Ranking All Legend Of Zelda Art Styles

[@spiritfox123]

Leaving the NES Zelda games out because "I don't think you can speak of an art style for those games" is honestly the dumbest reason I've ever heard for leaving games out of a list like this. Pixel art is an art style and the styles of pixel art even differ between the two. That's like saying SMB 1, SMB 2 US, and SMB 3 don't have art styles, despite each of them very clearly having art styles that set them apart from each other and even other games on the system. At the end of the day EVERY game has an art style to speak of, even if you don't want to talk about the pixel art there's still the very real hand drawn concept art which all the pixel art was based on.

[@chimeforest]

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I'd also like to add that "OoT and MM wouldn't have made it on this list without the remakes" is just as bogus in my opinion. Just because the poly count is low, doesn't mean there wasn't an art direction or style.

[@spiritfox123]

@@chimeforest oh my god did he actually say that? LMAO I'm glad I stopped watching when he wrote off the NES games

[@chimeforest]

​@@spiritfox123 4:05 He does indeed, the very first thing after he says the title.

[@nitaybachrach3162]

He ranked minish cap 4th, and praised it's pixel art. It's fair to disagree, but come on, watch the video before you do, because it seems you didn't even understand why he ruled them out (which again, it's okay to disagree with)

[@BobaBushido]

This video is exactly why we need dislike button back lol

[@lacintag5482]

Strongly disagree with the idea that the N64 games had no art style in their original release. When you compare them to other polygonal games of the time you can see just how expressive and interesting they look.

[@plooper14]

Yeah, those 2 games have breathtaking art direction imo. Tailored specifically to be viewed on a crt, they have some of the most immersive atmosphere in all of Zelda

[@dragnjames2190]

I look at the original n64 versions of Ocarina & Majora as the 90's equivalent to Twilight Princess. I wish we had another game with that artstyle. Hyrule Warriors came pretty close but leaned just a tiny bit too far into the stylized designs for clothing for Link, Zelda and Ganondorf. Little things like the golden shingles on Ganondorf's armor everywhere, Zelda's golden armor pieces on her hips and Link's yellow tips on the edges of his tunic. It feels a little too "busy" to me but otherwise looks awesome.

[@sparkler5313]

i find a lot of charm in the polygonal look of phantom hourglass and spirit track

[@HannaLivingston]

Agreed. Just look at Linebeck.

[@n.d3217]

same❤❤

[@Lurker_of_the_shadows]

I think this whole vid can be chocked up to just a ranking of hot takes on Zelda styles

[@leightonjeppesen9016]

You talking about the links awakening remake- “I just hope we don’t get an original game in this style” Meanwhile… Echos of wisdom-

[@ImpapediaYT]

😅

[@Lewisthecarrotman]

I'm sorry, cadence of hyrule looks INCREDIBLE! I'm a sucker for pixel art and it has amazing sprites.

[@brooke221]

Replaying Wind Waker GameCube version in 2024 and absolutely blown away by its graphics. I can’t believe it came out in 2002. These graphics hold up fantastic to the test of time. Something very few games ever made can claim

[@laggindragn]

Minish cap was so fun to look at.

[@firionkaiser8291]

Nintendo did say that they didnt want to spend anymore time with this iteration of Hyrule so I think the Wild era is over. Unless they are in a new continent on a third game.

[@ImpapediaYT]

I agree, I also think they’re going for something new next time

[@martonkasza8840]

Impapedia: Mario games have had the same aesthetic since the GameCube Paper Mario: Am I a joke to you?!

[@dragnjames2190]

I think the quote was moreso talking purely about main series Mario and Mario Kart. Not the rpgs. Main series Mario had solidified the core cast designs in 2002 with Mario Party 4. And even before that, things were fairly ironed out by Luigi's Mansion & Smash Bros Melee's Classic Mode Trophies just a year prior in 2001.

[@deliciousnathan]

Windwaker on Steamdeck OLED is beautiful experience

[@VictoryReviews]

Great video dude I hope we get a new art style for Zelda soon. I can't wait for a shake up

[@ImpapediaYT]

Thanks!

[@machnesntsn_ind.]

I dont really understand the exclusion of the first 2 zelda games. sure, they were limited by the technology of the time but so were the oracle games, ALTTP, minnish cap and even BOTW and TOTK. it might not have been "fair" to rank them but I didnt watch the video to see a "fair" ranking. I watched it to see what you thought of the art styles of the games (and to see how far from first place you put minnish cap).

