Best Nintendo 3DS Zelda Games

The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most beloved & heavily guarded franchises. It has graced nearly every console since it premiered in 1986 in Japan. The one exception is the Virtual Boy but that hardly counts.

Having all that being said, usually most consoles are only lucky enough to have one, maybe two titles per system. The 3DS, on the other hand, had far more; granted, two games were remasters, one was a port from the Wii U, and a few others were old titles released via the Virtual Console. Still, the 3DS made it easy to take the Zelda classics on the go, but some are more worth the cost of entry than others.

Updated September 29, 2023, by Mark Sammut: This article with the best 3DS Zelda games has been updated to include each game's specifications.

Link's Awakening DX – No Score

An updated version of 1993's Link's Awakening for the Game Boy, the DX iteration debuted in 1998 on the Game Boy Color. Besides a color lift, Link's Awakening DX included a couple of tweaks and alterations, such as the introduction of a new photographer mechanic along with a side quest to go with it. There is even a new dungeon designed specifically to take advantage of the expanded color palette offered by the GBC. In 2011, Link's Awakening DX was released on the 3DS' Virtual Console, making it readily available to a modern audience.

Zelda DS Games That Are Backward Compatible With The 3DS

• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – 87
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – 90

As the 2DS and 3DS were designed to be backward compatible with the Nintendo DS, the handheld consoles launched with hundreds of fantastic games already in their libraries. Naturally, this selection included a couple of Legend of Zelda titles, including the brilliant Phantom Hourglass​​​​​​. Technically, these are not 3DS games, but they should be mentioned since they can be experienced on the platform.

11 Hyrule Warriors Legends – 70

The New 3DS line of handhelds didn’t have many exclusives but this Wii U port of Hyrule Warriors was one of them. It actually did work on normal 3DS units, but poorly. Whatever handheld one played it on, the important thing to note here is the new content. The expansion was primarily led by The Wind Waker.

The Wind Waker expansion added story bits from the game along with including Tetra, Toon Link, and King Daphnes as playable characters. Not only that but Linkle also got her own storyline. It was a good port of an already bizarre game. It's not the best 3DS Zelda game, but it's worth a try for die-hard Zelda fans looking for a multiplayer experience in Hyrule.

10 The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes – 73

The Legend of Zelda series has been dabbling with multiplayer for nigh on decades now. It all began with Four Swords, which created multiple Links. That’s how most of the multiplayer Zelda games work, including Tri Force Heroes.

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While interesting, none of these multiplayer outings have actually nailed multiplayer. In order to get the most out of Tri Force Heroes, one needs three friends. It can be played alone but it is cumbersome. It's far from the best Zelda 3DS game, but at least it had Download Play options so that only one person needed the game.

9 Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link – 73

The second Legend of Zelda game didn't even use the title of the first entry, unlike other games in the series. Called Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link, players are tasked with waking up the sleeping Zelda after she was cursed. It's a brutally hard game that plays nothing like other Legend of Zelda games thanks to its side-scrolling movement and experience-based leveling.

It is one of the lowest-rated Legend of Zelda games, partially due to its difficulty, but mostly for its complete deviation from the hallowed gameplay of the first. The team quickly went back to the top-down view with A Link To The Past a few years later, but it's still worth checking out as one of the few Zelda games for 3DS that don't use the classic Zelda formula at all.

8 The Legend Of Zelda – 84

The one that started it all, The Legend of Zelda was groundbreaking when it debuted on the NES. Nowadays, the game's lack of direction might be a bit off-putting to modern players, but the title's dungeons hold up fairly well. If a relatively new fan is looking to revisit the franchise's pre-Ocarina of Time titles, The Legend of Zelda should be the second they try after A Link To The Past. Like many classic entries in the series, Nintendo eventually release the NES masterpiece on the 3DS's Virtual Console.

7 The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition – 85

DSiWare releases are primarily associated with the DS, but since Four Swords Anniversary Edition debuted after the launch of the 3DS, the game will be mentioned in this discussion. Originally released as a companion piece for the GBA's A Link to the Past, Four Swords saw Zelda embrace multiplayer as players worked their way through dungeons while trying to collect rupees.

The Anniversary Edition was only available for a couple of years, and the game has not been downloadable since around 2014. This package not only remastered the Game Boy Advance title but also included a single-player mode to make the title more accessible.

6 The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap – 89

The Minish Cap is a special case as, unlike most other Virtual Console releases, this title was only available to people who qualified for the 3DS Ambassador Program. The original Legend of Zelda was also part of this initiative, but while that game eventually garnered a standalone release, The Minish Cap was not so lucky. That said, the game was added to the Wii U Virtual Console, so it was available for a while.

5 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D – 89

Majora’s Mask is a divisive entry among Zelda fans. Along with being a shorter Zelda game than Ocarina of TIme, Majora's Mask prioritized side content along with setting the game on a 72-hour in-game timer that was always counting down.

Majora's Mask 3D sought to make the experience more accessible, arguably making it the definitive version for modern gamers. One thankfully added feature was the ability to save and fast-travel more often. While time constraints weren't lifted (the timer is actually faster in Majora's Mask 3D,) all the quality-of-life additions make this hard to notice.

4 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – 91

By and large, A Link Between Worlds is the best Zelda 3DS game that is its own original IP, not a port. In many ways, it too can feel like a remake as ALBW reuses a lot of A Link to the Past’s world albeit slightly altered. This game is the Majora’s Mask of A Link to the Past in other words.

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Reused content aside, the ability to go 2D and explore new areas between cracks was an immersive ability that looks good in 3D to boot. A Link Between Worlds also bucked the trend for the series by adding in a shop that allowed players to rent equipment to tackle the dungeons in almost any order. The story's twist also made a good wink to the series’ tried and true tropes.

3 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons – 92

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were released back-to-back for the Game Boy Color with a port released for 3DS in 2013, 12 years after the game's original release. Both games were a "sequel" to Link's Awakening, featuring much of the same designs and gameplay as their predecessor.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are two Zelda games for 3DS that still hold up today. The only differences between the two are the colors in the game and their gameplay focus: Ages focuses on puzzles and endurance, while Seasons is all about fighting.

While these games do not have traditional pages on Metacritic, they are listed with a 92 here.

2 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D – 94

It was thanks to Ocarina of Time’s success on the 3DS that Majora’s Mask was even considered. The N64 original remains the best-reviewed Zelda of all time on top of being in the top ten best games of all time on Metacritic. This 3DS remake is slightly below that; however, scores aside, this is actually the better version. Like the Majora’s Mask edition, this game fixed some issues like expanding the inventory slot options via a simple tap of the bottom screen.

This made the Water Temple, as just one example, much easier to navigate. It also looks great on the handheld. Is Ocarina of Time really the best Zelda game of all time? Yes and no. It did a lot for the franchise, but A Link to the Past is up there as well. As for the best 3DS Zelda game, t hese last three are definitely worth playing while the first two have a few caveats.