The Legend of Zelda has come a long way from its humble 2D beginnings on the NES in 1986. The series slowly evolved over time from a top-down puzzle and dungeon-crawling-oriented series to one focused on open-world exploration and upbeat combat. While the change from 2D to 3D was an inevitable one for the Zelda series, there’s no denying that there was a lot of merit to the classic 2D Zeldas, particularly their dungeons.
Some 3D Zelda games like Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword are beloved for their dungeons, and other 2D dungeons are still considered the very best the series has to offer. It’s not just nostalgia – the limitations of the top-down perspective made exploring 2D Zelda dungeons a puzzle in themselves. The 3D and open-air Zelda titles introduced new and interesting ways to solve puzzles and explore the world of Hyrule, but if Echoes of Wisdom is any indication, the unique challenge of completing a 2D Zelda dungeon will never truly go out of style.
10 Level 9 (Spectacle Rock) is The Pinnacle of Zelda 1’s Unforgiving Dungeon-Crawling
The Legend of Zelda
1986’s The Legend of Zelda for the NES introduced the world to the dungeon-crawling exploration and action the series would become known for. As the introduction of the entire dungeon concept, Zelda 1’s dungeons were understandably less complex or expansive than those in later games. Most dungeon puzzles consisted of pushing a block to unlock a secret, and dungeon exploration was mostly about stumbling on a key or finding the now iconic dungeon map and compass. Nevertheless, there’s a reason these concepts became staples of the series.
The final dungeon in Zelda 1, Level 9, throws everything the game has established at the player, leading to a memorably punishing challenge no fan can forget (no matter how much they want to). Level 9 is known for its difficulty. It throws numerous enemies at players, taking on the same degree of challenge of any modern rogue-like. This was largely by design, as games in the NES era were known for manufacturing length by adding a high level of difficulty. Level 9 is the hardest challenge in Zelda 1, and also the biggest and most cryptic dungeon in the game, making it an important landmark in the series that deserves its place in Zelda history.
9 The Temple of Droplets Broke the Rules of Classic Zelda Dungeons
The Minish Cap
From the frustrating complexity of Ocarina of Time’s Water Temple to the oversimplification of TOTK’s, fans never know what they’re going to get when they enter a water dungeon. Minish Cap‘s Temple of Droplets carries on that tradition, as it’s really a frozen-over cavern that makes players yearn for the sight of actual water. Subverting classic Zelda dungeon design philosophy, the Temple of Droplets gives players the Boss Key early on.
That’s all just part of the spectacle, though. Even after entering the boss room, the boss itself is entirely frozen, unveiling the true challenge: to thaw the dungeon boss and the Water Element. The bosses of Minish Cap are interesting because they sometimes consist of classic Zelda enemies which Link must fight in his shrunken-down form. That’s the case with the Giant Octorock, which — while not particularly memorable for its fight alone — makes great use of the Minish Cap’s major gimmick to reimagine an iconic Zelda monster.
8 The Thieves’ Hideout Re-Imagines a Classic Dungeon With New Mechanics
A Link Between Worlds
While it began development as an A Link to the Past remake, A Link Between Worlds became far more than just a re-imagining of the SNES classic. Using the unique hardware capabilities of the 3DS, the Zelda Team gave players interesting new ways to explore, especially by way of the Wall Merging mechanic. This was just one of many ways ALBW updated the classic ALTTP formula. Another way was how it re-imagined classic ALTTP dungeons like the Thieves’ Palace into the Thieves’ Hideout.
The Thieves Hideout was a shining example of how ALBW found ways to improve on what ALTTP started. While it retained the same overall concept (Link has to escort a prisoner out of the Thieves’ Hideout), Link’s new Wall-Merging ability lets him travel between prison cells with a level of ease that Princess Zelda wishes she had in the intro of ALTTP. Carrying on this tradition, Echoes of Wisdom opens by having Princess Zelda break out of a prison cell using her own new abilities, proving that 2D Zelda will always break out of any box critics try to put it in.
7 The Swamp Palace Did Water Temples Right the First Time
A Link to the Past
Water Temple’s tend to leave a stale taste in Zelda fans’ mouths, and they only have the Swamp Palace to blame. ALTTP’s Swamp Palace was the first true “Water Temple” in the Zelda series, and it introduced one of the central mechanics of future water dungeons in the series. Namely, the effect of rising and falling water levels. Whereas it’s often frustratingly complicated in most Zelda Water Temples, ALTTP’s Swamp Palace is comparatively more forgiving.
The Swamp Palace also contains the first instance of an iconic dungeon item that would become a staple of future Water Dungeons: the Hookshot. Not only is the Hookshot one of Zelda’s most fun items to use, but it also plays a major part in the Swamp Temple’s boss fight against the creepy floating eyeball known as Arrghus. ALTTP was the first Zelda game to take full advantage of turning its boss fights into puzzles of their own, and that’s absolutely the case for Arrghus. Link has to use the Hookshot to pull off Arrghus’ protective orbs, revealing his true body for Link to slash away at.
6 The Ice Ruins Blends the Best of Both Worlds Between 2D and 3D Zelda
A Link Between Worlds
A Link Between Worlds was a treat for fans of ALTTP, offering a familiar world in a very unfamiliar way. This is fully present in the Ice Ruins, which Link can only get to by traveling into the depths of the fiery, lava-filled Death Mountain. The Ice Ruins dungeon is a great example of how ALBW blends top-down 2D Zelda gameplay with a more 3D graphical style, giving the dungeon a sense of depth hardly possible in previous 2D titles. The Ruins are full of tough-to-navigate platforms that test Link’s balance and player’s patience.
