwhelmed and dissatisfied, and that maybe I wasted a good 60$ that I could have spent on something I would more properly enjoy...

I can't say it was all bad, but the general levels of enjoyment were not very high throughout my playthrough. It's possible I'll do the Wind Waker storyline a shot in the future, but now that I've completed the base game, I am satisfied... What an end to my 2021 Zelda journey!

snes9x
This is a game that, similarly to the original BS The Legend of Zelda, that I had heard about for a long time before I realized I was able to actually play it. Almost immediately after beating BS The Legend of Zelda, I booted this game up, expecting a fresh new game, one that has been lost to time and poor marketing. However, I really quickly realized that it was essentially a reboot of A Link to the Past, that was made to be played within 60 minutes at a time, and added little to no new content whatsoever. The story is that you're some kid from an alternate universe who goes to Hyrule 6 years after Ganon is defeated, and you have to find these eight "ancient stone tablets."

This would be an interesting game, if the overworld wasn't 100 recycled, and the dungeons weren't shorter lamer versions of their ALttP counterparts. I tried giving this game a chance, but after I realized how boring it was, and how annoying it would be to update my save progress across all four weeks, I decided to give it a rest. It was just not that fun of a game if I'm being honest. Maybe if I ever feel inspired I'll give it another go through, but this time I was just not feeling it.

Stats

 * Main game count: 19/19
 * Remake count: 6/8
 * Spin-off count: 4
 * Hyrule Warriors
 * Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
 * Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
 * Ancient Stone Tablets
 * Names:
 * Link
 * Mink
 * Kide
 * Completion Years:
 * 2011 - x4
 * Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass, Twilight Princess
 * 2012 - x1
 * Spirit Tracks
 * 2013 - x2
 * A Link Between Worlds, Link's Awakening
 * 2014 - x2
 * The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
 * 2015 - x1
 * The Minish Cap
 * 2016 - x5
 * A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Tri Force Heroes
 * 2017 - x1
 * Breath of the Wild
 * 2019 - x1
 * Skyward Sword
 * 2021 - x3
 * The Wind Waker, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures
 * Times beaten:
 * TLoZ: x1
 * TAoL: x1
 * ALttP: x1
 * LA: x2
 * OoT: 3+
 * MM: 2+
 * OoA: x1
 * OoS: x1
 * FS: x1
 * WW: x1
 * FSA: x1
 * MC: x2
 * TP: x2(?)
 * PH: x2
 * ST: x1
 * SS: x1
 * ALBW: x2
 * TFH: x1
 * BotW: x2
 * First played:
 * TLoZ: 2008
 * TAoL: 2014
 * ALttP: 2010(?)
 * LA: 2013
 * OoT: 2008
 * MM: 2011
 * OoA: 2016
 * OoS: 2016
 * FS: 2010(?)
 * WW: 2013
 * FSA: 2021
 * MC: 2015
 * TP: 2011
 * PH: 2008
 * ST: 2012
 * SS: 2011
 * ALBW: 2013
 * TFH: 2015
 * BotW: 2017