Daily Debate: Does Ocarina of Time Still Deserve Zelda Dungeon’s #1 Spot on Best Zelda Ever?

If you’re a long-time fan of Zelda Dungeon, you no doubt know that our “Best Zelda Ever” ranking is kind of a big deal. We here at ZD are always excited to share our thoughts on games in the series, but it’s this time of year when we get to show our true feelings on our favorite (or least favorite) entries.

For those unfamiliar, every year, the members of the Zelda Dungeon staff put together their own personal lists of all mainline games in the Legend of Zelda franchise ranked from best to worst. These results are then compiled into a master list, which gives us our yearly rankings. If you want to see if your favorite game made the top ten, you can check out that article here.

According to those rankings, the game that won that Number One slot was none other than The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! Coincidentally, the game won its victory on the same year as its 25th anniversary, which seems fitting. With a game as widely acclaimed and respected as Ocarina of Time, it’s hard to disagree with the placement. For 25 years, this game has been inspiring new and old players alike to play more of the franchise. It’s a wonderful gateway drug, and it still holds up, no matter where you play it.

While the placement is what it is, there was still some debate even among staff members on if this game really deserved that top seed. With the release of Tears of the Kingdom, it was truly a momentous task to rank the top three games. Tears of the Kingdom is a wonderful game, but it owes a lot of its story, gameplay, and legacy to Ocarina of Time. But maybe that’s why Tears of the Kingdom deserves the top slot instead?

If you want to take a look at our rankings and read our thoughts on all of the games in the series, you can find the Best Zelda Ever ranking here.

What do you think? Does Ocarina of Time deserve its sixth consecutive title? Or does another game deserve to shine instead? Join the debate in the comments below!

Connor Butler

Connor is an avid Zelda fan and Musician currently obtaining his degree in percussion performance from Western Carolina University. His favorite game in the Zelda franchise is a toss up between Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time, but he has a soft spot for the Wind Waker.