The Art Style Of Every Mainline Zelda Game Ranked
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The Art Style Of Every Mainline Zelda Game Ranked
The art style of The Legend of Zelda franchise has consistently evolved over the years, so today we're ranking each game based on just that. Video games are an art form just as important as any other and have gradually pushed their way into the mainstream of the art world. There's no denying how much time, love, and care is put into a video game through its art direction, especially when it comes to series. Zelda made its debut almost 35 years ago when gaming hardware was simply unable to express what the designers had in mind for worlds and characters. Over time, however, technological advancements made it possible to better translate Nintendo's infamously gorgeous Zelda art styles into gaming form. Which of these art styles have held up the best over time and are still praised to this day? THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY Skyward Sword
Both Skyward Sword's in-game graphics and its concept art definitely allow it to stand out from any other game in the series, and whether or not that's a good thing is up to interpretation. Regardless, Skyward Sword is one of, if not the most controversial game in the franchise for a number of reasons. No Zelda game has a bad-looking art style by any means, so a better word to describe Skyward Sword's would be "underwhelming." Characters' facial structures and designs are a bit all over the place, but at least the watercolor style is a nice change of pace. Zelda II The Adventure Of Link
For the older games on this list, we'll be looking at their newest hand-drawn art pieces for reference, as judging them by their graphics alone is predictable and not a great representation of their overall style. Zelda II is very similar to the original in terms of art direction, but with slightly more realistic proportions and architecture. This iteration of Link is similar to the Link from A Link to the Past and Link s Awakening but looks more like an "elf" than any other hero, and those in older generations who refer to Link as an "elf" are probably most affiliated with this version of him. In contrast to the original art style, this is what most of us probably envisioned Link and the land of Hyrule looking like a Zelda cartoon. No, not that one. A Link To The Past
The first three Zelda games have a pretty similar art style to one another, but A Link to the Past received an update to some of its concept art during the release of the GBA port. We'll be discussing the newest versions of each subsequent game's art style to keep things simple. This more modern approach is certainly a joy to look at, taking away some of the awkwardness from the NES and SNES versions of Link. Both versions of A Link to the Past's art styles are great, but there's certain magic lost without the iconic washed-out colors and dorky looking Link from the original style. Link s Awakening
We're taking a look at the newest editions of Zelda titles, and the has garnered quite a bit of debate over its unique choice in art direction. This is unlike any other Zelda game that we have, featuring a more chibi, toy-like art style. It's quite a beautiful game and is a great choice of style to update this GameBoy classic for the third time, but fans who aren't so keen on this new style may not find as much enjoyment with the game, placing it on the more divisive side. Twilight Princess
The most common word to describe the art of Twilight Princess is "dark," due to its emphasis on realism and more . The decision to give Twilight Princess a more realistic, edgier art style was due to the backlash that Wind Waker received after its change in art direction from the Space World 2000 Zelda tech demo. Twilight Princess would likely look spectacular on newer hardware, but the limitations of the GameCube cause the colors to look a bit dull, and the HD port on Wii U doesn't help nearly as much as it could. At the end of the day, Twilight Princess still looks great and is a fan-favorite among many. The Legend Of Zelda
There's something so charming and classic about the artwork done for the original Legend of Zelda that hasn't been replicated by any other game to date. Since Link's sprite makes him appear quite short, his design in concept art is done in a similar fashion. The enemies, dungeons, and Hyrule are all drawn simplistically, but still, have enough charm and detail to give them their own identities. The characters in the artworks are a real treat, as they have a perfectly fitting '80s Japanese comic feel. A Link Between Worlds
What do you get when you take the basis of one of the greatest games of all time and create a sequel for it 22 years later? You get another critically acclaimed title with a great art style. A Link Between Worlds doesn't attempt to emulate its predecessor with its design direction, allowing it to become its own fresh, unique entity. Its graphics are cute and expressive and do well to complement its hand-drawn works. Just imagine how this game would look if it was on the Nintendo Switch instead of the 3DS. Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild was able to accomplish what Skyward Sword simply failed to, which was successfully blending the cel-shaded style of Wind Waker set in a more realistic world of Hyrule, and it ends up being an absolutely gorgeous game. Breath of the Wild is a critical success, and its characters and art have quickly become some of the most recognizable Zelda characters of all time, making it difficult to browse the internet without seeing . Ocarina of Time & Majora s Mask
As one of the most popular Zelda games and one of the most recognizable games ever, its art is likely the most well-known and loved among any Zelda game. It does a great job of portraying the more action-oriented, serious adventure opposed to previous titles. Each character has such a distinct design from each other, especially when looking at the characters in both time periods of the story. The shift from a more whimsical feel to the ruined world of Hyrule is executed through its artwork extremely well. Oracle of Seasons & Ages
The early '2000s anime art style works all too well for Zelda, and both Oracle of Seasons & Ages do an excellent job at showcasing it. The GameBoy Color tries its best to get the style across with a few cutscenes and character portraits, but it really shines within the official artwork. Ridiculously fluffy and colorful hair, cute and expressive faces, and tons of popping colors make it an unfortunate reality that these games will likely forever be stuck on the GameBoy Color. They're also fantastically translated into manga form by Akira Himekawa, which is most certainly a plus. Wind Waker Minish Cap Phantom Hourglass Spirit Tracks
When one single art style can be used across more than five different games and still retain the same amount of charm and lovability, it must be something special. Beginning with The Wind Waker in 2002, the game had such a distinct art style from any other Zelda game and any other game in general. It took a while for fans to warm up to it, but many fans will now state their favorite Zelda as The Wind Waker. This art style is so iconic, in fact, that Toon Link was added to to represent just how beloved it had become. This style was used all the way up to Triforce Heroes in 2015.