With the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Nintendo fans have likely had the 3D Zelda games on their minds. Skyward Sword is one of the more divisive titles in the franchise, whereas the other 3D Zelda games are beloved entries that many gamers hold dear. However, no game is perfect, which is why remasters and remakes can be exciting opportunities for developers to patch up their older games. As of now, most of the mainline 3D Zelda games (and even Link's Awakening) have gotten a remaster, but which one is the best?

Ocarina of Time on the N64 was the first 3D Zelda game and it had a lasting impact on the series. From its controls to its gameplay structure, 3D Zelda games took heavy influence from Ocarina of Time over the years. However, certain parts of the game, like the graphics, had aged quite poorly, which is why fans were excited to see the 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time with enhanced visuals and gameplay. In its wake, Nintendo released remakes of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on the Wii U, Majora's Mask on the 3DS, and finally Skyward Sword HD and Link's Awakening on the Switch.

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Each of these Zelda remakes faithfully recreated the original title while updating the graphics and tweaking the gameplay to varying degrees. Some games, like Ocarina of Time 3D, only had minor gameplay tweaks to the experience, whereas Majora's Mask 3D made so many major changes that there's a genuine argument to be made in favor of either version. Some games made major graphical enhancements, like Wind Waker HD, and others, like Skyward Sword HD, only made minor improvements. All of these remakes are great ways to experience each of these games, but which one did the best job improving upon the original?

Wind Waker HD Is The Best Zelda Remake

Link in Wind Waker HD

The original Wink Waker might have been controversial because of its art style when it was released back on the GameCube, but it also had some major problems in pacing that were fixed in its remake. Wind Waker HD offers a harder difficulty setting, much faster sailing, an inventory and map present at all times on the gamepad, and a streamlined Triforce quest. While it's true that other remakes also fixed problems throughout the experience, like Link's Awakening's vastly improved inventory system, none of them have a balance of patching up gameplay and cleaning up the visuals as strong as Wind Waker HD.

Out of all the Zelda remakes, Skyward Sword HD is the runner-up because it brought many substantial gameplay changes, but its graphics should have been touched up more than they were. Fi's interruptions are brought down to a minimum, players can use button controls, cutscenes are skippable, and items don't bring up text boxes after the first time anymore. It's a massive list of changes that improve the pacing of the entire experience and make it a more accessible game. In comparison, Majora's Mask 3D brought many changes that make managing a three-day cycle more enjoyable, but it alienated hardcore fans by slowing down the Deku's running and Zora's swimming. Each of the Zelda remakes has done a solid job at improving the original game, but The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD improved the most overall.

Next: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Bomb Arrow Replaces the Master Sword