Start with links crossbow training nothing in the series compares to that one

The first 3D Zelda game I beat was the windwaker. I thought it was pretty easy and straightforward. The dungeons are pretty short and easy as well, that would probably be my recommendation for anyone wanting to start playing their first 3d Zelda. Ocarina isn’t a bad choice either, I think Aonuma said himself that Ocarina is a good place to start. Great video Game Essays!

Ocarina of time 3D is where I started. I truly believe that me starting there is a major reason why I became a big fan of the series. Left a huge impact and is still my favorite game in the series and one of my favorite games of all time.

A Link to the Past is how I got into the series. A good challenge to get started, great memorable music with a large world.

Introduced my fiance to Zelda quite recently actually. She's used to playing more modern stuff and found Link's Awakening on the Switch to be the perfect jumping on point to learn the ropes while having a fun time. Friendly graphics, explains itself fairly well and it's not overly punishing or old-school in the difficulty. Gets my vote as the best beginner one.

My first was ocarina of time almost 10 years ago, and I’ve been a huge Zelda fan ever since

Definitely agree on Twilight Princess as a first game. Coming off of Breath of the Wild, I wanted to try out some of the other Zelda games and was between picking up Wind Waker, Skyward Sword, and Twilight Princess. I ended up going with Twilight Princess, and it was for sure the right choice. I’d definitely recomendable it for fans who were introduced to the series via BotW. It’s a fundamentally different experience, but I felt like TP provided enough freedom in the overworld and with side objectives that there was plenty to do between dungeons, and the dungeons were of course very well done. The difficulty is pretty forgiving (I never died to a boss), so it’s not too hard to get through in full, and the story is well put together. The game doesn’t show its age too badly, especially if you get the HD remake, and overall I think TP makes a very good segue into other, more traditional 3D Zeldas.

I think another good place to start is Wind Waker. It's fun, approachable, the easiest 3d game (imo), and has a timeless art style and story.

I just bought a Nintendo switch for the family. My wife and I play it more than the kids with the N64 games now online. Lol We started playing Ocarina of Time, and it’s just as good as when we were kids. We both played it a ton when we were younger, and the nostalgia is just incredible. My wife isn’t a “gamer” (I’ve always played games since I was a kid, but moved into more FPS online games as I got older to keep in touch with friends), but this game still stuck with her and we sit in the living room for hours after the kids are in bed replaying this thing. The music, the dungeons, the bosses, the story, it’s just so. Damn. Good.

My introduction to video games in general started with OoT on n64 and I've been a gamer ever since so I have to give it to OoT

For 2D I would definitely start with Link’s Awakening (Switch) For 3D I would go Wind Waker HD then Ocarina of Time 3D

Agree with minish cap as a starter. First one I played all the way through. Simple and fun.

skywards swords introduction really drew me into TLOZ and made me want to start playing other games, it is however quite hard to reccomend as the first game because the motion controls are just so different to how the rest of the games operate, but i really do like the combat and puzzles with them. I think that the remake of Links awakening on the switch is actually a really great choice, its in the 2d style, it doesnt drag on too long or involve long running lore, and it has some really fun dungeons as well as looking really good due to its redesign, its accessible on the switch, and id reccomend it as an introduction to the series. definitely try something more story heavy like OoT or Wind waker after so you can jump into both the mechanics and the story elements that make players love the series so much

I started with Ocarina of Time. I watched my brother play it and was interested.

I have just gotten into Zelda games a couple weeks ago and I find The Minish Cap to be very interesting. Now I'm playing it on my DS Lite. Also, I like the way you speak; it feels natural and not like those over excited kind so keep up the good work. I want to see as your channel grows.

My first zelda game was phantom hourglass and this title and then spirit tracks make me love the serie. Then I played ocarina of time, à link between worlds and majora's mask. I played also minish cap, wind walker, twilight princess, botw, link's awakening and now I'm on skyward sword HD. My favourite one is majora's mask, but if I have to advise a first zelda game, I think it should be ocarina of time, minish cap or twilight princess which present how a "classic" zelda game function (with awesome dungeons) PS : If my english is not very good, I apologize, I'm French

My first game was links awakening. I’m actually just now playing my second Zelda game, the wind waker. I’m loving it so far and would recommend both of these to anyone!