This verticality helps the Ice Ruins stand out, as players are constantly moving between its several floors. Like in Minish Cap’s Temple of Droplets, the Ice Ruins allow Link to get the boss key at the very start of the dungeon. However, unlike the Temple of Droplets which pushes players to enter the boss chamber early on, the entire premise of the Ice Ruins is in finding a way to even get to the boss room in the first place. The juxtaposition of fire and ice in the Ice Ruins makes it feel like the ultimate expression of the connection between worlds that ALBW embodies.
5 Mermaid’s Cave Makes Masterful Use of OOA’s Main Gimmick
Oracle of Ages
Oracle of Ages and Seasons melded the world-building of Ocarina of Time with the 2D Dungeon Crawling of A Link to the Past to create two of the best 2D Zelda titles. Oracle of Ages is generally more lauded for its complex puzzle mechanics, though Seasons wasn’t without its merit in the dungeon department. However, the best dungeon in Ages, and arguably the best in either of the Oracle games, was the Mermaid’s Cave.
Both Oracle games have awesome gimmicks (the changing of seasons in Seasons, and the time travel in Ages), but no other dungeon employs the use of its gimmick quite as well as Mermaid’s Cave. Mermaid’s Cave essentially functions as two separate dungeons located in the past and the future. Players have to traverse between time periods to make their way through the dungeon similarly to Ocarina of Time’s Spirit Temple. Mermaid Cave does the concept even better than the Spirit Temple did, if for no other reason than it adds more consequence to Link’s actions between time periods.
4 Turtle Rock Has a Surprising Amount of Depth For a 2D Dungeon
A Link to the Past
Turtle Rock is the penultimate dungeon in ALTTP, and expectedly one of the game’s greatest challenges. It consists of a basic cavern aesthetic that doesn’t exactly push the boundaries in terms of atmosphere, but there’s a sense of closure this gives the game after having players explore so many other similar caves. Turtle Rock is truly the final boss of cavernous areas in ALTTP.
Turtle Rock is a massive dungeon with three floors that could easily be individual dungeons of their own. Once Link finally reaches the lowest floor of the dungeon, he’s confronted by arguably the best boss in the game: Trinexx. Along the way, players traverse winding tunnels, floating railways and treacherous caverns to complete one of 2D Zelda’s greatest dungeons. Turtle Rock was such an unforgettable dungeon that it even spawned rehashed versions in both Link’s Awakening and A Link Between Worlds.
3 The Palace of Winds Took 2D Zelda to New Heights
The Minish Cap
Minish Cap has arguably the best first dungeon in 2D Zelda history in Deepwood Shrine, and its version of Ganon’s Castle is considered one of the best final dungeons in the series by many fans. However, what really made Minish Cap stand out is how it consistently pushed the limits of what 2D Zelda could do and never was that more apparent than with the Palace of Winds. Minish Cap’s Palace of Winds had to walk so that Twilight Princess’ City in the Sky could run.
The Palace of Winds was the first dungeon located entirely in the sky in a Zelda game, and it nailed the striking dichotomy between arresting beauty and the fear of heights perfectly despite only being a 2D title. In fact, the top-down perspective helped continually hammer home just how high up Link really is. Capping it all off is one of the coolest dungeon items in the series, the Roc’s Cape. While not exclusive to Minish Cap, the Roc’s Cape gives an impressive added element to the Palace of Winds that makes its memorable boss fight against the Gyorg Pair possible. In terms of atmosphere and aesthetic, few 2D Zelda dungeons come close to the Palace of the Winds.
2 Eagle’s Tower is the Ideal Mixture of Clever and Confusing
Links Awakening
Link’s Awakening brought the classic dungeon crawling of ALTTP to the Game Boy, but it didn’t sacrifice anything in terms of its dungeons. That’s apparent with Eagle’s Tower, which is a sprawling labyrinth full of cryptic puzzles. The majority of the dungeon revolves around a large metal ball that Link has to figure out how to transfer between rooms in order to use it to knock down huge stone pillars. Once all the pillars are demolished in the dungeon, the entire tower crumbles, revealing a new path forward.
This all culminates in an extremely satisfying side-scrolling boss battle against Evil Eagle which feels more like something in a Mega Man game than Zelda. 2019’s Link’s Awakening Remake for the Switch introduced a new generation to everything that was great about a classic 2D Zelda title, and also everything punishing about Eagle’s Tower. While it can easily be one of the most frustrating dungeons in Link’s Awakening, that unique challenge makes Eagle’s Tower even more rewarding to complete.
1 Ganon’s Tower is Still Zelda’s Best Final Dungeon
A Link to the Past
A Link to the Past’s last dungeon, Ganon’s Tower, is the ultimate final trial, and the pinnacle of 2D dungeon crawling in the Zelda series. It’s as challenging as any dungeon in the franchise, offering aspects of every dungeon before it. Whereas Zelda 1’s final dungeon was mostly a combat-filled arena, Ganon’s Castle is a combat-filled arena filled with difficult puzzles to create the complete 2D Zelda challenge. In most Zelda titles since ALTTP, the final dungeon tends to be a shorter, more streamlined final victory lap, but Ganon’s Castle is more like a marathon that tests the player’s endurance.
Not only is Ganon’s Castle full of difficult puzzles, but it also forces players to face three mini-bosses consisting of the first three dungeon bosses in the game. The Armos Knights, Moldorm and Lanmolas were once the most difficult challenges Link had to face, but players get to see their growth firsthand as these enemies crumble at their feet. This is reminiscent of Ganon’s Castle as a whole: it throws everything it can at Link to test him on how much he has grown and learned throughout his adventure. In doing so, Ganon’s Castle feels like an amalgamation of everything great about the foundational 2D Zelda title.