Nintendo has made something of a habit in keeping the spirit of their 2D days alive in a predominantly 3D age. In an era where Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario have all made the leap into 3D, Nintendo has never let 3D replace 2D– The Legend of Zelda proves that better than perhaps any other franchise.

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2D Zelda and 3D Zelda share the same core philosophies, but the styles ultimately result in very different games. Where every 3D Zelda is treated like an epic in the classical sense, modern 2D Zelda often feels less important due to more primitive presentation. But this is missing the forest for the trees, and both styles of Zelda have their value. 2D can accomplish what 3D can’t, and vice versa.

10 2D: Better Pacing

With the exception of Breath of the Wild, every 3D is worse paced than the last. Ocarina of Time is arguably the best paced Zelda alongside A Link to the Past. Majora’s Mask is a bit worse, but not by much. The Wind Waker has a rigid opening and comes to a screeching halt before the last act, while Twilight Princess has a very slow first half and Skyward Sword only picks up near the end.

2D Zelda almost never has this problem. The Oracle games probably have the slowest openings, but pretty much every 2D entry in the series is well paced, never outstaying their welcome unlike entries like Skyward Sword and even BotW thanks to its potential length.

9 3D: Better Writing

Considering 2D Zelda was relegated to handhelds between A Link to the Past’s release and Four Swords Adventures on the GameCube, it perhaps goes without saying that the 2D installments did not continue the trend of 3D Zelda focusing on story (for the most part.) While 2D Zelda stories aren’t poorly written (Link’s Awakening is one of the best written games in the series), 3D Zelda is pretty consistently better.

Ocarina of TIme, while simple, has a classic story and is filled with great theming & subtext. The same goes for both Majora’s Mask & The Wind Waker, and both Twilight Princess & Skyward Sword easily have the best written scripts in the franchise.

8 2D: They’re Harder

Link facing enemies in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link

There was a time where The Legend of Zelda could be considered a genuinely difficult series. A case can be made that every game between the original and Ocarina of Time was at the very least difficult. Even after, 2D Zelda offered a level of challenge 3D Zelda often wouldn’t, especially as time went on and the games got easier and easier.

This isn’t to say 2D Zelda can’t be easy– there are some remarkably simple titles– but the 2D on a whole do a better job of balancing difficulty. A Link to the Past and the Oracle duology are some of the best-balanced games in the series as far as difficulty curves go.

7 3D: Better Combat

On the flip side, the 2D games might be harder, but they’re not as fun to fight enemies in. Combat certainly isn’t boring in them, especially in A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, and The Minish Cap, but swordplay can only have so much depth in a 2D space. From The Wind Waker onwards, 3D Zelda undeniably had better combat.

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Ocarina of Time introduced a lock-on, dodging, and combat in a 3D space. The Wind Waker gave Link a counter, Twilight Princess gave Link a whole slew of techniques, and Skyward Sword gave players complete control. Breath of the Wild adds in a parry system, durability, and grounds the action a bit more, while remaining engaging.

6 2D: Better Puzzles

3D Zelda’s puzzles are consistently great, making good use of 3D space and immersion while offering audiences a decent brainteaser. They’re fun; but they’re easy. Which isn’t a bad thing by any means, but 2D Zelda puzzles, while simpler in scope, generally end up being more engaging because of their limitations. They have to be more creative.

Link’s Awakening and Oracle of Ages are probably the best examples of puzzles in The Legend of Zelda, with the latter in particular arguably having the best set in the series, almost all of which genuinely challenge players to engage mentally and think beyond the surface level.

5 3D: More Immersive

It goes without saying, but it’s far easier to immerse in a 3D space than it is a 2D one. Not to say that the latter can’t be immersive, that’s just flatout incorrect, but it’s not hard to understand why a 3D space lends itself better to immersion. From as early as Super Mario 64, Nintendo’s 3D worlds have been some of the best in the industry.

Each 3D Zelda boasts an expansive, immersive world. From Ocarina’s small, but humble Hyrule, to the eclectic Termina, these are spaces players can easily get lost in. The Great Sea and The Sky are two of the most creative settings in the series, and Breath of the Wild brought Hyrule to life better than any game prior.

4 2D: Better Bosses

Bosses in most 3D Zelda games aren’t bad, but they’re hardly a highlight. Really only Skyward Sword has 3D bosses with a considerable amount of depth. Ocarina’s and Majora’s get the job done with passing marks, but The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and even Breath of the Wild only offer some simple– albeit memorable– bosses.

Not the case for 2D Zelda bosses! They aren’t anywhere near as memorable, but they’re better designed on a whole and don’t as often fall into lazy patterns. There’s no real decline in quality either. 2D bosses have been pretty great throughout, even in the lesser titles. To be fair, though, Zelda II and A Link to the Past have enough great boss fights to go around.

3 3D: More Atmospheric

This sort of goes hand in hand with immersion, but it’s important to recognize the role atmosphere specifically plays in 3D Zelda’s dungeons. While, on a whole, 3D dungeons aren’t necessarily better or worse than 2D dungeons, they’re much more atmospheric. Where the 2D games have more involved puzzles and bosses, 3D Zelda makes you feel like you’re actually in a dungeon.

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That has an immense amount of value. Gaming as a medium built on interconnectivity, and making the audience feel like Link is an achievement. Atmosphere also leads to 3D dungeons having clear themes with some even featuring mini-arcs. They’re dynamic, breathing labyrinths.

2 2D: Better Intros

With the very notable exception of Breath of the Wild, 3D Zelda likes to takes it time kicking things off. Both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask feature slow paced openings, the former about 45 minutes and the latter half an hour, but The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword take things to an extreme with openings that last upwards to 3 hours.

2D Zelda doesn’t have this problem for any of its games. Players can usually start playing in no time flat with little to no distraction. The Minish Cap is paced more like a 3D Zelda, but even it manages to open remarkably fast.

1 3D: Better Endings

On the flip side, the faster paced 2D Zelda games end up having fairly abrupt endings. Spirit Tracks’ in particular is especially jarring given it’s a more story driven game. The 3D games have never had this problem and likely never will. Even at their worst, a 3D Zelda ending is emotional, thematically rich, and narratively satisfying.

All while paired against great dungeons and consistently excellent final boss fights. It’s impossible for a 3D Zelda not to end on a high note. The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword deserve considerable praise for their finals, wrapping their games up better than most.

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