Completely agree with your opinion in regards to 3D and 2D gaming for beginners. Great video!

In one word, Wind Waker. This game is pretty easy and one of the easiest 3d zelda games. The art style is beautiful, and the dungeons are not too complicated as opposed as some of the dungeons in majora's mask. And beginners in the zelda series doesn't start and immediately search to finish it 100% not even knowing its quality, so we just need a chill zelda experience. My favorite is personnaly Majora's Mask, and even if i love this game, i don't recommend to start with this one. There's a ton of side quests, that is not bad but just not what beginners are searching, and also the 3 last dungeons are amazing and really solid, but also a big puzzle box, especially with the stray fairies. Thanks for reading my comment, hope that beginners will enjoy the zelda series. Ryan I love your videos!!

TP was my first Zelda game and how I fell in love with the series

Totally agree with A Link Between Worlds for a 2d game to start with. As you know I'm not as big or hardcore into Zelda as you are and I've only beaten a few of the games. I thoroughly enjoyed A link between worlds especially its similarities to a Link to the Past (which I still need to beat) but being way easier IMO than it's SNES predecessor. I'm definitely intrigued to try Minish cap as I have not touched that or any of the DS games. Great video as always!

Zelda OG from 86 here, first nintendo game I ever played. Still my favorite series of all time.

I started with Oracle of Seasons I would not recommend starting with Oracle of Seasons.

So far my go through went like this: - a link to the past - links awakening - Oracle of ages & Oracle of seasons (I switch between them after every dungeon. I haven't played the connected version yet) - the wind waker - ocarina of time - phantom hourglass I'm currently around 70% in majora mask and spirits tracks. I play two games at a time and that took me two years now. (I'm a slow player and I don't play that often) skyward sword and the minish cap will be next on the list.

Imo the formula for the best Zelda game to start with is : -Most basic/traditional Zelda structure -Decreased difficulty -Least complicated mechanics 2D titles from best to worst to start with: 1 - Minish Cap 2 - Links Awakening 3 - Phantom Hourglass 4 - Oracle of Seasons 5 - Oracle of Ages 6 - A Link between worlds 7 - Spirit Tracks 8 - A Link to the Past 9 - Four Swords Adventures 10 - Zelda 1 11 - Four Swords 12 - Triforce Heroes 13 - Zelda 2 3D titles from worst to best to start with: 7- Hyrule Warriors 6- Majoras Mask 5- Breath of the Wild 4- Skyward Sword 3- Twilight Princess 2- Wind Waker 1- Ocarina of time

i think that the minish cap is not a beginner friendly game , as a person that played it it is a good game but there are a lot of stuff that you just need to do without a lot of information and the minish cap has one of the hardest and unfair final boss in the legend of zelda series, but i do think that a link between worlds is a fantastic start to the zelda journey

If you're a kid I suggest starting with The Ocarina of Time and if you're older I suggest diving into Breath of the Wild.

I think in 2022, the two best Zelda games I'd recommend would be Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild, depending on what flavour the player wanted. I think both games are the best at what they do. Twilight Princess is definitely the most polished, well-paced 3D Zelda of the original formula. The controls are great, the UI is great, the temple design is fantastic, the pacing and flow is quite good, and the amount of busy work in the side quests is kept to a minimum, and is very streamlined in the HD version as well. I know Twilight Princess gets a lot of flack by older fans for not being very innovative, but that doesn't mean it's not a better game than Ocarina - it most certainly is to a new player who has no nostalgia blinding them because they played the N64 as a kid and completely forgot they used used a guide or struggled through Ocarina's terrible pacing. Breath of the Wild is a modern masterpiece. I think it would be pretty difficult for someone not to fall in love with this game. A 97 in 2017 is worth much, much more than a 97-99 in 1998. It's very easy to get lost in and can be enjoyed without guides or assistance. I think Link Between Worlds is also a good recommendation for the 2D games. Probably the best one. Link to the Past fans might be upset with that, and the quality of both games is high, but I do think Link Between Worlds has the edge because exploration early on is more fulfilling with the rented items. It's also extremely smooth and the mechanics are a lot deeper. Temple designs are a lot better. Generally though, as a principle, I'd recommend the newer games over the older games for new players. They are better, for the most part.

