This year I’m doing #ZeldaYear again to replay each and every one of The Legend of Zelda games (except spin offs) to rediscover my second favorite video game franchise. Whenever I bring up how much I like top-down or 2D installments, many fans, especially younger ones or those who have just come from Breath of the Wild, see them with “afraid” in case they don’t like it because to the huge contrast.
Fortunately, I am not one of those elitists who «if you don’t play Zeldas in 2D you’re not a fan, I don’t know what, show me your card, please«. To those people we are going to say yes, that you are not fans and we continue with ours. These installments are: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Ages and Seasons, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks and A Link Between Worlds (I remember not I’m going to count the spin offs).
As you can see, there are many ten of the top sixteen games out there. Today I would like to share five reasons why I encourage you to discover these trips.
1. Aerial scan
The biggest difference between 3D and 2D Zeldas is the camera. While in the 3D we can move it freely with a perspective from behind like the general one, in the 2D it is from above, that is, from above (technically it would be in a tailspin, but it would be entering into somewhat pretentious technicalities). This exploration can be “boring”, but quite the opposite. There is nothing more satisfying than finding secrets and completing them, and 2D Zeldas do that very well.
In addition to giving it a certain charm that is perfectly complemented by the following points:
2. Portability
All 2D Zeldas can be played in handheld mode. Originally the NES and SNES were desktop, but received ports for GBA. Also, currently on Nintendo 3DS you can play them together with the Oracle of (although to the Past is exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS family). Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks are playable on WiiU. I can assure you that there is nothing like being on the street or in the field and playing these pocket deliveries. Especially when we come to the next point:
3. Perfectly designed dungeons
My favorite part of all the Zeldas is the dungeons (pause for people who know me to think about what I think of Divine Beasts), and while 3D is great, there’s nothing like 2D. Great dungeons, satisfying exploration, well-crafted layouts… I know it’s hard to put it into words, but once you play them, you’ll understand what I mean. In fact, did you know that the Zeldas of the GameBoy family require a key to enter them?
It is a detail that I liked and that the remake of Link’s Awakening maintains, offering even more exploration to the experience. Because in the end these games are…
4. Another perspective of the same game
In the end, 2D Zeldas are the same game. It’s still Zelda, it’s still exploration, it’s still dungeons, it’s still an amazing story, a killer soundtrack, an unforgettable journey. The only thing that changes is that now you have no control over the camera, would you really want to miss out on this experience just because of that? If you’re a little “scared” that you won’t end up liking it, I highly recommend Link’s Awakening Remake, A Link Between Worlds, and Minish Cap, as they’re the most accessible to new fans. And, of course, what you can enjoy the most is…
5. Indie reading
The Legend of Zelda, especially A Link to the Past, has been a standard for many artists when creating their own works. In fact today these games are not popularly known as Dungeon Crawler or adventure games, but we directly say «it’s an indie zelda«, Demonstrating the enormous potential that the saga has had for the industry. Some of my recommendations are Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, Blossom Tales, Anodyne, Ocean’s Heart, even The Blinding of Issac, or the next Tunic Y Elementalis.
Honestly, if you like The Legend of Zelda and consider yourself a fan, I strongly encourage you to try all the games. But I also tell you not to be afraid, that no one has the right to decide if you are a fan or not because you like everything or just a part. And, if you run into someone like that in life, tell them how sorry you are that you have memory problems, because you don’t remember asking their opinion.
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