[@ImpapediaYT]

You know, you actually make a good point. Looking back, I agree with you. Let’s call it the mistakes of a first video 😅

[@splish8869]

I loved the art style of the Link’s awakening remake. I think a lot of this has to do with how much the aesthetic of toys connects to a surprisingly rich story of growing up and saying farewell to childhood

[@joenziii]

u gotta be trolling

[@ImpapediaYT]

Didn’t think any of my takes in this video were that hot tbh 😅

[@joenziii]

@@ImpapediaYT Breath of the wild artstyle at a number 2 spot. and wind waker at 1 bro if u wanted to make a video about cell shading artstyles just do that

[@ThePaulineu]

To me, the Minish cap is the most appealing art style, followed by BotW and ToTK. Nice list!

[@skadi2911]

I would have placed Skyward Sword higher, as i believ it has also accomplished quite a timeless artstyle in its own way like The Wind Waker did. Having goofy looking characters fits the game imo, with its very good side quests which, while not as iconic or memorable as Majora's Mask's, are still some of the best in the series. I'd argue that Skyward Sword is a strong contender for second best side quests right below Majora's Mask. And i feel like making these characters look so unique and different from each other really compliments these side quests. Like Groose sidekicks looking so weird fits their character and their respective side quests, and it goes for many other characters too. With its impressionist artsyle, the game manages to save on resources with its backgrounds, deliver funny and whacky moments with good side quests, but it can also have very strong darker moments with Ghirahim or Demise for example. And all of that works well with its artsyle, which is no easy thing to do.

[@Switchbored]

Great list, I agree about Windwaker, however you did OOT and MM dirty. they were the basis of all 3D zeldas. They had the perfect balanced tone of both serious and family friendly games. Admittingly those games are showing age but without them we wouldn't have half the iconography we have now throughout later games.

[@Soap-kp7py]

I’d rank skyward sword higher than wind water cuz of the higher level of detail and pastel colours. I think the lack of grass texture makes the land look flatter, tho the water is absolutely gorgeous

[@traviscunningham7062]

Agreed. Also “Wind Water” lol.

[@Soap-kp7py]

@@traviscunningham7062 woops thank you ima fix that right away

[@Jonasaurus7]

While I sort of get not ranking the nes games because of how limited they are (I disagree but sort of get it) the claim that OOT & MM don’t have art styles feels like a desperate attempt to avoid ranking them at the bottom of a list in fear of what the fans will do

[@ImpapediaYT]

Haha that’s not the case, I think both are the most primitive form of the style (2D and 3D), but that is a benefit I didn’t consider 😅

[@Jonasaurus7]

@@ImpapediaYT the thing is that there are still distinctive art styles on the nes and especially the 64, a good example is putting oot next to Mario 64, they’re both just about as primitive n64 as you can get but they clearly have different art styles from each other, then throw in Kirby 64 and it becomes even more clear

[@Memeculto]

Links Awakening Remake and A link between worlds are literally the same art style in consoles with different graphics.

[@Bobb11881]

I can't believe you put the Link's Awakening style so high. I hate it so much. They made everything look like plastic toys, which is already pretty bad and hurts readability with everything looking like the same material (one of the Echoes of Wisdom trailers showed Zelda burning an echo of a tree, which I never would have thought to do because it _looks like plastic_), but instead of doing the sensible thing and make it look like stop-motion, they animated everything super smoothly. It looks so uncanny to see these rigid, plastic figure-looking guys moving around so smoothly. They could have made it look like the beautiful animated opening cutscene, like A Link Between Worlds but on better hardware. It would have been perfect.

[@Kkk-pr2bk]

While I do think that Wind Waker managed to capture perfection on the first try, I can't say it's the best. Mostly because it is fundamentally flawed in being overspecialized, cripplingly so, with pretty much no versatility You can't create a monster as scary looking as Morpheel, you can't create oppressive atmosphere of Typhlo Ruins, you can't create an aura of doom like The Moon. And this flaw shines the brightest in Wind Waker's Earth Temple - it's a crypt, that doesn't make you feel uncomfortable

[@igorcosta5482]

I get it that everybody now likes wind waker style, but it’s not better than minish cap, breath of the wild and links awakening remake. WW also aged. It’s a 3d game in limited hardware. Animations and textures could improve in a remake.

[@Leonkennedy19992]

I agree with everything except the character designs in era of the wild. The artstyle is beautiful but the character design specially for zelda and link look dull and lifeless. Even with voice acting they arenot as expressive as TP, WW, or SS

[@UmutKursawe]

I actually think Oracle of Seasons has the best artsyle. It just looks so good.