I always recommend that people start with A Link to the Past. That’s where the “formula” really began. It’s absolutely essential, in my opinion, even if I’m separating 2D from 3D. That game established the 3D Zelda formula, too. The combination of Wii U and 3DS, at least before the shops closed down, are THE place for Zelda. Every one of them, before TotK, is playable between the two.

I started with Link's Awakening DX as it was one of the ones available on a site I used to play on that emulated Gameboy games with Adobe Flash Player

Zelda Ocarina of Time. Easily first one to choose from 💯👍

Definitely agree with Minish Cap as the best starter Zelda. Not too long, not too difficult, and you get a taste of what Zelda is all about. For 3D Zeldas only, I'd probably go with Ocarina of Time just because I think the Great Deku Tree is basically a perfect opening dungeon that teaches the player everything they need to know.

I played the minish cap when I was a teen, and link to the past is the first one to complete. I didn't knew there were 3d zelda games until my 20's

I got the og, Zelda 2, OOT, & MM for my 3ds but disappointed I can't play a link to the past. So far, the og Is so much fun and charming. Excited to play through each

I'd have included Link's Awakening, any version. It wasn't my introduction to the series, but it was the first one I owned, and the first I completed. Incredibly fun game, simple goal (wake the Wind Fish to leave the island), good dungeons, and there's so many different ways to play it now: Obtain an original cartridge and a Game Boy to play it on, get a Switch Lite and NSO account, get the new remake for Switch, get the Game and Watch version... you get the idea. Point is, it's a great game, and perfectly accessible.

For me it was honestly OOT 3D, in 2017 thats when i first started, then i played mm3d, ss, botw, i usually played the most popular zelda games, i havent played windwaker yet, But im pretty sure its good. Ever since i beat OOT 3D on my 1stPlaythrough on my second playthrough i did 100% because i memorized mostly every temple and i would say oot is the easiest zelda game and super easy to collect heart pieces and etc, OOT Or Skyward Sword Would be a good Start for new zelda players so they can understand the start of the timeline, like I HIGHLY recommend after beating OOT go onto MM What i did Actually Was Play Skyward Sword, Then OOT, Then MM But you dont have to follow the order, my 13 year old brother played Botw as his firs zelda game then hyrule warriors then oot then mm then ss Because Our mom wouldnt buy us much things.

The Minish Cap is a great Zelda title.

The first game I played, and the game that got me into the franchise, is Ocarina of Time. Since then I've played every Zelda game to the end except for the NES games and Tears of the Kingdom.

My first two Zelda games (that I beat) coincidentally were minish cap and a link between worlds. I definitely agree with the notion that they are great games to get into the series with

Play the very *_1st Zelda game_* , then *_A Link to the Past_* , then *_Ocarina of Time_* , then *_Breath of the Wild_* . You will get the full scope of the series from those games, and simultaneously have an appreciation for the advancements in technology, story, and gameplay.

My suggested path would be Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and then Majora's Mask

Best 3D Zelda games for beginners: OOT and TP (I completely agree with you, but I also think that TWW and SS are okay for beginners). For sure I will not recommend MM, because it's the most particular 3D Zelda game (and difficult). 2D Zelda games for beginners: ALTTP, no matter if it's a bit difficult on the combat side, it's the most iconic Zelda game and it is what the series is. Also the difficulty of combat isn't a real problem on the nintendo switch SNES emulator, because of the way you can save at any point (really) or even rewind the tape. PS. TP was my first Zelda game, I played the Wii version in 2012, and it's for sure my favourite Zelda game. Dungeons you said? Oh Yes! Best dungeons must be TP ones and for me dungeons are the most important thing when it comes to Zelda gameplay. (Also sorry for grammar, I'm Italian)

Wow… I remember knowing nothing about Zelda and told by my bud at a local game shop (New York City) about a great game called Zelda A Link to the Past. It was 1991 and the game had only been out a few weeks! I had just turned 26!

My order for 3D games: Breath of the Wild -> Wind Waker -> Skyward Sword -> Twilight Princess -> Ocarina of Time -> Majora’s Mask

My first game was twilight princess and I love it, I played ocarina and majora because of twilight,

If you have a homebrewd 3ds, you get access to soo many zelda games

I made the mistake with starting on Majora’s Mask.🤦‍♂️

My first was Zelda 1 last year I then finished OOT 3d

Zelda ocarina of time is a game consider the best of all time so even if is aging is like one of the biggest game references of all.

