How to Play All Zelda Games in a Single Year

the beloved The Legend of Zelda lends itself to endless replays, fast-paced races, and unique gameplay challenges (especially breath of the wild), but playing all the main series Zelda game in a year would be seen as a major test of strength by even the most committed fans. The games considered as main Zelda games offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, and the Zelda spin-offs, remakes, and non-canon games have also made major contributions to the series’ 36-year history. Luckily, Nintendo’s official Zelda the timeline provided fans with a neat list of mainline games that comprised the entire saga from start to finish, and three more titles joined Zelda canon since the timeline was released in 2011.

While the Zelda offers plenty of possibilities for adventure, some titles have become difficult to access in recent years. Currently, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2, A link to the past, Ocarina of time, Majora’s Mask, skyward swordand breath of the wild are the only ones Zelda games available on Nintendo Switch. Many older installments in the series are only officially available on specific consoles that are no longer in production, and players will still need a Game Boy Color, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo DS. Nintendo 3DS to complete the rest of the series.

Related: Tears Of The Kingdom Details Hint At The End Of Zelda’s Timeline

As soon as the exit of breath of the wildthere are a total of 19 games in the main canon of the Zelda franchise. It takes approximately 360 hours to beat each game’s main story, and up to 750 hours to reach 100% completion. Playing them all in just one year would be a Ganon-sized challenge, but it’s possible for a dedicated fan to complete every game in the Zelda series by reserving an average of about 10 to 15 hours per week.

How to play every Zelda game in release date order

Here is every Zelda in the order they posted, next to their original platform and approximately how long they will take to complete:

• Week 1: The Legend of Zelda (1986, NES, 10 a.m.)
• Week 2: Zelda II: Link’s Adventure (1987, NES, 10 a.m.)
• Weeks 3-4: A link to the past (1991, SNES, 3-8 p.m.)
• Weeks 5-6: Link’s Awakening (1993, Game Boy, 3-8 p.m.)
• Weeks 7-10: Ocarina of time (1998, N64, 25-40 hours)
• Weeks 11-13: Majora’s Mask (2000, N64, 5-35 hours)
• Weeks 14-16: Oracle of seasons & Oracle of ages (2001, Game Boy Color, 30-40 hours combined)
• Week 17: four swords (2002, Game Boy Advance, 3-6 hours)
• Weeks 18-21: The Wind Waker (2002, GameCube, 25-65 hours)
• Week 22: Four Sword Adventures (2004, GameCube, 4-20 hours)
• Weeks 23-24: The Minish Cap (2004, Game Boy Advance, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 25-28: Twilight Princess (2006, GameCube and Wii, 35-60 hours)
• Weeks 29-30: ghost hourglass (2007, DS, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 31-32: Spiritual tracks (2009, DS, 20-30 hours)
• Weeks 33-38: skyward sword (2011, Wii, 40-60 hours)
• Weeks 39-40: a link between worlds (2013, 3DS, 15-25 hours)
• Week 41-42: Heroes of the Three Forces (2015, 3DS, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 43-52: breath of the wild (2017, Switch and Wii U, 50-200+ hours)

How to Play Every Zelda Game in Chronological Order: Unified Timeline (Weeks 1-12)

The timeline of the Zelda universe has been intensely debated throughout the franchise’s history, but Nintendo’s official timeline published in History of Hyrule provides a relatively cohesive overview of the story so far. While fans were quick to spot contradictions and potential inconsistencies, the timeline is a great roadmap to experience the canon saga of Hyrule as it happened in-universe. The story begins with skyward sword at the beginning of ZeldaThe timeline then splits into three separate timelines based on the outcome of Link’s battle with Ganon at the end of Ocarina of time.

Related: Ocarina Of Time’s Zelda Timeline Placement Was Ruined By Skyward Sword

• Weeks 1 to 5: skyward sword (Wii, 40-60 hours)
• Weeks 6-7: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance, 15-30 hours)
• Week 8: four swords (Game Boy Advance, 3-6 hours)
• Weeks 9-12: Ocarina of time (N64, 25-40 hours)

How to Play Every Zelda Game in Chronological Order: The Defeated Heroes Timeline (Weeks 13-25)

The original 1986 The Legend of Zelda takes place towards the end of the darkest Zelda timeline, which begins with the defeat of the hero of time at the end of Ocarina of time. In this branch, Ganondorf obtains all three pieces of the Triforce and transforms into the Demon King, devastating Hyrule until Zelda and the Seven Sages can imprison him in the Sacred Realm. Hyrule’s power wanes in the absence of its Triforce, and Ganon’s wickedness transforms the legendary ancient holy realm into Zeldais the demonic Dark World.

• Weeks 13-14: A link to the past (SNES, 3-8 p.m.)
• Weeks 15-17: Oracle of seasons/ages (Game Boy Color, 30-40 hours)
• Weeks 18-19: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy, 3-8 p.m.)
• Weeks 20-21: a link between worlds (3DS, 15-25 hours)
• Weeks 22-23: Heroes of the Three Forces (3DS, 15-30 hours)
• Week 24: The Legend of Zelda (NES, 10 a.m.)
• Week 25: Zelda 2 (NES, 10 a.m.)

How to Play Every Zelda Game in Chronological Order: The Childhood Era Timeline (Weeks 26-34)

At the end of Ocarina of time, Zelda sends Link back to his original time in the Age of Child, allowing him to find her in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle and warn him of the fate of their land. She entrusts him with the Ocarina of Time before he embarks on his own distant journey, ensuring that the Sacred Realm would remain safely sealed. Although the Defeated Hero timeline is technically the worst-case scenario for Hyrule, the Child Era timeline games feature some of the series’ darker tones and themes. Zelda series.

Related: Legend of Zelda: Every Timeline Split Explained

• Weeks 26-28: Majora’s Mask (N64, 25-35 hours)
• Weeks 29-33: Twilight Princess (GameCube and Wii, 35-60 hours)
• Week 34: Four Sword Adventures (GameCube, 4-8pm)

How to Play Every Zelda Game in Chronological Order: The Adult Era Timeline (Weeks 35-42)

After Link returns to his original time at the end of Ocarina of time, the Zelda who remains in the Adult Era puts the Master Sword back on its pedestal and seals the Gate of Time, preventing any further passage between their eras. However, since the Triforce of Courage rests on the Ocarina‘s Hero of Time in the Child Era, the future Hyrule in which Ganon was defeated finds himself without his holy power. When Ganondorf is finally resurrected, no heroes show up to face him. The King of Hyrule asks for help from the gods, who seal off Ganondorf by flooding the entire land under the Great Sea.

• Weeks 35-38: The Wind Waker (GameCube, 25-65h)
• Weeks 39-40: ghost hourglass (SD, 3-30 p.m.)
• Weeks 41-42: Spiritual tracks (SD, 8-30 p.m.)

Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The End of Everything (Weeks 43-52)

Nintendo said that BOTW takes place at the end of Zelda timeline, making it the final game in the timeline and release date versions of this year-long gaming challenge. However, it was never clarified whether BOTWThe story of occurs at the end of a specific time branch, or if the game was meant to end all three. The upcoming release of tears of the kingdom can shed some light on BOTW and the canon timeline as a whole, but fans will have at least a year of The The Legend of Zelda games to keep them busy until then.

Next: Where Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Fits Into The Series Timeline