[@UOIOfficial_OSC]

Nothing like a controversial thumbnail to get haters to click on your video.

[@scheddoc]

You ranked all three CDi games the same, but only two of those have the same art style! ...Though still Zelda's Adventure would be at the bottom also.

[@Stephen-Fox]

I definitely agree with the idea of matching art style to game tone. ...But I definitely want more games in the Windwaker's style (...If Echoes of Wisdom is successful maybe reusing it for a Tetra-focused Windwaker prequel? Please?) I think I'd rank Cadence of Hyrule higher and swap Link's Awakening with Hero of the Wild games, but aside from that I'm very broadly in agreement with you.

[@AlmyTheAlien]

I never got all the hype around LTTP's art. I mean it is *good,* way beyond serviceable, but I always thought its use of color and shading was a bit basic compared to things like the Mana series, Final Fantasies of the time, Chrono trigger, Alcahest, etc.

[@protagon1stBo]

Absolutely agree. Keep it up.

[@VictoryReviews]

Completely and aggressively disagree with your opinion on Spirit Tracks and Phantom

[@bunsmasterbunny]

N64 versions of the Zelda games look better aesthetically than the 3DS versions.

[@ThePaulineu]

Sprite based games age much better than 3D games!

[@Bigjar420]

4 swords adventure?

[@scheddoc]

Little tip since I assume you're not a native English speaker and I've heard you make this mistake in a few videos: the 't' in 'debut'/'debuted' is silent. (Hope this doesn't come across as mean or rude, just trying to be helpful, your English is generally very good!)

[@ThePaulineu]

Honestly you're so right about spirit tracks but it was my very first game so I am VERY BIASED for it lmao

[@nikifallen93]

Fun take! I’d probably put TotK first and not include OoT and MM at all. I think the new EoW will end up taking my second spot with WW’s GameCube style in third, and then they’d all be top-notch gorgeous. I’m extremely stoked to see what Nintendo comes up with for the future!!!

[@Virishking]

Unpopular opinion: the Wind Waker HD release looks like absolute garbage. Too much bloom and the overall lighting doesn’t fit the style. The original looks leagues better when upscaled.

[@Iconic_Zoot]

I prefer the original's artstyle too, but I wouldn't say the HD remake looks like "absolute garbage". That's kind of crazy. I can't quite tell what looks off about the HD version compared to the original to me, but something about the original has always looked better to me ever since the HD version came out.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

That's not an unpopular opinion. Most people share it.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

@@Iconic_Zoot The lighting is too bright/doesn't fit the games' art style and the characters aren't cel shaded all the time anymore (You can see gradients on the models which makes them look like plastic toys.)

[@PauLtus_B]

That's an incredibly popular opinion.

[@MillieBarger-ku7gj]

Skyward sword is my number 1, but I would except BoTW and took as #1. Nothing else even comes close.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Twilight Princess has a great art style. It just needs better graphics.

[@traviscunningham7062]

More like better textures that are actually upscaled.

[@Droobie03]

The NES games are 8-bit pixel art.

[@billdebillbill]

Twilight Princess has the best art style hands down. No Zelda game comes close to capturing that high fantasy aesthetic

[@The_Trident_Master]

It didn’t age nearly as well as windwaker

[@billdebillbill]

@@The_Trident_Master I think it looks great

[@The_Trident_Master]

@@billdebillbill it does, it just hasn’t aged as well

[@traviscunningham7062]

If you play it on a emulator upscaled, it looks better.

[@spotlight9269]

Ok we get it you like bloom, cell-shading and vivid colours. But that's not everything about an art style my guy

[@7sonicmario]

Windwaker overrated. People are clouded by nostalgia. I recalled how everyone thougbt it looked awful when it came out.

[@ImpapediaYT]

If everyone hated it when it came out, how cam they be clouded by nostalgia? 🤔

[@TheSweatyFrog]

As someone who didn’t play windwaker until very recently, and is thus not “clouded by nostalgia,” I think that the graphics are great and charming.

[@LuigiSantoriniXXX16]

And those people were horribly wrong because there's a lot of care put into the look and feel of this game. A lot of objects move along with the wind direction. The suspension bridges have complex physics. Water drips down from link when he exists the water and it even adjust the height to how much you went into the water. The ocean moves ferociously and realistically. Everything starts to move erratically when it's storming, and just so many other things. The sheer effort put into the tiny details makes it enough to be my number one as well.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Windwaker HD looks like crap compared to the original game.

[@user-Sande45]

WIND WAKER FIRST?!?!?!? agreed

[@anakinsolo4529]

WW is a masterpiece