Oot on my uncles n64 when I was a baby boy, now in my 20s and beaten every game released, and in my opinion , the easiest and most friendly Zelda game to beat is Zelda II , no questions asked

Love the games you suggested! Watched this to try and figure out which game I want my wife to play. I think I’m going with Ocarina of Time 3D. (I also think Phantom Hourglass is a great starter game. The mechanics are straightforward and the storyline is fun with it being a sequel to Wind Waker.) Wind Waker was my first, and Twilight Princess is my favorite. So I’m still waiting for them to bundle those together and re-release them on the Switch. That’ll make me happy for sure! Really wish they would go back to their roots and keep making linear Zelda games though. I know Tears of the Kingdom will be great, but it doesn’t feel like Zelda to me anymore.

ocarina is my favourite and would definitely give a good impression of the series to new fans (myself included, it was my first game). but it is a bit confusing at times, especially to a modern gamer, so yeah i think wind waker may be a good starting point.

I personally think it doesn’t matter. Play what you want, and I hope you enjoy it!

Agree 100% about the slow start to Twilight Princess....I stopped playing. Need to give it another try.

Solid recommendations, I agree with these 4 choices

convinetntly, tp was my first zelda game! i loved it so much, i did end up playing the original legend of zelda afterwards but i still loved it ! currently on botw but im desperately hoping to does come to the switch, it will be so nostalgic!!

The first Zelda game I played was Ocarina of time. And I'm 15 now I played the 64 version and it was literally the first game I ever played.

I started with breath of the Wild, then continued with Ocarina of Time 3D, Twilight Princess Wii and Majora's Mask 3D.

I go by the timeline just for story continuity

Ocarina of Time is like the Mario 64 of the Zelda games and likewise Breath of the Wild is like Odyssey, and I would give similar advice for anyone starting with Mario games - don’t start with Odyssey, play 2D first if never played video games, etc. Great video, and thank you for the advice!

The only Zelda I played for more than an hour is Skyward Sword on Wii, which I finished. It’s great in many ways, but I had to look up solutions to minor things twice in ten minutes. Apparently the solution is common in Zelda games, but that solution is not accessible to new players. I repurchased Twilight Princess on Wii (gave up on it the first time after 30 minutes or so) and got the GameCube collector’s Edition that has the first 2 NES games, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. I’m waiting for this series to convince me it’s great in the way Persona 4 Golden, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Shadow of the Colossus did (but Bloodborne still hasn’t).

My first introduction to the series was twilight princess on the gamecube It was my first game and remains my favorite in the series I consider it a good introduction to the 3d games For 2d titles id honestly say minish cap or a link between worlds same as you did, link between worlds was also my first 2d title and while not my favorite (that goes to spirit tracks) its still a very solid game and a great way to get into the series

16!?!?!?!?!?! there were 19 at the time of this video's creation!

Ocarina of time was my first Zelda game, also favorite, saddest one is Links awakening. Majoras Mask is the most amusing for people who played Ocarina of time. Breath of the wild is like Skyrim meets Zelda, more and less of an RPG element. 2D links awaking, I haven't finished Minish cap, it's on GBA on switch! Haven't finished it, yet! Haven't finished Link to the past yet.

My first Zelda game was master quest. Ifkyk

You should start with the CD-i games. That way your standards are set so low that there's no way you could possibly be disappointed by any other zelda game.

2d I think a links awakening in the switch is a really good option. Or a link to the past. For 3d...I think you nailed the choices. Except maybe you missed Majoras mask.

I wouldnt recommend Twilight Princess as the first 3D game since this is the best game. I would start with OOT or TWW.

Good news is they have the Minish Cap on the new switch online!

oot or botw definitely, oot is like a starting point for the series and botw is a game that can help you get into zelda more if that makes sense

