Daily Debate: Which Zelda Games Did You Play in 2023?
Posted on December 28 2023 by John Piland
Another year has come and gone, and with it, one of the Zelda franchise’s biggest years in recent memory. This year marked so many things for The Legend of Zelda, not least of all the release of the long-awaited Tears of the Kingdom. After four long years of delays, theories, and sparse trailers which were few and far between, we finally got to experience the sequel to 2017’s revolutionary Breath of the Wild. Still, that’s barely scratching the surface.
Shortly before the game’s release, Nintendo brought Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles to Nintendo Switch Online, bringing with them both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, as well as The Minish Cap. Previously, these games were difficult to access for most modern players. Just as these games’ additions to the Nintendo eShop in 2013 and 2014 opened the door to these titles for series newcomers, so too did their inclusion on the Nintendo Switch, and that’s something that can’t be overlooked for 2023.
It doesn’t end there. This year marked not just 25 years of Ocarina of Time, but ten years of A Link Between Worlds and 20 years of The Wind Waker everywhere outside of Japan (where it was released less than a month before 2003). In terms of international releases, this year also marked the 35th anniversary of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link‘s international release.
Suffice it to say, my year was filled with Zelda. It’s the tenth anniversary of playing my first Zelda game and becoming a fan, and I celebrated it well. I started the year by finishing my Skyward Sword HD playthrough in preparation for Tears of the Kingdom, partially in hopes to play through as many games in order as I could (Spoiler: it would not be many). Regardless, I very much enjoyed finishing my return to that ancient Hyrule. Next up was The Minish Cap, following its release on Nintendo Switch. I had always been a fan of the game, and I enjoyed every moment of my nostalgia-filled playthrough. I can confidently say that before this year, I never appreciated just how good that game really is.
Realizing time was short before Tears of the Kingdom, I dove back into Breath of the Wild and played through to the day before Tears‘ release, making a seamless transition from the base game to The Champions’ Ballad, and finally unlocking a fair deal of amiibo items I’d either never unlocked or hadn’t since my first run.
Next was Tears of the Kingdom, with which I spent nearly three months and nearly 250 hours. It defined my summer, and a third of my year, helping define my 2023. I put so much time immersing myself in that world, looking to uncover as much as I could and enjoy every new feature I could — and yet, there’s still so much for me to do, not least of all exploring all of the caves. Many memories were made there, memories that will stick with me for a long time.
Kicking off the final portion of the year, I began a replay of A Link to the Past in preparation for my tenth anniversary replay of A Link Between Worlds. At the time, my plan was to play through the entirety of the downfall timeline and complete Zelda II for the first time. Alas, I would instead jump from Past right into Worlds, completing Past one night and beginning Worlds the next, just like I did in 2013. As it turns out, I did so just in time to start my A Link Between Worlds replay on the game’s tenth anniversary, November 22nd.
Now I’m here, writing this article. My holidays have been busy, so I’m still working through my Lorulean adventure, but it’s been a blast. I played most of my Zelda games for the first time between 2013 and 2014, so I anticipate next year will be filled with even more time in Hyrule — or quite a bit less, given my 240+ hours in Tears of the Kingdom alone and over 350 hours all together.
How was your Zelda experience in 2023? Which games did you play this year? Did you play to celebrate any of the series’ many anniversaries? Let us know in the comments below!
John has been a Zelda fan for over 10 years now and is proud to say the series has had a major impact on his life (and wallet). After years of going to Zelda Dungeon for guides or the latest news on the series, John achieved their dream when they joined the writing team in 2019; John can hardly believe how long it’s been. A librarian, he loves meticulously arranging his library of Zelda games and collectibles. After what felt like an eternity of waiting for Tears of the Kingdom, John looks forward to the future of the Zelda franchise with enthusiasm, whether that’s the upcoming movie, a new spin-off/remake, or the next big game.
