Echoes of wisdoma brand new release, has many fans The Legend of Zelda excited for a change of pace. However, its puzzle-focused nature isn't as different from the rest of the series as some players might think. Puzzles have been the focus of Zelda since its inception, with some titles focusing on them more than others.
While there have been more action-oriented games on newer, more powerful hardware, the more cerebral aspect of the series is a strong part of games like Tears of the Kingdom OR A link to the past. This makes some games in the series a suitable way to warm up for a new game that puts thought first.
10 A link to the past unites tension with environmental tasks
This classic has an excellent puzzle design
First released on the SNES, A link to the past demonstrates that the idea of an open world Zelda It's been around much longer than games like Breath of the Wild Nature. For most of the game, players can complete different challenges in any order they choose with impressive freedom. The more open-world than usual and its various cognitive challenges require thoughtful strategy.
Like many great escape room puzzles, A link to the past often requires certain items to progress when challenged. This leads to the game feeling more interconnected than it otherwise would. In doing this, Mental obstacles in the game help to make A link to the past in a large and unitary area which is influenced by the player's actions, previous knowledge and skills.
9 Spirit Tracks focuses on an unconventional team-up
Still counts as the first playable Zelda
One of the most obvious ways Spiritual traces show ideas used later for Echoes of wisdom is the appearance of Zelda herself. While she is a spirit in this game, she can move and experience the same adventure as Link. The system where she has enemies called Phantoms is also reminiscent of Zelda's ability to clone enemies in Echoes.
In much of its gameplay, Spiritual traces It looks more like a puzzle game than a traditional top-down action adventure. Players move using the stylus instead of the standard buttons, which gives the game an air of careful movement and positioning. Changing up the gameplay, Spiritual traces makes players consider their movements much more cognitively. Additionally, Zelda's appearance as a controllable ghost gives the game more options, further expanding the gameplay and giving players more options to think about.
8 The Minish Hat Keeps Gamers on Their Toes
Small size creates a bigger world
A black sheep in the franchise, The Minish Cap It is one of the few Zelda games made by Capcom, which has contributed to the development of several portable titles. Despite this, it nails the series' item progression and dedication to a unique core idea. Its core mechanic is that Link can change size, greatly increasing the possibilities for exploration and puzzles.
The ability to switch from one perspective to another The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Hat factors in several major challenges throughout the game. Observing a situation from multiple levels makes the game much more open, especially when this mechanic is focused on one section of the gameplay. Additionally, the game features a mechanic that involves controlling multiple copies of Link, which creates even more potential for clever and complex puzzles during the later sections of The Minish Cap.
7 The Legend of Zelda is a puzzle in every way
The series' roots are still relevant
The original The Legend of ZeldaBeing from the era when games were created to waste time, it is — by nature — a tough nut to crack. Very little information is given to the player in the manual or in the game, which only features cryptic and poorly translated hints. Because of this, nowadays, any progress feels like a fight against the game itself. This can be fun with the right attitude and patience.
Everything is fine Zelda the game features puzzles, but only the original deliberately hides information from the player. With this in mind, The Legend of ZeldaThe otherwise simplistic gameplay makes the game feel more like a collection of mental challenges. Players are forced to piece together the little they can find and find the solution to basic problems such as upgrading weapons or discovering dungeons.
6 A Link Between Worlds brings a fantastic top-down adventure
Two different settings add up to create a great game design
Despite its mostly straightforward action-adventure gameplay, the unique part of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds makes the game feel like it's framed by a puzzle. It brings to mind a particular genre of puzzle game where players can switch between two worlds or perspectives of a level, which A link between worlds embodies with great effectiveness.
Link can glide between Hyrule and Lorule, which have similar geography, but any other block in one world is usually open in the other. This creates a situation where the player is looking for points to move between the two realms to solve many of the game's puzzles. With this mechanic, A link between worlds allows you to solve interesting puzzles that do not distract from the rest of the game action. In this way, the game really manages to satisfy all tastes and the puzzles and fights make each other more fun.
5 Majora's Mask is based on innovative solutions
Believe the hype: this old favorite is worth playing for puzzle lovers.
While it is one of the most beloved games in the series, Majora's Mask It's a strange trip for The Legend of Zelda. Almost entirely opposed to Ocarina of TimeThis game focuses on a smaller map, more developed NPCs, and a darker tone. As such, it takes cues from the puzzle aspects of previous titles, with players expected to travel the world to obtain items that solve esoteric challenges.
Most masks in the game exist for a specific purpose and are found through exploration or as rewards for taking on occasionally convoluted side quests. With the mask mechanic, Majora's Mask It seems more focused on designing the world using unconventional solutions to solve various puzzles. Items found through exploration or quests were quite rare for the time of the series, which previously focused more on dungeon design.
4 Four Swords Adventures turns teamwork into a puzzle
Unique options multiply in this title
Being one of the few titles in the franchise focused on multiplayer, Adventures of the Four Swords has several paths to create problems never heard before. Each player controls their own Link, giving developers the ability to create puzzles with multiple moving parts that would otherwise be impossible in a standard title. This freedom makes the game's challenges a great change of pace for Zelda fans.
For players looking for challenging puzzles to prepare for a less action-focused title, the single player mode of Adventures of the Four Swords promises tricky puzzles that require quick thinking and reactions — due to having to control 4 Links at once. This creates tension as players are forced to plan their way through a puzzle without all the information needed to complete it. It creates an experience that can be occasionally frustrating but is great to understand.
3 Oracle of Ages is a time-jumping adventure
This game lays the groundwork for later favorites
Featuring mechanics similar to games like Majora's Mask, Oracle of the Ages is the counterpart of Oracle of the SeasonsWhile both Gameboy Color games are built on the mechanics of Link's Awakening, Age focuses much more on puzzles than action. Players can jump between different moments, with the options provided to them expanding as the game progresses.
In all aspects of its design, Age intends to make players think more than typical franchise entries of the time. Many of the game's elements include a necessary secondary trait for players to remember, such as the Seed Shooter's bullets ricocheting off of angled walls. Additionally, combat focuses on finding specific enemy weaknesses rather than simply hitting them with a sword. In this way, AgeThe dedication to complex interactions makes it unique among many Zelda titles.
2 Link's Awakening features unique thematic challenges
This ever-changing title deserves its remake
With a recent remake in the same style as Echoes, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening focuses on making each area unique. Each main dungeon features a completely different puzzle category, which leads to a hugely varied experience from start to finish. For example, some dungeons like Eagle's Tower focus on verticality and moving between floors, while the optional Color Dungeon focuses on matching different states of different switches.
To be successful throughout the game, players must use different ways of thinking. Link's Awakening creates a dynamic gameplay loop, dedicating itself to a design that constantly challenges different skills. In this way, its progression seems to integrate the player's mental processing and not simply add new complications. The game design makes Link's Awakening It looks like a puzzle-based adventure.
1 Tears of the Kingdom fills the empty space with clever design
Players create their own fun with open-ended mechanics
In addition to all the praise he has already received, Tears of the Kingdom is most successful when it gets players to create their own puzzles. Access to tools has been all that many players needed to experiment with as they traverse the vast open world. Even in a game with as much content as this, what little white space there is can be constantly supplemented with the excitement of experimenting with the game's mechanics.
In addition to the great amount of freedom, TotalK also provides many detailed and open-ended puzzles in its core gameplay. Many shrines feature multiple moving parts and the mastery of the game to complete them in one of their many intended solutions, lending some much-needed replay value that some of its predecessor's challenges lacked. If Echoes of wisdom has half the freedom of TearsIt will be a great choice for any player who preferred the puzzles of the previous games.