I usually just recommend Botw as peoples first Zelda game. It just puts Zelda into a more modern and accessable light, it's the game you'll be the least stuck on in the Zelda franchise, it's the least confusing one and yet, in my opinion still maintains the Zelda spirit while forgoing some core mechanics from the older titles. It gives a light introduction to the franchise while also giving an unique experience. Botw will introduce you to the 3 main characters without really fleshing their (long) backstory out, playing Botw first will introduce you to themes, characters and stories that are wrapped in mystery, and playing the older games later will in a way continue this sense of discovery. So I suggest playing OoT after Botw, as it is basically THE Zelda game in regards to gameplay, as it will introduce you to the older Zelda gameplay at its height, and is a natural way of expanding upon what you learnt in Botw, both gameplaywise and storywise. Playing OoT first, Botw may seem a bit underwhelming storywise, but OoT will expand upon the little story there is in Botw, complementing it. Same could be said for gameplay too. For 2D games, I wouldn't usually recommend them first, but if I had to, I'd say Alttp for the Switch. The rewind feature in Nintendo Online makes it a much less frustrating experience, allowing you to get through the game without too much backtracking due to game overs.

I’m playing the Gameboy Color The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX from the Switch Online app & it’s fun & cute but I have to read this walk thru guide so much 😅 I’m about to get Breath of the Wild for my OLED Switch soon tho & I’m so excited, it looks awesome!

For a 2D zelda game I would go with A link between worlds, even tough is technically a sequel to a link to the past, you can enjoy it without having played the original, and understand the story perfectly. And if you have a Switch and Switch Online, try a link to the past, altough the combat in this might be a little bit more challenging. For the 3d zelda games, honestly Ocarina of Time is a great game to begin with, simple yet engaging story, the adventure starts right away and it is the template for every other Zelda Game after. The only one I'd reccomend over it is Breath of The Wild, just because how much content there is in it, and I'm sure is perfect to bring new fans into the series.

My first Zelda games was Twilight Princess (Wii) and Majoras Mask 3D because they capted my attention on the store, I didn't knew about the dark theme of them 😂 Maybe it was a mistake, but I'm still here! I think the best Zelda to begin with is either Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild, specially BOTW since a lot of my friends are enyoying it a lot in their first Zelda experience.

Interesting that you picked tp above oot for new players. I feel like oot's pace would appeal to alot more people tbh

Thanks for this video!

Agreed Essay. I would have said Link to the Past instead... But I'm old. Good picks all around. I would suggest Windwaker, but I don't a Skyrim or Dark Souls fan would enjoy the the game simply based on graphics. Take care Essay!!!

I'd personally say Wind Waker or Skyward sword is the best one for beginners

Ocarina of time should be played first...BUT by doing that you will be setting yourself up for dissapointment with every other Zelda game you play after since it sets high standards and expectations.

tnx

maybe start at the beginning?

As much as I love twilight princess I don’t think it should be people’s first game. There’s a lot of stuff that people could find tedious like the tutorial and bugs and as much as I love the story it’s very complex and can be hard to follow. Also, I don’t think it should be played before ocarina of time since it’s more of a spiritual successor and could ruin ocarina for a lot of people. I’d say ocarina is the best place to start. It was my first game and it instantly got me into Zelda.

Ocarina of Time, that's what got me started, would love to see a modern version

Link's awakening (any version) is my answer.

I'd say skyward sword cause it's the first in the timeline

I really think Skyward Sword is the best if you want to understand the story chronologically, but Windwaker is a good introduction for people who want a lighthearted game

Thank you

First 2D: The Adventure of Link First 3D: Majora's Mask (N64) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I'm trying to play oot, mm, wind waker, (maybe minish cap) tp, ss HD and hyrule warriors age of calamity. I'm trying to pla y all of there before tears of the kingdom realises

For the 2D games I recommend Links awakening because A link to the past if you play a Link to the past first all of them won’t feel as good for 3D I’d say wind waker

I think links awakening on switch would be the best starting point.

Awesome video, earned my sub

The only one I'd disagree with is twilight Princess, don't get me wrong I do really love the game it has some of the best 3d dungeons but the game takes forever to get started and that would probably turn alot of new players off I would reccomended wind waker that was my first zelda

I think y'all should suffer like I did in 86'! Start at the beginning and move your way thru the series.

Ocarina is the goat

Is there actually a story between games or can i just play them in a randomized order?

Tried link to the past. It's still fun. But barely any guidance. Dugeons pritty hard. And it's so long. Am just not rrly used to the old type of gaming But Amma try as many zelda games as I can.

Wait i thought their stories were connected and chronological. Can i start with botw

I’m surprised you didnt go with Link’s Awakening for beginners

Um the answer is a Link to the Past. There is no other correct answer. How could you recommend Link between worlds first?